The recently released Razor family of high-speed, high-performance digitiser cards from Gage Applied is now available in the UK via TTi Instrument Distribution. The multi-channel 16-bit digitisers feature up to four channels, 100MS/s or 200MS/s of maximum sampling per channel, up to 2GS of onboard memory and 65MHz or 125MHz bandwidths. With its 16-bit nominal resolution, the Razor provides high signal fidelity with an effective number of bits (ENOB) of 12.

The ENOB is the universally accepted measure of a digitiser’s combined noise and distortion performance. The Razor also provides an ultra-low total harmonic distortion (THD) of less than -80dB. In many applications, low distortion is far more important than low noise, since noise may often be reduced through signal-processing techniques such as signal averaging or filtering. By contrast, there is no way of removing signal distortion, so the ultra-low distortion introduced by the Razor is said to provide a huge benefit.

In addition, ENOB performance is optimised on the 100MS/s and 200MS/s Razor models through the use of separate ADC chips on each model. The Razor includes a high-voltage input of +/-50V, making it suitable for interacting with the 42V batteries soon to be introduced by emerging technologies in the military, aerospace and automotive industries. It also provides an automatic high-voltage trip feature that protects the card against damage for voltages of up to +/-75V on most input ranges.

The Gage automatic calibration mechanism provides 0.5 per cent DC accuracy on all Razor input ranges. True master/slave multi-card synchronisation allows up to eight cards to be simultaneously sampled in a single chassis. A master/slave Razor system automatically performs an onboard timing calibration that ensures simultaneous sampling on all channels within 200ps.

Liebert PSA Protects Data Against Power Failure

Emerson Network Power has introduced the Liebert PSA UPS. The Liebert PSA UPS utilises line-interactive technology which, through automatic voltage regulation (AVR), compensates for voltage oscillations, avoiding intensive use of batteries and thereby extending their runtime.

Liebert PSA, available in 500, 650, 1000 and 1500 VA sizes, is particularly effective in protecting the operating continuity of critical equipment used in offices and business environments, including PCs, workstations, network devices and POS terminals. The unit features an intuitive user interface that requires simple management.

The new UPS offers up to five-minute backup at full load. This gives enough time for all applications to be closed down, enabling work to be saved and avoiding the consequences of power failure, such as the loss of critical data. The shutdown software automatically closes down the operating systems of devices connected to the UPS. The standard warranty for Liebert PSA is two years with an optional extension to three years.

NASA Selects Saft For Li-ion Technology

Saft has been awarded a contract to develop the next-generation lithium-ion (Li-ion) technology for NASA. The company said it was selected for its expertise in electrochemistry and its ability to take products developed in the research laboratory to large-scale manufacturing.

In order to launch and operate rovers, landers, astronaut packs, and other space applications on the moon, the technology must offer very high specific energy.

Based on its existing high-energy Li-ion technology know-how, Saft is developing an advanced lithium-ion cell that will enable NASA to reduce the weight of its next-generation missions.

E-ON Hydroelectric Sales To Verbund

E.ON are to sell over 300 megawatts of hydroelectric capacity to Austrian energy utility Verbund, a step to further their commitment to The European Commission. E.ON will then receive power-procurement rights and cash in return. E.ON will sell 13 hydroelectric plants located on the Inn River in southeast Germany to Verbund, a Vienna-based power company.

The plants have an aggregate capacity of 312 megawatts (MW) and annual output of about 1,800 gigawatt-hours. The two companies signed the agreements for the deal in Munich. In a broad-based auction, Verbund, an experienced and proven operator of hydroelectric plants, submitted the overall most attractive bid. The criteria included ensuring the continued operation of the sites and securing the jobs of the 215 employees affected.

In return, E.ON will receive rights to procure electricity over a 20-year period from Zemm-Ziller pumped-storage hydroelectric plants in Austria’s Ziller River Valley plus cash compensation. These procurement rights represent about 318 MW of the plants’ total capacity. Verbund will continue to own and operate the plants, but E.ON will be able to make use of the procurement rights to suit its needs. The transaction is subject, in particular, to the approval of E.ON Supervisory Boards and antitrust authorities.

Verbund’s Supervisory Board has already approved the deal. The sale of the Inn River hydro plants represents another step in implementing the commitment E.ON made to the European Commission to sell bout 5,000 MW of generation capacity and its ultrahigh-voltage transmission system in Germany in order to further stimulate competition on Europe’s energy market. As part of this process, E.ON signed a memorandum of understanding with Belgium’s Electrabel to swap generation capacity and recently transferred stakes in certain power plants to Germany’s EnBW. Including the Verbund deal, E.ON has now concluded agreements to sell a total of about 3,200 MW of generation capacity to deliver on its commitment.

SBF Calls Government To Support Apprenticeships

The Scottish Building Federation has called on the Scottish Government to support construction apprenticeships in Scotland. Fiona Hyslop, the Scottish Government’s Education and Lifelong Learning Secretary, has made a commitment to move quickly to consider the actions identified at the Apprenticeship summit as necessary to support modern apprenticeships in Scotland. This move was welcomed by SBF Chief Executive, Michael Levack.

Mr.Levack appeared alongside Ms Hyslop as a keynote speaker at a conference entitled “Maintaining Fife’s Construction Apprentices” hosted by Fife Works at the Carnegie Conference Centre in Dunfermline. Following the event, he commented: “I’m pleased by the level of priority the Scottish Government is giving to the issue of supporting modern apprenticeships in Scotland. It’s clear that there’s a lot to be done in the current economic climate to help apprentices in industries such as construction to complete their training.

In that context, the GBP16 million of additional funding the Scottish Government has pledged towards creating additional apprenticeship places is to be welcomed. “But to be a success, that commitment needs to be matched with increased investment in the industries that recruit apprentices in Scotland. The construction industry is widely recognized as one of the largest recruiters of apprentices in this country. We therefore need to see building firms’ order books bolstered by additional public investment in schools, hospitals, infrastructure and housing.

“The Scottish Government also needs to be open to finding new and innovative ways of leveraging more private investment into the construction sector. Looking to the future, green building technologies and techniques have the potential to revolutionise the building industry. We need to be investing now in the skills required to deliver those technologies and techniques. A good place for the government to start would be through the creation of additional tax incentives to encourage homeowners and businesses to invest in making the buildings they use each day much more energy efficient. “This is the sort of joined-up thinking we will be urging Ministers to adopt to reverse the current alarming decline in construction apprentices completing their training”.

PAC8000 Approved For Single-Controller Purposes

GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms has stated that its PAC8000 Safetynet system has been approved by TUV for applications requiring the handling of safety and process-control data in the same controller. In addition, the availability of a 24VDC power supply extends the locations where Safetynet systems can be implemented. Dave Reynolds, product marketing manager for GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, said: ‘Our customers are under ever-increasing pressures to comply with safety regulations to protect themselves, their plant assets and their communities.

‘We have heard from several customers who have smaller-scale applications that require an emergency shutdown system along with a limited amount of process control as well. ‘This new release of PAC8000 Safetynet allows those customers to handle safety and process-control data in a single controller for SIL2 applications,’ he added. The cost of using two controllers, one for safety and one for process control, raises project costs, according to the GE Fanuc. To address this, the company has obtained approval for Safetynet to be used in applications with safety and process-control data.

A safety engineer must evaluate the application and assess that the use of process-control data in the Safetynet controller does not affect any of the safety functions. PAC8000 Safetynet offers static analyser tools to identify all instances of the use of non-safety data in the safety controller, helping the safety engineer to complete the review. Dil Wetherill, product manager for PAC8000 Safetynet, said: ‘Functional safety systems are sometimes required in remote applications where standard 115/240VAC power may not be available.

‘To address this need, we have released a TUV-approved 24VDC power supply for Safetynet, enabling the system to be easily used in applications where AC power is not available, including remote shipboard and offshore applications. ‘The power supply is intended for rugged environments where temperatures can range from -40C to +70C and is Class 1, Division 2 and Zone 2 rated. ‘It contains two isolated 12V outputs for redundant applications and provides for surge and transient protection.’.

NSK Cost-Saving Programme Benefits Food Companies

NSK UK, a supplier of bearings, has developed a cost-saving programme designed to deliver real benefits to the operating costs, efficiency and profitability of UK food processors and manufacturers. The value of the cost-saving programme has been evidenced by an initial example where NSK delivered savings of more than GBP24,000 per annum for a confectionery manufacturer on the operation of a conveyor line.

The programme is designed for end-user bearing customers in the food industry looking for a value-added service that actually helps them to reduce operating costs and improve efficiency and profitability. According to NSK, these objectives are achieved by delivering tangible savings to assets, such as equipment and machinery, and by improving the working knowledge of maintenance and engineering personnel. The programme is said to be simple to implement and is broken down into stages.

This is intended to make it logical for end users to buy into and understand the process. The process often starts with a site survey, which is very detailed. NSK engineers visit a customer’s premises, talk to the customer, get to understand what their difficulty is and work out what they can do to support them. As part of the programme, all aspects of a company’s operations, including systems, stock, specific problem applications, lubrication and training issues, are audited. An analysis of the data acquired is performed and this leads to recommendations for improvements. In practice, these recommendations could relate to training: about how to examine or look after bearings; how to spot failure modes; and how to handle bearings correctly.

According to the company, this is one of the biggest causes of premature failure. In addition, NSK might need to look at the lubrication of bearings or recommend part substitution for a bearing so that it works more effectively. The overall aim is to get to a stage where NSK can document the value that it has delivered, by proving how much money has been saved as a result of adopting a cost-saving solution. This is said to provide management with firm figures that provide reassurance that it has saved money and improved profitability by working with NSK.

Handheld Infrared Thermometer Launched

Calibration Dynamics has developed the CTR1000 handheld infrared thermometer for non-contact temperature measurement between ranges of -60C up to 1,000C. Equipped with an accuracy of two per cent rdg and a measuring distance of up to 8m – the CTR1000 is ideally suited to applications where thermocouples or resistance thermometers cannot be used.

The current measured value is displayed on demand and has a resolution of 0.1C. The two-point laser marks the diameter of the measuring area, preventing the measurement of unwanted areas away from the object under surveillance and can also be checked against thermocouple type K.

Rexnord Unveils Omega HDY Elastomer Coupling

Rexnord UK has introduced a high-performance, general-purpose, elastomer coupling. According to the company, the Omega HDY offers 25 per cent higher torque ratings and 40 per cent greater stiffness than its equivalent standard elastomer coupling range. The coupling combines all the advantages of its standard split elastomer ‘flex’ element, together with both close-coupled and spacer design formats.

The result is said to be an easy-to-install coupling with a replace-in-place facility, as well as reduced inventory, thanks to the multiple distance between shaft end mounting options using the same elements and hubs. Torque ratings range from 28Nm to 48,000Nm, with a torsional stiffness up to 2J/kgm (280m/kg).

Midi Units Help Replace Solvents For Goodrich

Four Mecwash installations are providing high-performance, aqueous-based cleaning and enhanced environmental protection at the Goodrich Actuation Systems plant in Wolverhampton. The Mecwash Midi units, each fitted with an Aqua-Save waste water recycling system, are a key element in a major move to replace solvent use at the site – a programme that is seeing 24 solvent degreasing stations removed from the premises. Located in key areas of the manufacturing facility, three of the Mecwash Midi units are dedicated to specific activity, with the fourth offering a wide range of component cleaning options.

Because the vast majority of the company’s business is focused on the aerospace industry, cleanliness and performance requirements are paramount. The cleaning capability of the Mecwash units, combined with their environmental benefits resulting from the aqueous design – enhanced by Aqua-Save technology – are all factors behind the decision to install the four systems. One of the dedicated installations is sited ahead of the painting and plating facility. Responsible for the removal of oil before onward processing, the unit is loaded directly from a static roller conveyor into the rotating drum of the MecWash unit.

A series of preset programmes rotate and oscillate the drum through spray and flood washing and rinsing stages, ensuring that components – held in simple plastic containers with internal separators, purpose-designed fixtures or mesh baskets – are fully cleaned and dried. A similar arrangement in the Goodrich heat treatment area is also fully functional, and has replaced three solvent-based installations.

Mark Binfield, operations manager (special process) at Goodrich, says: ‘Parts must be totally dry ahead of the heat treatment process, so the vacuum drying capability of the Mecwash Midi is very important.’ ‘Typical products that go through this machine are gears and rotary actuators manufactured from high- strength steel, which can present particular corrosion considerations and are thus coated with a suitable inhibitor. ‘It is the removal of this that is the prime function of the Mecwash installation.’ The third machine is located alongside the Goodrich NDT facility, and virtually all components manufactured at the site pass through it. ‘The Mecwash Midi here is equipped with ultrasonics and vacuum drying, and can accommodate large, fixtured parts and smaller components in baskets,’ says Steve Parks, NDT Level Three at the site.

‘Cleanliness here is paramount if all potential cracks are to be identified in components, so the performance of the Mecwash Midi is crucial to our quality control procedures.’ Able to accommodate heavily contaminated refurbished and new build parts – even components up to 2m in length – the unit operates on a ‘bus stop’ basis, with parts arriving from around the site, as well as often working in conjunction with blasting stations positioned alongside.