The launch in India of the Tata Nano car, priced at just 100000 rupees (around E1720), has come as a shock to many people. Rockwell Automation is expanding its Armorstart product line to include IP69K-rated variants of its Bulletin 280/281/283 and 284 distributed motor controllers. Engineers from BAE Systems have created a way to design futuristic circuit boards, by turning complex conventional two-dimensional circuit boards into robust three-dimensional structures. CRP Technology is introducing a new high-quality aerospace-grade aluminium alloy called CRP 8601, which is manufactured by means of a special powder metallurgy process that uses high-energy mixing to give excellent mechanical properties. Kuka Roboter is introducing the Titan robot that boasts a payload capacity of 1000kg and a reach of 3200mm. Grant Instruments is introducing the Datataker Cangate Can-to-Ascii device as a low-cost gateway for a wide range of automotive and engine logging applications. Digital Mechanics AB, Västerås Sweden, combines its design and engineering experience with rapid prototyping technology to tackle challenging projects. Bruel and Kjaer is launching a new range of versatile dc response accelerometers suitable for testing dynamic acceleration effects on a number of applications, from automotive to aerospace. Stereolithography is the oldest and one of the most used rapid prototyping technologies. With more than 40 SL resins to choose from in the market today, it is an extremely versatile technology. Eva Montgomery reports. Cord Giese and Dr Juha-Pekka Tolvanen look at an alternative approach to modelling and code generation Domain-Specific Modelling – which allows for full code generation from higher abstraction models. Bruno Massa looks at how vibro-acoustic control solutions can deliver improved ride characteristics. Open sources principles are being applied to several ambitious automotive projects. National Instruments is launching USB modules for high-speed and
low-speed/fault-tolerant Controller Area Network and Local Interconnect Network monitoring, logging and testing. An IEC 61131-3 standard soft PLC is now available that supports the Profinet standard for real-time communication over Ethernet hardware. next