月: 2023年3月

What Is Electronic Paper?

Electronic paper is a display technology that mimics the appearance of ink on paper. Unlike traditional displays like LCDs or OLEDs, electronic paper doesn’t require a backlight, relying instead on reflected light to make text and images visible. This technology is celebrated for its low power consumption, high visibility even in direct sunlight, and minimal strain on the eyes, making it ideal for e-readers, electronic signage, and other portable displays.

Developed in the 1970s at Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center, the electronic paper has evolved significantly, finding applications in e-book readers, signboards, and even fashion items, thanks to its paper-like qualities and environmental benefits.

Applications of Electronic Paper

• E-Book Readers: Electronic paper’s low power requirement and clear visibility under any lighting condition make it perfect for digital reading devices.
• Signboards and Posters: Its readability in outdoor settings and energy efficiency are leveraged for dynamic signage solutions.
• Watches and Fashion Items: Electronic paper enables innovative design possibilities, offering a blend of luxury and technology.

Principle of Electronic Paper

Electronic paper employs several display methods, including particle movement, liquid crystal, electrochemical reactions, and MEMS technologies. The particle movement method, particularly microcapsule electrophoresis, is popular for electronic paper displays. This technique involves moving charged particles within microcapsules to form text and images, allowing for high-contrast displays with minimal power use.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Electronic Paper

Advantages:

• Low Power Consumption: Facilitates extended device use with minimal recharging.
• Visibility in Sunlight: Ensures easy reading in bright conditions without backlighting.
• Comfort for Eyes: Reduces eye strain with its flicker-free display, making it ideal for prolonged reading.

Disadvantages:

• Slow Response Time: Limits its suitability for video or fast-paced interactive content.
• Limited Color Range: While effective for monochrome and grayscale, it falls short in vibrant color display capabilities.

As electronic paper continues to evolve, its integration into more devices and applications is anticipated, with ongoing enhancements aimed at color display, video capability, and cost efficiency.

What Is a Wire-to-Wire Connector?

Wire-to-wire connectors serve as relay connectors that electrically and physically connect wire cables.

Unlike board-to-wire connectors, wire-to-wire connectors are pre-installed connectors to extend or disconnect a section of wire for a specific purpose.

Generally, a box-shaped housing contains male and female contact pins, and the wire cable is connected to the pins by crimping.

Uses of Wire-to-Wire Connectors

Wire-to-wire connectors are used to safely and easily connect and disconnect pairs of wires in high-density conditions without error. They are used in a variety of applications in the world, including general industrial machinery and infrastructure control applications, automotive control applications, and information equipment such as computers.

In particular, wire-to-wire connectors for automotive control use are high-performance products that meet extremely strict reliability standards, such as waterproof function, withstand voltage characteristics, and high connection stability under stress and vibration loads, in addition to various heat-resistant performances to withstand the harsh operating environment inside automobiles.

There are also relay connectors that enable impedance matching for high-frequency applications for high-speed transmission.

Principle of Wire-to-Wire Connectors

Wire-to-wire connectors exist to perform the function of physically and electrically connecting and disconnecting wire cables that are housed in two housings, which are physically and electrically stable without connection errors. One of the two housings is called a plug, and the other is called a receptacle, corresponding to male and female cables, respectively.

Both plugs and receptacles have pins called contacts that are electrically connected to the wire cable. The contact is the most important component of the connector and is generally made of a highly conductive copper alloy to minimize contact resistance. Non-spring pin contacts are often used on the male plug side, and spring-loaded socket contacts are often used on the female receptacle side.

Each pair of connectors consists of a housing that holds the contacts and consists of an insulator made of plastic for insulation and an outer shell, called a shell, that protects the insulator.

The spring characteristic of the socket contact is a very important elemental technology to maintain a stable electrical contact connection even when the frequency of connector insertion and removal increases, and connector manufacturers are working hard to develop compact, high-density, and high-performance connector technology.

What Is an Electric Pallet Truck?

Electric pallet trucks, as the name implies, are electrically powered lifts and traveling trucks used to carry pallets.

Also called electric hand lifts (hand forks), it is a rapidly growing field in the logistics-related market worldwide amid the current trend toward EVs in automobiles.

Electric pallet trucks do not require the same qualifications and experience as regular forklifts and are widely accepted in today’s logistics industry, which is suffering from a shortage of qualified forklift operators and an aging workforce.

Uses of Electric Pallet Trucks

Electric pallet trucks are widely used in logistics and warehouses for their ability to accurately and smoothly lift, lower, and transport pallets, even in confined spaces.

Electric pallet trucks, which are capable of self-propulsion, have been introduced to meet the needs of heavy pallet lifting, lowering, and carrying, including self-propulsion.

Principle of Electric Pallet Truck

Generally, electric pallet trucks are not like forklifts, in which the operator rides on the truck and uses the arms on the forks to move the pallets in and out of the truck. This means that even inexperienced on-site operators do not need special forklift qualifications, and the trucks are motorized and relatively easy to operate.

Note that forklifts with a maximum loading capacity of 1 ton or more require “forklift operation skills training,” which includes practical skills and a test.

The lifting part is similar to a forklift truck, with two parallel forks (jaws) placed at the bottom of the pallet. Electric pallet trucks come in a wide range of models, but most are usually capable of handling pallet loading weights from 1 to 2 tons. However, hand lifts, whether electric or manual, have a narrower distance between the forks. Additionally, some pallets cannot be handled depending on their type, for example, in the case of wooden pallets. It is important to check well in advance whether the types of pallets that can be used and the loading weight are compatible with the actual on-site application.

Incidentally, there are various types of electric drive units, such as those that can be recharged at a 100V household outlet with a dedicated charger, and models equipped with lithium-ion batteries.

What Is a Mortar and Pestle?

A mortar and pestle is a traditional tool used to crush, grind, and mix solids. This pairing, consisting of a bowl (mortar) and a grinding tool (pestle), has been utilized worldwide for tasks ranging from grain threshing to pigment grinding. Modern variations include automatic systems and grinding machines that expand its utility.

Uses of Mortar and Pestle

Primarily, mortars and pestles are employed for processing small quantities of solids, offering high yields and ease of use for tasks such as mixing seasonings, preparing pigments, and crushing expensive solids for experimental, analytical, or culinary purposes.

Characteristics of Mortar and Pestle

The choice of material for a mortar and pestle should consider the substance to be processed. Options range from stone, known for its durability and crushing power, to stainless steel and glass, each offering unique benefits such as ease of cleaning, resistance to rust, and suitability for specific tasks like food preparation.

Types of Mortars and Pestle

The material of a mortar and pestle significantly influences its application. Choices include:

• Agate: Ideal for fine-grained materials due to its light weight and variety of shapes.
• Tungsten Carbide Steel: Suited for coarse crushing of hard samples, featuring a tungsten carbide lining for durability.
• Stainless Steel: Known for excellent corrosion and rust resistance, versatile for various grinding tasks.
• Zirconia and Boron Carbide: Offer high wear resistance and strength, suitable for grinding hard materials.
• Quartz Glass and Peek: Provide high hardness and excellent resistance properties, minimizing sample contamination.

How to Select Mortar and Pestle

When selecting a mortar and pestle, consider the size, shape, and material based on the application. The material choice not only affects the type of solids that can be processed but also the method of use, with different materials suited for varying levels of hardness and processing techniques.

What Is an HVAC?

An HVAC refers to equipment that supplies heat to buildings, condominiums, factories, automobiles, railroad cars, ships, and other specific facilities.

Electricity, gas, oil, and coal are widely used as energy sources for HVACs. Typical examples include boilers, heat pumps, and hot water equipment.

In recent years, the environmentally friendly decarbonized society has been widely promoted, and efforts are being made to implement heat sources that do not involve combustion, such as solar power, and geothermal heat sources such as hot springs, for circulating HVAC.

Usage of HVACs

Boilers, chillers, and heat exchangers are well-known HVAC equipment used in buildings and condominiums. The maintenance of each type of HVAC equipment requires specialized qualifications, such as a boiler technician or a refrigeration equipment manager.

In addition to refrigeration equipment that generally uses chlorofluorocarbons for cooling, there are also chillers that utilize circulating water for cooling, which are often used in factories, etc. Various types of HVACs are used depending on the scale of the equipment or space to be cooled and the energy efficiency of the equipment.

Principle of HVACs

This section describes the principles of HVACs used in offices, hospitals, factories, and other business establishments of a certain size, with particular emphasis on examples of energy efficiency improvement through circulation.

A common practice in offices of a certain size is to install HVAC equipment (e.g., absorption chiller/heaters) together in front of the air conditioning system. The HVAC produces cold and hot water and circulates the water at the appropriate temperature using pumps and piping. The heat is then used for heat exchange in the air conditioning equipment.

Specifically, absorption chiller/heaters use a circulation process in which water vapor is absorbed by a lithium bromide solution, heated to regenerate a thick lithium bromide solution and water vapor, then cooled in a condensation process to return to water. The vaporization heat of the water in the water cooling pipes is then used to cool air in air conditioning.

This highly efficient circulation saves energy and improves the office’s appearance by combining the HVAC facilities in a single location. There are also examples of combining these absorption chillers/heaters with electric chillers and other electric heat storage systems that utilize nighttime electricity (ice thermal storage is the most common due to space limitations).

These state-of-the-art HVAC systems are advantageous in energy conservation and high efficiency. However, they also require initial capital investment and maintenance. Therefore, it is necessary to select the most appropriate HVAC system according to the various conditions of the business site (size and priority areas).

What Is a Waveplate?

A waveplate is an optical element that rotates the polarization plane of incoming light to output light of a different polarization.

Two types of waveplates are commonly used: 1/2 waveplates and 1/4 waveplates. The 1/2 waveplate shifts the phase of light by λ/2 and rotates the polarization plane when the wavelength of light is set to λ (read: lambda). In this case, the outgoing light remains linearly polarized.

A quarter-waveplate can convert linear polarization to circular polarization by shifting the phase by λ/4. Conversely, it is also possible to convert circular polarization to linear polarization.

Applications of Waveplates

Waveplates are frequently used in situations where optical instruments are handled, from academic to industrial applications. Waveplates are particularly useful for changing the direction of laser polarization and adjusting light intensity when using laser equipment.

For example, in processing lasers, quarter-waveplates are used to convert linear polarization into circular polarization, which is applied to cut uniform materials. In academic applications, the polarization plane of a laser can be adjusted with a half-waveplate or similar to gain a more detailed understanding of the dynamics of molecular vibration and dissociation. Control of the polarization direction is important because electronic and vibrational excitations of molecules interact with each other due to electric fields in specific directions.

Conversely, if you do not want to excite in a particular direction, use a quarter-waveplate to convert the light to circular polarization. Waveplates can also be used in devices that arbitrarily control the splitting of lasers; since the angle of linear polarization can be changed with a 1/2 waveplate, it can be combined with a beam splitter that splits the light according to polarization to create a device that can arbitrarily control the intensity of the separated beams.

Since the polarization of the divided beam is at right angles, it is necessary to use two mirrors to change the angle of polarization back, or to use a half-waveplate to change the angle of polarization again.

Principle ofWaveplate

Waveplates have an anisotropic refractive index, which means that the speed of light travels at different speeds depending on the direction of polarization, creating a phase difference. Therefore, it is possible to change the polarization plane of linearly polarized light passing through a waveplate or to make it circularly polarized. To begin with, polarized light is light in which the direction of oscillation in the electric or magnetic field is aligned in a constant direction. Natural light, such as the sun, has a random oscillation direction and is unpolarized, whereas artificially generated light, such as that produced by a laser, can be polarized.

Waveplates are materials that have different refractive indices, depending on the direction of polarization (birefringent materials), such as quartz. In general, the higher the refractive index of light traveling through a medium, the smaller the speed of light. Therefore, light traveling in the direction of the lower refractive index (advance phase axis) propagates through the material more quickly, while light traveling in the direction of the higher refractive index (slow phase axis) slows down.

These properties can be used to create a phase shift between polarization components. If an incident light beam with a certain angle to the advanced phase axis enters a waveplate, the light components (vectors) are decomposed into the advanced phase axis direction and the slow phase axis direction, resulting in a phase shift of the light. As a result, the polarization plane of the outgoing light is rotated.

Other Information on Waveplates

How to Use Waveplates

Waveplates are usually used in a holder whose rotation angle is known. The angle of the waveplate and the polarization angle of the laser beam determine the polarization angle of the laser after it passes through the waveplate. The rotary holder is useful because it allows the laser beam to be set to any desired angle of polarization after passing through it.

The polarization angle after passing through the laser can be calculated from the angle of the waveplate and the polarization angle of the laser. However, to actually check it, the light after passing through the waveplate is passed through a polarizer and the intensity of the light is observed. In this case, it is also possible to check by scattering the light on a piece of paper. However, care must be taken because the paper may burn or the scattered light may damage the eyes even if light-shielding glasses are used in the case of a high-intensity laser.

For a safer and more quantitative method, we recommend using a power meter or similar device to check for the highest intensity at any given angle.

What Are Plumbing Parts?

Plumbing parts are used to transport fluids from one location (device) to another (equipment).

Piping is designed, manufactured, and installed to satisfy its function, taking into consideration the environment in which it will be used, the fluid, and other factors.

Piping must be strong enough to withstand the pressure of the internal fluid, reduce fluid pressure loss, and select the best route to the desired endpoint.

Plumbing specifically provides the following equipment and plumbing parts:

• Pipes
• Pipe fittings
• Valves
• Piping supports (hangers and supports)

Uses of Plumbing Parts

Plumbing parts have the following applications:

• Water Supply Piping
  Tap water is generally taken from rivers and lakes, dams, or underwater intake towers.
  Ductile cast-iron pipes and polyethylene pipes are mainly used for piping.
• Piping for City Gas
  City gas is imported in liquefied form (LNG) from its place of origin and vaporized at a gas production plant.
  The vaporized gas is adjusted in the order of high pressure, medium pressure, and low pressure, and then delivered to households.
  Steel pipes and synthetic resin steel pipes are mainly used for high-pressure pipes, polyethylene pipes, ductile cast-iron pipes for medium-pressure pipes, and PE pipes for low-pressure sensation.

Principle of Plumbing Parts

The following is a description of the characteristics of each plumbing part:

• Pipe
  Pipes are made of a wide variety of materials, including metals, non-metals, and resins, and new materials are still being developed.
  In industry, metal pipes are the mainstream, with steel pipes being the most commonly used.
  They are strong and resistant to deterioration, with the disadvantage of being prone to rust.
  Cast-iron pipes have the disadvantage of being impact-weak and brittle but are often used in buried piping because they are less susceptible to corrosion than steel.
  Non-ferrous metals are used in aircraft, taking advantage of their lightweight characteristics.
• Pipe Fittings
  Pipe fittings are divided into the following categories according to the application: those that change the direction of flow (elbows, etc.), those that change the size of pipes (reducers, etc.), and those that merge or divert flows (tees, etc.).
• Valves
  Valves are used to “stop the flow” or “adjust the flow rate,” like a water tap.
• Piping Support Device (Hanger/Support)
  Pipe supports are used to support the weight of piping and to release thermal expansion properly.

What Is a General Purpose Milling Cutter?

A general-purpose milling cutter is a machine tool in which cutting tools such as milling cutters and end mills are mounted on a rotating shaft called the spindle. The cutting tool cuts the surface of the material while rotating the tool.

Cutting tools remove chips from the material surface by rotating the tool blade around the axis of rotation, creating a contact surface with the material, and removing chips along the contact surface. End mills have a cutting section at the tip and can machine holes in a direction perpendicular to the axis.

The tool position, direction of travel, depth of cut, and feed rate required for machining must be adjusted manually by the operator on a non-mechanized general-purpose milling cutter. On the other hand, with NC milling machines, which incorporate numerical control technology, these adjustments can be made automatically by computer.

Uses of General Purpose Milling Cutters

General-purpose milling cutters are widely used machine tools for cutting materials and have a wide range of applications. For example, in addition to machining flat and curved surfaces, they can also be used for drilling, step machining, and groove cutting. In addition, although metal is often used as the work material, it is used for a wide variety of materials of any size that can be fixed to the milling machine.

Milling machines and end mills are used as tools. Compared to milling machines, end mills have a greater variety of cutting edges and shapes, and are used when more detailed cutting is required. It is important to select the most suitable tool for the machining purpose.

Unlike NC milling cutters equipped with CNC (computer numerical control) functions, general-purpose milling cutters require the operator to adjust the position of the tool and material manually, relative feed rate, and cutting depth.

In general, general-purpose milling cutters are widely used mainly in the manufacturing industry, but their use is not limited; they can also be used for DIY and hobby machining, allowing simple machining without the need for specialized knowledge.

Principle of General Purpose Milling Cutter

General-purpose milling cutters are manually operated, allowing the operator to process material while adjusting the position of the tool. Conditions that can be adjusted by the operator include tool position, speed, and depth of cut. General-purpose milling cutters excel in manual operation and allow the operator to have a degree of freedom in machining.

NC milling machines build machining programs by importing 3D CAD data. As a result, material processing of complex shapes can be automated. General-purpose milling cutters, on the other hand, are capable of machining in small quantities and reflecting the skill of the operator.

To begin with, a milling machine is a machine tool that cuts and processes materials. It consists of a drill blade attached to a rotating shaft. The drill blade can be used to machine the flat or curved surface. In most cases, metal materials are used as the processing material. They are used for a variety of materials such as aluminum, brass, and stainless steel, all of which are of a size that can be fixed to the milling machine.

In addition, a tool called an end mill is used with the milling machine. Compared to milling, end mills have a greater variety of cutting edges and shapes, and are suitable for more detailed cutting operations. The most suitable tool should be selected according to the purpose of machining.

Types of General Purpose Milling Cutters

A general-purpose milling cutter is a type of machine tool that can cut materials in a way that is manually operated by the operator. The types can be broadly classified into two categories:

1. Horizontal Milling Machine

Horizontal milling machines are a type of milling machine that places material on a table and performs machining in a horizontal direction, with the tool moving from side to side. Horizontal milling machines can process large materials and are used for manufacturing parts for ships, aircraft, and automobiles. They are also highly efficient and safe because the operator does not need to get close to the material.

2. Vertical Milling Machine

Vertical milling machines are a type of milling machine that performs machining vertically, with the tool moving up and down. Vertical milling machines are widely used in the machining field because they can process small and medium-sized materials. They can also process materials standing vertically and are excellent for drilling and groove cutting.

What Is a General Purpose Logic IC?

General-purpose logic ICs are integrated circuits that combine basic circuits, such as logic operations, in a single small package.

Each package contains one or more basic circuits, and the number of pins, including power supply pins and input/output pins, ranges from several pins to several dozen pins, with products of various sizes.

As electronic devices become increasingly networked, the need for functions to interface between devices has increased. In addition to simple arithmetic circuits, product groups include bus switches for high-speed transmission of digital signals and level shifters for connecting signal lines of different voltages.

Uses of General Purpose Logic ICs

General-purpose logic ICs are used in virtually every electrical device and electronic circuit that exists in the world.

Even in electronic equipment equipped with large-scale LSIs developed exclusively for specific applications, general-purpose logic ICs are used as important interface components that perform signal conversion and switching around the LSI.

However, because general-purpose logic ICs have a large package area compared to the number of circuits, they are often replaced by dedicated ICs that combine multiple functions into a single IC in the consumer electronics field, where miniaturization and weight reduction are progressing, and demand for general purpose logic ICs in this field is declining.

Principles of General Purpose Logic ICs

General-purpose logic ICs are classified into three types according to device structure:

1. TTL (Transistor-Transistor Logic): A logic IC consisting of a bipolar transistor and resistors; although an older type of device, it is still used in many places today because of its ability to drive large currents.
2. CMOS Logic (Complimentary MOSFET Logic): A logic IC that combines P-ch MOSFETs and N-ch MOSFETs.
3. BiCMOS Logic: A logic IC that uses CMOS in the input and logic circuit sections and bipolar transistors in the output section to achieve a high-current drive with low power consumption.

General-purpose logic ICs are classified according to the device structure described above, and there are many other variations according to the functions, circuit scale, power supply level, package type, and pin configuration.

In addition to basic combinational logic circuits (AND, NAND, OR, NOR, XOR, NOT), general-purpose logic ICs have latch circuits that hold input data under certain conditions, flip-flop circuits that latch and hold input data at clock input timing, shift register circuits that convert serial input signals to parallel shift register circuits that convert serial input signals to parallel output signals.

Secondary functions include a Schmitt trigger that responds to analog signal input by providing hysteresis to the input signal threshold, and a 3-state output that has not only H and L outputs but also an open state (high impedance state) to prevent signal collision when switching between input and output dual-use signals. General purpose logic ICs can be selected to best suit the application in combination with the main functions.

What Is a General Purpose Lathe?

A lathe is a type of machine tool for metalworking. The workpiece is fixed to a rotating base called a chuck, and a cutting tool called a bite is applied to the workpiece to cut it into the desired shape.

There are various types of lathes, but they are classified into general-purpose lathes, where the machining is done by hand, and NC lathes, where the machining is done automatically by numerical control programs.

General purpose lathes, also called ordinary lathe, is the most basic lathe, consisting of a spindle head, bed, tailstock, feeder, and reciprocating table.

Uses of General Purpose Lathe

Lathes are used for processing cylindrical and conical shapes using cylindrical or bar materials, boring, and threading.

In factories and other manufacturing sites, NC lathes equipped with NC (numerical control) numerical control devices are the most common type of lathe. This is because NC lathes are suitable for mass production as they perform machining based on coordinates set according to a program.

However, NC lathes cannot handle changes or additional machining during operation. However, general-purpose lathes are used for prototypes and custom-made products that require individual adjustments during machining.

General-purpose lathes are also suitable for small lot production because they do not require the creation of a program for machining.

Features of General Purpose Lathe

The cutting process using a general-purpose lathe is as follows.

First, appropriate cutting tools (bites) are selected according to the size, material, shape, and processing details of the workpiece, and processing conditions such as spindle speed are determined.

Next, the workpiece is fixed in the chuck. The tool is fixed to the tool rest on the reciprocating table by adjusting the tool so that the height of the cutting edge matches the center height.

After shaving the end face of the workpiece to make it flat (face grinding), the center drill is set on the tailstock and brought close to the workpiece. The drill is then set in the center of the workpiece (centering). After setting the machining standard, lathing is performed according to the drawing.

A general-purpose lathe does not need to create a machining program as NC Lathe does, allowing for work to start immediately. General-purpose lathes offer the advantage of allowing modifications and additions to be made during the machining operation. This means that mistakes can be promptly corrected, and since the machining is manual, any wear or defects in the tooling can be readily identified and addressed.

On the other hand, a general-purpose lathe requires a high level of skill because it is processed by hand, and the speed and accuracy of processing varies depending on the skill level of the operator. In addition, since everything from setting the workpiece and byte to lathe machining is done by hand, work efficiency is low, and the lathe is not suited for mass production.