To the prospective owner who tries out current models at several dealerships, small changes in the location of controls, parking brake, seat position or contour, or instrument panel position often tip the scale in favor of one car over another. To help automotive development engineers capture "the right feel," Prefix Corp. (Rochester Hills, MI) has patented an adjustable prototype development device called a Programmable Vehicle Model (PVM). The PVM is outfitted to appear like a vehicle. Each functional element (seat, roof pillar, steering wheel, etc.) can be moved to emulate different trial designs within ±1/2 mm. Positions of all the elements are monitored and updated with Prefix's control software. Individual elements are mounted on bearing rails using ball screws to move them, via stepper motors, in two or three dimensions. Thus, spatial relationships of, say, the seat to the instrument panel, can be adjusted so that visibility or knee room can be changed. A computerized measuring device, known as the FaroArm, made by Faro Technologies Inc. (Lake Mary, FL), confirms the ergonomics. The arm scans the previously positioned interior and creates a drawing of the desired interior package. FAX Stefanie L. Curylo at (407) 333-4181 (T).
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New disc magnet motors fit into the design trend of stepping up to closed loop performance while maintaining the cost advantage of stepper motor technology.
At the Design News webinar on June 27, learn all about aluminum extrusion: designing the right shape so it costs the least, is simplest to manufacture, and best fits the application's structural requirements.
A new battery design, which replaces lithium with abundant and low-cost elemental sulfur, is still in its nascent stages but shows real promise for giving batteries more energy potential.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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