May
18, 1998 Design News
Designer's corner
Useful technology for your
idea file
Condensate cleaner
To reduce costs associated with meeting condensate
disposal regulations, the patented CSS (condensate separation
system) offers an efficient low-cost method for separating
lubricant from condensate for easy disposal.
To increase efficiencies, CSS uses the "heat of
compression" generated by the air compressor to
vaporize the water. Operators collect the oily waste
about once every quarter, and drain the clean condensate
(&5 ppm oily waste) into the sewer.
The system consumes about 1 cfm of compressed air and
enough electricity to run a small condenser fan motor.
In addition, during periods of slow condensate generation
the controller cycles the unit into a sleep mode to
conserve energy.
Ed Veda, Ingersoll-Rand Co., 253
E. Washington Ave., Washington NJ 07882-9988; Tel: (704)
896-4420.
Metallic microparticles
Currently, reflective-material manufacturers use reflective
strips sewn on apparel. In low-light settings these
strips appear to motorists as an unrecognizable series
of lines floating ahead at an uncertain distance.
To make it easier to identify the wearer's shape, location,
and distance, illumiNITEr apparel produces a 360-degree
reflective silhouette image of the wearer. Thousands
of metallic microparticles called sataLITE DISHr reflectors,
applied to fabric fibers, have a retroflective effect
when hit by a direct beam of light.
The new coating process produces reflective fabrics
which are functional, available in a variety of colors
and patterns, soft to the touch, washing-machine friendly,
and create a bright silhouette of the wearer's image
at dawn, dusk, and night.
Robert Rizika, reflective technologies
inc., 15 Tudor St., Cambridge, MA 02139; Tel: (617)
497-6171.
Moving-magnet linear motor
Eliminating slider cables prevents associated cable
fatigue. A magnet slider moves over stationary coil
assembly, and a built-in switching circuit energizes
only the coils directly below the magnets. The stationary
coil simplifies forced-cooling, increases heat dissipation,
and boosts continuous-force output.
Departing from an exposed-magnet-track design makes
operation safer and fixture design simpler. Without
steel laminations, the motor operates smoothly with
lower cogging and vibration effects. Optional built-in
encoder eliminates reader head and scale units, and
reduces assembly time.
Applications include material handling, pick-and-place,
winding machines, flying shear, metrology, and dispensing.
Stainless-steel version is available for pharmaceutical
and food and beverage applications.
Tom Schmidt, Anorad, 110 Oser Ave.,
Hauppauge, NY 11788; Tel: (516) 231-1995.
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