|
Motion Control Newsesd electronics, Inc seeks Papers and Presenters on Fieldbus Applications and Industrial Ethernet Technologies Appeal to engineers, managers, and decision-makers for papers and presentations to be included in esd's annual seminar event. Wilfried Voss, President of esd electronics USA announced his plans to continue the popular CAN (Controller Area Network) Seminar Series in 2009 with the addition of presentations on Ethernet technology and under a new name, "Fieldbus Seminars." Mr. Voss stated, "The technical sessions in 2008 have been very well received and we were very pleased with the attendance." Mr. Voss went on to comment, "besides the basics of CAN, we will put an increased focus on Ethernet based industrial protocols in the 2009 series." In that light, esd contacted the EtherCAT Technology Group who has indicated they are interested in participating at esd's Boston-area conference in October this year. ...More >> Lunacy Unveiled to 42,000 High-School Students at 2009 FIRST Robotics Competition Game Kickoff Life-changing program inspires young people to become individual economic stimulus packages and pursue opportunities in science and technology. Over $9 million in scholarship funds available Manchester, NH - FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) launched its eighteenth FIRST Robotics Competition season with a Kickoff of a new robotics game called "Lunacy" at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, NH, hometown and headquarters of FIRST. ...More >>Berry Plastics Corporation and Power Efficiency Corporation Implement Energy Efficiency Program Using E-Save Technology on Granulators Las Vegas - Power Efficiency Corporation (OTCBB: PEFF), a clean tech company focused on efficiency technologies for electric motors, announced that 28 motor efficiency controllers were installed on 24 granulators at Berry Plastics in Anaheim, California. Berry Plastics is a global plastics manufacturer that has set a goal to reduce energy consumption and pick up secondary benefits of the company's environmental footprint through reduction of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) emissions, raw materials consumption and waste creation. Power Efficiency's patented E-Save Technology improves the efficiency of electric motors in granulators and other variable load, constant speed applications. E-Save Technology monitors the load on an electric motor and reduces the amount of power consumed by the motor when it is lightly loaded. By conserving energy, E-Save Technology saves money by reducing energy bills and supports sustainability programs to reduce CO2 emissions. ...More >>Honda Tests 49 Foot Robot  Float Will Kick off Rose Parade and Company's 50th Year in the U.S.Rose Parade Pace Car to be Hydrogen-Powered Fuel Cell Vehicle for First Time Torrance, CA - Honda will test its unique Rose Parade float as part of a rehearsal of the parade's opening show, conducted for media and invited guests in Pasadena, Calif., revealing the float design and giving parade fans a glimpse of this year's event. Honda's Rose Parade float, a 49-foot replica of Honda's ASIMO humanoid robot, and the parade's first-ever hydrogen-powered fuel cell pace car, the Honda FCX Clarity, will lead the 120th Rose Parade as well as kick off Honda's 50th anniversary of U.S. operations. ...More >> Leo Motors, Inc. Files Three Key Patent Applications for Electric Vehicle Technology Zinc Air Fuel Cell Power Pack, Waterproof Air-Cooled Polymer Power Pack, and Wind Turbine Generator Address Chronic EV Speed and Battery Life Issues New York - Leo Motors, Inc. (OTC: LEOM), an innovative automotive company engaged in the development, manufacture, and marketing of electric vehicles ("EVs") and EV components, has filed three key technology patent applications pertaining to the company's EV technology with the Korea Intellectual Property Office. The three patent applications relate to the company's Zinc Air Fuel Cell (ZAFC) power pack technology, as well as the company's Waterproof Air-cooled Polymer Power Pack and Wind Turbine Generator. Leo Motors believes that combined, these technologies solve the chronic problems plaguing traditional EVs, namely, limited driving range due to battery life. ...More >> Lazarus House and Larkin Center Receive Donations from Bison Gear Employees St. Charles, IL - Recognizing that community service organizations' financial needs are most acute this holiday season, BisonCares, the charitable arm of Bison Gear & Engineering Corp. made two special donations today at its monthly plant wide meeting. The Executive Directors of Lazarus House in St. Charles and The Larkin Center in Elgin were each presented with $1500 donations on behalf of Bison Gear's 270 employees. "Our associates at Bison Gear recognize the importance of giving back to our community, and the services provided by Lazarus House and The Larkin Center are especially focused on families in need where we work and live," said Ron Bullock, Chairman of Bison Gear. "We are thankful for the success we have enjoyed as a result of our associates' dedication and we are proud to participate in their charitable efforts." ...More >> Power Efficiency CEO Steve Strasser Speaks with Aspire about Energy Efficiency Markets Las Vegas - Power Efficiency Corporation (OTCBB:PEFF), a clean tech company focused on efficiency technologies for electric motors, announced that CEO Steve Strasser was featured in Aspire Clean Tech's Alternative Energy and Clean Tech Year in Review and Outlook Series. Aspire interviewed Strasser as well as other industry leaders and experts including Greg Curhan, Head of Clean Tech Banking at Merriman, Curhan Ford (Nasdaq:MERR); Paul Heitman, Senior Program Engineer of Comverge Technologies (Nasdaq:COMV); Ken Huber, Manager, Advanced Technology of PJM Interconnection Board; and Daryl Nakamoto, CFO of Hoku Scientific (Nasdaq:HOKU). ...More >>Russian Engineering Student Crowned Miss World Johannesburg, South Africa - Russian contestant Kseniya Sukhinova has won the Miss World 2008 competition at a ceremony in South Africa. Miss Sukhinova is from Siberia, studying for an engineering degree. ...More >>Waseda University Uses PTC Pro/ENGINEER to Develop a “Human-Symbiotic” Robot Needham, MA - PTC (Nasdaq: PMTC), The Product Development Company®, announced that Pro/ENGINEER®, PTC's parametric, integrated 3D CAD/CAM/CAE software, has been selected by Waseda University's Sugano Laboratory as the main engineering tool for the development of a human-symbiotic robot. In fact, Pro/ENGINEER was able to address one of the most significant challenges in the project related to the cabling design for robotic joints. The human-symbiotic robot called "TWENDY-ONE" is a jointly researched and developed by Sugano Laboratory (headed by Professor Shigeki Sugano, Department of Modern Mechanical Engineering, Waseda University) and private-sector businesses. Professor Sugano is well known for his research in the area of arm and finger manipulations. In 1999, his team developed "WENDY" (Waseda ENgineering Designed sYmbiont), a human symbiotic robot that had "dexterous" hands with human-like fingertips and succeeded in breaking an egg flawlessly for the first time in the world. ...More >> PI Receives US-Patent for Piezo Actuator Technology Enabling Higher Reliability Auburn, MA, - Dec. 2008 - PI (Physik Instrumente), a leading manufacturer of piezo actuators and precision motion-control equipment has received a United States patent for its development of innovative multilayer ceramic actuators. PI's exclusive PICMA® piezo-ceramic actuators are based on the novel stress reduction and encapsulation technologies which increase lifetime by several orders of magnitude both in static and dynamic applications, addressing key lifetime mechanisms common to other piezoelectric actuators. For more information, see U.S. Patent No. 7,449,077 "Method for the production of monolithic multilayer actuator made of a piezoceramic or electrostrictive material and external electrical contact for a monolithic multilayer actuator." ...More >> Timken Hosts Reliability Training Workshops Canton, OH - The Timken Company announced that it is hosting Reliability Training Workshops in 2009 to educate engineers, distributors and maintenance managers on how to gain higher levels of uptime and performance. Led by Timken reliability consultants, the three- to five-day workshops will include courses on RCM2® (reliability-centered maintenance), vibration analysis, bearing maintenance fundamentals and predictive maintenance. The workshops will be held: Jan. 27 to 30 in Pittsburgh, Pa; March 17 to 20 in Dallas, Texas; and May 18 to 22 in Greenville, S.C. Additional classes will be announced for the second half of 2009. ...More >>Auto Industry EV-olution What is the future of the automobile industry? Within a single century, personal transportation has progressed from horse-and-buggies to nearly one billion private automobiles. While our lives are unimaginable without cars, the vast majority of vehicles depend on oil, a problematic and limited natural resource that contributes to global warming. Against this environmentally unsustainable backdrop, America's Big Three automakers have, for the past generation or more, shown a stubborn unwillingness to embrace innovation. Clearly, the time has come for change in the auto industry. "Only one power alternative is readily available for automobiles today, and that is electricity," says Dr. Robert Kang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Leo Motors, Inc., a Korean-based company that, through its operating subsidiary, Leo Motors Co., Ltd., has introduced to the world a line of environmentally sound, cost efficient, and beautifully designed Electric Vehicles (EVs) and EV components. ...More >>AIS Announces a Complete IP65 NEMA 4 Waterproof Industrial LCD Monitor Irvine, CA - American Industrial Systems Inc. (AIS), a leading industrial LCD monitors and displays manufacturer, has announced that it is expanding its original distribution agreement with Avnet, Inc., one of the world's largest industrial distributors of electronic parts, enterprise computing and storage products and embedded subsystems, to include AIS' full line of IP65/NEMA 4X Weatherproof LCD Monitors designed for harsh environments including process manufacturing, industrial automation, and outdoor digital signage applications. These industrial monitors are encased in a waterproof and dustproof anti-corrosive stainless steel enclosure to ensure complete all-weather protection including the rear I/O connectors. AIS utilizes specially designed IP65 / NEMA 4X weatherproof connectors and cables; the fool-proof design incorporates ABS thermoplastic covers and o-rings to completely seal the monitor from harmful particulate dust and water. Touchscreens are also available, adding human interactivity to magnify utility and effectiveness of the displays. Currently the LCD monitors are available in sizes 6.4" to 20.1". ...More >>Flexpoint Signs Major Development Agreement Draper, UT - Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc. (OTCBB: FLXT) announces the signing of a Joint Development Agreement with Auto Electronic Corporation, "AEC," of Korea that provides for the joint development of automobile-related applications. Under the terms of the agreement, Flexpoint will provide the technology and production and AEC will provide electronics, electronic interface and marketing for products targeting the automobile industry. Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc. manufactures a patented cutting-edge flexible sensor that has also proven to be an extremely durable switch. The single-layer Bend Sensor® product allows for the measurement of mechanical movement, air flow, water flow or even vibration. It can be used as a range of motion sensor, or as a durable and reliable switch in most harsh environments. Flexpoint serves numerous industries including automotive, medical, industrial controls and more. ...More >> 3M to Outline Actions to Address Uncertain Global Economy Company Adjusts 2008 Guidance; Provides 2009 Outlook St. Paul, MN - At an institutional investor and analyst meeting in New York later today, 3M chairman, president and CEO George Buckley will reiterate the company's long-term commitment to investing in its core businesses and will outline ongoing actions to address a turbulent global economy. Buckley will reaffirm 3M's commitment to its core businesses and to continued investments in emerging markets, such as China, India, the Middle East and Latin America, and its efforts to improve its supply chain and capital efficiency. ...More >> Parvalux launched new range of high quality planetary gearheads at Nuremberg show Visitors to the Automation show in Nuremberg were the given the chance to examine the very first available 60mm samples from Parvalux's new line of high quality planetary gearheads: the HP range. The new range has been designed to operate marginally below that of servo specifications, allowing Parvalux to offer a cutting-edge planetary design for a fraction of the cost of a specialised servo-application gearhead. ...More >> New Bison Verdant Duty Gearmotors Offer Energy Savings, Increased Process Efficiency and Control St. Charles, IL - Electric motors consume from 63% to 70% of the electricity used in American manufacturing. However, most motor efficiency efforts to date have focused on less than 10% of the total electric motor population: those motors greater than one horsepower. In response to customer desires to increase efficiency in equipment employing fractional horsepower electric motors, Bison Gear & Engineering Corp. introduces its new 107 series Verdant DutyTM gearmotors in 5 standard, off-the-shelf models. Rated at 1/20 horsepower (37.3 watt) at 230 volt, 60 Hz, 3-phase, they feature an operating range from 6 to 90 Hz to provide a 15:1 range of adjustable output speeds in applications requiring no maintenance. The gearmotors feature totally enclosed, non-ventilated (TENV) AC motors constructed with special insulation systems to ensure long life when driven by compact, economic frequency inverters that convert conventional AC single phase to three phase power. Employing integral gear reducers with gear ratios from 6.7:1 to 95.5:1 they offer output speeds from 368 to 1.7 RPM with output torques up to 100 in-lbs. (11.3 N-m). ...More >> Physik Instrumente Selects Avago Technologies’ Miniature Reflective Encoder for Its Ultrasonic Piezomotors Used in Bio-Handling Apps Nuremberg, Germany - Avago Technologies has announced that Physik Instrumente (PI), a German manufacturer of piezo ultrasonic drives, has selected its miniature AEDR-8320 high resolution reflective encoder for use in their M-664KCEP vertical drive used in bio-handling dispenser applications. The AEDR-8320 high-resolution surface mount (SMT) reflective optical encoder, which provides precise positioning information and direction sensing, is ideal for use in industrial automation applications where space is constrained. Avago is a leading supplier of analog interface components for communications, industrial and consumer applications. PI markets its PILine® of piezo ultrasonic drives as an alternative to stackable motor concepts, especially in bio-handling dispenser applications where a compact high-speed actuator is needed. Typically, the accuracy for automation and handling tasks required for these actuators range from 5 to 100 µm. PI's M-664KCEP is a cost effective vertical drive with PILine ultrasonic piezomotors. Lining up eight or more of these vertical drives allows the independent vertical movement of pipettes to fill micro titre plates. Matched with standard multiwell plates, the width of the individual actuator is only 9mm. ...More >> New Way Air Bearings Achieves ISO 9001:2000 Certification for Quality Management System Aston, PA - New Way® Air Bearings, the world's largest independent manufacturer of porous media air bearing products, has achieved ISO 9001:2000 certification, a designation demonstrating the organization's commitment to quality-of-service standards. New Way received its certificate from United Registrar Services, LLC, an independent auditing firm, for meeting guidelines set out by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). 3M Completes Acquisition of Grafoplast S.p.A. St. Paul, MN - 3M announced that it completed its acquisition of Grafoplast S.p.A., a manufacturer of wire identification systems for the wire and cable market. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Grafoplast's innovative products-from thermal printers and software to identification systems for special applications, cable holders and insulated end sleeves-serve installers, contractors and automation industries across Italy and Europe. Grafoplast's range of electrical permanent marking products complements 3M's existing range of tape marking system products and will help us to better serve the wire and cable markets. Together, 3M and Grafoplast will offer a complete marking system solution for our customers globally. ...More >>Avago Technologies Introduces One of the Industry’s First Optically Isolated Sigma-Delta Modulators for Use in Industrial Motor Apps Nuremberg, Germany - Avago Technologies, a leading supplier of analog interface components for communications, industrial and consumer applications, announced one of the industry's first optically isolated sigma-delta modulator using an external clock to provide direct measurement of motor phase currents in power inverters. Based on an advanced low power CMOS process, the ACPL-796J uses an external clock that allows synchronized data conversion between the current sensor and controller to help motor control designers eliminate complex design processes in data and clock reading. Moreover, the ACPL-796J is designed with digital inputs and outputs that are compatible with systems powered by 5- or 3-volt supplies and works under a wide industrial temperature range. ...More >> Diodes Incorporated Offers the AH5792 Smart Motor Controller That Provides All-in-One Solution Dallas, TX - Diodes Incorporated (Nasdaq: DIOD), a leading global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality application specific standard products within the broad discrete and analog semiconductor markets, has introduced a single chip solution providing all the functionality required for driving low power single coil brushless DC fans and motors. The AH5792 integrates a Hall sensor and amplifier, a complete digital control circuitry and a full bridge output driver in the low profile SOT553 package and will appeal in particular to low voltage micro-motors and ultra thin cooling fan applications. With its bi-directional, H-bridge output stage, the AH5792 suits single-phase full wave brushless DC motor control, by offering a pair of push-pull output drivers to source and sink current. The device operating voltage range of 1.8V to 5V also caters for low operating voltage miniature DC fans requiring low voltage start-up. ...More >>Design with Constructal Theory Offers a Revolutionary New Approach Based on Physics for Understanding and Predicting the Designs That Arise in Nature and Engineering Dublin, Ireland - Research and Markets has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new report "Design with Constructal Theory" to their offering. Design course on the universal principle of configurations in nature and engineering-the constructal law. Design with Constructal Theory offers a revolutionary new approach based on physics for understanding and predicting the designs that arise in nature and engineering, from the tree and the forest to the cooling of electronics, urban design, decontamination, and vascular smart materials. This book shows how you can use the method of constructal theory to design human-made systems in order to reduce trial and error and increase the system performance. ...More >>New SICK Format Adjustment Drives Enable Automated Changeover on Machines Minneapolis, MN. - SICK, one of the world's leading manufacturers of sensors, safety systems, machine vision, and automatic identification products for factory and logistics automation, announced the launch of its HIPERDRIVE® Format Adjustment Drives, an integrated system that includes a motor, gears, absolute encoder and field bus communication capability. The HIPERDRIVE (Highly Integrated Performance Drive) enables automated changeover on printing, packaging and metal-processing machines. ...More >> The Ethernet Alliance® and the Road to 100G Alliance Announce Intention to Merge Mountain View & San Jose, CA - The Ethernet Alliance and the Road to 100G Alliance announced an intention for the Road to 100G Alliance to transition into the Ethernet Alliance. The transition unites two industry organizations that are committed to the promotion and advancement of high-performance Ethernet networking. "The Road to 100G Alliance has met and exceeded its expectations in terms of exposing the challenges of developing 100G platforms," said Bill Weisinger, Chairman of the Road to 100G Alliance. "With the challenges well understood, it is the right time for us to join with the Ethernet Alliance and fulfill the balance of our goal: to establish a comprehensive ecosystem of suppliers and users to accelerate the adoption and ongoing development of high-performance networking solutions." ...More >>Microsoft and DS SolidWorks Enhance Robot Simulation Concord, MA - Engineers now have a more accurate way to simulate robots in action before they're put to work thanks to new software developed by Microsoft and Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. (DS SolidWorks). The new simulation capability helps companies program robots more quickly and effectively, a key advantage for robot manufacturers seeking improved efficiency. Users of Microsoft® Robotics Developer Studio 2008 (Microsoft RDS) will be able directly incorporate 3D CAD models designed in SolidWorks® software into Microsoft's Visual Simulation Environment (Microsoft VSE) and simulate their operation more accurately. As a result, robotics developers can correct any robotic application issues early and maximize the robots' performance. ...More >>Serapid to Exhibit at JTSE Show in Paris Sterling Heights, MI - Serapid, a supplier of stage and orchestra as well as scenery transfer systems for the entertainment industry, will showcase their award-winning products at the JTSE Show in Paris November 25th and 26th. Serapid's LinkLift and horizontal motion systems provide simple solutions to many of the common challenges associated with stage engineering. The simple design helps keep the systems safe for on-stage performers. At the heart of all Serapid products is the Rigid Push/Pull Chain - a chain capable of pushing, pulling and lifting with the strength of a steel column. ...More >>New Controller-to-Controller Universal Gateway On Display at Automation Fair Knoxville, TN - Online Development Inc. is introducing a new controller-to-controller module at Automation Fair that enables connecting various brands of PLCs without the need to program message instructions. The cATM Universal Gateway data appliance is available as a module that installs in a Rockwell Automation ControlLogix PAC, or as a standalone module for DIN rail mounting. Either configuration delivers over 130 protocols for connectivity to thousands of plant floor devices. ...More >> Microchip Technology Announces USB Software Stack With On-The-Go Support for 16-bit MCUs & Advanced Features for 8-, 16- and 32-bit MCUs Chandler, AZ - Microchip Technology Inc., a leading provider of microcontroller and analog semiconductors, announced a USB-IF certified upgrade to its free USB software stack that includes On-The-Go (OTG) support for its 16-bit PIC24F microcontrollers (MCUs), and a variety of new features for its comprehensive portfolio of 8-, 16- and 32-bit USB PIC® MCUs. The stack is available for free download including a highly optimized library and full source code, and OTG stack certification for the 32-bit PIC32 family is expected in early Q1 2009. ...More >> SPEEA and Boeing Reach Tentative Agreement on New Contracts for 21,000 Employees Seattle, WA - Tentative agreement was reached today between the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001, and The Boeing Company on new four-year contracts covering 14,000 engineers and 7,000 technical workers. ...More >> |
