Latest Electrical & Electronic Content Feed

Specifying High-Performance Cables: The Devil is in the Details

Reggie Hall — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:42:10 -0600

Many of the problems that surround cable failure, especially in extreme and harsh operating environments, could have been avoided by selecting the correct cable from the outset. In today's world of sophisticated electronics, cable failure is not an option. This whitepaper discusses several criteria to consider when specifying high-performance cables, and helpful tips to reduce downtime and avoid failure.

Heat-Shrink Tubing: The Versatile Tools for Maintenance and Repair

Reggie Hall — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:47:02 -0600

Think of heat-shrink tubing as the duct tape for electrical wiring on the factory floor. It can be used for preventive maintenance to avoid problems, and it is a wonderful tool for making minor repairs to cables and connectors. Can you name all of its uses? Our new whitepaper is an excellent resource for learning about the many uses of heat-shrink tubing, how to pick the right type for your application, and a handy step-by-step guide on proper usage.

To Flex or Not to Flex: That is the Question!

Reggie Hall — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:51:21 -0600

Far from being a matter of semantics, there is a big difference between flexible and flexing cables. In this whitepaper, we discuss the differences between a flexible cable and one that is designed for constant flexing. We also take a look at why making the simple assumption that a flexible cable will perform in an extreme flexing application could be a costly mistake.

Electric Motors Monthly - December 15, 2011

Reggie Hall — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:58:28 -0600

Your next table lamp could be a laser

Jared Rader — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:33:57 -0600

Resources
Sandia National Laboratory

Combine blue, red, green, and yellow laser light and you will get white light, but perhaps a white light you wouldn’t want illuminating your living room. It’s long been thought that the extremely narrow band of wavelengths generated by the four lasers would create a harsh white light consumers would find unpleasant and uncomfortable.

Pressure sensors that stretch like skin

Jared Rader — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:37:52 -0600

Resources:
Stanford University

A chemical engineer at Stanford University has developed a pressure sensor based on a pair of transparent films of single-walled carbon nanotubes. The nanotubes act as springs, letting the sensor accurately measure forces on it as it is being pulled like taffy or squeezed like a sponge.

Fingerprint-activated switch provides biometric protection

Jared Rader — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:55:24 -0600

The Harmony XB5 Biometric Switch from Schneider Electric USA, Palatine, Ill., could be the ultimate in security for industrial applications, using fingerprints to identify authorized technicians and workers.

Rugged hollow-shaft encoder can be user programmed

Jared Rader — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:57:21 -0600

The HS35 incremental hollow-shaft encoder from Baumer Ltd., Southington, Conn., combines heavy-duty design with a precise optical scanner to provide reliable, closed-loop control with accuracies of 60 arc-sec.

How servos and steppers stack up

Jared Rader — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 10:54:23 -0600

Authored by:
Scott Carlberg
Yaskawa America Inc.
Waukegan, Ill.
Edited by Leland Teschler
leland.teschler@penton.com
Key points:
• There are some applications where servomotors can be swapped in for stepper motors one-for-one with no change required in the motor-drive electronics

Sustainability Trends in Wiring

Robert.Repas — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:01:02 -0600

Kevin DePratter from Northwire Inc. discusses some of the upcoming trends in wiring sustainability with Lee Teschler of MACHINE DESIGN magazine.