Use of miniature motion sensors is soaring, with tiny devices doing everything from deploying air bags to detecting cell phone orientation. Whether they measure displacement, acceleration, pressure, or other physical changes, most rely on mechanical iterations of micromachined parts — which require high-tech, high-expense microfabrication. Now, MIT has unveiled the prototype for a possible new class of simpler, cheaper microsensors. Their experimental sensor consists of a tiny metal bead suspended in "a hole drilled in a circuit board." By determining the disturbances in the bead's orbit, a single unit can detect six dimensions of motion — three linear and three orientations.

GlobalSpec is seeking proposals from industry experts interested in participating in its December 8, 2010 or June 8, 2011 Motion Control online conference and trade show events. Open to GlobalSpec's 5 million registered users, this event will examine trends, technologies, and applications in the field of Motion Control. Speaking opportunities provide an opportunity for you and your company to participate in a high-quality, engaging production that will help increase brand awareness and influence key decision-makers. Learn more or submit your proposal today. Deadline for the December 2010 event is July 1, 2010.

FMB flat mount rotary bearing table best used where precision and height are critical. Integral mounting holes allow for easy attachment and compactness of the overall assembly. Very low torque (rotary motion resistance) via low friction PTFE filled ball separation element providing high performance in as small a package as possible.

C100 is the newest encoder designed for continuous operation even in demanding fields of application such as windgenerators and steel mills. The unit features a salt-water resistant housing and electrically insulated shaft. Lika's proven output circuit grants safe signal transmission even over long distances.

PI's innovative 6-axis hexapod robotics and piezo ceramic motors replace classical actuators and multiaxis positioners in applications from machine design to medical and pharmaceutical.

Advantages: smaller, more precise. Options: sterile, nonmagnetic, vacuum compatible. Zero-wear flexure designs and fast ultrasonic actuators available.

Applications: precision alignment, fast valves, microdispensing, optics, and semiconductor. Download catalogs.

Nook Modular Linear Actuators are flexible positioning systems made of self-supporting and wear resistant aluminum profiles. Modular linear actuators can be used as a single-axis solution or assembled for a multitude of gantry XY and XYZ positioning duties including inspection, pick-and-place, assembly, or dispensing applications.

Linear variable differential transformers (LVDTs) have changed little over the years. Yet they perform dramatically better due to embedded electronics, onboard signal processing, and computer-layered windings. More compact, LVDTs now compete with magnetostrictive sensors for short-stroke applications, and they're still favored for hostile environments, including underwater or under radiation.

A new series of exposed linear encoders, optimized for service on fast, precise machines, raises the bar for control and positioning accuracy. The EnDat 2.2 serial interface provides real-time data for absolute track, incremental track, and position value calculations. Extreme tolerance to contamination translates to improved reliability in diverse applications.

The challenge: smaller motion systems squeeze design space. The good news: the array of down-sized components is increasing, including this new XY stage. Specifically designed for confined space, the unit's two actuators run parallel to minimize overall footprint. The result: a stage measuring 90 mm wide and 38 mm high.

High torsional stiffness. Low inertia. Lightweight construction. Anything that can help reduce cycle times. These characteristics ranked high when engineers were asked to create their wish list for shaft couplings. And this manufacturer tried to deliver them when introducing their new aluminum single and double flex couplings for servo motors.

If you find this subject interesting, subscribe to the GlobalSpec e-Newsletter, DirectU2 The world of Mechanical Power Transmission.

Steinmeyer's line of miniature screws now includes 7 diameters from an incredibly tiny 3 mm up to 16 mm. Other standard diameters are 5, 6, 8, 10, and 12 mm. All screws are equipped with ground ball nuts and available with or without preload.

Gurley introduces its new compact, modular encoder designed for superior performance. Based on Gurley's patented Virtual Absolute technology, the model 7700 provides absolute positioning and high performance at a low price. The model 7700 is easy-to-install and available at up to 19-bits of resolution (524,288 words/turn).

Today's CPUs manage more than ever, but they also need more power to do it. This new multiphase synchronous controller can be stacked to control up to 12 interleaved power stages, creating a single high-power output — up to 300 amps. One of six chips serves as master, ensuring even current sharing.

Some components are designed for rugged service; others for downright extreme environments. It's a bonus when components stand up to military grade right off-the-shelf, like these servo motor controllers. Extreme operation features include high-grade connectors, active inrush limiters, and an aluminum case, machined and sealed for IP67 (submersion to 1 m).

With open architecture use expanding, engineers seek drive platforms that interface with multiple Ethernet protocols. That communication flexibility is sometimes missing from low-cost, low-power units, but not from these servo amplifiers (50 W to 3.5 kW). Models set up easily even to third-party PLCs, and support SERCOS III, ProfiNet I/O, EtherNet/IP, and EtherCat.

A medical equipment maker needed superior speed and reliability in a quiet system for transporting delicate biological samples. They turned to this linear motion supplier, which in turn relied upon three anodized aluminum actuators driven by steel reinforced timing belts to create fast acceleration for the XYZ gantry system.

Available at Digi-Key, Crydom's 53 series of panel mounted AC output three-phase SSR contactors include models that feature IP20 touch safe covers with load current ratings of 25 A or 50 A per channel at 530 VAC. Designed for harsh environments, the series is available with either AC or DC input control voltages. Product announcement.

Everight Sensors serves automated equipment and component OEMs and large end users requiring specifically designed LVDT, RVDT, LVIT, RVIT, and Nyce Wave™ based sensor devices to provide linear and angular position information to data acquisition and control systems.

Learn more about Everight Precision Technologies Corporation.

Career advancements can sometimes come down to continuing education or punching up your credentials. A certification in mechatronics for packaging engineers is among the newest credentials you can seek. Success will testify to your prowess in 24 areas of mechanical, electrical, and control engineering skills — as they apply to packaging. The series of online tests offered by the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute will provide a quantifiable method for evaluating your knowledge base.

For more on this subject, subscribe to GlobalSpec's e-Newsletter, DirectU2 The world of Packaging & Labeling.

If the big bad wolf, or hurricane force wind, is puffing, this straw house is ready. A Bath University, UK, program aimed at developing sustainable building materials recently tested a structure built of straw bales. The low-carbon panels withstood winds to 120 mph and humidity, while also exhibiting high insulating properties.

Online University

Online degrees are beginning to outnumber traditional classroom-earned educations. As hiring manager or student, what's been your experience? Are Internet engineers on par with those from brick-and-mortar schools?