TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION ADVERTORIAL
Smiths Interconnect flies high on F-35 aircraft
Working with principal partners to deliver safety, reliability, and performance
that will generate stable future revenue for the businesses. The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II (previously known as Joint Strike Fighter/JSF) programme falls into this category, dating back to the late 1990s when the need for a 5th Generation aircraft began to evolve. The F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-
A
engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that represent a quantum leap in air dominance capabilities. It is the first 5th generation multi role aircraft to reach service, offering significant updates over previous generation jets. Intended to perform superior air dominance, F-35 are also able to provide electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Integration and interoperability between allies have also been a key driver in the technology development. Smiths Interconnect has been involved in the programme
for more than 20 years, supplying hundreds of different interconnect devices including high reliability technologies, from RF components and high-speed/power/density/filtered connectors to integrated microwave assemblies. “We proudly supply different connectivity solutions to
different customers that are destined for use in the F-35 aircraft,” said Paul Harris, President at Smiths Interconnect. “Our products and technologies are renowned to ensure the performance, reliability, safety and productivity that are paramount in this most advanced multi-role fighter in the world”.
Smiths Interconnect u
www.smithsinterconnect.com
ll military programmes are valuable contracts to secure as they are typically long-term commitments
Ocean research vessel samples success with ABB active heave winch control technology
winch control provides University of Hawai‘i Marine Center scientists with a safe, efficient and reliable way of deploying water sampling equipment at depths up to 5,000 meters in even the roughest sea conditions.
H
ABB ACS880 drive with Integral AHC ABB supplied the ACS880 winch drive to Hawboldt Industries, the Canadian company that specialises in the custom design and manufacture of deck equipment for ocean science vessels. According to Dylan Wells, General Manager of Hawboldt Industries, AHC is essential in UH’s CTD operations, minimising cable tension spikes, and allowing the package to take samples safely and reliably. It’s especially critical in rough conditions when waves can be as high as four meters and there are significant vessel roll, pitch, and heave motions. The AHC also allows for a faster yet more controlled deployment by keeping a more consistent cable tension and
thereby eliminating slack conditions as well as the tension spikes. A slack cable can get hockled (tied in knots) which can result in major damage requiring replacement of the long cable, meaning high costs for replacement equipment and lost ship time. “A winch drive is an integral element in our equipment and the ABB ACS880 drive is unique because it comes
with AHC functionality built in as firmware,” said Wells. “Therefore, we didn’t need to change the system architecture or deal with the cost and complexity of installing an external, third-party AHC control system. With the ABB drive all we needed to do was to connect it to the MRU and switch it on.”
ABB u
www.new.abb.com/drives/segments/winches
awboldt Industries has installed an ABB winch drive with unique inbuilt active heave compensation (AHC) software at the heart of a new winch and offshore crane for the Research Vessel Kilo Moana. The enhanced
BoroCIS: World innovation
New hydrogen sensor improves detection of small leaks A
new gas sensor and hand probe for leak detection in the manufacturing industry have been developed by INFICON. With improved performance, the detection of small leaks is now significantly easier. The new StrixTM sensor and hand probe connect to the INFICON Sentrac Hydrogen Leak Detector, making it the
Sentrac Strix Edition. Designed for use with hydrogen tracer gas, the instrument enables easy leak detection in applications where the acceptable leakage rate is measured, for example, by the refrigeration industry in grams per year. The new sensor helps detect any presence of gas quickly. With significantly improved response and recovery
times, it enables the operator to pinpoint leaks even in demanding environments. As well as helping operators find very small leaks efficiently, the sensor will also assist users to locate leaks of widely varying sizes, from the extremely small to the very large. The dynamic operating range covers 10 decades of leak sizes. This improved performance has been achieved with the development of the new proprietary Strix sensor, where
new features, combined with advanced signal processing, have resulted in easier locating of leaks, covering a wide range of sizes.
Easy detection The Sentrac Strix Edition hydrogen leak detector uses non-flammable forming gas, containing 5% hydrogen and 95% nitrogen, as a tracer gas to find leaks. Diluted hydrogen in this mix is readily available in most countries as a standard shielding gas for welding, at a lower cost than helium. With forming gas injected into the product, such as a refrigerant circuit, the operator follows the outline of the
product with the probe, detecting any escaping gas. INFICON
u +46 13 355 920 u
mikael.ekstrom@inficon.com
CONNECTINGINDUSTRY.COM/DESIGNSOLUTIONS
from Tichawa Vision makes automated tube inside inspection real!
T
ichawa Vision GmbH now offers the worldwide unique BoroCIS for internal inspection and optical quality control
of the interior of tubes, pipes and bores. The industrial contact image sensor (CIS) scanner enables a distortion-free 360° internal view of tubes, round or angular pipes and profiles made of laminate, plastic, metal and glass with diameters ranging from 10 to 80 mm. With an immersion depth of up to 250 mm, the BoroCIS detects defective seams, paint defects, chips or bubbles. In tubes, it ensures imaging down to the tube bottom, optionally even including the tube bottom. Up to ten tubes per second may be 100% inspected directly in the production line. Manufacturers protect themselves from complaints and liability cases due to defective products with fast amortisation.
Tichawa Vision GmbH u +49 - (0)821 - 455 553 0 u
sales@tichawa.de u
www.tichawa.de
DESIGN SOLUTIONS | MARCH 2021 37
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
