ADDITIONAL PRODUCT NEWS

FARO’s New Fusion FaroArm Blends Higher Accuracy, Lower Cost  

FARO Technologies, Inc., a leader in portable computer-aided measurement arms and laser tracker sales, announced the release of the Fusion FaroArm. The new device blends styling cues of the Company’s Quantum FaroArm, but with a dramatically lower price and up to 15-percent higher accuracy than the Titanium Series it replaces. 

Designed for manufacturers who want in-process measurement, reverse-engineering capabilities and the ergonomics of the flagship Platinum FaroArm, the Fusion was created with .0014-inch (0.036 mm) accuracy and is offered at a competitive market price. 

To operate, users simply guide the Arm’s touch-probe along the surface of the object to be measured. The Fusion’s laptop computer simultaneously illustrates the 3-D measurements on-screen and records all of the data. It creates a 3-D “blueprint” of a part or machine components, making it an all-in-one portable tool for performing inspections, tool certification, CAD-to-Part analysis, or reverse engineering.

 The new Fusion FaroArm will be available for shipment in November 2007. 

MoldWiz® INT-38HM Reduces Reject Parts in Injection Molded PPS Electrical Components 

AXEL Plastics Research Laboratories reports that a 0.5% addition of MoldWiz® INT-38HM, a proprietary process aid additive manufactured by the company, has resolved production problems associated with injection molding PPS electrical components. 

INT-38HM is a proprietary, silicone free, organic formulation suitable for processing nylon, styrenics, PPS, PBT copolymers and a variety of thermoplastic engineering resins. The MoldWiz additive is available as a free flowing powder, or a 100% active pellet, making it easy to incorporate into masterbatches, gravitationally mix, or feed at the throat of the molding machine. INT-38HM is also appropriate for use in plastics that come in contact with food. 

New Cavity Pressure Sensor Offers Ultimate Quality Control 

D-M-E Company has introduced new strain-gage-based sensors and added a smaller 125 pound size to its 500 pound and 2,000 pound product line. 

The sensors are used in conjunction with auxiliary recording and control equipment for measuring pressures in injection, die cast and transfer molds. The new 125 pound model is ideal for use with smaller ejector pins and is suitable for small molds or applications where water lines, support pillars or other mold features inhibit the use of slide sensors. 

By precisely measuring the force of plastic in a mold cavity on every shot, customers can be assured that their parts are uniform and properly filled. If an error is detected, the part can be scraped without the need for further testing or quality inspection. 

Because each sensor is electrically identical, they have the same output, practically eliminating the need to recalibrate the readout system when sensors are exchanged. This makes errors in calibration non-existent and operators spend less time setting up control systems and recorders.  

SolidWorks Corporation Unveils PDMWorks Enterprise 2008  

SolidWorks Corporation unveiled PDMWorks® Enterprise 2008, a new version of its product data management system with new features for managing bills of material, replication of data across sites, foreign language support, data connectivity, platform support, and overall performance.  

Fully integrated with SolidWorks® 3D CAD software, the PDMWorks Enterprise 2008 product data management system helps large, geographically dispersed engineering organizations securely manage engineering information, leverage existing designs, connect global teams, streamline workflow, audit documents, and search intensively.

Enhancements include:  

• Better control and management of bills of material

• Improved replication across multiple sites

• Foreign language support

• New data connectivity to external systems

• Performance improvement

PDMWorks Enterprise 2008 is available now for purchase in 14 languages worldwide through SolidWorks authorized resellers. It now runs on the Microsoft® Windows Vista® operating system in either 32- or 64-bit versions and continues to support Microsoft Windows XP®.