RX E-Tubes repel chips and feature easy-to-open lids for quick access

igus has reached a new milestone in the energy chains sector with the introduction of the fully-enclosed RX energy tubes. On display in the UK for the first time during this year's MACH Show, which runs from 7^th to 11^th June at the NEC, the igus RX range features smooth, domed outer contours for maximum protection against debris and chips accumulation, as well as dust, dirt, oil, high humidity levels and temperature extremes. The covered pin/bore connections and stop dogs are concealed on the inside of the E-Tube to further protect against chip penetration.

About the RX energy tube range, Justin Leonard of igus UK says: "All chips, whether coarse or tiny, fall off so that the cables and hoses within are almost one hundred percent protected". The RX E-Tube is particularly well-suited to short, self-supporting lengths such as those found inside machine tools. (Refer to picture on the right).

Despite its impermeability, the RX E-Tube is easy to open and includes an inner separation system that has been optimised to reduce abrasion on the cables to a minimum. The original RX40 has a large interior height of 52mm, and the enlarged range now includes the RX48 (62mm inner height) and RX56 (73mm inner height). The tubes lids are opened in the outer radius using a flat screwdriver and turning the clip locks anti-clockwise by 180 degrees. The separation system has three vertical separators and a horizontal shelf for the safe and separate routing of cables and hoses. Since the cables remain accessible at all times with the RX E-Tubes, maintenance and machine downtimes are kept to a minimum. 

Custom solutions are also available to satisfy small reverse bending radius and high temperature conditions. Made of special igumid HT material, the high temperature option ensures that even red-hot chips, up to 850 °C, fall off without damage to the E-Tube.

The RX E-Tubes can be delivered directly to the machine as "ReadyChains", assembled to size and fitted with cables and hoses, suitable connectors and even including a new guide rail. Says Leonard: "With the help of pre-harnessed, ready-to-fit energy supply systems, assembly times decrease and storage costs drop considerably."

The RX40 E-Tubes have also won the "IF Product Design Award 2010", which was presented at this year's Hanover Fair. Jurors of the International Forum Design Award, which is recognised as a label for good design, selected igus after assessing 2,486 products from 38 countries. As a world leader in the design and manufacture of closed plastic energy tubes, Leonard adds: "Our award-winning RX model has broken the mould in E-Tube design and tops available impermeable standards."

igus will be exhibiting at MACH in hall 5, stand number 5679, where examples of igus RX40 and ReadyChains will be on display. Fully qualified igus engineers will be on hand to discuss energy chain and polymer bearing requirements, as well as demonstrating the latest products from igus.

For further information, call igus UK directly on 01604 677240 or view website: www.igus.co.uk  Refer to page 23

SolarSpec junction box and cable
assemblies lower automated assembly costs

Molex Incorporated has released the SolarSpec™ Junction Box and Cable Assemblies designed for installation on the back of mono- and polycrystalline photovoltaic (PV) solar modules. These products provide the interface between the conductor ribbons on the panel and the DC I/O cables.  Molex SolarSpec solutions are specifically designed for applications in the solar and renewable energy industry.

"Tremendous growth within the solar-power market is fuelling competition in the manufacture of PV solar panels. The automated fabrication of PV modules improves efficiencies, product integrity and reduces production overhead," states Peter Commane, product manager Molex Incorporated. "By utilising automated production lines, assembly time of a junction box to a PV panel can be reduced considerably. The SolarSpec Junction Box from Molex is specially designed for pick-and-place panel assembly."

Molex Incorporated has released the SolarSpec™ Junction Box and Cable Assemblies.

The SolarSpec Junction Box features spring terminals connecting the base directly to the PV ribbon conductors, without need for retention clamps or clips. Optional patented Solder Charge™ Technology facilitates high-speed assembly and eliminates the need for hand-soldering of the ribbon, significantly reducing any process variation. Optional double-sided tape removes the need for curing time for silicone when attaching the connector base to a module.
 
The compact dimensional profile can supply current ratings comparable to traditional larger products. The SolarSpec Junction Box assembly is supplied with two removable DC cables available in dual-qualified (TÜV and UL) or single-qualified (TÜV) options. The junction box contains bypass diodes to protect the PV panel from reverse current during hours of darkness, shade or when covered by leaves or other debris. The junction box assembly houses the diodes and DC cable in the removable top cover of the housing to facilitate ease of field repair or replacement in the event of damage or wear. The top cover and base module are secured together with a locking mechanism to prevent accidental exposure of high-voltage contacts.

The SolarSpec Junction Box is manufactured in ISO certified production plants. The Molex SolarSpec designation ensures the unique requirements of solar applications are being addressed through the use of proven technology, solar-compliant materials and unmatched reliability in rugged environments. The SolarSpec Junction Box is the latest addition in a developing range of Molex connectors  and cables assemblies for solar applications.

For more information, view website: www.molex.com/link/solarjunctionbox.html   Refer to page 17

Microscan, a global technology leader for track, trace and control solutions, announces the availability of Visionscape® 4.1. Microscan's Visionscape® is a completely scalable, single-software package that can be used on machine vision boards, GigE solutions, and smart cameras.

Visionscape®'s comprehensive machine vision toolset includes blob analysis, OCR, OCV, barcode, vector and edge algorithms, plus the industry leading pattern-matching tool, Intellifind.   

Visionscape® 4.1 brings additional tools such as color matching and color segmentation. Color matching can be used in high speed applications such as sorting parts, and color segmentation enables other tools to be applied in a specific color plane. The upgrade also includes flexibility in creating custom user interfaces via VB.net and C#. Additionally, the expanded platform support of Visionscape® 4.1 allows users to choose from a wide range of third party GigE cameras.

"It is very unique what we have in Visionscape® because no other providers combine the breadth of tools and flexibility of scripting and interfaces in a single software package with the scalability of functioning both on PCs or smart cameras," states Bruce Scharf, Microscan VP of Engineering. "We are committed to continuing our investment in this industry-leading machine vision platform with our customers needs in mind."

Visionscape®'s graphical programming environment for rapid development of sophisticated machine vision applications does not require software coding skills. Machine vision jobs developed for a smart camera platform can directly be transferred to a PC-based solution without reprogramming.

"One challenge facing integration partners today is the lack of scalability or availability from various vendors. Many vendors have different software platforms for different hardware options," notes Matt Van Bogart, Microscan Channel Manager. "Microscan is the only vendor to provide a single comprehensive machine vision solution including NERLITE® lighting, cameras, and software. Basically, with Microscan you get all of the hardware needed, and with Visionscape® you don't need to learn multiple software programs to support your customers."

Microscan in profile
Microscan is a global leader in technology for precision data acquisition and control solutions serving a wide range of automation and OEM applications. Founded in 1982, Microscan has a strong history of technology innovation that includes the invention of the first laser diode barcode scanner and the 2D symbology, Data Matrix. Today, Microscan remains a technology leader in automatic identification and machine vision with extensive solutions for ID tracking, traceability and inspection ranging from basic barcode reading up to complex machine vision inspection, identification, and measurement.

As an ISO 9001:2008 certified company recognized for quality leadership in the U.S., Microscan is known and trusted by customers worldwide as a provider of quality, high precision products. Microscan is a Spectris company.

For further information on Microscan's Visionscape®, view website: www.microscan.com or e-mail: hoffman@microscan.com   Refer to page 128

CC-Link-compatible cable for energy chains from igus

Energy and data supply expert igus has now added a bus cable for the CC-Link industrial serial field bus system into its range. The data transmission properties of the Chainflex CFBUS.035 cable correspond to the CC-Link specification and have been tested and approved by the global coordinating office, CC-Links Partners Association (CLPA) in Japan. This now means igus can supply dynamically flexible bus cables for all standard field bus system, including Profibus, Interbus, CAN-bus, Device Net, Profinet and Ethernet, ex stock.

The 3-wire shielded bus cable has been developed to meet the highly dynamic conditions found in energy chain applications, by careful design of cable structure and materials used. The combination of the abrasion-proof thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) outer jacket, a gusset-filled extruded inner jacket and an optimised short pitch length, ensure millions and millions of bending cycles are possible in energy chain systems, from 85mm bend radius (10xd). With an outer diameter of 8.5mm and conforming to DESINA* cable colour coding, the cable is available either as basic cable or pre-fitted with any standard industrial connector required.

Chainflex CFBUS.035 CC-Link-compatible bus cable from igus UK, for highly dynamic applications such as in energy chains.

For further information about the new Chainflex CFBUS.035 CC-Link-compatible bus cable, call igus UK directly on 01604 677240 or view website: www.igus.co.uk 

*DESINA is an abbreviation for DistributEd and Standardised INstAllation technology for machine tools and manufacturing systems. For further information, view website: www.desina.eu   Refer to page 23