Industrial Factory Automation

RS Components has introduced Ecowire, Alpha Wire 's new environmentally friendly hook-up wire. Ecowire achieves expanded functionality over standard PVC-based hook-up wire with insulation that is fully recyclable. Using a modified polyphenylene ether (mPPE) thermoplastic that is inherently lighter, tougher and more durable than PVC, Ecowire is non-halogenic and does not contain any heavy metal pigments. The result is UL-approved AWM wire that helps manufacturers meet Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) requirements. While PVC insulation is currently a mainstay of the wire and cable industry because of its mechanical and electrical properties and low cost, it presents environmental concerns. PVC is a halogen-containing material that emits toxic gases, toxic smoke and toxic acids when burned that are hazardous to health and equipment. Newer materials, principally low-smoke, zero-halogen (LSZH) plastics, emit no dangerous gases or smoke when burned. The drawback to LSZH i...

William Hughes is using new methods in rapid prototyping for bent wire forms and assemblies, lowering costs and lead times in the process. With prototype quantities of 10-200 in increasing demand, the use of traditional metal jigs featuring go/no-go checks is often prohibitive as they can take four to six weeks to design and manufacture, with costs as high as GBP3,000. While simple 2D wire forms can often be checked visually against a printed CAD drawing, the industry has long sought a way of effectively checking 3D bent wire forms and assemblies without the lead times and costs associated with conventional metal fixtures. To meet these needs, William Hughes is using specially designed and manufactured MDF gauges. These can typically be produced in a matter of days and cost around a tenth of the figure - GBP300 - commanded by their metal counterparts. With CAD/CAM capability available at William Hughes in the form of CATIA V5 R19, customers requiring rapid prototypes need only send a C...