Dear Reader,
September is here at last and with it the recently passed autumnal equinox signals the transition of the seasons. Yes, we have reached that part in the earth's annual voyage around the sun where, at least for a short period of time, we all share in days which have nearly equal parts daylight and night.
Regardless of where you live on the planet, during this short, unique space in time we can take a certain comfort from knowing that each one of us, in our daily routines, share a common experience with every other single living creature on the planet. Given the state of the world today, it's nice to note this passing as another reminder of how fundamentally we are all connected to the rhythms of our planet.
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| A Whole Lot of Encoder |
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 Just like a good movie that has been years in the making, our latest encoder has been carefully designed, crafted, tweaked and tested until it's just right. And with this newsletter, our readership gets the first public showing.
BEI Sensors' HS52 is an industry first hollow shaft style rotary optical encoder that carries both the UL and ATEX explosion proof hazardous area rating.
Since it's UL certified Explosion proof (ATEX flameproof) it installs without the need for barriers and can be used in the stringent Division 1 (US) and Zone 0 (Euro) environments. To make installation easier, it uses a splined flexshaft coupling which accommodates misalignment internally and allows for hard mounting the case.
You can see by the picture that this is one solid, rugged, well-engineered piece of equipment. It's ready to go to work for you. For the inside scoop, click on the picture to view the specification sheet or request a quote.
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| Hard Working Man |
| Long before there were"big box" stores, the most common way people bought their household goods was through individually owned retail establishments. Mr. James Cash Penney had the idea that providing products that people really needed, and servicing them really well at a fair price was a winning combination.
From his start in a dry goods store in Wyoming in 1902 (when the whole state had only a little over 90,000 people) until his death in 1971 he proved that service and value could build a retail empire of over 1100 stores plus affiliated business. That's quite a remarkable feat for a young man who began raising hogs at the age of eight just so he could afford to buy clothes for himself. To follow his intriguing story, click on the picture, above.
"As a rule, we find what we look for; we achieve what we get ready for."
"Clock watchers never seem to be having a good time."
"Courteous treatment will make a customer a walking advertisement."
"Determine to do some thinking for yourself. Don't live entirely upon the thoughts of others."
"Every man must decide for himself whether he shall master his world or be mastered by it."
"Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together."
"It is always the start that requires the greatest effort."
"It is the service we are not obliged to give that people value most."
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| Can You Solve It? |
People involved in installations and maintenance are a clever bunch - often finding unique ways of cobbling together a solution so they can get up and running again. Downtime is money lost and getting the equipment back into operation quickly is a priority. But the really experienced installers are those that understand that trading off speed for accuracy sometimes has dire consequences.
We got a call just last week where the caller insisted he had a faulty product out of the box and he needed a replacement right away. With a bit of troubleshooting we established that the unit had been damaged during installation. Once we received the part back and put it on the bench we verified that the output circuits had been fried. How could this have happened?
A. In this case, the customer was replacing another product with the BEI part and he failed to check the wiring color code between the two parts. He just assumed that the closest color match would be correct.
There is no universal standard color coding for sensors. In fact if you really want to get confused, just Google "wire color code" and you can see the wide variety of options. That's why I have to give a pat on the back to every one of our customers that gives us a call before they hook up our product and power it up. Most of the electrical problems that we see back into our repair shop involve miswiring. Even with limited reverse, overvoltage and momentary short-to-ground protection on data lines it's possible to damage a product if it's operated outside of it's specification. |
| Art Meets Engineering |
 There was a great deal of excitement last weekend when news that a 12 ton satellite was due to come crashing down into earth.
I suppose it's not surprising that there were no casualties given that less than 2% of earth's land mass is populated, and 75% of our planet is ocean.
Nonetheless it's still intriguing to wonder about all of the "space junk" floating over our heads that could ultimately come whooshing spectacularly to earth. Just so that you can sleep easier at night, there is a US agency which is dedicated to tracking all of the manmade "stuff" that is circling the earth: The NASA Orbital Debris Program Office.
If you click on the picture, above, of the defunct propellant tank from a Delta 2 rocket you'll land on the Orbital Debris Reentry page. From there you can navigate to the home page and check out their cool photo gallery and computer models of debris that is currently being tracked. It's an eye-opening view, to say the least. |
THANK YOU
We at BEI Sensors appreciate that you took the time to read this month's newsletter. Hopefully it was both fun and educational and worth your time. Give is a call anytime to help with your sensor needs. Until next month - stay safe.
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| Spotlight |
![BEI Sensors Tech]() |
A Special Offer
Here's a little something for our readers in the Northeast part of the US. BEI Sensors will be attending the Sensors Tech Forum in Boston on the 10th through the 12th of October next month. If you click the image, above we have a special money-saving invitation if you are able to attend. I will also be presenting a technical paper, so stop by and listen in We look forward to seeing you there. |
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