月: 2023年7月

What Is a Safety Device?

Safety devices are devices installed in equipment and vehicles to prevent equipment damage, accidents, and disasters caused by malfunctions and overloads. Safety devices are also used to prevent equipment damage or emergency stop to prevent accidents or disasters from occurring even if the person using or operating the equipment makes a mistake.

Classification of Safety Devices

Safety devices are broadly classified into two categories based on differences in design concepts.

1. Fail-Safe

Fail-safe is a safety device designed to prevent accidents or disasters from developing into accidents or disasters in the event of equipment failure or natural disasters such as earthquakes.

For example, the circuit breakers at railroad crossings are designed to come down when the power goes out. When the breaker is down, no matter when a train arrives, cars cannot pass through the crossing, thus preventing train accidents.

In addition, oil stoves are designed to detect shaking when an earthquake occurs and automatically shut off so that fires will not occur even if the stove is knocked over by the earthquake. Other safety devices prevent damage to equipment by releasing pressure to the atmosphere when pressure rises beyond what is necessary in equipment that uses high-pressure air.

2. Foolproof

Foolproof is a safety device designed to prevent accidents or disasters from occurring even if human error occurs in the person operating the machine.

For example, a washing machine is designed to lock the lid so that it will not open while the washing tank is spinning, even if the stop button is pressed, to prevent hands from getting caught in the tank while it is spinning.

In manufacturing plants, for example, sensors react when a part of the body enters the equipment during operation to immediately trigger an emergency stop in order to prevent accidents involving entrapment or pinching.

Uses of Safety Devices

There are various uses for safety devices, depending on the site and machine where they are installed.

1. Breakers in Distribution Boards

Breakers are installed in a wide range of applications, from households to businesses, to prevent fires caused by short circuits or overheating by shutting off the electrical circuit when a current over a certain level flows through the equipment.

2. Moment Limiter for Cranes

A moment limiter prevents serious accidents from occurring by controlling the movement of cranes in unstable directions when they are overloaded beyond the specified load limit.

3. Safety Valve

Safety valves are installed on hydraulic cranes and other machines operated by hydraulic equipment to reduce excessive pressure on the hydraulic system and prevent damage to the system by bypassing the pressure above a certain level.

4. Safety Devices for Press Machines

Presses used for metal processing are subject to extremely high pressures, so it is essential to have safety devices to prevent any part of the human body from entering the press, and to stop the machine in an emergency if such a situation should occur.

5. Elevator Detection Devices

If something gets caught in or touches the door of an elevator or lift that automatically closes, the door will automatically open to prevent an accident.

6. Interlock Device

Jack interlock devices are installed on jacks used for lifting heavy loads, etc. These devices include jack interlock devices that prevent forgetting to set the jack at the start of work and boom interlock devices that prevent accidental operation during work.

Types of Safety Devices

The following are typical examples of the types of safety devices, divided into fail-safe and foolproof.

1. Fail-Safe

• Fail-Safe Valve
  A valve that releases pressure when air or hydraulic pressure exceeds a set value to prevent equipment damage.
• Breaker
  This is a device that shuts off the electric current when an abnormality occurs in electrical equipment. There are ampere breakers that shut off electricity when electricity is used excessively and leakage breakers that shut off electricity when electrical equipment leaks.
• Shear Pin
  A shaft that is thin in part and easily broken. It is used in conveyor shafts, etc. It is designed so that when a machine is subjected to an abnormal overload, the shear pin breaks off and interrupts the connection with the power source, thereby preventing damage to the machine side.

2. Foolproof

• Area Sensor
  A photoelectric sensor that detects a certain area and is linked to the emergency stop circuit so that when a person puts part of their body in the danger area and intercepts the sensor, an emergency stop is immediately applied.
• Dead Man Switch
  This is a button mounted on the pendant used to operate the robot. To prevent the robot from moving if the axis movement button is pressed unexpectedly, axis movement is possible only when the dead man switch is half-pressed.
• Lockout
  This is a safety device that prevents a third party from activating the equipment when entering the facility or putting any part of the body inside. By turning the power or emergency stop button to “OFF” and applying a lock, the system is secured in the “OFF” state and cannot be turned “ON” by a third party.

What Is Development & Design?

Development & Design in the manufacturing industry is a set of processes usually performed for business purposes and simply controls the development and design of products for the market.

Development is a broad term that includes research and development (R&D), product element development, advanced development, and product development. Depending on the size of the manufacturer, development may be divided into separate departments in large companies, and may be specified to only R&D in medium-sized companies, or one or several people in small and medium-sized companies.

In general, design is the process of conducting research to develop a product concept that satisfies market needs, designing the product, repeating trial and error, clearing points that need to be improved, and commercializing the product that meets the required product requirements and delivering it to the market.

Overview of Development & Design

The development & design team is responsible for the design of the product, depending on the technology required for the product design. Usually, each of these designers is assigned to the product development team as appropriate. In some cases, the manufacturer may outsource part or all of the design.

One thing that must be done in the development and design process is to research competitors’ products. For a consumer product, it is important to clearly define what the concept is and where it competes with the competition.

Development and Design Tools

While designers follow design guidelines to meet product requirements, digital design tools have become indispensable for efficiency. Mechanical designers work in tandem with the rest of the team, using 3D CAD and other tools to develop & design the product to meet design, function, size, and weight targets.

Once the product is sufficiently complete, it may be necessary to test the product several times before mass production. To create a prototype using the 3D data of the product, the data is sent to a processing machine or 3D printer, and the process of creating an object based on the data is called CAM.

What Is Network-Related Equipment?

Network-related Equipment refers to devices used for network communications.

The networks we use every day perform complex mechanical processes. For example, when we send an e-mail, digital data is converted into electrical signals, the destination is determined by MAC address, the sending route is managed and selected, security authentication is performed, communication is established, the digital data is passed to the other party, and the other party’s terminal processes and displays the data. The system is structured in such a way that digital data is passed to the other party, processed and displayed at the other terminal.

Different types of Network-related Equipment are used at each level.

Types of Network-related Equipment
The main types of Network-related Equipment are as follows

1. Media Converter

This equipment switches the digital signal medium from UTP cable to optical fiber.

2. VDSL Modem

A VDSL modem converts analog signals, such as Internet signals coming through a telephone line (copper), into digital signals.

3. VPN Router

A VPN router is a router with VPN capabilities. This router mediates a private network that cannot be intercepted by others even within a public network. As a result, you can access your home or company network from outside.

4. M2M Router

M2M routers are routers that allow machines and machines to communicate with each other via IP networks. They are often used in places where strict environmental resistance is required, such as for fixed-point observation and energy data collection.

5. SHDSL Modem

A transmission device that uses telephone lines for long-distance, high-speed, and stable digital data communication.

6. Server Rack

Computer hardware is needed to mediate communications and process (display and store) the digital data sent to it. This is called a server, and the rack that stores the server is called a server rack.

7. KVM Extender

These cables are used to extend the connection distance of the keyboard, monitor, and mouse to the computer. Normally, when the connection distance between these facilities and a PC exceeds 5m to 10m, the accuracy of information transmission is reduced and the response becomes poor. This cable is used to counteract this problem.

8. Server Blade

A blade server is a type of server in which common PC components such as CPU, memory, and HDD are housed in a small chassis or enclosure.

9. ESIM

A SIM is an IC card with an ID number recorded to identify the subscriber, used in terminals communicating by GSM, W-CDMA, and other methods. Among them, ESIM (short for Embedded SIM) refers to an embedded type SIM.

10. Power Over Ethernet

A technology that supplies electricity through a communication cable following a standard called Ethernet.

11. NFC

NFC stands for Near Field Communication, a short-range wireless communication technology that is used in Suica, PASMO, and other systems that function by holding a device over a reader’s head.

What Are Fastening Components?

Fastening components are mechanical elements, such as bolts and nuts, that hold two or more objects together so that they do not shift position when they are combined. Fastening parts are not only tightened like screws, but also inserted like pins and keys.

Types of Fastening Components

There are various types of fastening components, but here are some typical examples.

1. Bolt

A bolt is a type of screw consisting of a threaded shaft and a head. There are hexagonal bolts with a hexagonal head and socket bolts with a hexagonal hole in a cylinder.

2. Nuts

Fastening components, mainly hexagonal columns with female threads, used in combination with bolts. Fine U nuts with an anti-looseness mechanism and washer nuts with washers are available.

3. Rivet

A rivet consists of a head and an unthreaded body. After the body is threaded into the hole, the body is crushed with a hammer to make it larger than the hole diameter, thereby semi-permanently fastening components.

4. Pin

Fastening components that are inserted into the hole. There are cylindrical parallel pins and conical tapered pins. Parallel pins are used as high-precision positioning pins.

5. Key

Fastening components that are inserted into a groove. Parallel keys, half-moon keys, sloping keys, etc. are available. They are mainly used in couplings and rotary shafts to prevent rotation.

6. Retaining Ring

Fastening components in the shape of a ring, mainly used to prevent loosening. There are retaining rings called E rings and C rings based on the appearance of their shapes. There is also a type of retaining ring called a snap ring that uses spring force.

Principle of Screw Fastening

When a bolt is used to fasten a material to be fastened, the bolt extends slightly and the material to be fastened contracts slightly. At this time, the bolt is subjected to a force in the direction of contraction to return to its original position, and the fastened member is subjected to a force in the direction of extension to return to its original position. These mutually repelling forces collide to hold the bolt and fastening components in place. The force generated at this point is called axial force.

What Is Temperature Control?

Temperature control is the manipulation of the temperature of an object to achieve a desired temperature.

How Temperature Control Works

A temperature control device consists of an actuator that heats/cools, and a temperature controller that sends an operating signal to the actuator to control the heating/cooling. The temperature controller, which is the key component of control, is called a thermostat, and is available in mechanical thermostats (bimetal thermostats) and electronic thermostats (digital thermostats).

Heaters and coolers are used in the heating and cooling actuators. Heaters with heating functions include tape heaters, space heaters, and control panel heaters. Control panel coolers, Peltier coolers, heat sinks, and board heat sinks are used for cooling. In addition, AC axial fans, DC axial fans, CPU fans, etc., use fans to exhaust heat generated in the equipment to the outside, creating a cooling effect.

Many heaters and coolers incorporate a heat exchange mechanism that transfers heat between fluids such as air and water, and heat pumps are one example. Widely used heat exchanger types include multi-tube heat exchangers, plate heat exchangers, and spiral heat exchangers. In addition, thermo-modules (Peltier modules) operate as heat pumps by applying DC current and can heat/cool and control temperature with high precision.

Types of Temperature Control Devices and Materials

Examples of equipment using the above temperature control mechanisms include incubators, thermostatic chambers, hot water circulators, and cooling water circulators that maintain the temperature of gases or liquids in a chamber or tank at a constant level.

Materials that contribute to temperature control by dissipating or shielding heat are also used in various fields. Examples include heat-dissipating rubber, heat-dissipating grease, heat-conductive sheets, graphite sheets, heat-exchange paints with heat-blocking functions, and heat-insulating plates that dissipate heat from contact areas to the outside.

What Is a Terminal?

A terminal is an element placed at the end of an electronic device that serves as a connection point for the input and output of power and signals. Pairs of inputs and outputs together are called a terminal pair or port. The component used to connect terminals together is called a connector.

What Is an Interface?

Interfaces are classified according to the object to be connected, and there are three main types:

• Hardware Interface
  Components that connect electronic devices (terminals, connectors, etc.)
• Software Interface
  A mechanism for exchanging data between software (e.g., operating system)
• User Interface
  Input/output parts for human handling of devices such as PCs (e.g., keyboards)

Types of Terminals

Terminals mainly refer to AV terminals for audio and video input/output that have been used for PCs and game consoles. Today, HDMI and USB terminals are the most common.

1. RF Terminal

RF terminals were used for input/output of radio wave equipment, input/output of high-frequency measurement equipment as well as input/output of LCD TVs, etc. and antenna input of tuners, etc.

2. RCA Terminals

RCA terminals have three colors (red, white, and yellow). The red and white terminals provide stereo audio input and output, and the yellow terminal provides video input and output.

3. Component Terminals

Component terminals are high-performance terminals that input and output video signal from and to RCA using three terminals.

4. BNC Terminal

This terminal is used for professional AV equipment because it is easy to connect and disconnect and has high performance.

5. VGA Terminal

The VGA terminal is used for input/output when connecting a PC to a display, projector, or other device to project images.

6. DVI Terminal

The DVI terminal is used for digital video output.

7. HDMI Terminal

The HDMI terminal is a derivative of DVI and allows video and audio to be transmitted over a single cable.

8. USB Terminal

USB terminals were primarily used to connect PCs and peripherals, but now they can also supply power and provide the same quality of video and audio input/output as HDMI.

What Are Metallic Materials?

Metallic materials are materials made by materials that have metallic properties.

They are used in a wide variety of applications due to their strength, ductility, melting properties, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and other advantages.

When selecting metallic materials, it is necessary to select the most suitable material in terms of strength, heat resistance, corrosion resistance, workability, cost, etc., according to the environment in which the product will be used and the available processing methods.

The types of metallic materials can be broadly classified into iron and steel materials, which are mainly composed of iron, and nonferrous metallic materials, which are mainly composed of metals other than iron.

Steel Materials

Steel materials are inexpensive materials with excellent strength and ductility. They are used in a variety of applications because their mechanical properties can be adjusted through heat treatment and the addition of other metals.

Iron and steel is an iron alloy containing about 0.04%~2% carbon, but it is often referred to as a generic term for materials in which iron is the main component.

Stainless steel is a material to which 12% or more chromium is added to steel.

Nonferrous Metallic Materials

Nonferrous metallic materials are a generic term for materials composed mainly of metals other than iron, such as aluminum, titanium, magnesium, nickel, and copper.

Although they are more expensive than steel materials, they are used in situations where functional properties such as light weight and wear resistance are required.

1. Aluminum

Aluminum is light, weighing only 1/3 of steel, and is used as a highly functional material with excellent corrosion resistance and elongation properties. Although it may seem low in strength, when copper or magnesium is added, it becomes a high-strength material known as duralumin.

2. Copper

Copper has excellent thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, workability, and ductility, and is used as a component material for electrical products. There are various types of copper materials such as bronze (an alloy of copper and tin), brass (an alloy of copper and zinc), and chrome copper.

What Is Semiconductor Manufacturing?

Semiconductor manufacturing is the production of single-crystal rods (silicon ingots) and wafers sliced from polycrystalline silicon and other materials, which are semiconductors.

A semiconductor is a material with properties between those of a conductor and an insulator. Integrated circuits made from semiconductors have excellent information processing capabilities and are indispensable products for all industries.

The front-end process consists of wafer fabrication, oxide film formation, pattern formation, device formation by ion implantation, diffusion, etc., repeated surface planarization, electrode formation, and wafer inspection.

The latter half of the process consists of cutting the wafer into chips, protecting the chips from the external environment, packaging the chips for signal input/output to/from peripheral components, or mounting the chips on substrates, and inspection.

What Is an Amplifier?

An amplifier is a device that amplifies electrical signals, especially in the field of acoustics.

Types of Amplifiers

1. Preamplifier

Preamplifiers switch the input signals of various sound sources such as FM broadcasts and CDs, and adjust the sound quality.

2. Power Amplifier

The power amplifier amplifies the electrical signals sent from the preamplifier and sends them to the speakers. It is also called a main amplifier.

3. Pre-Main Amplifier

This type of amplifier combines the functions of both a preamplifier and a power amplifier, and is very useful for audio purposes.

How to Select an Amplifier

When selecting an amplifier, it is important to keep the following points in mind:

1. Availability of a USB Port

A USB port is necessary to connect a smartphone, digital audio player, or PC to an amplifier.

2. High-Resolution Compatibility

High-resolution is becoming the most important keyword in audio today, and in order to faithfully reproduce its high-quality sound, it is necessary to select a standard that is compatible with it.

3. Whether or Not a DAC Is Installed

A DAC (Digital Analog Converter) is a circuit that converts digital signals input to an amplifier into analog signals for output. This type of DAC is considered optimal for playing back high-resolution sound sources distributed by various media on a PC from which they have been downloaded.

4. Connecting to a Network

If you want to connect to a network like a smartphone or PC, you must choose a Wi-Fi-compatible model. Of course, for wireless use over a short distance, a Bluetooth-compatible model will work fine. Also, by using a model with the AirPray function, you can play content that can be played on your iPhone or iPad over a network.

What Are Magnetic Materials?

Magnetic materials are materials that utilize their strong magnetism to perform various functions.

Magnetic materials can be broadly classified into two types. One is a magnet attached to a metal such as iron, which is a hard magnetic material. The other is a type of material that becomes a magnet when a magnetic field is applied to it, but is no longer a magnet when the magnetic field is removed, and is a soft magnetic material.

Hard magnetic materials do not start out as magnets, but become magnets when they are magnetized by applying a momentary magnetic field. It is also possible to lose magnetism by applying an alternating magnetic field or by raising the temperature above the Curie temperature (Tc) to make the spontaneous magnetization zero, which is called demagnetization.

The residual flux density (Br [T]) of a magnet is the magnetic force it exhibits when the magnetic field is removed. On the other hand, soft magnetic materials show almost no magnetic force after the magnetic field is removed, and Br is close to zero.

The difference between hard and soft materials is not a difference in the physical hardness of the materials, but a difference similar to that between a hard and soft head in the sense of whether the material is amenable to the environment or not.

Classification of Magnetic Materials

Both hard and soft magnetic materials are classified as ferromagnetic, and the specific magnetic permeability, which expresses how easily a material is magnetized, is much higher than 1. The term magnetic material refers to ferromagnetic materials. In contrast to ferromagnetic materials, there are also paramagnetic and antimagnetic materials, which have a specific permeability of around 1 and are hardly magnetized.

The BH curve is a typical representation of the characteristics of magnetic materials. It is a curve that depicts the magnetic field H [A/m] on the horizontal axis and the magnetic flux density B [T] on the vertical axis when the magnetic field given to magnetic materials is varied. The intercept between the curve and the abscissa is called the residual flux density (Br).

Depending on the altitude of the magnetic metal, it can be broadly classified into hard magnetic materials, soft magnetic materials, and magnetostrictive materials. Major applications include home appliances, motors, generators, magnetic disks, and everything from the home to the manufacturing floor. Since the performance of magnetic materials varies greatly depending on the environment and physical conditions, it is necessary to select the most suitable magnetic materials for the environment in which they will be used.

Types of Magnetic Materials

Soft magnetic materials include iron, silicon iron, permalloy, soft ferrite, sendust, permendur, electromagnetic stainless steel, amorphous, and nanocrystalline.

Hard magnetic materials include hard ferrites, alnico magnets, samarium-cobalt magnets, neodymium magnets, and samarium-iron-nitrogen magnets. Ferrite is a magnetic material consisting mainly of iron oxide mixed with barium, strontium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, etc., and sintered at 1,000 to 1,400 ºC.

Typical examples are as follows:

1. Rare Earth/Rare Earth Magnets

Rare earth magnetic materials are magnetic materials used mainly in automotive parts, motors and electronic devices. In particular, neodymium-iron magnetic materials are hard, durable, and have a very large magnetic energy product.

However, these magnetic materials tend to lose their magnetism at high temperatures, so particular attention should be paid to the thermal environment in which they are used. Samarium-cobalt magnets, which are also rare earth magnets, have slightly less magnetic force than neodymium magnets, but they have great durability against heat and rust, so they can be used under high temperatures where neodymium materials are not suitable.

2. Alnico Magnet

Alnico magnetic materials are cast materials made primarily of aluminum, nickel, and cobalt. This material is resistant to temperature, and its hardness and strength make it difficult to crack, and it is mainly used in instruments and other devices. However, its coercive force is lower than that of other materials, so it easily loses its magnetic force due to external shocks.

3. Ferrite Magnet

Ferrite magnets are mainly made of powdered iron oxides and are extremely versatile magnetic materials. Applications include small motors, speakers, magnetic tapes, etc. Since it is relatively inexpensive for its high coercive force, it is used in products for mass production. Since it is manufactured from powder, it is brittle against impact and is not suitable for cutting or drilling.

Examples of Applications for Magnetic Materials

Hard magnetic materials are used in motors, speakers, and headphones. Soft magnetic materials are used in solenoid valves, various sensors, televisions, videos, and personal computers.

Properties of Magnetic Materials

The two major property categories of magnetic materials are isotropic and anisotropic. These properties depend on whether a magnetic field is applied or not during the process of making magnetic materials, and anisotropic magnetic materials retain a stronger magnetic force.