Developments

Fiber laser makes the cut

Cutting technologies are continuously evolving, and one of the most significant recent advances in the field is fiber laser. Fiber laser technology has been available for only about three to five years; so many companies are still getting acquainted with it, and are just beginning to appreciate the differences between fiber and the more ‘traditional’ CO2 laser. Of the key thermal cutting methods involving oxyfuel, plasma, and laser technologies, laser cutting offers the best cut quality, especially for fine features and holes that have less than a 1:1 diameter-to-thickness ratio. This makes laser the most appropriate method for stringent precision cutting needs in any industry. And within the laser cutting category, fiber laser is garnering a lot of attention because it offers the speed and cut quality of CO2 laser, but costs significantly less to maintain and operate. This makes fiber laser so promising as a cutting technology that many experts believe it will soon overtake other laser systems. Key advantages of fiber cutting In CO2 laser, CO2 gas is involved in the transmission of the beam. In fiber laser, however, transmission works through diodes and fiber cables. Instead of relying on mirrors to transfer the light beam, fiber laser systems rely on multiple solid state pump diodes to generate a laser beam, which is then transmitted through a flexible fiber cable to the laser cutting head. This offers a number of benefits, the first being table size. Unlike gas lasers, where mirrors must be a set distance apart, there is no size restriction for fiber laser. It is even possible to install a fiber laser cone right next to a plasma cutting head on a plasma cutting table, which wouldnÕt be an option for CO2 laser. Also, the ability to bend or coil fiber means that the systems […]

Faster computational methods of next-generation electronic systems

The overall performance of modern computers and communications networks is dependent on the speed of electronic components, such as transistors and optical switches, as well as the quality of the wire network that powers and relays signals between these electronic components. Power and signal integrity are two important parameters for gauging the quality of a wire network, but simulating these parameters for next-generation electronic systems can take a considerable amount of time, particularly when there is a large number of components involved. Zaw Zaw Oo at the A*STAR Institute for High Performance Computing and co-workers1 have now significantly decreased the amount of computer time needed by developing a modelling technique that is much more efficient. In general, there are two different approaches to simulating power and signal integrity of a wire network. One approach is to use exact equations to describe the power and supply networks. This approach is computationally efficient, but the exact equations are difficult to derive for complex networks for example, those that involve irregularly-shaped ground planes. The other approach is to use numerical methods to describe these complex networks. However, this approach not only requires considerable CPU time and memory, but also becomes unworkable for very large networks. The researchers therefore used a hybrid approach to combine the benefits of analytical and computational models. They had previously developed a hybrid model capable of describing the power networks in multi-layer circuit boards. In their present work, they extended this model to include the signaling network, as well as loads attached to the circuit board. The researchers considered circuit boards which include one or more pairs of parallel plates that serve as electrical grounds, or deliver power. Their model treats each pair of plates as an individual circuit, in which signal and power flow can be […]

Scaling integrated architecture for advanced automation control

PIC CAP: The key to integrated architecture lies in its scalability across multiple controllers and graphic interfaces utilising a common set of programming and configuration tools. Integrated Architecture facilitates the convergence of control and automation processes to streamline production and information management across an entire manufacturing or processing plant. Taking the approach that integrated architecture can be scalable helps ensure that manufacturing enterprises, large or mid-range can take advantage of the benefits. David Black, Product Manager, Architecture & Software, South Pacific Region for Rockwell Automation shares his knowledge of scalable integrated architecture. The provision of integrated architecture is becoming widely accepted by many automation and control providers for use by OEMs and machine builders. Designed to provide a full range of automation disciplinesÑ including motion, process and drive control, safety and data/information transference; integrated architecture offers a means of reducing total cost of ownership for the overall system. There is a perception however that it is more applicable to larger sites, where there may be thousands of I/Os, controllers, switches and drives, with an enormous amount of data and information management. The use of integrated architecture for production management was often deemed to be more appropriate for larger organisations. Not so. Planning and the right approach to integrated architecture will work equally well on mid-range applications. In fact, it is possible to scale integrated architecture to suit virtually any size operation. Many controllers made for many configurations Historically manufacturers may have utilised a different set of system tools for their large and small control systems, comprising different software configuration utilities and programming techniques. The Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture system is unique in that it offers scalable, integrated safety, motion control, and visualisation capabilities that are ideal for machine builders and end users who want a single control and development environment, regardless […]

New insulating material from invasive ‘Apple of Sodom’

PIC CAP: The fibers and seed pod of Calotropis procera. Commonly known as the Apple of Sodom, this shrub can grow up to 5 meters high. The Apple of Sodom (Calotropis procera) plant is often regarded as a nuisance, but thanks to researchers in Saudi Arabia it could now be the source of a novel insulating material. Dr Mohamed Ali from King Saud University received a gold medal for his work. From regulating temperature in walls, pipes and electrical devices to dampening sound, insulating materials play an important part in our daily lives. But how can they be made from a plant like C. procera and what are the advantages over traditional insulation materials such as foam or mineral wool? Lead researcher Dr Mohamed Ali explained: “This plant tends to grow in very dry areas. It grows naturally all around as a weed and animals can’t eat it, so it doesn’t have that many uses.” Unlike other natural insulating materials, such as wood fibre (also used for paper, tissue, cardboard etc.) or mineral wool (also used in plastics and the automotive industry), this means that there is no competition with other sectors or livelihoods. “What interested me about it were the seedpods. Inside there are lots of white fibres attached to the seeds – I collected these fibres and did some experimenting.” To make the insulator, Dr Ali and his colleagues combined the plant’s fibres with a binding resin called phenolic formaldehyde, and compressed it to a thickness of around 2 cm. The resulting material was a stiff board with good insulating properties. They then discovered that the finished product was just as good if natural corn starch was used in place of phenolic formaldehyde, resulting in a natural, eco-friendly material that would be cheap to produce and completely safe […]

Eyes and Ears’ guard major oil pipeline

A high-tech UK security system has been chosen to protect a vital part of India’s energy infrastructure, the 670-kilometre-long Mangala oil pipeline. The Mangala is the world’s longest continuously heated and insulated pipeline. Operated by Cairn India it will have access to 75 per cent of IndiaÕs refining capacity after it reaches Bhogat in Gujarat. The state-of-the-art security OptaSense system – developed by Qineti, the UK’s largest international defence and security technology group – is designed to detect, classify and locate potential threats to buried pipelines. OptaSense is a buried cable fibre-optic sensor system that can detect multiple, simultaneous disturbances every 10 metres over a 40-kilometre length of existing or installed optical fibre. In border and perimeter security applications, anyone climbing or cutting wire fences or digging near the perimeter alerts the sensor and sets off an alarm. The system then classifies the disturbance, provides the position and cues other aids/sensors, such as cameras, to ensure the operator instigates the appropriate response. In cable and pipeline protection applications, any activity – such as the approach of a digger or the lifting of a manhole cover – also generates an alarm. The system’s acoustic sensitivity can also be used to listen to the flow through a pipe, to allow the location of blockages and leaks. OptaSense has huge implications for pipeline operators, where a real-time alert of a leak and its location could save millions of dollars. Vandalism, terrorist attacks or problems with these assets can impact on the environment, the economy and on the lives of staff and consumers. The contract was awarded by Cairn India and ONGC Joint Venture through Qineti”s distribution partner, Optilan, following tests in 2010. Under the contract, Qineti”s OptaSense system will be installed along the whole length of the pipeline to provide highest-level security. “Pipeline […]

3D tools added to ArtCAM Insignia artistic CADCAM

Delcam has added 3D modelling tools to ArtCAM Insignia A range of 3D modelling tools have been added to Delcam’s ArtCAM Insignia software for volume production of artistic items by signmakers, furniture manufacturers, engravers and sculptors of materials from wood or metal to ice. Like all the members of the ArtCAM family of software, Insignia allows artistic users to produce high-quality decorative items, with all the productivity and consistency benefits of computer-based manufacturing but without the need for any detailed engineering knowledge. A demonstration version is now available for download, with a series of online webinars showing the new functionality planned for 20th January. Full details are available on the ArtCAM Insignia website www.artcaminsignia.com. Within the new 3D modelling tools, the most powerful option is the Shape Editor. By simply double clicking on a specific colour of a bitmap image or a selected vector, the user can quickly transform it into a 3D design. The Shape Editor can not only determine the shape’s profile, angle and height but also how it is combined with any 3D relief that has already been created. A second method for creating 3D designs from vector art is the Two-Rail Sweep. By selecting multiple vectors for the edges of the shape and any number of cross sections for chosen positions, users can quickly create a 3D sweep shape or a swept surface. Once the initial design has been created it can be edited in a number of ways. The surface of the model can be given a smooth, unblemished appearance with the Smooth Relief tool. Options are available to smooth over the entire 3D design, an area within a specific vector or a selected colour, in a number of passes. This is a particularly useful way of smoothing evenly across a scanned 3D model for […]

PolyU-made space tool sets for inter-planetary mission

A Russian spacecraft carrying the state-of-the-art space tool made by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) embarked on a one-year space journey to the Red Planet at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in November. This historical mission, also known as the “Phobos-Grunt” (which means soil of Phobos, the largest moon of Mars), marks the first strategic interplanetary collaboration between China and Russia. This is also the first interplanetary mission of Russia after the dissolution of the former Soviet Union. PolyU has been entrusted with the responsibility of designing a mission-critical space tool known as the “Soil Preparation System” (SOPSYS) for the Sino-Russian Mars Mission. Of interest to the scientific community will be the mission’s first bold attempt in the history of mankind to land on the Martian moon Phobos and collect soil sample for in-situ analysis. If the mission goes as planned, the spacecraft carrying both PolyU-made space tool and Chinese satellite Yinghuo-1 will go near the Red Planet in November 2012. The explorer will then release Yinghuo-1 into orbit around Mars; and seek to release the Lander carrying PolyU-made SOPSYS onto the surface of the potato-shaped Martian moon Phobos. SOPSYS weighs merely 400 grams and measures slightly larger than a cigarette pack. It is capable of grinding and sifting Phobos rock to the size of less than 1mm in diameter and then from it into a plug of measured size for in situ analysis. This procedure is considered a crucial step in understanding the evolution of the universe and the formation of the planet Mars. PolyU researchers have been working closely with IKI (Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Science) and the Russian aerospace company NPO Lavochkin in testing the functionality of SOPSYS under extreme environment. Dr Alexander V Zakharov, Chief Scientist of the Space Research Institute […]

Using design automation to reduce costs and improve profitability

By Sharon Toh, General Manager, South Asia of SolidWorks. Across most industries today, profit margins are narrow and will continue to become even thinner. Even in segments where margins are relatively healthy, competition and global outsourcing make cost reduction mandatory. Historically, the high cost of engineering has contributed so significantly to the attack on profit margins that numerous attempts have been made to cut the process time or the cost of engineering activities. Most of these approaches have been point solutions, which can be highly important in their own right, but are not applicable across the board. Design automation, on the other hand, stands out as an effective means of dramatically cutting costs for a well-defined, well-proven range of engineering activities. This is especially so where business needs demand rapid, accurate quoting; consistent engineering; and, most important, minimum time to finished product delivery. Driving design automation The majority of companies share a common goal of reducing design costs. Traditionally, they have had two options: (1) to design less and standardize the product range, or (2) to design faster. If you want to limit your customers’ choices, the first option is fine. However, the pressure to customize products has risen tremendously over the past few years. In a recent Cincom study, 73 percent of total respondents viewed product customisation as critical for products over $100,000, while another 25 percent considered it crucial even for products under $1,000. This trend will only grow. The Cincom study revealed that 63 percent of engineers have seen requests for customised products increase over the last five years, and 26 percent anticipate that the growth rate will be between 25 and 50 percent in the next two years. Another survey of CAD users asked key questions about the users’ design processes. All survey respondents were aware […]

Shi Lang major engineering feat

Corning expands clean air products facility in China

“Additional capacity will address increased global demand.”- Mark Beck SHANGHAI: Corning Incorporated is incorporating a capital expenditure plan of approximately $170 million to further increase the capacity of its clean air products plant in Shanghai, China. The investment will be used to expand the Corning Shanghai Company Limited (CSCL) facility and to increase its capacity to manufacture emissions control substrates for light-duty (automotive) passenger vehicles. This expansion is expected to be complete and operational in the third quarter of 2013. Mark Beck, senior vice president and general manager, Corning Environmental Technologies, said, “Global sales of automobiles, particularly in China and across Asia, are forecasted to grow steadily over the next several years, increasing demand for Corning’s advanced substrates. Strict emissions regulations around the world are driving vehicles to use more substrates than before and to use advanced substrates. This significant investment will help us to meet the growing demand. It also demonstrates our commitment to improve service to our customers and to maintaining a leadership position in the emissions control industry.” “Corning has been investing in China for more than 25 years,” said Eric S. Musser, chief executive officer of Corning Greater China. “Today’s announcement, the third expansion of our automotive substrate facility, marks another important milestone in our commitment to China. As the first substrate manufacturer to enter China 10 years ago, we are proud that we continue to support China’s automotive industry through a combination of strategic investments, innovative technologies, and values-based market leadership.” Corning Shanghai Company Limited, which is wholly owned by Corning Incorporated, is a state-of-the-art, high-tech emissions control substrate facility that first began shipping product in early 2001. Corning first expanded the facility in 2007 and last year announced a $125 million second expansion of the facility. Production from this recent expansion […]

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