Vistagy has announced the introduction of Vistagy Aerosuite, a solution that enables aircraft manufacturers to more effectively manage the evolving product development process. It also allows manufacturers to deliver optimised parts and assemblies in less time at a lower cost. The Aerosuite consists of FiberSim composites engineering software, SyncroFit software for assembly development and the quality planning environment.

Steve Luby, president and chief executive officer of Vistagy, said: 'There is no question that developing complex composites structures and highly engineered assemblies presents substantial challenges. 'But the key to overcoming these inherent challenges is recognising that the composite definition and assembly definition of an airframe are inextricably linked and must be considered as an integrated system. 'We believe that the companies that adopt this approach will be best-suited to meet the challenges and will thrive because they will be the ones most capable of producing robust aircraft on time and on budget.

' The Vistagy Aerosuite was inspired by the realisation that trying to achieve all three of these goals simultaneously was problematic because changes in one area often had profound effects on the other two areas, resulting in missed deadlines, increased costs, overweight designs and substandard performance. By contrast, Vistagy Aerosuite enables engineers to work how they think with vocabulary and tools specific to aerostructures design. They can capture design intent, manage complex design and assembly relationships, automatically propagate changes throughout the design, and validate the design, resulting in better performance, reduced costs and shorter product cycles.

The VISTAGY Aerosuite is comprised of several components. FiberSim - a software suite that addresses the entire composites-engineering process, from conception, laminate definition and ply creation through simulation, performance optimisation, flat-pattern generation, documentation and manufacturing. SyncroFit - a group of software products (formerly known as airframe development environments) for designing and manufacturing airframe assemblies and large aerostructures. SyncroFit enables the user to easily author and capture complete digital representations of airframe assemblies and share critical design and manufacturing detail more efficiently across the enterprise and the global supply chain.

The software provides a thorough representation of the airframe assembly, including the relationships defined by joints between mating parts and the definition of fasteners and holes. It also manages the interactions of composite details within assemblies and allows engineers to validate that fastener design rules have been met. Quality planning environment (QPE) - specialised software that enables quality-planning engineers to ensure airframes are manufactured properly based on condition of supply definitions. With the QPE, quality engineers are able to generate their plans based on design and manufacturing data created by FiberSim and SyncroFit and saved in the CAD model, therefore shortening the time it takes to generate inspection plans, reducing errors in planning, and tailoring plans to the needs of the quality inspectors.

Custom consulting services - based on more than 15 years of experience working with designers and manufacturers of advanced aircraft, Vistagy has developed comprehensive service offerings to assist its customers in implementing optimised processes for developing composite aerostructures. Vistagy uses a four-phase deployment methodology that is customised to meet the goals of each specific organisation. Vistagy technical consultants interview designers, analysts and manufacturing engineers to assess capabilities and objectives, then develop design methodologies for specific part types and, finally, focus on large-scale deployment and the implementation of those part-specific design methodologies. Custom consulting services enable aerospace firms to fully leverage the potential of the Vistagy Aerosuite and meet their programme objectives.

Newport Spectra-Physics Lasers Division has launched the Iris Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO), a tuneable, ultrafast laser source for advanced imaging and spectroscopy applications. Optimised for use with the company's Mai Tai HP ultrafast laser, the Iris OPO delivers a wide gap-free ultrafast tuning range, from the ultraviolet (UV) to the infrared (340 to 2500nm), and high power in the UV and visible.

The OPO features full automation for computer-controlled tuning across the range without adjustment or change of optics. The Iris OPO has multiple output ports for simultaneous UV, visible and infrared output, making it ideal for applications that require multiple wavelengths, such as coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) imaging. The OPO delivers >1W of average power from 340-520nm and >400mW from 490-750nm. Additionally, the OPO provides adjustable pulse widths (from 80 to 350fs). Optimised for high stability, the OPO is insensitive to ambient temperature change.

SGS's Internal Rotary Inspection System (IRIS) is a non-destructive ultrasonic testing method. This technology is generally used for the measurement of wall thinning and pitting as a result of corrosion and erosion of small bore pipes. IRIS uses ultrasonic technology, which makes it possible to inspect a range of materials.

The IRIS probe is inserted into a tube that is flooded with water and is then removed as the data is displayed and recorded. The ultrasonic beam allows detection of metal loss from both the inside and the outside of the tube wall. The IRIS probe is claimed to produce accurate and detailed results. The data can be safely used in integrity assessment studies and remaining lifetime calculations. This non-destructive testing method can be used for inspection of heat exchanger and steam generator tubes and pipes in the chemical, petrochemical and nuclear energy industries.

IRIS technology can also be used to detect and quantify pitting and damaged areas as well as a general reduction in wall thickness, so that the condition of the entire pipe cluster can be charted. SGS experts inspect ferrous and non-ferrous materials for erosion, corrosion and pitting up to 30m, defining the origin of the defect. SGS's non-destructive testing services are integrated with its asset integrity management solutions and its material testing laboratories. The services also fit into its supply-chain services. SGS also offers non-destructive testing training courses.

A manufacturer of moulded plastics electrical conduit components has invested in Spirol's Model PH platen multi-tip heat insertion machine. The manufacturer was previously installing in-house designed brass inserts into many of its own products using a single horn ultrasonic welder. As part of this time-consuming task, the operator would load the part into a nest, place an insert into the hole and activate the unit. This frequently caused great difficulty due to undersized holes and an unconventional insert shape.

These problems have been overcome with an investment in Spirol's multi-tip heat insertion machine. Using the original method, the results were poor and excess molten material created an unsightly appearance, plus the insert was frequently positioned out of location. Secondary operations were also required to remove the excess material and a high percentage of parts were rejected. Production speeds were slow at a rate of one finished part (two inserts per part) per minute and sometimes took even longer depending on the complexity of the part.

After reviewing their entire process, Spirol recommended a total assembly solution with the use of a versatile Model PH platen-style heat insertion system in conjunction with a Spirol INS 29 brass insert, along with the proper hole size. The machine was provided with quick-change tooling sets to allow the assembly of more than 10 different style parts. Each tooling set was designed to accommodate from three to six parts depending upon size. The operator can now load six parts, two inserts per part, before activating the machine. All 12 inserts are installed simultaneously.

The conductive heat method, with consistent pneumatic installation pressure, has resulted in high-quality insertions, excellent appearance and performance, plus no rejects. This process yields six completed assemblies in the same time it previously took for one. This has allowed the machine to pay for itself in less than one year. The customer can also add additional tooling sets to accommodate new parts.

CD couplings from Zero-Max are suitable for use with fixed displacement hydraulic pumps driven by servo motors. and high torsional stiffness to ensure reliable system operation. 'This pump drive technology offers improvements in energy efficiency and noise reduction,' said Robert Mainz, Zero-Max sales manager. 'These pump systems utilise the power and precision that only a servo motor can provide.

'The system pressure is controlled by modulating the output volume of a fixed displacement pump. 'This is made possible utilising a high-performance control system and the qualities of a CD shaft coupling.' CD couplings are robust to ensure that these hydraulic pump applications are reliable and productive. CD couplings are designed so that the working part is made of a composite material.

The composite disc design withstands the punishment and stress of a servo motor, report OEM designers. CD couplings are available in single and double flex aluminum hub models with or without keyways. The single flex models have a torque capacity range from 40Nm to 1436Nm and beyond with speed ratings from 4,400rpm to 17,000rpm. All CD couplings are environmentally friendly and are manufactured with RoHS compliant materials.

Abssac offers a helical beam flexible shaft coupling with anti-backlash torque for power transmission applications. The helical beam product can be useful when parameters such as torque and angular shaft misalignment are outside of the norm. The advantages lie in the capability of the shaft coupling to change the actual helical beam configuration, or 'flexure' as it is often termed.

In affect, the flexure part of the shaft coupling can be tuned to suit individual application requirements. For example, by varying the thickness of the flexure, the coupling can accommodate increasing amounts of torque and radial loads. The design engineer can specify the torsional stiffness and compression spring rates independent of other factors such as angular offset and parallelism acceptance. When the inside diameter of the flexure changes, so does the torque capacity, torsional stiffness and axial spring rates, without restricting your choice of bore sizes.

When the number of rotations of coils is changed, the torque capacity remains unaffected, but all the other characteristics change. Then the option to use multiple start coils, such as double and triple start coil configurations, can ultimately provide higher torsional stiffness to the part. High-strength materials such as 17-4PH CRES steels can also be used as well as 7075-T6 aluminium. Factors such as elasticity, fatigue, corrosion resistance, mass, magnetic permeability, operating temperature are all affected by the material choice. The performance and attachments available allows a bespoke shaft coupling to be supplied.

Physik Instrumente has released the Piezo Nano Positioning Inspirations 2009 catalogue, a 530-page reference book covering nanopositioning, piezo systems and micropositioning technology. It contains more than 200 product ranges, 30 per cent of them new, with more than 1000 drawings, graphs, images and technical diagrams. Examples of PI's products and technologies include: parallel-kinematics nanopositioning / scanning stages; high-speed ultrasonic linear motors for automation; capacitive nanometrology sensor systems; NSOM scanning microscopy stages; ceramic-encapsulated piezo actuators; PiezoWalk piezo worm type linear motors for bio/nanotechnology; miniature motors for autofocus cell-phone type cameras; six-axis hexapod micromotion robots; high-load, low-speed mirror alignment systems for astronomical telescopes; high-speed scanning and steering mirrors and mirror shifters; motorised precision actuators and stages for semiconductor applications; digital and analogue nanopositioning motion controllers and piezo drivers; servo and stepper motor controllers; photonics alignment systems; photometers; and tutorials and selection guides. On top of the product descriptions and selection guides, extensive tutorials on piezo technology, the fundamentals of nanopositioning, micropositioning and nanometrology are included to aid users in selecting the system that best meets their needs. A PDF version of the catalogue can be downloaded from PI's website.