Tools of the trade

Handbooks and guides

Safe Machinery with opto-electronic protection. This 51-page technical guide offers a wealth of information on safety options. Contact SICK at (800) 325-7425 or www.sickoptic.com.

Spray nozzle maintenance handbook. Spraying System's 56-page handbook features problem/solutions, application information, and descriptive charts. A handy worksheet helps determine costs of an inefficient spray operation. Call (800) 95-SPRAY.

An introduction to ball bearings and An introduction to mounted unit bearings. These basic training guides from NTN Bearing Corp. describe the principles of bearing design and function. Call NTN at (800) 468-6528 or www.NTNamerica.com.

How to specify motors, gearmotors, and controls for optimal performance. Bodine Electric's new selection guide details a step-by-step specification process. It highlights several ways to determine torque and ways to choose between ac and dc motors and gearmotors. Call (800)-7BODINE.

Guide to UL-recognized and CSA-accepted label materials. Known as the "Label Bible," the Topflight Corp.'s comprehensive guide to labeling options is available on-line at www.topflight.com or call (800) 233-9386.

Board-level shielding wizard. Instrument Specialties' comprehensive on-line guide to board-level shielding was originally developed for its own engineering staff and provides detailed information on a range of design criteria. Go to www.instr.com.

Handbook of ac servo systems. This comprehensive guide authored by Automation Intelligence is available free to design engineers. Call (888) 531-8213.

Tutorial on the basics of bolted joints can be found at: http://www.boltscienc.com/pages/info.asp.

Technical papers

Sealing an enclosure, Hinge selection for enclosures, and Environmental sealing meets EMI shielding. A sampling of some of the technical papers available from EMKA. Call (717) 986-1111 or e-mail [email protected].

Ultrasonic bonding of plastics and textiles for medical and other devices. Technical paper available from Sonobond Ultrasonics Inc. Go to www.sonoibondultrasonic.com.

Brushless linear servo motor fundamentals. One of several comprehensive technical papers available from New England Affiliated Technologies. Call (800) 227-1066 or www.neat.com.

Conversion tools and charts

Stainless weight guide. This handy slide chart, available free from Ulbrich Stainless Steels, helps engineers determine the gauge/weight and coil diameter/weight relationship of stainless steel. Call (800) 243-1676.

Heat transfer/fluid flow calculations. Heat transfer fluid manufacturer Para-therm's exclusive on-line ParaCalc^TM calculations program provides complete tabular data and allows engineers to compute inside film coefficients and pressure drops in a wide range of pipe and tubing. Go to www.paratherm.com or e-mail [email protected].

Solving common coating problems. Whitford Corp.'s colorful wall chart (40 x 28 inches) identifies and provides solutions for 13 of the most common problems that crop up with the application of fluoropolymer coatings. For a free copy of this wall chart, call (610) 296-3200 or e-mail [email protected].

Product selection tools

Tubing and hose products. NewAge Industries' on-line guide at www.newageind.com provides information on more than 31 tubing and hose products in various plastic and rubber materials. A reference section contains a glossary and conversion charts for temperature, pressure, and length.

Linear bearings. Rollon Corp.'s on-line product selector for a complete line of linear bearings includes CAD drawings, application examples, catalog order forms, and downloadable catalogs. Go to www.rollon.com.

Fastener design software. Penn Engineering's PEMPLOT^TM interactive design software is downloadable free from www.pemnet.com. Design engineers can access actual drawings of PEM^TM self-clinching fasteners for thin metals and SI(R) threaded inserts for plastics. Complete product specs included.

Enclosure design, selection, and configuration tool. Rittal offers users the option of using the Web, CD-ROM, or both, using a tool called Riquest. Allows design engineers to select products, download CAD drawings, find accessories, and create bills of materials. For a free copy, call (800) 477-4000.

Motors and gearmotors selection guide. Pittman's website at www.pittmannet.com allows engineers to choose between motors and gearmotors through simple pull-down menus. Users can also view PDF files of technical specifications.

Blower sizing and selection software. M-D Pneumatics Div. offers BlowerXpert^TM, a program that calculates correct sizes and losses and solves nearly all blower application problems, including standard air, gas, elevated, pressures, even liquid injection. Call (800) 825-6937.

Fastener selection guide. Southco's ZOOM interactive product selection guide is a CD-ROM that helps engineers select the best fastening solution for an application in minutes. Order a free copy at www.southco.com.

Precision positioning and motion control. At NEAT's website www.neat.com, the Engineering Considerations section helps engineers reach an informed decision concerning the suitability of specific positioning components for a specific application. Extensive application notes are also included.

Interactive catalog for precision mechanical components. New electronic catalog from PIC Design features downloadable CAD files, application guides, and design formulas. Go to www.pic-design.com or call (800) 243-6125.

Interactive catalog for bearings. SKF's free CD-ROM catalog contains complete bearing and seal data and drawings for more than 16,000 products. The CD also has built-in calculation programs and DXF capabilities, enabling engineers to design a complete bearing arrangement. Fax requests to (215)513-4736.

Electronic catalog for pneumatic actuators. Bimba's CD-ROM tool provides access to information on pneumatic actuators. Dimensional drawings can be viewed or printed and all DXF drawings exported. Go to www.bimba.com or call (800) 442-4622.

Interactive selection guide for specialty tapes. Avery Dennision's website at stus.averydennison.com includes fastening, bonding, and sealing application engineering guides, facts on pressure-sensitive adhesives, and technical information on adhesion testing.

Selector guide for controller system cabling. On-line catalog provides detailed product information on all Phoenix Contact products. A search engine, datasheets, and part drawings are all available at www.phoenixcontact.com or e-mail [email protected].

Web-based courses

Introduction to mechanical event simulation and other web-based courses. Algor brings education right to the engineer's desktop with topics on Algor software features and capabilities presented live on the Internet in three- to four-hour sessions. For information, go to www.algor.com or e-mail [email protected].