Automation Parts

Three-Phase Stepper Motor Offers Low Vibration Astrosyn International has launched the MY4304-01 three-phase stepper motor, which is said to be suitable for the pan-and-tilt control of stage and other entertainment lighting. The company said the three-phase design is capable of exceptionally quiet operation with a low level of vibration, making it ideal for this type of application. A further advantage is said to be its higher precision, with a full step angle of 1.2 deg compared with the more usual 1.8 deg. The high torque, Nema size 24 hybrid motor also features special bearings for high-temperature operation and its modified shaft has a KK2 keyway. The MY4304-01 can be supplied with Astrosyn's P306 three-phase driver, which delivers an output current of 3.0-5.8A per phase from a direct current input of 18-45V. In addition, eight microstepping resolutions can be selected. Other possible applications where the motor's smooth running and low vibration are crucial include

Orion Launches Challenger Sealed Sleeve Fans Orion Fans has developed the Challenger series of sealed sleeve-bearing DC fans. The fans feature a sealed sleeve-bearing system that is said to have a long life expectancy of more than 50,000 hours at 25C (L10). Mean time between failures is in excess of 200,000 hours, according to Orion. The sealed sleeve fan technology retains lubricant by using metal foils that serve as a guard to redirect and recycle the lubricant. The fans were developed in response to demand for fans with a wider temperature range and longer life than sleeve-bearing fans, but at a lower cost in comparison to traditional ball bearing fans. The Challenger series sealed sleeve fans are offered in seven sizes, ranging from 40 x 10mm to 120 x 38mm, and are available in 12VDC and 24VDC versions. Airflow ranges from 6.7 to 105 CFM. The fans feature a brushless DC, auto restart, polarity-protected motor with a UL94V-0 plastic frame and impeller. The sealed sleeve fans a

Multi-Tone Sounder Has Wide Operating Voltage The SA5 safe area multi-tone sounder from RTK Instruments is said to be a high-specification, cost-effective alarm sounder with a maximum sound output of 112dBA. Ideally suited to areas of high ambient noise, the sounder has an operating voltage of 9-28VDC and low current consumption, making it flexible in operation. The SA5 sounder offers a choice of 32 tones, which are user-selectable using a DIL switch during installation. A second tone is available, which can be switched in by the connection of a third wire to the sounder. The IP65-rated casing provides a high level of durability and resistance to environmental conditions. All connections are made to the base and the sounder head twists and locks into position on commissioning, avoiding wiring and connection problems.

HFSS 12.0 Software Features Domain Decomposition Ansys has announced the release of HFSS 12.0 software for 3D full-wave electromagnetic field simulation. The product, part of the Ansoft suite, is said to help engineers design, simulate and validate the behaviour of complex high-performance radio frequency (RF), microwave and millimetre-wave devices in next-generation wireless communication and defence systems. A high-performance computing (HPC) enhancement, domain decomposition, is said to allow engineers to simulate and design on a wide scale at high speed. Users of the latest version of HFSS software can achieve a reduction in development time and costs while at the same time realising increased reliability and design optimisation, Ansys said. HFSS 12.0 includes updates in mesh generation, solver technologies, and enhancements to the user interface and the modeller. A faster and more robust meshing algorithm generates higher-quality, more efficient tetrahedral meshes. The most

Securityprobe Combines Sensor And Camera Alerting AKCP has announced the launch of the fifth-generation Securityprobe 5E, an upgraded version of its Securityprobe intelligent monitoring device. The Securityprobe 5E combines sensor and camera alerting for intruders, security breaches, high temperature, smoke, water leaks, power outages and more. It features a faster processor, 2 Gigs of SD flash, and the ability to support up to 600 sensors, contacts or combinations of both using low-cost expansion units. These expansion units are the E-opto16 with 16 opto-isolated dry contact inputs and the E-sensor8 with eight intelligent sensor ports per unit. There is also a new contact sensor that can support 8 DC inputs or outputs per port, allowing up to 64 contacts per unit or 164 in a 1u space.

NI Toolkit Helps Expand Test-System Documentation National Instruments has announced the NI Teststand ATML Toolkit to help engineers expand test-system component interoperability and increase test-system documentation. The Automatic Test Markup Language (ATML) is an IEEE standard, consisting of XML document formats that describe different aspects of a test system. The toolkit adds support for the ATML Testdescription standard and improves support for the ATML Testresults standard in NI Teststand. It can be downloaded from the National Instruments Services Resource Center and is available for free to customers who have the current Standard Service Program. With the toolkit, developers can reduce development and maintenance time by automating tasks such as generating code templates based on ATML Testdescription documents, applying changes in ATML Testdescription documents to existing test sequences and increasing the amount of useful information included in reports. The toolkit can

ESAB Offers Protective Clothing For Welders ESAB, a manufacturer of welding and cutting equipment, has introduced items of protective clothing specifically designed for welders. In line with evolving health-and-safety standards, the new additions include ESAB-branded Proban leather jackets and trousers, both designed for maximum comfort. The Proban jacket is made from flame-retardant material and, to withstand the exposure to welding spatter, the sleeves and shoulders have been made with durable grade A leather. The trousers have been reinforced with leather to withstand the spatter and welding sparks. The company has also introduced black flame-resistant jackets and trousers to its range. These are said to be extremely lightweight while being highly durable. They are made from an inherent flame-resistant fabric, which allows the garments to be washed an unlimited amount of times without loosing the flame resistance. Both the welding jackets and trousers are available in sizes fr

C And L Supplies Boge Compressors To NCLA The National Centre For Laser Applications (NCLA) has installed two Boge S15 screw compressors and a trinity controller. The NCLA develops laser systems which are available to the manufacturing industry and used in the development of products and processes. After reviewing NCLA's air requirements, C and L Industrial recommended the company replaced its Boge CD7 with two Boge S15 screw compressors, alongside a trinity controller. The S15 forms part of the Boge S-series screw-compressor product range. The Boge trinity is a modern transducer operated changeover switch designed to control up to three compressors. The system automatically sets itself to optimise pressure cascading - only the maximum pressure (Pmax) and the minimum pressure (Pmin) need to be entered into the controller. Trinity takes control of a compressed-air system and ensures that only the compressed air required at any one time is produced. This reduces operating costs

Fanuc Supplies Coded Welding Robot To WA Lewis Precision engineer and sheet metal fabricator, William A Lewis Engineering of Shrewsbury, has illustrated how versatile a single robot can become once its full potential is realised. A subcontractor predominantly to the defence sector, WA Lewis is using the robot cell to weld, at coded level, the widest range of materials and also for plasma-cutting plate up to 2in thick. The Fanuc Robotics System 100 welding cell comprises a six-axis Fanuc Robotics Arcmate 100iB robot within a self-contained enclosure. Components loaded into jigs on a manually operated table are loaded outside the cell while the robot welds components within the cell. The system is designed and manufactured by Fanuc Robotics as a self-contained unit that is delivered ready assembled and only requires services to be connected before operation on site. Up until two years ago, WA Lewis had no automation and all work was manually welded by its, largely coded, welders. C

GUI Software Programs Vert-X Angle Sensors Variohm Eurosensor has launched a software application for communication and programming of Contelec Vert-X series contactless and non-contact angle sensors. As the UK distributor for the Swiss-manufactured range, Variohm has developed software with the ability to reconfigure and customise the sensor curve and output characteristics over its 0 to 360 measurement range. Vert-X Commander software is a PC-based application supplied with a special cable that connects Singleturn Vert-X sensors via an Aardvark USB host adapter. With on-assembly sensor configuration, the software has the potential to simplify stock control and reduce build and design timescales by removing the need to purchase several different types of angle sensor across different machines. A GUI displays programmable and fixed information from the sensor's digital interface. Programmable parameters include a selection of six different sensor types with varying gradient,