Highlights from the Hannover Fair

New technologies showcased

More than 300,000 professionals seeking the latest in technology innovations weren't disappointed at the Hannover Fair, held April 19-24, 1999. Found among 7,500 exhibitor stands: some of the most recent developments in materials, fluid power, motion control, electronics, and fasteners. Here's a look at some of the most exciting new products our editors saw at the show.

Materials innovations

KabelSchlepp displayed its new Series 0200 plastic drag chains, available with inner width of 6, 10, and 20 mm, for printer and plotter cables.

Among 26 new products in igus' Energy Chain® cable-carrier line is the "Rol-E-Chain," which reduces power consumption by up to 25% over distances as long as 800m.

Cronidur 30®, a new rolling bearing steel offered by FAG, delivers extreme hardness (more than 58 HRC) but also boasts high-temperature strength and corrosion resistance in environments like the Space Shuttle's fuel pumps.

SAC International drew attention with its "Laser Cut 964'' hard-surface coating (90-92 RC), which offers longer life for cutting tools, dies, and other high-wear components.

NSK's new TL bearing draws on a special steel and heat treatment to reduce inner ring failures in bearings used in high-temperature environments, such as paper-making.

INA introduced the ZSL cylindrical roller bearing, design series 1923, for shaft diameters ranging from 25 to 120 mm. Featuring plastic spacers between the rolling elements, the design delivers the high speed and low-friction guidance needed especially in vibration machines.

ContiTech introduced its new double-sided timing belts made of polychloroprene. These belts, types SYNCHROBELT and SYNCHROFORCE CXP, save space and weight and are primarily intended for applications such as office printing and textile machines.

New ideas in fluid power

Mahle's patent-pending Pi 113 fluid filter for machine tools features automatic back-flushing and integrated pre-separation--and requires no waste disposal.

Rexroth Mecman unveiled a new Mini-Slide series, available in diameters of 8 to 25 mm, that is designed to carry grippers, rotary elements, or power screw drivers for automatic assembly systems.

Firestone introduced its #258 compact 2-convolution air spring that provides tensioning and clamping for holding work pieces in assembly operations.

Miller Fluid Power showed its new MH series of ISO 6020-2 metric hydraulic cylinders with bore sizes ranging from 25 to 200 mm, 12 mounting styles, and pressures up to 210 Bar.

White Hydraulics' new BK10 hydraulic static brake for construction equipment installs fast--just by tightening four bolts and attaching the brake release line.

The PneuMoment^TM pneumatic actuator from Bimba carries high moment loads in a compact design that includes non-lube bearings and built-in tract for position-sensing switches.

One of the most interesting of the dozens of new products that Festo had on display was its Smart Soft Stop concept, which uses an end-position controller to achieve shorter travel times between mechanical stops and improves cushioning characteristics in the end positions. The end result? No more bang-bang.

DIN high-pressure filters were the focus of attention at the Parker Filtration booth this year. The filters feature a multi-layered filter MicroGlass II media that combines high efficiency with exceptional contaminant holding capacity.

Breakthroughs for motion control

Berkeley Process Control displayed its new "Alpine" machine controller. Measuring just 250 × 212 × 80 mm, the CE-certified device can control eight or more servo axes and includes Internet-enabled communications and expandable Ethernet I/O.

Bayside's Stealth RS planetary gearheads for stepper and servo motors deliver high torque, low backlash, and quiet operation in a compact right-angle package.

HDMA gearboxes from Harmonic Drive are gaining favor in such high-precision applications as an operating microscope used in brain surgery.

For packaging and converting machines, the low-backlash SP-High Speed^TM planetary gear from alpha gear drives offers more than 30,000 hours of continuous service at speeds of 4,500 rpm.

Kollmorgen featured its Servostar^TM series of high-voltage drives with 8 power ratings up to 70A

Pacific Scientific's new PMA series of brushless servo motors (330 to 640V) is aimed at packaging, semiconductor, and assembly markets.

In the field of keyless- shaft locking systems, Sumitomo Cyclo Europe exhibited the new Taper Grip® Bush which is claimed to handle up to 300% more torque than the previous model. The bush enables full gearbox rated torque to be transmitted without the need of a shaft key. It has been designed for easy removal for service and repair.

Brook Hansen showcased its redesigned drip-proof system in the K-frame range of motors. The K-Series delivers 70% locked rotor torque in a star connection which makes it interesting for compressor drives and centrifugal pumps.

Extending its range of linear motor technology, Baumuller just introduced a motor with a moving magnet construction. Advantages include high speed, high accuracy, and a high dynamic range.

Faulhaber Motoren showcased its new 1.9-mm micro-motor with an output power of 60 mW and maximum speed of 100,000 rpm. The addition fleshes out the company's line of small motors.

A manufacturer of linear slides and track systems, Hepco has just introduced a driven track system. The complete, off-the-shelf package includes the slides, carriages, and tracks.

Krauss Maffei extends its linear motor line with the LIMES BASIC motors, a line of compact motors offering thrusts of 200N to 19.8 kN and speeds of up to approximately 320 m/minute.

Spotlight on electronics

The new S21 sine-wave, flex-mount encoder from Hengstler is designed for brushless servo motors in high-speed applications, such as CNC or printing machines.

Targeted especially for food and beverage processing, the efector 600 temperature sensor by ifm electronic is easy to program and includes an integrated microprocessor with 7-segment display.

National Instruments displayed its new high-speed Ethernet network interface module for its FieldPoint intelligent modular I/O system. The benefit: fast remote data acquisition in operations with many I/O points.

Sick claims that its new CLP 100 is the smallest bar-code scanner on the market. With a scanning frequency of 800 Hz and reading distance of 400 mm, the device is being used in automated blood analysis machines

Carlingswitch featured its remotely operated hydraulic/magnetic switches for the telecommunications market. The device allows off-site personnel to test and reset breakers without sending in service workers.

A touchscreen that performs well even when used by workers who wear gloves? That is what Dynapro offers in its patented new near field imaging^TM sensor screen .

Turck demonstrated its new programmable digital pressure gauge, which is available in four different ranges up to 400 bar. Apart from the four-figure, seven-segment display of pressure in bar or psi, an analog bar-display is also provided. The device includes two set points and two transistor outputs for use in the transmitter mode.

In the field of sensors, Bernstein introduced its M18 range of optical sensors which feature programmable output functions. The sensors can be used to detect transparent materials such as plastic beakers, blister packs, and glass ampoules.

The ultimate hardware store

Dirak is offering a new industrial cabinet hinge with a "detent" feature, allowing a door to be held in a closed position or open at an angle of about 90 or 180 degrees.

Rogan showed its new "Pure Touch" rubber clamping knobs, which feature a soft-touch outer surface over a durable glass-filled polypropylene inner structure.

Southco's M3 multi-point compression system allows the user to drive several remote latches along the edge of a cabinet door from one actuation point.

Hoffman Schroff showcased its new case and accessories for CompactPCI systems, including an economical fan cooling system designed to beat the heat. A patented injector/extractor handle is designed specifically to support Hot Swap.

Last but not least, Rittal unveiled its new TS 8 enclosure system. Based on a new symmetrical profile, the frame provides 30% more frame stability, a boon for applications involving heavy loading of the enclosure.