Polymers add distinctive touches that tweak consumer interests
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Newton, MA--What do Maytag, Whirlpool, and Royal Appliance have in common? They all benefit from the flexibility that plastics give them in the design of new products.
Take the Maytag Neptune horizontal-axis washer, for example. The Filled and Reinforced Plastics Div. of Ferro Corp. (Cleveland) developed two new compounds to meet Maytag's special needs for structural integrity, chemical resistance, UL durability, and reduced operating noise. The washer's tub and cover feature Ferro's new GAPEXTM product line.
The polypropylene (RPP) fills a complex insert mold to form the tub and structural frame. The cover consists of a high-performance, engineered, glass-hybrid reinforced polypropylene (APP) that molds flatter parts for easier and quicker assembly. Use of the new compounds helped Maytag avoid $80,000 in mold changes, according to Ferro.
Consumers also benefit from the design. The horizontal-axis washer reduces water use by 40% and cuts energy costs by 60% when compared with traditional machines, Maytag claims. In addition, the ma-chine's ergonomics make loading and unloading easier.
The project took six years to develop. It involved coordinating efforts of numerous Maytag and Ferro suppliers, designers, and processors. The final design, said to be the most technically innovative washer on the market, recently received a patent. But, from Maytag's standpoint, the true test came when the company enjoyed higher than anticipated sales.
Shrinking oven parts. Novel design and engineering using a PET thermoplastic polyester resin made major contributions to the clean, contemporary styling and durability of the latest built-in ovens from Whirlpool Corp. The company's Whirlpool® and KitchenAid® built-ins now come with handle, control panels, and vents that feature one-piece, integrally colored components.
White and almond parts are molded from Rynite® RE9095, a formulation that combines long-term color stability when exposed to heat with other engineering properties. Black parts are molded from Rynite FR515. DuPont Engineering Polymers (Wilmington, DE) supplied the materials to Whirlpool for the project.
"Rynite PET gives us styling flexibility, durability, and manufacturing economies," says Christopher Weiland, Whirlpool senior engineer. "It allows smooth, seamless designs that cannot be achieved with assemblies of metal and thermoset parts. For handles, some models have a sleek, one-piece towel bar design, while others have a seamless, closed-top design for finger-pull opening."
The previous KitchenAid control panel consisted of 24 parts; the new panel has only three. Not only did the reduction in part count eliminate several finishing steps, but it did away with many soil- and grease-catching joints. Servicing is simplified, since the parts are easier to remove and replace.
Moll Plasticrafters L.P. (LaVergne, TN) molds the components for Whirlpool. For the handles, Moll uses gas-assisted molding technology. This process produces hollow parts that require less material than solid parts. It also avoids problems of warp and surface defects that might be encountered in producing solid, thick-section parts.
'Think-tank' floor care. Royal Appliance makes the popular Dirt Devil® line of floor-care products. Its latest design, the lightweight, cordless, and rechargeable Dirt Devil Mop VacTM features a key component made of a copolyester.
With the new appliance, users release a cleaning solution onto the floor, scrub the area with the unit's sponge mop head, then let the machine's powerful vacuum squeegee suck up the dirty cleaning solution in seconds. The result: floors left clean, dry, and streak-free.
The dirty liquid is deposited in a high-performance, crystal-clear recovery tank made of EASTAR® PETG, a glycol-modified polyethylene therephthalate copolyester supplied by the Eastman Chemical Co. (Kingsport, TN). Before deciding on the copolyester, however, Dirt Devil subjected various clear resins to solution testing.
"Pine-based cleaners and oil soaps typically used to clean kitchen floors are especially tough on plastics," notes Terry Zahuranec, lead product engineer for the Mop Vac. "EASTAR proved more chemical resistant than other materials available to us."
Such chemicals can attack plastics and, over time, may create a frosted appearance on a clear part, a result of hairline cracks in the plastic. Once the material has deteriorated in this manner, stress or impact during use can result in breakage. EASTAR's physical attributes, chemical resistance, clarity, and impact strength "help ensure that our floor-care components will remain clear and free of haze, crazing, or cracking through years of use," Zahuranec predicts.
Gary Chamberlain Senior Editor
What this means to you
• Plastics enable appliance engineers to "style" their designs for specific applications.
• Use of plastics often results in fewer components, more rapid assembly, and lower production costs, all leading to faster design cycles and quicker entry into the marketplace.
• Plastics producers, compounders, and molders can formulate a material especially for the product under design, and also lend technical support in bringing the design to completion.
• Materials formulated for appliance applications may also solve design problems for engineers in other industrial sectors.
Flexural modulus of elasticity 1.27 mm/min 1,800 MPa (2.6x105 psi)
(0.05 inch/min)
Plastic puts lid on bakeware
Lancaster, OH--Consider this challenge: injection mold a lid that can mate with glass bakeware that features rounded corners for improved baking performance. You will find the solution in Anchor Hocking Glass Co.'s new OvationsTM bakeware line.
Part of the solution involved the use of AdflexTM resin from Montell Polyolefins' (Wilmington, DE) CatalloyTM process. The process employs multiple gas-phase reactors that allow the composition, molecular weight, and molecular-weight distribution to be closely controlled. The resulting properties of the material can be engineered to meet the specific needs of diverse applications.
In the case of the Ovations project, the Adflex resin blends olefinic polymer with ethylene propylene rubber. It enabled Anchor Hocking to produce a lid that was flexible enough to mate with the round-cornered glass bakeware, yet provide the friction fit needed for secure storage and transport.
"Plastic can be molded to very tight dimensions; glass cannot. Because we needed to mate plastic to glass, we had to develop a new grade that was softer and more flexible in order to do the job," reports David McKeeman, senior marketing manger, consumer durables, at Montell.
The end result is, says Jaci Volles, merchandising manager for Anchor Hocking, "a first-ever, ventable lid on a bakeware product." It features a twist-open steam vent that allows convenient reheating in the microwave.
The Ovations logo is embossed with an oval ring on the lid's deep-blue top. The steam vent, made in a contrasting light-grey color, is located on the lower right corner. It opens or closes with a simple twist.
"The softer, smoother glass silhouette with deep, rounded corners allows more uniform baking," explains Mike Shook, Anchor Hocking's group leader for new product development. "In cakes, for example, you don't get 'crowning' in the center, nor burning in the corners."
How good does Anchor Hocking think the new bakeware is? The line comes with an "unmatched" 10-year limited warranty, Shook notes.
Head Work
This issue's problem is an exam question from an MIT graduate-level course in engineering systems analysis.
Montee Haul, emcee for the newly revived game show, "Let's Make a Real Deal," turns to you and says: "In front of you are three doors. Behind one of them is our fabulous Grand Prize, worth at least $30,000. Behind the other two doors are prizes of considerably lower value, generously supplied by our sponsors, SpammedHam and Pureena PeopleChow. I'm going to give you the chance to pick a door."
After making your choice, Montee opens one of the remaining two doors, revealing a lifetime supply of canned SpammedHam, stacked in the shape of New York's World Trade Center Towers. (Note that, of course, Montee's choice was not random. He knows which door conceals the Grand Prize.)
Montee then turns to you and says, "I have $5,000 in this wallet. I'm going to give you one last chance: You can either (1) Stick with the door you originally chose; (2) Switch to the other un-opened door; or (3) Take this wallet with the $5,000."
Assuming that you make choices based on maximizing the expected value of your actions (a so-called expected value maximizer), what should you do?
A. Make a random choice, based on the screamed suggestions of family members in the audience.
B. Take the wallet with $5,000.
C. Stick with the door that you originally chose.
D. Switch to the other as-yet unopened door.
E. Faint from all the excitement, thus avoiding making any choice.
(Answer at bottom of page)
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Alloy process hits hole in one
Whitehall, MI--Ultimately, performance in any sport comes down to the athlete. However, as in any situation, the tools at hand can impact the outcome.
Engineers at Howmet Metal Mold (HMM) (Whitehall, MI) and Liquidmetal Golf, a subsidiary of Amorphous Technologies Int'l. (ATI) (Laguna Niguel, CA), say they've found a way to cast a golf club head at a lower cost, in shorter lead times, and with improved product quality. The design process combines bulk-metallic glass alloy (VitreolyTM Liquidmetal AlloyTM) from Liquidmetal Golf (invented by scientists at Caltech) with HMM's vacuum diecasting process.
"This golf club head design may force a rethinking of what is possible in golf because of the impact it will have on current perceptions about distance and control," says David L. Squier, president and CEO at Howmet Corp., and an avid golfer.
According to Don Larsen, business center manager, Liquidmetal Alloy has a high energy storage density that causes much of the energy reflected from the ball to the club to be transmitted back into the ball. Liquidmetal Alloy also has a lower vibrational response than that of titanium or steel. "As a result," comments Larsen, "when a golfer hits the ball much less of the vibration (from this impact) is transferred through the shaft, so the motion feels very soft." This alloy is also harder than titanium or steel (see table).
The performance of the material speaks for itself, but casting is the other half of the formula. A standard diecasting machine would not provide the vacuum required to melt the Liquidmetal Alloy. "This is because it contains mostly zirconium, which is very reactive," says Larsen.
So HMM applied its vacuum equipment to a diecasting machine. By combining the two, engineers can maintain melt under vacuum during all phases of the casting process and eliminate processing steps. These steps include: wax injection, ceramic mold making, wax pattern and assembly, chemical milling, and ceramic mold removal.
"Putting a complex vacuum system on the machine allows us to pull a very high vacuum--without that, we could not melt Vitreloy." The cavity itself is also under the same level of vacuum as the area where the metal is melted, says Larsen.
Another key factor in molding the metallic glass is that you have to be able to cool it quickly, says Larsen. Otherwise the material will not form correctly. "That's why vacuum die-casting is the most viable process for it." Engineers spray the metal when they inject it into the steel die, which quickly extracts the heat out. "In turn," says Larsen, "we are able to form the metallic glass, which adds all these beneficial properties to golf products."
Liquidmetal Alloy has no grains at all because its atoms solidify during the cooling process into a totally random structure. Combining the chemistry of the material with the high cooling rate made possible by vacuum diecasting enables the alloy to maintain its glass structure in thicknesses greater than one inch. And because the casting system is ceramic-free, casting quality is improved by eliminating the possibility of ceramic flaws being trapped in the component.
Clubs produced using this combined method transfer energy into the ball at five times the rate of titanium, says the company. Less energy absorbed by the golf club head at impact means more energy transfer to the ball for maximum performance.
Liquidmetal irons are now available, and ATI recently unveiled drivers at the PGA Int'l. Golf Show in Las Vegas. Beyond sporting goods, Howmet and ATI are exploring other applications for this technology such as aerospace, energy, and marine markets, where the material should offer many of the same advantages as it does for golf clubs.
Automatic dispensing makes mass production easy
Portland, OR--When demand for its micraTM multi-purpose tool took off faster than anticipated, Leatherman Tool Group needed to install a mass production line and bring 40 new operators up to speed as quickly as possible. Using air-powered adhesive dispensers instead of manual application tools enabled the company to achieve both goals.
"The micra's small size--2.5 inches--makes assembly much tougher than it is for our other products," explains Leatherman engineer John Radabaugh.
Four small, two-part, threaded fasteners serve as pivots for the micra's scissors, knife, screwdriver, and other stainless-steel implements. Each fastener is held together with a drop of anaerobic adhesive applied to the female threads before the parts are joined.
"There's a very narrow torque range, so we need to have the tension just right," says Radabaugh. "Since we rely on the anaerobic adhesive rather than the threads to hold the parts together, controlling the size and placement of the deposit is critical." He turned to EFD Inc. (East Providence, RI) for a solution: an automatic dispenser that uses a timed air pulse to make precise, repeatable deposits of assembly fluids.
In timed-pulse dispensing, a combination of air pressure, dispense time, and tip size controls the deposit size. After loading material into the disposable barrel, an operator attaches a precision tip and connects the barrel to the dispenser with lightweight, flexible tubing.
Separate controls for air pressure and dispense time can ease the fine-tuning of deposit time. Once time and pressure have been adjusted, any operator can make consistent, repeatable deposits by pressing the foot pedal.
Pleased to find an off-the-shelf solution that met his needs, Radabaugh had five EFD units on site within two days. Two weeks later he had installed a complete assembly line and hired 40 new operators.
"For the first couple of days, I walked around checking deposits and answering questions, and that was it," says Radabaugh. "In four weeks, we went from filling out purchase orders to implementing a mass production line capable of turning out thousands of units per day."
Radabaugh says that Leatherman would not have been able to get the new line up and running so quickly without the EFD dispensers. "Manual application was never really an option," he says. "The dispensers took care of a major hassle and allowed me to deal with the many other issues that accompany a startup. If we had to train people to make accurate deposits with a squeeze bottle, I don't think we could have done it."
System keeps truck tires inflated
Cranberry Township, PA--Today's truck tires are designed for 500,000 to 700,000 miles of service life. Yet, industry experience shows that most tires fail to make it to their maximum design life. The single biggest reason for premature casing failure: improper inflation.
Studies show that by maintaining continuous tire pressure, tire life can be extended by up to 30%, while cutting diesel-fuel use by 5%. That's the objective of Merv Carse, president of the Cycloid Co. He has designed the Cycloid ACS air compressor system that continuously maintains proper tire pressures. It's built around a self-contained, hub-mounted air compressor powered by the rolling motion of the wheels.
In order for Carse to achieve design requirements for his product, he turned to LNP Engineering Plastics (Exton, PA) to custom-tailor a range of composite materials. "We chose LNP primarily because of the value-added service offered," Carse adds. "We required significant assistance in developing the thermoplastic components of the system, since we had no experience with these materials. This was a long-term product-development effort (initiated in 1994), and we relied heavily on LNP's expertise throughout the entire process."
Innovative system powered by wheel motion installs on hub to inflate truck tires ‘on the
For the base of the unit, Cycloid chose LNP's Verton® MFX, a long-glass, fiber-reinforced polypropylene. Because the base constitutes the chassis of the pump, and everything bolts to it, the material had to have good strength, chemical resistance, and surface finish. It also had to be lightweight.
In addition to acting as a structural frame, the base also serves as a conduit. It has a number of sealing surfaces to keep the compressed air inside to make certain it goes to the tires.
The cover also requires corrosion resistance, due to its exposure to the elements. "But, more than that," Carse adds, "we needed a material that wouldn't crack or deform when hit with stones or other debris." Cycloid once again selected Verton MFX for the part because of its impact resistance and strength.
For the unit's cam, Cycloid chose Lubricomp® SAL, an aramid fiber-reinforced lubricated nylon 12, and Lubricomp KL, a lubricated acetal composite, for the follower. "These materials were chosen because they offer low wear rate between the cam and the follower," Carse notes.
The cam is critical. It has a pendulum weight attached and needs to survive 20-g loadings. Lubricomp has fiber reinforcement for strength, plus the lubricity to provide low friction and long wear.
For the device's piston, LNP recommended using Lubricomp DCL, a carbon-fiber-reinforced, lubricated polycarbonate. "Because the piston interacts with steel by sliding up and down a steel cylinder," Carse explains, "it requires a unique combination of reinforcement and lubricity. Lubricomp gives us what we need in terms of low wear and friction versus the steel cylinder. With the hub-mounted air compressor, truckers will experience longer tire life and lower fuel costs. With the use of composite materials, Cycloid is assured its product can withstand the rigors of the task.
Polycarbonate protects luxury home-on-wheels
Junction City, OR--When the birth of a new firm is at stake, you want to make certain that you have the right material for the "new baby." Dan Mills found that assurance in a hinged, impact-resistant, clear screen made of polycarbonate.
Mills' story is one you might expect coming out of Silicon Valley. However, it doesn't involve a hot new computer or software package. Instead, Mills created a solution to a problem that's plagued the flourishing motor-home industry. He had worked as a bus converter, helping repair rock and road-debris damage on recreational vehicles that sell for as much as $500,000. Such repairs can cost several thousand dollars. Generally, they have to be repeated each year or two.
Donning his entrepreneurial clothes, Mills felt there had to be a better way to eliminate such damage. He came up with the hinged screen made of Lexan® polycarbonate sheet supplied by GE Structured Products (Pittsfield, MA). For less than half the cost of a major paint repair job, Mills' Coach ArmorTM can protect the motor home for the life of the vehicle.
Starting in his garage with rudimentary equipment, Mills soon learned that his concept required expertise in thermoforming. He also had to find a material that could withstand road debris impacting the vehicle at 65 mph in order to protect the expensive graphics common on luxury motor homes.
Mills found exactly what the consumer demanded. The material he settled on is Lexan XL10 sheet. "Our customers have a real concern about yellowing and clarity, as well as exceptional resistance to stone damage," Mills explains. "The sheet not only fills the bill, but we like the way it processes."
So did Mills' customers. The business soon outgrew the garage and has continued to expand at a 50% rate each year for five years.
The company, Mills Mfg., starts with a sheet of the XL10 polycarbonate. CNC machines cut it to fit around wipers and mirrors. Next, the sheet is drape thermoformed into one of more than 50 shapes configured on a computer CAD program to conform with Country Coach, Fleetwood, Monocao, and other vehicle lines.
"Another thing that sets us apart is our fastening techniques," Mills adds. "All mounting and brackets are beveled and polished stainless-steel components that we custom machine in-house." Each sheet takes four to five hours to fabricate.
Once shipped to the vehicle maker, the Coach Armor is installed in a fold-down configuration for easy cleaning and access to mechanical systems, or hard-mounted to a front generator system. Even though the shield may measure 100 inches wide and 58 inches tall, it weighs only 50 to 60 lb.
Cyberpage
Free is good.
Get fully-detailed 2D drawings with multiple views and 3D drawings displayed as wireframe models from Carr Lane Mfg. Co.'s web site at www.carrlane.com. You'll need to download the Tool Designer's Assistant® software to access the library of toggle clamps, handles, knobs, hand wheels, and more than 5,400 tooling components.
The Design News Web Editor has been surfing up a storm and found these bookmarkable sites:
Small has an in at the DoD. The Dept. of Defense has jazzed up its Small Business Innovation Research program and is now offering program materials online. Small technology companies can view, download, or print everything they need to submit a proposal to the DoD under this program. Look for it at www.sbirsttr.com.
Plastics, son, that's the future!
If you need polymers, DuPont Engineering Polymers has made its website easier to use by setting up specific industries and applications. Visitors can click on the following offerings: automotive, electrical/electronics, consumer, or industrial. Then review product properties, processing tips, cost reduction ideas, and news for your industry. The site can be found at www.dupont.com/enggpolymers/americas.
Specialty Steel and Forge
Need a quote, now? Then head over to www.steelforge.com and click on the PhoneMe...Now™ button. Fill in the blanks, including name, phone number, and grade, specifications, form, size, documentation, required delivery date, quantity, and tolerances, and within a few minutes you'll receive a call from a real, live person. Or set up a time and date for the Specialty Steel and Forge staff member to call you back. But if metals are your life, then check out the vast database of information available including Alloy Info Reports of materials properties on 3,500 metals; the SteelWeight automatic calculator to determine the weight of any metal, shape or part configuration; or the SteelLog glossary of 1,500 metals terms. Paula Porter, Internet Editor
No more bucks for Ford
Detroit, MI--Buck rooms, where new Ford cars and trucks debut as physical prototypes, are becoming passé. Instead of sitting in and analyzing the new vehicles, engineers are at their computers viewing Digital Bucks--fully representative electronic car geometry.
Ford first started its focus on eliminating paper layouts and physical prototype "bucks" in the early '90s to support the development of the current F-Series pickup truck. In 1995, the company initiated the Ford Product Development System (FPDS), a radically new vehicle development and manufacturing process. In order to enable the aggressive stretch this process required, Ford needed more than just another CAD system. This was bigger than CAD, says Dan Arbitter. CAD + CAM + CAE = PIM, or what Ford calls C3P, the three C production. PIM stands for Product Information Management and is considered to be the key ingredient to meeting FPDS tool needs.
In order to implement this program, the car manufacturer standardized the entire company on Artisan Master Series from SDRC (Milford, OH). "We couldn't do what we wanted with our old systems, which were predominately developed internally," says Arbitter. So after an exhaustive study of CAD/CAM/CAE tools, he and his colleagues chose Master Series. "This was the only program that provided an integrated CAD/CAM/CAE enterprise environment. Most important to us was that the environment was knit together with a world-class PIM system, SDRC Metaphase. Finding an environment that had this level of integration and the ability to support the scale and global needs of Ford was extremely difficult."
Prior to this, Ford engineers used three different CAD systems and a number of CAE systems. "Finding data across a global network and translating that data into your tool would not allow us to achieve the quality and speed our customers were demanding," says Arbitter. "Now we're all on the same tool." When Arbitter, a Chassis design manager, meets with powertrain and body people to talk about common design and information management processes, they're all on the same page, with the same frame of reference.
Arbitter says the company's biggest hurdles have been ramping up fast enough to keep pace with Ford's aggressive new model development plans and assisting the supply base in getting proficient on C3P. "We would like to have our supplier community exchange SDRC's Ideas geometry. We haven't achieved 100% yet, but we are making great progress."
Quality is better, says Arbitter. "Having a Digital Buck means catching problems years in advance. We are finding hundreds of concerns in compatibility reviews today that we normally wouldn't haven't seen until a year from now." The reason is that all the parts are in front of the engineer. He or she can immediately see how the parts fit, how they are integrated and what manufacturing considerations are important. This helps overall production costs and shortens time-to-market.
Manufacturing is a major focus as well, says Arbitter. "The interface between myself and the powertrain and body person is the same level of interface between myself and manufacturing. We can say right away, what are the implications if this part goes here? What are the tools needed to make it happen? How can we reuse tools and fixtures?" This saves time and money in the long run, because problems are identified right away.
The first real time and savings difference Ford has seen is for the next-generation sport utility vehicles, such as the Explorer and Expedition. There are different levels of C3P implementation on various vehicle programs relative to Digital Buck, says Arbitter. "Today, we are very good at mechanical packaging. The next generation is the occupant side--how a human relates to the digital prototype by simulating virtual seating comfort, reach, and vision.
"We are encouraged by all the TV and magazine commercials we've seen from other automotive companies bragging about analytical and virtual capability, things we were doing four and five years ago," Arbitter says. "The whole program worked out better than I anticipated. SDRC and EAI Engineering Animation Inc. have been outstanding partners. It has not been easy, but it is a must if we are going to meet the needs of our customers and shareholders." Laurie Peach, Associate Editor
No more library trips for patent information
London--Governments grant more than 1 million patents each year. Sixty percent of these are for engineering alone. So how is an engineer supposed to keep up?
It may be easier than you think. Derwent, founded in 1951, offers abstracted patents through a variety of media, including paper, CD-ROM, Internet, and commercial on-line hosts such as Orbit and Dialog. Derwent covers patents from 40 major countries, and has an in-house team of 350 people who produce abstracts for the 20,000 patents granted each week. Each 100- to 150-word abstract is provided in English, translated from 20 different languages. The summary explains the novelty, application, and advantage of the invention in an easy-to-read format, says Rob Adams, product development manager of the engineering sector within Derwent.
There are many reasons for needing patent information, says Adams. The most obvious is for research and development, where engineers can identify trends and see how others solved the problem that they may have. "Before, companies had a patent department whose job was to get patent information for the engineers," he continues. "This is changing. Engineers are now more interested in searching for patent information themselves, a result of the power of the Internet." In addition, patents are useful for competitor tracking, technology tracking, and infringement awareness.
"Patents are increasingly seen as assets in the company," he says. "Many companies now use their patents portfolio much more effectively, licensing off patented technology that is not core to their business, thus generating income from and for the expensive R&D process."
Small companies also need an aggressive patenting strategy to support and protect their innovation. That was the case with Heartstream Inc. (Seattle, WA), a company started five years ago to develop and market the world's smallest automatic external defibrillator for emergency response to sudden cardiac arrest.
"Competing with such well respected companies as Physio-Control and Laerdal, we knew that a critical part of our success relied upon the strength of our patent position," says Cecily Snyder, patent agent for Heartstream. Snyder used Derwent's World Patent Index to track innovation in the defibrillator industry, spot technical trends, survey patent applications filed by competitors, and provide research necessary to help Heartstream patent its own inventions. The company now holds 17 U.S. patents with more pending.
To keep costs down, Snyder used Derwent's Web-based program, Patent ExplorerTM. "Using the dial-up service for patent research and paying for every second on-line was very distracting," she says. "Patent Explorer allows me to stop worrying about the time I'm spending and focus on my research."
Derwent also covers international patents. This is an advantage, says Adams, because the U.S. Patent Office currently only publishes when the patent is examined--a process that can take up to three years. "France, Germany, and Japan publish unexamined applications much quicker--usually within 18 months. A company may see its competitor coming out with a patent in other countries first."
Snyder searches both U.S. and European patents, examines the full text of the patents, and orders documents, all over the Internet. "Patent Explorer also gives me a very cost effective way of getting patent copies when I need them immediately."
Derwent also offers a range of industry-focused profiles. Published once a month, abstracters compile a set of technology-related patents on subjects such as braking systems and navigational systems in the automotive industry, or software and computer-aided design. These products provide engineers with a good source of current current information on their specific field of interest.
Presently, the company offers abstracts of 16 million patents blanketing all technologies. If you want to save yourself a trip to the library, visit the company's web site at www.derwent.com. Laurie Peach, Associate Editor
Tonneau cover tough, but gentle
Elkhart, IN--"The world's first all-engineered-plastic tonneau cover." That's how Prodesign touts its latest offering for Ford pickups.
"We believe that engineered plastics are the future for tonneau covers," says Abe Newman, director of sales and marketing for Viking Formed Products, Prodesign's parent company and a division of Coachmen Industries Inc. "Plastic is more flexible, lighter, and easier to work with than fiberglass. A plastic tonneau cover also is easier to install and remove."
The new cover weighs only 83 lb, significantly less than the average 125 to 150 lb for traditional fiberglass covers. A 0.015-inch cap of weatherable polymer provides a high-gloss, Class A surface and UV and impact resistance. It consists of a Centrex® 825 weatherable polymer outerlayer and a substrate made from Lustran® ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene). Bayer Corp.'s Polymers Div. (Pittsburgh) supplied both materials for the project.
"We wanted the best possible materials so that we could offer our customers the best tonneau cover on the market today," Newman adds. "We refused to settle for a resin that would not last. Bayer had the most to offer us in materials, service, and durability."
SPARTECH Corp. (Clayton, MO) co-extrudes the Centrex and Lustran sheets, which are sent to Prodesign for thermoforming into the 6- 3 4-ft cover. A separate, thermoformed Lustran ribbed support structure attaches underneath the cover for added strength.
The finished cover can be custom-colored to match the vehicle. A screwless clamping system secures it to the Ford pickup. Hinges installed midway up the cover connect to a gas-assist light-support system.
As a testament to its durability, the cover comes with a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty. Prodesign will offer other models for full-size domestic trucks by the end of the year.
Polymer protects vital antilock brake components
Tylertown, MS--It took a three-mold process to do it, but Multicraft Technology produced a commutator brush assembly for ITT Automotive's MK20 four-wheel, antilock brake system (ABS) that keeps out harsh under-car environments, while maintaining the electrical integrity of the vital braking mechanism.
The multi-layer molding job relies on a polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resin to provide the added protection for the part. ITT Automotive engineers selected the 40% glass-fiber-reinforced PPS for its heat stability, ability to hold dimensional tolerances, and its electrical insulating capabilities. Phillips Chemical Co. (Bartlesville, OK) supplied the Ryton® R-4 02 PPS for the project.
The complex molding process begins with a brass contact grid plate with two wires welded onto it like "rabbit ears." "That's the easy part," says Roger Latham, Multicraft general manager.
This is followed by a layer of Ryton molded over the brass plate that's scored in five places on each side while still hot. "Those five slits create a gap allowing the PPS to fill the void," Latham explains. "Due to the dielectrical strength of the material, the slits are completely isolated, eliminating electrical arcing."
Multicraft's automated manufacturing system uses a robotic arm that rotates 180 degrees to place the PPS-covered brass plate--at 500F--into a second mold that applies a liquid silicon rubber (LSR) overmold at 300F to the plate. "Chemically, polyphenylene sulfide and silicon are not compatible, making the bonding process difficult," Latham notes. However, Multicraft has enhanced this bonding technique to create "a unique process."
Each assembly undergoes an electrical test that involves spring force, continuity, and 1,000V high-pot tests. The contract grid plates are tested several times along the assembly line to ensure they meet specifications.
The compact ITT Automotive system weighs only 6.5 lbs, including the pump, electric motor, valve block, and electronics. The electronic regulator is coupled to the ABS valves with magnetic coils, eliminating breakable wiring between the computer and valves.
Composite parts perk up printer auger
Rochester, NY--Ever find your company ready to roll out a new product, then discover key components wouldn't fill out in the mold during processing? Eastman Kodak had such an experience when neighboring component-maker Amplaco Corp. began molding toner augers for Kodak copiers.
Amplaco used a glass-fiber-reinforced polycarbonate composite specified by Kodak for the augers. However, the molder soon discovered that the parts did not fill out in the mold. The molder's best efforts resulted in short shots, flash (due to excessive pressure), poor surface finish, and unacceptable processing parameters.
The solution: Thermocomp DF-EF, also a glass-fiber-reinforced polycarbonate composite, but designated EP for "Exceptional Processing." Supplied by LNP Engineering Plastics (Exton, PA), the composite contains a proprietary set of additives that matched the molder's processing needs--without changing molds or equipment.
"These augers are a complicated part to mold," the molder states. "They are long and have some very thin sections. Because of the design, we were high and the part was short. We needed to use 1,800 psi second-stage injection pressure to even partially fill the parts. The much better flow characteristics of Thermocomp allowed us to fill the sections, and we now have a full part."
In the printer, the toner tends to work better when it's kept mixed at a high speed. That's the function of the augers. The part basically consists of a shaft with a series of paddles attached at different angles over its length. The paddles run against each other to keep the toner well blended.
"Surface finish is essential for parts in close contact with toner material," according to the molder. "It's important that the toner flows smoothly over these paddles. With the original material, we had paddles that were short and very rough. With Thermocomp, we have nice, clean flow and neat, clean surfaces."
Gel protects electronic devices
San Ysidro, CA--Electronics in general are getting so small that even a modest amount of contamination can be a problem, says Shirley Powers, VP and director of quality at Comair Rotron. That makes the job of protecting the device's electronics from moisture and corrosion--and making sure they pass salt fog testing--even more critical.
Because of its small size, figuring out how to protect Comair Rotron's cooling fan design used in cellular base stations (the outdoor repeating stations sometimes located atop tall mono-poles) was especially complicated. "Part of the problem was a dimensional constraint," Powers explains. "There's an air gap of only 0.025 or at most 0.030 inch between the motor and the rotating hub in the design.
"Some of the materials we tried may have passed the salt fog testing if we applied a thicker layer of protective coating, but with that small space we didn't have that option," she continues. "We needed something that would provide the necessary protection with a thin coat and still permit easy assembly."
Powers estimates that Comair Rotron engineers evaluated 30 material formulations of various chemistries before choosing 3-4207 silicone dielectric gel from Dow Corning (Midland, MI). Comair fills custom-designed molds by injecting the material through a small hole in the fan motor's pcb. The gel completely encapsulates the entire motor assembly, forming approximately a 1/8-inch coating over the windings, pcb, components, and lead connections. After a 20-minute cure, the resulting footprint is just slightly larger.
Powers says the flexibility of the cured formulation is important in this application. It allows lead wires to be manipulated during assembly without forming the microscopic cracks that can develop in more rigid dielectric materials. "The cured coating is tough, yet it's so flexible that lead wires can be moved without breaking the seal," Powers says. That's crucial, she adds, since sealing out water and salt helps maintain device performance and extend longevity.
Copper chips ship
Fishkill, NY--Less than a year after announcing that it had developed a way to use copper for volume semiconductor manufacturing, IBM is shipping a 400-MHz copper-based microprocessor. The company claims these devices are the world's first copper chips to ship.
Copper technology has provided PowerPC 740 and 750 chips with significantly higher clock speeds, lower power consumption, and smaller die sizes than their aluminum-based predecessors. Designers can incorporate the new devices into current PowerPC 740/750 designs without modification. Thus, electronics manufacturer can readily increase speed and battery life of their end products without the usual costly design changes.
Aluminum has long been the standard material for semiconductor wiring. Copper is a much better conductor, but working it to make semiconductors has proved difficult. The element is difficult to deposit in layers several atoms thick, and copper atoms can "contaminate" the underlying silicon layer.
IBM's technology uses a barrier layer between the silicon and copper to prevent contamination, a thin copper seed layer to facilitate laying down the copper layer, and chemical-mechanical planarization to polish off excess copper.
The PowerPC 750 is available now, and the 740 will be shipping in the first quarter of 1999. IBM has also announced several other copper initiatives, including building copper chips for other companies through its foundry services and incorporating copper into its S/390, RS/600, and AS/400 server families.
Micro-controller finds a new haunt
Schaumburg, IL--"Ghoul" help is hard to find. Just ask Bob and Alan Quig of Mundelein, IL. Their haunted house has been a popular Halloween attraction since 1994, but with trouble finding dependable employees to maintain the house, they recently decided to turn to automation. Who they gonna call? Omron!
The brothers needed a control system they could install quickly, as it was late September. Ideally, the Quigs wanted to control the animation in four different rooms from a single location that would keep wiring and costs to a minimum. Kiser Controls (Burr Ridge, IL), their valves and cylinders supplier, suggested the SRM1 micro network controller from Omron Electronics (Schaumburg, IL).
Essentially a device-level bus, SRM1 allows users to localize their I/O points along a high-speed (750 kbps) network. This distributed configuration reduces the amount and complexity of wiring anywhere. It measures 110 3 40 3 60 mm (about the size of a deck of cards) and offers up to 128 inputs and outputs.
It's also small and quick. The SRM1 has a communication cycle time of 0.8 ms or less, and a maximum of 256 I/O points with no software required. The user applies power, wires the I/Os, sets node addresses via a dip switch, and the system is ready, says Jerric Ortiz, PLC product marketing specialist for Omron. Ideal applications are any involving large physical differences and high I/O demand.
The SRM1 proved to be an ideal solution for the Quigs, "lifting spirits" literally. They installed the controller with ease and within a couple of days had it up and running without problems. Since they used only a fraction of the 256 I/O points available, the Quigs have plenty of capacity to add more special effects. To judge by last year's attendance--about 5,000, three times greater than the previous year--expansion is key. "With the increased traffic we had in here this past season, the automation really helped things run smoothly," says Bob Quig.
So, what's in store this year for the haunted house? A new "trick" that's a treat: synchronized sound to go with cylinder movement, say the Quigs. Talk about "symmetry, no, cemetery in motion!"
Practical punch
Göteborg, Sweden--Sting? Yes, Sting. Flying into the Scandinavian summer for a preview drive of Volvo's new flagship, the S80 sedan, it's hard not to notice the "fields of gold" laid out across western Sweden. Thus, after landing, the song of the same name runs through my brain while I'm waiting for a briefing on the sedan to begin for our group of auto writers. As we enter the presentation hall, the same music becomes real and a curtain rises on an S80 in light, metallic gold--the media relations folks have tuned into the obvious!
The S80 is the first car based on Volvo's new large platform. Others to follow, but not necessarily versions of the sedan, company officials point out, include one with all-wheel drive and a possible wagon.
This is definitely not your papa's bil (auto)! Flowing lines surround a spacious cabin for five. The roofline, particularly in the dark colors, is very Jaguar-esque. The distinct bluff rear end is accented by the car's hallmark--two muscular tail lights.
Available in early 1999, Dynamic Stability and Traction Control features low-cost dual tuning-fork yaw-rate sensors for preventing skids. The system applies brakes on the appropriate wheels, and reduces engine power, if needed.
I'm told by Doug Frasher, ex-NASA wind-tunnel engineer and designer responsible for the S80's shape, that the sharp trunk-lid edge cuts drag. He headed the California-based S80 design-studio team. Frasher notes the abrupt cut to the tail causes airflow to break cleanly from the car--resulting in a drag coefficient of 0.28. A more rounded rear end causes this flow separation point to creep farther forward, due to increasing pressure, resulting in a larger base area of separated flow for greater drag.
Later in the presentation, the focus turns to interior features, for which we sit in rows of actual S80 driver's seats. These orthopedic-design seats, de rigueur with Volvo, produce the expected effect on the now nodding, jet-lagged journalists.
Start me up. Next morning, it's time to take to the coastal highways north of the city. I head out for an S80 powered by a 2.9l, 201-hp naturally aspirated engine, one of two available in the North American market. The other, the T6, is a twin-turbo 2.8l producing 268 hp. Aided by continuously variable valve timing (CVVT, camshaft angle governed by the engine-management system driving a hydraulic control valve) for the intake valves, the 2.9 has good low-end torque for acceleration. CVVT on the T6 is on the exhaust side to reduce emissions. These straight six engines are uniquely mounted transversely, giving passenger room and a larger front crumple zone, but necessitating an adroit, slim four-speed automatic gearbox supplied by General Motors.
Sliding into the leather seat, one of the best safety features I've ever seen hits me right in the eye--the driver's side mirror has convex curvature on its outer portion--voilà, no more blindspot to the left rear quarter! But, alas, boys and girls, my elation is for naught--this feature, required in many European countries, is not available in the U.S. According to the Volvo people: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) feels it would be too confusing for us Americans. (I make a note to buy one on my next trip overseas.)
Inside, the driver's view aft is also improved with the touch of a button on the dash--flipping the rear seat head rests forward. Unlike rearward retraction, anyone sitting in the rear has to move the head rest to the proper protective position.
Volvo (which means "I roll" in Latin) along the Euroroutes at 120 km/hour (75 mph) with ease. Those I pass, and those who pass me, eye the distinct un-Volvo-like looks. However, road noise is surprisingly apparent. A company spokesman says this is due to the hard rubber composition of the tires, combined with the large-size granite stone aggregate highway surfaces built to withstand the country's winters and studded tires. Different tires and smoother North American pavement cut this road noise in half, says Volvo. Their claim is born out when I later change lanes on a highway having one lane paved with an experimental or upgraded surface comparable to American roads--the noise reduction is dramatic.
Next, twisting country roads showcase the S80's handling. Rack-and-pinion steering, front-wheel drive, and multi-link rear axle, along with the inherent high torsional stiffness of the body, result in a car you just point and go.
Hot stuff. After lunch, the drive back to the city is in a rocket sled T6 with two small, low-inertia turbochargers, each feeding three cylinders. With a wide, flat torque-curve peak, highway speed is reached quickly. Passing is a breeze, especially with the neat "Tip" mode on the automatic transmission. Unfortunately for us diehard clutch jockeys, a manual gearbox will not be available in North America.
Heavy showers in this untypical summer are no problem. The Stability and Traction Control system, piggybacking on the anti-lock brake system, prevents wheel spin, by braking below 25 mph and reducing the throttle at higher speeds.
Volvo and ITT Automotive (Frankfurt, Germany) have developed dynamic control for skid prevention. As opposed to more costly laser gyros, to determine yaw rate via the Coriolis effect this system uses two, low-cost quartz tuning-fork sensors supplied by BEI Sensors' Systron Donner Inertial Div. (Concord, CA, DN 10/6/97, p. 119). Yaw rate, coupled with driver input (steering-wheel angle), lateral acceleration, and individual wheel speeds, determine if a skid is imminent. The sensors were first used as part of Cadillac's StabiliTrak control on some of its front-drive models in 1997, but only to selectively brake the front wheels.
Performance and handling, plus safety innovations, such as whiplash protection built into the front seats and the inflatable curtain that deploys along the interior roofline (protecting the heads of passengers, front and rear, in side impacts and rollovers) will give long-time Volvo owners the peace of mind they are used to when enjoying the S80. Rick DeMeis, Associate Editor
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