New Zwick high-precision spring-testing instrument

The increasing use of powerful miniaturized mechanical and electromechanical units is influencing product development in many sectors, including the automobile industry and medical technology. Springs used for these applications are also becoming ever smaller, but must still deliver precision and reliability, placing greater demands on testing technology. To meet this challenge, Zwick has developed a new high-precision spring-testing instrument featuring fast, easy operation. This hand-operated spring tester records spring compression stress-strain characteristics in full, with no need to stop at the measuring points. Load and deflection are recorded synchronously.

Intensive development work has created a concept which guarantees highly accurate test results. One important factor in this is mechanical compensation of load cell deformation, ensuring maximum precision in deflection measurement under load (resolution 0.12 µm). The reference line of the deflection measuring system lies along the same axis as the spring length being measured. That practically eliminates the length measurement error.

Other important factors in providing highly accurate measurement are the extremely stiff load frame and load application aligned to the specimen centerline, resulting in minimal elasticity through the entire test arrangement.

Integrated mechanical overload protection of the load cell provides reliable damage prevention, avoiding tester downtime and load cell replacement and calibration costs.

The machine possesses three adjustable mechanical limit switch stops for starting position, pre-stress length and minimum permissible test length.

The new spring tester is suitable for production line use and in design and development, while standard interfaces enable connection of additional measuring equipment such as dimensional measuring devices.

The addition of the proven testXpert^® II testing software to the manually-operated spring tester produces an ideal package for testing small springs and ensures simple, quick, safe and reliable testing.

The testXpert^® II Test Program is ideally adapted to the requirements of spring testing. Contents include integrated histogram and statistics functions, pre-defined specific results, online graph and test result recording plus optional Statistical Process Control (SPC) functions, while flexible, efficient interfaces allow testXpert^® II to communicate with an organization's IT infrastructure.

Zwick Roell Group in profile
Zwick Roell Group customers benefit from more than 150 years of experience in the manufacturing of high quality testing systems.  Zwick is the global leader in static testing and is experiencing significant growth with its dynamic test systems.  A financially strong and family run business, its innovative product developments, diverse product range, and global support provide tailored solutions targeted specifically at the needs of both Research and Development and Quality Assurance customers.  Serving more than 20 industry sectors with 960 employees, via manufacturing facilities in Germany, regional headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, USA and Singapore, as well as offices in 56 countries worldwide, the brand name Zwick is a guarantee of the highest quality and support.

For further information, view website: www.zwick.com   Refer to page 50

The Moog servomotor-driven servo-proportional valve

Moog's Industrial Group, a division of Moog Inc. (NYSE: MOG.A), designs and manufactures high performance motion control solutions combining electric, hydraulic and hybrid technologies. The company is a leader in providing high performance motion control to the industrial market. Today, Moog announced a new actuation concept that makes its Servomotor-driven Servo-Proportional Valves exceed current performances.

Although hydraulic servo- and proportional valves currently available on the market have supported numerous applications in a variety of industries for years, some applications didn't further develop. They lacked a valve that could perform to their specific requirements. Moog has developed an actuation concept that enables the Servomotor-driven Servo-Proportional Valve to reach an unprecedented level of dynamics combining very high flow and high frequency bandwidth. It is particularly recommended for high performance applications such as test systems, die casting machinery and steel production.

With more than half a century of experience designing, manufacturing, and supporting hydraulic technology and a few decades of experience with electric solutions, Moog is globally recognised as a motion control expert. As customers keep increasing technology expectations, Moog continues to respond to difficult motion control challenges with designs and products that meet customer expectations and help them push the boundaries of their own applications.

"This is a great opportunity for us to demonstrate our expertise in applying a new concept to existing technology in a way that matches the needs of our industrial customers. Applications such as testing, and die casting using high frequencies and high amplitudes can now reach the higher dynamics they require to perform. High frequency, flow rates and pressure levels can now be combined as never before, opening up new actuation possibilities. We look forward to developing the new valve more extensively with our customers to create new applications based on dynamic closed-loop pressure or force and acceleration control. We can reach impressive dynamic characteristics such as a step response time of 2.5 ms, a phase lag of 45 degree at 150 Hz and +/- 90% amplitude with a maximum flow of 600l/min.

The innovative concept is based on an optimized Moog Servo motor directly actuating the valve spool. This integrated design ensures that the valve response is independent from the supply and control pressure so it optimizes energy and offers high dynamics with a minimum heat," said Sherif El Henaoui, Marketing Manager Europe, Moog.

For further information view website: www.moog.com/industrial

Dissolved ammonia monitor from Analytical Technology
enables continuous measurement of ammonia in river water

Specialist electrochemical sensor manufacturer Analytical Technology announces that its Q45N Dissolved Ammonia Monitor, (pictured on the right), achieves continuous, on-line monitoring of ammonia levels in raw water from rivers. Continuous monitoring of ammonia in river water is important for plant operations and environmental agencies. Analytical Technology's dissolved ammonia monitor enables organisations to effectively measure the levels of ammonia in river water.

River water quality is assessed by the Environment Agency through the General Quality Assessment (GQA) scheme and it is essential that potentially harmful chemicals in river water are controlled. Ammonia is an important nutrient for plants and algae that reside in river water. However, when river temperatures change, ionized ammonia changes to un-ionized ammonia gas. This can be fatal to fish and other water organisms in the river, therefore it is important that ammonia levels are continuously monitored.

Water quality is also important for water treatment plants using river water as the water source.  High ammonia levels in the inlet water cause major problems in the disinfection process. By successfully measuring the ammonia content in river water at inlets to water treatment plants, organisations are able to protect the inlet supply. In some applications, when ammonia levels hit unacceptably high levels the inlet can be closed.

Current ammonia monitoring technology is expensive and complex, using ion selective electrodes and costly reagents, which are toxic and difficult to dispose of. These monitors are also non specific and require continuous calibration in order to suit different needs such as wastewater treatment, potable water treatment and measuring levels of ammonia in river water. Ion selective electrodes typically need daily zeroing and calibration using reagents.

The Q45N Dissolved Ammonia Monitor avoids the challenges of conventional ammonia monitors through using a completely unique method. Ammonia is converted to a stable monochloramine compound, equivalent in concentration to the original ammonia level. The chloramine concentration is then measured with a polarographic membraned sensor that selectively responds linearly to chloramines.  The reaction chemistry gives the monitor excellent sensitivity even at very low (ppb) ammonia levels.

Reagents are simple and inexpensive and their usage is low. As a consequence the Q45N has a very low cost of ownership. The monitor has two 4-20mA outputs programmable for free ammonia, total ammonia and monochloramine concentration. This allows all the important parameters to be measured on a single instrument.

The larger UK water companies and some Environment Agency approved laboratories are already using the Q45N monitor to effectively monitor  ammonia levels in river water. This new ammonia system from Analytical Technology provides users with a monitor that is both simple to operate and economical to purchase, with low running costs and no measurement interferences.

For further information about the Analytical Technology Q45N Dissolved Ammonia Monitor for the continuous, on-line monitoring of ammonia in raw water, e-mail info@analyticaltechnology.com or view website: www.analyticaltechnology.com    Refer to page 68