COVERING THE DESIGN ENGINEERING FUNCTION IN CANADA’S OEMs

www.dpncanada.com

DESIGN ESIGN RODUCT PRODUCT NEWS EWS

dp See nc Vid v an eo id ad Hi eo a.c ghl om ight /vi s de o

• February 2013 • Volume 41, Number 1

INSIDE: Enclosures I Motion Control I Fluid Power I Sensors I Power Transmission

Cylinder rated to 3000 miles

Bimba Manufacturing Company has announced enhancements to its round line, non-repairable Original Line product series. Design modifications to extend the rating of the cylinders from 1400 to 3000+ miles, as well as new product packaging.

www.bimba.com

Analytical electronic valves

Solving the arch window covering design challenge

Clippard Instrument Laboratory has introduced the “A-E” Analytical Series electronic valves. Available in 2-way or 3-way, NC or fully ported, power consumption is 0.67 W, response time is 5 to 10 ms, and voltages are 6, 12 or 24 Vdc.

www.clippard.com/analytical

Macadam Blinds’ innovative Moon Shade adds finishing touch By Mike Edwards

G PM# 40065710

DPN Jan_feb 2013.indd 1

UELPH, ON – Putting a square peg in a round hole. That’s the challenge window blind manufacturers face when it comes to covering an arched shape. With mechanical engineering know-how and a number of prototypes along the way, Macadam Blinds (www.macadamblinds.com) has unlocked this challenge with its hardcover retractable Moon Shade Blind design. Units are available in motorized- or cord-driven versions. According to Macadam Blinds president Tom Lokody, the company had to address several innovation obstacles – simultaneously – in order to be in a position to economically produce the blinds for this classical window opening shape: “Our shade looks simple, but there is so much behind it.” Continued on page 7

Programmable rotary sensor

Novotechnik has announced the EasyAdapt Programming Tool for its Programmable Vert-X line of rotary angle sensors and encoders designated Vert-X MH-C2. The tool lets users program output characteristics including custom characteristic curve.

www.novotechnik.com/easyadapt

2013-01-29 11:26 AM

DPN_0213_Layout 1 1/21/13 9:27 AM Page 1

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G3 HMI303 Series/Série Starts at À partir de $595 Visit/Visitez omega.ca/g3_hmi303

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2013-01-21 11:26 2013-01-29 12:14 AM PM

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DPN Automation_DPN_Feb.indd Jan_feb 2013.indd 3 1

2013-01-29 2013-01-21 11:26 10:42 AM AM

DESIGN PRODUCT NEWS

Contents

February 2013

Multiprotocol Industrial Ethernet product now a reality

Franklin Empire brings Ontor division into its fold

10

8 Franklin Empire Inc. has acquired the Industrial Systems Division of Ontor, a national supplier of automation and industrial products.

With its new multiprotocol devices, Turck is offering an efficient way to use the option of Ethernet protocols.

Linear bush components add to design simplicity

Steer-by-wire gets boost from engineers at Nissan

Ad Index Ace Controls .......................................12 Amacoil ..............................................15 AutomationDirect ..................................3 Baldor Electric Company .......................5 Bishop Wisecarver ...............................21 Canadian Standards Association..........11 Clippard ..............................................24 Conductix-Wampfler ...........................21 Emphatec Inc ......................................13 Festo Inc ...............................................7 J.W. Winco ..........................................18 Lovato Electric Corporation .................23 Master Bond Inc .................................20 Novotechnik........................................22 Omega..................................................2 Pamensky Canada.................................9 Ringball .........................................12,13 Rittal Systems Ltd................................19 Siemens PLM Software ........................17 Smalley Steel Ring Company ...............15

THIS MONTH ON

14

dpncanada.com

20

Linear motion components distributorship inspired by simplicity – the simplicity of creating assemblies that solved motion control problems.

EXCLUSIVE ONLINE BLOGS

Architecture of the Nissan steer-by-wire system planned for the Infiniti G-Series within the year, according to Bill Vance of Automotive Scene.

DEPARTMENTS: 8

By Design

Chartwell Automation lands record contract Harting production in U.S. offers flexibility

9

Sensors

11

E-T-A Circuit Breakers provides safety for LNG

Novotechnik technology exploits magnetic theory

Transmission 21 Medical Engineering 13 Power Power transmission components and systems

Control 14 Motion Product Spotlight on drives, controls & motors

15 Product Spotlight on CAD, CAD Chronicle

simulation & analysis software

Eyewear brings vision back to the clinically blind

Choice 22 Editor’s Products

CAD Industry Blog Bill Fane reviews the latest version of Maplesoft, the mathematics-friendly analysis and design software tool

Renderings Blog The Provincial Monitor newsletter from BMO Capital Markets takes the pulse of Canada’s fiscal health

Product Spotlight on select new technologies

visit www.dpncanada.com When online, launch the digital edition of DPN and view videos related to content where you see this icon. 4 Design Product News • www.dpncanada.com

DPN Jan_feb 2013.indd 4

February 2013

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Renderings

By Mike Edwards

What we can learn from Japan’s industrial design Studying another culture’s desires can shed light on your own

G

eeky-Girly Innovation: A Japanese Subculturalist’s Guide to Technology and Design might not be an enticing title for everyone to pick up and read. But as the father of two teenage Canadian girls obsessed by Japanese manga (comics) and anime (cartoons), as well as the editor of two design engineering magazines, this book by Morinosuke Kawaguchi from Stone Bridge Press (www.stonebridge. com) had my name on it. The art and science of industrial design dictates that the product developer must study the demographics of the target market. Author Kawaguchi, principal associate director for the consultancy Arthur D. Little Japan and a lecturer at the Tokyo Institute of Technology, is considered the inventor of a new concept in product engineering and technology development that draws from Japanese culture. Analyzing everything from super-toilets to cute character stationery goods, Kawaguchi argues here that the Japanese have leveraged the childlike, feminine, cute aspects of their otaku (geek) culture into top-tier products for world markets. When you see “Hello Kitty” pajamas, toothbrushes and luggage from Japan here in the West – that is just the tip of the iceberg, according to Kawaguchi. Wide-eyed, cute characters in this vein have proliferated across the

daily lives of Japanese. Everything from vending machines to highway warning signs is replete with sweet images drawn to inform and entice. In Part 2 of the book, Ten GeekyGirly Rules of Japanese Products, the author details Rule #1 – Make the Object (Almost) Human: Anthropomorphism. Japan’s polytheistic culture observes a life force not just in living things but also inanimate objects. Therefore, when something dies or breaks beyond repair, it can be given funeral rites. Sewing needles, chickens and germs are all recipients of this treatment in Japan. This is where you find KFC honoring the dead that have fed so many. I was beginning to wonder if the country’s demographics were just too foreign to consider transferring its ideas to the rest of the world, but Kawaguchi demonstrates how attractive Japan’s cultural influences can be when he discusses robot and automotive design.

Wide-eyed, cute characters have proliferated across daily lives in Japan, including factories

Editorial Director Michael R. Edwards [email protected] Contributing Editor, Robert Colman [email protected] Art Director, Graham Jeffrey [email protected] Advertising Sales: Nigel Bishop, [email protected] Roger Heritage, [email protected] Ron Salmon, [email protected] Peter Tams, [email protected] Quebec Office, Peter Tams [email protected], (514) 984-2668 Account Coordinator, Alice Chen [email protected] President, Michael Fredericks [email protected] Editorial Advisory Board: John Lamb, Festo (festo.ca) and Canadian Fluid Power Association (cfpa.ca) Ajay Bajaj, Rotator Products Ltd. (rotatorproducts.com) and Power Transmission Distributors’ Association (ptda.org) Mirek Tokarz, Langen Packaging Inc. (langeninc.com) Jonathan Loudon Swave Studios and ACID-O (acido.info) Millan Yeung, Industrial Research Assistance Program, National Research Council Canada (nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/irap)

Follow us on Twitter @DPN_Engineering

WATCH the latest technical innovations at dpncanada.com Video highlights at dpncanada.com from Autodesk University 2012 in Las Vegas demonstrate how the software giant is addressing design engineering in the cloud, automation design and mechatronics design productivity. Autodesk University 2012: CEO Carl Bass announces Fusion 360 3D design in the cloud

Group Publisher Manufacturing Group, Nigel Bishop [email protected] (905)-713-4395

Autodesk Simulation 360 cloud capabilities explained at AU 2012

Autodesk Product Design Suite: the correct tool for the task at hand from IMAGINiT

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Design Product News is published six times a year for the specifiers of materials and components in product engineering (OEM); in-plant (systems); and design/ production engineering (the crucial stage between finished blueprint/CAD drawing and routine mass production). The contents of Design Product News are copyright by ©2013 Annex Publishing & Printing and may not be reproduced in whole or part without written consent.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. Autodesk CEO Carl Bass introduced Fusion 360 during a keynote address to the 8,000 attending Autodesk University 2012 in Las Vegas. Fusion 360, which permits 3D design and collaboration in the cloud, is now in a Beta Program. http://ow.ly/gPnvU

Luke Mihelcic, Simulation Product Marketing Manager at Autodesk, explains the experience and possibilities of the next generation of cloud simulation tools for flow, thermal and stress – Autodesk Simulation 360. http://ow.ly/gPo3G

6 Design Product News • www.dpncanada.com

DPN Jan_feb 2013.indd 6

Caleb Funk, a solutions consultant with IMAGINiT Technologies and Autodesk University 2012 presenter, explains how the Autodesk Product Design Suite offering assists designers with providing the correct tool for the task at hand. http://ow.ly/gPoH5

Annex Publishing & Printing disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in respect of the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this publication.

February 2013

2013-01-29 11:26 AM

Cover Story FEATURE

Moon Shade solves multiple challenges continued from Front Cover

Not only did the product have to be defined for a market that is accustomed to refined appearances in its finishes, but so did the production process, assembly machine design and the materials used in the blind blades. “We spent the better part of 2009 working on these steps – it has been the hardest design engineering project I have faced in 10 years,” said Lokody. He added that the design challenge was much more demanding than a typical automotive special purpose machine project that his other company (EMD Integration) gets involved in since there were so many variables that needed to be satisfied.

blade material thickness and height. That way, we can tell if the blade is too long and define the product around standard window valences.”

The goal of Lokody is to grow Macadam Blinds organically by scaling up production. He noted that since his production process

has been perfected, options for adding more facilities is now a possibility, as is the opportunity to license the technology.

The archway opening is as old as architecture, but to successfully cover a window required the ingenuity and engineering know-how of Macadam Blinds.

The expertise of Lokody has been crucial to bringing the Moon Shade closer to success after company founder Mac Foy appeared on season three of CBC television’s Dragon’s Den in 2008 (http://ow.ly/ goez4) to demonstrate the product and look for investors. Foy was inspired to create the original blind after waking up with sun streaming through the top of an arch window opening. The Macadam production assembly machine can customize the size of the blinds in seconds due to the machine’s simplicity, explained Lokody. “We found a Canadian supplier of blades that is already in the window blind industry. The blades also use the same sunlight-resistant material found in matching horizontal or vertical blind configurations.” SolidWorks software has been instrumental in bringing the original Moon Shade concept forward. “We wanted to reduce the number of prototypes for the blade assemblies,” said Lokody. “Each customer provides dimensions for a different opening, driving the software to determine the proper February 2013

DPN Jan_feb 2013.indd 7

Variety as standard Standard and versatile. Tough and leakproof but always compact and powerful—Festo’s range of products for gripping and positioning is truly comprehensive. New: miniature standard grippers DHxS. Powerful, precise and resilient. Festo Inc. Tel: 1 877 GO FESTO Fax: 1 877 FX FESTO [email protected] www.festo.ca/grippers

Grippers_JuniorPage_Bleeds.indd 1 Festo_DPN_Feb.indd 1

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www.dpncanada.com • Design Product News

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2013-01-21 12:38 PM

2013-01-29 11:26 AM

By Design Harting U.S. plant produces custom cabling and PCBs ELGIN, IL – Starting in 2005, the headquarters and distribution site of Harting Inc. of North America serving the U.S., Canada and Mexico,

Abram Pries, production manager at the Elgin, IL-based Harting plant.

also become a production facility serving North American machine manufacturing, factory automation, information technology and transportation customers. During a recent sponsored tour

of the facility, Harting demonstrated how it produces value-added customized cable harnesses and cable assemblies, as well as products from the Harting Integrated Solutions circuit board technology division. The cable assembly capability includes support of the company’s Han-Modular line of rectangular industrial connectors, including the latest Han-Power T power distribution connections to multiple motors for equipment such as conveyors. Printed circuit board (PCB) technologies are supported by vapor phase reflow ovens suitable for large, thick backplanes and heavy power planes, as well as by computer-controlled automatic presses for precise and accurate pressfit repeatability of connectors. www.harting.ca

Pratt & Whitney and Viking sign 10-year agreement Pratt & Whitney Canada and Viking Air Ltd. have entered into a 10-year General Terms Agreement to supply

Twin Otter aircraft from Viking Air are consumers of Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 engines.

PT6 engines, including the PT6A-34 for the Twin Otter aircraft. “This agreement bears witness to

the strong bond P&WC and Viking Air have always enjoyed,” said Denis Parisien, vice-president, general aviation products, P&WC. “The Twin Otter and the PT6 have always been and continue to be inseparable.” The PT6 has captured more than 130 applications around the world for general and business aviation, helicopters, commuter, utility and trainer aircraft. With more than 49,000 engines delivered, and close to 400 million hours flown, the PT6 is the world’s most popular engine in its class. Compared to the first PT6A model, today’s engine is up to 4 times more powerful, with a 40% better power-to-weight ratio and up to 20% better specific fuel consumption (SFC).

www.pwc.ca

Chartwell lands massive utility order Bill Carothers, Alcoa Howmet (right), accepts aerospace award on behalf of Alcoa Howmet Georgetown from Investment Casting Institute board member Cliff Fischer.

Alcoa Howmet Georgetown named institute casting contest winner Alcoa Howmet of Georgetown, ON, has been named a winner in the Investment Casting Institute’s annual casting contest. The contest, conducted in conjunction with the 59th Technical Conference and Equipment Expo in Nashville, had a total of four winners. The 2012 Aerospace casting award for Alcoa Howmet illustrated the complexity that can be achieved with the investment casting process. A fuel metering unit for an aircraft engine, the aluminum part volume was 11 x 10 x 8 in. It has six intricate cores ranging from 3 to 12 in. long, with 0.600 to 1.5 in. diameters. www.investmentcasting.org www.alcoa.com

MARKHAM, ON – Chartwell Automation Inc., with its partner Grace Engineered Products, have received and shipped the largest Canadian order for SafeSide voltage indicators in Grace’s history. A major Canadian utility awarded the order to Grace Engineered Products in early December. These permanent electrical safety devices can be used in conjunction with a Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) procedure to ensure that safe entry into electrical panels can be achieved in accordance with CSAZ462 and NFPA70E Standards.

SafeSide voltage indicators are assisting a major Canadian utility with creating safer electrical panel access.

The Canadian utility identified the SafeSide voltage indicator as a key aid in its LOTO procedure put in place to ensure employee safety when accessing electrical panels. This is its second order for this product, the largest to date, to finish a multiyear retrofit of electrical

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DPN Jan_feb 2013.indd 8

panels. The utility will install them in the next 12 months in an ongoing effort to reduce injuries when accessing electrical panels. Chartwell Automation sales offices serving factory and process

automation companies are in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Montreal, as well as Waterloo, London and Hamilton, ON. www.chartwell.ca www.graceport.com

Franklin Empire acquires Ontor IS Division Franklin Empire Inc. has acquired the Industrial Systems Division of Ontor. The Ontor division is a national supplier of automation and industrial controls, motion, drives and machine safety products with sales locations in Toronto, Mississauga, Burlington, Kitchener, Montreal, Quebec and Calgary. In conjunction with this acquisition, Franklin Empire will become the Siemens EID (Exclusive Industrial Distributor) for The GTA, Mississauga/ Brampton and Oakville/Hamilton/ Niagara. Franklin Empire is already the Siemens EID for Southwestern Ontario, Ottawa and the province of Quebec. The remaining Ontor divisions, HVAC and Romark, are not a part of this acquisition and will continue under Ontor Ltd. All of Ontor’s ISD

staff and inventory will merge into Franklin Empire’s nearest locations.

From left shaking hands: Clifford Backman, vice-president/owner Franklin Empire and Rob Elder, president of Ontor. Employees of Ontor are in the background.

With this acquisition, Ontor’s customers will have access to more electrical products and Franklin Empire staff will gain new market opportunities and forge new supplier relationships. February 2013

2013-01-29 11:26 AM

Sensors FEATURE

How to substantially reduce encoder cost while gaining functionality Multi-turn rotary position sensors employ a multi-layer scheme to accurately determine position

M

any applications require rotation counters that can measure angles greater than 360º. However, the low-cost 10-turn potentiometers most design engineers are familiar with can’t always meet user requirements for resolution and reliability.

A better distribution of the air is ensured in the enclosure As an alternative, optical absolute encoders are too expensive for many applications. These solutions require a continuous power supply or they will lose count when power is restored. Also, geared technology/ rotation counters are subject to significant wear. Novotechnik RSM 2800 series multi-turn rotary sensors address this unfilled customer need. These are the first rotation counters to be based on Novotechnik’s patented novoturn technology built on an enhanced giant magnetic resistance effect. They provide substantial cost savings compared to optical encoders, maintain reliability and accuracy, plus they offer additional useful features. Magneto resistance is a phenomenon in quantum mechanics that occurs in thin film structures when two ferromagnetic layers are separated by a thin non-magnetic film. It is a technology used in hard disk drives. When the two magnetic layers are parallel, resistance drops to a minimal value. As the magnetic layers are turned so they are no longer in parallel alignment, electrical resistance increases. This increase can be

By optimizing magneto resistive technology for encoder and positioning applications, Novotechnik has created a combined multi-turn rotation counter and position sensor that senses without contact or power.

used to measure absolute position values, e.g. full rotations. Novotechnik has optimized this patented technology for encoder and positioning applications. The result is a combined multi-turn rotation counter and position sensor that senses without contact or power. The sensed count can be held without power for years. By measuring the resistance of the structure, a custom integrated circuit stores the changes of resistance and applies a pre-determined offset to count the number of turns. The number of spiral tracks determines the number of rotations that can be detected. A second 360° sensor is used to determine the specific angle in a single-turn range and combined with the count sensor just described, this

technology can determine the angle and number of turns- even tracking when no power is present. In the RSM 2800 series, two multi-turn elements are offset by 90º in a diamond pattern. With this structure, a clear rotation value can be derived in any angular position using a corresponding evaluation algorithm. The sensors are true “power on” systems that provide these measured values immediately following startup. The technology eliminates the need for the gears or the external power supply required in conventional rotation encoders. The result is a series of very compact multiturn sensors that can be easily integrated into a wide variety of applications to measure angles between 2 to 15 turns and supply absolute

position values over 360° without mechanical gearing or a buffer. And, since these are non-contacting sensors, they provide long life and can be easily integrated into a wide variety of applications without the need to create mechanical linkages. The RSM 2800 is the first multiturn rotation counter to be based on novoturn technology. This sensor has a 24 V power supply and 2 separate 0 to 10 V outputs (24 V supply) with 12-bit resolution. Units provide independent linearity up to ±0.1% with an electrical range up to 5400º. This is a true power on sensor. The sensor counts revolutions even with power off, and no battery is required. This article was excerpted from a White Paper contributed by Novotechnik.

www.novotechnik.com

More information, literature and more at: Scan this QR Code with your smartphone to visit our website.

Motors Automation Machines Transformers

Pamensky_DPN_Feb.indd February 2013

DPN Jan_feb 2013.indd 9

1

New W22 Line of Motors CFW 11 Variable Frequency Drives

www.pamensky.com

[email protected] 1 877 PAMENSKY (726-3675)

12-01-19 9:16 AM www.dpncanada.com • Design Product News 9

2013-01-29 11:26 AM

Sensors FEATURE

Multi language talents drive automation New multiprotocol gateways and block I/O modules By Jörg Kuhlmann

T

he principles by which the controller manufacturers are marking out and securing their claims has resulted in a number of similar Ethernet protocols: the leaders of the standard Industrial Ethernet protocols, Profinet, Ethernet/IP and Modbus TCP, are sharing the majority of the automation market between each other.

Costs and complexity of inventory control are effectively reduced Automation manufacturers on the one hand, and machine and system builders on the other have to deal with this diversity – both with fieldbuses and with Ethernet. One trend therefore continues to characterize the industrial automation sector: The range of standards and devices that fulfill similar tasks but which are nevertheless based on different protocols continues to increase. Turck has pursued a different approach which provides a solution for this challenge: The automation specialist is launching the first multiprotocol Ethernet gateways and block I/O modules in the world that can be operated with the Profinet, Ethernet/IP or Modbus TCP Ethernet protocols without any intervention required by the user. With its multiprotocol devices, Turck is not only reducing the diversity of proprietary device types, but also the number of customers that use different protocols in different parts of their production or in different country-specific versions of their machines. In automotive production, for example, it often occurs that body construction and final assembly are automated using different protocols. In the future, all these users only have to keep one gateway type in stock, regardless of the Ethernet protocol used. As purchasing and warehousing are often centralized, this will enable the costs and complexity of inventory control to be effectively reduced. The multiprotocol devices make it possible to implement machines and plants that can be planned and constructed identically. They can also

With its new multiprotocol devices, Turck is offering an efficient way to use the option of Ethernet protocols.

be provided with different controllers or masters to meet specific customer specifications, enabling communication in different protocols. Besides the benefits with regard to spare parts management and procurement, the provision of multiprotocol devices from other automation manufacturers will make it possible to create identical installation plans for electrical designs which just have to be

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DPN Jan_feb 2013.indd 10

duplicated. Turck multiprotocol devices have gateways that feature internal switches which enable installation in line. The Ethernet IP, Modbus TCP and Profinet protocols are combined in a single device firmware. The multiprotocol functionality is made possible by an intelligent identification routine of the gateways. During startup, they determine

which Ethernet protocol is running on the cable by listening to the traffic in the so-called snooping phase. The devices then automatically switch to the detected protocol and ignore the telegrams of the other two. The implementation of the protocols is in no way inferior to that of the single protocol devices. In Profinet mode, topology detection and address allocation are supported with LLDP, and Ethernet/IP with QuickConnect and Device Level Ring (DLR media redundancy). However, the multiprotocol talent is not the only source of innovation on the new Turck gateways. The multiprotocol devices also have a turbo on board that enables a highspeed startup. They support Fast Startup in Profibus mode and feature QuickConnect in Ethernet/IP mode. Due to the extremely slim architecture of the microprocessor and the operating system, they can achieve startup times that were previously impossible. The automotive industry in particular required short startup times in order, for example, to increase the cycle rate for a tool change on robots in body shell construction. The faster the I/O module on the tool changer returns to operational readiness, the faster the cycle time for an operation. For the automotive manufacturer, a shorter cycle time means either more output per unit of time or fewer robots for a particular operation – both significant alternatives from an economic standpoint. Turck developed an optimized electronic architecture for its Ethernet I/O modules that ensures that processors are operational considerably faster – largely regardless of any protocol modifications – and speeds up the startup times. The Turck block type fast startup modules now achieve startup times of