SENSOR

The PresencePLUS(TM) pixel-counting sensor has a 512 X 384 CMOS pixel array with a programmable microprocessor, controller, lens, lighting, mounting bracket, and cable, all for under $1,700. It captures a 256-level grayscale image, converts the image to black and white pixels, and compares the designated-color pixel count with the threshold values, to render a pass/fail judgment.

Banner Engineering Corp., Box 9414, Minneapolis, MN 55441; FAX (612) 544-3213; www.baneng.com.

Shaft collars

NOMAR(R) clamp styleshaft collars are now available with keyways, allowing for better holding power and more precise alignment. The keyway prevents slippage on the shaft and creates a positive drive for better torque transmission, in applications such as handles, levers, and small indexing devices, and in linear applications as mechanical stops on keyed shafts.

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

Elastomers

Santoprene(R) 8000 thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) offer ultraviolet stability and processing advantages. The grades are colorable, and provide long-term performance for application exposed to direct sunlight. They can be processed with injection molding, extrusion, blow molding, or other melt processing techniques. The new grades are available in 60 and 70 Shore A durometers and are non-hydroscopic.

Advanced Elastomer Systems (AES), 388 South Main St., Akron, OH 44311-1059; FAX (330) 849-5599; www.aestpe.com.

Temperature probe

This wide range of probe assembly devices is primarily thermistor-based, but also includes thick film, RTD, and transistor packages. The product line is designed to handle applications in the aerospace, appliance, on-vehicle, industrial, and medical markets.

Invensys Sensor Systems, 500 Narragansett Park Dr., Pawtucket, RI 02681; FAX (401) 728-5390; www.fenwal.com.

Cotter pin

The Bow-Tie Locking Cotter Pin works like a hair pin cotter, but locks itself on. A simple action releases the cotter, but it cannot be knocked or vibrated off, the manufacturer says. It can be used regardless of the hole position, and is reusable. Once locked, the pin is free from the constant tension which can cause wire fatigue in hair pins and hitch pins.

Pivot Point, Box 488, Hutisford, WI 53034; FAX (920) 349-3253.

Vacuum valves

The V-100 series of four-inch vacuum valves are bellows-sealed poppet valves, constructed of 304 stainless steel body for a low leak rate, and with formed bellows, for resistance to particle damage. The angle and inline valves can be operated manually, pneumatically, and electro-pneumatically.

MKS Instruments Vacuum Products Group, 5330 Sterling Dr., Boulder, CO 80301; FAX (303) 442-6880; www.mksinst.com.

I/O streaming engine

The Chico card is an I/O streaming engine that turns your PC into a high-performance data-acquisition platform. It can integrate analog and digital data acquisition into your PCI, compactPCI, or PXI system, with an engine which unburdens the PC by automatically streaming data between the PCI bus and the Omnibus I/O modules.

Innovative Integration, 5785 Lindero Canyon Rd., Westlake Village, CA 91362; FAX (818) 879-1770; www.innovative-dsp.com.

Disk quota storage management

The Quota Manager Discovery for Unicenter TNG is packaged as a part of Quota Manager, a disk space quota management system for Windows NT. Software enforces limits on the use of disk space while working in the background to continually monitor quota status, so administrators can assign specific limits to the size of user's home directories and shared objects. Users are notified of this size via e-mail or pop-up messages.

NTP Software, 1750 Elm St., Suite 302, Manchester, NH 03104; www.ntpsoftware.com.

Position sensing for cylinders

Magnetic position sensing is now available for 5/16 and 7/16 bore sizes for air cylinders. The magnetic position sensing can now be used with the company's Giant Magnetostrictive Switch, as well as a new miniature reed switch. The cylinders feature a low-profile track on the cylinder body, a 40% profile height reduction compared to traditional track styles.

Bimba Manufacturing, Box 68 Rte. 50 N., Monee, IL 60449; FAX (708) 534-5767; www.bimba.com.

Surf mount jumper

The SJ-1206 surf mount jumper was developed to replace zero-ohm resistors that are unable to handle the max 2 amp current. The jumper is manufactured from copper flat wire, and is 90/10 tin/lead-plated to a thickness of 0.0001 inch. It is compatible with automated placement and soldering equipment, and is available on 7-inch (1,000 piece) or 13-inch (5,000 piece) tape and reel, or in any bulk quantity.

Components Corp., 6 Kinsey Place, Denville, NJ 07834; FAX (973) 361-5801.

EMI shielded window

The EmiClare(TM) GP 70 EMI shielded window offers a 12% improvement in light transmission compared to conventional laminated EMI shielding windows, manufacturer says. Product also eliminates text distortion on CRT displays ("the moire effect"). It provides a minimum of 55 dB of shielding effectiveness at 1 GHz, and is constructed of two layers of UL 94 V-O rated polycarbonate laminated around a center layer of metal mesh.

Chomerics, Div. of Parker Hannifin, 77 Dragon Ct., Woburn, MA 01888; FAX (781) 933-4318.

Adjustable levers

Zinc die-cast adjustable levers are available in inch and metric size, in steel or stainless steel components, and in tapped, blind bore, or threaded stud types. Pulling the lever upward disengages the serrations, allowing it to be swiveled to the best clamping position. When the lever is released, the serrations reengage.

J.W. Winco Inc., Box 510035, New Berlin, WI 53151-0035; FAX (414) 786-8524; www.jwwinco.com.

Digital attenuator

New 4-bit, 15-dB, GaAs MMIC digital attenuator was designed for applications such as dynamic range setting in precision receiver circuits and other gain/leveling control circuits for infrastructure applications. Attenuator comes with integral driver, in a low-cost SOIC-16 surface-mount plastic package. It is suitable for products requiring high attenuation accuracy, very low power consumption, and low intermodulation distortion such as wireless telephony, wireless LAN equipment, and GPS receivers.

M/A-COM, Box 3295, Lowell, MA 01853-3295; www.amp.com.

Bellows switch

This long-life hermetic bellows switch will increase the switch reliability of the product, manufacturer says. Using a nickel bellows actuator inside the switch, the useful life of the switch has been increased from 25,000 to 500,000 cycles. The durable switch housing is backfilled with inert Nitrogen gas and sealed, and the corrosion-resistant housing withstands exposure to fluids such as synthetic hydraulic oils and jet fuels. The switch will operate below 5 mA at 28V dc in a temperature range of -65 to 400F.

Haydon Switch & Instrument, 1500 Meriden Rd., Waterbury, CT 06705; FAX (203) 756-8724; www.hsi-inc.com.

Associate Editor Benjamin B. Ames on Fastening, Joining, & Assembly

Pick of the Issue

Custom gaskets and seals

These custom, precision gaskets and seals are made from materials including Buna-N, Butyl, neoprene, polyurethane, pure gum rubber, sponge, foam, red sheet packing, silicone, Teflon(R), and Viton(R). They are made with water-jet technology, with tolerances to plus or minus 0.003 inch, in sizes from 1/8-inch OD to 18 X 36 inches.

Ponn Machine Cutting Co., Inc., 20A Cross Rd., Woburn, MA 01801; FAX (781) 937-0372.

Battery holder