EDITORIAL EXCELLENCEDesign World

Each month Design World brings the engineer information that develops his or herskills with, and understanding of, new techniques and technologies. Tutorial featurescover engineering fundamentals and more. Other feature articles offer how-to-tips on

specific devices or programs that speed the creation, analysis,and testing of new products, or that facilitate the implementationof components, systems, and equipment. Through Design Worldarticles readers stay up to date on the latest developments inCAD/CAM, motion control and mechanical systems, sensors,materials, and communication systems for the medical,packaging, automation, off-highway, and semiconductor markets.

FEATURES:

INSIGHTS: The editorial page brings pertinent and topical concerns to theengineering reader. The insightful commentary provokes thoughts in newdirections, highlighting issues faced by today’s readers.DOWNLOAD THIS: A department that showcases CAD drawings featured orintroduced by advertisers. The reader can preview these new designs and go tothe website, www.Designworldonline.com, to access these drawings.DESIGN FOR INDUSTRY: Here is where readers receive the latest news ordevelopments that will help them execute their engineering tasks more efficientlyand productively.DESIGN NOTES: This department stimulates innovation by presenting real-worldengineering challenges and the creative solutions applied to those challenges.FEA REPORT: The latest news and developments and how-to tutorials on finiteelement analysis features or programs is offered in this department.SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS: Through news and educational features, this departmentshowcases new design-focused tools for CAD/CAM/CAE systems.PRODUCT WORLD: A showcase of the latest components, devices, and equipmentuseful in the design of mechanical, electrical, and mechatronic systems.

DEPARTMENTS:

MOTION CONTROL

drives cover a wide, full range of powers and voltages. Singleindustrial drives also feature a range of built-in options as standard equipment. They can be installed for most applicationsright out of the box; and they also can be ordered and manufac-tured as a custom unit for a particular application.

MultidrivesA multidrive is built from industrial drive modules that are

connected to a common dc bus bar. This bus bar supplies thedrive modules with dc power and each module then inverts thedc to ac and powers an individual motor. The dc power is derived from a single supply unit (rectifier) that is built into thefront end of the same multidrive configuration.

This configuration simplifies the total installation and provides many benefits:

• savings in cabling• reduced line currents and simpler braking arrangements

Michael Vallier,Product manager, ABB Low Voltage Drives,ABB Automation Products

Efficient management of the energy consumed by motorswas always important. Today, however, this issue has become vital as the world wrestles with the supply anddemand of precious resources. Thus, integrators, OEMs,panel builders, and users are looking for ways to use

energy as efficiently as possible. It is well known that the precise control of motors is one

technique. Some engineers, though, are turning to multidrivesystems to boost energy efficiency even higher. Since drives areavailable in both multidrive and single drive configurations, it is useful to define the difference, and profile the benefits thatnew generations of multidrives can provide.

Single drivesAdjustable speed drives are used in

any application in which there is mechanical equipment powered by motors. The drives provide precise elec-trical motor control so that motor speedscan be maintained or ramped up anddown depending on the action needed.Such control uses only the energy required, rather than having a motor runat constant (fixed) speed and using excess energy.

Because motors consume a majority ofthe energy produced, controlling theamount consumed based on load demands is the way to go. You can real-ize 25 to 70% energy savings through theuse of motor controllers. Despite thesebenefits, though, the majority of motorscontinue to operate without drives.

Several single industrial drives areflexible ac drives that canbe adapted to meet the pre-cise needs of a single-motor application. Theseunits convert ac power todc, and then invert the dcback to an ac output to a motor. Such

44 DESIGN WORLD JULY 2007 www.designworldonline.com

Why work with

multidrives? If you need precise control of

multiple motors, compact

multidrive systems deliver.

Multidrives, such as thisone from ABB, are madefrom several components.

3D CAD

Going to the VaultLegacy data — old drawings — are a big issue for QED.

Because many products are made for the medical industry, theymust deal with various compliance issues. And since many oftheir “new” products are based on some components from

Larry Boulden, Staff Editor

QED makes compact little lights for dentists, doctors,and surgeons. Most major orders call for custom products. Required schedules are tight, turnaroundquick. And the design engineering team that makes itall happen? Just a few engineers, using only two seats

of CAD. One is on a laptop.”Working with 3D CAD is fun,” explains

David Russell, the man with that laptop.Russell is a design engineer at the Lexingtonfirm. “You can see your product come alive.We design on the fly, and watch the productgrow right out of the computer screen.”

Russell started QED down the CAD path about 10 years agowith AutoCAD R12, a 2D drafting package. After a few yearsthey upgraded to Mechanical Desktop, a 3D package from Autodesk. Four years ago, QED upgraded again to another 3Dpackage from the same supplier, Inventor. One reason for thechange was the need to handle legacy data.

46 DESIGN WORLD JUNE 2007 www.designworldonline.com

3D CAD lets small company design on the fly

3D CAD lets small companydesign on the flyCAD delivers the goods for a small medical-products company that needs extensive

product customization and quick redesigns from an efficient design engineering team.

At QED Inc, engineers design on the fly, and watch the product growright out of the computer screen. Photos, courtesy Alex Orlov.

Small, precise light assemblies, containing a light source, lenses,housing and mounting, are often used by medicalprofessionals in operatingand examination rooms.

3

OFF-HIGHWAY

rotary actuator to position our piercing nozzle, we can quicklypenetrate and maneuver into tight spaces in a variety of aviationand municipal applications,” stated Grady North, chief engineerfor Crash Rescue Equipment.

Better load managementBefore the rotary actuator, Crash Rescue Equipment used two

electric motors to position the piercing and water volume nozzles on the telescopic booms found on fire trucks. When theobject was pierced, a load was also put on the water volumenozzle, taxing the motors.

Crash Rescue Equipment changed the overall design of thetelescoping boom assembly to overcome this problem. They

Firefighters have one of the most dangerous and demand-ing jobs in the public’s eye. They are called upon to facecomplex fires or natural disasters to save lives or property. Innovative technology to help protect peopleand property is in high demand from firefighting forces

around the world. This urgent demand led Crash Rescue Equipment to team up with Helac Corp. to design a telescopingnozzle on fire trucks that allows the nozzle to penetrate compos-ite fibers and be placed inside small door openings or other restricted areas.

“Our Snozzle is a quick attack tool that can penetrate all current building, aircraft, automobile or train container materi-als including composite panels. By using Helac’s hydraulic

48 DESIGN WORLD MAY 2007 www.designworldonline.com

Actuator extendsnozzle’s reach

into dangerous placesInnovative use of a hydraulic rotary actuator aids firefighters in complex crash rescues and natural disasters.

Actuator extendsnozzle’s reach

To get to a fire, firefighters often mustbreak their way through a building or

structure. Special crash rescue trucks,like this Panther, rely on the Snozzle

quick attack tool to penetrate building,aircraft, automobile or train container

materials including composite panels.

Leslie M. MorganHelac Corp.

26 DESIGN WORLD JULY 2007 www.designworldonline.com

displace the wastewater from the well to thetreatment facility. Drives are key in support-ing the pump operation, ensuring that a constant flow is discharged to maintain optimum wastewater levels. Plus, the driveseliminate unnecessary pump starts.

Previously, the site ran the pumps basedon an on/off level and used an across-the-line starter. When the level in the wetwell reached a designated point, it triggeredthe starter to rev the motors up to maximumspeed as quickly as possible. This rapid acceleration created spikes andmechanical stress on both the motor andpump. The motors ran at full speed until theyreached the “off” level elevation. The con-stant-speed, starting-and-stopping processled to wear and tear on the bearings and impellers, causing the motors to deteriorate.

By maintaining a consistent level in thelift station wet well, drives also help to avoidwater hammers. When a pump starts or stopssuddenly, it slams the check value on theback of the pump and creates a “water hammer” effect. Water hammers are pressuresurges caused by the energy of a fluid in motion when it is forced to stop abruptly. Ina lift station, hydraulic water hammers oftenoccur when trying to pump fluid vertically orat a slant. Once a pump stops, the fluid willcome back to the source, jarring the piping.Over time, water ham-mers can deterioratethe pipe. The accelera-tion and de-accelera-tion ramp providedby the ACS800 re-duces wear and tearon the pump me-chanicals.

DESIGN NOTES

W ith 450 miles of sanitary sewer-collection lines and 33 lift stationsthat feed into a central wastewater

treatment plant, the City of Lawrence,Kansas wastewater management system isextensive. Gravity drives wastewater distribution to the treatment plant, exceptwhere vertical elevation changes the topog-raphy. In these circumstances, lift stations–structures that contain pumps and controls–move wastewater to the treatment plant.

Because of ongoing increases in demand,Dave King, wastewater maintenance man-ager, City of Lawrence, continually looks forways to improve efficiency. Lift station number 16, built in 1958, transports approxi-mately 600 million gallons of dry weather-flow a year, about 25-30% of the city’swastewater usage. Aging equipment and increasing flow from new residential developments led to the decision to retrofitthe station completely in the spring of 2006.King turned to the city’s long-time PLC supplier, Logic, Inc. to handle the job.

Logic recommended installing ABBACS800 drives on each of four new 125 hppump motors to: increase efficiency andpower factor to improve electricity cost savings; extend the life of the motors and reduce repair costs; and minimize or eliminate harmonics that can interfere withinstrumentation and overheat feeder breakersand transformers.

When wastewater enters a lift station, it initially goes through a course screeningprocess, which removes solid particles thatcould damage the pumps. The wastewaterthen flows into an enclosed wet well, whichcan be 30-40 feet deep. Sensors monitor thewastewater depth in the wet well. Pumps

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The compact footprint ofthe ABB ACS 800 Ultra-lowHarmonic Drives was aperfect fit in the liftstation at the City ofLawrence, Kansaswastewater facility.

Another area of focus to streamline internal processes was to substitute simu-lation for physical prototyping. Prototypedesign and fabrication often took one totwo months, followed by an extensivewait in a queue until the prototype couldbe experimentally tested.

Thus, Modine decided to build a virtualtechnology group of analysts to supportall product lines around the company. To fulfill their vision, they needed to:

• Apply more analysis during the early stages of product development

• Facilitate better and more communication between product engineers and analysis engineers

• Select optimal technology. In this case, they chose programs from PTC and Ansys.

• Determine a way to engage more virtual testing in lieu of physical testing

• Optimize and integrate the CAD/analysis software

• Reduce capital costs Management requested

that all analysis engineersco-locate to one area.

After gaining buy-in,the new team redesigned their layout and setup toenable a successful

workflow. This team,the Virtual Technology

Group, now sat right in the middle of allproduct line groups.

With analysts from all product divisions, the Group could share technol-ogy processes and create best practicesfor rolling out simulation technologies toengineers in different divisions. The state-of-the-art environment delivered an expedient work space that removed inter-group barriers. Communication bound-aries slowly disappeared while engineersspoke daily.

Previously, an engineer might strugglefor days, weeks, or months on a technicalproblem, especially as remote locationhindered collaboration with peers. Thenew work space promoted dynamic col-laboration. Engineers were soon movingquickly through technical difficulties andleveraging one another’s knowledge.Work quality improved dramatically. Theredefined organization handled a higher

U .S. and Europe emission standardscontinue to drive the design of

liquid-cooled and air-cooled charge aircoolers. These stan-dards are pushinghigher thermal loadsand more rigorousdurability require-ments for many engineand exhaust compo-nents, such as the exhaustgas recirculation (EGR)cooler and charge air coolerfrom Modine ManufacturingCo., Racine, Wis. For nearly 90years, Modine has been a world wide innovator and leader in thermal manage-ment, serving such organizations as BMW,Caterpillar, John Deere, Paccar, Fiat,DaimlerChrysler, Volkswagen, Hyundai,International Truck & Engine, and ManDiesel. Its products are used in light,medium and heavy-duty vehicles, HVACequipment, industrial equipment, refriger-ation systems, fuel cells, and electronics.

The exhaust gas recirculation coolertransfers heat from the engine exhaust tothe same coolant loop that serves the radiator and the charge air cooler in atruck or automobile. As heat is extractedfrom the engine exhaust, the coolant looptemperature increases, making it harder tocool the engine and the intake air. A hotterengine produces more NOx, a targetedpollutant in current emission laws. Hotengines can also be a reliability concern.

Engineers at Modine felt they neededto optimize the flow field and pressuredrop in these components to meet thenew specifications. Bringing this about,however, would require more testing andadditional design iterations. With thesurge in demand for engine componentsthat meet the new emission standards, itwas clear that Modine needed to conducta greater number of concurrent engineer-ing projects without increasing the number of employees or adding to phys-ical test facility capital investment. The need to leverage the virtual environ-ment was clear.

Improving the durability of a liquid-cooled charge air cooler required redesign, which mandated multiple teststo confidently deliver the new product.Modine’s management believed that improved communication between prod-uct development engineers and analysisengineers would speed the overall

design process. They also felt it wasimportant for the final design to

have more input from theanalysis engineers. To

bridge this commu-nications gap,

they restructured the developmentprocess and brought in custom analysistools that would enable more virtualanalyses without increasing staff.

Creating the virtual technology hub

To deliver the best products to customers, management made severalsignificant changes within the organiza-tion. For one, they opted to insource tomeet these new challenges.

Modine has used outsourcing, but it offers little benefit when a project requires multiple design iterations and atight schedule. Engineers need easy access to each other to avoid excessivedelays. Insourcing can be faster and lessexpensive and is well suited to results-driven, large, quick-turn-around projects.With the right foundation of a talentedstaff, tools, and efficient processes, thefocus is on the project itself.

28 DESIGN WORLD JUNE 2007 www.designworldonline.com

FEA REPORT

Shift from physical to virtual prototyping A collaborative process and better tools help engineers leverage the virtual environment to meet emission standard design changes.

Thismodelshows anEngine Gas RecirculationCooler designed by Tom Reiss atModine’s Racine, Wisconsin engi-neering facility using Pro/ENGINEER.

Spotweld connector

RobiFix roboticplug connectors willdebut at the Interna-tional Robots and Vision Show inChicago. The reliable, cost-effectiveconnectors are for integrating powersupplies in robotic dress packs and running them along robotic arms. The con-nectors use MC-Multilam technology, and theirinsertion and removal is simple. Insulating material is resistant to spattering,sparking, and welding vapors. The connectors are rated at 690 Vac and 150 A.Multi-Contact USAwww.multi-contact-usa.com

Standard lengths shorten lead-time

The heavy-duty SRX-150 compact, aluminum-profile linear actuators comein 400, 600, 1000, 1500, and 1900 mm stroke lengths in both belt and ballscrew-driven versions. The standard lengths shorten lead-time up to threeweeks.Bishop-Wisecarver Corporation

www.bwc.com

72 DESIGN WORLD JUNE 2007

Making the switch easy

On July 1st, Circulate 3000 cycloidal speed reducers will be available with (Sumitomo)SM Cyclo mounting dimensions. This optionlets engineers easily migrate from one brandto another. Circulate 3000 reducers specifiedwith this option will drop right onto an SM Cyclomounting plate, and the output shaft will be posi-tioned and sized to directly replace the SM Cyclo.

Alternate CAD files will also be available onthe Web site July 1st. Shimpo Drives, Inc.www.shimpodrives.com

Switch boosts sensitivityto small angle changes

The DSA01 combination tilt/sensorswitch is triggered when tilted beyond ±10° of the horizontal and issensitive to small angle changes. Ithas a single pole, single throw, main-tained circuit. Operating range is ONAngle =10° to 170°; OFF Angle =190° to 350°, allowing 500 ms set-

tling time between states. Resistiveload is 0.1 A at 12 Vdc. Mechanicaland electrical life are rated at a mini-mum of 100,000 operations. Operat-ing temperature is from -10° C to+70° C. Additionally, the product israted to withstand 90 percent humid-ity for 96 hours at 40° C.NKK Switcheswww.nkkswitches.com

PRODUCT WORLD

p

According to Joel Galliher, semicon-ductor industry manager, Bosch

Rexroth Corp., the semiconductor indus-try is moving away from its focus of perfecting microelectronic processes. Aswafers become larger and feature smallerwidths, issues like productivity, through-put, reliability, and automation havegained importance.

Moving wafers into and out of a fabri-cation tool, positioning and repositioningthem within the tool, and changing setupsand job parameters significantly influ-ence the overall productivity of the tool.“As tools process wafers faster and moreaccurately, it becomes more apparent thatthe bottleneck is material handling,”noted Galliher. “The more time the toolspends waiting to receive a wafer, theless efficient is the overall production.Thus, efficient wafer handling betweentools is increasingly viewed as critical toimproving productivity.”

Semiconductor fabs are significantlyincreasing the levels of automation, replacing manual transport with auto-mated material handling systems andturning more attention to the flow of

materials throughout the fab. Thus,process integration, such as enabling in-line metrology to detect errors fasterand earlier to increase yields, is needed.

Automation components must also deliver product to the processing areamore efficiently. “For example,” notedGalliher, “simply increasing the speed ofmotion in transferring wafers is not suffi-cient. The mechatronic handling systemsmust be tailored to meet cycle time requirements, yet still protect delicate,high-value wafers.”

Toolmakers in the semiconductor industry are beginning to outsource non-core engineering. For example, onewafer-processing equipment manufac-turer looked outside to develop a high-performance wafer lift subassembly. “Thecompany had been purchasing about 30separate components from a handful ofvendors and was building the lift assem-bly in-house,” said Galliher. “While theexisting design worked well, the OEMwanted to reduce engineering expensesfor a new lift, lower the cost of the assem-bly, and streamline the supply chain byobtaining the item as a single part

DESIGN FOR INDUSTRY

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Semiconductor fabs focus on efficient material handling

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EDITORIAL & WEB EXCELLENCEDesign WorldJohn Gyorki–Editorial DirectorJohn has extensive experience in both design engineering and professional writing. He has contributed technical articles tomagazines since 1962. Gyorki received a BSEE degree from Lawrence Technological University in Southfield Detroit, Michigan.During his 30-year career in engineering, he was employed as a design engineer, engineering manager, and VP of engineeringwithin several companies.

John

jgyorki@designworldonline.com • office: 440.234.4531 • extension: 202 • fax: 440.234.3698

Larry Boulden–Staff EditorLarry has worked as a design engineer, engineering manager, and engineering communicator. He holds M.E. degrees fromNew Mexico State University and has practiced engineering with firms like Lockheed, the Atomic Energy Commission, and theU.S. Army. In his 38 years as a communicator, Larry has been a writer, editor, and publisher of engineering magazines, and isa four-time winner of Neal Awards for Outstanding Journalism. He has also ghostwritten eight books on engineering subjects.

Larry

lboulden@designworldonline.com • phone: 440.915.0833 • fax: 440.234.3698

Kathryn Tomiello–Staff EditorKathryn graduated magna cum laude from John Carroll University in 2002 with a B.A. in English and was a member of Phi BetaKappa, National Honor Society. She taught basic writing editing techniques to aduts. Kathryn also worked for an internationalmanufacturer of test & measurement equipment, developing testing procedures for the quality control of microprocessor-based instrumentation prior to shipment.

Kathryn

ktomiello@designworldonline.com • office: 440.234.4531 • extension: 204 • fax: 440.234.3698

Terri Heuser–Art Director/Production ManagerTerri is a Cleveland native and brings 20 years of design, art direction and production experience to Design World. Throughouther career, Terri has received several design awards from ASBPE and the Press Club of Cleveland. As a mother of 2; Hannah andBenjamin, her time with her kids keeps her busy along with a constant training of 2 year old yellow lab, Chelsea.

Terri

theuser@designworldonline.com • office: 440.234.4531 • extension: 201 • fax: 440.234.3698

Marshall Matheson–VP of New MediaMarshall brings over 10 years industrial marketing and product line experience to Design World with a technical focus in 3D mod-eling and web technologies. For the last 6 years Marshall worked for Danaher Motion with a focus on software, motion control,and networks. Marshall finds home in Santa Barbara, Calif with wife and 2 children and is a graduate of UC, Santa Barbara.

Marshall

mmatheson@designworldonline.com • office: 805.879.1788 • cell: 805.895.3609 • fax: 805.564.7188

Dave Miyares–Web Development ManagerDave has been developing B2B websites for over 10 years. He has worked with magazines serving the industrial design, restaurantand hospitality industries. For the past 5 years he has focused on search engine optimization, content management systems anddatabase design . David is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and currently lives in Rocky River, Ohio with his wife Lindaof 3 years.

Dave

dmiyares@designworldonline.com • office: 440.234.4531 • extension: 206 • fax: 440.234.3698

Leslie Langnau–Managing EditorLeslie has been a professional writer for more than 22 years. With a BS in Engineering fromMichigan State University, East Lansing,Michigan, she began her career with Allen-Bradley Co., working in the CNC division as an analyst of industrial machine controls andsystems. Her writing has focused on the design and physics behind equipment, systems and controls, as well as on the strategiesand processes needed to produce and most efficiently use such equipment.

Leslie

llangnau@designworldonline.com • office: 440.234.4531 • extension: 203 • fax: 440.234.3698