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ON MANUFACTURING GEAR Fast Camera for QC When it comes to airbag deployment, things happen quicker than a blink of an eye. Literally. Which makes performing airbag (and other component) testing and troubleshooting somewhat tricky. So to address the need to see what's going on, Fastec Imaging has developed the IL5 5MP, a high-speed camera that allows the action to be captured, then replayed at slow motion so that the event can be more readily assessed. The camera can capture video at 1,000 fps at 1,280 x 1,014 or 2,750 fps at 768 x 576. (According to the company it is possible to achieve even faster frame rates at smaller resolutions: all models in the lineup recover over 3,200 fps at VGA resolution and more than 18,000 fps. The camera offers a long-record (LR) option that allows recording at high speeds for more than just a few seconds. The camera can be controlled over Gigabit Ethernet by the company's software on either a PC or Mac. In addition, there is a built-in web interface that allows control with a PC, Mac, tablet or even smart phone. fastecimaging.com LED Adhesive Curing System As there is an increase in the amount of adhesives being deployed in automotive applications—all the way from body structures to compo- nents—it is worth noting, for those who are producing things of a smaller variety, that Dymax has introduced the BlueWave MX-150, an LED-based spot-curing system. The system consists of two main parts: a controller with a touchscreen interface and a high-intensity LED emitter. There are three different wavelength LED emitters available—365, 385 or 405 nm—so optimal cures can be achieved. One advantage of the design of this unit compared with other spot-curing systems is that as the LED chip, which produces the spot, is located in the emitter, there isn't a potential loss of intensity if there is a long or bent light guide involved. The system can be setup in a benchtop configuration or the emitter can be attached to the arm of a robot. Consequently, activation is the result of using a foot pedal, touching the interface screen or via a PLC. dymax.com Machining Centers for Automotive Applications Given its wide portfolio of machine tools— multitasking machines, turning centers, vertical machining centers, horizontal machining centers and more—numerous machine tools from Mazak have applicability in automotive-related work. That said, the company is specifically addressing the automotive industry with a new line of machines, the UN Series. There are both high-speed vertical and horizontal machining centers in the UN line that are specifically designed and engineered for use in auto plants. The UN-600/30V is a vertical machining center. It—like the UN-600/30H—is a #30-taper machine. The UN-600/30V is a narrow machine (the "UN" nomenclature stands for "ultra-narrow") so that it can be readily located within a production line: it has a width of just 27.4 inches. However, it is capable—thanks, in part, to the ability to interpolate the C- and Y-axes for the X-axis—of accommodating a maximum workpiece diameter of approximately 23.6 inches. The UN-600/30H has the same maximum workpiece diameter and it is, comparatively speaking, smaller than horizontals typically are in this category. Again, it is clever engineering that facilitates this: there is a compound X-axis deployed, which means that half the axis stroke is on the machine table and the other half is on the machine column. The UN-600/30V has a tool storage capacity of 20 tools; it is 30 tools for the UN-600/30H. Both machines have integral spindle motors. The spindles operate at up to 20,000 rpm and they accelerate to the top speed in 0.55 seconds. Synchronized tapping can be performed at 8,000 rpm. mazakusa.com 46