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$10.00 | October 2013 PM 40069240 Wheels in Motion 14 An indepth look at Siemens PLM’s Solid Edge ST6 22 The top four steps to ensure a successful design technology implementation 37 Spring-loaded skates leave conventional blades behind FLO Cycling’s Canadian engineers up-end bike racing equipment industry armed with CFD and a competitive drive
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Transcript of Dng de-10012013
$10.00 | October 2013
PM 4
00
6924
0
Wheels in Motion
14 An indepth look at Siemens PLM’s Solid Edge ST6
22 The top four steps to ensure a successful design technology implementation
37 Spring-loaded skates leave conventional blades behind
FLO Cycling’s Canadian engineers up-end bike racing equipment industry armed with CFD and a competitive drive
1-DES.indd 1 13-10-23 8:26 AM
YA S K AWA A M E R I C A , I N C .D R I V E S & M O T I O N D I V I S I O N
1 - 8 0 0 -YA S K AWA YA S K AWA . C O M
Follow us: For more info:http://Ez.com/yai543
©2013 Yaskawa America Inc.
NOTEWORTHY
When our engineers work on a motion project with you, they share everything that’s in their heads. Sometimes that means turning over 100 pages of notes, formulas and drawings. Other times, it’s simply having straight forward conversations.
At the same time, Yaskawa customers share their proprietary knowledge because they can trust us. Because we give their challenges a lot of thought. Because when they talk to us, they know we are on their side.
Trusting the guys across the table from you with your most important product secrets. That’s noteworthy.
NOTEWORTHY
When our engineers work on a motion project with you, they share everything that’s in their Sometimes that means turning over 100 pages of notes, formulas and drawings. Other
times, it’s simply having straight forward conversations.
A one day tabletop show highlighting the latest design and manufacturing technologies for the OEM market
An effective forum for face-to-face interactions where engineers, product developers, machine builders and systems integrators can discuss, network, solicit advice and ‘kick the tires’ on the latest technologies and applications that drive your business.
Featured technologies include: • CAD/CAE • additive manufacturing • reverse engineering • motors • drives • motion control • automation • fluid power• power transmission • adhesives & fasteners … and much more
www.DEXEXPO.comRegistration is required:
FREE admission for ALL attendees!
To discuss exhibit and sponsor options, contact:
Alan Macpherson Taebah Khan Publisher Accounts Manager 416-510-6756 416-510-5230 [email protected] [email protected]
YOU’RE INVITED! October 30 - Mississauga, Ontario
DEX full page ad 2013 OCT.indd 1 13-10-02 10:49 AM2-3-DES.indd 2 13-10-07 9:43 AM
YA S K AWA A M E R I C A , I N C .D R I V E S & M O T I O N D I V I S I O N
1 - 8 0 0 -YA S K AWA YA S K AWA . C O M
Follow us: For more info:http://Ez.com/yai543
©2013 Yaskawa America Inc.
NOTEWORTHY
When our engineers work on a motion project with you, they share everything that’s in their heads. Sometimes that means turning over 100 pages of notes, formulas and drawings. Other times, it’s simply having straight forward conversations.
At the same time, Yaskawa customers share their proprietary knowledge because they can trust us. Because we give their challenges a lot of thought. Because when they talk to us, they know we are on their side.
Trusting the guys across the table from you with your most important product secrets. That’s noteworthy.
NOTEWORTHY
When our engineers work on a motion project with you, they share everything that’s in their Sometimes that means turning over 100 pages of notes, formulas and drawings. Other
times, it’s simply having straight forward conversations.
A one day tabletop show highlighting the latest design and manufacturing technologies for the OEM market
An effective forum for face-to-face interactions where engineers, product developers, machine builders and systems integrators can discuss, network, solicit advice and ‘kick the tires’ on the latest technologies and applications that drive your business.
Featured technologies include: • CAD/CAE • additive manufacturing • reverse engineering • motors • drives • motion control • automation • fluid power• power transmission • adhesives & fasteners … and much more
www.DEXEXPO.comRegistration is required:
FREE admission for ALL attendees!
To discuss exhibit and sponsor options, contact:
Alan Macpherson Taebah Khan Publisher Accounts Manager 416-510-6756 416-510-5230 [email protected] [email protected]
YOU’RE INVITED! October 30 - Mississauga, Ontario
DEX full page ad 2013 OCT.indd 1 13-10-02 10:49 AM2-3-DES.indd 3 13-10-07 9:43 AM
The acknowledged leader in linear motion is now the source for the industry’s most complete line of system solutions.Unrivaled in scope and versatility, Schaeffler’s linear product line ranges from shafts with linear ball bearings and monorail guidance systems to sophisticated actuators with drives and control systems, plus special coatings and every conceivable accessory. You name it, we’ve got it.
But that’s only the start. Our linear portfolio is based on a modular concept that goes far beyond mere components. We can design a complete system solution tailored to your specific application - from large gantry robots to intricate circuit board inspection systems. In fact, many of our linear guidance systems started out as solutions to customers’ needs!
Class dismissed.
Superior-quality products. Comprehensive reliable solutions.
Need more details? Please contact us at [email protected]
www.schaeffler.ca
©2013
4-5-DES.indd 4 13-10-10 1:24 PM
5IN THE NEWS
8 Bouchard to lead Lockheed Martin Canada
8 Hawk Ridge extends Canadian territory
8 ATS Automation to acquire IWK
8 Wainbee purchases Cowichan Hydraulic
8 Canadian tech creates “unbreakable” hockey stick
8 Canada launches R&D tech demo program
10 Valve-less hydraulic system boosts fuel effi ciency
10 Sauer-Danfoss changes name
10 Wireless research lab opens at University of Waterloo
12 Flex camera takes panoramas in one shot
12 Growth slowing in PT/MC industry
Annual Subscription RateIn Canada: $52.95 (1 year) $71.95 (2 year)Outside Canada: $99.95 (1 year)Single CopyIn Canada: $10.00Outside Canada: $22.00Directory RatesIn Canada: $27.00Outside Canada: $45.00Reader Service Contact [email protected]: 416 442 5600 X 3538 Elsewhere: 1-866-543-7888Mail:Business Information GroupDesign Engineering Circulation Dept80 Valleybrook DriveNorth York, ONM3B 2S9
Printed in Canada
READER SERVICES
Contents | Volume 59, No. 5
13 DEX 2013Industrial table-top trade show to feature Canada’s brightest innovators
18 CAD NewsDesignSpark Mechanical offers no-cost push-pull solid modeling and other 3D design stories
22 CAD BeatThe top four steps to ensure a successful technology implementation
30 Motion ControlModern LVDT linear position sensors gaining preference in industrial applications
32 Idea GeneratorThe latest in industrial products including motion control, fl uid power, power transmission and sensors
Columns
14 Inside Solid Edge ST 6Is the latest version of Siemens’ Synchronous Technology the best yet?
26 Wheels in MotionFlo Cycling’s Canadian engineers up-end bike racing equipment industry armed with CFD and a competitive drive
37 Canadian InnovatorSpring-loaded Bladetech skates leave conventional blades behind, in more ways than one
Features
13
22
26
3037
14
The acknowledged leader in linear motion is now the source for the industry’s most complete line of system solutions.Unrivaled in scope and versatility, Schaeffler’s linear product line ranges from shafts with linear ball bearings and monorail guidance systems to sophisticated actuators with drives and control systems, plus special coatings and every conceivable accessory. You name it, we’ve got it.
But that’s only the start. Our linear portfolio is based on a modular concept that goes far beyond mere components. We can design a complete system solution tailored to your specific application - from large gantry robots to intricate circuit board inspection systems. In fact, many of our linear guidance systems started out as solutions to customers’ needs!
Class dismissed.
Superior-quality products. Comprehensive reliable solutions.
Need more details? Please contact us at [email protected]
www.schaeffler.ca
©2013 www.design-engineering.com October | 2013
4-5-DES.indd 5 13-10-10 1:24 PM
6 EditorialViewpoint
I enjoy hearing from you so please contact me at [email protected] and your letter could be published in an upcoming issue.
@
www.design-engineering.com
EditorMichael McLeod (416) 442-5600 ext. [email protected]
PublisherAlan Macpherson (416) [email protected]
Group Editorial DirectorLisa Wichmann (416) [email protected]
Accounts Manager Taebah Khan (416) [email protected]
Technical Field EditorPat Jones, P. Eng.
Art DirectorKathy Smith (416) 442-5600 ext. [email protected]
Market Production ManagerJessica Jubb (416) [email protected]
Circulation Manager Cindi Holder (416) 442-5600 ext. [email protected]
BIG Magazines LPExecutive Publisher Tim Dimopoulos
Vice-President of Canadian Publishing, Alex Papanou
President of Business Information Group, Bruce Creighton
Publications Mail Agreement #40069240ISSN: 0011-9342 (Print), 1929-6452 (Online)Privacy Notice: From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods:Phone: 1-800-668-2374 Fax: 416-442-2191E-mail: privacyoffi [email protected] to: Privacy Offi cer, 80 Valleybrook Drive,North York, ON M3B 2S9Subscriber Services: To subscribe, renew your subscription or to change your address or information contact us at 1-800-387-0273 ext.3552. Subscription Price: Canada: $52.95 for 1 year; $71.95 for 2 years; $10 for single copy. Outside Canada: $99.95 for 1 year; $22 for single copy. Directory/buyer’s guide: Canada $27; Outside Canada $45.Design Engineering, established in 1955, is published 6 times per year except for occasional combined, expanded or premium issues, which count as two subscription issues. Published by BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd. Tel: 416-442-5600, Fax: 416-510-514080 Valleybrook Dr., Toronto, ON M3B 2S9.Contents of this publication are protected by copyright and must not be reprinted in whole or in part without permission of the publisher. DE receives unsolicited features and materials (including letters to the editor) from time to time. DE, its affi liates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort. DE accepts no responsibility or liability for claims made for any product or service reported or advertised in this issue. DE is indexed in the Canadian Business Index by Micromedia Ltd., Toronto, and is available on-line in the Canadian Business & Current Affairs Database. We acknowledge the fi nancial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.
October | 2013 www.design-engineering.com
Although 3D printing has existed for more than 30 years, uptake of the technol-ogy has been slow in coming. In the last three to fi ve years, however, what was
a curiosity important to a few niche industries has become pervasive in fi elds as far fl ung as food production and bio-medical engineering. And the advent of cheap, desktop 3D printers has allowed many aspiring inventors to become over-night crowd-funding site sensations.
Even so, additive manufacturing remains a relatively small industry. In April, IT research analyst fi rm, Gartner, pegged the industry’s 2011 market value at $1.7 billion. Even so, fi nancial analysts expect the industry to explode in the near future. The same Gartner report anticipated that the 3D printing market value will balloon to $6.5 billion by 2019. That projection was echoed by Citi Financial analyst, Kenneth Wong, who predicted in August that the industry will more than triple by 2018.
“We feel the 3D printing and additive manufacturing market is on the cusp of seeing much broader adoption across more upstream production applications and the consumer end-market,” Wong wrote in a note to customers that subsequently sent the stock prices of Stratasys and 3D Systems to 52-week highs.
Wall Street’s bullish take on additive manufacturing is based on the fact that, beginning in February 2014, core patents now protecting 3D Systems’ selective laser sintering (SLS) process, will begin to expire. Once those intellectual property restric-tions are lifted, the expectation is that the cost of SLS printers will follow the same path as Fused Deposition Modeling machines. Within a few years of Stratasys’ FDM patents expiring, cheap desktop FDM printers like the RepRap, Solidoodle, Maker-Bot Replicator and many others brought the technology to within the budgets of hobbyists and the Maker crowd.
However, the idea that we’ll see cheap SLS machines fl ood the market soon is doubtful, say long-time industry watchers. They point out that SLS requires much more sophisticated machinery than FDM printers, as well as tighter control on build material quality, to produce the technology’s characteristic high resolution and durable models. In addition, even though some SLS technology will be open for adoption, many of the improvements made over the last 30 years are still actively protected, making for an IP minefi eld potential competitors may shy away from.
Whatever the case, the industry’s two heavy weights, Stratasys and 3D Systems, aren’t taking any chances. Over the last couple of years, both companies have been in a frenzied acquisition mode, buying anything vaguely 3D printing related, to cement their positions. 3D Systems, for example, has acquired roughly 20 fi rms since 2011, most notably one-time contender Z Corp. Although not as voracious, Stratasys’ merger with Objet in December 2012 plus its more recent $403 million deal to acquire MakerBot, have maintained the company in its weight class.
And consolidation in the industry shows no signs of slowing down. As the 3D printing market ramps up over the coming years, there will always be new up-starts to take down. Because, as Blackberry painfully discovered, when it comes to emerg-ing disruptive technology, simply because your company created the fi eld doesn’t mean a contender can’t land a one-punch knock out.
Mike McLeod
3D Printing Slugfest
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Our C-more remote HMI application,for iPad®, iPhone® or iPod touch®, isavailable on the App Store for $4.99.It provides remote access and controlto a C-more panel for mobile userswho have a wi-fi or cellular connection.
C-more remote HMI application,for iPad®, iPhone® or iPod touch®, is
for $4.99.
who have a wi-fi or cellular connection.
• Clear TFT 65K color displays with6 to 15-inch screens (6-inch STN modelsalso available)
• Analog touch screen for maximum fl exibility• Easy-to-use software
starting at:
$540.00 u.s.
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C-more touch panels in 6” to 15” screen sizes are a practicalway to give plant personnel easy access to controls and data.Check out the powerful yet easy-to-use confi guration softwareby downloading a demo version at:
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C-more touch panel family:C-more touch panel family:6-inch STNgrayscale
6-inch TFT65,538 colors
8-inch TFT10-inch TFT 12-inch TFT
15-inch TFT
Starting at:$432 (serial)
$540 (adds Ethernet)
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$1,081 $1,727 $2,051 $2,484
8 to 15-inch units include both serial and Ethernet ports
Research, price, buy at:www.automationdirect.com/c-more
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REMOTE ACCESS AND CONTROL BUILT-IN• No Additional Hardware required. The C-more
Remote Access feature resides in all panels withEthernet support, and requires no option modules.Access real-time data or initiate an action on acontrol system from anywhere, any time.(Requires software and fi rmware version 2.4or later*, and an Ethernet C-more panel)
CONNECT TO CONTROLLERS WITH DRIVERS FOR:• All AutomationDirect programmable controllers• Allen-Bradley - ControlLogix®, CompactLogix®,
MicroLogix™ Ethernet, SLC Series, FlexLogix,SLC® 5/05 Ethernet™
• Modbus RTU and TCP/IP Ethernet • GE SNPX• Omron Host Link Adapter (C200/C500), FINS Serial
and Ethernet • Selected Mitsubishi FX Series, Q Series • Siemens S7-200 PPI and S7-200/300 Ethernet
(ISO over TCP/IP)
Our shippingpolicies make iteasier than ever
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8
Bouchard to lead Lockheed Martin CanadaLockheed Martin appointed retired Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard to head Lock-heed Martin Canada. Bouchard retired in April 2012 after more than 37 years in the Royal Canadian Air Force. His military career includes many senior leadership roles includ-ing serving as commander of the combined joint task force that led NATO operations in Libya. Lockheed Martin Canada today has more than 700 employees at facilities in Ottawa, Montreal, Dartmouth and Calgary, as well as Department of National Defence sites across the country. www.lockheedmartin.com
Hawk Ridge extends Canadian territorySolidworks reseller Hawk Ridge Systems has extended its geographic coverage in Canada to include the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Last April, former SolidWorks Canadian reseller, Automated Design Systems (ADS) sold a large percentage of its SolidWorks customer base to Hawk Ridge Systems. Since then, Hawk Ridge Systems has been providing sales, training and technical support to SolidWorks users across Canada. www.hawkridgesys.ca.
ATS Automation to acquire IWKATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. announced that it will acquire IWK Verpackungstecknik GmbH and OYSTAR IWK USA, Inc., a tube filling and cartoning machinery firm, for approximately CAD$144 million. Headquartered in Germany, IWK has 420 employees based at production facilities near Karlsruhe, Germany and Bangkok, Thailand, and at sales/services centres in the US, Europe and Southeast Asia. ATS expects IWK to contribute approximately $18 million in EBITDA.www.atsautomation.com
Wainbee purchases Cowichan HydraulicCanadian fluid power and automation distributor, Wainbee Limited, has acquired Cowichan Hydraulic Equipment Service and Supply Ltd. As a result, Wainbee now has 15 locations coast-to-coast servicing customers from Vancouver Island to Halifax. Founded in 1957, Wainbee Limited is a 100-percent Canadian, employee-owned company.www.wainbee.com
Up Front Canadian tech creates “unbreakable” hockey stick
While composite hockey sticks are favored for their light-weight and performance relative to wood, they tend to break under
competitive play conditions. And at around $300+ a pop, the costs and annoyance can tally up quickly.
At least it did for Daniel Lucchesi, whose start-up company, Toronto-based Colt Hockey, is creating a composite stick covered in nano-tech cladding that’s purported to make the sticks virtually unbreakable yet without making them heavier or inflexible.
The high-tech cladding comes from Toronto-based Integran Technologies, which licenses a process called Nanovate CoP (PowerMetal for its sporting goods clients), originally designed for coating hydraulic components for the aerospace and defense markets.
Similar in concept to chrome plating, Nanovate CoP elecroplating can coat most materials with a thin layer of nanocrystalline Cobalt that imparts steel-like durability to nearly any material. Its strength, the company says, comes from the nanoscale of the metal’s grains (10-100 nanometres as opposed to 10 microns for polycrystalline metals).
At the same time, Integran says Nanovate CoP boasts a high elastic limit (1.5 percent) that allows equipment, like a hockey stick, to remain flexible. To date, Integran’s technology, through its spin-off firm PowerMetal Technologies, has been incorporated into True Temper “Epic Shaft”, Ping “IN” series putters, Anderson “NanoTek” series bats and the forks of Cervelo’s $10,000 RCA racing bike.www.colthockey.comwww.integran.com
Canada launches R&D tech demo programThe Canadian Ministry of Industry launched the Technology Demonstration Program to help large-scale technology demonstration projects move from the lab to real-world testing. According to the ministry, the Technology Demonstration Program will cover up to 50 percent of eligible project costs. In total, the program will provide up to $54 million in non-repayable funding annually.
To qualify, projects must be led by an OEM or Tier 1 integrator with a large scale R&D project in the aerospace, defense, or security sectors and must be for-profit, incorporated and conducting business in Canada.http://ito.ic.gc.ca/eic
DesignNews
October | 2013 www.design-engineering.com
Charles Bouchard
513-521-4261Cincinnati, OH
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10
Magellan awarded $110 million MDA contract Magellan Aerospace announced the award of a CAD$110 million contract from MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates for the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM) satellite bus manufacture.
RCM is a Canadian Space Agency mission to support mari-time surveillance, disaster man-agement and ecosystem monitoring. The primary areas of coverage are Canada and its sur-rounding Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic maritime areas. The launch is planned in 2018. www.magellan.aero
Sauer-Danfoss changes nameSauer-Danfoss announced that it has officially changed its name to Danfoss and now operates as a new business segment called Danfoss Power Solutions within the Danfoss Group. The company says it will continue to provide mobile hydraulic solutions but will benefit from the wider global network and broader technology base that Danfoss has to offer.powersolutions.danfoss.com
SKF named among most sustainable companiesFor the 14th year in a row, SKF has been listed as one of the world’s most sustainable compa-nies by both the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI) and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for Europe. DJSI rated SKF as best in class for the company’s approach to environmental man-agement. SKF BeyondZero is the company’s strategy to reduce its environmental impact from operations and provide products and solutions with improved environmental performance. www.skf.com
Up Front Off-road valve-less hydraulic system boosts fuel efficiencyResearchers at Purdue Univer-sity’s School of Mechanical Engineering have developed a hydraulic steering system for heavy construction equipment they say significantly reduces fuel consumption and improves efficiency.
In essence, the new approach eliminates the wasted energy introduced by the valves com-mon in most heavy off-road equipment’s hydraulic systems. Instead, a pump precisely con-trols each actuator’s motion by adjusting the pump displacement. This, in turn, allows the diesel engine to run at optimal fuel saving speeds.
According to the Perdue researchers, their “electro-hydraulic power steering system” showed a 15 percent fuel savings and 23 percent increase in machine pro-ductivity during tests performed on a front loader. In total, the test resulted in fuel efficiency increase of 43 percent during steering maneuvers.
In previous projects, Maha researchers have shown that valveless systems could reduce fuel consumption by 40 percent in an excavator and a 70 percent productiv-ity improvement in terms of tons of soil removed per kilogram of fuel consumed.
The Maha Fluid Power Research Center is part of the Engineering Research Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power, funded by the National Science Foundation.www.purdue.edu
Wireless research lab opens at University of WaterlooThe University of Waterloo opened its 5,000 square-foot, $15-million Centre for Intelligent Antenna and Radio Systems (CIARS), considered one of the best in the world for testing electromagnetic devices. According to the university, the facility and its instruments can measure electromagnetic fields radiated by anything from a human hair to a two-ton truck, with the highest precision over the widest range of frequency possible in any academic facility in the world.
CIARS features a unique multi-configuration electromagnetic radiation lab, includ-ing an anechoic chamber and terahertz measurement facilities. The centre is expected to help academic and industry researchers who specialize in everything from next-
generation wireless com-munications, to mobile health, car radar, satellite communication, futuristic nano-sensors and smart devices.
Researchers hope the facility will help them learn more about tera-hertz, a part of the elec-tromagnetic spectrum between radar and fibre optics that is not yet fully understood. www.uwaterloo.ca
DesignNews
October | 2013 www.design-engineering.com
DMR_EssentialComponents_September-2011-outline_01.indd 1 8/15/2011 12:43:40 PM
Monika Ivantysynova, Maha Fluid Power Systems
Professor at Purdue’s School of Mechanical Engineering
The University of Waterloo CIARS lab houses a world class
anechoic chamber to measures electromagnetic fields.
8-13-DES.indd 10 13-10-10 1:25 PM
DMR_EssentialComponents_September-2011-outline_01.indd 1 8/15/2011 12:43:40 PM8-13-DES.indd 11 13-10-10 1:25 PM
12
Flex camera takes panoramas in one shotResearchers at Queen’s University’s Human Media Lab have developed the FlexCam, a bendable camera that can capture panoramic photos in one shot. Typically, such pictures require a special lens or stitching together a series of standard photos. Using a Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode (FOLED) as the viewfinder display, the FlexCam goes one better by allowing photographers to broaden or narrow the camera’s field of view (FOV) on the fly.
The FlexCam’s integrated bend sensors measure the amount
of flex in the display, which is then used by the camera’s software to adjust the viewfinder virtual FOV display. In addition, the flex input dynamically stitches images captured by an array of camera lenses on the back of the handheld device.
At present the FlexCam is a prototype and the panoramic pictures aren’t always seamless but Queen’s researchers envision the device becoming one aggregate flexible, thin-film device.www.hml.queensu.ca
Growth slowing in PT/MC industryAccording to the Power Transmission Distributors Association’s (PTDA) 2Q13 Business Index, the power transmission / motion control (PT/MC) industry expanded for the 13th consecutive quarter but at a slower pace compared with 1Q13. The report’s index showed a reading of 54.7, which represents a decrease over last quarter’s reading of 61.1. When comparing this read-ing to 2Q12, this is a slight increase to the reading of 54.2.
To put the numbers in perspective, the index reading indi-cates the rate of change compared with the previous period. For example, a reading of 50 indicates no change from the prior period while readings above 50 indicate growth and below 50 indicate contraction. The further the index is above or below 50 suggests a faster or slower rate of change.www.ptda.org/Index
DesignNews
October | 2013 www.design-engineering.com
8-13-DES.indd 12 13-10-10 1:25 PM
www.design-engineering.com October | 2013
13DesignNews
Dr. Todd Reichert (left) and Cameron Robertson, the engineering team behind the Sikorsky Prize
winning human-powered helicopter, will keynote the 2013 Design Engineering Expo on October 30.
Design Engineering magazine, Canada’s leading B2B publication for Canadian
mechanical engineers and OEMs, announced that it will showcase some of Canada’s most creative, young engineering minds at the Design Engineering Expo (DEX) 2013, in Mississauga, ON.
Scheduled for October 30, 2013 at the Mississauga Convention Centre, the one-day show provides a forum for face-to-face inter-actions where engineers, product developers, machine builders and systems integrators can discuss, network, solicit advice and ‘kick the tires’ on the latest technologies.
Those on hand to present and talk about their engineering innovations include:
AeroVelo Human-Powered HelicopterDr. Todd Reichert and Cameron Robert-son— aerospace engineers and design lead-ers of the Canadian human-powered helicopter, Atlas, that recently claimed the 33-year-old AHS Sikorsky Prize—will key-note DEX 2013. At the keynote, Reichert and Robertson will talk about innovation, the design of the prize-winning helicopter and AeroVelo’s next “impossible” project.
Bladetech Hockey SkatesCanadian engineer and hockey player, Jeffrey Azzolin, will display his spring-loaded Bladetech hockey skates. Azzolin’s innovative approach to the classic ice skate not only reduces stress-related injuries but helps skaters speed down the ice faster.
University of Waterloo EcoCar 2 EntryEngineering students from the University of Waterloo will showcase their entry in General Motors’ EcoCar 2 competition. The team’s modified Chevy Malibu fea-tures a plug-in hybrid electric architec-ture that delivers 260 HP and an all-electric range of 60 km plus a 2.4L engine to provide power and extend vehicle range.
U of T FSAE Racing TeamA Formula-style race car—designed, built and raced by the University of Toronto’s FSAE Racing Team—will show off the engineering skills of the university’s undergrad-run club. www.dexexpo.com
2013 showcasesCanadian innovators
8-13-DES.indd 13 13-10-10 1:25 PM
October | 2013 www.design-engineering.com
14
By Ralph Grabowski
Every software vendor likes to think the newest release of its software is
the best ever, and so Siemens PLM Soft-ware was no different last May introduc-ing Solid Edge ST6 to users at Solid Edge University 2013. We heard phrases like “greatest version ever,” “sixfold perfor-mance increase” (on some tasks), and “1,300 new features” — although that list never was distributed.
ST 6 is not the sixth release of Solid Edge, as the software was fi rst released nearly 20 years ago. When in 2008 it added Synchronous Technology to Solid Edge, Siemens PLM reset the numbering system, and so this is the sixth release since then. (ST is short for “Synchronous Technol-ogy,” the name given to the hybrid of direct editing and parametric modeling
used by Solid Edge, as well as in bigger brother NX.)
It’s a nice change to see a software company show new software fi rst to its users, rather than the usual industry practice of previewing it to the media under an embargo. Here are some of the highlights of the new release, which shipped in July.
Surfacing with SynchTechSolid Edge had a surfacing component that it called “BlueSurf,” but it was in seri-ous need of upgrading, because it did not employ Synchronous Technology. So in Solid Edge ST 6, surfacing becomes part of the history-free SychTech environment. This feature is aimed at industrial design-ers, who like to make consumer products with swoopy curves (See fi gure 1).
Surfacing differs from solid modeling
Inside Solid EdgeST6
CADReport
Figure 1: An example of surface modeling in Solid Edge ST6.
Is the latest version of Siemens’ Synchronous Technology the best yet?
14-17-DES.indd 14 13-10-10 1:26 PM
www.design-engineering.com October | 2013
15
in that we manipulate points on the surfaces of 3D objects, rather than the objects them-selves; the CAD program fi lls in the rest visually to make the objects look solid.
To ensure swoopiness, Siemens added C2 curvature in all areas. (C0 positions, C1 ensures tangency, C2 ensures con-tinuous curvature; these are visually similar to the more general G0-G2 cur-vature used by other CAD systems and differ only mathematically.) C2 means that any two adjacent surfaces will meet smoothly, with no kinks.
Siemens also added a whole wack of new functions to create and edit surfaces. These include in-place curvature edits, bounded surfaces, 3D control handles (instead of just 2D), ruled surfaces, user-defi ned UV curve densities, curvature combs, symmetrical refl ection, trimming and extending multiple faces at once, and defi ning replacement faces.
This last one is useful for imported surfaces. It replaces many “dumb” sur-faces with intelligent ones (i.e., ones that use SynchTech). The replaced faces can then be interactively edited once key point curves are added, and transitions between faces made smooth through C2.
Integrated CAMFor the fi rst time with ST6, a CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) system runs inside Solid Edge. While this capa-bility is not new to other MCAD systems,
it serves to illustrate how Siemens PLM does not have a strong third-party devel-oper community, as do competitors Inventor and SolidWorks.
To make this happen, Siemens PLM worked specifi cally with Geometric Soft-ware Solutions and its CAMWorks soft-ware. The advantage to integration is that when the CAD model is updated, the CAM tool paths are updated automati-cally. (The reverse does not occur.) It becomes a single click to switch between CAM and CAD modes. CAMWorks provides 2.5- and 3-axis milling, and 2- and 4-axis turning.
As an added bonus, CAMworks has automated feature recognition that lets it treat imported CAD models from Inventor, SolidWorks, CATIA, Pro/E, NX, CADKEY, Rhino and standard for-mats as native Solid Edge fi les. All CAM data is stored in the Solid Edge drawing fi le, but can be exported if necessary.
There are, however, some drawbacks: You need to upgrade to ST6, and you have to like CAMWorks. Some users I spoke with at SE University were not keen on how CAMWorks handles certain opera-tions. In that case, you’ll have to continue to use your preferred CAM software external to Solid Edge.
Drafting EnhancementsThe biggest cheer from users was reserved for one feature in particular: After num-
CADReport
Figure 2: Dimensions laid out automatically by Solid Edge ST6.
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October | 2013 www.design-engineering.com
16
bered balloons were placed along an aligned shape, the demo jock dragged the shape to smoothly repositioned all con-nected balloons. The same happens with dimensions: select a drawing view, and dimensions are arranged automatically. (See fi gure 2.)
These automatic alignment functions serve to emphasize how important Sie-mens PLM considers 2D drafting to be: More important than 3D modeling and surfacing. “[2D] drawings are still king of the product development world,” the company insists.
Here are some more enhancements ST 6 upgraders can expect to see: Center marks and callouts are placed automati-cally for slots. It’s easier to draw circles that defi ne bolt holes.
Parts lists (BOMs) are generated auto-matically by selecting objects and linked balloons are created automatically as well. BOM tables can be edited directly, and the formatting of individual cells can be overridden.
The drawing view wizard previews proposed views and view settings can then be saved for later reuse in new draw-ings. Any two views can be aligned by relating a point in each view, or by using the center of each view. Broken (detail) views are associative, so they update when the source view changes.
Schematic blocks can be edited in-place, kind of like the RefEdit command in AutoCAD. Similarly, embedded objects like spreadsheets and images can be edited inside Solid Edge through the OLE mechanism, which displays the source program’s user interface and editing tools.
Finally, the display speed of drawings is improved, with zooms, pans and hatches redrawing more quickly.
Other New FunctionsWhen there are 1,300 new features, it’s hard to fi t them into a single article. Let me run quickly through a few more sig-nifi cant improvements:
ST6 now deforms sheet metal parts with dimples, louvers, drawn cutouts, and beads. Contour fl anges can be added along edges. Sheet metal features can be placed on ordered parts. A body can stamp a target body. Flatten operations preserve chamfers,
bends, and holes across bends.The online video service YouTube runs
in a dockable pane for viewing instructional videos; a new dialog box lets ST6 record design sessions for upload to YouTube, creating instant tutorials for other users.
Goal-seeking is available for 3D, instead of just in 2D. Physical properties in a table are used for iterative solving; signifi cantly, this analysis now works in synchronous and ordered (a.k.a. history) modes.
The Simplify Assembly Environment makes use of all ordered (history) part modeling commands. The new Enclose Components command replaces selected items with simplifi ed representations. The Duplicate Body command copies and patterns (arrays) solid bodies—single or multiple.
Targeting the uncertainty over the future of SolidWorks, Siemens PLM makes it possible to bulk-import parts and assemblies. The user interface of Solid Edge can be adjusted to better suit ex-SolidWorks users. (See fi gure 3.)
Solid Edge Insight XT is renamed Solid Edge SP, where SP is short for Microsoft’s SharePoint online file man-agement system. And, as for the cloud, company executives emphasized that there would be no cloud version of Solid Edge itself, although drawings can be accessed through TeamCenter servers and portable apps running on Android and iOS.
Greatest Ever?This is a rare occasion when a software release actually can be described as “the greatest ever.” While CAD vendors typi-cally improve one area in a new release signifi cantly, Solid Edge ST 6 makes strong advances in four important areas: C2 surfacing and editing, CAM integra-tion, SolidWorks compatibility, and greater automation in 2D drawings.
But just how well is Solid Edge doing? Siemens PLM is secretive about sales fi gures, unfortunately. We know only that Solid Edge grew 25 percent in USA licenses in the second quarter of this year—a cherry-picked statistic, clearly.
The question is, 25 percent on what? We don’t know, other that before it was pur-chased in 2007 by Siemens, UGS reported revenues that made it the third largest CAD vendor, ahead of PTC but behind Autodesk and Dassault Systemes.
Being a small part of the $100 billion-a-year Siemens AG, Solid Edge didn’t get suffi cient attention marketing-wise for the fi rst few years. This, however, is changing for the better, as we see with the new, annual Solid Edge University. Solid Edge is in a good position to become the strongest MCAD package to provide hybrid history and direct editing. DEwww.solidedge.com
Ralph Grabowski is a CAD journalist and blogger at worldcadaccess.typepad.com
CADReport
Figure 3: Options for importing SolidWorks assembly and part fi les.
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When it comes to:• resisting vibration• preventing corrosion and leakage• improving quality• reducing weight, size and cost,
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By fi lling the thread roots and preventing side-to-side movement, Loctite® threadlockers have dramatically increased the reliability of threaded assemblies for over 50 years. New advancements provide higher temperature resistance, improved oil tolerance and primerless performance. Don’t let your designs fall apart. Use Loctite®.
To learn more about our newest threadlockers – Loctite® 243™ and Loctite® 263™ – go to www.useloctite.com/de. For technical assistance, call 1.800.263.5043.
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Except as otherwise noted, all marks used are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Henkel and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and elsewhere. ® = registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. © Henkel Corporation, 2010. All rights reserved. AD-116-11 (05/11)
■ Bolt with split ring lock washer and nut
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October | 2013 www.design-engineering.com
18
DesignSpark Mechanical offers no-cost push-pull solid modeling
Typically, learning to use 3D CAD software efficiently requires a sizeable investment in time and money—
two factors that keep many drafters rooted to their famil-iar 2D packages and many would-be designers at arms length from complex 3D applications.
To help spread the use of 3D CAD design, electronics distributors, Allied Electronics and RS Components, in partnership with SpaceClaim, released DesignSpark Mechanical, a no-cost direct modeling 3D solid geometry creation tool.
Based on SpaceClaim Engineer code, DesignSpark Mechanical isn’t so much a “dumbed-down” version of the comprehensive modeling package but a rearrangement of the interface to simplify it for new and/or casual users, say SpaceClaim reps. For example, using Mechanical is similar to Sketchup’s sketch and extrude technique, but focuses on four basic modeling commands: Pull, Move, Fill and Combine.
Within each of those commands, however, reside many of the functions experienced CAD users would be familiar with. For example, Pull is used to extrude, fillet, sweep, shell, and
scale geometry, while Move can be used to reposition, rotate, pattern or mirror 3D features or 2D sketch components. Similarly, Fill is used to create surface patches and Combine contains all the common boolean functions.
While Mechanical isn’t “Toy CAD” and features many of its big brother’s modeling capabilities, it doesn’t include the extras of commercial applications such as industry specific tools or render-ing. The biggest distinction between Mechanical and SpaceClaim Engineer is the former’s lack of import and export capabilities. While SpaceClaim is a veritable “universal translator” of CAD data, DesignSpark Mechanical is limited to only a few options.
For example, it imports only open formats such as OBJ, SketchUp, STEP, STL and notably, ECAD files (IDF) like those created by the company’s free electrical CAD application, DesignSpark PCB. This, the company says, allows electrical and mechanical engineers to collaborate easily on the creation of circuit boards and the larger enclosures and/or assemblies to house them.
Similarly, Mechanical exports AutoCAD (DXF), OBJ, STL, XAML, JPEG, and PNG file formats, along with 3DPDFs. This fact somewhat limits its use beyond 3D printing, CNC preparation and early-on design conceptualization. However, solids can be exported individually or combined (internalized) into assemblies or “components” which can be packaged as a single file.
Even so, Mechanical users do have access to approximately 38,000 3D models in DesignSpark’s online component library as well as TraceParts’ extensive CAD portal in DesignSpark Mechan-ical format. In addition, the modeling application also acts as a sort of e-commerce portal, in that a tab within the interface allows users to order components, in the automatically populated BOM, directly from Allied Electronics/RS Components.
DesignSpark Mechanical is compatible with Windows XP through 8 in either 32- or 64-bit versions. The application is available for download on the DesignSpark website.www.designspark.com/eng/page/mechanical
CADNews
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Sure, it’s our technology that allows us to make your parts faster than anyone else. We back it up with large-scale global manufacturing facilities with hundreds of CNC machines and injection molding presses on three separate continents.
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No-cost Designspark Mechanical offers many of the modeling functions of
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18-21-DES.indd 18 13-10-10 1:43 PM
Others say they’re FAST...
Proto Labs’ entire operation is optimized to deliver quick-turn CNC machined and injection molded parts in as fast as one business day. We manufacture parts every day for thousands of customers, many of whom come to us at the last minute with dozens of designs they need to test ASAP. Since 1999, we’ve produced tens of thousands of molds, and shipped tens of millions of parts to our customers all over the world.
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20
Autodesk integratesCAM into InventorAfter two months in beta development, Autodesk announced the release of its free CAM add-on, Autodesk Inventor HSM Express. The software is the result of the company’s acquisition a year ago of HSMWorks. Although the CAM developer was closely associated with Solidworks, Autodesk has repeatedly assured Dassault Systemes customers that it will continue to
refi ne the package in parallel for both platforms.While free, HSM Express includes many of the functions of
its approximately $10,000 stand-alone product, Inventor HSM, which won’t ship until 2014. Besides its integration into the Inven-tor interface—allowing for full associativity between model and generated toolpaths—HSM Express supports 2 and 2.5-axis CAM operations, representing a sizeable portion of CAM work being done. In addition, Express fully exploits the advantages of modern 64-bit processors, allowing it to address more system memory and harness multiple cores simultaneously.
HSM Express also includes toolpath strategies for generating milling, drilling, counterboring and tapping operations as well as adaptive clearing or roughing that generates roughing/clear-ing toolpaths inside closed curves both with and without islands. It also includes a backplot simulation tool and a CNC program editor for NC functions, fi le-compare, CNC templates, backplot-ting, and serial communications for RS232 DNC transfers. The CAM add-on also includes generic post processors for CNC machines from Fanuc, Heidenhain, Haas, Hurco, Mazak, Mill-Plus, Okuma, Siemens and Yasnak, among others.
Although free to download from Autodesk’s CAM website, Inventor HSM Express does requires an active license of Autodesk Inventor or Inventor LT 2014.http://cam.autodesk.com
CADNews
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3DConnexion releases wireless 3D mouse3Dconnexion announced a wire-less version of its popular 3D mouse, appropriately dubbed the SpaceMouse Wireless. Similar to its other products, the SpaceMouse features 6-degrees-of-freedom to manipulate the view of 3D models quickly without having to look at a keyboard.
For this version, however, the 3D mouse cuts the cord and includes a 2.4GHz bluetooth dongle that operates at a range up to 10 meters. The mouse also has an lithium-ion battery, charged through a micro-USB port, that lasts up to one month, the company says. The 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse Wireless is compatible with Windows, OS X and Linux and is available for order from the company’s web site for US$129.www.3Dconnexion.com
CAD MicroSolutions adds Electronics Design SoftwareCanadian Solidworks reseller CAD MicroSolutions announced that it has added products from electronics design software company, Altium, for clients expanding into the electronic design automation market. Altium’s product line will be added to CAD MicroSolutions existing line of design tools including SolidWorks, DriveWorks, Boxx and Dell hardware. Altium products span the domains of PCB implementation, FPGA design, embedded software development and design data management. www.cadmicro.com
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October | 2013 www.design-engineering.com
22
Design software is great but it isn’t auto-magical and can even be counter-productive if not implemented intelligently.
By Scott Hale
Much has been said about the Canadian manufacturing industry’s productivity. There are highly educated profes-
sionals in both technical and business fi elds. Capital markets are healthy and capable of funding infrastructure requirements. Why then is productivity notably lower than capacity?
One area that holds promise for big productivity improve-ments—and that is regularly exploited—is buying into manu-facturing software. But, as many have discovered, software isn’t a magic bullet. A poor implementation can lead to large work
backlogs, missed deadlines, budget overruns, and outright rejection. Technology may lie at the heart of productivity and innovation, but it must be coupled to great process design.
Manufacturers looking to realize productivity improvements by implementing technology that optimizes various facets of the manufacturing process need to take the time to examine and re-design workfl ows. Here’s some advice and best practices for those looking to realize the true benefi ts of technology while avoiding some common pitfalls. Designed to help you mitigate project failure, the four steps outlined below seem obvious, but are too often neglected.
CADBeat
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1 Define what you want to achieve and assign championsYou can’t get anywhere if you don’t know where you are
going. Establish a solid foundation for the implementation project by identifying what you would like to achieve. For example, do you want to reduce staffing requirements? Slash time to project delivery by 50 percent? Optimize workflow processes? Establish product specifications once and have those retained downstream? Integrate sales orders with the shop floor’s production schedule? The possibilities are endless, but your organization will have a top three list specific to your business and based on how you currently work.
A great way to narrow down the list of business objectives is to survey staff. Compile their feedback to identify the top areas for improvement. This stage results in a business case for the project, a plan that outlines the specific milestones required to complete the project and builds consensus amongst the various stakeholders.
To ensure success, identify a core team of people in your orga-nization who will be champions for the project. Look for the people who will be most impacted by change, but least resistant, and assign a clear project leader to ensure proper oversight.
2 Develop data and workflow standards and train staffDuring the development phase, identify design and workflow
standards, styles, settings, preferences and any software con-
figuration requirements. By creating and maintaining design standards, you ensure consistency and relieve people of redun-dant tasks that need not be repeated every time a new project hits their desktop.
At this stage, you can start training your people on the newly defined standards, so they understand the basics and how they apply it to their workflows and environment. Where applicable, get them involved in the creation of any standards to gain the benefit of their expertise and to ensure buy-in.
3 Deploy a pilot project Piloting a new workflow or design process allows for test-
ing and validation before rollout to the rest of the team. In addition, a pilot reveals unforeseen components of your plan that may need revision. Pilot project selection is key to success and should take into consideration three things.
One: Pick a project that your team is used to working on. So, for example, if your shop works mostly on custom products, then select a custom project. If you manufacture product lines that have variable specifications, choose a product line that has a few variations, but not a million. Really, this is about right-sizing your choice to allow for initial success and can act as a model for other products.
Two: Consider a project with liberal timelines, not one with looming deadlines. Rushing to make a deadline while imple-
CADBeat
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menting new technology, workfl ows and processes is a recipe for disaster – especially when staff needs to learn the new pro-cesses and software skills.
Three, pick a project that’s reasonable in size. If it is too small, you can’t fully understand the value of the new process. If the project is too large or complex, the learning curve may be too steep. The idea behind pilot project selection is that you are trying to minimize the number of curveballs thrown at your team all at once.
Often at this stage you will need to provide additional train-ing because people will identify gaps in their knowledge. This is very useful for the next stage when everyone will adopt the new system, because you can tune the training to address the most common gaps.
4Deliver across your entire organizationOnce you have optimized your workfl ow, standards and
confi guration based on the pilot, you can start rolling out the new processes and technology to the entire company. Make sure you provide both technical and workfl ow training for all users. Assigning mentors for different roles gives people the support they need to work at their own speed and receive guidance when they run into diffi culties – whether technical or interpersonal.
Provide feedback to everyone regarding their progress and encourage them to make improvements as they learn. Getting your whole team up and running with more effi cient and opti-mized processes is exciting to watch and the results should be evident in massive productivity improvements.
Keep your antennae up and be ready to adopt new tech-nologies and approaches that will improve productivity and your ability to innovate. Recognize though, that every manu-facturing operation is unique and will require a unique solution. Make sure your software implementation goes beyond instal-lation and delves deep into the heart of how you work. DEwww.imaginit.com
Scott Hale is the Director of Consulting Services for the Manu-facturing Solutions Group of IMAGINiT Technologies. The team provides a wide range of customized services to meet the needs of manufacturing focused organizations. Scott can be reached at [email protected]
CADBeat
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By Mike McLeod
It’s somewhat rare that a small entrepreneurial player not only breaks into an established industry but also beats its long-time
incumbents at their own game. However, for Jon and Chris Thornham—FLO Cycling’s twin mechanical engineering duo from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia—the transition from “audacious” idea to entrepreneurial success has been nearly as quick as the high-end, aerodynamic, yet affordable, bike racing wheels their young company is known for.
“There is no single component you can change on a bike that will give you better aerodynamic performance than a set of wheels,” says Jon Thornham, who founded FLO Cycling in Las Vegas with his twin brother Chris in 2010.
In contests where speed is the deciding factor, competitors will search for any advantage, no matter how seemingly small. For example, in bike racing, hundreds of a second can add up to a commanding lead or relegate less streamlined racers to footnote status. Consequently, competitors will bear nearly any price to assure their aerodynamic superiority.
At least that was the case for Chris Thornham, a competitive triathlete himself, when he told his twin brother Jon in 2010 how much he’d just paid for a set of high-end racing wheels for his road bike.
“He told me what he’d paid for them and I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’” relates Jon Thornham, adding that such wheels commonly cost anywhere from $1,800 to $3,500. “He
asked me if I thought we could make them cheaper and I said, um, yeah. So, I asked him if he thought we could make them with the same performance and he said yes. So we just started.”
Although both Jon and Chris had worked as mechanical engineers for several years after graduating from University of New Brunswick, neither had experience in manufacturing or sports-related product development. Added to that, they were facing an industry dominated by big name companies that had spent years—and untold amounts of R&D money—in expen-sive wind tunnel testing to refi ne and prove the aerodynamic effi cacy of their products.
Against this headwind, the self-funded start-up leveraged a few key advantages. The fi rst was an appreciation of the real world conditions racers face. According to Thornham, the aerodynamics of an aero wheel primarily comes down to the depth and shape of its fairings, the strip of material that spans from the tire rim inward toward the hub. During straight-on headwinds, fairings have little infl uence on aerodynamics, but such conditions rarely happen during competition.
However, when hit by off-center winds, the leading edges of both the front and back of the wheel split the air and the fairings help maintain attachment of the airfl ow, thereby reducing tur-bulence and drag. The challenge, then, became designing a wheel that performed consistently over the most common range of side-wind angles, or degrees of yaw, that riders encounter, Thornham says.
“What we did was create what we call a net reduction drag
FLO Cycling’s Canadian engineers up-end bike racing equipment industry armed with CFD and a competitive drive.
CoverStoryCoverStory
Wheelsin Motion
Canadian engineer and FLO Cycling
co-founder, Jon Thornham inspects
one of his company’s high-end,
CFD-designed bike racing wheels.
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value,” Thornham explains. “We know that 80 percent of a rider’s time is spent between 10 and 20 degrees of yaw so we looked for specifi c shapes that were aerodynamically effi cient over that whole range and not just at one very specifi c yaw angle.”
To optimize for that broad range, Jon and Chris devised a distinctive wide fairing design that deviates signifi cantly from the industry standard. Most fairings have either a V-notch or teardrop toroid cross-section that taper to a point. While aero-dynamic, they can introduce instability when hit by a gusting crosswind. The asymmetry between the leading edge of the wheel’s front half (rounded tire) and the leading edge of the wheel’s back half (the sharp edge of the V or toroid) creates uneven wind resistance that can cause the front tire twist suddenly.
By contrast, FLO’s wide and rounded fairing mirrors the shape of the tire, providing even aerodynamics at the fi rst and back half of the wheel. At the same time, the rounded shape enhances boundary layer attachment while the fairing’s depth takes advantage of the off-angle airfl ow to propel the bike for-ward, similar to a sailboat tacking into the wind.
“We designed our wheel to create a smooth transition from the tire to the rim to the wide toroidal fairing, which allows the boundary layer of airfl ow to stay attached longer,” Thornham says. “At the same time, we were looking to balance forces in a way that reduced drag by pushing the bike forward to some extent while not creating a wheel that is rough to ride”
With a number of prototypes modeled in CAD, the brothers still had to narrow their candidate designs down to one. Even today, Thornham says industry practice is to run multiple physical prototypes though hours of wind tunnel testing to the tune of approximately $500 to $900 per hour, well beyond the means of a small start-up.
To sidestep this cost, Jon and Chris leveraged their other key advantage: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). They turned to friend and consulting engineer, Justin Smothers, founder of JSC Engineers, who ran each potential design through a com-paratively inexpensive seat of CD-Adapco’s STAR-CCM+ simulation software.
“I ran all the model variations in wind speeds from 5-30 mph in intervals of 5 and from 0-20 degrees of yaw,” says Smothers.
CoverStory
The rounded profi le of FLO Cycling’s Wide Ride fairings provide
greater stability and aerodynamic airfl ow than designs common in
other racing wheels.
V-NOTCH WHEEL EARLY TOROIDAL WHEEL FLO WIDE TOROIDAL WHEEL
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“Since we only had a license for one processor, it took us 28 days to run through all the variation, but if we had more processors it would have taken a lot less.”
Using a k-epsilon turbulence model, Smothers says the wheel designs were simulated in changing wind speeds and yaw angles to optimize the geometry across a wide range of conditions. Each prototype model was composed of a polyhedral mesh with 1.5 million cells, including a prism layer to capture boundary layer fl ow as well as refi nement zones near the wheel to analyze wake. After a number of tweaks, the end result was a single wheel design
that performed as well in the wind tunnel as competitors’ prod-ucts but at a fraction of the development cost.
“CFD drastically saves time and money because we’re not having to manufacture a rough shape and then spend time in the wind tunnel,” Thornham says. “Other companies claim that they’ve spent half a million dollars developing one wheel. We developed four wheels for not anywhere close to that.”
Those lower costs, Thornham says, allowed the company to price their four wheels (the FLO Climber, FLO 60, FLO 90 and FLO Disc) at a fraction of their competition. Sold directly from the company’s web site, a set of FLO Cycling’s high-end aluminium and carbon fi bre wheels, for example, cost US$898. That compared to the $1,800 and up Chris had paid two years previous. Not surprisingly, customer enthusiasm was immedi-ate and almost overwhelming, Thornham says.
“In our fi rst pre-order in 2012, we ended up selling 750 wheels in an hour even though the web site crashed the minute we opened up due to the traffi c,” he says. “This year, we’ve had four pre-orders and all of them have sold out within 15 minutes. In 2012, we shipped 1,500 wheels and this year, we’re on track to ship 3,600 wheels to 38 countries. Even though we’ve experienced 140 percent growth, demand for our product continues to spread quickly. Luckily for us, people like it.” DEwww.fl ocycling.com
CoverStory
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CFD fl ow visualization showing pressure and velocity around FLO
Cycling’s FLO 60 wheel.
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By Lee Hudson
Today’s industrial process control applications increasingly use automated systems to optimize operations and ensure a safer,
more productive process. Linear position sensors used in these automated systems provide highly accurate feedback on product parameters, control states and outputs to machine controllers.
Whether implemented as a standalone component or as part of a control or safety system, the linear position sensor—also known as an LVDT—is capable of providing linear displacement measurements from micro inches to several feet, under various operating and environmental conditions with high accuracy and reliability. Essentially, the LVDT linear position sensor plays an important role in machine control by providing feedback about product location.
Mechanics of an LVDTIn basic terms, an LVDT linear position sensor is an electro-mechanical device that converts linear position or motion to a proportional electrical output (see Figure 1). More specifi cally, the LVDT position sensor produces an electrical output signal directly proportional to the displacement of a separate movable core. Typically, the ferrous core within the LVDT is attached to the moving element on the piece of equipment requiring position feedback.
In operation, the LVDT’s primary winding is energized by alternating current of appropriate amplitude and frequency, known as the primary excitation. The LVDT linear position sensors’ electrical output signal is the differential AC voltage between two secondary windings, which varies with the axial position of the core within the LVDT coil. Usually, this AC output voltage is converted by suitable electronic circuitry to high level DC voltage or current for convenient use by a computer or other digital output device.
Because there is normally no contact between the LVDT’s core and coil structure, no parts can rub together or wear out. This means that an LVDT linear position sensor features unlim-ited mechanical life. This factor is highly desirable in many industrial process control and factory automation systems.
LVDT Use in Process Control AppsRecent innovations in construction materials and manufactur-ing techniques, as well as low-cost microelectronics, have revo-lutionized the LVDT linear position sensors into a more reliable and cost-effective technology for process control applications. In the past, the electronics necessary to operate LVDT linear position sensors properly were complicated and expensive, prohibiting its wide use in process control applications for displacement measurement.
Modern ASIC and microprocessors give LVDT technology more complex processing functions and enable signal condition-ing within the sensor housing. As a result, LVDTs generate digital outputs directly compatible with computer–based systems and standardized digital buses. In addition, today’s linear posi-tion sensors can provide more accurate and precise measurement of dimensions in a wider variety of quality control, inspection equipment and industrial metrology applications.
For applications where sensors must operate in extreme environments, the sensing element can be segregated from the electronic circuitry. Connected by long cables up to 31 meters (100 feet), AC-operated LVDTs can work with remotely-located electronics that power the sensors, amplify and demodulate their output. Output is then displayed on a suitable readout and/or inputted into a computer-based data acquisition system for statistical process control. This ability to transmit data to a remote computer has made linear position sensors popular in quality assurance schemes.
Tight Places with Harsh ConditionsWhile linear position sensors were once considered too long for applications with limited space, new winding techniques and computer-based winding machines allow the linear position sensor body to be reduced while maintaining or increasing stroke length. With the improved stroke to length ratio (now up to 80 percent), the LVDT linear position sensor becomes a viable position measurement device for machine tool position-ing, hydraulic cylinder positioning and valve position sensing.
Smaller, contactless linear position sensors also feature a
Positive FeedbackModern LVDT linear position sensors gaining preference in industrial applications.
MotionControl
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lightweight low mass core that is ideal for process control appli-cations having high dynamic response requirements.
LVDTs are also confi gurable in a variety of mechanical and electrical designs to meet the measurement and environmental requirements of various process control application. New corro-sion-resistance/high-temperature materials such as Monel or Inconel enable the LVDT linear position sensor to operate in more hostile environments. For applications where sensors must with-stand exposure to fl ammable or corrosive vapors and liquids, or operate in pressurized fl uid, its case and coil assembly can be hermetically sealed using a variety of welding processes.
For example, in power generation applications, linear posi-tion sensors designed for high temperature and mild radiation resistance can perform in power plants to provide feedback on the position of nuclear steam and gas turbine control valves for increased plant effi ciency and reduced operating costs.
In a typical power plant, steam turbines contain a number of control valves . Typically, plants have very precise control schemes for valve position to increase operating effi ciency and save fuel. Operating within the harsh environment of a power or steam plant, linear position sensors can determine if valves are fully opened or closed to within a thousandth of an inch, providing output to remote electronics that can be monitored by operators if something is not working properly.
Sensors also play an important role in the predictive main-tenance of gas turbines as part of process control systems used to monitor shell expansion and bearing vibration. Installed on turbine shells, hermetically-sealed LVDT position sensors mea-sure shell expansion, providing linear output that operators can utilize to determine proper thermal growth of a turbine shell during startup, operation and shutdown.
LVDTs designed to withstand shocks and heavy pounding are used in the press and dye industry for the mechanical con-trol of machine operations as improper operation can lead to broken dyes while ambiguous force of presses can lead to mis-shapen and out-of-spec parts. Spring-loaded LVDT position sensors are installed on presses so that the plunger of the sensor is compressed as the punch press comes in contact with the metal being shaped. The output of the LVDT is fed back into the machine’s control system, providing feedback on how far a press has moved and when to stop.
For more than six decades, LVDT linear position sensors have served as part of measurement and control systems, providing essential information without which many process control systems couldn’t function. DEwww.macrosensors.com
Lee Hudson is an application engineer with Macro Sensors.
MotionControl
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DesignSolutions
Clippard Offers Miniature Pneumatic Products Catalog for Scientific/Medical ApplicationsA leader in miniature pneumatics, Clippard provides the scientific/medical industry a variety of products and solutions. The product range is illustrated in a color brochure featuring the most complete line of miniature fluid power products for the medical, pharmaceutical analytical and dental fields. To get your copy today please visit our website at the address printed below.Contact: [email protected] Visit us at: www.clippard.com/scientific-a
October | 2013 www.design-engineering.com
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Motion Control
Safe Motion ModulesKollmorgen launched its KSM Safety Module line, which combines Safety PLC functionality with safe motion functions when paired with the company’s AKD drives and automation controllers. KSM can also connect to Ether-CAT, Profinet, and CANopen devices. KSM is capable of fifteen different Safe Motion func-tions, including Safe Torque Off (STO), Safe Stops (SSX), Safe Limited Speed (SLS), Safe Limited Position (SLP), and Safe Brake Control (SBC), among other functions. The safety
system can simultaneously monitor up to twelve axes in a single system. KSM Safety Controllers are TUV certified for machines that require ISO 13849 PLe and IEC 61508 SIL3 level functionality.www.Kollmorgen.com/KSM
Stepper Motor ControllerHaydon Kerk Motion Solutions added the PCM4806E to its IDEA Drive line of stepper motor controllers. The RoHS-compliant drive allows an encoder input to the controller for closed-loop position correction capability. The encoder interface is designed to accept single-
ended, 2-channel quadrature encoder input and an index signal. The 90 degree offset of Channel A and B allows the system to determine motor direction. A 1000 line encoder will be translated by the firmware as a 2000 pulse signal for use in position correction. Other features include programmable current control; a single supply voltage of 12 to 48VDC; 0.6Arms (0.84Apeak) max rated current per phase; and 8 opto-isolated general purpose I/O. Each input is rated for 5 to 24VDC, 8mA maximum per input. www.idea-drive.com
Motors and Drives
ECPM MotorNovaTorque Inc. announced that its Gen2.0 PremiumPlus+ Elec-tronically Commutated Permanent Magnet (ECPM) motors are now available in 3hp and 5hp 2400 rpm (maximum speed 3600 rpm) models. Driven by variable fre-quency drives (VFD), the line possesses motor-only rated point efficiencies of 93 and 92 percent for 3hp and 5hp versions respec-tively. Additionally, the motors maintain high efficiency and torque over a broad speed and load range, the company says. NovaTorque PremiumPlus+ motors are packaged in standard NEMA frame sizes and mounting dimensions and compatible with VFDs from most leading manufacturers.www.novatorque.com
IdeaGeneratorIdeaGenerator
The domestic source for perfect meshing timing belts and pulleysBRECOflex CO., L.L.C. is announcing their new pulley catalog “B216” for made-to-order and stock pulleys. The new domestic “CNC” state of the art pulley manufacture allows for very precise machining standards, leading to superior product quality and quick product availability. BRECOflex CO., L.L.C., is providing finished precision pulleys made-to-specification and stock pulleys with pilot bores, for immediate delivery. Made-to-order pulleys are available with normal backlash, reduced backlash “SE” or zero backlash “0” tooth gap design.Contact: [email protected] us at: www.brecoflex.com
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Spindle DriveMaxon Motor released a ceramic spindle with the launch of its GP8S and GP16S spindle drives. The GP 16 S metric M6 ceramic spindle transmits up to 315 N in short-term operation. It also features axial ball bearings and an integrated planetary gearhead. Similarly, the company’s 8mm GP 8 S spindle drives come standard equipped with metric steel spindles or ceramic spindles. The M3 x 0.5mm spindle is designed for feed forces of up to 32 N in short-term operation. Two pre-loaded ball bearings serve as the axial bearing. Due to the extremely compact design, the GP 8 S spindle drives achieve a very high force/volume ratio, a characteristic highly desirable for collimators, dosing pumps, and many other applications.www.maxonmotorusa.com
Insulated Motor Cable HELUKABEL introduced its TOPFLEX 620 VFD, a flexible-PVC, XLPE-insu-lated power cable built for on/off or slow down/speed up VFD motor applications. The special PVC jacket is resistant to oils (Oil Res I & II), coolants and solvents and is also double-shielded to resist electrical noise. The power cable is available in a four conductor configuration ranging in sizes from 16 – 2 AWG. It has been rated for both 600V and 1000V applications, and can operate in varying temperature environments from -25°C to 105°C, having passed both the -25°C cold impact and -40°C cold bend tests. In addition to UL (1277 and 2277 Flexible Motor Supply Cable) and CSA (AWM I/II A/B), the TOPFLEX 620 VFD is CE approved for machine builders exporting to Europe.www.helukabel.ca
Fluid Power
Pneumatic Cylinders AutomationDirect’s NITRA pneumatic product line now includes D-Series double-acting heavy-duty air cylinders with a 250 psi operating pressure and adjustable cushions to provide end-of-stroke decel-eration at both ends. All D-Series cylinders are constructed with aluminum components and a magnetic piston fitted with a PTFE wear band; all cylinders can be used along with solid state or reed switches for rod position sensing. The series
includes bore sizes from 1 ½-inch to four inches and stroke lengths from one inch to 24 inches to meet a broad range of applications. Models feature flange, rear clevis and rear pivot, side and rod clevis mounting options.www.automationdirect.com
Slurry PumpKSB introduced its heavy-duty KWPK series pumps, designed to handle slurries and aggressive fluids. The KWPK family is based on a modular design so that individual pumps can be customized to meet specific application requirements. Five standard material combinations are available, each with different characteristics with respect to corrosion resistance and wear resistance and cost. Seals and
IdeaGenerator
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bearings have been designed to withstand the effects of corrosive or abrasive media. This series of pumps feature KSB’s K-type non-clogging impeller design and are available in a range of sizes, with inlet diameters from 40mm to 900mm. Maximum flow rate is 15,000 m3/hour, while the discharge head is up to 100m.www.ksb.com
Ball ValveAALBORG Instruments released its Three-Way PTFE Ball Valve. The manually operated valve is con-structed of PTFE wetted parts and Polypropylene structural compo-nents. Four separate handle posi-tions facilitate ¼ turn selectable flow patterns.
The valve targets corrosive and ultra-pure fluid applications in laboratories and industrial processing applications. The valve features ½-inch Female NPT Inlet and Outlet Ports; a Flow Coefficient (CV value) of 6 and maximum operating pressure of 4.1 bar (60 psig).www.Aalborg.com
Power Transmission
Hinged Shaft CollarsStafford Manufacturing Corp. introduced a line of hinged shaft collars that feature a triple-link hinge and a captive clamping screw but provide the same hold-ing power as standard two-piece collars. Available with square, hex, round and threaded bores, the shaft collars are available in 25 sizes from 3/8-inch to 4-inch I.D. and 16 metric sizes from 6 mm to 50 mm. Offered in steel and two grades of stainless steel, the col-lars can be modified with tapped holes for attaching sensors.www.staffordmfg.com
Endless Timing Belts BRECOflex Co. announced a line of seamless timing belts avail-able with Nylon facing (PAZ, PAR) and a large variety of backing materials. Tension members are available in steel, stainless steel and Kevlar. Polyurethane materials are offered in 92 Shore A,
IdeaGenerator
GTC Falcon Mini-Joints feature Zero-Backlash and all stainless steel construction. Suitable for instrumentationand control systems. Mini-Joint universaljoints available as single, double & telescoping versions. Bore sizes of .031” to 1” / 1mm to 30mm. Also now available:NEW Mini-Joint Ball Splines, featuring Zero-Backlash.
Also available:Precision Mini-Joint Couplings for angular, parallel & axial misalgnment, with operating speeds to 30,000 RPM Our Experienced engineering staff invite all U-Joint and Shaft Coupling inquiries, as we design our product to YOUR application. Tel: (508) 746-0200, 888-309-0646Fax: (508) 746-6494E-mail: [email protected]: www.gtcfalcon.com
ZERO BACKLASHUNIVERSAL JOINTS
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www.design-engineering.com October | 2013
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85 Shore A, in FDA food grade, as well as with a high ambient temperature PU-material. All BRECO-fl ex endless timing belts incorporate the com-pany’s bifi lar tension member technology as well as Standard Plus manufacturing technology. According to the company, the belts feature length tolerances down to 0.05 mm per meter as well as tensile strength twice that of welded “V” timing belts.www.brecofl ex.com
Spring-Engaged BrakeNexen released its dual faced brakes (DFB) and quad faced brakes (QFB) with torque capacities that range from 9,000 to 164,800 inch-pounds. The brakes feature a piston and cylinder actuator sealed with O-rings, as well as non-asbestos friction facings and low-inertia friction discs. The dual-faced brakes are engineered with a single-disc assembly, and the quad-faced brakes have a double-disc assembly. The brake housing is fl ange mounted to machinery, and the hub is keyed to the shaft. Cylinder inlet ports provide direct air supply.www.nexengroup.com
Transformer Disconnect Terminal Blocks WAGO Corporation introduced its 2007 Series TOPJOB current transformer disconnect terminal blocks that feature an orange three-position (Operating, Shorting and Measuring) disconnect lever. Engaging the lever fully automatically short-circuits the transformer when using the required adjacent push-in jumper. Measur-ing 99mm long and 8mm wide, the series’ touch-proof design does not require a separate cover to be installed which eases access to test plugs and meter connections. Available in through- or ground-con-nection versions, the 2007 series employ CAGE CLAMP Spring Pressure Technology for conductor sizes 20-8 AWG. This eliminates lugs, crimps and torquing.www.wago.us
Washdown shaft collars Ruland unveiled a line of washdown shaft collars that feature a patent pending assem-bly containing a type 303 stainless steel shaft collar, a two-piece housing made from FDA compliant materials and three O-rings with NSF H1 registered lubricant. The collars offer holding power comparable to clamp style shaft collars and allow for simple adjustments without marring the shaft. Ruland’s exclusive design is pending an IP69K rating against the
ingress of dust and water up to 80°C and 8 to 10 MPa of pressure. Washdown shaft collars are supplied with a zinc-plated forged alloy screw and are available for shaft sizes ranging from 1/4 to 1 inch or 6 mm to 25 mm.www.ruland.com
IdeaGenerator
Vision1210™ PLC + HMIStarting at: $1,676
PLC + HMI
FREE Remote Access
FREE Programming Software
FREE Technical Support
Complete Control in ONE Unit
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Sensors
Ethernet Camera Imaging Development Systems (IDS) released its Gigabit-Ethernet board-level GigE uEye LE camera series, which feature a 5 Megapixel CMOS sensor. With a 2560 x1920 pixel resolution, the sensor’s A-Pix technology provides enhanced sensitivity and can be
used in low to moderate light conditions. With a footprint of 45mm x 45mm, the camera also features GigE interface and can be connected with maximum cable lengths of up to 100 meters. The uEye also integrates two general purpose I/Os, an I2C-Bus and 60 MB of internal image memory.www.ids-imaging.com
Rotary SensorNovotechnik U.S. introduced its Vert-X 31E Series of pro-grammable rotary angle sensors with a permanent magnet that can be secured to a rotating shaft to prevent wear. Key specifi cations for sensor include 31mm profi le; 0 to 360° measurement range; resolution to 14-bit; repeatability of 0.1° or bet-ter; and maximum hysteresis of 0.1°. Eight output options are available: 0.1 to 10V, 0.5 to 4.5V, 4 to 20mA, 10 to 90 percent of power supply, SSI, PWM, Incremental and SPI. The series includes 5 and 24 V supply models. Vert-X 31E 5V versions have a MTBF of 668 years and 24V versions are 240 years MTBF. All mod-els feature an ingress protection rating of IP 68 and operating range of -40 to +85°C.www.novotechnik.com
Photoelectric SensorBaumer has expanded its range of NextGen sensors with a O300 Series designed for 1-inch mounting sizes. The sensor’s touchless qTeach method allows the O300 series to be programed by any ferromagnetic tool, such as a screwdriver. A blue LED light provides clear visual feedback,
which thanks to its exposed position atop the sensor is clearly visible from all sides. The com-pany says this class of optical sensor employs three sen-sor principles: The light sensor has background sup-
pression while the retro-refl ective sensor works reliably with refl ective surfaces but without any separate refl ector. www.baumer.com
IdeaGenerator
Cutouts & Modifications – in days Custom cut-outs in stock enclosures in 5 days or less
Full assembly of Rittal components
Enclosure suiting
Custom painting
www.rittal.ca
Go to www.rittal.ca or scan the code below for more information about our modification services.
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By Treena Hein
Athletes, just like the rest of us, are always looking for a competitive edge. A good advantage to have in hockey is
extra speed, and in this case, it’s delivered by the players’ literal edge on the ice – their skates.
It’s part of a revolutionary trend in engineering all over the world: different sources of wasted energy are being noticed, cap-tured and made available for use afterwards. Whether it’s a flywheel in a bus braking system or solar energy being captured and stored in a jacket as a person walks down the street, the idea makes enormous sense. Last year, it was the energy wasted throughout hockey games that came to the attention of University of Water-loo Mechanical Engineering grad Jeffrey Azzolin.
During his undergrad degree and now at his start-up called Bladetech Hockey, he developed a skate that captures some of the wasted energy produced by a player through the normal motion
of a skating stride. They then make that energy available moments later, again and again, throughout the game.
When a Bladetech skate hits the ice, Azzolin’s patent-pending spring mecha-nism compresses, absorbing some of the energy of the player’s movement. When the player pushes forward off the ice afterwards, the energy in the spring is released as it returns to its original posi-tion, providing a boost of power. Azzolin, who has played recreational hockey for many years, says that even a slight increase in speed and agility gives a player a significant advantage.
Spring LoadedBut these skates aren’t only about better performance on the ice. Their design also has the potential to prevent injuries to their users’ hips, knees and ankles.
“As the springs compress, they capture impact loads which otherwise would have traveled through the bones and into joints, into cartilage, meniscus and synovial flu-ids,” Azzolin explains. “So, not only does the spring mechanism capture and harness energy which otherwise would have been wasted, it also provides a cushioning effect on the body, decreasing joint damage and reducing the probability of injury.”
In addition, the design provides play-ers with the ability to move smoothly from a flat-footed to a forward-angled
stance, which reduces the chances of getting shin-splints. “Pro players skate many hours a day, most days of the year,
for years at a time,” Azzolin notes, “so it’s important to protect the body as much as possible. Having technology which can reduce the likelihood of developing injuries provides is an enor-mous benefit over a professional career.”
The main challenges of the design process all related directly to a modern skate’s plastic blade holders. Their thin and tapered shape limits the options for housing an internal spring-loaded mechanism, making it tough to figure out which components and geometries would work. Azzolin and his team found some help, however, in the fact that as player weight increases, so does foot size and blade holder size.
“We were able to create a spring-loaded mechanism that can provide customized stiffness, depending on player weight, foot
Game ChangerBladetech skates leave conventional blades behind, in more ways than one.
CanadianInnovator
University of Waterloo Engineering graduate,
Jeffrey Azzolin, who developed Bladetech
hockey skates.
photo credit: cNW Group/uNiversity of Waterloo
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Advertiser Website Page
Automation Direct www.automationdirect.com 7
Baldor Electric Company www.baldor.com 40
Brecoflex Corp. LLC www.brecoflex.com 32
Century Spring Corp. www.centuryspring.com 38
Clippard Instrument Laboratory, Inc. www.clippard.com 9
Daemar, Inc. www.daemar.com 11
Design Fusion www.designfusion.ca 14-15
Ellsworth Adhesives www.ellsworthadhesives.ca 18
Exair Corporation. www.exair.com 23
GTC Falcon, Inc www.gtcfalcon.com 34
Harting Canada, Inc. www.harting.ca 28
HELUKABEL Canada www.helukabel.ca 13
Henkel Canada Corporation www.loctite.com 17
igus Inc. www.igus.com 33
Karsh Precision Machine www.karshprecision.com 31
Master Bond, Inc. www.masterbond.com 31
Mersen Canada www.mersen.com 29
Myostat Motion Control, Inc. www.myostat.ca 12
NORD DriveSystems www.nord.com 20-21
Proto Labs, Inc. www.protolabs.com 19
Rittal Systems Ltd. www.rittal.ca 36
Rosta, Inc. www.rostainc.com 24
RotoPrecision, Inc. www.rotoprecision.ca 27
Rotor Clip Company, Inc. www.rotorclip.com 25
Schaeffler Canada, Inc. www.ina.com 4
SEW Eurodrive www.sew-eurodrive.ca 39
Unitronics Inc. www.unitronics.com 35
Yaskawa America, Inc. www.yaskawaamerica.com 2
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size and preference,” he says. “After several iterations, we came up with a working solution, which we later rede-signed to minimize the number of components. This made the design not only simpler to assemble, but more reliable as well.”
The biggest hurdle of the whole process, he says, was ensuring the assembly fit in the allotted package size.
“No measurements were available for each different size of blade holder in terms of their cavities and unique shapes,” says Azzolin. “It meant that designing the assembly to fit into each compartment took a nightmarish amount of time.”
Scoring OpportunitiesThe Bladetech team has conducted a number of tests to determine how much the skates increase player speed, agility and turning capabilities.
“We’re adding to our data to help
strengthen our analysis, but we’re sure the increased performance will be a game-changer,” Azzolin says. “Users will be able to develop more scoring opportunities or defensively stop more scoring opportunities. In the elite leagues where fractions of a sec-ond can affect the entire outcome of a game, this technology will more than prove its worth.” Tests to better quantify the reduction in impact loads that the body will experience with these skates are also underway.
Azzolin and his team are hoping to have the product ready by this coming spring or summer, so that they can take part in 2014/2015 pro season action. With endorsement by one NHL player already, Bladetech’s future is looking as slick as a sheet of ice. DEwww.bladetechhockey.ca
Treena Hein is a Pembrook, Ont.-based frelance writer.
CanadianInnovator
222 East 16th StreetLos Angeles, CA 90015 USAPh: 800.237.5225Fx: 213.749.3802 [email protected]
WHEN YOUR PROJECT CALLSFOR SPRINGS...CALL CSC!
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Azzolin’s spring-loaded skates help prevent injuries to
their users’ hips, knees and ankles and return stored
energy to boost skaters’ speed from a standing start.
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©2013 Baldor Electric Company
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