At the top of each hour, a proprietary controller sends a signal via RS-485 link to twin controllers, causing them to execute a motion profile program that drives each of two sculptures. A NEMA 34 stepper motor running in the open-loop mode in conjunction with a 15:1 right angle gearhead provides enough torque to drive the system. An open gear reduction of 5:1 between the gear-head output pinion and the slewing ring gear on the stage platen maintains a favorable inertia ratio between the rotating sculpture and the motor. This configuration allows the system to accelerate the sculptures at approximately 1 rev/sec2 to speeds in excess of 20 rpm when executing their motion profile. The completed rotary stage is repeatable to ±2 degrees, with most of the position error due to backlash in the open gearing comprising the final stage of the drive train. The easy programmability of the ZETA system allowed for a dynamic and realistic motion profile.
Inforbix is leveraging its CAD and product data access technology to power up a free iPad app that lets mobile users search and access engineering data.
Unlike his friends in engineering programs, blogger Jon Titus had little need for calculus except in a few of his college physical-chemistry labs and classes.
In the wake of the Chevy Volt fire investigations, sales are down, and General Motors' (GM) CEO Dan Akerson is blaming the downturn on a spate of bad publicity.
Thanks to embedded electronics, medical devices are getting smaller and smarter than ever. Pacemakers and implantable defibrillators are now able to call physicians. MRIs, CT scanners, and ultrasound machines are gaining mobility. And the venerable Band-Aid may soon be able to detect illnesses ranging from fevers to heart arrhythmias. On February 21, join Design News senior editor Charles Murray for a wide-ranging discussion, "Embedded Angles for Medical Products," which will explore the latest developments in medical electronics. The discussion will examine advances in medical device technology and offer an inside look at the embedded electronics behind it.
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