Position Measurement & Control - Fall 1995 (FA95)

Position Measurement & Control is published for the customers of SpaceAge Control and the engineering and instrumentation community. Subscriptions are free. To subscribe at no charge, submit a Newsletter Subscription Request.

Contents

• Editor's Note
• SAE Show Highlights
• Series 173 and 174 Give Longer Life and Smoother Operation
• Series 160, 161 & 162 Offer Ultra-High Tension
• More Flexible Mounting for the Series 150
• Application Corner
• Ordering Position Transducers: Expedite!
• Worldwide Service and Support
• Customizing for Your Needs
• Position Transducers in the News

SpaceAge Control participated in the 1995 SAE International Congress & Exposition held in Detroit from February 27 - March 2, 1995. A variety of position transducers were mounted on the anthropomorphic dummies in the First Technology and Vector Research booths. In addition, SpaceAge Control was a co-sponsor of the Dateppli, Inc. instrumentation demonstration in the National Instruments booth.

The booth displays spotlighted the unique crash testing and suspension monitoring capabilities of SpaceAge Control position transducer products.

Please contact us if you would like more information on the use of our products in the automotive, truck, and off-road vehicle industry.

Our continuous product improvement policy has led to the new Series 173 and 174 position transducers that give extended-use and reduced-friction operation. These products, replacements for the Series 171 and 172, have the cable drum and potentiometric wiper mounted on bearings. The only dimensional changes are a 0.1 inch (2.54 mm) width increase (Series 173 and 174) and 0.205 inch (5.21 mm) diameter increase (Series 174 only).

Extending our capabilities for measuring the high velocities and accelerations found in crash testing and other violent motions, we now offer our Series 160, 161, and 162 with ultra-high cable tension. New spring and manufacturing technology create the ability to get up to 10 lbs. of cable tension. This allows cable accelerations in excess of 100 g's and cable velocities exceeding 500 inches per second.

In response to customer requests, we now offer the Series 150 with an optional cable pull location to allow more flexible mounting. Similar to the right-hand cable pull offered on the Series 173 and 174 products, the Series 150 optional cable pull lets you orient the position transducer in the most convenient direction for your application.

To order the Series 150 with optional pull, simply specify "optional pull" on your purchase order. Keep in mind that SpaceAge Control can produce custom mounting bases for the Series 150 if the 2-56 mounting screw holes do not meet your requirements.

The application corner is dedicated to answering your questions about using position transducers in specific applications. If you have an application question you would like answered, please let us know by phone, fax, or mail.

Q. We have a high-speed position measurement application (forging operation) with the speed of the mechanism moving about 12 feet per second. We are measuring 30 inches. Will the position transducer track this movement without cable slack?

A. Yes. There are 3 actions you can take to operate in high-speed and high-acceleration environments:

• Use a high-tension or ultra-high-tension model position transducer that gives a high response. At a speed of 12 feet per second with 30 inches of travel, the high-tension Series 161 or 162 will provide the appropriate tension and range for your needs.
• On Series 160, 161, and 162 models, use a Cable Guide that limits the lateral cable motion often seen in high-speed applications.
• If the high-speed motion is primarily in one direction, install the position transducer so the high-speed motion is occurring when the cable is being extracted from the drum.

In the test, measurement, and control business, fast response to a new requirement or changed schedule is essential. SpaceAge Control is committed to meeting your needs for short delivery times. Over 80% of all orders are shipped within 5 working days of order receipt -- an impressive statistic considering our commitment to meeting your custom product needs.

If you have an order that needs to be expedited, you can help us reduce the delivery time by keeping the following in mind:

• Upon request and depending on our order backlog and stock condition, orders for standard products can be shipped the same or next day.
• Our regular business hours are Monday through Thursday, 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific U.S. time. You may send us a fax, leave a message on our voice mail system, or send us an e-mail message if you need to reach us outside these hours.
• If you are ordering a product that you have ordered before, please provide us with the product's serial number and part number or invoice number. This will allow us to easily duplicate your prior order.
• If you have custom requirements to meet such as unique potentiometers specifications or non-standard cable tension, let us know of your need early. Special potentiometer and spring orders can take 8 weeks or longer to be filled.
• Note on your purchase order if you desire next-day or special delivery.

As our customer base, product line, and industry exposure have increased, so has our worldwide product distribution. To meet the need for local service and support, we now have dedicated representatives in 14 countries outside of North America: Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Korea, Japan, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, and United Kingdom. We will continue to add representatives as our customer base continues to grow.

Please call us for the name and contact information of our international representatives. They can serve as valuable resources in integrating SpaceAge Control with control and data acquisition systems. In addition, their familiarity with local products and measurement standards can save you time and money.

SpaceAge Control products are known for their flexibility and ease of integration. Nevertheless, there are times when you are looking for a position sensing solution to do something a little bit different than what we offer in our standard product line.

If you are confronted with this type of situation, give us a call. We have extensive customization experience and have developed a broad range of OEM and one-of-a-kind products for uses ranging from space vehicle environmental control to drilling equipment monitoring. We can provide a number of specialized product features such as:

• Electrical systems output
• Electrical cabling
• Product housing
• Transducer mounts
• Extended cable travel
• Specific cable tension

Let us know what your unique position measurement or control challenge is. If we cannot help you, we have an extensive database of companies and literature that will allow us to refer you to people who can meet your requirements.

The June 1995 issue of Measurements & Control has several articles on position sensing devices such as potentiometric position transducers, LVDTs, and ultrasonic position sensors. The articles provide a brief overview of the technology involved and give a buyer’s guide of product suppliers.

Measurements & Control can be contacted at 412-343-9666.

ISSN 1527-5108