wiredinUSA April 2012

INDEX

Conductors for overhead lines

Heated fabric using carbon nanotube coated fibers Kuraray Living has developed a heating fabric using CNTEC, a carbon nanotube coated electro-conductive fiber. The fiber was co-developed with Hokkaido University and others. “This product uses conventional technology for the polyester fibers, and carbon nanotubes, a cutting-edge material, as a coating for the fibers. The fibers are woven into a textile, and when electricity is passed through them, they give off heat,” a spokesman revealed. The nanotubes are applied using conventional dye-printing technology, with a carbon nanotube network forming on the surface of every filament in the multi-filament structure. The resulting fabric is thin, lightweight, flexible and soft, and has a high level of washing durability. It recently won an award from the Japanese Ministry of Trade, Economy and Industry. Suggested uses for the fiber include USB-powered tabletop heaters and heated cushions as well as heated car seats and carpets. By taking advantage of the fact that the whole surface heats up uniformly, Kuraray is also developing a waterproof snow-meltingmat. The technology continues to be field-tested by Hokkaido University. New 120 Gbps active optical cable Emcore Corp is sampling a 120 Gbps CXP active optical cable to customers. Designedfor high-performancecomputing and high-end ethernet router and switch applications, the 120 Gbps CXP is the latest in Emcore’s Connects Cables line of high- speed active optical cables.

wire Düsseldorf this year: ENKOnail+ is a new NI02 machine, the first of the ENKOnail+ machines to appear in an upgraded version with release later this year. The upgrade includes features such as the disco variator replaced by a robust and maintenance-free servomotor drive, a new improved system for insertion timing, larger feed rollers with longer life, and exhaust air connections for efficient dust evacuation. The six PLC-controlled ENKOnail+ machines produce up to 2,000 nails per minute. Also on show was a high-speed in-line nail manufacturing line with an ENKOnail+NH01 nail machine for manufacturing short nails of 1.8–2.87mm diameter and 32–65mm length. The machine on display was set up with the ENKOroll thread-rolling machine, type TA01, designed for making screw shank or annular nail profiles with a production speed of up to 2,500 nails per minute.

Emcore’s 120-Gbps CXP active optical cable is a high-density, low-weight, edge-mounted, bidirectional interconnect that can reach up to 100m with what the company describes as an “exceptionally low” bit-error rate. This equates to significantly less performance degradation over longer distances, compared to traditional copper cables. The CXP active optical cable is also over 60 percent lighter, with a bend radius said to be 70 percent less than 26-AWG copper cables. The combination of lower weight, smaller bend radius, and the flexibility of the cable make it easier to install, maintain, and repair cluster cabling without straining server connectors, or affecting neighboring cables, the company says. The Emcore CXP active optical cable is hot-pluggable and fully compliant with the CXP multi-source agreement (MSA) and RoHS 6/6. “Our 40-Gbps Quad Data Rate (QDR) cables are currently deployed in two of the top five supercomputers in the world,” commented Jaime Reloj, Emcore’s vice president of business development. “By leveraging our next-generation vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL) and photodetectors, we will continue to advance the technology for high-performance computing applications.” Software for metal forming Metal Forming Systems develops and supplies process design and finite element analysis (FEA) simulation software for the metal forming industry. The company’s software products include ‘Nagform’ for the design of forming sequence and ‘Nagsim.2D / Nagsim.3D’ for the simulation of forging processes by the finite element method.

Greenpas cables , manufactured by Tele-Fonika Kable, feature a three-layer insulation structure. The core wire is a conductor of an alloy of Al-Mg-Si, sealed with a special swelling powder serving as a barrier to prevent longitudinal migration of moisture. A semi- conducting layer is responsible for the uniform distribution of the electric field. A further insulating layer is a thermoplastic polyethylene LDPE. The outer casing is made of thermoplastic HDPE, immunized to UV radiation and weathering. The use of thermoplastic polyethylene enables full recycling of the materials after use. Compared to traditional PAS wires (with one layer of insulation) Greenpas cables are characterized by higher insulation resistance and insulation resistance to partial discharges and sliding discharges. The wires are more robust than PAS wires, and provide a longer period of safe operation. Enkotec on show Enkotec demonstrated three nail manufacturing lines at its booth at

Finally, the ENKOnail machine, type MI01, for the production of nails of 2.3–3.8mm diameter and 50–90mm length at a speed of 1,000 nails per minute. The MI01 model, intended for small and midsize capacity needs, features a more mechanical adjustment set-up than the high-capacity ENKOnail+ series.

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wiredInUSA - April 2012

wiredInUSA - April 2012

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