Drainers and Venters
Spence Engineering Company, Inc., Walden, N.Y. The NLD Series free-floating liquid drainer and NAV Series free-floating air venter are used throughout the HVAC and industrial process markets. These valves are used on pressurized air, gas, and liquid systems, such as hydronic heating systems, cooling systems, and liquid chilling operations. The drainer NLD will remove liquids from pressurized air or gas systems and the venter NAV will remove air and other gases from pressurized liquid systems. The valves come in 1/2 in. square and 3/4 x 1/2 in. sizes with NPT connections, for pressures to 400 psig, and temperatures to 500ºF.
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Integrated circuit
Servoflo Corp., Lexington, Mass. The ZMD31150 is an accurate, fast CMOS integrated circuit for amplification and correction of resistive bridge-type sensors. It digitally compensates offset, sensitivity, temperature drift, and non-linearity through a 16-bit RISC microcontroller running a correction algorithm. The ZMD31150 accommodates most resistive bridge sensor types, such as piezoresistive, metal thin film, and ceramic thick film.
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Pressure sensors
PCB Piezotronics Inc., Depew, N.Y. The Series 175 dynamic pressure sensors are useful for monitoring dynamic combustion pressure in diesel- and natural gas-powered engines and other reciprocating equipment. Proper monitoring of engines and machinery using these sensors allows for extended maintenance intervals, improved fuel efficiency, and lower NOx emissions. Sensors feature piezoelectric sensing elements with fast response times, and are suited for continuous monitoring or periodic walk-around cylinder balancing. Intrinsically safe versions are available for explosive gas atmospheres. With no moving parts and solid-state construction, the Series 175 sensor has good durability.
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 Wave springs
Rotor Clip Co. Inc., Somerset, N.J. The company has taken its expertise in processing and coiling wire to produce retaining rings, and applied it to the manufacture of single-turn and multiturn wave springs. A wave spring is coiled flat wire with waves added to give it a spring effect. Wave springs are superior to coil springs in certain applications because they provide lower work heights with the same force. This not only provides for space savings, but also smaller assemblies that use less material, hence lower production costs, according to the company. Wave springs can act as load bearing devices, compensating for accumulated tolerances in assemblies and providing end-play take-up.
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Joining fasteners
Penn Engineering, Danboro, Pa. PEM Keyhole self-clinching, sheet- joining fasteners enable two sheets to be quickly joined flat against each other and then easily detached, by sliding the top sheet sideways and lifting it off the "panel-on-panel" assembly. The fasteners install permanently in a metal sheet and will accommodate a second sheet made from any material. These type SKC-F fasteners reduce the amount and types of loose hardware to be handled and installed, promote speedier assembly and disassembly, and allow for either horizontal or vertical component mounting.
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Welded filter bags
Eaton Filtration LLC, Elizabeth, N.J. Sentinel filter bags meet the requirements of liquid filtration applications that have a zero tolerance for filtration bypass. These filter bags are manufactured using a unique fabric welding technology, instead of sewing. Because they are not sewn, there are no sewing needle holes in the filter media that could allow unwanted particulate matter to bypass the filter bag. The bags have a consistent and durable welded seam and they are shaped to conform to the internal shape of the filter basket to prevent bag failure. The welded seams are bonded to prevent fiber migration downstream. Sentinel filter bags come standard with a patented, plastic ring that makes a secure, bypass-free seal between the filter bag and the filter housing.
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Modular spindle drives
Maxon Precision Motors, Fall River, Mass. Mechanical engineering often faces the task of converting rotational movements into powerful linear movements. Development costs can now be cut dramatically by using modular spindle drives in Maxon's modular system, according to the company. The GP 22 S and GP 32 S gearheads, specifically adjusted for spindles, are designed to withstand high loads, and the special spindle intake means that customer-specific spindles can be assembled with ease in less time. There are three standard spindle types: metric spindles, trapeze spindles, and spherical rotating spindles. They are available in steel or ceramic variations up to 200 mm long and come with matching spindle nuts.
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 Miniature transducer
Celesco Transducer Products Inc., Chatsworth, Calif. The MT2A miniature String Pot, or cable-extension transducer, measures deflections of aircraft structures during testing. They are easy to install and are very accurate, according to the manufacturer. As deflections have been reduced during composites testing, so have the allowable tolerances on the measurements. In response, Celesco has enhanced its model MT2A to meet these tighter specs. It has tightened its machining tolerances, modified construction methods, and cut the non-linearity of its sensing potentiometers in half. The MT2A is for applications where tight or difficult mounting is a problem. It is fully adjustable and easy to install, because of a free mounting bracket that has two-axis, 360-degree rotation.
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Portable power
R&R Technologies Inc., Portland, Ore. The PS-1 power supply is a portable benchtop power supply with built-in rechargeable batteries that lets engineers test low-power circuits without cord or power-main limitations. Many engineers at electronics manufacturers and repair houses must test, debug, and develop their products with power supplies that are often immobile and isolated from the PCs, software, or firmware they need to efficiently complete projects. The PS-1, according to the company, was designed to help engineers and technicians move devices to more convenient workstations to complete development without compromising the integrity of their test environments or being restricted by wall outlets. The portable PS-1 can, depending on the test load, run for days on a full charge, facilitate field-testing, and support true power-main-independent testing. It works with devices that run at 1.2 to 15 volts in end-user applications. The PS-1 is priced at $179.
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Butterfly valves
Assured Automation, Clark, N.J. Resilient seated butterfly valves offer high flow coefficients, ISO top mounting, a one-piece body with self-centering disc, and a selection of direct mount actuators and gear operators. The ST butterfly valves are also available as a manual valve with limit switches for those applications that do not require automation but do require feedback to a PLC or network bus system. The valves come in sizes 2 through 12 in. with a pressure rating up to 225 psi; 14- through 24-in. valves have a pressure rating up to 160 psi. The ST Series features a one-piece, ductile iron body.
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Roll forming steel
SSAB Swedish Steel Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa. Docol Roll is an advanced high-strength steel matched specifically to roll forming. It is characterized by high yield strength, good dimensional stability after roll forming, and suitability for being formed to tight radii. The steel is produced in two strength grades—Docol Roll 800 with a minimum tensile strength of 800 N/mm2 and Docol Roll 1000 with a minimum tensile strength of 1,000 N/mm2. In addition to high tensile strength, Docol Roll also has high yield strength, and the difference between the yield strength and tensile strength is small, which gives it good roll forming properties of the steel, SSAB says. As a result, the profiles produced are dimensionally stable and flat, with low stress differences in the cross-section, according to the company, which says that the product is attracting the interest of the auto industry.
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Handheld thermometer
Ametek Land Instruments, Newtown, Pa. The Cyclops 0550 Meltmaster IR thermometer is a fast, accurate way of measuring the temperature of molten metal without the hazards and ongoing costs associated with dip thermocouples. Designed specifically for the foundry industry, the handheld monitor gives a precise reading without coming into contact with the liquid metal. Because it doesn't disrupt the casting process, it also helps to reduce operating costs and improve casting quality. It requires only one hand to operate. Users look through the viewfinder at the liquid metal (in the furnace or during pouring), pull the trigger and the Meltmaster uses advanced, noise-rejection processing to lock onto the real temperature.
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Vibration limit switches
Pepperl+Fuchs, Twinsburg, Ohio. Vibracon LVL-B Series vibration limit switches are not sensitive to material buildup, external vibration, and flow noise, and have no mechanical moving parts. Thus, they provide reliable, maintenance-free level sensing of bulk solids materials. Designed to satisfy the unique level sensing needs of the bulk solids industry, the Vibracon LVL-B Series is a useful solution for sensing fine or coarse-grained material, such as grain, sugar, animal feed, beans, gypsum, sand, plastic granules, chalk, cereals, rice, detergents, and cement, among others. They are also suitable in hazardous area applications. These sensors, made of stainless steel, feature a 250 mm (10 in.) vibrating rod.
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Powder coating resins
GE Plastics, Pittsfield, Mass. Conductive Noryl GTX resins are environmentally responsible materials that are optimized for powder coating: They contain conductive fillers that eliminate the need to apply an electrostatic primer, which can emit harmful solvents and related compounds into the air. In powder coating applications, Noryl GTX resins can replace metal substrates, eliminating costly and potentially hazardous chemical pretreatments and offering increased design freedom. Also, the Noryl resin grades make it possible to powder-coat metal and plastic on the same production line for economies of scale and uniform aesthetics, according to the company.
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Temperature controllers
AutomationDirect, Cumming, Ga. Solo process and temperature controllers come in 22 models, 11 of which are priced under $100. Available in four standard DIN sizes (1/4, 1/8, 1/16, and 1/32), each unit is equipped with a dual four-digit, seven-segment display, useful for process variable and setpoint readouts. Each model has dual output control, making it suitable for heating and cooling processes. Output configurations come in various combinations of mechanical relays, pulse outputs, and voltage or current outputs. The built-in autotune function with PID control feature allows for fast startups.
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 Specialty bearings
MRC Bearing Services, Kulpsville, Pa. The company's specialty bearing products provide solutions for varied applications and accommodate particular operating conditions and requirements. Adapter (Type SX) deep groove ball bearings with tapered bores are for use with an adapter sleeve or for mounting directly on a tapered shaft. Dynamometer (Type RDM) 151/4 angular contact ball bearings are designed to minimize temperature, noise, and vibration in these and similar high-speed machinery applications. Conveyor (Type CONV) ball bearings are intended for inboard or outboard idler roller applications and equipped with heavy-duty closures for protection and lubricant retention.
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Magnetic angle sensor
ASM Sensors Inc., Elmhurst, Ill. The company now has a magnetic angle sensor in a compact M12 housing. The PRAS1 sensor provides absolute position measurement over full 360-degree sensing range and is part of the company's Posirot family of magnetic angular sensors. With only a 1/2-in. diameter and overall length of less than 2 in., this small sensor saves space and can be installed in tight locations.
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Process heaters
Gaumer Co., Houston, Texas. The Hot Oil System is for use in heating revolving rolls, platens, molds, jacketed tanks, and autoclaves. Low watt-density Incoloy 800 sheath heating elements are arranged to provide even heat inside the tube bundle. The "Buffer Tank" design solves oil degradation problems associated with hot oil (over 150ºF) reaching the expansion tank without the need for a nitrogen purge system. The system also has a self-venting chamber at the pump suction to automatically eliminate low boilers. The system is useful in petrochemical plants, plastics and pharmaceutical manufacturing, and at pulp and paper plants.
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Trouble-shooting tool
Fluke Corp., Everett, Wash. With advanced features for installing and troubleshooting industrial network buses and electrical industrial machinery, the ScopeMeter 125 is designed to be an integrated all-purpose tool for service, maintenance, and installation engineers. The ScopeMeter tool works with many industrial networks, including AS-I bus, CAN-bus, Profibus, Foundation Fieldbus, and Ethernet. It includes a bus health test feature, which enables users to quickly determine whether an industrial bus is working and helps identify the cause if it is not. In addition, the instrument can measure power, harmonics, motor winding resistance, and motor effective voltage from a variable frequency drive controller, thus eliminating the need for expensive, more specialized test equipment, according to the company. This tool integrates an oscilloscope, a true-RMS digital multimeter, and a dual-input paperless recorder in one instrument.
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Conductivity meter
Omega Engineering Inc., Stamford, Conn. A new conductivity meter is economical and easy to use, according to the company. With a splash-proof front, these microprocessed digital meters are rugged portable units that can recognize and compensate for electrode offset and slope. This makes them useful for quality control, agricultural, water conditioning, beverage, fish hatcheries, laboratory, and other industrial applications. The CE and RoHS compliant meter has RS-232 output. It starts at $170.
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 Electronic valves
Clippard Instrument Laboratory Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio. Oxygen Clean Series electronic valves are designed for use with oxygen applications and will work with air and inert gas. The valves are available as two-way or three-way, normally closed or fully ported. These pneumatic valves use a patented system proven throughout many industries, according to the company. With a low power consumption of 0.67 watt, a response time of 5 to 10 milliseconds, and voltages of 6, 12, or 24 V dc, the valves offer flexibility in design.
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