TechArchive

Original article date: September 1997 Many different types of analog-to-digital converters are available. Differing ADC types offer varying resolution, accuracy and speed specifications. This assistance from IOTech’s new definitive guide. All ADCs convert an analog voltage to a digital number. The most popular ADC types are: the parallel (flash) converter the successive approximation ADC the [...]

Original article date: January 1999 A new shaft locking arrangement called S Lock is designed to provide simple secure and safe locking of NSK’s Self-Lube bearing units and inserts. Alan Quinn reports. The Self-Lube bearing range features wide inner rings and mounted bearing units in a variety of housing designs and materials. The units provide [...]

Original article date: April 1996 Using technological advances in electronics it’s possible to use pneumatic drives in complex control functions says Heinz Godert of Robert Bosch. Pneumatic drives in the past have been consigned to relatively simple functions because of their inability to hold position. But analogue valves combined with suitable control electronics and sensors [...]

Original article date: May 2000 Brushless DC motors look like being the next branch of the small motor industry to finally see its true potential fulfilled – Premotec’s JOHN McKAY hopes so anyway! Traditionally, brushless DC motors have been limited by the cost of drive electronics. However, this need no longer be the case. The [...]

This article was originally written in the period 1995-2000 Lubrication is too important to approach simplistically and without understanding. This guidance from Kluber Lubrication covers the basic lubricant types Lubricants are divided into the following groups: gaseous, liquid, cohesive and solid. Among these, the gaseous lubricants are insignificant because construction costs for gas or air [...]

Original article date: April 1999 Darragh Murphy and Peter Raine of the Hydro Aluminium UK Extrusion Group explain why aluminium extrusions can be competitive with steel structures despite lower stiffness. Aluminium is one of the most versatile materials available to the design engineer. The diverse range of applications for which it is already used from [...]

Original article date: October 1999 With machines running faster than ever, excessive heat generation in speed reducers is becoming an increasing problem. We’ve been talking to the team at BAYSIDE about their ideas on keeping gearbox components suitably cool When running continuously at high speeds, or even intermittently in some cases, speed reducers can generate [...]

Original article date: April 2000 Paperless recorders without the costs and problems? It seems unlikely, but Alan Quinn took a trip up the M11 to Harlow to see what Jumo is up to Paperless recorders have been available for some time, but have always been expensive, more complicated to use and tend to be larger [...]

Original article date: March 2000 It’s not often that we hear of a new concept in roller bearings, so we sent Tommy Miller to find out more Roller bearings, one with a cage, one without, and yes, the rollers are hollow? This design offers several advantages compared with solid roller bearings and preloaded ball bearings, [...]

This article was originally written in the period 1995-2000 By Colin Everett, Director and General Manager, Gentech International Ltd. The most intriguing aspect of the glass reed switch is its extreme simplicity, which over the years has perhaps been one of its major strengths. In its basic form, the device has only three component parts [...]