Diary from the Design ShowDiary from the Design Show
May 4, 1998
May 4, 1998 Design News
THE NATIONAL DESIGN ENGINEERING SHOW
Diaries from the Design Show
Editors report on hot technology trends to emerge from the biggest design engineering show of the year
See what you missed at this year's show by checking out our exclusive coverage of the entire show at www.manufacturing.net/nmw98
CHICAGO--Like many of his counterparts, Ray Ferriss, a senior design engineer at Fellowes, came to the National Design Engineering Show looking for ideas.
"We're in the process of redesigning a new line of paper shredders, and I'm here to see what's new, what technologies we might be able to apply," Ferriss told Design News, joking that Ollie North himself might be surprised at the recent advances in shredding equipment. "Basically, I don't want to get blind-sided the next time something new comes along."
Engineers weren't the only ones searching for the latest technological advancements at the National Design Engineering Show, March 16-19, 1998. Design News sent a team of editors out to scour the aisles of the show, looking for the latest technology advancements and trends. Here's their notes on what they found--in case you missed the show, or are just trying to make sense of it all.
COMPUTERS
Cheaper, more powerful workstations
by Laurie Peach, Associate Editor
Workstations are clearly the rage for computer hardware companies preparing to take advantage of the lucrative CAD market.
Intergraph Computer Systems, for example, debuted the RealiZM II 3D graphics system for their TDQ 2000 ViZual Workstation. "The availability of high-performance MCAD software for Windows NT is revolutionizing the MCAD industry, and Intergraph is leading the charge on the hardware side with our powerful workstations," says Rob Esterling, executive director for PCs and workstations. "We offer the fastest Windows NT systems on the market."
The Intergraph system handles extremely large, complex models, allowing for shading and texture, without impacting performance. Yet, its cost is a major selling point, Esterling says. "If you want to drive a Cadillac at Chevy prices, buy a TDZ 2000," he claims. "The performance and features will still be competitive in two years."
Known for its low-cost boxes for the Windows consumer market, Gateway debuted its E-5000 Workstation, shipped with Windows NT preloaded. With a 333 MHz Pentium II processor, 128 Mb SDRAM DIMM ECC, the Intel LX 440 xchip set with Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) technology, the box sells for approximately $4,000.
"We are one of the lowest, if not the lowest in any price configuration for workstations out there," says Craig Marzolf, marketing manager.
One of the only companies not to pay homage to Microsoft, Sun Microsystems demonstrated its answer to the personal workstation at PC prices: The Ultra? 5 and Ultra 10 workstations, also called the Darwin line, which operate on a UNIX platform.
The Ultra 5, starting at $2,995, comes equipped with a 270 MHz UltraSPARCTM IIi RISC processor; 256 external cache; 64 Mbyte of memory expandable to 512 Mbyte; a 4.3 Gbyte hard drive; 8-bit accelerated graphics; and three PCI I/O slots. The Ultra 10, starting at $6,395, has a 300 Mhz UltraSPARCIIi processor; 512 kbyte of external cache; 64 Mbyte of memory expandable to 1 Gbyte; a 4.3 Gbyte hard drive; creator graphics; and four PCI slots.
"Sun Microsystems' new workstations demonstrate that reports of the demise of the UNIX workstations have been greatly exaggerated," says industry analyst Peter Ffoulkes of Dataquest. "With this system, Sun has once again placed itself in a leadership position in the price-performance game, causing many UNIX users to question the wisdom of migrating to Windows NT anytime soon."
ELECTRONICS
Components get simpler, more versatile
by Rick DeMeis, Associate Editor
Aiming for greater flexibility and ease-of-use, electronics manufacturers are broadening their product lines.
Efector introduced a series of products for Actuator Sensor-interface (AS-i) bus systems--including master controller modules, slave connection modules, power supplies, cables, and software. These modular devices allow users to interconnect standard efector proximity switches, photoelectric devices, and flow and pressure switches on simple, two-wire buses to nearby slaves with standard wiring.
Mitsubishi Electric Automation is widening its range, too--most notably with computerized numeric control, robots, variable-frequency drives, programmed logic controllers (PLCs), and PC-based control products. Citing faith in the future of PLCs, company representative Trayton Jay sees integrated environments in the future.
Putting its money where its mouth is, Mitsubishi had on display what it calls SupermicroTM PLC, the compact FX2N family. Keys to the device's versatility are the 60 kHz counting and 20 kHz pulse outputs and an expandable memory.
Electronics manufacturers are also aiming to make end products easier to use. New color LCD panels, the VT-30 models, introduced by Aromat, illustrate the advancements in operator interfaces. Vincent Fuggetta, assistant general manager of automation controls, demonstrated the ease of using the 6.2 3 5.0-inch panels. A touch-screen and function switch version are available, with a 120-degree viewing angle.
Touch Controls displayed its large plasma touch screens, developed to meet robust U.S. Navy standards and now on the market for civilian use. Wielding a screw driver, VP James Watford repeatedly rapped the flat panels to demonstrate their resistance to shock loading.
Ease-of-use was also evident in new test and measurement equipment. Fluke Corp.'s ScopeMetersTM provide some oscilloscope-like functions by giving users waveform shapes as well as information in a traditional digital multimeter (DMM) format. According to Peter Walle, of Fluke's electronic test tools group, the T-5 model measures current by positioning a wire between the device's forks rather than having to break the circuit.
Another trend, simplified wiring, means neater, and easier-to-assemble products and systems. Direct circuit-board-to-field connections were among the products Phoenix Contact introduced. Typified by the Varioface automation-device front adapters, they enable transition from I/O cards to ribbon cable pin strips for system cable connection directly to the cards.
FLUID POWER
Fluid power focuses on safety, environment
by Charles J. Murray, Senior Regional Editor
If you're like most people, the terms "safety" and "environment" conjure up images of sport airbags, seat belts, or reduced emissions.
The terms took on a different connotation at the National Design Engineering Show. In the booths of the world's biggest manufacturers of fluid power equipment, safety meant no oil leakage, no slippery puddles on factory floor, and no piles of oil-absorbing kitty litter. And environment meant...well, the same thing. As it turns out, users of farming and construction equipment don't want leakage any more than industrial users do. To them, it means contamination and costly clean-ups.
"Hydraulic leakage is becoming intolerable," notes Brian Smith, products sales manager, Parker Hannifin's tube fittings division. "You have the hazards and cost of environmental clean-up, not to mention the problems of people slipping and falling."
At the Parker Hannifin booth, engineers demonstrated the company's efforts to curb oil leakage by showing FE, FF, and NS Series non-spill couplings. They employ a valve on each side, along with a flush face design that prevents oil drippage. Used on such equipment as Bobcat skid steer loaders, the couplings eliminate the problem of oil spillage each time the couplings are disconnected. Parker Hannifin engineers estimate that they save approximately 1/2 ounce of oil per disconnect.
Safety was also the theme at CEJN Industrial Corp., which demonstrated its Ultra-ASI Series connections. They offer a special twist-and-release safety feature, which forces users to perform two separate and distinct operations before disconnecting a fitting at very high pressures.
Oilair Hydraulics also introduced an accumulator unloading valve. The unloading valve, or "safety block," as it's known, mounts between the accumulator and the main hydraulic system of a machine. It thus enables users to de-pressurize the system before they perform maintenance. "It's exactly like throwing the main switch of an electrical system," notes Oilair's Ron Gordon.
Taking a slightly different tack, Bosch Automation Technology demonstrated its all-aluminum structural framing systems, which can be used as safety guards for all kinds of hydraulic machinery. The framing, which consists of bolt-together extruded aluminum elements, can be used as a frame to contain wire mesh, sliding doors, or clear plastic windows around a machine. It also can serve as a slide table for Cartesian robotic products.
MATERIALS
Materials developers push the envelope
by Anna Allen, Staff Editor and Christine Ferrara, New Products Editor
Engineers are looking to materials manufacturers to solve specific application problems. And from what we saw at the show, manufacturers are responding with versatile new material formulations.
Rogers Corp., for example, has expanded its high-performance elastomer technology to meet the need for smaller, lighter product designs, especially in the wireless communications market.
At the show, Rogers introduced PORON 4701-50 materials,
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