Design Engineering

10 Motive Industries unveils hempbodied concept electric vehicle.

18 SolidWorks 2011 Media Day

hints at CAD software’s future.

46 “Father Goose” designs ultra-

light aircraft for disaster relief.

Publications mail agreement #40070230. Return undeliverable address blocks to: Design Engineering, Circulation Dept., 8th Floor – 1 Mount Pleasant Avenue, Toronto ON, M4Y 2Y5

$8.00 | October 2010 www.design-engineering.com

WHALE

of an Idea

WhalePower’s Humpbackinspired Tubercle Technology marks next evolution in airfoil design

Autodesk Inventor tAkes you beyond 3d to dIgItAl PrototyPIng

Autodesk® Inventor® software creates a single digital model that enables you to design, visualize, and simulate your products. Inventor helps you to reduce product costs and get innovative designs to market faster.

Learn how Inventor can take your designs beyond 3D at autodesk.com/beyond3d.

Autodesk Inventor

Image courtesy of ADEPT Airmotive (Pty) Ltd. Autodesk, AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document. © 2010 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

omega.ca,of Course!

Where Do I Go for Pressure Measurement and Control Products?

Your single source for process measurement and control products!

Où puis-je trouver des produits de contrôle et de mesure de la pression? Sur

omega.ca, bien entendu!

Votre source unique en produits de mesure et de contrôle des procédés!

High-Accuracy Miniature Starts at Miniature Universal Load Cells--Stud À partir de Industrial Mounted Style Compression $ 409 Cellules de charge Load Cell miniatures universels de with Through-Body haute précision – montage sur Mounting Holes Cellule de charge miniature goujons LCM213-2KN industrielle à compression $615 avec orifices de fixation directe LCGB-500 Starts at/ Á partir de $409 LCM203-100N High-Accuracy Miniature Universal $615 Load Cells--Surface Mount Style LCM214-100N Cellules de charge miniatures $520 universels de haute précision – montage en suface Visit/Visitez omega.ca/lcgb omega.ca/lcm203 omega.ca/lcm204_lcm214

LC204-100 $520

High Accuracy Pressure Transducers PX409 Series Manotransducteur haute précision de série PX409

NEW!

NOUVELLES!

⻬ ⻬ ⻬ ⻬ ⻬ ⻬ ⻬

0.08% Accuracy All Stainless Steel Premium Thermal Performance Gage, Absolute, Barometric Pressures Précis à 0,08% Tout en acier inoxydable Thermique haut de gamme Performance ⻬ Pressions de jauge, absolue et barométique Visit/Visitez omega.ca/px409_series

Starts at À partir de

$

505

1∕ 8 DIN Strain, Process, and Temperature Meters Indicateurs 1∕ 8 DIN de température, de procédé et de contrainte DP25B Starts at/ Á partir de $ 262

Starts at À partir de

262

$

1 ∕ 8 DIN Ultra High Performance Meters Jauge ultra haute performance 1/8 DIN

Bezel Design is a Registered Trademark Le Design de la Monture est une Marque de Commerce Enregistrée Visit/Visitez omega.ca/dp25b omega.ca/dp41b

DP41-B $635

BEYOND

Handheld Digital Manometers For Differential, Starts at Gage and Absolute Pressure À partir de Manomètres numériques de main pour pression $321 différentielle, manométrique et absolue HHP-90 Low-Pressure HHP886 Manometer With 1.999 $321 $166 inH2O Low Range 10.04 inH2O High Range Manomètre Basse-Pression avec une basse gamme de 1.999 "H20 et une haute gamme de 10.04 "H2O High Accuracy, Handheld Digital Manometers 0 to 50 inH2O (0 to 1.9 psi) Manomètre Digital Portatif, Haute Précision 0 à 50 "H2O (0 à 1.9 psi) HHP-103 Visit/Visitez $ 615 omega.ca/manometers Find thousands of pressure, strain and force products in one place! Visit omega.ca to order your FREE copy of The OMEGA Pressure, Strain and Force Measurement Handbook® and Encyclopedia Trouvez des milliers de produits de mesure de la pression en un seul endroit. Consultez omega.ca pour commander la 9e édition du Omega Pressure Strain and Force HandbookMD and Encyclopedia

For Sales and Service, Call TOLL FREE Pour les ventes et le service-composez

Cover Art: Printed by permission of the Norman Rockwell Family Agency.

Copyright © 1935 the Norman Rockwell Family Entities Dilbert © United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

976 Bergar Laval, Québec Canada H7L 5A1

FREE! Hardbound

G r a t u it Shop Online at

magasinez en ligne à

Handbook and Encyclopedia

© COPYRIGHT 2010 OMEGA ENGINEERING, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © COPYRIGHT 2010 OMEGA ENGINEERING, INC. TOUS DROITS RESERVES

The Straight Line on Linear Solutions Operational reliability begins with design.

INA linear products from Schaeffler are designed with maximum load capacities across the range, as well as high rigidity and misalignment compensation within series designs. Patented lubrication and sealing technology ensures maintenance free operation, while continuous product innovation embraces linear solutions with increasingly longer and quieter service lives.

Behind design is versatility and service. INA offers an extensive range of products backed by a comprehensive service center to quickly create and deliver highly customized linear assembly solutions.

INA linear solutions from Schaeffler‌ the straight line to operational reliability.

SCHAEFFLER GROUP INDUSTRIAL

www.schaeffler-group.com

Contents | Volume 56, No. 5

IN THE NEWS

8 Human-powered ornithopter sets a first

8 Q-Cells, ATS to partner on large solar projects

10 Cymat appoints new president and COO

10 Starwood secures 30MW solar project for Sault Ste. Marie

14 BRIC, Parker to supply gantry robots

14 Motive Industries debuts hemp concept car

16 Bombardier awarded monorail contract

16 World’s largest PV facility opens in Ontario

Columns

14

20 CAD Beat Autodesk reintroduces AutoCAD to the Mac and other design tool news.

32 Rapid Prototyping Canadian military college engages its future engineers with 3D printer.

34 HardWire Designers at music product company rely on 3D mouse to speed design work.

20

41 Idea Generator Product news covering the latest in sensors, motion control and fluid power.

46 Canadian Innovator Specially-designed ultralight planes equipped for large-scale disaster relief.

28

Features 18 Rock Steady

SolidWorks 2011 Media Day hints at future growth for the company and its software.

READER SERVICES Annual Subscription Rate In Canada: $52.00 Outside Canada: $99.00

Single Copy & Directory Rates In Canada: $8.00; $26.00 directory issue Outside Canada: $22.00; $43.00 directory issue

Reader Service Contact Information rogers@cstonecanada.com T: Toronto (416) 932-5071 Elsewhere 1-866-236-0608 Mail: Design Engineering c/o Subscriber Service 111 Granton Drive, Unit 101 Richmond Hill, ON, L4B 1L5

Request New or Renew Subscriptions Online www.rogersb2bmedia.com/ dsen Printed in Canada

www.design-engineering.com

24 Ethernet on the Machine Level Device Level Ring Technology boosts reliability of ring Ethernet topology.

46

28 Whale of an Idea

WhalePower’s Humpback-inspired Tubercle Technology marks next evolution in airfoil design.

36 More than the Sum of its Parts 3D part catalogue management saves time, cuts costs and eliminates guess work.

Online

WWW.DESIGN-ENGINEERING.COM

E-Newsletter: Keep up to date on the latest news and products with our bimonthly email bulletin.

Extended Coverage: Look for web throws throughout this issue for related images, video and online features.

Subscriber Services: Request new or renew subscriptions to the magazine and e-Newsletter. www.rogersb2bmedia.com/dsen

Canadian Manufacturing Careers: Search and apply for 100s of targeted engineering jobs across Canada, or find the skilled people you need.

October | 2010

5

6 EditorialViewpoint

Will Lightning Strike Twice?

www.design-engineering.com

I

t’s been a tough couple of years for the pure-play mechanical CAD industry.

More and more often, the dreaded “mature” label—a diplomatic way of saying stagnant and/or unprofitable—has been slapped on parametric modeling software, both as a business and as a technology. Each year, new small tweaks and performance enhancements are added but nothing on the “mandatoryupgrade” level. That, combined with the global recession and the corresponding layoff of designers and engineers, makes for a ho-hum business model.

As a result, vendors and resellers headed for healthier hunting grounds: PDM/PLM, analysis software and rapid prototyping hardware or reverse engineering scanners.

It’s not hard to see why; at design/engineering-oriented trade shows, most attendees by-pass the computer monitors and head straight for the 3D printers anyway.

It’s also led to a push by the big CAD companies to re-invigorate the appeal of their software by introducing “new,” presumably easier forms of 3D modeling.

History-free, explicit modeling, also known as direct or “push-pull” modeling, has been the latest shiny object. The concept has a long history but it didn’t hit the “majors” until PTC bought explicit modeling software company CoCreate in 2007.

The sale began a slew of other announcements including Siemens PLM software’s Synchronous Technology for SolidEdge, Dassault’s V6 and, most recently, Autodesk’s Inventor Fusion tech demo. SolidWorks, usually known to be ahead of such curves, has so far sat this trend out.

The motivation behind this push is that a sizable share of the CAD consumer base hasn’t made the transition to 3D; the problem being in part that 3D has too high a learning curve for designers who made their bones in AutoCAD. There’s also the desire to extend 3D beyond the engineering departments to machinists, sales engineers and anyone who doesn’t need the rigour (and annoyance) of a history tree.

Ultimately, they’re all chasing the Holy Grail—a seamless melding of the parametric and explicit paradigms into one grand unified modeler. SolidEdge opened the gates in 2008 with ST, and inched nearer with ST2 and soon ST3. When it passes out of its alpha/beta stage, Autodesk Fusion my get closer still.

Now PTC is seemingly preparing to up the ante. As this issue goes to press, the company has been building mystery/hype for what it has been calling “Project Lightning,” which it says will “transform the CAD industry for the next 20 years.” Officially, the veil will be dramatically lifted on October 28. In the meantime, PTC hasn’t offered much in the way of detail, opting instead to tease little hints of what’s to come while promising the world: “Project Lightening will solve the big unsolved problems in mechanical CAD, including fundamental ease-of-use, interoperability, and assembly management” and all neatly knit together by a simple PLM platform.

However, like the finale of popular mystery/intrigue TV series such as Twin Peaks or Lost, whatever Project Lightning ultimately turns out to be, it won’t be as electrifying as hyperbole is making out. Still, given PTC’s pedigree, it won’t be a fizzle either. The best users can hope for is a promising beginning that will reach serious contention by its third or fourth revision. By then, however, everyone may well have moved on to the next “Biggest Thing.”

Mike McLeod

@

I enjoy hearing from you so please contact me at mike.mcleod@de.rogers.comand your letter could be published in an upcoming issue.

Octoberber | 2010

www.design-engineering.com

Publisher Alan Macpherson (416) 764-1534 alan.macpherson@de.rogers.com Group Editorial Director Lisa Wichmann (416) 764-1491 lisa.wichmann@rci.rogers.com Editor Michael McLeod (416) 764-1555 mike.mcleod@de.rogers.com Technical Field Editor Pat Jones, P. Eng. Directory Editor Jessica Badali jessica.badali@de.rogers.com Art Director Kathy Smith (416) 764-1542 Production Manager Natalie Chyrsky (416) 764-1686 natalie.chyrsky@rci.rogers.com Circulation Manager Celia Ramnarine (416) 764-1451 deokie.ramnarine@rci.rogers.com Junior Web Producer Jessica Mirabelli (416) 764-1316 jessica.mirabelli@rci.rogers.com ROGERS PUBLISHING LIMITED President and Chief Executive Officer, Brian Segal ROGERS BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL PUBLISHING Senior Vice-President, John Milne Vice-President, Financial Publishing, Brand Extensions & Online Services, Paul Williams Director of Audience Development, Keith Fulford (416) 764-3878, keith.fulford@rci.rogers.com Executive Publisher, Industrial Group, Tim Dimopoulos, (416) 764-1499, tim.dimopoulos@rci.rogers.com CORPORATE SALES General Manager, Corporate Sales, Sandra Parente (416) 764-3818, sandra.parente@rci.rogers.com WEB General Manager, Online Operations, David Carmichael (416) 764-3820, david.carmichael@rci.rogers.com RESEARCH Senior Director, Rogers Connect Market Research, Tricia Benn (416) 764-3856, tricia.benn@rci.rogers.com EVENTS General Manager, Conferences & Events, Stephen T. Dempsey (416) 764-1635, steve.dempsey@mtg.rogers.com Publications Mail Agreement #40070230 ISSN number: 0011-9342 Subscriber Services: To subscribe, renew your subscription or to change your address or information, please visit us at www.rogersb2bmedia.com/dsen. Subscription Price: Canada $52.00 per year, Outside Canada $99.00 US per year, Single Copy Canada $8.00. Design Engineering, established in 1955, is published 6 times per year except for occasional combined, expanded or premium issues, which count as two subscription issues. Rogers Publishing Ltd., One Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, ON, M4Y 2Y5. Montreal Office: 1200 avenue McGill College, Bureau 800, Montreal, Quebec, H3B 4G7 Return undeliverable items to: Design Engineering, Circulation Dept., 8th Floor-One Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto ON M4Y 2Y5.

Cornerstone Publishing Services Customer Service, 220 Yonge St., 8th floor, Toronto, Ontario, M4S 3G3 Mail Preferences: Occasionally we make our subscriber list available to reputable companies whose products or services may be of interest to you. If you do not want your name to be made available, please contact us at rogers@cstonecanada.com or update your profile at www.rogersb2bmedia.com/dsen. DE receives unsolicited features and materials (including letters to the editor) from time to time. DE, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort. DE accepts no responsibility or liability for claims made for any product or service reported or advertised in this issue. DE is indexed in the Canadian Business Index by Micromedia Ltd., Toronto, and is available on-line in the Canadian Business & Current Affairs Database.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.

Our environmental policy is available at www.rogerspublishing.ca/environment

Low Cost Vacuum Generators For Lifting, Clamping, Mounting, Vessel Evacuation and “Pick and Place”!

E-Vac® Vacuum Generators are compressed air powered vacuum pumps that provide instantaneous response and are most commonly used for pick and place operations.

These single stage vacuum pumps are a low cost venturi available in a variety of sizes and flows along with a selection of vacuum cups suitable for a wide range of applications.

• • • •

Compact, portable Instantaneous vacuum up to 27"Hg Easy to mount at point of use Engineered for high efficiency to minimize compressed air usage

Adjustable E-Vac® Vacuum Generator

Modular E-Vac® Vacuum Generator

Adjustable E-Vac vacuum generators permit easy adjustment by simply loosening the locknut and turning the exhaust to increase or decrease the level of vacuum and vacuum flow. Four models are ideal for porous and non-porous applications.

Modular E-Vac vacuum generators use a compact block design for convenient mounting which is ideal for use on existing machinery. Fourteen models for porous and non-porous applications are available.

In-Line E-Vac® Vacuum Generator In-Line E-Vac vacuum generators are cylindrical and compact. They can be threaded directly onto a compressed air line or held in place with a mounting clip.

Fourteen models for porous and non-porous applications are available.

Vacuum Cups, Fittings, Tubing, & More WATCH THE VIDEO! www.exair.com/53/48053.htm

EXAIR can provide the accessories you need to build your vacuum system.

If you would like to discuss an application, contact an Application Engineer at

www.exair.com/53/480.htm Manufacturing Intelligent Compressed Air® Products Since 1983 11510 Goldcoast Drive • Cincinnati, Ohio • 45249-1621 • (800) 903-9247 fax: (513) 671-3363 • E-mail: techelp@exair.com • www.exair.com

@EXAIR

8 DesignNews Up Front

Human-powered ornithopter sets a first niversity of Toronto’s flapping wing aircraft, the Snowbird, made aviation

U PTC names new CFO PTC appointed Jeffrey D. Glidden as executive VP and CFO. Most recently, Glidden served as vice president, CFO at Airvana, Inc. from 2005 through 2010. Prior to that, he held the CFO position at RSA Security and Stream International. Glidden has also held senior finance positions at Banyan Systems and Compugraphic/Agfa.

He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

“Jeff’s strong financial and operational background, along with his collaborative style and profitable growth-oriented outlook, will be a valuable asset for PTC as we focus on delivering sustainable EPS growth driven primarily by organic revenue growth,” said James Heppelmann, CEOelect and president, PTC. www.ptc.com

Q-Cells, ATS to partner on large solar projects Q-Cells SE, a photovoltaic company providing solar power plants, modules and cells, and ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. have established a joint venture (Ontario Solar PV Fields Inc.) for the development of large scale renewable energy projects in Ontario. Both hold a 50 percent interest in the development company and will contribute project development, engineering-procurement-construction and related services to the venture. The partnership will utilize domestic content modules supplied by Photowatt Ontario with Q-Cells solar cells. The development company received conditional Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) contracts from the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) in April for seven Ontario ground mounted projects totaling 64 MW. www.atsautomation.com www.q-cells.com October | 2010

history over the summer when it became the first human-powered ornithopter to maintain sustained flight. Unlike other human-powered aircraft, which have fixed wings and gain air speed from a propeller, ornithopters produce thrust and lift solely from the flapping of the craft’s wings.

While other attempts have been made to create human-powered ornithopters in the past, none were able to maintain air speed or altitude and simply glided to the ground. That is, until the U of T’s Snowbird. Under the power and piloting of Todd Reichert, an engineering PhD candidate at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS), the ornithopter sustained both altitude and airspeed for 19.3 seconds and covered a distance of 145 metres at an average speed of 25.6 kilometres per hour.

Over the past four years, the UTIAS team has been in design and development of the Snowbird. Weighing 94 lbs. but with a wing span of 32 metres (105 feet), the construction and mechanics of the ornithopter matches that of birds. Instead of hollow bones, the Snowbird’s inner skeleton is made largely from carbon fibre tubes. The wing ribs and smaller components are balsa wood and foam covered in a light-weight Mylar skin.

Photo courtesy of Todd Reichert, University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) and the University of Toronto

Similarly, instead of a bird’s large pectoral muscles, the pilot’s legs push on a platform inside the cockpit connected to bracing wires that pull the wings down.

The torsion of the carbon fibre tubes pull the wings back up for the up-stroke.

However, Reichert says moving the wings up and down is fairly straight forward.

The challenge is getting the wings to twist predictably and precisely down its length.

This is the only way, he says, the wings achieve the proper angle of attack during the up and down strokes and thereby produce both positive lift and thrust.

“For the design, we primarily used simulation software we coded ourselves that calculates the how the structure will flex under aerodynamic loads,” Reichert explains. “The wing has to twist at just the right magnitude and phase along its length to achieve efficient flight. It’s called aerodynamic tailoring, which is the tricky part of designing an ornithopter.”

The design of the Snowbird stems in large part from the work of UTIAS Professor Emeritus James DeLaurier, who made aviation history in 2006 with the design and construction of the “The Flapper,” the first motorized, humanpiloted ornithopter to achieve sustained flight.

Along with Reichert and DeLaurier, the development team was comprised of Cameron Robertson (MASc 2009, UTIAS) as the chief structural engineer and community volunteers Robert and Carson Dueck. In addition, more than www.design-engineering.com

Miniature Solutions for Today’s Packaging Challenges

Air Cylinders • Solenoid Valves • FRLs • Control Valves • Fittings • Tubing

A leader in miniature pneumatics, Clippard provides quality products and complete design solutions

513-521-4261 Cincinnati, OH

888-WAINBEE Mississauga, Ontario

for the packaging industry! www.clippard.com

10

DesignNews Up Front CAE nabs C$75 million in defence contracts CAE announced it has won defence contracts valued at more than C$75 million.

Contracts include upgrading visual and display systems at the German Army Aviation School; renewing a long-term CF-18 systems engineering services agreement for the Canadian Forces; upgrading C-130J simulators for the U.K. Royal Air Force; and upgrading a C-130H simulator for an undisclosed North African defence customer. www.cae.com

Cymat appoints new president and COO Cymat Technologies announced the appointment of David Fowler as its new president and COO, replacing present president Tim Hardman. In his previous position as Group VP of Woodbridge Foam Corporation—a privately-held,

October | 2010

20 students from the University of Toronto and approximately 10 exchange students from Poitiers University, France, and Delft Technical University, Netherlands, also participated in the project.

Reichert, who lost nearly 20 pounds in training for the event, says the August flight was most likely a one time event. The Snowbird, he says, will probably become a museum piece.

“I’m curious to see where this will go,” he says. “When the Wright Brothers flew, they thought there was no practical application for aircraft. It’ll be interesting to see who gets inspired, and what might come out of this.” http://hpo.ornithopter.net/ www.ornithopter.net

Starwood secures 30MW solar project for Sault Ste. Marie Starwood Energy Group Global, a private investment firm focused on energy infrastructure projects, announced that its affiliate, Starwood SSM2 Canada Inc, secured financing for a 30 megawatt (MW) AC solar photovoltaic project in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The new project is in addition to the company’s 20 MW Starwood SSM1 solar plant, which is scheduled to be completed in the next three months if not sooner, the company says.

Starwood SSM2 will consist of three 10 MW AC solar photovoltaic power generation projects connected to local utility PUC Distribution, Inc. When complete, the project will be among the largest of its kind in North America, providing power for up to 12,000 Ontario homes.

“The 30 MW of new capacity, when combined with the 20 MW that is about to be connected to our grid, will result in PUC Distribution having the greatest

www.design-engineering.com

© 2010 Swagelok Company

We don’t have a department dedicated to quality. We have a company dedicated to it.

Simulated computer modeling, dimensional testing, and electron scanning of raw materials – you name it, we’ll go to any lengths to ensure that if it’s from Swagelok, it’s top quality. Because Quality isn’t just one of our values.

It’s our attitude. It’s the focus of every associate, affecting everything from our services to our products. And by using the same disciplines, practices, and technologies through every office in every country, that focus is constant.

We know that quality isn’t just a well-made product, it’s customers served beyond what they were expecting. To see what that attitude can do for you, visit swagelok.com/quality.

12 DesignNews Up Front multi-national auto parts company— Fowler was part of the company’s executive committee, directly responsible for its largest division. Fowler has a mechanical engineering degree from Waterloo and holds an MBA from Rotman. Cymat has worldwide rights for producing stabilized aluminum foam. www.cymat.com

AECOM to acquire RSW Inc. Los Angeles-based AECOM Technology Corporation announced it will acquire RSW Inc., a Montreal-based consulting engineering firm that specializes in the energy, industrial, urban infrastructure, building, environment, transportation, mining and telecommunication sectors. According to the company, the acquisition of the 550-employee, Montreal-based engineering firm is intended to expand AECOM energy practice. RSW generated approxi-

®

amount of solar generation in Ontario,” added Brian Curran, CEO of PUC Distribution, Inc. “With a summer peak of between 90 MW and 100 MW and a winter peak of between 140 MW and 150 MW for Sault Ste. Marie, locally generated solar electricity will be supplying a significant portion of the community's electrical demand.”

The company says the facilities will reduce yearly carbon emissions by an amount equal to displacing 5,700 cars and light trucks each driving 12,000 miles per year. Local jobs will be created for engineering, construction and ongoing management, operations, and maintenance of the new solar facilities, which are scheduled to be operational in the third quarter of 2011.

In conjunction with the closing, Q-Cells North America was given the green light to begin construction on the project and will provide operations and maintenance services post-completion. The German-based photovoltaic company recently entered into a joint venture (Ontario Solar PV Fields Inc.) with Cambridge, Ontario-based ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. for the development of large scale renewable energy projects in Ontario. However, the company refused to comment on whether the new venture would be involved in the Starwood SSM2 project. www.starwoodenergygroup.com www.q-cells.com

CAPABILITIES • Manufacturer of Zinc die castings, aluminum die castings, plastic moldings, steel stampings and finished products/assemblies • In-house design/engineering • Rapid prototyping • On-going research & development projects • Use of 3-D simulations • Matching international competitiveness in capability, product development and quality • Work with customers to reduce costs through greater efficiencies to existing parts, less inventory (just-in-time)

Toll Free: 877 678 0846 Toll Free Fax: 877 678 0847 www.fasco.ca email: sales@fasco.ca October | 2010

www.design-engineering.com

TER AEROSPACE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT APPLIANCES AUTOMOTIVE BALLS BOLTS BOXES BUMPERS CANE TIPS CAPS CLAMPS CLIPS CLOSURES COMPUTERS CONDUIT C S COUPLINGS COVERS CUBES DEFENCE DISPLAY DOWELS ELBOWS ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS FASTENERS FEET FITTINGS FLANGES FOOD PROCESSING FURNITURE GLID METS HANDLES HARDWARE HEAVY INDUSTRY HINGES HOLDERS HOOKS HOSE HVAC INSULATORS KNOBS LATCHES MARINE MASKING MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS NET PEGBOARD HOOKS OFFICE EQUIPMENT PHARMACEUTICAL PIPES PLUGS POSTS AND SCREWS ROBOTICS RODS RIVETS SCREWS SEALS SLEEVING SPACERS SPHERES STANDO SUPPORTS TECHNOLOGY TEES TIES TOOLS TURNTABLES TWIST-TIES WALL PLUGS WASHERS WRAPS ADAPTER AEROSPACE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT APPLIANCES AUTOMO BOXES BUMPERS CANE TIPS CAPS CLAMPS CLIPS CLOSURES COMPUTERS CONDUIT CONNECTORS CORDS COUPLINGS COVERS CUBES DEFENCE DISPLAY DOWELS EL ELECTRONICS FASTENERS FEET FITTINGS FLANGES FOOD PROCESSING FURNITURE GLIDES GOVERNMENT GROMMETS HANDLES HARDWARE HEAVY INDUSTRY HINGES HO HVAC INSULATORS KNOBS LATCHES MARINE MASKING MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS NETTING NIPPLES NUTS PEGBOARD HOOKS OFFICE EQUIPMENT TM PHARMACEUTICAL AND SCREWS ROBOTICS RODS RIVETS SCREWS SEALS SLEEVING SPACERS SPHERES STANDOFFS SUCTION CUPS SUPPORTS TECHNOLOGY TEES TIES TOOLS TURNTABLES WASHERS WRAPS ADAPTER AEROSPACE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT APPLIANCES AUTOMOTIVE BALLS BOLTS BOXES BUMPERS CANE TIPS CAPS CLAMPS CLIPS CLOSURES UIT CONNECTORS CORDS COUPLINGS COVERS CUBES DEFENCE DISPLAY DOWELS ELBOWS ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS FASTENERS FEET FITTINGS FLANGES FOOD PRO GLIDES GOVERNMENT GROMMETS HANDLES HARDWARE HEAVY INDUSTRY HINGES HOLDERS HOOKS HOSE HVAC INSULATORS KNOBS LATCHES MARINE MASKING MA acetal hose luer fittings coreRODS RIVETS SCREWS SEALS SLEEV UCTS NETTING NIPPLES NUTS PEGBOARD HOOKS OFFICE EQUIPMENT PHARMACEUTICAL PIPES clamp PLUGS POSTS AND SCREWS metal ROBOTICS on medical ES STANDOFFS SUCTION CUPS SUPPORTS TECHNOLOGY TEES TIES TOOLS TURNTABLES TWIST-TIES WALL PLUGS WASHERS WRAPS ADAPTER AEROSPACE AGRICULTURAL EQ nylon screws on piping in plastic buckles NCES AUTOMOTIVE BALLS BOLTS BOXES BUMPERS CANE TIPS CAPS CLAMPS CLIPS CLOSURES COMPUTERS CONDUIT in CONNECTORS CORDS COUPLINGS COVERS CUBE equipment in warehouse ship bilge on life jackets DOWELS ELBOWS ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS FITTINGS FLANGES FOOD PROCESSING FURNITURE GLIDES GOVERNMENT GROMMETS HANDLES HARDWAR Regional FASTENERS FEET transformer at dock yard KNOBS LATCHES MARINE MASKING MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS NETTING NIPPLES NUTS WARE HEAVY INDUSTRY HINGES HOLDERS HOOKS HOSE HVAC INSULATORS Hospital S OFFICE EQUIPMENT PHARMACEUTICAL PIPES PLUGS POSTS AND SCREWS safety stationROBOTICS RODS RIVETS SCREWS SEALS SLEEVING SPACERS SPHERES STANDOFFS nylon SUCTION CUP NOLOGY TEES TIES TOOLS TURNTABLES TWIST-TIES WALL PLUGS WASHERS WRAPS ADAPTER AEROSPACE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT APPLIANCES AUTOMOTIVE BALLS BOLT cable ties on RS CANE TIPS CAPS CLAMPS CLIPS CLOSURES COMPUTERS CONDUIT CONNECTORS CORDS COUPLINGS COVERS CUBES DEFENCE DISPLAY DOWELS ELBOWS ELECTRI wire harnesses ASTENERS FEET FITTINGS FLANGES FOOD PROCESSING FURNITURE GLIDES GOVERNMENT GROMMETS HANDLES HARDWARE HEAVY INDUSTRY HINGES HOLDERS HOOKS in crane PIPES PLUGS ATORS KNOBS LATCHES MARINE MASKING MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS NETTING NIPPLES NUTS PEGBOARD HOOKS OFFICE EQUIPMENT PHARMACEUTICAL WS ROBOTICS RODS RIVETS SCREWS SEALS SLEEVING SPACERS SPHERES STANDOFFS SUCTION CUPS SUPPORTS TECHNOLOGY TEES TIES TOOLS housing TURNTABLES TWIST-TIES ERS WRAPS ADAPTER AEROSPACE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT APPLIANCES AUTOMOTIVE BALLS BOLTS BOXES BUMPERS CANE TIPS CAPS CLAMPS CLIPS CLOSURES COMPU ECTORS CORDSsealing COUPLINGS COVERS CUBES DEFENCE DISPLAY DOWELS ELBOWS ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS FASTENERS FEET FITTINGS FLANGES FOOD PROCESSING FU RNMENT GROMMETS HANDLES HARDWARE HEAVY INDUSTRY HINGES HOLDERS HOOKS HOSE HVAC INSULATORS KNOBS LATCHES MARINE MASKING MANUFACTURING washer in NIPPLES NUTS portable PEGBOARD HOOKS OFFICE EQUIPMENT PHARMACEUTICAL PIPES PLUGS POSTS AND SCREWS ROBOTICS RODS RIVETS SCREWS SEALS SLEEVING SPACERS SP SUCTION CUPS gasoline SUPPORTS TECHNOLOGY TEES TIES TOOLS TURNTABLES TWIST-TIES WALL PLUGS WASHERS WRAPS ADAPTER AEROSPACE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT APPLIA BALLS BOLTS BOXES BUMPERS CANE TIPS CAPS CLAMPS CLIPS CLOSURES COMPUTERS CONDUIT CONNECTORS CORDS COUPLINGS COVERS CUBES DEFENCE DISPLAY tank WS ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS FASTENERS FEET FITTINGS FLANGES FOOD PROCESSING FURNITURE GLIDES GOVERNMENT GROMMETS HANDLES HARDWARE HEAVY INDUST ERS HOOKS HOSE HVAC INSULATORS KNOBS LATCHES MARINE MASKING MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS NETTING NIPPLES NUTS PEGBOARD HOOKS OFFICE EQUIPMENT PLUGS POSTS AND SCREWS ROBOTICS RODS RIVETS SCREWS SEALS SLEEVING SPACERS SPHERES STANDOFFS SUCTION CUPS SUPPORTS TECHNOLOGY TEES TIES TOOLS -TIES WALL PLUGS WASHERS WRAPS ADAPTER AEROSPACE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT APPLIANCES AUTOMOTIVE BALLS BOLTS BOXES BUMPERS CANE TIPS CAPS CLAMPS UTERS CONDUIT CONNECTORS CORDS COUPLINGS COVERS CUBES DEFENCE DISPLAY DOWELS ELBOWS ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS FASTENERS FEET FITTINGS FLANGE NG FURNITURE GLIDES GOVERNMENT GROMMETS HANDLES HARDWARE HEAVY INDUSTRY HINGES HOLDERS HOOKS HOSE HVAC INSULATORS KNOBS LATCHES MARINE FACTURING PRODUCTS NETTING NIPPLES NUTS PEGBOARD HOOKS OFFICE EQUIPMENT PHARMACEUTICAL PIPES PLUGS POSTS AND SCREWS ROBOTICS RODS RIVETS SCRE NG SPACERS SPHERES STANDOFFS SUCTION CUPS SUPPORTS TECHNOLOGY TEES TIES TOOLS TURNTABLES TWIST-TIES WALL PLUGS WASHERS WRAPS ADAPTER AEROSPACE MENT APPLIANCES AUTOMOTIVE BALLS BOLTS BOXES BUMPERS CANE TIPS CAPS CLAMPS CLIPS CLOSURES COMPUTERS CONDUIT CONNECTORS CORDS COUPLINGS C CE DISPLAY DOWELS ELBOWS ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS FASTENERS FEET FITTINGS FLANGES FOOD PROCESSING FURNITURE GLIDES GOVERNMENT GROMMETS HANDL you find MANUFACTURING Cords next...? PRODUCTS NETTING NIPPLES Hello to all our customers in New Brunswick!

PP tubing INDUSTRY HINGES HOLDERS HOOKS HOSE HVAC INSULATORS KNOBS LATCHES Where MARINEwillMASKING NUTS PEGBOARD H TM MENT PHARMACEUTICAL PLUGS POSTS AND SCREWS ROBOTICS RODS RIVETS SCREWS SEALS SLEEVING SPACERS SPHERES STANDOFFS SUCTION CUPS SUPPORTS TE stack-loksPIPES in coffee TOOLS TURNTABLES TWIST-TIES WALL PLUGS WASHERS WRAPS ADAPTER AEROSPACE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT APPLIANCES AUTOMOTIVE BALLS BOLTSmachine BOXES BUMPERS securing vending PS CLIPS CLOSURES COMPUTERS CONDUIT CONNECTORS CORDS COUPLINGS COVERS CUBES DEFENCE DISPLAY DOWELS ELBOWS ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS FASTENE shipping in employee FLANGES FOOD PROCESSING FURNITURE GLIDES GOVERNMENT GROMMETS HANDLES HARDWARE HEAVY INDUSTRY HINGES HOLDERS HOOKS HOSE HVAC INSULATOR manifests cafeteria ES MARINE MASKING MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS NETTING NIPPLES NUTS PEGBOARD HOOKS OFFICE EQUIPMENT PHARMACEUTICAL PIPES PLUGS POSTS AND SCREWS R SCREWS SEALS SLEEVING SPACERS SPHERES STANDOFFS SUCTION CUPS SUPPORTS TECHNOLOGY TEES TIES TOOLS TURNTABLES TWIST-TIES WALL PLUGS WASHERS WRA PACE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT APPLIANCES AUTOMOTIVE BALLS BOLTS BOXES BUMPERS CANE TIPS CAPS CLAMPS CLIPS CLOSURES COMPUTERS CONDUIT CONNECTO LINGS COVERS CUBES DEFENCE DISPLAY DOWELS ELBOWS ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS FASTENERS FEET FITTINGS FLANGES FOOD PROCESSING FURNITURE GLIDES GOVE HANDLES HARDWARE HEAVY INDUSTRY HINGES HOLDERS HOOKS HOSE HVAC INSULATORS KNOBS LATCHES MARINE MASKING MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS NETTING OARD HOOKS OFFICE EQUIPMENT PHARMACEUTICAL PIPES PLUGS POSTS AND SCREWS ROBOTICS RODS RIVETS SCREWS SEALS SLEEVING SPACERS SPHERES STANDOFFS SU RTS TECHNOLOGY TEES TIES TOOLS TURNTABLES TWIST-TIES WALL PLUGS WASHERS WRAPS ADAPTER AEROSPACE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT APPLIANCES AUTOMOTIVE B BUMPERS CANE TIPS CAPS CLAMPS CLIPS CLOSURES COMPUTERS CONDUIT CONNECTORS CORDS COUPLINGS COVERS CUBES DEFENCE DISPLAY DOWELS ELBOWS RONICS FASTENERS FEET FITTINGS FLANGES FOOD PROCESSING FURNITURE GLIDES GOVERNMENT GROMMETS HANDLES HARDWARE HEAVY INDUSTRY HINGES HOLDERS INSULATORS KNOBS LATCHES MARINE MASKING MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS NETTING NIPPLES NUTS PEGBOARD HOOKS OFFICE EQUIPMENT PHARMACEUTICAL PIPES P WS ROBOTICS RODS RIVETS SCREWS SEALS SLEEVING SPACERS SPHERES STANDOFFS SUCTION CUPS SUPPORTS TECHNOLOGY TEES TIES TOOLS TURNTABLES TWIST-TIES ERS WRAPS ADAPTER AEROSPACE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT APPLIANCES AUTOMOTIVE BALLS BOLTS BOXES BUMPERS CANE TIPS CAPS CLAMPS CLIPS CLOSURES COMPU ECTORS CORDS COUPLINGS COVERS CUBES DEFENCE DISPLAY DOWELS ELBOWS ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS FASTENERS FEET FITTINGS FLANGES FOOD PROCESSING FU RNMENT GROMMETS HANDLES HARDWARE HEAVY INDUSTRY HINGES HOLDERS HOOKS HOSE HVAC INSULATORS KNOBS LATCHES MARINE MASKING MANUFACTURING NIPPLES NUTS PEGBOARD HOOKS OFFICE EQUIPMENT PHARMACEUTICAL PIPES PLUGS POSTS AND SCREWS ROBOTICS RODS RIVETS SCREWS SEALS SLEEVING SPACERS SP SUCTION CUPS SUPPORTS TECHNOLOGY TEES TIES TOOLS TURNTABLES TWIST-TIES WALL PLUGS WASHERS WRAPS ADAPTER AEROSPACE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT APPLIA BALLS BOLTS BOXES BUMPERS CANE TIPS CAPS CLAMPS CLIPS CLOSURES COMPUTERS CONDUIT CONNECTORS CORDS COUPLINGS COVERS CUBES DEFENCE DISPLAY WS ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS FASTENERS FEET FITTINGS FLANGES FOOD PROCESSING FURNITURE GLIDES GOVERNMENT GROMMETS HANDLES HARDWARE HEAVY INDUST ERS HOOKS HOSE HVAC INSULATORS KNOBS LATCHES MARINE MASKING MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS NETTING NIPPLES NUTS PEGBOARD HOOKS OFFICE EQUIPMENT PLUGS POSTS AND SCREWS ROBOTICS RODS RIVETS SCREWS SEALS SLEEVING SPACERS SPHERES STANDOFFS SUCTION CUPS SUPPORTS TECHNOLOGY TEES TIES TOOLS -TIES WALL PLUGS WASHERS WRAPS ADAPTER AEROSPACE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT APPLIANCES AUTOMOTIVE BALLS BOLTS BOXES BUMPERS CANE TIPS CAPS CLAMPS UTERS CONDUIT CONNECTORS CORDS COUPLINGS COVERS CUBES DEFENCE DISPLAY DOWELS ELBOWS ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS FASTENERS FEET FITTINGS FLANGE NG FURNITURE GLIDES GOVERNMENT GROMMETS HANDLES HARDWARE HEAVY INDUSTRY HINGES HOLDERS HOOKS HOSE HVAC INSULATORS KNOBS LATCHES MARINE FACTURING PRODUCTS NETTING NIPPLES NUTS PEGBOARD HOOKS OFFICE EQUIPMENT PHARMACEUTICAL PIPES PLUGS POSTS AND SCREWS ROBOTICS RODS RIVETS SCRE NG SPACERS SPHERES STANDOFFS SUCTION CUPS SUPPORTS TECHNOLOGY TEES TIES TOOLS TURNTABLES TWIST-TIES WALL PLUGS WASHERS WRAPS ADAPTER AEROSPACE MENT APPLIANCES AUTOMOTIVE BALLS BOLTS BOXES BUMPERS CANE TIPS CAPS CLAMPS CLIPS CLOSURES COMPUTERS CONDUIT CONNECTORS CORDS COUPLINGS C CE DISPLAY DOWELS ELBOWS ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS FASTENERS FEET FITTINGS FLANGES FOOD PROCESSING FURNITURE GLIDES GOVERNMENT GROMMETS HANDL INDUSTRY HINGES HOLDERS HOOKS HOSE HVAC INSULATORS KNOBS LATCHES MARINE MASKING MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS NETTING NIPPLES NUTS PEGBOARD H MENT PHARMACEUTICAL PIPES PLUGS POSTS AND SCREWS ROBOTICS RODS RIVETS SCREWS SEALS SLEEVING SPACERS SPHERES STANDOFFS SUCTION CUPS SUPPORTS TE TOOLS TURNTABLES TWIST-TIES WALL PLUGS WASHERS WRAPS ADAPTER AEROSPACE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT APPLIANCES AUTOMOTIVE BALLS BOLTS BOXES BUMPERS PS CLIPS CLOSURES COMPUTERS CONDUIT CONNECTORS CORDS COUPLINGS COVERS CUBES DEFENCE DISPLAY DOWELS ELBOWS ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS FASTENE FLANGES FOOD PROCESSING FURNITURE GLIDES GOVERNMENT GROMMETS HANDLES HARDWARE HEAVY INDUSTRY HINGES HOLDERS HOOKS HOSE HVAC INSULATOR ES MARINE MASKING MANUFACTURING PRODUCTS NETTING NIPPLES NUTS PEGBOARD HOOKS OFFICE EQUIPMENT PHARMACEUTICAL PIPES PLUGS POSTS AND SCREWS R SCREWS SEALS SLEEVING SPACERS SPHERES STANDOFFS SUCTION CUPS SUPPORTS TECHNOLOGY TEES TIES TOOLS TURNTABLES TWIST-TIES WALL PLUGS WASHERS WRA PACE AGRICULTURAL EQUIPMENT APPLIANCES AUTOMOTIVE BALLS BOLTS BOXES BUMPERS CANE TIPS CAPS CLAMPS CLIPS CLOSURES COMPUTERS CONDUIT CONNECTO

Countless possibilities, millions of solutions

In St. John, in Canada, wherever – there’s a little piece of Cords.

8 of the millions of solutions found in St. John

Cords Canada Ltd.

Toronto/GTA: 416-242-6811 North America toll free: 1-800-363-5080 www.cordscanada.com

14 DesignNews Up Front mately US$45 million of gross revenue in fiscal 2009. The acquisition, subject to shareholder approval and necessary regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2010. www.aecom.com www.rswinc.com

BRIC, Parker Canada to supply gantry robots Oshawa’s BRIC Engineered Systems Limited and Parker Hannifin Canada announced a partnership to supply heavy duty gantry robots internationally. Specializing in robotic systems, BRIC provides automation solutions for industrial and defence clients in areas such as material handling, processing, coating and coating removal, welding and assembly, among others. The company also offers engineering services and consultation. www.briceng.com

October | 2010

Motive Industries debuts hemp-bodied concept car Calgary-based Motive Industries, a transportation design firm specializing in advanced design and material manufacturing, officially debuted Canada’s first bio-composite bodied electric car during the EV 2010 VÉ Conference and Trade Show in Vancouver. Called the Kestrel, the car is an electric 4-passenger, 3-door vehicle. The body is composed of an impact resistant bio-composite material made from hemp mats produced by Alberta Innovates Technology Futures (AITF).

Prototyping and testing of the Kestrel began in August with the goal of achieving the same mechanical properties as glass composites while also reducing weight. According to Dr. John Wolodko at AITF, bio-composites are becoming more popular due to their low cost and light weight.

The Kestrel features a single-speed electric drive train and weighs approximately 850kg, with a top speed of 135 km/h and a 160km maximum range on a 16 kWh lithium-ion battery. Designed and eventually manufactured entirely in Canada, the car is being produced in conjunction with a consortium of partners under the title Project Eve. The company says it plans to begin a prototype tour of the Kestel in 2011 followed by manufacturing and Transport Canada certification in 2012 www.motiveind.com

www.design-engineering.com

16 DesignNews lion euro, $816 million US).

Engineering, design and testing for the Monorail vehicles will be centered at Bombardier’s site in Kingston. Manufacturing of the initial cars will be carried out by Bombardier in Pittsburgh, and subsequent cars will be built in Brazil at Bombardier’s plant in Hortolândia. Phase One of the system is expected to open for passenger services by 2014. www.bombardier.com

World’s largest PV facility opens in Ontario

Bombardier awarded US$1.44 billion monorail contract Bombardier Transportation, together with two consortium partners, has won an order to design, supply and install a 24 kilometer BOMBARDIER INNOVIA Monorail 300 system in São Paulo for Companhia do Metropolitano de São Paulo (CMSP / São Paulo Metro).

The total value of the contract is 2.46 billion reals (1.07 billion euro, $1.44 billion US), with Bombardier’s share of the design-build project totalling 1.40 billion reals (606 mil-

October | 2010

Enbridge Inc. and First Solar, Inc. have completed the expansion of the Sarnia Solar Project from 20 megawatts (MW) to 80 MW of capacity, making it the largest operating photovoltaic facility in the world. Originally a 20 MW facility Enbridge acquired in October 2009, the facility now generates enough electricity to power more than 12,800 homes thereby reducing CO2 emissions by 39,000 tonnes per year. At a cost of approximately CAD$300 million, the upgraded facility has approximately 1.3 million of Tempe, Arizona-based First Solar’s thin film modules, with a surface area 973,000 m2 and spread out over 950 acres. The power output of the facility will be sold to the Ontario Power Authority on a 20-year power purchase agreement under the terms of the Ontario Renewable Energy Standard Offer Programme. www.enbridge.com www.firstsolar.com

www.design-engineering.com

No other controller can do this!

Use the technology built into the Productivity3000 programmable controller to make your job easier. Don’t pay extra or take up valuable rack space for communications modules. With its industry-leading seven built-in communication ports, this CPU has phenomenal cosmic power in an itty-bitty living space!

• Plug-and-play USB or Ethernet programming and monitoring • USB local I/O expansion port (up to four additional local I/O racks) • USB port for data logging to removable drive • Ethernet remote I/O expansion port (up to 32 remote racks plus 64 AC drives) • High-speed Ethernet port for HMI (up to 32 C-more panels), peer-to-peer and business system networking using popular protocols such as Modbus TCP; SMTP for sending emails • Two serial ports for peripheral device interface or controller networking via Modbus RTU or custom ASCII protocols

Read more, watch free videos, and download the software at:

www.productivity3000.com

18

CADReport

Rock Steady SolidWorks 2011 Media Day hints at future growth for the company and its software.

by Ralph Grabowski

SolidWorks 2011 This year’s release of the most popular mid-range 3D CAD software features all-over tweaks, rather than spectacular additions.

The official “what’s new” document is 168 pages long, but the following highlights the SW2011 significant new additions.

“Defeaturing” is something’s that’s been available in other software for a few years now, and now it is built into SolidWorks. This function removes all unnecessary features from the model, such as holes under a certain size or the entire interior of a sub-assembly. Defeaturing is useful when sending models to sub-contractors with intellectual property removed or just for simplifying the model.

The SmartWeld tool places welds automatically and then documents them. Gaps can be added to welds. The new bend calculation table calculates developed lengths of parts. Pipes and conduits now use existing beams, walls and other geometry to determine routes suitable for their outside diameters.

Now matter how sophisticated 3D modeling gets, the end result still involves outputting 2D drawings. To assist this process, SolidWorks 2011 now places aligned, staggered and centered dimensions automatically. In 2D, you can apply loads and restraints to intersecting planes to perform static, nonlinear, pressure vessel and thermal analyses; the results are displayed in the 3D model.

Last year’s big addition was environmental factors; this year, it’s heat. One of the new modules does thermal simulations for electronics, while the other handles HVAC (heating, ventilating, air conditioning).

The one addition that qualifies as spectacular is the new Walk-through module that lets you maneuver through 3D models using your mouse. Optionally, you can create a path that leads through the model. PhotoView 360 is now the default renderer and is integrated into SolidWorks 2011. (Photoworks is now gone.)

For managing data, a new menu bar is added to Windows Explorer so that you can control the files that are used by SolidWorks among multiple users.

There are many other changes, including modules, such as eDrawings, DriveWorksXpress and Sustainability. I’ll add that SolidWorks 2011 is now more memory efficient, releasing more memory when assemblies are unloaded than before.

Currently in beta, SW 2011 is expected to ship in October.

SolidWorks 2011 includes numerous enhancements, including built-in rendering, thermal simulation and better memory handling.

SolidWorks on Anything Else The CAD press may have been spoiled last Spring by the demo at SolidWorks World that appeared to show SolidWorks running in the cloud, and on Mac, Linux and mobile hardware. Since then, the company has said very little, except to refute claims by bloggers that SolidWorks on the desktop was coming to an end, because Dassault Systemes planned to impose a cloud-based version that only ran in Web browsers. The company spent the summer denying the false rumour and did so again during the SolidWorks Media day: “Are we moving every product online and online-only?” asked Fielder Hiss, vice president of Product Management. He answered himself, “No.” “In the future, platforms will become irrelevant,” he continued. I asked for more information, noting that Autodesk was close to shipping CAD software on Mac and the cloud, but Hiss gave us just the barest of additional details. However, he did

E

ach year, in August or September, DS SolidWorks invites CAD journalists to journey to its headquarters in Massachusetts to get a look at the year’s release of SolidWorks and related software. This year, the event was low-key, in keeping with DS SolidWorks’ efforts at cost-cutting.

The recession made a 10 percent cut in its revenues last year, but DS SolidWorks did not want to lay anyone off. So, they looked for ways to save money and found $30 million worth of savings, such as holding smaller, regional press events.

The company was able to keep going primarily due to the users who continued to renew their subscriptions. Now revenues are up 24 percent so far this year, albeit up from that 10 percent drop. And the company was pleased to announce that they have now licensed 1.4 million copies of SolidWorks, commercial and educational licenses combined.

October | 2010

www.design-engineering.com

CADReport 19 being beefed up to handle drawings with very large numbers of parts—the numbers needed to design buildings. I could see SolidWorks perhaps becoming a competitor to Revit, which is ironic considering that SolidWorks was an initial investor in Revit, now owned by Autodesk.

SolidWorks 2011’s stand-out feature is its new Walk-through module that lets users maneuver through 3D models using a mouse.

provide a brief demo of SolidWorks Connect, a kind of social data sharing and help add-on that runs inside SolidWorks. It is due to ship in a about six months, but you will not find any information about it on the company’s Web site.

He also mentioned that the company’s 2D DWG editor DraftSight is coming out for Mac and Linux this fall, but the work is being done by an independent company, Graebert of Germany, from whom DS SolidWorks has licensed the code.

Another future direction for SolidWorks may well be in the area of structural design. Some AEC-oriented add-ons Canada-Design Engineering_081.QXD 6/28/10 2:28 PM already work with it, and there are hints that the software is

We’ve got it covered!

We’re your number one source for stock components.

Over 100,000,000 components in stock

Touch-sensitive Robotics In the afternoon, we were bussed to Barrett Technology, a robotics company that has the distinction of becoming the very first customer of SolidWorks in 1995. Barrett designs haptic robotic arms with three-finger, touch-sensitive hands, using cable motors. Each finger has a touch-sensitive pad that provides feedback to the robot’s operator. Surgeons use the robot to perform knee surgery with minimal intrusion.

From what we were shown on SolidWorks Media Day, I arrive at the conclusion that SolidWorks is “continuing.” It continues to be the leader in mechanical design by sales, it continues to operate on Windows, and it continues to add features to allow it handle more kinds of projects. de www.solidworks.com

Ralph Grabowski is the editor of upFront.eZine e-newsletter that reports on the business of CAD (www.upfrontezine. com). His blog is at worldcadaccess.typepad.com and his Page 1 Twitter handle is ralphg.

Motor Feedback Encoders Programmable Resolution Unparalleled Flexibility

All types of springs, washers and fasteners

Custom components to your specs

Immediate shipment

Check SPEC® online at asraymond.com/spec

Shaft and tether sizes to fit all NEMA size motors Resolution programmable from 1 to 8192 pulses/rev.

Electrical and thermal isolation for maximum life

For immediate assistance, call 800.263.4256 or fax 814.664.0312

©2010 Barnes Group Inc. SPEC® is a trademark of Barnes Group Inc.

www.design-engineering.com

Baumer Inc. · 4046 Mainway Drive · Burlington · Ontario · L7M 4B9 Phone 905-335-8444 · sales.ca@baumergroup.com · www.baumer.ca

October | 2010

20 CADBeat DS debuts DraftSight for Mac

AutoCAD reintroduced to Apple hardware After an 16 year hiatus, Autodesk announced it will reintroducing AutoCAD as a native Apple OS X application to the North American and European markets. In addition, the company will also release a free iPad, iPhone and iPod touch app, AutoCAD WS, which will allow users to view and edit AutoCAD files. Noah Cole, communication manager with Autodesk, says the move addresses the needs of a growing Mac user market and is part of a larger strategy to untangle AutoCAD’s code base from Windows.

“When we moved solely to the Windows platform, we increasingly made AutoCAD dependent on core Windows functionality” Cole says. “But, as the software industry moved to develop for the web, mobile platform and the Mac, it forced us to perform what we call ‘the great split’ two years ago, where we created this new core code base for AutoCAD that now supports multiple platforms.”

Built on OS X libraries and UI components, Cole says AutoCAD for Mac cuts some Windows-only functionality (e.g. Visual Basic scripting), but gains the Mac’s distinctive look and feel, including quick previews, cover flow file browsing and multi-touch gestures.

“One thing the Apple community will tell you is that simply porting a Windows app to Mac won’t work,” Cole says.

“What we set out to do was create a Mac-like experience that was still AutoCAD. So, for instance, the ribbon interface has been replaced with floating pallets. We spent a lot of work on the UI to makes sure it works like a Mac product.”

However, Cole stresses the Mac version is fully compatible with Windows generated DWG files and keeps AutoCAD staples like the command line. Compatible with Intel Macs running OS X 10.5 or 10.6, AutoCAD for Mac is due out in October 2010.

Since the majority of engineering software is PC Windows based, a native Mac AutoCAD may largely be of interest to the AEC market. Still, if the AutoCAD does well on the Mac, Cole says other Autodesk manufacturing software may follow suit.

In any case, with Microsoft actively supporting Outlook development and similarly re-introducing Office for OS X in the near future, Autodesk’s move pushes the Mac platform that much closer to being enterprise ready. www.autodesk.com/autocadformac October | 2010

Loath to be outdone, Dassault Systèmes released DraftSight, a Mac version of its free DWG drafting and editing application.

Originally released for Windows, the 2D drafting application is based on the ARES CAD engine from Graebert.

“Creating a specific DraftSight interface for Mac OS was always in our plans when we began the development of DraftSight,” said Aaron Kelly, senior director, DraftSight, Dassault Systèmes. “We had a vision to create a true, platform-specific experience for many operating systems, including Mac, and are excited to hear the feedback from our user community. We want to offer our users the convenience of being able to use DraftSight from any computer, whether they are home or at work.”

In conjunction with DraftSight, Dassault Systèmes also recently launched an open, online community accessible through DraftSight.com. The site provides users with online training as well as new services and products, the company says. www.3ds.com/products/draftsight/draftsight

Objet’s Alaris30 enters sub-$25,000 market.

Objet Geometries Ltd. cut the price of Alaris30 desktop 3D printer to US$24,900 from just under US$35,000. Featuring the same Polyjet technology as its high-end machines, the Alaris30 jet print heads lay down polymer layers that are cured with UV light. With a build space of 294mm x 196mm x 150mm, the 3D printer takes up about the same space as a photocopier.

The printer supports resolutions similar to SLA (600 by 600 dots per inch on the X and Y axes) with build layers down to 28 µm or 900 DPI. The high resolution allows it to create smooth parts that lack the characteristic stair stepping found in other rapid prototyping processes.

Another distinguishing feature is its build material, Objet’s proprietary VeroWhite FullCure830, an opaque, photosensitive polymer. According to the company, VeroWhite carries a tensile strength of 49.8 MPa and an elastic modulus of 2495 MPa, making it strong enough to machine or to use a model made from it as a master mould.

According to T.A. Grimm & Associates, Inc. 3D Printer benchmark study, the Alaris30 offers the best quality with the highest total accumulated marks for durability, surface finish, dimensional accuracy and feature details in the sub$25,000 3D printers market range. www.objet.com www.design-engineering.com

CADBeat

21

e c e i p e On ors

sens make leaks e. t e l o s b o

Creaform launches VXelements Creaform released VXelements, an all-in-one 3D data acquisition application for its range of 3D scanning and measurement products. The new software platform consists of three software modules: VXscan, VXprobe (formerly HPS) and the new VXtrack. In the latest version, VXscan now allows users to scan any part at any given resolution, without part size limitations. It also allows users to merge scans and reconstruct surfaces using different session files. The new version also features automatic hole filling.

The new VXtrack module adds dynamic tracking capability to the C-Track line of dual camera sensors and can now record 30-3D images-per-second of a reflector or sets of reflectors in real time for the study of a variety of applications involving motion tracking. The module offers both a graphic interface to interact with the results or to export the result files in the most common formats. www.creaform3d.com

Vuuch 3.0 released Vuuch announced the availability of Vuuch 3.0, the latest release of the company’s design collaboration software. New features include a “product” page type that contains a hierarchy of other Vuuch pages, each of which manages status, development discussions, issues and tasks. The company says this new kind of BOM contains the accumulated deliverables, discussion and decisions of a product, not just part and assembly hierarchies.

In addition, the new version supports the import from Microsoft Excel spread sheets. On import, the application automatically creates Vuuch pages for each item being tracked and development issues. Tasks and discussions can be dynamically updated using Vuuch directly from the Microsoft Office application.

Vuuch 3.0 also features a new web user interface that allows users to quickly create new pages and activities. A “Pages & Activities” tab lets users promote an activity as a personal priority for higher visibility. Formerly free, Vuuch 3.0 requires a $250 per year per Vuuch page creation license.

Designed with a one-piece pressure cavity, ASCO pressure sensors prevent leaks – and downtime.

With high sensitivity, low drift and highly repeatable signaling, you’ll get highly accurate and stable output measurements from 0 to 10,000 psi.

Plus they’re available in a wide range of electrical and mechanical options, including explosion-proof and intrinsically safe versions.

So choose the pressure sensors you can always count on.

Ask for ASCO. For product information: www.ascovalve.ca/8290 Tel: (519) 758-2700 ascomail@asco.ca

www.vuuch.com October | 2010

www.design-engineering.com ASCOsensor_DesignEng_3.375x10_Sept10.indd 1

9/14/10 4:56:00 PM

22 CADBeat

3D ENGINEERING SERVICES

TM

RAND NA relaunches as Inceptra

Over 5000 Engineering Projects Completed

DESIGN • Product development • Tooling and jigs • Electrical, pneumatic & electric systems • Turnkey project

ENGINEERING • Finite element analysis (FEA) • Structural and Thermal analysis

REVERSE ENGINEERING • 3D scanning • Parametric 3D modeling • Class-A and B surfacing

TRAINING

www.inceptra.com

Bombardier chooses VISTAGY for CSeries

Your engineering team needs extra hands?

We can supply experienced engineers and technicians to help out, on-site or off, for long or short mandates!

www.creaform3d.com 418.833.4446 October | 2010

RAND North America announced it has rebranded the company as Inceptra. The new identity follows the acquisition of the remaining shares of RAND North America from its former minority shareholder, RAND Worldwide, and discontinuation of the licensing of the “RAND” name. Dedicated exclusively to the Dassault Systèmes portfolio, Inceptra provides PLM software and services to engineering and manufacturing sectors across a variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, industrial equipment, consumer goods, high tech, life sciences and civil engineering.

The rebranded company remains headquartered in Weston, Florida and retains its 15 North American offices including four in Canada: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Halifax. A RAND Worldwide company, Canada-based Autodesk reseller IMAGINiT Technologies isn’t involved in the rebranding.

In addition to the name change, Inceptra also announced a new PLM offering, PowerUP. Built on the DS V6 platform, PowerUp is intended as a quick implementation PLM suite including ENOVIA V6 server, 3DLive and CATIA V6 as well as configuration and user training and support. According to the company, the package can be implemented in five to 10 days, depending on customer need, as a new deployment or an addition to a V5 environment;.

VISTAGY, Inc. announced that Bombardier Aerospace purchased SyncroFIT software for its commercial aircraft programs, beginning with the wing of the CSeries jetliner.

Bombardier will use the engineering application to define and manage joints and interfaces between parts within complex assemblies, automate calculations (such as fastener grip lengths), validate design rules and produce bills of materials (BOMs).

Managing the engineering definition of complex airframe assemblies involves interrelated data for hundreds of thousands of fasteners. Traditionally, this process has been handled manually. By automating the process, SyncroFIT substantially mitigates the time and cost inherent in manual processes.

In an initial test, Bombardier engineers were able to cut the time to define holes and fasteners on a complex composite wing subassembly by approximately 75 percent compared to the manual process previously used. The assembly consisted of 26 parts, 1,300 fasteners and four fastener base families with 336 different diameter and length combinations, as well as a variety of washers and collars. SyncroFIT is now being used in the detail design phase of the CSeries aircraft wing, in which Bombardier expects to see similar results.

In addition, the company says Bombardier will standardize on FiberSIM composites engineering software for all its aircraft programs. Defining holes and fasteners is critical because the variation in composite skin thickness drives the need for a wide array of fasteners and adds complexity to the design. www.vistagy.com www.design-engineering.com

From napkin sketch to prototype in just weeks.

Let’s see what we can create in SolidWorks . ®

You and your fellow designers are going to help Jeremy create some never-before-built products.

You’ll submit projects, share design ideas and vote on key design decisions. If you think you’re ready, let’s go design. Watch. Share. Vote. LetsGoDesign.tv

Jeremy Luchin

i

SolidWorks is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes. ©2010 Dassault Systèmes. All rights reserved.

DESIGN TEAM LEADER SolidWorks Ce rtified

esign.tv LetsGoD presented by

24

MotionControl

Ethernet on the Machine Level Device Level Ring Technology boosts reliability of ring Ethernet topology.

by Peter Pesch

T

Bus / Linear Topology One alternative to this type of wiring is a linear connection between each of the nodes. In this bus structure, or bus/line topology, the nodes are directly connected to the bus with T connectors. The wiring is daisy-chained directly from one node to the next, or to its T port, and does not pass through a central switch. The network can be extended any time by simply disconnecting the cable and inserting a new node. It is also easier to replace cables on large machines or production lines.

oday, Ethernet is often used instead of traditional field bus systems like DeviceNet, Profibus DP or Interbus-S as a sensor-actor communication channel on control systems in production lines, machines and machine parts.

However, it can sometimes be a challenge to set up the communication lines needed. The communication must be protected in order to maintain connections between the controller and the field device.

Other factors to be considered include the quantity and length of the cables needed, along with the installation and maintenance costs that will depend on the size of the production line or machine concerned.

To allow data to be transferred between end devices, the connections and connection structure between the devices are classified in topologies. Here, we differentiate between a logical structure used for data flow, and the wiring or physical structure.

It is important to include protec- A linear topology offers easy extensibility but is susceptible to failure of a single module or cable. tion against connection failures as these can generate high costs, especially in a production The installation is facilitated when the T switches are inteenvironment. grated directly in the network nodes. This reduces the number of components to install, the number of clamping points, and Star topology the time required for installation and maintenance.

The traditional structure of production-related Ethernet The disadvantage of this linear topology, however, is that any networks is in the form of a physical and logical star. All the failure of an integrated communication module or cable will cut devices are connected to each other via a star-like hub – usu- communications between the devices downstream and the ally an industrial switch. If one node fails, the others are not control system. This problem can be solved by interconnecting affected. However, if the central switch fails, no communica- the devices in a communication ring. Connecting switches as a tion can be maintained between the control system and the ring is a procedure that has been used for a long time now. field devices. In these cases, the unit needs to be replaced as quickly as possible to keep downtime to a minimum.

Ring Topology The advantage of star network topologies is that they can In a ring topology, the devices are connected to each other. easily be extended with an appropriate central switch, as A single network failure, such as a cable break, will not lead additional nodes can be connected to a free port on the switch. to the failure of the other devices in the ring. This topology However, the disadvantage of this topology is the installation maintains the advantages of the linear network, including a complexity for the wiring, which can be considerable with simple structure involving the connection of cables from one large machines or production lines. The same applies to replac- device to the next; and easy cable replacement in case of a ing cables during maintenance work or extending the network failure. The ring also adds a measure of redundancy that is with additional devices. effective when a connection fails. The protocols used here are October | 2010

www.design-engineering.com

MotionControl Spanning Tree (ST) or Rapid Spanning Tree (RST).

However, when communicating directly with end devices on machines, the speed of these protocols is not sufficient to divert the communication path if a failure occurs. Interruption recovery time is very important on the device level. This is because the connection between the control system and the end device must be maintained to avoid process delays and damage to the product and/or the machine. Although the RST protocol reduces downtime of about 30 seconds to less than one second, in I/O traffic this is still unacceptably high as it will still result in the loss of the connection with the end device.

A better solution is the Device Level Ring (DLR) technology that Rockwell Automation has integrated in its decentralised communication and I/O modules. With embedded switch technology, DLR reproduces the switch’s familiar structure on the device level. In a Device Level Ring with up to 50 nodes, communication recovery time is less than 3ms. During this time, the connection between the programmable automation controller (PAC) and the I/O device is not interrupted.

Elements of a Device Level Ring Within a Device Level Ring there are a number of nodes with different characteristics that perform different

www.design-engineering.com 7PLNT15928.indd 1

tasks. The DLR network is controlled by nodes known as ring supervisors. A ring requires at least one node to be configured as the ring supervisor alongside the standard nodes. The DLR supervisor verifies network integrity, reconfigures the ring to recover from a single fault and collects diagnostic data for it.

The definition of backup supervisor nodes is optional.

During normal operation, the backup supervisor behaves like

In a Device Level Ring system, a designated supervisor node verifies network integrity and reconfigures the ring to recover from single faults.

October | 2010

3/20/07 12:32:48 PM

25

26 MotionControl any other ring node. If the active supervisor node’s operation is interrupted – for example, if it experiences a temporary power interruption or a defect in the communication channel – the back-up becomes the active supervisor. This is why it is always advisable to have at least one backup supervisor. If there are several backup supervisors, the one with the next highest precedence value is selected as the active supervisor.

If multiple supervisors in the ring are configured with the same precedence value, the backup node with the highest MAC address becomes the active supervisor.

Devices on the DLR network without any supervisor function are simple ring nodes. These process data assigned to them and pass data that is not relevant to them to the next node on the ring. When a network fault occurs, the ring nodes reconfigure themselves for the new logical topology. Additionally, they can report fault locations to the active supervisor.

Behaviour in a DLR network During normal operation, the active ring supervisor sends an “active signal” to define the correct operation of the network. All devices, including backup supervisors and simple ring nodes, monitor this signal and detect the transition from normal to faulty operation.

One of the supervisor’s network ports is blocked during

the normal operation of the ring, although it still allows the active signal to be transmitted through it. If a failure occurs in the ring, the active supervisor reconfigures the network so that the communication between the devices is maintained despite the failure.

Conclusion Device Level Ring topology is very useful for increasing the resilience of an easy-to-install Ethernet network. This network can be set up without the need for additional switches and the wiring is daisy-chained from node to node, helping to reduce time and costs compared to the wiring in a star topology.

In addition, a DLR network is so flexible that it can be integrated in other topologies. Even devices that do not have integrated Dual Port technology can be connected to a DLR network with the T-port 1783-ETAP. Finally, DLR technology supports the IEEE 1588 standard for precise time synchronisation as well as the standardised Quality of Service (QoS) mechanism that prioritizes data transmission. This facilitates the use of motion control in a DLR network.

DE www.rockwellautomation.ca

Peter Pesch is a commercial engineer, integrated architecture at Rockwell Automation.

NEW SOLVENT-FREE ADHESIVE BONDS MOST RUBBERS Designed To Your Specifications MASTER BOND EP21TDC-7 Outstanding flexibility: more than 300% elongation ■ High physical strength properties ■ Excellent adhesion to most rubbers, plastics and metals ■ Room temperature or elevated temperature cures ■ Superior water and chemical resistance ■ Long storage stability at room temperature ■ Good electrical insulation properties ■ Convenient packaging

Prompt Technical Assistance

154 Hobart St., Hackensack, NJ 07601 Tel: 201-343-8983 ■ Fax: 201-343-2132

www.masterbond.com October | 2010

■

main@masterbond.com www.design-engineering.com

fluid sealing solutions made easy!

SHAFT SEALS O-RINGS Retaining lubricant fluids and eliminating external contaminants.

•Oil Seals •JM Clipper™ Seals •Protech™ Bearing Isolators •V-Rings •End Covers

An economical solution for sealing both static and dynamic applications • AS568 and Metric O-Ring sizes • Quad-Rings • Back-up Rings • PTFE Encapsulated • Metallic O-rings

CAPLUGS®

BUSHINGS

Protective caps and plugs for virtually any application.

•Caps and Plugs •Pipe & Flange Protection •Tubing and Packaging •Electronic Caps •Finishing Caps •Masking

Daemar’s new, easy to navigate online catalog allows users to search and compare items by key product specifications or application criteria such as shaft diameter and bore size. To help organize your search results simply select an action step including request a quote, bookmark a page and email/print a page.

1-800-387-7115 For all of your fluid sealing requirements visit Daemar’s new online catalog. To contact a Daemar technical sales representative call 1-800-387-7115 or send an email to sales@daemarinc.com

Providing load bearing and low friction surface • Dryslide™ Self-lubricated • Fiber-Lube™ Composite • Linear Motion • Powdered Metal • Solid Metal • Plastic

Related support material such as installation instructions, material characteristics and technical drawings are available for easy reference.

www.daemar.com

28

Whale

of an idea

WhalePower’s Humpback-inspired Tubercle Technology marks next evolution in airfoil design.

By Mike McLeod

U

ntil it was replaced by petroleum in the late 1800s, whale oil was harvested in the millions of gallons for lamp fuel, to make candles and lubricate industrial machines. A century later, a Toronto-based company is again looking to the whale to not only generate energy but also conserve it.

This time, however, the whale’s contribution is limited to the unusual geometry of the Humpback’s pectoral fins. In contrast to other whales and dolphins that have a smooth, streamlined leading edge to their fins, the Humpback developed large round bumps or tubercles that protrude from the front of its fin, giving it a serrated edge.

WhalePower developed and markets an airfoil design that incorporates these tubercles to fashion what the company claims is the next evolution in airfoil technology. According to Stephen Dewar, WhalePower co-founder and the company’s director of

October | 2010

R&D, their design produces greater lift, creates less drag, stalls at a high angle of attack and is nearly silent. Still, he says, gaining acceptance of the radical concept has been a difficult process.

“At first, engineers and scientist in fluid dynamics ‘knew’ our design couldn’t work, even when presented with hard evidence,” Dewar says. “It’s taken a long time to penetrate people’s minds that this is not just a new design but new science.”

A million years of design iteration It’s understandable that WhalePower’s design would be hard to accept. Since the beginning of wing design, airfoils were assumed to require a smooth leading edge. However, the Humpback fin is essentially a “wing” that helps the large mammal glide through the water and make the sharp turns needed to catch its pray.

But for a 16-meter-long, 80,000-pound animal to be nimble, even in water, requires a hyper-efficient wing that won’t stall (i.e. drastically lose lift), even at extreme angles of attack.

www.design-engineering.com

29 WhalePower’s chief science officer and a mechanical engineering professor at Duke University, Laurens Howle, holds a prototype of the company’s distinctive, Humpback-inspired airfoil design.

It was this counter-intuitive wing design that caught the eye of biology professor Dr. Frank E. Fish, now WhalePower’s president.

While shopping for a gift, he noticed a sculpture of a Humpback fin. As the director of the Liquid Life Lab at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and an expert in biomechanics, he assumed the artist had mistakenly put the tubercles on the wrong side of the fin. After confirming that the sculpture was anatomically correct, he begin questioning what possible use the bumps could have.

To answer that question, Dr. Fish teamed up with colleague Laurens Howle, a mechanical engineering professor at the Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University and an expert in fluid dynamics, as well as researchers at the U.S. Naval Academy. Using cross-sections of whale fins, the research team created idealized blade models for testing in a wind tunnel. Reported in the May 2004 issue of Physics of Fluids, the study found that the Humpback-inspired blade produced 32 percent less drag and an 8 percent improvement in lift compared to the smooth leading-edge flipper found on other whales and dolphins.

Encouraged by the results of their study, the pair teamed up with Dewar and established WhalePower to commercialize the design. The company’s first target market was blades for wind turbines. To prove the concept, the company approached the Wind Energy Institute of Canada (WEICan) to test its Tubercles Technology at the institute’s North Cape, Prince Edward Island site. For six months, the unique blades were run on a Wenvor Technologies 25 Kilowatt turbine with a 10-meter span. According to WhalePower, the results, published in January 2009, showed a 20 percent increase in annual energy production compared to conventional turbine blades.

What’s in a fin?

The science behind whale tubercles is as curious as the fins themselves. In their investigations, Fish and Howle discovered that rather than blocking airflow, the tubercles funnel it through the channels between the bumps. This, in turn, creates a Venturi effect, a phenomenon that causes the velocity of a fluid to increase as it passes through a constricted space. As a result, the constricted fluid’s pressure drops, due to the law of conservation of energy.

“What gets interesting is that if you shape the tubercles properly, almost all of the airflow coming to the fan blade goes through those channels,” Dewar says. “This produces vortices behind the channel which are what attaches the boundary layer of air to the airfoil and increases lift.”

Tubercles on the leading edge of WhalePower’s airfoil funnel airflow between the bumps which creates vortices that increase lift while reducing drag and tip stall. www.design-engineering.com

October | 2010

30

Above: Ontario’s Envira-North licensed WhalePower’s tubercle technology for its Altra-Air fan line. Future applications may include everything from wind turbines to computer fans (left).

Additionally, he says, that increased flow attachment allows a tubercle wing or fan blade to reach a much steeper angle of attack—the pitch of the blades relative to the incoming air—before it suffers from stall and heavy drag. To illustrate, if a conventional airfoil is angled beyond 15 degrees, the topside of the wing or blade will begin losing airflow attachment and the wing’s lift efficiency will plummet (i.e. stall). With the tubercle design, Dewar says, the critical angle of attack increases to as much as 31 degrees. This means that a tubercle turbine blade can be set to the steeper angle which, in turn, provides a higher lift coefficient. As a result, it can begin generating power at a lower wind speed. Similarly, a tubercle fan blade moves more air per rotation.

Finally, he says an unexpected benefit of a tubercle fan blade is that it’s less noisy. “Whenever you put a blade on a rotating platform like a turbine, the speed at the tip is much greater than that at the core,” he explains. “In that environment, it’s very common to have some airflow detach from the surface of the blade; centrifugal force then pushes it out to the tip where it destabilizes lift and creates tip stall. This not only throws away power but also causes extra drag and vibration at the tip disproportionate to the rest of the blade. This vibration is what makes wind turbines, or any kind of fan, noisy.”

By contrast, Dewar says tubercles “catch” that spanwise airflow and re-channels it over the surface of the blade, thereby decreasing tip stall and vibration noise without increasing drag.

A Whale of an Opportunity The first company to adapt WhalePower’s technology was Seaforth, ON-based Envira-North, Canada’s largest manufacturer of high flow, low speed industrial ceiling fans, who licensed the tubercle technology for its Altra-Air HVLS line.

The company’s fans range in diameter from 8 to 24 feet and are typically installed in large open spaces such as warehouses, distribution centers and arenas.

According to Joan Wood, sales coordinator for Envira-North, the WhalePower design lead to a ceiling fan that moves 20 percent more air using half as many blades as its previous models while consuming less energy. “Because of the efficiency of the blades, our fans can be run at a slower speed,” she says. “That translates to about 20 percent less energy required to move more air than a conventional fan.”

The implications of the Humpback-inspired design could be enormous, says Dewar, considering that fans are an essential component in everything from computers and microwaves to compressors, turbines and HVAC systems. While the size of the global fan market is hard to determine, Dewar says saving between 20 to 30 percent in power consumption, were WhalePower’s fan blade design to become standard, could have a huge cumulative effect on energy consumption world-wide.

“Look at the computer industry alone” he says. “If you put together all the desktop computers and servers in the U.S., they consume 5 percent of the country’s total electrical generating capacity. That’s 50 million MWh, 60 percent of which goes to power the fans and ventilation. Imagine if we could cut that consumption by even 5 percent let alone 20 percent.”

DE www.whalepower.com October | 2010

www.design-engineering.com

Stay Ahead of Your Competition Your competitors are closer than you think.

Looked in your rear-view mirror lately? Our industry is recovering faster than predicted and your competition is eager to secure your share of new opportunities.

Dassault Systèmes is a visionary partner, providing automotive leaders with the powerful tools they need to transform their business and accelerate innovation.

Our integrated suite of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions – including CATIA, SIMULIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA and 3DVIA – enhances business processes, automates knowledge and enables global collaboration.

Explore your options. Fortify your automotive advantage with resources from industry experts.

Visit www.plmv5.com/globaladvantage to discuss your challenges with our automotive team, and put some distance between you and your competition.

© Dassault Systèmes 2010 CATIA, SIMULIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA and 3D VIA are registered trademarks of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries.

What’s your automotive advantage? And does it include specific, world-class strategies and capabilities that will ensure your success?

32

RapidPrototyping

Design Boot Camp Canadian military college engages its future engineers with 3D printer.

A

sk an engineering student at the Royal Military College of Canada, “What did you do in class today?” and you may be surprised by the answer. “I redesigned the hull for a naval vessel” would not be an unusual response.

Established more than 130 years ago in Kingston, Ontario, the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) has a long history of providing students with first-rate bachelor and graduate degrees in the arts, sciences, military arts and sciences and engineering, preparing them for challenging careers in the Canadian Forces.

For the College’s Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering programs, this means providing its students with the latest technologies in the engineering field. In pursuit of this goal, RMC’s engineering department added 3D printing technology to its capabilities.

Seeking a quality, economical 3D modeling alternative, RMC purchased the Dimension 1200es. What they’ve found since the purchase is a 3D printer with the speed, accuracy, reliability and large build envelope necessary to meet the rigors of its engineering department.

In RMC’s Marine Systems Engineering course, the students design a ship’s hull using FormSys’ Maxsurf software. A hull prototype is printed from the CAD model and tested in a towing tank to measure the design’s resistance. This information is then used to calculate engine power requirements and select an appropriate propeller.

“With the Dimension 3D printer, it’s easier and faster to print the prototypes compared to our older rapid prototyping machine,” said Lieutenant (Navy) Stephane Lachance.

In the Engineering Graphics course, students design and print a desk organizer that fits onto a Lego plate. The students’ designs are bound to size, functionality and aesthetic constraints. Students import their CAD model and print 3D prototypes using the 3D printer. Lieutenant Lachance has found this project to be extremely popular with students as it allows them to physically see the results of their design.

Due to the advantages found from the use of the 3D printer, Lieutenant Lachance now plans to introduce this technology into his upcoming CAD-CAM course.

Additionally, the 3D printer is being employed for the creation of mulOctober | 2010

Engineering students at the Royal Military College of Canada design, prototype and test ship hulls created with a Dimension 3D printer.

tiple training aids and demonstration items for numerous courses, enhancing visualization and understanding of academic material.

Lieutenant Lachance’s colleague within the Mechanical Engineering Department also takes advantage of the 3D printing technology. Dr. Ruben Perez works mainly in the Aerospace Engineering program and uses the 3D printer for aircraft applications.

In his aircraft design course, students create CAD models of an aircraft and then produce physical prototypes giving them the ability to visualize the overall design and implement design modifications during the evaluation process. Previously, Dr. Perez and his students relied on two-dimensional computer screen models during the design process.

“From a mechanical design perspective, using the 3D printer has become a great motivator because students can better visualize their designs,” he says.

The 3D printer is also used in the Aircraft Stability and Control course to develop experiments for wind tunnel testing to evaluate aerodynamic performance and stability characteristics. Now in the fifth iteration of the experiment, Dr. Perez sees tremendous value in this technology for his students.

Both the mechanical and aerospace programs have the capability to produce metallic prototypes using numericallycontrolled machine tools. However, the time and cost associated with this procedure were far too excessive for the amount of models currently being produced.

“With the entire experiment printed in ABS plastic, it takes only hours to replace a part, as opposed to days with the more costly alternatives,” says Dr. Perez.

DE www.rmc.ca www.dimensionprinting.com www.design-engineering.com

Real parts. Really fast.

Simply upload your 3D CAD model, and choose the best option for your needs.

CNC Machining in 1–3 days.

Best for 1–10 parts.

Priced from $95.

Injection Molding in 1–15 days.

Best for 10–10,000+ parts.

Priced from $1495.

Choose from hundreds of engineeringgrade resins, including HDPE, Polypropylene, ABS/PC, Acetal, PBT, Polycarbonate, Nylon 66, Polyamide and LPDE.

Choose from 30 different materials including ABS, Nylon, PC, Delrin, PEEK, ULTEM, and aluminum.

It’s easy to work with Proto Labs.

Choose CNC machining or injection molding, whichever is best for your project. Upload your CAD model and receive an automated, interactive quote in hours. Once approved, our cluster computing technology and automated manufacturing systems will deliver real parts using real materials in as little as one day.

And that’s the real story. ©2010 Proto Labs, Inc. ISO 9001:2008 Certified

Fast Doesn’t Mean Simple!

Think Rapid Injection Molding means simple? WRONG! Get a Protomold © Torus to learn more about complex features that can be incorporated into your part design.

Visit protolabs.com/parts and request a free Torus today! Enter code DE210.

Call 877.479.3680 or visit protolabs.com

34

Hardwire

Rock Star Engineering Designers at music product company rely on 3D mouse to speed design work.

W

hen it comes to developing worldclass gear for the studio and stage, Calabasas, Calif.-based Line 6 has musicians covered, offering an array of award winning music creation products from guitars and amplifiers, to effects processors and recording interfaces. Renowned for its studio- and stage-standard gear, Line 6 invented digital guitar amp modeling technology in 1996. Currently, the company is the number one developer of guitar amps used worldwide by pros and hobbyists alike.

Similar to the blood, sweat and tears that music legends put into crafting and promoting their top albums, an incredible amount of innovation and design also goes into making the tools that leading musicians rely on. Line 6’s lead industrial designer, Dale Wagler, and the rest of the engineering team spend an average of five to six hours a day working in SolidWorks, each using a 3Dconnexion 3D mouse to design and test their products.

“When you’re working in a complex application hours on end each day, working as efficiently as possible has a tremendous impact on the design process,” says Wagler, further noting that his 3Dconnexion 3D mouse just makes everything quicker. “I move around models in assemblies so much, that not having to stop what I’m doing and click and drag, and scroll the wheel, is the biggest benefit.”

For the past five years, Wagler and his team have been using 3Dconnexion 3D mice to design their products, from guitar and bass amps, to recording interfaces and stompbox pedals. Most recently, the team worked on the design of the Relay G-series digital guitar wireless system used by the likes of Steve Stevens with Billy Idol, Peter Stroud with Sheryl Crow, and Sarah McLaughlin on stages across the world, as well as the next generation of Variax modeling guitars.

Wagler drives the conceptual stage of products and then works closely with the engineering team to finalize the working design. According to Wagler, 3Dconnexion’s 3D mice have had a positive impact on the quality of their designs and the team’s overall productivity.

“You can do these things with a standard mouse, but they’re October | 2010

Line 6 designers use 3D Connexion’s SpacePilot PRO to create the company’s line of guitars, amplifiers, pedals and effects processors.

not as sure-fire. With the SpacePilot PRO, I can move around a model and rotate an assembly with greater ease – as if I’m holding it in my hand.”

Line 6‘s commitment to the development of new technologies has attracted a formidable roster of artists who can’t imagine composing and performing without their products.

Akin to Line 6 user devotion is the engineering’s team reliance on 3Dconnexion 3D mice. “I had to work without a 3D mouse for a couple of weeks and it was like working in quick sand,” Wagler notes. “I didn’t realize just how much I relied on it until I didn’t have it.”

DE http://line6.com www.3dconnexion.com www.design-engineering.com

AS REAL E D I R U O Y MAKE

36 ShopTalk

More than the Sum of its Parts 3D part catalogue management saves time, cuts costs and eliminates guess work.

By Tim Thomas

O

perational efficiency continues to be the strategic imperative for today’s manufacturers. A designer’s primary objective, in turn, is to design a functioning product within the given economic and schedule constraints. What if there was a way to increase manufacturing efficiency while simultaneously enhancing design effectiveness? The answer is part standardization.

Think of it this way…we all have a jar of nuts and bolts in the garage, and most of us can recall an instance when we unsuccessfully sought out a specific nut, bolt or fastener. And while we have the luxury of throwing in the towel and simply

purchasing a new part at the local hardware store, design engineers trying to locate parts clearly cannot afford to give up. Nor can they afford an inefficient, antiquated process.

Fortunately, next generation solutions that optimize how “standard parts” are managed and procured are allowing manufacturers to reduce their direct material spend by an average of 2 percent in the first year, while leveraging the on-going benefits of a leaner inventory and introduction of a formal parts standardization program that makes the designer’s job easier and more effective.

Why Part Standardization?

For large OEMs in today’s competitive marketplace, it is more important than ever to utilize a single source of part data for standard part geometry and allow automatic standard parts model creation “just in time” instead of “just in case.” CAD-native 3D parts catalog management technology preserves 3D standard part catalog content independent of any CAD system or version.

Get Reliable Angle Control As a design is created, each part must Without Contact meet both physical and functional requireThe RSC 2800 rotary ments. Often, it can be challenging for the position sensor features designer to choose the best, most efficient non-contact technology, path amidst many alternative ways to design a product. While the selection of a custom high accuracy and clearly part may be the most optimal approach defined specs for ultimate from the designer’s point of view, chances reliability and performance. are that it’s not the best overall approach • Angle measurements to 360º As with all Novotechnik for the company. Consequently, product • Extended life >50 million movements products, the specs tell cost and quality may be negatively impacted • 12-bit resolution the story. Novotechnik’s by an increase of specialized items that • Independent linearity ±0.5% RSC 2800 Series sets the require specific capabilities or thwart effi• Repeatability <0.1% cient production and procurement. As a standard against which • Sealed up to IP 67 result, decreasing the number of active or others are measured.

• Housing diameter of only 28mm (0.66 in) approved parts through standardization • Redundant output available simplifies product design.

A formal policy of parts standardization For complete information, visit www.novotechnik.com/rsc28 and emphasis on use of parts from an Novotechnik U.S., Inc. approved parts list (APL) for certain com155 Northboro Road • Southborough, MA 01772 modities allows for stability in the ongoing Telephone: 508-485-2244 Fax: 508-485-2430 cataloging of parts and gives designers the

YourTurn...

May/June | 2010

www.design-engineering.com

e T /d ES : U LE com EQ P e.

R AM tit c TOA S elo s .u w w w

any thread

No Limits any application

TO MAXIMIZE THE RELIABILITY OF YOUR DESIGNS, SPECIFY LOCTITE® 243™ / 263™ By filling the thread roots and preventing side-to-side movement, Loctite® Threadlockers dramatically increase the reliability of assemblies . With recent advancements in chemistry, Loctite® 243™ (blue, medium strength) and Loctite® 263™ (red, high strength) now provide: – Enhanced temperature resistance up to 360°F (180°C) – The ability to cure through oil on “as received” fasteners without cleaning – Curing without primers on steel, stainless steel, and most plated fasteners

® and ™ designate trademarks of Henkel Corporation or its Affiliates. ® = registered in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. © Henkel Corporation, 2010.

All rights reserved. AD-105-10.

Henkel Canada Corporation 2225 Meadowpine Blvd.

Mississauga, Ontario, L5N 7P2 1-800-263-5043 www.useloctite.com/de

38

ShopTalk ability to find approved standard parts fast and with confidence. Not only does this reduce product development, catalog management and inventory costs, part standardization also provides direction to the designer and eliminates a constant need to “re-invent the wheel” or re-design. It also affords suppliers and partners with the ability to easily cross-reference this information.

3D Parts in Practice Within Boeing, product As a complement to a larger PLM system, standardized part catalogue management saves designers from standards define an esti- having to redesign parts by providing easy-to-find native 3D models of “purchasing-approved” components. mated 40 percent of the aerospace giant’s product definition. Part standards are one designers are challenged with evolving designs, reducing cost, classification of product standards and provide the specifica- reducing part proliferation, working multiple programs and tions for nearly 4.5 billion standard parts. But the design managing major CAD system upgrades. environment has become increasingly more complex and At the same time, part standards are expected to be availdynamic with multiple CAD and PDM systems. As a result, able when needed, in a format allowing preferred selection and providing standard part geometry in a configuration that works for a specific CAD system. Enterprise go-forward tools and processes are enabling the company to overcome interoperability issues for supporting part standards, including its internally-defined standards and industry supplied up-to-date parts.

In another example, KUKA designs and manufactures automation systems for the transportation industry and has been using 3D part catalogs for seven years. Since 80 percent of the parts they use are purchased, they have been able to convince many of their suppliers to create 3D catalogs to extend these capabilities to more and more parts. The system is also credited with reducing the number of parts libraries throughout the enterprise’s multitude of divisions and operating companies. In addition, they can manage part data by discipline (e.g., body-in-white, trimchassis final) within an integrated library, which makes parts used for a specific discipline easier to find.

The ‘How-To’ If you decide to explore and implement a CAD-native 3D part catalog solution, there are a few elements you need to consider. A October | 2010

www.design-engineering.com

ShopTalk good solution is designed to complement open PDM, ERP and CAD systems, which will simplify getting started. Integration costs and timeframes are small when comparing to PLM and ERP implementations and will typically enable a rapid time to value.

The following features are also critical: • Part Consolidation – Use of geometric and textual attribute comparison to provide a complete part duplication and clustering analysis.

• Extended Search across Supply Chain– Rapid search for parts by any attribute, shape or any known descriptive information from provided, centrally accessible parts repository consisting of potentially your inventory (custom) and various supplier, commercial and industry standards 3D parts catalogs. Parts are delivered in CAD native format, thus, forever eliminating any time or effort associated with the remodeling, translation or data migration of any standard part.

• Rules for Control (Standardization)– The ability to flag approved or preferred parts to ensure maximum reuse and enforce compliance. As well as, to lock-down or retire parts to prohibit any further reintroduction of parts to your enterprise while maintaining the ability to reference information.

• Value-driven Purchasing – Automated linkages to ERP/ PDM to enable procurement to perform vendor/part replacement feasibility studies. Provides valuable, necessary information for procurement to negotiate better contracts and leverage volume-based purchasing opportunities associated with ordering more parts from fewer vendors, or adopting a “just in time” approach to ordering.

Parts standardization offers: • The ability to put more controls in place between purchasing and engineering.

• The integration of silos within a company in order to negotiate volume prices on strategic suppliers a company buys from.

• The elimination of parts that cannot be sourced in a timely manner, or prices for “one-off” purchases • The ability to accomplish “Value Added” design, not “Non-Valued Design.”

• The elimination of the need for designers to model purchased parts, that their supplier should provide accurately and up to date.

• A complement to PDM by enhancing the management of 3D part catalogs with the aim of enabling parts for commodity reuse. By enabling configuration of 3D parts in native CAD formats within a larger PDM context, it also allows designers the confidence to find, reuse and control standard parts more effectively. The reuse provided by CAD-native 3D part catalogs can be expected to reduce both IT management costs and overall product costs, including design, manufacturing, and support costs.

METRIC HYDRAULIC PIPING PRODUCTS

Greater Than the Parts 3D part catalog technology combined with part standardization is quickly becoming the de facto standard in manufacturing design, thanks to the efficiencies it delivers company-wide. The integration of product and process design through improved business practices, management and technology result in a better product that exceeds customer needs, as well as a faster and smoother transition to manufacturing and a lower life cycle cost.

At the end of the day, it’ll be the product design and customer service that a customer remembers. By enhancing the development of high quality, highly functional products, part standardization can be the key to achieving both competitive advantages.

DE www.partsolutions.com

Tim Thomas is the CEO of PARTsolutions LLC, a provider of PLM solutions for next generation 3D part catalog management and hosting. www.design-engineering.com

BUILD US INTO YOUR DESIGN Williams Fluidair proudly announces its exclusive Canadian distributorship of VOSS Fluid Power. A leader in metric hydraulic piping product distribution and manufacturing in Canada for over 35 years, Williams Fluidair stocks 40 product lines including steel and stainless steel tubing, tube fittings, hose fittings and assemblies, pressure test fittings, tube supports, in-line valves, threaded adapters, benders and tube working tools. For those needing custom parts, our manufacturing division provides CNC turning and machining of custom hydraulic fittings, adapters, manifolds and more in steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass and nylon.

905.831.3222 service@williamsfluidair.com

w w w. w i l l i a m s f l u i d a i r. c o m October | 2010

39

DesignSolutions

40

New AGS Gas Springs readily available ACE Controls new line of AGS Gas Springs provide controlled motion for lids, hoods, hatches and more. Fixed force and adjustable models. Push and pull type designs. Variety of end fittings and mounting brackets.

Priced right with QUICK DELIVERY. Made in USA. Contact: shocks@acecontrols.com Visit us at: www.acecontrols.com

The domestic source for perfect meshing timing belts and pulleys BRECOflex CO., L.L.C. is announcing their new pulley catalog “B216” for made-to-order and stock pulleys.

The new domestic “CNC” state of the art pulley manufacture allows for precise machining standards, leading to superior product quality and quick product availability. The company provides finished precision pulleys made-to-specification and stock pulleys with pilot bores, for immediate delivery. Made-to-order pulleys are available with a normal backlash, reduced backlash “SE” or zero backlash “0” tooth gap design.

Contact: info@brecoflex.com Visit us at: www.brecoflex.com

NEW Clippard Pneumatic Control Devices Catalog Clippard, a manufacturer of the most complete line of miniature pneumatic products, offers a 356-page full product line catalog with technical information, product applications, and more. It includes features, specifications, photographs, and technical drawings for over 5,000 standard products. It’s your complete source for miniature fluid power products. Request your free copy today!

Contact: sales@clippard.com Visit us at: www.www.clippard.com/catalog-a

N.R. Murphy Ltd. Dust Collectors; it’s all we do. For over 65 yrs.14,000 Dust Collection systems were designed and installed; solving almost every dust problem imaginable. Need a Dust Collector? Have our “clean air” expert to visit you. Dust Filters for all makes - Murphy manufacturers’ custom filters. Standard sizes in-stock. Exhaust Fans: Heavy Duty Industrial are in stock and ready to ship. Unique applications can be quickly modified or built. Accessories - Catalogues also available.

Contact: 4nodust@nrmurphy.com Visit us at: www.nrmurphy.com

Fast-Response Infrared Fiber Optic Thermometer/Transmitter Omega’s new, low cost fiber optic infrared thermometer/transmitter features a local display and two isolated analog outputs. The dual display indicates current plus min, max, or differential temperatures. The main electronics is in a NEMA 4 rated aluminum housing with built-in relay, alarm LED, and 4-position programmable keypad to adjust Emissivity (0.05 to 1.00) and high & low alarm set points. Price starts at $2480 Price starts at $2480.

Contact: info@omega.ca Visit us at: www.omega.ca

Ideas To Improve Production Efficiency! Look to Seal Master® Inflatable Seals.

Sealing is just one of many tasks for custom-built, fabric-reinforced elastomeric inflatable seals. Simple, versatile and with close tolerance capability, they’re ideal for use as actuators, brakes, valves, clutches, wipers and for other innovative applications. Backed by in-depth technical/customer service, they’ll replace cumbersome, hard-to-maintain proccessing and handling components to lessen downtime. Ask about our RSVP Design Assistance program Contact: info@sealmaster.com Visit us at: www.sealmaster.com

To advertise your solution in this section call Alan Macpherson at 416.764.1534 October | 2010

www.design-engineering.com

IdeaGenerator Sensors Rotary Sensor Piher International announced its non-contacting MTS 360 SMD Rotary Position Sensor that combine a through-shaft design with 360º absolute position feedback in a miniature size. The result is the smallest fully featured rotary sensor on the market with reliability up to 25 million cycles, the company says.

Measuring 6mm x 17mm x 18mm, the standard model features a 4mm double D-flat shaft and an (8) pad SMD footprint that is compatible in most reflow soldering systems. The device offers linearity down to ±0.5%, is rated for use at -40ºC to +150ºC and can operate up to 300 RPM. Output is selectable between Analog, PWM 12 bits or Serial Protocol (SPI) at 14 bits and includes a second output channel to provide a programmable switch signal. www.piher.net

Digital Temp Sensor Seiko Instruments introduced its S-5851A Series, a line of 2-wire serial I/O digital sensor that measures temperature with resolution of 0.0625°C without the need for external components. The sensor integrates a temperature sensor, reference voltage generation circuit, a type A/D converter and interface bus. Features 2.7V operation; current consumption of 45 μA at +25°C; accuracy of ±2.0°C from −25°C to +85°C; and temperature resolution down to 0.0625°C. In addition, the sensor features 2-wire serial interface for digital output; a maximum operating frequency of 400 kHz; and a low power supply voltage detection circuit. The sensor is also lead- and halogen-free. www.sii-ic.com

IR Thermometers Ametek introduced its Land Instruments iQ Series, a line of compact and rugged industrial non-contact infrared thermometers which feature an allmetal design with integrated water cooling and air purge standard and screw terminal and power connections. The thermometers can be configured using any permutation of four wavelengths, four feature levels and four www.design-engineering.com

41 focus distance to suit a wide range of processing requirements.

Measuring 8-inches (210mm), the iQ Series features ‘Plug and Play’ 4-wire operation that requires no configuration following installation. Its compact size makes it ideal for limited space applications. The iQ Series also offers alarm relays, digital process control and advanced signal processing. Certain models also feature laser alignment and user selectable focus distances plus PC setup software. www.ametek-land.com

Fasteners and Adhesives Clinch Bolts PEM introduced its Type SCBR, a patented spinning clinch bolt for thin metal panels. The bolts come with a self-retracting feature enabling the fastener’s captive screw to remain retracted when disengaged. The clinch bolts can permanently captivate into aluminum or steel sheets as thin as 040-in. / 1.02mm (and greater) and can be specified for close centerline-to-edge applications. Installation is achieved by pressing the fastener into a properly sized mounting hole and then applying squeezing force on the top of the screw head and the underside of the sheet material. The squeezing action forces the displacer of the screw into the sheet, causing it to reduce the mounting-hole diameter and captivate the screw. The bolts are available in various lengths and thread sizes from #4-40 through #8-32 and M3 through M4. www.pemnet.com

Thermally Stable Epoxy Master Bond introduced its EP65HT-1 epoxy, a high-temperatureresistant adhesive approved to NASA’s low-outgassing standard.

The epoxy also offers electrical insulation capabilities and chemical resistance.

With a glass transition temperature exceeding 125ºC, EP65HT-1 features fast cure times, even when mixed in small masses. It’s also serviceable over a wide temperature range of -60ºF to +400ºF; has a tensile shear strength approaching 3,000 psi; and a Shore D hardness greater than 75. The adhesive is dark brown and is available in a dispensing gun that mixes the parts with a 10 to 1 ratio. It is also available for use in half pint, pint, quart, gallon and 5 gallon container kits. www.masterbond.com October | 2010

42 IdeaGenerator Electrical

Motion Control

Terminal Block

Panel PC

Weidmuller introduced the WMF 2.5, a terminal block series designed for DCS marshalling applications. The 5mm-wide block features feedthrough, fusing and quick disconnects, incorporate an integrated shield or ground (PE) connection and have three separate jumpering channels to accommodate parallel and series jumpering. The WMF 2.5 series also offers pluggable BLZ connectors, that allow cables to be plugged directly into the bank of terminal blocks. The WMF 2.5 includes black fuse terminals and an optional LED status indicator shows if the fuse needs replacement. The LED circuit is designed to produce minimal leakage current (<0.5 mA) when the fuse is blown. The blocks are electrically rated for 600V/25A/26-12AWG and have UL and CSA approvals. www.weidmuller.com

Beckhoff Automation has extended its control panel and panel PC series with a 24" widescreen TFT display that features 1920 x 1200 pixel resolution and can be equipped with an optional touchscreen. The display’s water- and dust-resistant aluminum panels make them suitable for application directly on machines or on the plant floor. The displays are currently available in Panel PC variants (CP6204, CP7204) with integrated CPUs for IPC, automation, PLC and motion control tasks and as “display-only” Control Panels (CP6904, CP7904). The CP6204 and CP7204 Panel PCs feature processors up to Intel Core2 Duo. The Control Panel cases are made of highquality, solid aluminum. The compact panels from the CP7xxx series offer IP 65 protection. www.beckhoff.com

DIGITAL POL CONVERTER Lineage Power Corporation announced its standards-based DLynx family of non-isolated Point of Load (POL) DC-DC board-mounted power modules. Available in DOSAbased digital and analog versions, the module powers silicon devices such as processors and memory devices on circuit boards. An industry-standard PMBus interface and tunable Loop technology deliver current density of 8.1A/cm2 and efficiency of 96 percent. The converter features a wide range of input voltage (VIN = 3Vdc-14.4Vdc) with precisely regulated output voltage from 0.6Vdc to 5.5Vdc. Current de-rating over temperature enables the modules to achieve 10.4A at +85˚C without air flow (12VIN – 1.2VOUT). With 100LFM airflow, the DLynx delivers 12A full capacity at 85˚C. www.dlynx.info

October | 2010

Motion Controller Galil Motion Control released its DMC-41x3, a motion controller that includes Ethernet, a USB 2.0 port, higher speed performance, larger program memory, analog inputs and optically isolated I/O. The product is available in one through eight axis formats; each axis is user-configurable for stepper or servo motor operation. The controller can be connected with external drives of any power range or with Galil's multi-axis (500W per axis) servo drives or 60V, 3A microstepping drives. Galil drives install directly onto the DMC-41x3 controller. The DMC-41x3 controller and drive package is 8.1 x 7.25 x 1.5 inch for the 1- thru 4-axis model and 11.5 x 7.25 x 1.5 inch for the 5- thru 8- axis model. It accepts power from a single 20-60V DC source. www.electromate.com

www.design-engineering.com

IdeaGenerator Ring Motor Drives Sprint Electric now offers drives for slip ring motors. A derivation of the company's PL/X digital DC drive product range, the JL/X slip ring motor drive shares the same software and hardware but the thyristor stack configuration has been designed to provide a 3 phase output (U, V, W) suitable for controlling slip ring motors in either 2 or 4 quadrant modes. It also offers the same fieldbus options including Profibus, DeviceNet, CC-Link, EtherNet/IP, Modbus and CANopen. The JL/X slip ring motor covers output currents from 100 to 1850 Amps and comes in three frame sizes with standard supply voltage inputs up to 480 VAC. Overload capability is 150 percent. For high duty applications, the JL/XHD range is available with an overload capability of 250 percent. www.mdacontrols.com

DC Motors AMETEK, Inc. released its Pittman Series 8690 brush-commutated DC motors. The 26mm, iron core motors incorporate bonded neodymium iron boron magnets and include 7-slot skewed armatures, resin-impregnated windings and diamondturned commutators. The motors are available in three lengths (1.798 in., 1.923 in., and 2.173 in.) and can provide continuous torque output up to 3.17 oz-in, peak torque up to 20 oz-in and speeds up to 9,000 RPM. A cartridge brush assembly can serve to reduce audible and electrical noise and improve brush life by maintaining brush force throughout the life of the motor. Motor products can additionally be customized with optical encoders, custom cables, shaft modifications, shaft-mounted pulleys and gears, ball bearings, RFI suppression components, and other options to satisfy specific application requirements. www.ametektechnicalproducts.com

Servo Amplifier Midwest Motion Products announced the release of its MMP1525-BR-24V, a DC servo amplifier that accepts any regulated DC input power, ranging from 20 to 100 Volts DC. Measuring 7.62" x 5.2" x 1.0" and weighing 1.5 lbs., the amplifier has output rated for 15 Amps continuous and 25 Amps peak, for 1 second, creating a 2.5 KW peak power capacity. The ±10V Analog command is scalable, for up to ±35V www.design-engineering.com

43 DC command. The standard design is equipped with analog tach feedback, for closed loop velocity servo applications. The unit can also be driven in the “Current Mode” for non-velocity applications. Other features include Peak and RMS current limiting adjustments; and inputs for the command, tacho; limit switch enable/disable; an inhibit line; a current monitoring pin; and a fault line. www.midwestmotion.com

LCD Display Modules Saelig Company, Inc. announced that its uLCD-32PT, a 3.2" QVGA LCD display, now features an integrated 4-wire resistive touch-panel touch screen and graphics processor.

With a resolution of 240 x 320 pixel, the 65k color TFT panel features a 5-pin connection to interface to the host device. It also supports external SD/µSD memory cards and has a PWM audio pin that supports FAT16 audio WAV files and sound generation, an on-board audio amplifier and speaker. Also includes 2 x 30 pin headers for I/O expansion, 4.0V to 5.0V range operation. www.saelig.com

Markets Solutions Oil and Gas (including Offshore) Wind Energy/Power Generation Elevators and Crane Systems Automotive and Robotics Passenger Transportation Machine Construction Packaging Machinery Forestry and Mining Military and Research

Optical Encoders Answering Industry Demands 22 Commerce Place St. Catharines, ON Canada L2R 6P7 Toll Free 888-277-6205 Call 905-984-3256 Fax 905-984-5017 info@globalencoder.ca

www.globalencoder.ca

October | 2010

44

IdeaGenerator Fluid Power Pneumatic Angular Gripper Omega introduced its DCT Series Pneumatic Grippers, angular grippers with a 180° jaw opening allowing complete release of a directly fed part. Gripper forces range from 32 N (7.5 lbs) to 112 N (25 lbs). These pneumatic grippers are designed for confined spaces and harsh environments due to a shielding that repels chips and other particulate from the internal drive mechanism. The gripper series can be used up to 5 million cycles in typical applications and 10 million with maintenance. The temperature rating is from -35 to 80°C (-30 to 180°F). www.omega.ca

maximum continuous pressure of 7 psig. The multi-port valve system integrates a circular valve disk spanning several smaller holes (instead of one large hole) to minimize deformation from stress, resist damage from condensate and promote enhanced flow and increased efficiency.

The patented FEA-designed structured-molded diaphragm eliminates the metal clamping disk that can become a source for leakage or corrosion in conventional pump models, the company says. www.knfOEM.com

Input/Output

Vacuum Pumps

Machine Mount I/O

KNF introduced its Type N838, diaphragm vacuum pumps available in single- and multi-stage OEM installation models powered

by AC, DC or brushless DC (BLDC) motors. The pump has a multi-port valve system and structured molded diaphragm. They have flow rates up to 42 LPM per head under atmospheric conditions, ultimate vacuum of 100 mbar abs. (27 in. Hg) and

Balluff’s networking product line now includes a full I/O and RFID connectivity solution for a CC-Link fieldbus network.

Instead of residing in enclosures, the company’s IP67

Advertisers Index Advertiser

Website

Asco Valve Canada

www.ascovalve.ca

Associated Spring Raymond

www.asraymond.com

Autodesk Canada Inc.

www.autodesk.ca

Automation Direct

www.automationdirect.com

Baldor Electric Co.

Advertiser

Website

21

GTC Falcon

www.gtcfalcon.com

14

19

HSBC

www.hsbc.ca

47

Henkel Canada Corporation

www.loctite.com

37

17

Industrial Encoder Corporation

www.globalencoder.ca

43

www.baldor.com

48

Master Bond Inc.

www.masterbond.com

26

Baumer Inc.

www.baumer.ca

19

Myostat Motion Control Inc.

www.coolmuscle.com

16

Beckhoff Automation

www.beckhoff.ca

15

Novotechnik

www.novotechnik.com

36

Berg Chilling Systems Inc.

www.berg-group.com

45

Omega Engineering Inc.

www.omega.ca

Canadian Standards Association

www.csa.ca

Proto Labs Inc.

www.protolabs.com

33

Clippard Instrument Laboratory Inc.

www.clippard.com

Reid Tool Supply Company

www.reidsupply.com

29

Cords Canada Ltd.

www.cordscanada.com

13

Rosta Inc.

www.rostainc.com

25

Creaform Inc.

www.creaform3d.com

22

RotoPrecision Inc.

www.rotoprecision.com

30

Daemar Inc.

www.daemarinc.com

27

Schaeffler Canada Inc.

www.ina.com

Dassault Systems Americas

www.3ds.com

31

Smart Toys

www.smart-toys.ca

42

Dimension 3D Printing

www.dimensionprinting.com

35

SolidWorks Corp.

www.solidworks.com

23

Encoder Products Company

www.encoder.com

26

Swagelok Company

www.swagelok.com

11

Exair Corporation

www.exair.com

Wainbee Ltd.

www.wainbee.com

38

Fasco Die Cast Inc.

www.fasco.ca

Williams Fluid Air Corp. Ltd.

www.williamsfluidair.com

39

October | 2010

Page

2

10, 28 9

7 12

Page

3

4

www.design-engineering.com

IdeaGenerator

45

CC-Link I/O modules and supporting cordsets can be placed near the concentration of sensors and actuators. Features include push-button display, IP67-rated housing, 2-wire or 3-wire inputs, RFID and data tracking. The modules support use of both ISO 14443 and ISO 15693 13.56MHz-based RFID data carriers. www.balluff.com/cc-link

ranges, while analog outputs are similarly flexible with programmable voltage and current rates, together with waveform generation. The VME-6500 is supported by Windows, Linux and VxWorks. www.ge-ip.com

I/O Board

Pepperl+Fuchs announced that its KE-style enclosure-mount AS-Interface I/O modules are now available with advanced diagnostic features. With these redesigned modules, should an output wire be disconnected, switchable lead breakage detection automatically sends the peripheral fault signal to the upper level controller.

Any input pulse or noise spike of less than 2 ms is automatically filtered out by input pulse suppression. Advanced diagnostic LEDs alert the user to reverse polarity, overload or short circuit conditions so that corrective action can be taken. The KE-style AS-Interface modules feature 4 inputs and 4 outputs, and feature a 22.5 mm housing designed for cramped enclosures. www.pepperl-fuchs.us

GE Intelligent Platforms announced the first product in a family of VME multifunction I/O boards designed for military and commercial applications. The board delivers analog and digital I/O capabilities in a single chassis slot in contrast to the more standard four slots. The VME-6500 features eight analog input channels, eight analog output channels, 16 digital input channels and 16 digital output channels. Each analog input channel is equipped with a 16-bit ADC (analog-to-digital converter), and each analog output channel with a 16-bit DAC (digital-to-analog converter). Analog inputs are software-programmable to provide exceptional flexibility in sample rates, gains, filters and current

AS-Interface I/O Modules

You manage expenditures to get the best value so when evaluating chilling systems consider that Berg Chilling ranked number 1 against its competitors in all criteria in an independent survey*.

• Product Quality • Environmental Impact • Reliability

• Installed Costs

• System Design

• Capital Costs

• Delivery

• Operating Costs

• Warranty

• Most Likely to be Recommended

Trust Berg to make every dollar count.

Hard earned, wisely spent.

Eco-positive, thermal management solutions

www.berg-group.com System Design | Installation | Service * Independent study: Rogers BPPG, Research Group

www.design-engineering.com

October | 2010

46 CanadianInnovator

Look to the Skies Specially-designed ultralight planes equipped for large-scale disaster relief.

By Treena Hein

“Basically, the brake pedal doubles as the release pedal,” Lishman says. When ill Lishman, also know as ‘Father the cargo pod is attached to the aircraft, Goose,’ will always be associated the selection valve is on brake mode and with ultralight planes. He rose to promis locked by the lever that controls the inence in 1988 for guiding birds such as cargo pod release. Prior to the drop, the Canada Geese and Whooping Crane by lever is lifted, turning the selection valve air on safe migration routes – a venture from brake to release position. called ‘Operation Migration.’ Now, LishTo do the drop during a low-level run, man is using his passion for the ultralight the pilot only needs to push the brake to turn it into a natural disaster first pedal at the right moment. “This design response vehicle. The idea came in late means that the pilot has to make two 1998, when Hurricane Mitch wrecked determined actions, which greatly devastation in Central America. minimizes accidental release,” says Lish“Small towns and villages were cut man. “After the cargo is released, the off from road transport and a sufficient valve is automatically turned back to number of helicopters to ferry in supplies Bill “Father Goose” brake mode.” were not available in the critical period Lishman’s Rescue Trike In 2007, Air First Aid ran a mock after the storm,” Lishman says. “I began ultralight carries up to disaster scenario with ultralights carto think about how ultralights could 250 lbs. of air-dropped rying wireless satellite communications make immediate deliveries of water, food, disaster relief cargo. and cameras. “We did several drops on medical supplies and communications grass of a loaded pod from a height of equipment.” The tiny aircraft could also transport the injured, up to two metres, with no damage to the contents,” Lishman all at a fraction of the cost of existing response systems. says. Most recently, as another demonstration with his Making the idea a reality (dubbed ‘Air First Aid’) would, C-IWAL 50 horse power initial prototype, Lishman dropped however, require an experienced and trained corps of ultralight corn at a local fly in/corn roast from a base about 15 km away. volunteer pilots, the cooperation of existing disaster relief “I was able to deliver 125 lbs. of corn (the volume of the corn agencies – and a fleet of specially-designed ultralight aircraft precluded a heavier load) every 30 minutes,” he says. strategically based around the world. According to Lishman, The actual production aircraft (named Rescue Trikes) will Ultralights are ideal for delivering emergency supplies. have double the horse power, double the load-carrying capac“They’re easily transportable by cargo aircraft, and can be ity and a range boosted by fifty percent. The next demonstraassembled and operational in less than two hours,” he says. “They tion will involve these models, perhaps in a real disaster area. have excellent short field performance and a steep climbing rate, Lishman and other Air First Aid organizers are in the middle and most can take off or land in less than sixty metres.” of negotiating a deal for the production of the Rescue Trike Certified ultralight aircraft can be purchased for about with an established aircraft manufacturer, and concurrently $50,000 CAD, he notes, and a fleet of 25 or 30 could be there- working out overall co-operation details with “one of the fore purchased for less than a single turbine helicopter such world’s largest relief organizations.” as a Bell Jetranger. One ultralight can carry a pilot, three Delivering disaster relief by air has Lishman thinking about hours of fuel and 250 lbs. of cargo, while a fleet of fifteen— other ways to help. He’s developed a prefabricated quicklyincluding pilots and eight tons of emergency supplies—can deployable emergency shelter that can be turned into a perall safely fit into a standard cargo aircraft. manent residence using local materials. Right now, he’s To equip ultralights for emergency response, Lishman testing prototypes made of moulded fiberglass sections that conceptualized a drop mechanism that could be accessed bolt together and exploring the market. “I believe disaster easily by the pilot, while his or her hands are still available to relief can be greatly improved,” he says, “and we’re on the way control the aircraft. Engineer Paul Yarnall, owner of New to making that happen.”

DE York-based Technical Resolutions consulting firm, made the www.airfirstaid.com www.operationmigration.org design a reality.

B

October | 2010

www.design-engineering.com

The First Name in Power Transmission

Baldor•Dodge® power transmission products offer reliable service and low maintenance to help reduce your total cost of ownership. Our innovative bearings, gearing and power transmission products have solved the toughest applications for over 125 years.

Our technical sales team can help you with the most challenging applications, and our worldwide distributor network ensures immediate delivery.

• Unmatched Quality • Superior Reliability • Improved Uptime

When it comes to PT solutions, Baldor•Dodge is the first name in power transmission. dodge-pt.com

baldor.com

©2008 Baldor Electric Company

• Quick Delivery