DN Staff

September 6, 1999

21 Min Read
New Products

In this aerospace issue of Design News, we highlight the efforts of vendors who supply components to airframe designers. In truth, there's nothing new about this trend. Vendors have been supplying engines, pumps, motors, valves, wires, tubes, screws, bolts, rivets, and thousands of other products for as long as airplanes have existed.

But there is one new wrinkle in the supplier-OEM relationship, particularly in the area of fluid power. Today, airframe manufacturers are looking to fluid power vendors to supply more than components. Especially, in the business jet market, they want their vendors to design systems.

That's the case in Raytheon's new Hawker Horizon business jet. Raytheon engineers are working with Vickers Aerospace Div. of Eaton Corp. to supply the entire hydraulic power generation system, instead of just the pumps and motors.

As a result, Vickers engineers specify the filters, manifolds, reservoirs, pumps, valves, tubing, and dozens of other parts. They also lay out the components in the aircraft, claiming space just as an OEM engineer would. "They used to just give us a specfor instance a 32 gpm pumpand we never knew why they wanted 32 gpm," notes John Halet, director of engineering and research at Vickers' Jackson, MS, facility. "Now, we design the system and we determine the number, whether it's 32, 36, or 28 gpm."

For airframe manufacturers, the advantages are obvious. One of the biggest is so-called "risk sharing." Vendors share the upfront costs of developing new systems. They also share in support of the system for as long as 20 years after the product is sold.

There's also some less obvious advantages. Vendors can supply a team of on-site engineers, whose expertise is dedicated to a single type of system on the aircraft. And vendors can deal with subcontractors, a task that many OEM engineers don't relish. Vickers, for example, works with subcontractors who provide such parts as solenoids, filters, and manifolds.

That's a huge change for engineers involved in the vendor-OEM relationshipbut one that brings benefits for both sides. "We're doing things that we never did before, such as testing and flight certification," Halet says. "It's a whole new ball game for all of us."

For comments on fluid power, contact Charles at [email protected]

Pick of the Issue

Pinch valve

Our Fluid Power Pick-of-the-Issue isn't a fluid power item per se, since it's not truly a power item. But the patented new Flow Control Pinch Valve can serve in medical, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, chemical processing equipment, and scores of other applications that involve fluid movement. The innovative design may be the only one on the market that allows users to set the valve to a precise flow setting. To do so, you merely turn a knob. Because the valve includes graduated markings, users can select a setting and then duplicate that setting for all their other machinery. It works with all machines that employ soft-walled tubing.

Flow-Rite Controls Ltd., 3412 Lousma Dr. S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49548; FAX (616) 243-2750; www.flow-rite.com.

Pneumatic locking unit

The Locking Unit holds the position of piston rods in pneumatic cylinders. The Locking Unit promotes plant safety by protecting employees in the event that power is lost. The unit activates immediately, clamping down on the piston rod to hold it in position until power can be restored. The device is designed to mount on standard ISO/VDMA and NFPA cylinders.

Numatics Actuator, 308 Mallory Station Rd., Franklin, TN 37067; FAX (615) 771-1200; www.numaticsactuator.com.

Ball valves

Quarter-Turn Ball Valves include angle seat and diaphragm valves. The new ball valves offer a choice of manual, pneumatic, and electrical actuation. The valves operate in process applications of 248F and 230 psi, and function in neutral gases and fluids, ultrapure water, slightly aggressive fluids and slightly contaminated liquids.

Burkert Contramatic, 2602 McGaw Ave., Irvine, CA 92614; FAX (949) 223-3100.

Ultra-hard coating

HMF, a proprietary surface-enhancement process, produces a coating that helps eliminate static buildup, is electrically conductive, and offers heat-transfer benefits. Parts coated by HMF maintain their properties at temperatures from 950 to -250F. The coating resists abrasion, corrosion, chemicals and moisture; is immune to attack by chlorides; and produces a reflective micro-finish on the surface of ferrous metal, copper, or aluminum alloy components.

General Magnaplate, 1331 US Route 1, Linden, NJ 07036; FAX (908) 862-6110.


Gary Chamberlain on Plastics, Metals & Other Materials

Pick of the Issue

Rod-end bearings

Rod-end bearings feature an outer ring of Pyrowear 675 stainless alloy, and an inner ring and balls of Type 440C stainless steel. Bearings meet performance requirements of MIL-B-6039. In mechanical material tests, the bearings recorded a 17% improvement in dynamic life over rod ends of SAE 8620/52100 steels. Alternate immersion and salt-spray tests verified the corrosion resistance of the two materials.

Carpenter Technology, Box 14662, Reading, PA 14662; FAX (610) 208-3256; www.cartech.com

Foam sealant

Norseal(R) V710 foam sealant tape reportedly won't twist or move when mechanical fasteners are inserted through the foam. The foam's special substrate gives it the swirl-press properties that enable it to resist tearing and distortion from riveting, drilling, and other fastening operations. A pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side holds the sealant in place for fast installation. The gray sealant comes in thicknesses from 1/16 to 3/8 inch, conforms to curved and irregular surfaces, and can be die-cut.

Norton Performance Plastic, 150 Dey Rd., Wayne, NJ 07470; FAX (860) 653-6834.

Woven-glass laminates

ULTRALAM(R) 1000 woven-glass-reinforced PTFE laminates meet dielectric constant and loss tangent characteristics for high-frequency circuit boards. Laminates are available in sheets up to 4 @ 10 ft, and thicknesses of 0.020, 0.031, and 0.062 inch for dielectric constants of 2.17, 2.50, and 3.0. Laminates are targeted for common antenna and amplifier applications.

Rogers Corp., Box 188, Rogers, CT 06236; FAX (860) 779-5509.

Expandable elastomer

Turel(R) EPR elastomer meets NAS 1613 Class 1 and Class 2 material requirements. Material is said to minimize volume swell, hardness, temperature, strength, modulus, and elongation changes. In O-ring dynamic performance tests, the elastomer reportedly surpassed leakage, wear, extrusion, and dimensional stability specifications required for use in aircraft hydraulic systems.

Busak + Shamban, Box 176, Fort Wayne, IN 46801; FAX (219) 749-0066; www.busakshamban.com


Laurie Toupin on Analysis Software

For comments on computer software, contact Laurie at [email protected]

Pick of the Issue

Cost analysis software

Easier to use. More power. At a mid-range price. No, I'm not talking about a new CAD package. Analysis software, however, is going the way of CAD. COSMOS/WorksTM 5.0 design analysis, optimization, and simulation software embedded in SolidWorks 99 offers quite a few new features typically found in higher priced packages. AccuStressTM, a new transitional mesher, automatically detects small areas of geometry of potentially higher stress and places a tighter mesh or smaller elements at these positions, transitioning the mesh smoothly to the global size. Users have a complete low-cost simulation and optimization tool consisting of SolidWorks, COSMOS/Works, and Dynamic Designer/Motion. Motion loads from simulations performed within Dynamic Design/Motion can be automatically transferred to COSMOS/Works for analysis. In addition, V5.0 software analyzes assemblies with contact, friction and gaps.

Structural Research & Analysis Corp. (SRAC), 12121 Wilshire Blvd., 7th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90025; FAX (310) 207-7805; www.cosmosm.com.

Surfacing software

ICEM Surf 2000i, CDRS 2000i, and 3DPAINT 2000i are the newest surfacing elements in the PTC i-Series. ICEM Surf 2000i introduces ICEM Surf Clay, a modeler for scan data. Taking advantage of ICEM Surf's global modeling feature, it can be used for feasibility studies, to provide new reference handles, and automatic local refinement during modeling. NURBS curvers, edges, and trimmed surface edges can be used as spline and profile curves. CDRS 2000i has a tighter integration with Pro/ENGINEER so curves can be transferred between applications while maintaining their specifications. A new conceptual design tool, Warp, allows the engineer to manipulate a model early in the design phase by twisting, bending, stretching, and tapering.

ICEM Technologies, 1210 County Rd. E West, Arden Hills, MN 55112; FAX (651) 415-0919; www.icem.com.

Universal processor card

The CPN5360, a CompactPCI universal processor card, can be configured for either peripheral or system CPU slots and will support Intel's Pentium II processor-Low Power. The CPN5360 also supports two PCI mezzanine card (PMC) sites, which can be used to expand on-board I/O such as industrial fieldbus and high-end communication networks. The card features 512 Mbyte maximum memory, 2D accelerated graphics performance on peripheral slot board, and an on-board hard drive in place of one of the PMC sites, which can run both the operating system and application.

Motorola, 2900 South Diablo Way, Tempe, AZ 85282; FAX (602) 438-3059.

Interface unit

The BAU (bus adapter unit) Type III interface allows use of ARINC 429 avionics hardware in a MIL-STD-1553 environment. Software in the BAU Type III will be verified to DO-178B Level A for handling flight-critical data. Housed in an ARINC 600, 3 MCU chassis to ease installation, the unit is qualified for robust military environments, says the company. The device is geared for use on GATM compliant aircraft such as the C-27J, and C-130J and X transports.

AMETEK Aerospace, 50 Fordham Rd., Wilmington, MA 01887; FAX (978) 988-4944; www.ametek.com/aerospace.


Rick DeMeis on Electrical/Electronics products

For comments on electrical/electronics, contact Rick at [email protected]

Pick of the Issue

Three phase circuit breaker

Electrical-circuit safety is paramount in aircraft operations. The amperage range of the 6752 Series Klixon(R) three-phase circuit breakers now encompasses 60 to 100A. The High Amp 6752 integral three-phase circuit breaker is targeted for mainline and regional commercial aircraft applications. All three phases of the breaker are internally linked so that an overload on one phase results in all three phases tripping simultaneously.

Texas Instruments, 34 Forest St., Box 2964, Attleboro, MA 02703; FAX (508) 236-1598; www.klixon.ti.com.

Flat panel display

The modular-design WarriorVisionTM-18 is a lightweight 18-inch flat panel display for military applications. The device uses an active-matrix LCD with 1280 x 1024 resolution, and has a 160 degrees viewing angle. On-screen text overlay is possible and the display comes in a 19-inch-rack-mountable case. MBTF is greater than 13,000 hours and the unit meets commercial off-the-self (COTS) requirements.

IEC-Interstate Electronics Corp., Anaheim, CA; FAX (714) 758-4148; www.iechome.com.

'Mains-power' connector

ABPC Series power connector for mains-power distribution is rated for 750V dc or ac peak and has an operating temperature range of -55 to 100C. Features include a blind-mating indicator for applications where the connectors cannot be seen when coupled, and a triple-start screw coupling for rapid mate/demate. A welded first make/last break grounding contact system ensures safe operation, according to the company. A pilot contact also monitors ground leakage to verify system integrity, and switches power off in the event of a problem.

AB Connectors, U.S. 70 East Business, Smithfield, NC 27577; FAX (919) 934-5186; www.ttabconnectors.com.

Hall position sensor

Model 155 non-contacting position sensor integrates a Hall-effect magnetic-field sensor and a patented magnetic circuit to convert radial motion into a voltage output signal. Standard electrical angles are at 60, 75, 90, 105, 120, 135, and 150 degrees , all with an output signal of 0.5 to 4.5V dc. Standard linearity is plus or minus 2% with special linearities to plus or minus 0.25%. The device features only one moving part, which along with all circuitry and components is encapsulated in epoxy. Temperature range is -40 to 150C. The sensor is EMC compliant to Class C, 200 V/m to 1 GHz. Harsh environment applications also include underhood automotive and marine equipment.

Spectrol Electronics Corp., 4051 Greystone Dr., Ontario, CA 91761; FAX (909) 923-6765; www.spectrol.com

Magnifiers

ONS-0180 Series collimating magnifiers eliminate parallax errors when viewing an object, and are available with magnifying powers of 7 and 10X. The magnifiers feature flat-field achromatic color-corrected lenses, which provide distortion-free viewing. The focus of the lenses may be easily adjusted. When an object is viewed with these magnifiers, two contrasting sighting rings are observed through the magnifier. When these two rings are concentric to each other, it indicates that the eye is exactly at a right angle and in line with the viewed surface of the object.

GEI International Inc., Box 6849, Syracuse, NY 13217; FAX (315) 463-9034.


Jean Young Gonzalez on Test, Measurement, & Control

For comments on test, measurement, & control, contact Jean at [email protected]

Pick of the Issue

Vibration meter

Examiner 1000 is a handheld, battery powered, vibration meter and electronic stethoscope for use in predictive maintenance programs. The unit can measure vibration data in acceleration, velocity and in acceleration enveloping. Companion software provides trending of multi-parameter measurements. The software helps machinery maintenance personnel in managing vibration and process data. The examiner is offered with an accelerometer, headphones, magnetic base, stinger, and field carrying case. Applications include rolling-element bearings, ac/dc motors, pumps, gearboxes, compressors, and fans.

Monarch Instrument, 15 Columbia Dr., Amherst, NH 03031; FAX (603) 883-3310; www.easylaser.com.

Vibration tester

PCB force limited vibration testing system limits the reaction force between the shaker and test structure in random vibration testing, which can prevent overtest-ing of sophisticated aerospace equipment. Piezoelectric triaxial force sensors facilitate easy and accurate measurement of the input force, says the company. The system also contains the signal conditioning required to process force sensor signals used for shaker control testing.

PCB Piezotronics - Pressure & Force Sensors Div., 3425 Walden Ave., Depew, NY 14043; FAX (716) 686-9129; www.pcb.com


John Lewis on Power Transmission & Motion Control

For comments on power transmission & motion control, contact John@[email protected]

Pick of the Issue

Induction motor

Size 34 and 44 (4.0 and 4.38-in OD) motors are available in 1, 2, and 3-phase designs. Configured with 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12-pole speeds, the motors achieve operating speeds up to 24,000 rpm. Rated at up to 1,600 Hz, the motors provide up to 1/2 hp or more. Voltage is rated from 5 to 440V ac with square or sinusoidal waveform. Non-standard voltages and frequencies are also available. Engineered to military specifications, the motors are designed to operate in ambient temperatures of -20 to 85C to provide smooth, quiet operation for aircraft and aerospace industry applications.

Eastern Air Devices, 1 Progress Dr., Dover, NH 03820; FAX (603) 742-9080; www.eadmotors.com.

Stepping motor driver

IM805H is reportedly the world's smallest 7A-microstepping driver. The driver uses hybrid technology to reduce size to 2.6 x 2.1 x 0.36 inches without sacrificing power or features. It has an input voltage of +24 to 75V and an output current of 1 to 5A rms, 7A peak. Designed to be soldered directly into a pc board, the driver eliminates the need for wiring and mounting to save design and assembly time, reduce system cost, and increase reliability. Fourteen built-in microstep resolutions from 1/2 step to 1/256 step (both binary and decimal) can be changed at any time without resetting the driver.

Intelligent Motion Systems, Box 457, Marlborough, CT 06447; FAX (860) 295-6107; www.imshome.com.

Servo amplifier

ADS 50/10 servo amplifier provides speed or torque control for dc brush motors up to 500W. This four-quadrant servo-amplifier is directly compatible with most traditional iron-core motors. A 50-kHz PWM frequency makes the amplifier compatible with most low-inductance motors. Tachometer, encoder, or I x R compensated speed control as well as torque control modes are selectable via dip switches. External 510V signals or potentiometer determine speed and torque. Supply voltage is 12-50V dc, and maximum current is 10A continuous or 20A peak. Compatible with line driver encoders, the amplifier generates the 5V encoder supply voltage. The amplifier weighs 360 grams, measures 180 2 26 2 103 mm (7.1 2 1.02 2 4.1 in), and operates at -10 to 45C (14 to 113F) ambient.

Maxon Precision Motors Inc., 838 Mitten Rd., Burlingame, CA 94010; FAX (650) 697-2887.


Karen Auguston Field on Adhesives

For comments on adhesives, contact Karen at at [email protected]

Pick of the Issue

Self-clinching studs

Type FHLTM self-clinching, flush-head studs can be installed 25 to 50% closer to the edge of a metal sheet than standard self-clinching studs without edge-bulging, says the company. The studs can be installed in aluminum or steel sheets as thin as 0.04 inch (1 mm). Thread sizes range from #2-56 through #10-32 and M2.5 through M5. The small diameter heads allow closer-to-edge applications suitable for the aerospace industry, ranging from electronic membrane switches to attachment of internal electronic components and instruments and panels.

Hammer Inc., 239 Taunton Blvd., Suite A-2, Medford, NJ 08055; www.pemnet.com.

Handle/panel assembly

Solid aluminum handle assembly with stainless steel leaf spring meets IEEE 1101.10 specs for cPCI and VME64 bus extension applications. The inject/eject handle retains true U-height in the open position, allowing for stacking of units. Extruded aluminum front panels provide a stable mounting surface for one or more large boards. Shielded panels feature EMC gaskets with continuous contact. Standard panels ship assembled, including machined holes and cutouts, PCB, mountings, EMI/RFI shielding, and Lexan ID labels.

Triple E Corp., 60 Foot of Crosby, Lowell, MA 01852; FAX (978) 453-1196.

Quick-cure epoxy adhesive

Polymer System EP65HT-1 is a two-component epoxy adhesive compound mixed at ambient conditions and gels in ten minutes. The epoxy, which has passed NASA outgassing tests, is compatible with many different metallic and non-metallic substrates, at temperatures up to 400F. The epoxy has good electrical insulation properties, says the company, and is also available in a thermally conductive version that retains its electrical resistance.

Master Bond, 154 Hobart St., Hackensack, NJ 07601; FAX (201) 343-8983.

High-temperature epoxy

DuralcoTM 4525 epoxy is suitable for temperatures up to 500F. Features a volume resistivity of 1015 ohm-cm, with a moisture absorption in 30 days of 0.05%. Cure time is 16 hours at ambient temperatures. Applications include bonding, sealing, and protecting aircraft brake pads, cable end seals, thermocouples, strain gauges, electronic components, and electric heaters.

Cotronics, 3379 Shore Pkwy., Brooklyn, NY 11235; FAX (718) 646-3028.

High-strength epoxy adhesive

Metregrip 355 adhesive is a high-strength, low-viscosity, two-component adhesive system for bonding phenolic parts to steel or aluminum housings in the space shuttle. Tensile lap shear values test to more than 2,500 psi on aluminum. The modulus is 416 ksi and the strength is 5,180 psi. The adhesive, which is supplied as a free-flowing liquid, is also available as a paste.

Mereco Technologies Group Co., 1505 Main St, West Warwick, RI 02893; FAX (401) 822-9311; www.mereco.com.

Signal Access Tool

Adapter debug support for the 466-MHz Intel Celeron Processor in the 370-pin socketed plastic pin grid array (PGA) provides signal access at the chip-level. The BC-VII-370PZ/1C chip-specific signal access tool allows engineers to connect probes from each signal access point on the target system to a logic analyzer or oscilloscope. The complete adapter features signal access points for all Celeron signals and a Zero Insertion Force Socket for insertion and removal of the Celeron processor during the development process.

Emulation Technology Inc., 2344 Walsh Ave., Building F, Santa Clara, CA 95051; FAX (408) 982-0664.

Ac servo systems

MotionOnline.com offers ac servo systems from Sanyo Denki. The systems feature a pulse interface, allowing then to be configured as drop-in replacements for stepping systems, without having to replace the controller or change the program. Servo systems operate from zero to 3,000 rpm with only small decreases in the available torque.

Automation Intelligence, 2455 MeadowBrook Pkwy., Duluth, GA 30096-4636; FAX (770) 497-8666; www.MotionOnline.com

Collars/couplings

Line of metric collars, rigid couplings, and FlexbeamTM flexible couplings now includes metric set screw collars, offered in both carbon steel and type 303 stainless steel with bore sizes from 4 to 50 mm. Aluminum and type 303 stainless-steel full metric collars are now included in the NOMAR(R) collar line. These collars are available in one- and two-piece clamp-style designs with bore sizes from 3 to 80 mm. All collars are single-point faced to ensure perpendicularity and proper alignment.

Ruland Manufacturing Co, 380 Pleasant St., Watertown, MA 02472; FAX (800) 929-9205; www.ruland.com.

MOSFET chip set

HEXFET(R) power MOSFET chip set for dc-dc converters meets Intel's Mobile Power Guidelines 2000 specification. These low-voltage HEXFET power MOSFETs, designated the IRF7811 and IRF7809, are said to achieve 90% overall efficiency for the CPU core plus peripheral dc-dc converters recommended by Intel's guidelines. The HEXFET chip set features no paralleling devices, while maintain-ing a small component footprint for the power supplies, despite increased power requirements.

International Rectifier, 233 Kansas St., El Segundo, CA 90245; www.irf.com.

Regulator

SCYL-2 Series two-stage regulator provides two stages of pres-sure reducing regulation for applications requiring precise pressure control of gases and liquids with variations in supply pressure. The series is targeted for inlet pressure to 3,600 psig and features seven control ranges: 0-10, 0-25, 0-50, 0-100, 0-250, 0-500, and 0-750 psig. Supply pressure effect is 0.01/100 psig. Operating temperatures range from -45 to 575F.

Sensiflo, 575 W. Birch Ct., Ste. E&F, Colton, CA 92324; FAX: (909) 514-1041; www.sensiflo.com

Self-lube bearings

Self-lubricating bearings and liners are for demanding applica-tions requiring long wear and high temperature, impact. WearComp(R) and FibreComp(R) bushings and liner materials combine two ingredients with natural lubricitygraphite fibers and a specially formulated polyimide resin. Rein-forcing fibers provide strength and dimensional stability.

Hycomp Inc., 17960 Englewood Dr., Cleveland, OH 44130; FAX (440) 234-4911; www.hycompinc.com.

Ultrasonic splicer

The Ultrasplice(R)-XL is a lightweight, compact, and ergonomic system positioned, loaded, and operated right on the harness board, meeting the application requirements of wire harness manufacturers. The system automatically sequences to produce all splice requirements between 0.7 and 35 mm2 in cross-section. The Ultrasplice-XL automatically changes all splice parameters including width, pressure, amplitude, and energy to ensure a solid connection on every splice combination. All welding parameters are continuously monitored.

AmTech, 25 Controls Dr., Shelton, CT 06484; FAX (203) 926-2678.

Encapsulation system

CONAPOXY(R) FR-1271, a two-component epoxy potting and encapsulation system, guards against thermal shock in strain-sensitive devices. The system has a one-to-one mix ratio by weight or volume, a viscosity of 18,000 cps, and a work life of 120 minutes at room temperature. Use of non-abrasive fillers permit easy machine mixing and dispensing.

Conap, 1405 Buffalo St., Olean, NY 14760; FAX (716) 372-1594.

CAE software

CAD engineering 2D/3D software tools are for electromagnetic, thermal, and structural design and analysis. Integrated software can be used to model geometries, assign boundary conditions, and determine properties for MEMS sensor design. A Windows-type front end with dockable "point and click" toolbars is for command selection. Users can explore electromagnetic fields, torque and force, eddy current and ohmic losses, skin and proximity effects, temperature and heat flow, stress and strain, and coupled solutions.

Integrated Software Solutions, 300 Cree Crescent, Winnepeg, Manitoba, Canada R3J-3W9; FAX (204) 633-7780.

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