At a time when the U.S. is battling to get manufacturing moving again, many vendors at Germany's giant Hannover Industrial Fair (www.hannovermesse.de) reported brisk business. Editors from Design News and Global Design News combined forces in a week-long effort to discover the most important new product unveilings among the fair's 27 technology halls and 7,000 international exhibitor companies. Here is what they found:

Automation technologies

Programmable control/distributed I/O, core networks, operator interface, motion control, standard drives, power and protection...Rockwell Automation touted its commitment to "Complete Automation," or the company's ability to bring together an integrated architecture and world-class products by working closely with its global partners (Enter 563)...In focus at the Phoenix Contact stand: the company's strategy concerning Ethernet, and its wide range of associated products such as Factory Line switches for a direct Ethernet connection in the control cabinet (Enter 564)...Two Siemens Groups, Automation & Drives (A & D) plus Industrial Solutions and Services (I & S), took advantage of this year's Hannover Fair to showcase new e-business tools. For information about how IT integration at Siemens advances automation through e-business, (Enter 565)...Xstart, Moeller's networkable motor-starter, demonstrated the trend in automation away from parallel wiring, and towards using a Fieldbus. Xstart reduces plant downtimes by allowing the exchange of individual modules while the process is operating, without the need to interrupt other modules (Enter 566)...GE Fanuc Automation introduced its VersaMax(TM) CPUE05 with embedded Ethernet, a low-end high-performance programmable logic controller CPU (Enter 567).

Fluid power

More than 300 employees manned the Festo stand. Needless to say, stand visitors could view a range of pneumatic products for just about any application they could imagine. One theme among many: Micro System Technic, or the development of highly miniaturized systems in which various complex functions of mechanical, electronic, optical, and other elements combine in a single complete unit (Enter 568)...On display at the phd stand was a rotary actuator with internal air supply and sensors for gripper applications. Internal airways eliminate the need for external tubing (Enter 569)...Enidine introduced a new line of compact wire rope vibration isolators with load capacities ranging from 0.099 to 75 lbs. Target applications include disk drives, medical equipment, and mobile electronics (Enter 570)...There are few trade-offs with Bimba's compact PneuMoment pneumatic actuator. Although small, it has the capacity to carry high moment loads. Options include magnetic position sensing (Enter 571)...Hydraforce presented its SP series valves that provide proportional speed and directional control for hydraulic cylinders and motors. The valves accommodate pressures up to 240 bar/3,500 psi (Enter 572)...Nexen has extended its Eclipse line of brakes with the Linear Motion Brake, designed for use with linear motors, belt-drive, ball-screw, and linear-motor stages. The spring-engaged air-release brake provides holding power in a power-off situation (Enter 573)...On display at Ametek's stand was its new DurA-tek 76-mm brushless dc seal-less pump, designed for long life. The rugged design offers protection from hot-water spray, rain, and humidity, and other environmental contaminants (Enter 574).

Drives and Controls

Bosch Rexroth, a merger of Bosch Automation Technology and Mannesmann Rexroth, demonstrated a hollow shaft linear drive system, type MHS 40. In this system, the spindle remains stationary so that the rotating mass is reduced-a particular advantage for long travel distances. Speeds as high as 394 ft/min can be obtained with this configuration (Enter 575)...Added to Baldor's Mint motion control language toolkit: a product designed to support machinery and automation OEMs. The programming tool incorporates new multi-tasking capability and a virtual machine environment (Enter 576)...GE Fanuc debuted its machine edition of CIMPLICITY, a machine-based HMI, motion, and control technology specifically designed for real-time, collaborative manufacturing. The software employs an object-oriented shell that provides a common user interface across all applications (Enter 577)...Fagor Automation announced its latest product family, the servo motor digital positioning drive. Offering servo positioning plus PLC drives in one package, the products are available with many different options and features (Enter 578)...Especially targeted to the materials handling market, a new control systems solution from Lenze incorporates its INSATronic decentralized motor controller, its starttec motor switch, and motec frequency inverter (Enter 579)...WAGO used the Hannover Fair to present their HCNet that replaces a conventional PLC by combining decentralized programmable components to form a control unit. The main system is based on WAGO's 750 I/O System incorporating programmable Fieldbus controllers. Programming of the application is carried out in accordance with the standard IEC 61131-3 (Enter 580)...Parker CTC exhibited its line of PowerStations, scalable PC-based control centers with built-in HMI, control software, and Ethernet connectivity. Key target: packaging machines (Enter 581).

Electrical and electronics

Wiedmuller, the company that introduced the terminal block for electrical engineering technology more than 50 years ago, displayed many new products, including its SL-SMT printed-circuit board pin headers. Temperature stable to 260C, these eliminate manual and wave soldering to lower cost in the SMT manufacturing process (Enter 582)...A new line of PC-M pressure controls rounds out TURCK's family of robust metal housings. Based on piezo-resistive ceramic measuring cell technology, the devices accommodate a wide range of pressures (Enter 583)...Visitors to Crouzet's stand saw the company's new V5 sub-subminiature micro-switch. Measuring 12.7 x 5.8 x 6.5 mm, it comes in two versions: 3A 125V ac, and 50 mA 30V dc. Both are available with 150 or 75g actuating forces (Enter 584)...WAGO showcased two new couplers based on proven fieldbus protocols: The PROFIBUS coupler, which supports the DP/VQ services and is available both as a classic coupler or as a controller. The CANopen coupler supports all standards in accordance with the CANopen communication profile (Enter 585)...ATM is targeting its sealed PS 20 Posichron positioning sensor for harsh environments, such as wood processing equipment (Enter 586)...The new YT/XT series of digital measuring sensors by Wenglor can operate in ranges up to 100 meters and are particularly suitable for applications in paper and printing machines (Enter 587)...From boiling water into ice cold water- such temperature shocks are no problem for the efectorm series of inductive proximity switches that were displayed on the ifm electronic booth. The sensor has a reinforced, one-part stainless steel housing and uses Victrex PEEK synthetic material for effective sealing against aggressive cleaning agents (Enter 588)...Schmersal drew plenty of visitors to its demonstration of a new elevator positioning system designed for distances up to 120 meters, suitable for about 95% of elevator applications (Enter 589)...Anyone forgetting the importance of sliprings would be pleasantly surprised at Scheifring's booth. Here, sliprings for optical fiber applications through to heavy-duty current types were shown. A complex design of slipring configurations for a computer tomography scanner with both heavy-duty tracks for powering the scanner and non-contact tracks for transmitting the digital data could also be seen (Enter 590)...The new DVT SmartReader offers barcode, 2-D data matrix, and optical character recognition for about $3,000 (Enter 591).

Assembly and fastening

A microcontroller-based climate control system with climate control doors is now available for Rittal's TS8 enclosure system.

The control system regulates internal temperature, monitors compressor current and other key parameters (Enter 603)...Schroff's new cabinet control system, the CCS20, controls temperature, humidity, and vibration. The server-enabled system also maintains a traffic log and a surveillance camera (Enter 604)...The new M3 multi-point compression latch from Southco delivers consistent compression along an entire door edge and features five methods of actuation (Enter 605)...Dirak's flush-mounted lever latches with release buttons are designed for quick installation in enclosure and machine tool applications. An adjustment screw in the pawl makes it possible to set the system for use with various door depths (Enter 606).

Power transmission

Federal Mogul highlighted DEVA-Metal, a self-lubricating bearing material manufactured by advanced powder metallurgy. Stronger than oil-impregnated porous bronze materials, DEVA-Metal is suitable for dry running at slow sliding speeds and high loads (Enter 592)...The Drylin XUM linear bearing from igus is chemical resistant and can operate at temperatures up to 250C (Enter 593)...Need high torque in a compact package? Look into Alpha Gear's TP-High Torque, which achieves more than twice the torque with the same size as conventional planetary gear reducers (Enter 594)...FAG had its X-life range of bearings on show. These feature the use of high nitride steel for extending the material fatigue life and ceramic rolling elements for reduced mass, permitting higher speeds (Enter 595)...On display at Bayside's stand was its new, direct-drive rotary stage, which features an inside-out brushless dc motor that achieves 500 rpm with significant torque (Enter 596)...New timing belts from ContiTech included the heavy-duty Conti Synchroforce(R) CXPIII for highly stressed high-speed mechanical engineering drives, and the Synchroforce(R) CXA III for drives with high torques (Enter 597)...mG miniGears showcased the company's unique ability to combine machined metal and powder metal technologies in the high-volume manufacture of spur, helical, and spiral bevel gearsets (Enter 598)...Can it be possible to offer a Micro Harmonic Drive(R) Gear just 1 mm in height and 8-mm diameter? Showgoers saw just that at the Harmonic Drive AG booth (Enter 599)...THK displayed its miniature series SRS linear module featuring caged ball technology. Rail widths of 9, 12, and 15 mm allow mounting in small spaces (Enter 600)...Belts and pulleys for industrial applications filled the Dayco Europe stand. Among the highlights were two new product lines: Abrasion-resistant RPP tooth belts and PV belts to satisfy the requirements of ceramic industries (Enter 601)...The SKF "Total Shaft Solution" demonstration featured many components customers need to drive industrial machinery. One example: Insocoat, an electrically insulated bearing to prevent electrical current passage (Enter 602).