HMI weighs only 2 lb.

IndraControl VCH08 portable human-machine interface (HMI) makes it easier for machine operators to set up, run, and diagnose equipment, especially in medical material handling, line transfer, and manufacturing-cell applications. VCH08 devices are the handheld controls weighing about two pounds with an IP65 protection rating for demanding conditions. The round-shaped panel supports right and left-handed operators in tasks such as clearing jams, teaching position points, jogging axes or starting up a machine. VCH08s come with a vivid 3.8-in LCD screen, universal-use touch panel, and an attached communication cable.

Bosch Rexroth Corp., 5150 Prairie Stone Pkwy, Hoffman Estates, IL 60192, (800) 739-7684, www.info.hotims.com/18363-256

Free online class covers medical quality systems

UC Irvine Extension will offer two online courses at no cost on the development, production and regulation of medical devices and pharmaceuticals. The courses, “Medical Quality Product Systems” and “Regulatory Requirements for Pharmaceuticals” let anyone better understand the circumstances under which new medical technologies and pharmaceuticals are developed, regulations that govern them, and processes needed to ensure a safe, viable product. Medical Quality Product Systems walks students through the U.S. and European versions to understand similarities and differences. UC Irvine Extension, www.info.hotims.com/18363-257

Nickel magnetic beads

PureProteome nickel magnetic beads allow the fast and easy purification of polyhistidine-tagged recombinant proteins, a critical step in protein research for some devices. Patented process for magnetizing porous silica particles give researchers high binding, high-affinity beads for efficient protein purification. The beads bind recombinant protein even in the presence of metal-ion chelator EDTA. The beads offer higher purity than competitive designs while yielding comparable amounts of protein.

Millipore Corp., (800) 548-7853, www.info.hotims.com/18363-258

Wire stripper speeds medical electrical work

The DCFV1 wire stripper removes film insulation (Formvar, nylon, polythermaleze, and varnish) from round magnet and enamel wires while its hand piece collects dust it makes. The variable speed unit takes insulation off without damaging the conductor. The tool works well in production and repair of medical equipment and other devices.

The Eraser Company Inc., 123 Oliva Drive, Box 4961, Syracuse, NY 13221, (800) 724-0594, www.info.hotims.com/18363-260

Load button measures light lab loads

Load Button LLB130 is a miniature weight sensor that comes in 5, 10, 25, and 50-lb capacities. It has a 0.38-in. OD and 0.13-in. height. Internal compensation means customers can cut the cable because it won't affect the unit's temperature compensation or zero balance. The model uses a proprietary strain gage. These load cells have nonlinearity of ±0.5% and deflection of 0.002-in. nominal.

Futek Advanced Sensor Technology Inc, 10 Thomas, Irvine, CA 92618, (949) 465-0900, www.info.hotims.com/18363-261

Got an automation question? Ask here

An engineering blog at misumiusa.com focuses on the latest mechanical component trends for assembly automation as would be needed for medical packaging equipment. The blog gives engineers a place to share opinions and ideas surrounding design-and-build tasks for machines. In addition, Misumi engineers regularly post content on topics such as geometric tolerances and fits, calculations, components selections, materials, and surface treatments and hardness.

Misumi USA Inc, 1105 Remington Rd., Suite B, Schaumburg, IL 60173, (800) 681-7475, www.info.hotims.com/18363-259

Package medical parts fast

The RapidPak RP-30 machine for medical packaging uses servomotors to eliminate need for compressed air. The machine has a high cycle rate, while providing precise motion. A servo-driven assist allows down-gauging film thickness. An Allen Bradley control makes for fast, easy maintenance. The machine is 25-ft 3-in. long and 45-in. wide.

Alkar-RapidPak Inc., Box 260, Lodi, WI 53555, (608) 592-4030, www.info.hotims.com/18363-262

Laser scanner collects 28,000 points/sec

The RSI laser scanner helps develop medical models and works with MicroScribe 3D digitizers or portable articulated arm CMMs with 6 DOF touch probes. Data collection is said to be more like “spray painting,” with the laser scanner collecting up to 28,000 points/sec. Included is software that changes point-cloud data into industry-standard formats.

Immersion Corp., 801 Fox Lane, San Jose, Calif. 95131, (408) 467-1900, www.info.hotims.com/18363-263

Long-life air cylinder

A long-life air cylinder (linear actuator) is well suited for medical applications requiring long life and corrosion resistance. The 1-in. bore cylinders are made from brass or stainless steel with a clevis tail. Two composite bushings, one in the nose and the other in the tail assembly, support the piston rod. These separated bushings support most couples induced by side loads and stress reversals, thus minimizing stress raisers, a source of early failure in cylinders. It does not need lubed air. The extension-force factor is 0.78, and 0.70 in retraction.

Beswick Engineering Co. Inc, 284 Ocean Road, Greenland, NH 03840, (603) 433-1188 www.info.hotims.com/18363-264

Power cords and more in a week

Interpower Corp. says all its manufactured products now ship at a one-week lead time. Over 100,000 parts are in stock and no minimum order is required. Orders can be placed online and paper catalogs are available.

Interpower Corp, Box 115, 100 Interpower Ave, Oskaloosa, IA 52577, (800) 662-2290, www.info.hotims.com/18363-265

Software builds CT images in minutes

AxRecon image reconstruction software is for medical imaging, security, and non-destructive testing. Computed tomography (CT) scanners often takes hours to generate images. The software reduces the needed time to minutes. AxRecon works with existing cone-beam CT scanners and speeds filtered back-projection computations. Medical and commercial users can accelerate data reconstruction and improve images quality without disrupting their workflow. The software combines acceleration libraries with the parallel-processing power of Nvidia Graphic Processing Units.

Acceleware Inc., 1600 - 37^th St SW, Calgary, AB T3C 3P1, Canada, (403) 249-9099, www.info.hotims.com/18363-267

Part inspection without destruction

The Metrotom industrial CT-scanning machine allows for the nondestructive inspection of medical part interiors. The component to be inspected is placed on a platform and then rotated 360° while the machine X-rays the part. Resulting images capture internal as well as external structures. In addition to inspection, the machine works well for damage and porosity analyses.

Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology, Carl-Zeiss-Strasse 22, 73446 Oberkochen, Germany, www.info.hotims.com/18363-266

Fittings for proper torque

Click-N-Seal connection fittings prevent over-tightening to eliminate leaky connections in apparatuses such as intravenous-drip equipment. When the correct torque is reached, the installer can feel and hear a click and the fitting cannot tighten beyond that point. Fittings can thereby be hand tightened without tools or guesswork.

Diba Industries, 4 Precision Rd., Danbury, CT 06810, www.info.hotims.com/18363-268

Kit aligns machines to 0.0001 in.

The Microgage Alignment Kit adjusts boring mills, aligns lathes and turning centers, adjusts barfeeders, and similar medical-device-manufacturing equipment. The device provides information on runout, centerline offset, parallelism, concentricity, and other machine parameters. A round laser attaches to a chuck or to the end of a shaft or spindle, while a dual-axis receiver placed on the tailstock, tool holder, or other piece of equipment receives the laser beam. As the laser and receiver move relative to each other, a digital display provides a precise reading of the alignment and machine's attributes. The device can measure to a precision of 0.0001 in., or better, and the laser allows alignments over distances up to 150 feet. The device operates on batteries. Components are machined of solid anodized aluminum or stainless steel for wear resistance.

Pinpoint Laser Systems Inc., 56 Pulaski Street, Peabody, MA 01960, (800) 757-5383, www.info.hotims.com/18363-269

Software takes scan data to CFD

Software called 3-matic lets users reconstruct and manipulate scanned data, transforming it into a mesh ready for FEA or CFD. Users can also analyze physical objects, such as a bone or device, for which CAD data is unavailable or in which part properties, such as a shape, have changed in manufacturing.

Materialise US, 6111 Jackson Rd., Suite 200, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, (734) 662-5057, www.info.hotims.com/18363-270

UPS protects against outages

The Pulsar uninterruptible power supply (UPS) family is a double-conversion, on-line system for protecting most medical and industrial applications. During a power outage, the Pulsar protects connected equipment for up to five hours with optional external battery modules. For increased continuity, the Pulsar's internal battery can be hot-swapped from the front panel while the UPS remains in the rack. In addition, the Pulsar features a wide input voltage tolerance that lets the UPS accept wide voltage fluctuations. This feature minimizes frequent transfer to batteries, thus saving battery life. To maximize backup time for critical devices connected to the UPS, Powershare technology lets users remotely reboot systems and gracefully turn off less critical equipment.

MGE Office Protection Systems, 13 Whatney, Irvine, CA 92618, (949) 268-2856, www.info.hotims.com/18363-271

Software helps design illumination systems

LightTools illumination design and analysis software has advanced modeling and analysis features that facilitate the design of complex lights, LEDs, and displays. For example, a ray-path feature makes it easy to identify what system elements are contributing to light loss, scatter, unintentional reflections, or ghost images. This is useful designing stray-light sensitive systems. The software also supports accurate modeling of scattering surfaces.

Optical Research Associates, 3280 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91107, (626) 795-9101, www.info.hotims.com/18363-272

Magnetic encoders

Magnetic encoders bring high performance, armored construction, simple mounting system, small size, and low purchase price to applications for motor control, shaft position, and speed measurements on medical equipment. The solid-state On-Axis units feature a Hall sensor ASIC epoxy-embedded inside a rugged metal housing to deliver IP68 sealing, extreme temperature range (-40 to 125C), and superior resistance to shock. Designed for easy integration on electric motors and other shaft-drive devices, the encoder ASIC/metal case can be mounted to motor backs, fit into a cast or machined hole, and simply fastened down with two screws. OnAxis magnetic encoders are available in analog, incremental, and absolute formats with resolutions up to 13 bit (8,192 counts/rev), speeds to over 30,000 rpm, measurement accuracies to 0.5°, and 5V or 24V power supply.

Renishaw Inc., 5277 Trillium Boulevard, Hoffman Estates, IL 60192, (847) 286-9953, www.info.hotims.com/18363-273