Thermoformed tubing assemblies
Thermoformed tubing assemblies can be custom designed with bends and coils to fit snugly without kinking into tight spaces. Samples, reagents, and other fluids pass smoothly through the tubing, which has been engineered to maintain the desired flow rate. The tubing has a one-way-fit design, ensuring that assemblies can only be installed in the correct orientation. A proprietary flaring process combined with appropriate hardware produces a leak-tight seal. Materials such as FEP, PTFE, PFA, ETFE, PVC, TPU, and PEEK can be processed, and tight tolerances can be achieved on tubing measuring 0.010 to 0.875 in. ID and 1 in. OD. Diba Industries Inc., Danbury, CT, USA.
Vacuum pumps
A proprietary diaphragm stabilization system has enabled the development of vacuum pumps that offer high suction speed with low absolute pressures and long-term vacuum stability. The N940 pumps attain ultimate vacuums of less than 1.5 mbar absolute and pumping rates up to 50 litres per minute. The leak rate is calculated at 6 × 10-3 mbar × litres per second. A conventional ac model is available as well as a version that automatically adjusts to various voltages. The pump is suited for applications that require a high suction speed and low ultimate pressure. KNF Neuberger GmbH, Freiburg, Germany.
Inert solenoid valve
Design flexibility is a key feature of an inert miniature solenoid valve. OEMs can request specific diaphragm materials, flow orifices, mounting and port configurations, and voltage, flow, and wattage specifications. Although the valves are made to order, the lead time can be as short as three weeks. The product targets a performance and price niche between limited pinch valves and costly rocker-style solenoids, according to the company. The company routinely collaborates with customers on the development of innovative fluidic technology. Gems Sensors & Controls, Basingstoke, Hants, UK.
Supplier of Laser Sintering Systems Introduces Stainless-Steel Material
A stainless-steel material has been introduced for use with a company’s laser sintering technology. StainlessSteel 17-4 is suited for medical applications because of its corrosion resistance and mechanical properties, according to the supplier. Prior to its market launch, the material was tested by users of the company’s laser sintering machines. The accretive process, which sinters successive layers of metal powder to produce parts directly from 3-D CAD models, is often used for rapid prototyping, rapid tooling, and series or spare-parts production. Among the pilot users is the Boeing Co., which successfully used StainlessSteel 17-4 to produce frames for foot-level lighting fixtures in the passenger cabins of some of its planes.
The composition of the stainless-steel powder corresponds to the European material number 1.4542 and the US steel classification 17-4 PH. The firm also supplies a cobalt-chrome powder; a titanium alloy will be available early this year.
On the equipment front, the company introduced a next-generation plastic laser sintering machine at the recent Euromold event in Frankfurt, Germany. Described as an enhancement of the EOSint P 700 twin-laser system, which is said to be the largest such system on the market, the new Formiga P 100 machine is about 25–35% more productive, depending on the part geometry, and has a 200 × 250 × 330-mm build envelope. EOS GmbH, Krailling, Germany.
Acetal Used to Mould Bone Cement Mixer
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Acetal’s elongation-at-yield properties made it possible to mould a leaf-spring (1 in photograph) as an integral part of the trigger lever, thus eliminating the need for a return spring made of metal and related assembly operations. The material’s combination of stiffness and toughness was a boon in the manufacture of the c-shaped antiscrew pull tab (2). Delrin was also used to mould the ribbed driving shaft (3), mixing blades (4), and rotary piston (5). DuPont de Nemours, Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland.
New 3-D Technology Enhances Medical Imaging
Sophisticated algorithms and new filtering techniques reportedly enable imaging software to significantly improve medical digital imaging technology. Presented at the annual Radiological Society of North America conference at the end of November, 3-D GOP uses data from three dimensions in the processing of each volume element, or voxel, which is described as the three-dimensional equivalent of a pixel. The result is a truer depiction of the real imaged tissue and structure presented to the clinician, according to the company.
3-D GOP technology has been in development for more than 2 years. The software is part of a collaborative research project with the Center for Medical Image and Visualization (Linköping, Sweden), and was partly funded by the Swedish government.
The product will be commercially available in late 2007. ContextVision AB, Stockholm, Sweden.
Plastic Reflectors Offer an Alternative to Glass in OR Lighting
A company has developed a technology for coating cold-conversion reflectors made of plastic that are suited for use in operating room lighting systems. Using high-grade Ultem material in lieu of glass to manufacture the reflectors reportedly has allowed the company to reduce the weight of the part and to improve its geometry and optical characteristics.
The weight of the reflectors has been reduced by a factor of about 2 in comparison with conventional glass reflectors of similar size, according to the firm. The light is guided solely by the reflector; additional Fresnel lenses are not required. The lower-weight plastic allows the use of larger reflectors and lighter-weight support construction.
The plastic substrate enables a level of geometric precision that is not achievable with glass, adds the firm. Moreover, it optimizes the separating efficiency of the facets relative to each other and their position, and their contour accuracy.
The company also notes that the high-grade reflective coatings optimize the colour temperature of the light source and essentially block infrared light rays.
The manufacturer of optical thin-film products maintains operating facilities in the United States and China. OC Oerlikon Balzers Ltd., Oerlikon Components Optics, Balzers, Liechtenstein.
Hybrid Motors Step Up the Torque
A recently introduced series of stepper motors can provide as much as 40% more torque than similarly sized products. The new motors also offer improved performance, heat dissipation, and side and radial loading, according to the manufacturer. The 1.8° step motors are supplied in NEMA 17, 23, and 34 frame sizes. Various stack lengths are available in each frame size, and the windings can be customized to suit customer needs.
The h3-series motors include an aluminium housing for heat dissipation to create high output torque during operation, and stator-enhanced magnets that deliver 40% more torque than comparable models with the same footprint. Neodymium iron bore magnets offer torque density, while the bearing retainer and O-ring help to reduce noise. Large bearings enable the motor to effectively handle high side and radial loads. Portescap, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
Tiny Mould-Cavity-Temperature Sensors Support Fast Reaction Times
Cavity-temperature sensors are an important element in open-loop control processes during injection moulding. For example, electronics can detect when the plastic melt reaches the sensor position and immediately send a signal to facilitate real-time control. In this scenario, the position of the melt front is always known and can be consistently controlled. A company that has developed several types of cavity-temperature sensors that enable these procedures recently introduced what it claims is the smallest such devices on the market.
The Type 4009A and 4010A sensors measure only 0.6 mm diam. The company also offers Type 4011A and 4012A sensors, which share the same diametric dimensions but have a longer body. The latter are suited for applications with extremely small mounting areas.
To achieve real-time control, there can be only a few milliseconds of lag time between when the melt reaches the sensor and when a switching signal is sent to the valve gates or core pullers. The mass of the sensor body must be kept extremely small to enable such rapid reaction times. Priamus System Technologies AG, Schaffhausen, Switzerland.
Photonics Services Firm Renews Efforts to Woo Medical Device OEMs
A provider of optical and radio-frequency (RF) packaging services has announced that it has rechanneled its energy into supporting the medical device market. Dedicated cleanrooms, specific quality system practices, and meticulous parts inspection are examples of the company’s renewed commitment to offering consistent performance and traceability to med-tech OEMs.
To assist medical customers in design-for-manufacture practices, the firm employs engineering and scientific experts who are versed in the optical, mechanical, electrical, thermal, and materials disciplines. The company has prior experience in the development of photonic catheters, laser surgery components, RF and optical sensors, and photometers. Avo Photonics, Horsham, PA, USA.
