The advent of laboratory automation systems has made a significant impact on clinical diagnostics, drug discovery, food and agricultural research, and forensics.
A few years ago, Brian Gattman, senior mechanical engineer at Fluke Corp., faced a big problem when designing the company’s new handheld TI400 thermal imaging camera. The off-the-shelf bearings he wanted to use in it were too big and had a too-high coefficient of friction. By working closely with the supplier, however, he was able to have the bearings custom made to meet both design specifications.
Aircraft manufacturing has changed significantly in recent years. Instead of being assembled in one spot, most aircraft today are built on moving assembly lines similar to those used by automakers. Despite this evolution, however, many aerospace manufacturers still rely on hydraulic jacks, tuggers or overhead cranes to move aircraft through the various manufacturing stages.
You are up against extreme space limitations with little room for fitting an air cylinder into your current design project. Here’s a few questions and pictures to help point the way to your solution.
Rotary indexing table use is widespread in automated assembly machinery and selecting the proper mechanism is essential for both maximizing performance and minimizing the cost of this critical component.