The PGA-1000 Air Gage stands as Sunnen’s first dedicated entry into the benchtop air gage market, representing a significant evolution beyond its established lines of dial bore, PG, and PGE mechanical gages. Customers familiar with Sunnen’s in-process air gaging will appreciate this new standalone solution, which offers greater flexibility and broadens Sunnen’s comprehensive metrology portfolio. The addition of air gaging positions Sunnen as an even more complete provider of dimensional metrology solutions, appealing to a wider range of customer needs and solidifying Sunnen’s presence in this critical market segment.

At the heart of the PGA-1000 is an intuitive 5-inch color touchscreen designed for easy setup and measurement. Operators benefit from real-time quality monitoring and statistical process control capabilities, with data storage and export options available via USB or direct PC connection, simplifying quality control documentation and traceability. Adaptability is inherent throughout the PGA-1000, with standard changeable orifices to support different air probe types, front-mounted probe connections for fast and error-free setup, and options for vertical probe stands, hose adapters, I/O modules, and foot pedals to customize the system for specific shop requirements and operator ergonomics.

Durability and reliability are assured by the PGA-1000’s rugged housing and precision filter regulator, which ensure stable performance even in demanding production environments. The design is fully compatible with both metric and inch measurement units, facilitating easy integration into a range of user and industry contexts. Innovative optional features, such as air-saving functions and temperature modules, further enhance operating efficiency and help compensate for environmental factors, leading to greater result reliability.

The PGA-1000 offers a variety of display modes, including numerical, bargraph, analog, and tolerance/historic curves, enabling flexible data visualization to match diverse inspection scenarios and operator preferences.

With the launch of the PGA-1000 Air Gage, Sunnen Products Company becomes a bold new challenger in benchtop air gaging, underpinned by the trusted expertise of their dedicated support team. Sunnen’s long-standing reputation for quality in precision manufacturing assures users of the reliability, flexibility, and innovation they expect from leaders in dimensional metrology, while offering new options and increased confidence for their measurement needs.

About Sunnen Products Company

Sunnen Products Company, a global leader in precision manufacturing for over a century, has established itself as a premier provider in the creation, sizing, and finishing of machined surfaces. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Sunnen is a “total solutions provider,” manufacturing everything from machinery and abrasives to precision bore gages and customized coolants. This comprehensive approach enables Sunnen to deliver turnkey honing solutions that encompass cutting-edge equipment, tooling, consumables, and coolants. The company’s expertise spans a diverse range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, energy, hydraulics, medical, firearms & defense, and tool & die, showcasing its versatility and commitment to innovation. Sunnen’s dedication to quality is evident in its products, which exemplify the company’s focus on high efficiency, precision, and advanced technology. With a worldwide presence and a track record of building thousands of honing machines, Sunnen continues to drive innovation in bore sizing and finishing, providing tailored solutions to meet the exacting demands of modern manufacturing across diverse sectors.

By automating tedious manual gauging tasks, New Scale’s Q-Span® systems improve measurement consistency, repeatability, and throughput while eliminating data entry errors. Working together, FANUC’s CRX robot with New Scale Robotics’ Q-Span system help manufacturers to improve throughput, process control, and yield through:

• Automated gauging, part handling, and data logging
• Fast deployment of automation into existing facilities and process flows
• Rapid change-over for a large mix of parts

The authorization also marks a significant milestone for New Scale Robotics, positioning the company to extend its expertise to more robot platforms for automated gauging to small and medium-sized manufacturers through FANUC CRX Collaborative Robots.

“FANUC is well-recognized as the world leader in automation, and this collaboration reflects the shared commitment of both companies to drive more automation in an underserved but critical part of the manufacturing process: quality control,” says Stefan Friedrich, Marketing Manager at New Scale Robotics. “By expanding our offering to include a FANUC solution, we can now reach and support a larger audience of manufacturers looking to automation to stay competitive in today’s manufacturing landscape.”

“The renowned reliability of FANUC robots and their Service First support network has set an industry standard in automation. This collaboration will further enhance the Q-Span® Gauging system, providing manufacturers with a robust, safe, and reliable solution for automating manual dimensional gauging processes,” says Scott Wisotzke, Director of Sales for New Scale Robotics.

This strategic move helps solidify New Scale Robotics as a key integration partner in this specialized area of automated dimensional gauging. It underscores their commitment to providing tailored solutions to manufacturers looking to automate their manual gauging processes.

A Q-Span Gauging System, with FANUC CRX-5ia cobot, will be on display at New Scale Robotics’ booth #1882 during A3’s annual trade show, The Automate Show 2024, from May 6-9, 2024, in Chicago, IL.

About New Scale Robotics

New Scale Robotics helps manufacturers automate manual gauging. Q-Span® Gauging Systems combine measurements from a wide variety of gauges with robotic part handling and automated data logging. They improve efficiency, capacity, and real-time reporting of quality departments. Based on flexible and teachable collaborative robots, Q-Span Workstations are do-it-yourself (DIY) automation systems that fit into existing workflows. They help quality teams reduce errors, increase throughput, and better utilize skilled labor in small-batch, high-mix manufacturing. Easy to deploy without specialized training, they deliver a return on investment (ROI) in less than ten months. [alert-scale]Visit New Scale Robotics.[/alert-success]

About FANUC Americas Corp.

FANUC is a team of experts with one common goal of solving manufacturing challenges with robotic automated solutions. In addition to world-class products, FANUC is committed to supplying parts and support for the lifetime you own a FANUC Product.

The FANUC ASI program was established in 1996 and is standing solidly 25+ years later. It’s a program strategy that dominates globally with integrator partnerships, producing mutual success across a wide variety of industries. FANUC integration partners are industry experts, FANUC trained and ready to help you on your next project.

The continuing trend towards miniaturization of devices and components in various industries requires the use of extremely small and high-precision tools in production. For example, in order to grind drills, milling cutters and gauges etc. with their wafer-thin shanks and filigree geometries reliably in large-scale production, the production conditions and technologies in conjunction with comprehensive quality assurance play a decisive role. State-of-the-art grinding, measuring and edge preparation technologies, ideally in temperature-constant production halls, complement each other perfectly and result in mini tools that meet the extreme requirements of the industry in terms of surface quality and concentricity.

“An important factor in this sensitive production environment is ultra-fine filtration of the cooling lubricants,” as Steffen Strobel, sales manager at Vomat, points out. “When grinding microtools, contaminated or insufficiently filtered cooling lubricants can have a sensitive effect on the grinding result. Even minimal temperature fluctuations in the cooling lubricant pose a major threat to the final quality, as they can have a negative effect on the expansion behavior of machine components and tool substrates. Vomat’s filter technology is designed to eliminate precisely such disturbing factors and ensure optimum filtration.

Trend-setting filter technology

Vomat filters separate 100 percent dirty and clean oil in full flow. This means that the tool manufacturer can always work with clean cooling lubricants. In addition, Vomat systems carry out backflushing as required. The degree of contamination of each individual filter element is monitored, and if a defined value is exceeded, the backflushing process is automatically initiated.

Meanwhile, the other filter elements ensure a continuous supply of clean oil in cleanliness class NAS-7 (3-5 µm). This advanced capacity control of the filter system helps to optimize energy consumption and thus lower operating costs for the grinding process. Precise temperature monitoring of the grinding oil with a control accuracy of +/- 0.2 K ensures constant optimum temperatures of the coolant media. Steffen Strobel: “If the tool manufacturer relies on the latest grinding technology for grinding microtools, he cannot do without forward-looking fine filtration. Only in this way can he produce the high qualities that the industry requires.”

Metering data is imperative for managing energy wisely, but most organizations are already buried in data. And ever more is coming. So how do you zero in where problems are developing without spending all day looking at “normal” electrical circuits?

Metering with root cause analysis provides essential data and first-step insights to remedy power quality (PQ) problems, so you can ensure they don’t impact your business, without requiring inspection of every individual circuit.

Powerful trends are at work

Already, 77% of companies expect to transition away from their current energy sources (source: The Intersection of Digital Transformation and the Energy Transition, July 2022). Businesses need new, intelligent tools to manage a changing mix of energy sources. Especially as electricity consumption soars, renewables are being added to businesses’ energy mix and electric vehicle (EV) adoption surges. This energy transition will generate new and far more data that businesses need to make use of and act on.

At the same time, power outages are increasing. Large-scale power outages in the U.S. have increased 64% since 2000, largely due to weather-related events (Source: Climate Central, September 2022).

No matter how energy is sourced, power-critical businesses need to keep energy flowing. Yet, one in five data centers experienced a “serious” or “severe” outage in the last three years (Source: Uptime Institute’s Outage Analysis Report, June 2022). The cost of outages is soaring, with more than 60% of failures resulting in at minimum $100,000 in total losses (up from 39% in 2019). And power-related problems make up 43% of significant outages that cause downtime and financial losses.

Focusing investments on electrical infrastructure continues to be a critical differentiator. Powerful metering and root cause analysis tools are providing critical insights, which make it possible to spot problems that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.

Standards apply – automate reporting for IEEE 519

If your local utility is enforcing the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 519 guideline, advanced meters can help you meet those requirements. Beyond the utility penalty costs, excessive harmonics can have wide-ranging and long-term implications for industrial, data center, commercial and other environments. Harmonics can overheat, damage and shorten the lifespan of motors, transformers, power conductors, sensitive electronics and other equipment.

The IEEE 519 Standard deals with harmonics, which introduce inefficiencies and wasteful heat into your power system and can result in fees from your local power company. IEEE 519 establishes the goals for the design of electrical systems that include both linear and nonlinear loads or harmonic producing loads.

Managing the harmonics in a power system is a joint responsibility shared between power consumers and their utility company. While some level of distortion is acceptable, how much that impacts voltage depends on the impedances in the system. Both you and your utility need to work cooperatively to keep voltage distortion below levels that cause problems.

The standard provides guidance and recommendations on harmonics limits, so your neighbors do not cause problems for your electrical system. And it establishes your local utility as the mediator for when things do go wrong. In other words, your utility will determine whether it will enforce the standard.

Meters with sophisticated reporting functionality can help you meet your utility’s requirements by analyzing each cycle and comparing harmonic content across the spectrum over time to the IEEE 519 established limits. It takes a lot of processing to determine that you stay within those limits 95% of the time (which is the threshold established in the guidelines) at the point of common coupling.

Advanced metering delivers on more than data—get actionable reporting

In today’s increasingly digital world, most organizations are buried in data. How can you make better sense of it all to establish a competitive advantage? When you have hundreds or thousands of individual circuits to monitor, you need a simpler and robust way to see what’s happening on your system. Actionable data analytics are essential to provide accurate information on where problems are developing. You cannot waste resources on looking at circuits that are operating normally.

When you suspect a problem with your electrical system, you shouldn’t need to be an expert to know what to look for to prevent or avert it. Yet power quality events often happen so quickly that they are over and done faster than an alarm. You need your meters to help demystify these power quality events and today’s advanced technology makes it a lot easier to spot problems in advance and take corrective action.

“In a world where power quality events arise from both the ordinary and extraordinary, the key to uninterrupted operations lies in the wisdom of metering data and root cause analysis. As businesses navigate a changing energy landscape and battle increasing power outages, these tools shine a light on the hidden issues, safeguarding against downtime and financial losses,” said Tony Trim, Gulf Region Lead Solution Architect, Eaton. “In the midst of powerful trends, investing in electrical infrastructure becomes the critical differentiator that ensures the relentless flow of energy, securing the future of power-critical enterprises.”

7 tips on how you can get to the root cause of power problems faster

Tip one: Leverage aggregated metrics to speed up analysis.

Meters are essential to informing a broad view of what’s happening on your system. Yet looking at information from individual meters is insufficient, especially when you have dozens or hundreds of meters. To help you take action that improves power reliability and efficiency, advanced meters provide a robust bird’s-eye view with interactive data, so you can look at events and toggle between information.

Simple to understand tools like a PQ index can identify circuits with Power Quality problems. To dig deeper into the root cause of PQ problems, users can compare statistical gauges, trend plots, waveforms and cycle-by cycle RMS plots. For example, you can see voltage levels and whether they impact load currents, and you can see the correlation between current and voltage. And by plotting current and voltage into the same graph, you can make more sense of what’s happing in your power system. To dig even deeper into the root cause of PQ problems, you can compare statistical gauges, trend plots, waveforms and cycle-by-cycle root mean square (RMS) plots.

Tip two: See what’s happening over the duration of multiple events.

When you your lights flicker, it’s hard to say whether the cause is internal or external. Yet, these power quality events can be a challenge for hospitals, data centers and anywhere that power reliability is mission critical. Knowledge of what’s driving power events enables you to address and rectify them while minimizing downtime.

Today, you can see what’s happening and put multiple events in context through your meter. That gives you the data to better protect your infrastructure and talk with your utility (if the events are a regular occurrence). For example, if there’s a fault on the line, reclosers open and close, creating an inrush, which has adverse impact on motors. Armed with a documented Power Quality event history, you can discuss what your Utility Company can do to reduce the occurrence of these events.

Tip three: Spot patterns with a calendar view.

When power quality events occur regularly or seasonally, you can identify the patterns in a calendar view and determine if an issue coincides with a regular process, like testing of standby generators. In the meter’s calendar view, you can see the timeline of what occurred and see patterns of power quality events impacting equipment.

Tip four: Benchmark energy usage and see how energy-saving measures are working.

Your meter can help you trend your energy demand over time, accumulated energy savings, peak demand and the amount of energy you use. You can also see energy flows in either direction, whether you’re taking power in from the grid or shedding excess power generated. And you’re able to understand when your onsite solar or energy storage resources are kicking in to support your facility and offset power from the grid.

Tip five: Track phase balance.

Phases can become unbalanced. In order to predict and rectify phase imbalances, you need to see the trends, not just the trigger point. With this graph you can see how phase data drifts apart before it reaches a trigger point.

Tip six: Determine if power sags are impacting your business.

Identifying power sags has historically been somewhat of a guessing game. Previously, RMS plots would typically offer too little information; available data provided a microscopic view (with the waveform) and broad five-minute interval, which would shed some light but make it difficult to determine when and why a power sag occurred.

With the newest meters, you have a lot more information on what occurred during a power sag and can set alarms and triggers to help avoid future events. You can see anomalies in voltage, current, frequency and power through plots featuring 5-minute interval readings. A newly available two-minute cycle-by-cycle RMS view at a high resolution, with one-cycle readings can help you understand what led up to or resulted from an event. While there is still detective work involved in identifying and preventing power sags, there is a lot more information at hand.

Tip seven: Take the guess work out of your analysis

Traditionally, your meter would provide individual waveform analysis for each power quality event. The information can be disjointed and even the RMS plots would have limited utility by themselves because they did not provide much context. Now, you can get a much fuller picture from your meter and see how events relate to each other.

For example, when the lights flickered in a stadium during a big game years ago, a two-minute recording of what was happening could have helped get the lights back on faster by understanding the root cause of the event. The graph would have shown why there was an event, and that turning everything on simultaneously would cause an inrush that would overload the generators. The bottom line is that you need information to make decisions on how and when things need to run, and you need visibility into potentially developing problems.

Meters can help you both see the forest and the trees with relatively easy-to-digest information even if events happen on different days. And you can see the full picture of what occurred with longer capture information at a lower resolution, so you can see what happened and how different waveforms relate to each other with the RMS plot.

Move beyond simple metering to advance uptime, productivity

With energy sources changing and everything electrifying, focused investments in your power systems can be a critical differentiator. And robust, advanced metering capabilities are setting a new standard for power distribution system event diagnostics.

Powerful metering and root cause analysis tools are providing the critical insights you need to spot problems that would have otherwise gone unnoticed and prevent them from happening again. These capabilities can transform your day-to-day operations from simple measurement to intelligent insights – so you can focus on your business mission instead of analyzing metering data for your critical systems.

When it comes to power quality, it’s not just about the amount of data you can capture, it’s about capturing the right data exactly how and when you need to.

By: Karen Cheung, Product Manager, Eaton

“Gefran’s Sensormate app serves as the digital interface for the QE2008-W system and with a connection to your network, users can locate the sensors wirelessly through our app and then download measurements as raw data or put the information into a chart,” said Gefran product specialist, Nikunj Patel. You can quickly summarize all your test values and measurement data into a PDF report, include screenshots, and add comments to give readers contextual details or troubleshooting notes.”

When paired with Gefran’s Sensormate app, the QE2008-W easily connects to smartphones, tablets, and computers, allowing multiple users to quickly capture, analyze, and share measurement data. The Sensormate app is downloaded for free from the Microsoft Store, Google Play, and Apple App Store, and each QE2008-W system comes with a protective carrying case containing eight sensors that mount magnetically to tie bars.

The QE2008-W helps with mold alignment so that force is equally distributed, thus minimizing issues such as flashing, plastic deformation, or mold damage, and when compared to traditional bonded strain gauges, the QE2008-W installs in minutes. No wiring is required. The sensors connect to the app using Bluetooth technology, and the micro-electro-mechanical (MEM) chips inside the QE2008-W sensors ensure proper placement and orientation. Whenever the QE2008-W is connected to the app, it will also check for firmware updates and the sensors are updated through the app.

“To mitigate the impact of bending forces, the QE2008-W uses four sensors, evenly distributed around the tie bar, mounted at 90-degree intervals. By averaging the readings from these sensors, the QE2008-W measures maximum tension to determine the angle and direction of the bend, achieving greater accuracy of tension and compression measurements for each tie bar,” shared Gefran product manager, Theng Theng Chua.

The QE2008-W’s fast acquisition readings can also measure the cavity pressure profile which is the indirect pressure on tie bars during the injection cycle. Knowing the cavity pressure profile accelerates production efficiency and makes it easier to sustain high product quality. It is an ideal method of analysis for plastic injection molding machines because the sensors are non-invasive. They can be reused on multiple machines and several types of molds. The QE2008-W also costs less to operate compared to permanent methods of measurement.

The QE2008-W is equipped with a Bluetooth low-energy communication system, and it is the first wireless strain measurement system with an integrated accelerometer (MEM chips). This means sensor mounting can be done easily, with no diameter- dependent templates or guessing required. The accelerometer accurately determines the sensor’s relative position using gravity, for the calculation of its angle in relation to another sensor and the sensor’s indication lights offer clear guidance on placement or repositioning to ensure accurate alignment.

The QE2008-W also has integrated RAM inside each sensor to allow for measurements at a rate of 1kHz and the strain measurements are securely saved in the sensor’s RAM during the measurement period. Once a measurement is complete, the sensor seamlessly transmits the saved data to the Sensormate app for further analysis and reporting.

“By capturing and analyzing data, manufacturers can gain valuable insights into the performance of their machines. This information enables them to optimize production by preventing machinery failures, eliminating downtime, and ensuring their tie bars can withstand demanding conditions,” said Gefran general manager, Tapan Mody.

“The QE2008-W is a tool that ensures operational excellence.”

About Gefran, Inc.

Gefran, Inc. is a U.S.-based manufacturer and subsidiary of Gefran S.p.A., headquartered in the town of Provaglio d’Iseo in Northern Italy. With more than five decades of experience and nearly 700 employees worldwide, Gefran designs, engineers, and manufactures sensors, controls, and components used in industrial equipment and operations management. Original equipment manufacturers and end users rely on Gefran products for process control, automation, and equipment electrification for applications in die-casting, plastics, packaging, glass, fluid power, heat treatment, and more. In addition to standard product lines, Gefran’s vertically integrated supply chain gives the company the flexibility to customize products for its OEM customers.

For decades, there has been little variation in the basic component configuration of HPUs, which convert electrical power to hydraulic energy. Highly complex hydraulic systems consist of many components including manifolds, directional valves, heat exchangers, pressure gauges, and the system’s motor and pump, which are mounted to the top of the oil reservoir. Additional components such as filters, pressure gauges, and heat exchangers may also be needed to meet application requirements.

While the design is technically sufficient, OEMs have long sought ways to improve the overall reliability of hydraulic systems that must operate in inhospitable, moisture-laden environments. One challenge is that high-value components like the motor and pump are also the most likely to require repair or replacement in many cases. Yet current HPU design involves mounting the motor and pump to the reservoir, which exposes the components to the environment and potential corrosion damage.

Even if the HPU is in a toolbox with the vehicle battery, it is regularly exposed to moisture from various sources. Accelerated corrosion only leads to premature service, repair, and replacement.

Since critical equipment and machinery cannot function without a sound hydraulic system, downtime and lost revenue can result as well. When this occurs, OEMs receive service calls and complaints from customers that are having problems with the unit. This can reflect poorly on the brand, lead to negative online reviews, and even a loss of future sales.

In addition, while not a concern in all applications, smaller, more compact HPUs are generally preferred where space is limited.

To significantly increase HPU reliability and provide greater design flexibility, a leading hydraulic parts manufacturer, KTI Hydraulics Inc., redesigned these vital components to create the industry’s first “Submerged DC HPU.” Founded in 1998, the Santa Ana, CA- based company provides Hydraulic Power Units and components for use in commercial and industrial hydraulic equipment.

In the patented design, the motor and gear pump are protectively submerged in the reservoir fluid, rather than the typical configuration of mounting the motor/gear pump and manifold to the top of the reservoir.

Protecting the motor and gear pump in this manner has many benefits. When the motor and gear pump are submerged, the high-value parts require substantially less maintenance and replacement. The new units are particularly ideal for equipment and machinery operated in harsh, wet corrosive environments. The oil also functions as coolant, resulting in a longer duty cycle.

KTI Hydraulics Inc. offers the Submerged HPU with a 1.8 KW 12V and 24V DC motor with superior ingress protection (IP) ratings (a measure of an enclosure’s resistance to dust or liquid intrusion). The HPU includes a pressure-loaded gear pump, potted solenoid, and a reservoir with five quarts of usable volume. Several optional add-ons are available as well.

The new, innovative HPU configuration also enables a more compact design (15 1/2” x 9 1/2” x 8”), which is ideal for OEMs looking to minimize the space required for hydraulic components.

To provide more flexibility in design for OEMs, the Submerged HPU is offered with a variety of common hydraulic circuits. Custom circuits can be designed upon request. This configurable approach allows for one base unit to utilize multiple circuits.

The Submerged HPU allows the OEM to change the manifold to work with a multitude of different standard or custom circuits. This contrasts with current HPU designs that lock the OEM into either a single-acting or double-acting configuration.

For hydraulic equipment distributors, the capability eliminates the need to stock four different types of HPUs, conserving inventory space and capital. With the submerged HPU, the distributor can purchase a single SKU item to hold in inventory and then the needed manifolds.

Given the critical importance of Hydraulic Power Units in industries from agriculture to construction, heavy equipment, mobile and recreational vehicles, Submerged HPUs are bound to appeal to OEMs experiencing excessive service calls. By ensuring the motor and gear pump are protected within the oil reservoir from wet or humid environments, the result will be fewer repairs and greater equipment reliability.

ALUFIX from Witte is the globally proven clamping and fixing system for reproducible workpiece holders in dimensional measurement and production technology. ALUFIX is the

basis for measuring and checking fixtures, assembly and welding fixtures as well as meisterbocks, support structures for cubings and gauges. They are also used in prototype, and model building and design developments, for example for mounting of clay models.

Fixtures and measuring setups assembled with ALUFIX are reliably reproducible. The consistent implementation of the modular system allows unlimited, long-term multiple use of virtually all standard elements installed in fixtures.

Witte Barskamp

Founded in 1969 as a production partner for high-precision components in the aerospace industry, Witte Barskamp GmbH & Co. KG is today one of the leading international developers and manufacturers of modular clamping, positioning and measuring fixtures as well as feeder systems. With the ALUFIX modular fixturing system and the versatile vacuum clamping systems, Witte is considered the global market leader. Almost all major companies in the automotive and aerospace industries rely on products and application solutions from Witte. In addition, there is a wide range of applications, including in measurement and medical technology, as well as in all industries in which dimensional quality monitoring, economic efficiency and precision play decisive roles.

After an intensive research and development effort at Renishaw, rotary RCDM glass scales are now joined by CENTRUM stainless steel self-centring discs.

CENTRUM CSF40 scale discs are quick and easy to install ‘right first time’, due to their innovative mounting features that automatically centre the scale when pushed onto an appropriately sized shaft. These alignment features enable fast installation with highly consistent installed accuracy.

CENTRUM scale discs are substantially quicker and easier to install due to specially designed flexures that act like springs to align the disc to the shaft. Mounting of the CENTRUM disc is completed by the addition of three bolts that are tightened to pre-set torque values ꟷ no additional gauges or set-up devices are required.

CENTRUM discs are made from robust stainless steel, which is resilient and easy to clean.

With 40-micron pitch incremental graduations, CSF40 discs are available in a range of sizes with external diameters from 38.4 mm to 120 mm. An ATOM encoder variant compatible with CENTRUM scale discs will also be launched in due course.

Ben Carruthers-Watt, Senior Design Engineer for CENTRUM, explains the features and benefits of CENTRUM CSF40 scales:

“Our new stainless-steel disc scale, CENTRUM CSF40, incorporates three pairs of optimised alignment flexures to enhance the speed and ease of rotary encoder scale installation. The CSF40 disc is self-aligning and eliminates the need for manual alignment of the encoder disc, which significantly minimises installation time and simplifies the assembly process. In this first offering, we have incorporated mounting holes so the disc can be bolted directly onto the machine shaft, avoiding a time-consuming gluing and curing process. The disc design is optimised to ensure the best performance in the smallest possible package, which combines with the ATOM DX readhead to provide a compact encoder system. In the near future, we have plans to expand the CENTRUM range to include other mounting options such as adhesive or a mechanical clamp, which will provide even more flexibility to meet the design needs of our customers.”

Renishaw CENTRUM CSF40 encoder scales are manufactured in-house using strict quality-controlled processes that are certified to ISO 9001:2015. Renishaw encoder systems are backed by a global sales and support network of subsidiary companies in 36 countries.

CENTRUM CSF40 discs will be officially launched at SPS in Nuremberg, Germany, from November 8th -10th. Delegates are invited to talk with Renishaw sales and technical staff on stand 231 in Hall 4A.

Brittany Newell and Jose M. Garcia-Bravo, associate professors in the School of Engineering Technology in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute, and Tyler Tallman, assistant professor in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics in the College of Engineering, have created a novel wet-mixing method to introduce electrically conductive particles into 3D printing filament polymers. Cole Maynard, who earned his PhD in August, and Julio Hernandez, a doctoral candidate, were pivotal to the research.

Traditional 3D printing makes prototypes of parts with no sensing capabilities. Sensors must be added to the part after the fact if assessments are to be made. The process can be thought of as adding sprinkles to cookies after they are baked: The sprinkles exist only on the outside of the cookie. Traditional foil-type strain gauges, which are the most common strain sensors, are adhered to the surface of a printed part by an epoxy resin, Newell said. However, in this work the sprinkles are added throughout the cookie dough before baking. This means that sensing capabilities are an inherent part of the printed component and allow for sensing inside of the component. Unlike sprinkles, these sensors are too small to be seen without a microscope. Their tiny scale allows the printed part to maintain strength it would have otherwise sacrificed due to large sensors built in, while still achieving fully integrated sensing capabilities.

“Generally, we apply that strain gauge across the full part or apply it to the top and bottom of the part to get information on overall strain across the part,” Newell said. “However, the middle and internal structures are never monitored since the gauges are glued to the surface.”

The Purdue wet-mixing method ensures an even distribution of particles throughout the filament. With the sensors dispersed evenly in the filament, manufacturers and researchers can design parts with a wider variety of shapes.

“The results from this work enable users to create complex 3D structures with embedded strain gauges, rapidly moving traditional prototype pieces into fully functional and structurally assessable parts,” Newell said. “A limitation of application of 3D printed parts has been in their durability. With this development, we can continually monitor the structural health of the part with the sensor embedded in the print.”

Tallman said, “This method produces materials that are conductive with very good uniformity, which greatly expands the electrical applications of 3D printed parts and sensor designs.”

Garcia-Bravo said, “The materials are also tunable, meaning we can adjust the electrical and mechanical properties to optimize the sensor or part for a desired application.”

The novel wet-mixing process is not limited only to sensor conductivity.

“This work can be further expanded to add other particle types using the same wet-mixing method,” Newell said. “This could include the addition of magnetic particles for electromagnetic fields, fluorescent particles and other functionalities.”

The research was published in the July 2022 edition of the peer-reviewed journal Advanced Engineering Materials and in the 2020, 2021 and 2022 editions of the journal American Society of Mechanical Engineers Smart Materials, Adaptive Structures and Intelligent Systems. The researchers have received funding from the Naval Engineering Education Consortium, or NEEC, a program from the NAVSEA warfare centers aiming to cultivate partnerships between the Navy and higher education institutions.

The researchers disclosed the innovation to the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization, which has applied for a patent on the intellectual property. Industry partners seeking to further develop this innovation should contact Dhananjay Sewak, dsewak@prf.org, about reference number 69740.

Newell said industry partners are being sought to create a process to scale up and further test the method.

“We need to increase the batch size to an industrial scale and integrate the customizable aspect of this work with industrial 3D printers,” Newell said. “The range of items that can be produced with these filaments is broad, and testing should be done to expand to new prototypes.”

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last five years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free.

About Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization

The Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology-transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university’s academic activities through commercializing, licensing and protecting Purdue intellectual property. In fiscal year 2021, the office reported 159 deals finalized with 236 technologies signed, 394 disclosures received and 187 issued U.S. patents. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2019 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Place from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. In 2020 IPWatchdog Institute ranked Purdue third nationally in startup creation and in the top 20 for patents. The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University.

The Western region is NAVAC’s fastest growing, and Mr. Castro will oversee several important sales partner companies, includes Wright Sales and Cascade Products. Mr. Castro also will have key roles in expanding market share in Latin America, due to his strong contacts, market knowledge and fluentness in both English and Spanish.

Before joining NAVAC, Mr. Castro served as an area sales manager for Nu-Calgon, where he oversaw the Florida and Caribbean markets. Prior to this, he managed territory as an independent representative of Hamilton & Associates, whose lines included Friedrich, Linesets Inc (a Mueller Company), and Blue Diamond (Mitsubishi’s preferred condensate pump). During his career he was received a variety of sales awards and honors.

“With his extensive and expansive HVAC product and manufacturing experience, Carlos will be a key asset to helping NAVAC be the top manufacturer across multiple categories,” said Keith Keller, Director of Sales, Southern Division for NAVAC.

About NAVAC

NAVAC is a global manufacturer that has dedicated over 25 years to the R&D and manufacturing of HVAC/R tools and industrial vacuum solutions. NAVAC draws upon its commitment to technical innovation, strong customer service and robust R&D allocation to deliver solutions offering unsurpassed efficiency, accuracy and ease of use.

Comprising a full lineup of tools, gauges, detectors, vacuum pumps and recovery units, among other solutions, NAVAC’s product portfolio is designed with one overarching concept in mind: user-friendliness. The company seeks to meet a need for simpler, lighter, faster solutions that expedite service without sacrificing accuracy.