Engineeringtalk Editorial Team

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ENGINEERINGTALK

The Independent Weekly Product Information Guide
for Product Design and Automation Engineers
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ISSN 1470-627X - Free subscription
Last week's delivered circulation: 52882
Published every Thursday from the UK.
Issue 418: 22 May 2008
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In this issue:
* Editor's Message
* Our Top new products selection
[1] Firmware upgrade eases data transfer
[2] Multifunction USB DAQ sports 16 BNC inputs
[3] Condition monitors catch problems early on
[4] FEA software cuts development times
[5] Sensors detect magnetic fields
[6] Check valve suits harsh environments
[7] CAE suite eases international co-operation
[8] Motion controller manages eight drives
[9] Junction bricks provide a solid connection
[10] Busbar system provides compact power distribution
* New technical articles and case studies
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Dave Wilson, Editor, writes:

Since I hadn't involved myself in much gardening work over the winter,
the old backyard was beginning to look a little like the darkest
depths of the Cambodian jungle. So last month, the old Briggs and
Stratton-powered mower was pulled out of hibernation and commanded to
perform as it had done on so many occasions before.

But this time around, the poor old thing just seemed a little too
exhausted to move. No matter how hard I wrenched on the pull cord, the
motor would not spark into life.

At first I considered a replacement. After all, the mower had only
cost me GBP100 or so and there were plenty more brand spanking new
ones in the store for around the same price. But then I happened upon
a local lad who claimed he could repair such beasts very
inexpensively. And so I took my non-starter to his 'engineering
establishment' (Actually the back of a farm building - Ed.) where he
told me that he'd have the machine back and running in no time at all
for the small sum of GBP45.

Well, anything to save a bob or two, that's me! So I left it with him
and in a matter of a few days the mower was ready for me to collect.
But when I returned to pick up my old mower, the cost of repairing it
appeared to have escalated considerably. It was now closer to GBP90.
There were the usual hand-waving explanations as to where the
supplementary costs had been incurred. I was unimpressed.
Nevertheless, rather than telling the man to shove the mower where the
grass doesn't grow, I prized my wallet from my back pocket, coughed up
the money and hauled it back home.

That night, I quietly reflected over the curious events of the day
over a fruity tumbler of Bunnahabhain single malt.

How odd it is, I mused, that it is now almost as costly to purchase a
new mower and let the garbage men dispose of the old one, rather than
to have the old one repaired. Indeed, what sense does it possibly make
to take your old mower in for repair, when the only beneficiaries are
the chap that charges you an arm and a leg to do so, and the local
council who don't have to pick up the old mower and dispose of it?
While you are left with an old, albeit working, product, rather than a
gleaming new one.

Well, the answer is clearly not a lot. But there's something that
doesn't sit right with me about it all and when I figure out what it
is, I'll let you know. In the meantime, I've got a lawn to mow.

I hope you find this issue of our weekly newsletter useful. In
addition to the new products, news and ideas featured here, there are
hundreds more on our website and dozens more being added daily, so do
take a look if you can.

Send your comments or suggestions about the website, or the
newsletter, by email, or have your say on the Engineeringtalk blog -
post your comments at: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/blog.

Best wishes
Dave Wilson, Editor
mailto:news@engineeringtalk.com
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OUR TOP NEW PRODUCT SELECTION
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[1] FIRMWARE UPGRADE EASES DATA TRANSFER
(Advantech (UK), 16 May 2008)

The Industrial Automation Group of Advantech has released a new
firmware enhancement for the ADAM-6000 Ethernet I/O modules which adds
advanced Peer-to-Peer (P2P) and Graphic Condition Logic (GCL)
functionality.

> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/ml/ava/147/4
* Read more: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/more/15007/

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[2] MULTIFUNCTION USB DAQ SPORTS 16 BNC INPUTS
(Adept Scientific, 16 May 2008)

Available now from Adept Scientific, the Measurement Computing
USB-1616HS-BNC is a 1Msample/s 16bit multifunction USB data
acquisition device with 16 BNC differential analogue inputs.

> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/ml/ade/352/4
* Read more: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/more/15008/

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[3] CONDITION MONITORS CATCH PROBLEMS EARLY ON
(SKF UK, 16 May 2008)

SKF has released the Multilog IMx-S and IMx-T wall or rack-mounted
condition monitoring units for use in tough industrial environments.

> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/ml/skf/393/4
* Read more: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/more/15009/

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[4] FEA SOFTWARE CUTS DEVELOPMENT TIMES
(Abaqus, 21 May 2008)

Dassault Systemes has released the Abaqus 6.8 finite element analysis
(FEA) software suite from Simulia which can be used to simulate
stress, impact, crush, fluid-structure interaction, and thermal
dynamics.

* Read more: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/more/15010/

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[5] SENSORS DETECT MAGNETIC FIELDS
(IFM Electronic, 19 May 2008)

The AMR element integrated into the new T-slot cylinder sensors from
IFM Electronic enables extremely sensitive detection of magnetic
fields.

> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/ml/ifm/231/4
* Read more: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/more/15011/

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[6] CHECK VALVE SUITS HARSH ENVIRONMENTS
(Lee Products, 16 May 2008)

Lee Products has released a Lo-Lohm check valve which is specifically
designed to provide optimal performance in harsh duty service in oil
tool applications.

> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/ml/leb/136/4
* Read more: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/more/15012/

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[7] CAE SUITE EASES INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION
(Altair Engineering, 20 May 2008)

Altair Engineering's HyperWorks 9.0 is an integrated suite of software
claimed to be the first to embed grid computing management tools with
compute-intensive CAE software.
* Read more: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/more/15013/

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[8] MOTION CONTROLLER MANAGES EIGHT DRIVES
(Technosoft, 20 May 2008)

The Technosoft TMC-3D combines a multiaxis motion controller and a
digital servo drive in the same compact unit. Based on MotionChip
technology, the TMC-3D controls, via CAN-bus, up to eight intelligent
drives.

* Read more: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/more/15014/

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[9] JUNCTION BRICKS PROVIDE A SOLID CONNECTION
(Turck, 20 May 2008)

Turck has released JRBS junction bricks for Foundation fieldbus,
providing a means to connect multiple devices to a main fieldbus
trunk. JRBS junction bricks are available with four, six, eight, 10 or
12 ports and feature removable terminals for installation and wiring
modification in tight spaces.

* Read more: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/more/15015/

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[10] BUSBAR SYSTEM PROVIDES COMPACT POWER DISTRIBUTION
(Hoffman, 20 May 2008)

Hoffman has released Wohner's 60mm busbar system, which is UL508, CSA
and CE-recognised and designed to safely distribute power throughout a
panel while conserving valuable panel space.

* Read more: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/more/15016/

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New Technical Articles and Case Studies
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RUNNING RINGS ROUND STEERING DESIGN CHALLENGES
(Rencol Tolerance Rings, 16 May 2008)
Tolerance rings are simple in concept, inexpensive, compact and easy
to use; yet they can enhance performance and safety while reducing
costs in steering column assemblies, as Chris Needes explains.
* Read more: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/more/15017/
> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/ml/ren/141/4

CUSTOM ACTUATOR HANDLES SEWAGE APPLICATION
(Festo, 21 May 2008)
Festo developed a special Copac DLP linear actuator with a
through-piston rod for the 28 Fontaine shut-off valves for the Les
Gresillons sewage treatment plant.
* Read more: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/more/15018/
> Quick link to request free details direct from the supplier:
http://www.engineeringtalk.com/rdx/ml/fes/253/4

VARIABLE SPEED DRIVE CUTS FOUNTAIN COSTS
(ABB Automation Tech (Drives and Motors), 21 May 2008)
The running costs of the Trenance Gardens fountain are now down to
around GBP 2200, which means that the fountain's carbon emission
footprint has been cut in half.
* Read more: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/more/15019/

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[eng-talk] Monitors, magnetics and motion