Swagelok Introduces Process Specification for Photovoltaics

Swagelok Company unveiled a new process
specification designed to meet the needs of the photovoltaic (PV) market, aimed at
helping ensure quality and reduce cost of ownership for the growing industry. The Swagelok
Photovoltaic Process Specification (SC-06) outlines testing, cleaning, and packaging steps for
stainless steel components for use in PV applications. The specification illustrates the
company’s continued leadership in process-specific cleaning, which began in the 1980s with
ultrahigh-purity components.

The baseline requirements include specifying the high-quality surface finish, visual
inspection criteria and particle counts the PV industry needs to maintain reliability and process
control for improved uptime, while identifying areas (such as work area classification, analytics,
and packaging) where costs can be contained.

Swagelok® products are designed to provide reliable, leak-tight performance in critical PV
manufacturing processes, such as Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD)
and diffusion. These and other processes require low leak rates for safety, control of process
gas purity, as well as precise delivery of gases to maintain cell integrity and reduce scrap.

The Swagelok Photovoltaic Process Specification (SC-06) is an available option for many
Swagelok high-purity products, in place of the company’s other specifications: SC-01
(Ultrahigh-purity Process), SC-10 (Standard Cleaning and Packaging), and SC-11 (Special
Cleaning and Packaging).

The products currently available with SC-06 processing include DP and DPH springless
diaphragm valves, HB and BN series bellows valves, CW series check valves, VCR® metal
gasket face seal fittings, and Micro-Fit® miniature tube butt weld fittings. To download the SC-
06 specification, please visit www.swagelok.com/solar.

Swagelok Company

www.swagelok.com

::Design World::

Elektrotechniek a Showcase for BalContact™ Technology

The biggest attraction at the Elektrotechniek exhibition running this week in Utrecht, Netherlands may turn out to be one of the smallest and simplest products: an electrical contact fashioned from a spring.

The BalContact™, an electrically conductive component that employs precision-engineered canted-coil™ spring technology, is being showcased at Elektrotechniek 2009 by U.S-based manufacturer Bal Seal Engineering, Inc. And according to the company, interest in the simple, versatile Bal Contact is expected to be high among engineers and manufacturers who are seeking a simple, flexible solution to high, mid and low current conducting challenges.

“When we demonstrate how the Bal Contact performs, people immediately recognize it as a solution they can apply quickly and easily,” said Josien Suntjens, a Bal Seal Territory Manager working at Elektrotechniek this week. “They’re consistently impressed with its elegance and simplicity, and they like the fact that it can help them lower manufacturing costs and simplify maintenance.”

According to Suntjens, the Bal Contact is available in a wide variety of wire sizes, coil heights and materials. Its spring is designed to maintain a nearly constant force over a
broad range of working deflections, compensating for large mating tolerances and
temperature changes without significant deviation from its initial force. Each coil in the Bal
Contact works independently, maintaining contact with the mating surface and ensuring
maximum conductivity, Suntjens said.

According to Bal Seal, typical applications for the Bal Contact include busbar connections, gas-insulated switchgear contacts, circuit breakers and industrial fuse boxes. In some environments, the Bal Contact can also be used for EMI shielding/grounding purposes.

Elektrotechniek attendees can learn more about the Bal Contact and other conducting, connecting, sealing and shielding solutions by visiting Bal Seal Engineering’s exhibit in Hall 09BV, Stand B060. A photorealistic animation of the Bal Contact at work in three different gas-insulated switchgear applications can be viewed at http://mediaroom.balseal.com/vod2

Bal Seal Engineering, Inc.

www.balseal.com

Elektrotechniek

www.elektrotechniek-online.nl

::Design World::

2009 Single Axis Actuators Catalog from Misumi

Schaumburg, IL – Misumi USA, Inc. announces the imminent publication of its 2009 Single Axis Actuators Catalog, featuring new single axis products and components suitable for a wide range of motion control and assembly machinery and other automation devices.

Featured prominently in the catalog are:

•The new Single Axis Robot RS Series Actuators, which offer superior construction to improve product life span and allow units to be used in harsh industrial environments. All models offer constant load capacity regardless of speed. Clean Room Class 10 versions are also available for specialized applications.

•An expanded line of LX Series Actuators, to include high precision class actuators and actuators with motors. Misumi’s popular LX Series models are available in over 1000 possible configurations. They are also available in standard or cover types, as well as versions with brackets that allow a combination of two units on a different axis.

Those interested in ordering the new MISUMI 2009 Single Axis Actuator Catalog can complete an order form at Misumi’s booth #2817 at the Assembly Technology Expo during Design & Manufacturing Midwest. Or you can order it on line. Visit www.misumiusa.com

Misumi, USA, Inc.

www.misumiusa.com

::Design World::

AutomationDirect adds Pneumatic Cylinder Position Switches

The NITRA™ line of pneumatics products now includes the CPS series of pneumatic position switches and accessories to offer a robust interface between pneumatic actuators and electrical control systems.

The solid-state electronic switches are available in 3-wire DC PNP and NPN normally open and PNP normally closed configurations and can be purchased with an M8 wiring connector or 2-meter cable with wire leads. Five mounting bands with adapters for round body cylinders are available ranging from 5/16” to 2” sizes. Pneumatic cylinder position switches start at $18.75 and are backed with a 3-year warranty.

AutomationDirect

www.automationdirect.com/

::Design World::

Electric Servoactuator

An electric linear servoactuator is an alternative to hydraulic actuation. The design of the ball screw translates rotational motion to linear motion inside the servoactuator, extending its life.  Plus, it draws less power than hydraulic alternatives. 

Three versions are available. The Standard Electric Linear Servoactuator works with most linear actuation applications. Maximum force of 70 kN; rod speeds up to 640 mm/sec; and an absolute encoder transmits position and feedback data.

The Flexible Electric Linear Servoactuator is for higher forces, rod speeds and longer strokes. Maximum force of 115.59 kN; and, rod speeds up to 1,600 mm/sec.

The third version is a pre-engineered package option including the Standard Electric Linear Servoactuation Package and Flexible Electric Linear Servoactuation Package.  Each package includes servoactuator, servodrive and commissioning software.

Moog Industrial Group
http://info.moog.com/servoactuators

::Design World::

Nexen Pneumatic Torque Limiter

Vadnais Heights, MN — Nexen announces TL Series pneumatically engaged, single-position torque limiters, delivering superior overload protection for industrial machinery. The TL Series uses a ball/detent interface and proximity sensor to immediately disengage the machine shaft when excessive torque or a machine jam occurs, effectively protecting downstream equipment and product from damage and decreasing downtime. Upon detecting the overload condition, the sensor instantly sends a signal to the torque limiter’s control valve, exhausting the air and disengaging the unit for a clean disconnect of power to the driven components.

By utilizing pneumatic actuation, TL Series units facilitate remote trip-out torque adjustment via an air regulator, allowing operators to optimize overload protection while the machine is in use—thus eliminating the need for inconvenient onsite adjustments. Each torque limiter’s interface has five ball/detents arranged in an asymmetrical pattern, assuring each engagement occurs in the same position and affirming machine components are accurately synchronized. The unique hard-chromed detent interface decreases drive-ring wear when the balls are pressed against the face during jog-to-position engagement, extending operational life as well as ensuring complete disengagement every time—without premature re-engagement.

Semi-open and totally enclosed, nickel-plated TL Series units are available. Semi-open units are sealed to keep contaminants out of the ball/detent area, while enclosed units are designed to protect the ball/detent and spline areas in washdown or other manufacturing environments where liquids are present. A variety of ball/detent sizes are available to provide a range of torque capacities, making the TL Series well suited for a broad application base, including packaging machinery, food processing, bottling, material handling and newspaper presses.

Several additional features of the TL Series ensure its long-lasting, dependable operation:

* The air chamber is sealed with o-rings to eliminate air leakage and minimize repairs, with backup rings to prevent o-ring dislocation, decreasing wear and extending the component’s operational life.

* Internal springs separate the ball and detent interfaces, preventing the ball from being forcefully removed from the detent—extending life and eliminating detent distortion, as well as preventing the torque limiter from re-engaging until the machine stops.

* The proximity sensor features an LED that illuminates to indicate when the torque limiter is engaged.

* Single-flex or double-flex couplings are available to deliver high shaft misalignment protection with zero backlash and excellent torsional rigidity.

Nexen Group, Inc.

www.nexengroup.com

::Design World::

Bending Equipment Turns Electric

Aerospace is among the more demanding applications for tube bending with manufacturing tolerances becoming tighter. Yet it’s still commonplace to see older-style hydraulically actuated benders in use. All-electric bending equipment from Unison Ltd. has helped GKN Aerospace produce tubular parts with as many as 19 bends, complex shapes with multi-radius coils, and bending titanium tubing with wall thicknesses (up to 2.6 mm) to cope with the high pressure systems on its customer Airbus’ latest double-deck A380 aircraft.

The tube bending facility fabricates around three to four thousand parts per week, using tubing ranging from a few millimeters in diameter to over 100 mm. The materials used include titanium, aircraft-grade aluminum, and corrosion-resistant steels which are expensive. 

The company now uses a 65 mm diameter all-electric tube bender. The precision and repeatability of set-up with the servomotor-controlled architecture nearly eliminates scrap. The machine paid for itself in three months.

Bends are typically made to 1 mm 3D envelope accuracy – sometimes as tight as 0.3 mm.

The ductility characteristics of titanium, and in particular thin-wall titanium tubing, mean that slowing the bending process improves forming.

Servomotor control allows GKN to create bending programs that precisely control all aspects of the tooling’s speed and force, even at very low speeds.

The latest machinery installations are two combined left- and right-hand bending machines, which overcome a long-standing problem with specific component shapes. These include tubular parts with many closely spaced bends, and tubes with coil structures with the mechanical flexibility to accommodate flexing movement during the operation of wing flaps.

Work pieces can be transferred automatically from left to right hand tool heads as many times as required to bend the required shape in a single stage. Batch fabrication times have come down from three days to 1.5 hours for one of the coiled parts, and from 2.5 hours to just 30 minutes for a batch of the multi-bend part that involved switching machines.

Unison pioneered the concept of all-electric tube benders, and is the only UK manufacturer of this advanced type of forming machinery.  Unison tube bending machines are available in the US from Horn Machine Tools.

Unison Ltd.
www.unisonltd.com

::Design World::

Beyond Business as Usual

Whether you work in aerospace, electronics, energy, industrial, medical, or telecommunications, the Design & Manufacturing Midwest show and conference in Rosemont Ill., is the place to be. Located in the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center during September 22-24, the conference offers a comprehensive array of resources. Explore and compare the latest developments in computer-aided design and manufacturing, rapid prototyping, engineering, components, automation and assembly, lasers, motors and drives, packaging, materials handling, electronics, networking, and a full range of contract services.

When you register for Design & Manufacturing Midwest you will also receive complimentary admission to:

• Assembly Technology Expo
• Electronics Midwest
• Quality Expo
• Green Manufacturing Expo
• MD&M Midwest

Conference sessions will focus on sustainability, trends in materials, and wind power design and integration.

Here are a few of the products and exhibitors you will find at the show:

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Regenerative converters

The RCU Series of regenerative converter units are a “green” alternative to traditional dynamic braking (DB) systems. The units reclaim regenerative energy, converting it into 3-phase alternating current (ac) power and recycling it through the ac line.

Incorporating an RCU in the system allows for a smaller cooling system (HVAC), offsetting the up-front cost of the regenerative unit, and additionally reducing the demands placed on the cooling system. Only five connections are necessary for basic operation. It incorporates LC-filtering to mitigate harmonics and an LED display for monitoring of operation and faults. The RCU is available in several sizes, and units can be connected in parallel for higher power handling.

Hitachi America, Ltd.
www.hitachi-america.us

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Medium pressure ball valve

The FKB series medium-pressure ball valve provides a leak-tight seal for applications up to 15 000 psig (1034 bar). The trunnion-style ball valve features direct load design, which delivers a more consistent seal across a full range of pressures. Innovative stem and end connection seals prevent shell leakage. A bottom-loaded stem design eliminates system blowout for better operator safety. The valve has low-torque actuation. If pneumatic actuation is required, the valves are available with ISO-5211 compliant actuators.

The valves have a 0.209 in. (5.3 mm) orifice, 316 stainless steel body construction, and reinforced PEEK seat seals. They are rated for temperatures from 0° to 250° F (-17° to 121° C) and maintain a full pressure rating throughout the entire operating temperature range. Multiple O-ring materials are available, including nitrile, fluoroelastomer, and perfluoroelastomer. All wetted materials are compatible with most hydrocarbons.

Swagelok Co.
www.swagelok.com

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Tags on metal

Direct metal-mount or “M-M” Radio Frequency Identification system delivers track-and-trace capability to any manufacturing, assembly or closed-loop logistics process using a non-contact, ISO 15693 compliant passive data carrier technology. This new technology allows the RFID “tag” to be mounted directly on any alloy or metal surface without the typical interference or loss in range.

The tags and heads offer a range of 52 mm to 65 mm regardless of the alloy content of the metal, including aluminum, which tends to cause the most loss in range for passive RFID.

These new tags are in a robust, compact housing to allow flexible mounting and sustainability. They operate in temperatures ranging from -25° C to as high as 130° C for up to 1000 hours of continuous operation. There are two industrial head options to choose from, both designed for maximum read/write performance. One is a self-contained processor and read/write head with a built-in RS-232 serial interface. The other is a read/write head in an identical housing but it can be connected to any of Balluff’s several remote processors. Using a remote processor expands the communication options to include DeviceNet, Profibus, Ethernet/IP and TCP/IP, Modbus-IP or even the new ProfiNet Ethernet bus.

Balluff
www.balluff.com/M-M

::Design World::

Misumi Expands LX Series Single Axis Actuator Line

Schaumburg, IL – Misumi USA, Inc. has further expanded its LX Series Single Axis Actuators with two new product lines: High Precision Class Actuators for use in ultra-precise positioning and indexing applications, and Motorized Actuators, which significantly reduce time and labor required to design, source and assemble actuators with motorized capabilities. Misumi’s LX Series Actuators are utilized across a wide range of industries for factory automation and motion control applications.

Here is an overview of the two new product lines:

–Misumi High Precision Class LX Actuators (LX20 and LX26) are available in standard or cover type versions and in a wide variety of combinations. Their compact size and incorporation of precision ground ball screw results in extremely precise positioning and indexing control, making them ideal for use in numerous factory automation machine applications. For example, they can be used in servo-driven insertion units, precision measurement units, pick and place tables, painting units, and other devices. LX Series High Precision Class Actuators typically ship in six (6) days and offer superior price/performance value over competitors’ high precision product offerings.

–Misumi LX Actuators with Motors (LX30 and LX45) are also available in standard or cover type versions and in a wide variety of combinations, with eight (8) types of stepper motors. The units come pre-assembled with the motor, driver, and user-defined peripheral parts (ball screws, sensor options and configurable cable length) already in place to save machine builders time and labor. Accessory options include jigs for motor -coupling alignment, mounting brackets and transition plates. The Motorized LX Actuators typically ship in 11 days.

Misumi’s LX Series models are available globally in over 1000 possible configurations and are covered in the New 2009 Single Axis Actuator Catalog. Specially designed brackets allow a combination of two units on a different axis. The single axis actuators are manufactured by Suruga Seiki Co., a MISUMI Group company widely known for its high quality positioning stages and rigorous quality and accuracy inspection processes. An inspection certificate is included with all LX Series products.

Misumi USA, Inc.

www.misumiusa.com

::Design World::

Pneumatic Heavy Duty unwind stand

CTC International introduces its Model SHDL-900-EG Edge Guided Heavy Duty Constant Tension Unwind Stand.

The unwind stand can handle a variety of materials including tag, label, board, film, paper, foil and other materials used in packaging and converting applications.

The Heavy-duty double end supported design allows rolls as large as 40″ diameter to easily be accommodated. Rolls are unwound from a removable air shaft supported at both ends by safety locking chucks.

The Stand features an integral roll lifting system using 2 heavy duty air cylinders and a minimum number of parts, and is capable of lifting rolls exceeding 850 lbs. in weight.

The “closed loop” pneumatic tension Control system utilizes a generously sized web festoon whose position proportionally controls a heavy duty pneumatic braking system, providing precise web tension. Web tension is easily adjustable while running.

Options include splicing table, web pen marking system and “end of roll” indicator. The machine is customizable for a variety of Diameters, Web Widths and core sizes and can be manufactured to meet CE compliance.

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