Metrology

Engineers at alpha gear drives Inc., Bartlett, Ill. (alphagear.com), have applied an old principle, feedback control, to a traditional piece of hardware, the gearbox, to come up with the alphaIQ gearbox.

A new gear tester from Promess Inc., Brighton, Mich. (promessinc.com), measures tooth-to-tooth contact variations in both directions at each degree of rotation, and can take 10,000 samples/sec.

Researchers at Purdue University working with the U.S. Air Force have developed wireless sensors strong enough to survive inside operating jet engines where temperatures can climb to 572°F.

Joining the Modulo WM weighing module line is the intrinsically safe WM-Ex for use in hazardous environments.

Short of a complete tear down, vibration analysis is one of the best ways for assessing the condition of rotating machinery.

Structural components such as a steering knuckle might be strong enough to withstand a single applied load.

The Laser Microgage dual-axis alignment kit includes a laser-squaring attachment called the 90-Line for checking machine beds, vertical cutting machinery, and roll parallelism, for squaring slides and gantries, and measuring geometric parameters.

ASTM International now has a digital version of its library of technical publications.

Q: I've been told that motor and load inertias should match as closely as possible.

A medical-grade flow regulator provides up to 250 ml/hr.

Cam-action indexing plungers made from steel now come in metric and inch sizes.

A new test system from Sakor Technologies Inc., Okemos, Mich., targets small two and four-cycle engines in equipment such as small outboard motors, lawn-care tools, and generators.

Micro EP palm-sized universal testing machines determine the mechanical properties of miniature specimens in tension, compression, or flexure.

A brass variable-area flowmeter performs as a flow-rate indicator by monitoring process applications under pressures to 3,500 psi, temperatures to 240°F, and other conditions.

A new low-shear-rate version of the ViSmart viscosity sensor instantaneously measures samples of low-to mid-range viscosity fluid.