Feature Military, aerospace & defence
Review: DSEI 2013 W
hen it took place in September, DSEI 2013 featured 1500 exhibitors, and over 30,000 visitors from 120 countries attended to see the latest equipment, technologies and systems from the global defence and security industries. This
year, there were specialised air, naval, land, security, medical and unmanned zones, live waterborne and unmanned system demonstra- tions, and static vehicle displays.
A wide range of products were also on display, including many from companies well known to Design Solutions readers. One such company was Pentair, which displayed its Schroff Titan COTS system, designed for rugged applications within the mobile aerospace and defence industry. This 19” VME64x system is mechanically based on the Schroff EuropacPRO type R subrack and can withstand shock loadings up to 25g and vibrations up to 3g.
The 9U high system is fitted with a 12-slot VME64x backplane with rear I/O as standard. It is, however, possible to modify the design by inte- grating backplanes with different numbers of slots or other technologies such as VPX, VXS, CompactPCI, etc. Forced air cooling from front to rear is achieved using a variable speed, temperature-controlled cooling fan. The system complies with IEC and IEEE specifications, as well as the MIL-STD-810F (shock resistance 10g; 30ms), MIL-STD-167 (vibration resistance) and MIL-STD- 461 (EMC compliance) standards. Another exhibitor this year was Molex Incorporated, which has launched a line of microwave cable assemblies that utilises its Temp-Flex air-dielectric ultra-low-loss flexible microwave coaxial cables featuring a patented dual monofilament air-enhanced design and a helically wrapped shield. The Temp-Flex coaxial cables achieve 85-88% velocity of propagation (VOP) for increased signal speed. The company developed Temp-Flex air-dielectric ultra-low-loss flexible microwave coaxial cables for device manufacturers specify- ing microwave coaxial cables in high frequency aerospace, defence and commercial applications, including radar, military vehicles, satellites, space, missile, radio frequency (RF) ablation, test and measurement equipment. Micro-Epsilon, meanwhile, presented a range of measurement products suitable for military, defence and security applications. These included the company’s new Embedded Coil Technology (ECT) for non-contact eddy current sensors, a range of non-contact thermal imagers, temperature sensors, as well as laser displace- ment sensors, confocal, capaci- tive, time-of-flight, draw wire and colour recognition sensors. For those involved in
Micro-Epsilon showed a range of products
vehicle/aircraft R&D and test programmes (RD&T), Micro-Epsilon offers a wide range of high precision, non-contact measurement sensors and systems – many of these are miniature, high performance sensors that also offer the latest digital communications/fieldbus network interfaces, intelligent integrated software and closed loop control. As a proven supplier to the military/defence sector, Micro-Epsilon’s products can be found in a number of military RD&T applications, including non-contact sensors for: optical missile testing systems; measuring small temperature differences on aircraft/vehicle braking systems/rotor blades; measuring vibration/load on aircraft wings; aircraft steering systems and landing gear; and miniature lightweight thermal imaging cameras for UAVs. Gaia Converter displayed an extensive range of power conversion and other related products specifically designed for demanding military and aerospace applications. The company offers DC/DC converters ranging from 4W to 200W and AC/DC power conversion modules for applica- tions spanning 35W to 350W. Also on display was the HUGD-300, a new front-end hold-up module targeting avionic and military applications which can handle up to 300W and is designed for applications that need to meet power hold up requirements in their designs.
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September’s DSEI exhibition featured many companies familiar to Design Solutions readers, displaying a wide range of components and technologies suitable for the defence and security sectors
Amphenol black zinc nickel connectors
Among the products on Euroquartz’s stand were a wide range of high reliability crystal and oscillator products. The company’s well established EQXO-2000BM range of oscillators offers customers the security of full MIL screening when required where their ability to oper- ate at high temperatures indefinitely has ensured the parts have been a popular choice for aerospace, upper atmosphere and space applications. For equipment used in space or the upper atmosphere, the EQXO- 2000BM series oscillators can be produced in radiation tolerant versions. Designated EQXO-2000BMH, these parts are designed to withstand ionising radiation, enabling the oscillators to resist electrical failures for a total radiation dose of 40krad (SI). Products on show by Sabtech included: The second generation PowerNet family of NTDS to Ethernet converters which has been expanded to include an ATDS version to convert MIL-STD-188-2-3-1A, Appendix D2 interfaces to Ethernet; the Falcon 1553 Board Family –MIL-STD-1553B boards which provide versatile single or dual-redun- dant channels in a compact, yet robust form factor for PMC, PCIe, PCI, cPCI and VME; and the Sparrow ATDS Serial Board for AMC. Amphenol provides a RoHS compliant black zinc nickel plating finish and has also announced MIL-DTL-38999, Series III, Class Z Approval for this – the first UK connector manufac- turer to achieve this success, it claims. At DSEI, the company displayed its new plating interconnection alternatives to Cadmium. Black Zinc Nickel plating is now offered on a wide variety of connectors and accessories including proprietary MIL-DTL-38999 and MIL-C- 26482. This conductive and non-reflective finish is approved for 500hrs salt spray endurance and is fast becoming the new defence industry standard.
igus UK used the event to showcase its high performance triboplastic bearings, energy chains and cables, with live demonstrations taking place on its stand. Products on display included the iglidur high- performance polymer bearings which are lubricant and maintenance-free. Providing excellent friction and wear values, these are resistant to dirt, water, chemicals and extreme temperature, making them the ideal choice for military applications. The insensi- tivity to dirt and ruggedness of the iglidur PRT slewing ring bearings (see image, right), for example, can be complemented with stainless steel head rings, meaning reliability over a long service life. The company also showed energy chains, which are being widely adopted in military applications, and the chainflex cables, which are capable of withstanding military conditions. Another exhibitor this year was TDK Corporation, which announced that 600W models have been added to its Z+ Series of programmable DC power supplies. The Z+600 range is ideally suited for ATE and OEM 2U rack mounted or integrated applications such as test & measurement, semiconductor burn-in, component test, laser diode, heater supplies, RF amplifiers and electromagnets. Models in the range are available with output voltages up to 100V DC and output currents up to 60A. TTI, meanwhile, displayed products including the M24308 connector – sometimes termed MIL-DTL-24308 and formerly known as MIL-C-24308 and MIL-PRF-24308. Despite being small and light, these are capable of withstanding the demanding environments experienced by electronic systems used in military applications. The connectors are available in many different styles and formats with a variety of options in regard to their mounting, contacts and type. These are designed to operate between -55 +125˚C.
www.dsei.co.uk OCTOBER 2013 Design Solutions
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