Force Engineering, based near Loughborough (GB), develops and manufactures customised Linear Induction Motor (LIM) based motion systems, serving a wide base of industries with applications as diverse as medical scanning equipment and baggage handling conveyors.
As a world leading expert and innovator in the field of LIM technology, a large part of Force Engineering’s activities centres on the amusement ride industry - adding heightened levels for thrill-seekers through ride launch and in-ride acceleration to 1.2 g, and equally rapid braking performance along roller coaster tracks. To help ensure the extreme levels of electrical safety and performance required for these high power systems which typical run from very high current three-phase supplies, Force Engineering embed temperature controls in its LIM winding assemblies and has chosen Variohm EuroSensor as its main supplier of customised wiring harnesses that include glass encapsulated NTC thermistors configured as temperature probe assemblies.
Fully sealed in copper tube housings
The special temperature probes are similar to standard components available as stock items from Variohm EuroSensor, however with 10K3976 series thermistors which offer a higher temperature range and stability specification than the standard probe. With the NTC chip encapsulated in hermetically sealed glass packages, these thermistors - which are supplied to Variohm from TE Connectivity, the global sensor and measurement systems company - are in turn encapsulated and fully sealed in copper tube housings by Variohm EuroSensor.
Stainless steel housing
The 10K3976 glass thermistor has a temperature range of -40 to +250 ⁰C and is specified in applications where a fast time response is required at high levels of thermal shock. Three special probes are each wired with different length leadwires and coloured insulated, all finished with rubber shrink-sleeving. Additional cabling, without thermistors, is also included in the harness to facilitate straightforward assembly into the LIM’s manufactured by Force Engineering.
Whilst Variohm stocks and supplies a comprehensive range of glass or epoxy coated thermistors with NTC and PT sensors as components, the specialist sensor manufacturer has developed many standard products like the probes for Force Engineering as convenient assemblies that may be integrated directly into the customer’s application.
Variohm’s ETP series temperature probes
These assemblies take the form of electrical ring terminals, hexagonal bolts and pipe clamps as well as cylindrical probes finished in PTFE, stainless steel, brass and other materials. These assemblies for instance help power amplifier manufacturers directly sense chassis or heatsink temperature through ring terminal probes. In this way the customer can overcome the potential problems of handling and installing tiny NTC or PT type temperature sensor, reduces components and suppliers from more streamlined production and reduces maintenance.
In addition to specialist temperature probe assemblies, Variohm also includes customised production by transforming other components from its wide range of sensors for linear and rotary position, pressure, load/force, and vibration etc. Modifications can range from alternative electrical connection or a modified mounting arrangement to integrating sensors with significant redesigns or combining multiple sensor technologies and other electromechanical components as fully tested sub-assemblies.
Rosenberger has taken-over the German harness maker Holocher & Bauer and integrated the company into the Rosenberger group under the new name Rosenberger Automotive Cabling GmbH (RAC).
Managed by Robert Holocher, RAC will provide excellent customer support and services to existing customers in close cooperation with the Rosenberger headquarters in Fridolfing (D) .
Through the acquisition of Holocher & Bauer, Rosenberger extends its competence profile and increases the harness making capacities in its Hungarian plant, especially for the automotive cable assemblies of HFM® and H-MTD® connector series. Furthermore, expansion of assembly capacities and investments in production automation systems are planned for the future.
Scanlab GmbH is expanding its lineup of entry-level scan heads with the new basiCube 14. This compact-class scan system features excellent price/performance and a 14-mm aperture for high-precision marking using small spots. That makes it ideal in electronics labeling applications.
The consumer goods and electronics sectors are governed by high volume production and unrelenting price pressure. In manufacturing, every core component is subject to demanding expectations regarding throughput, reliability and low cost.
It has extended its product portfolio via the ultra-compact basiCube 14 scan head, a price-effective variant that features a larger 14-mm aperture and mechanical compatibility with the well-established SCANcube series. This new model assures 600-cps writing speeds, additional productivity can be realized through its automated on-the-fly functionality. It will be manufactured in Germany under strict quality standards.
SmartRay the manufacturer of 3D sensors for quality inspection and measuring technology, has launched a new addition to its highly successful ECCO sensor family, optimally balanced for the diverse application requirements of consumer electronics manufacturing.
Delivering high-speed 3D scanning performance in an economical and compact design, ECCO 95.020 provides an ultra-high resolution and superior 3D image quality that ensures faster production lines and throughput.
Utilising SmartRay’s sharply focused, brilliant blue laser technology for exceptional image quality and repeatability, even for applications with low field-of-view, ECCO 95.020 offers high speed 3D scanning of up to 20 million points per second. Delivering speeds up to 10 kHz in full HD, for up to 1920 points per 3D profile, the high-resolution performance of ECCO 95.020 has a lateral resolution of 13 µm, vertical resolution of approximately 1.3 µm, and Z-repeatability of 0.2 µm.
A 25 mm field of view (FOV) at mid-field positions the performance of ECCO 95.020 between the ultra-high-resolution ECCO 95.010 and the high-resolution ECCO 95.040, providing consumer electronics manufacturers with the ideal balance between FOV, measurement range (MR) and resolution typically required for their manufacturing applications.
ECCO 95.020 also provides a larger measurement range of 20 mm, which ensures superior 3D data quality, repeatability and improved sensitivity, and is ideal for scanning thicker components with a larger MR. For example, it enables determination of a height offset between two levels on a consumer electronics part, or can find the volume of glue dispensed on the component edges during assembly. These applications usually require an MR ranging anywhere from 2 to 20 mm.
Offering a high-speed gigabit ethernet interface for real-time data transmission capability, the identical housing dimensions to the ECCO 95.010 mean upgrading existing installations to the ECCO 95.020 is fast and simple. As the sensor has a direct interface to the host computer, there is no need for any additional controllers.
ECCO 95.020 is consequently the ideal 3D inspection and measurement solution for a range of consumer electronics manufacturing applications, including SIM card holder/slot dimensional checks, smartphone glue guidance and inspection, metallic ring dimensional inspection, and smartphone housing dimensional inspection.
ECCO 95.020 operators and integrators are supported through the SmartRay DevKit 5.1 (SDK 5.1 SP2) installation package, which offers diverse support for sensor set-up, including third-party drivers such as HALCON from MVTec, Matrox Imaging Library (MIL), SAC Coake or NI LabVIEW.
Electromagnetic flowmeters WATERFLUX 3300, WATERFLUX 3070 and OPTIFLUX 4300 are now available with approval according to MID 2014/32/EU annex VI MI-004 for thermal energy meters.
Together with ultrasonic flowmeter OPTISONIC 3400 District Heating, they form Krohne's flow meter portfolio to be used as part of a heat metering system. Typical applications include custody transfer (fiscal metering) in district heating networks, commercial and industrial heat metering or general energy and utility applications in combined heat and electricity generation.
The MI-004 calibration can be realized through either Module D or Module F. With Module D, the calibration is performed by KROHNE Altometer in Dordrecht, The Netherlands, which has been accredited by the NMI to perform MI-004 calibrations. With Module F, the calibration is performed by a notified body specifically requested by the customer, e.g. MID-Cert in Germany.
Crowcon has developed an addressable fixed-point gas detector with local display which offers both flammable and toxic gas detection and oxygen monitoring.
Crowcon’s Louise Early explains, “We originally developed the Xgard Bright specifically for China four years ago and due to its success, particularly in regard to its addressable functionality, we have now released Xgard Bright internationally.”
Lowering the cost of installation, the three-wire addressable implementation reduces cabling requirements. The large OLED display allows users to work with Xgard Bright during install, calibration and routine maintenance without the need to open the housing.
Xgard Bright offers analogue 4-20mA and RS-485 Modbus signals as standard, along with an alarm and fault relay and optional HART communications. It is suited to both small and large installations using point-to-point or multi-drop methodologies. Target applications include oxygen depletion in laboratories (educational, medical and research), toxic and flammable gas monitoring across the automotive, steel, chemical, food and beverage industries.
“We have already achieved significant success with Xgard Bright in China, across the waste water, gas distribution and construction industry and as a result, took the decision to extend our regional certifications, widening the suitability of this successful addressable gas detection solution”.
Fluke has introduced a new series of point, line, and rotary laser levels with improved durability, accuracy, and performance. These new professional-grade tools have been engineered by their company Pacific Laser Systems (PLS) to meet Fluke's high standards for accuracy, ruggedness, and dependability to ensure the lasers will maintain their precision for years to come.
They are designed to meet the demands of harsh construction environments while easing interior and exterior layout work. The 11 new lasers provide bright, crisp reference points and lines for quick and accurate indoor and outdoor layout, helping to complete projects on time.
Studies have shown that green appears up to four times brighter than red to the human eye, which makes the green lasers more visible on the jobsite, so most models are available as red (R) and green (G) variants. The new PLS 3R and 3G, PLS 5R and 5G, PLS 6R and 6G, PLS 180R and 180G Laser Levels are accurate to ≤3mm at 10m and are built to provide IP54 dust and water resistance and to withstand a 1 metre drop. Each model features a fast settling, self-levelling pendulum to give accurate point and reference lines almost instantly. All are equipped with a pendulum lock, ensuring safe transport and to avoid potential wear.
The PLS 3R & 3G Point Lasers offer 3 point directions; the 5R & 5G Point Lasers offer 5 point directions; the 6R & 6G Line and Point Lasers offer 4 point directions plus a 180° horizontal and vertical line; the 180R & 180G Line Lasers offer a horizontal and vertical line. Fluke has also introduced three PLS Rotary Laser Levels – the HV2R and HV2G which emit a laser line in the horizontal or vertical plane; and the H2, horizontal-only, red laser level.
Optional accessories include laser detectors and reflective targets, a floor stand, a wall mount and a UB9 Universal Ceiling/Wall Bracket. All PLS laser levels are backed by a three-year best-in-class warranty.
