Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions division announced that its Avionics business unit, based in Christchurch, Dorset, has been awarded Silver accreditation by the Investors in People Standard, demonstrating the Company’s commitment to high performance through good people management.
Curtiss-Wright continually invests in research and development to ensure it maintains technology leadership to deliver high performance Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) and custom engineered products. Curtiss-Wright’s Avionics business provides system solutions that acquire, consolidate, analyze and record sensor and avionics data on aircraft. Our core capabilities include safety critical certified design and development processes (DO-178 and DO-254) combined with mature quality processes (AS9100). A range of product and service offerings enables us to provide solutions for many applications including: airborne recording, air data computing, flight test and space data handling systems. Curtiss-Wright Avionics is one of 3 business units based in Christchurch, Dorset and employs 100 staff.
Investors in People is the international standard for people management, defining what it takes to lead, support and manage people effectively to achieve sustainable results. Underpinning the Standard is the Investors in People framework, reflecting the latest workplace trends, essential skills and effective structures required to outperform in any industry. Investors in People enables organisations to benchmark against the best in the business on an international scale.
Paul Devoy, Head of Investors in People, said: “We’d like to congratulate Curtiss-Wright Avionics, Investors in People accreditation is the sign of a great employer, an outperforming place to work and a clear commitment to success. They should be extremely proud of their achievement.”
Commenting on the accreditation, Mark Liversidge, General Manager of the Avionics and Electronics group, said: “I am thrilled with this significant achievement for the Avionics team. This has been a 3 year journey of working together to make significant improvements to our business through good people management.”
Robust JC1200 single-axis joystick has a long operating life
Curtiss-Wright Corporation today announced its Industrial division has launched the JC1200, a next-generation, cost-effective paddle joystick from the Corporation’s brand family of Penny & Giles.
By using a long-life bearing system and non-contacting Hall-effect sensing technology, the JC1200 has achieved a long operating life of 25 million cycles while providing functionality that is smooth and easy to operate.
Key features of the JC1200 include:
- An under-panel depth of 9mm, requiring minimal installation space
- A spring-loaded return-to-center or return-to-end paddle movement
- Integrated panel seal and IP67 protection – suitable for outside use
- A choice of nine colored paddle ‘Tabs’, which can be factory fitted or supplied separately and added as part of the final customer installation process
The JC1200 launches with a 5Vdc supply voltage and the option for factory-programmable electronics configured to one of two analog voltage output ranges (0.5-4.5V or 1.0-4.0V). The joystick also provides safety functionality via dual outputs, which can be set to positive or negative ramps, or a combination of both. This offers system designers the option to compare the output signals for error checking.
The JC1200 paddle joystick builds on the success of the potentiometric-based JC120 and is ideal for use in control panels and armrests found in industrial trucks, agricultural equipment and construction machinery, where cost-effective, long-life operator controls are essential.
Sales inquiries: Please forward all sales and reader service inquiries to cwig.uk@curtisswright.com.
For more information on Curtiss-Wright Industrial products, please visit www.cw-industrialgroup.com or call +44.1425.271444.
CURTISS-WRIGHT LAUNCHES EN ISO 13849 COMPLIANT MOTOR CONTROLLER
New C3-CE is ideal for small industrial and Class 3 vehicle applications
Christchurch, U.K. – 23-09-2015 – Curtiss-Wright Corporation today announced its Industrial division has introduced a new version of the C3 motor controller to its established and cost-effective range of AC motor controllers. The C3-CE is EN ISO 13849 compliant and, as a new addition to the high-performing, compact and cost-effective C3 motor controller range, provides OEMs with a controller that is ideal for small industrial vehicle applications, including Class 3 pallet trucks.
The new C3-CE, from Curtiss-Wright’s brand family of PG Drives Technology, retains all the features and benefits of the original C3 motor controller but has been CE marked as a safety component and designed with EN ISO 13849 Category 3 hardware architecture – including dual microprocessors, dual inputs and a dedicated B+Safe output. This provides a safer and more convenient approach that, unlike the conventional and widely-used Category 2 architecture, doesn’t require the safety function to be checked at ‘machine start-up’ and ‘prior to the initiation of any hazardous situation’, which can be inconvenient and potentially dangerous.
Key features of the C3-CE include:
Sales Inquiries: Please forward all sales and reader service inquiries to cwig.uk@curtisswright.com.
For more information on Curtiss-Wright Industrial products, visit www.cw-industrialgroup.com or call +44.1425.271444.
About Curtiss-Wright Corporation
Curtiss-Wright Corporation is a global innovative company that delivers highly engineered, critical function products and services to the commercial, industrial, defense and energy markets. Building on the heritage of Glenn Curtiss and the Wright brothers, Curtiss-Wright has a long tradition of providing reliable solutions through trusted customer relationships. The company employs approximately 9,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit www.curtisswright.com.
Curtiss-Wright Corporation’s (NYSE: CW) Industrial division today announced that it has been presented with the “Supplier of the Year Award 2014 Europe” from Southco Manufacturing, a global leader in the design, manufacture and supply of engineered access hardware solutions.
Curtiss-Wright Industrial division’s Senior Vice President & General Manager, Kevin Rayment, said: “We are delighted with the award, which was presented in recognition of an outstanding 100% track record of on time deliveries and zero PPM for the period.”
The award was presented at Curtiss-Wright’s facility in Cwmfelinfach, UK, and related to the Penny & Giles brand of solenoid actuator assemblies.
Commenting for Southco Inc., Director of Global Supply Chain & Logistics, Tony Wood, said: “As a key supplier, Curtiss-Wright has fully earned this award for multiple years of service and quality that has, in turn, enabled us to grow our business. Curtiss-Wright has a proven reputation for responsiveness, pro-activeness and in driving value-added engineering into the supply of Southco’s products.”
Curtiss-Wright Industrial division’s wide range of solenoid actuators and solenoid valves include standard and configurable designs in a selection of solenoid styles. They can also supply modified standard designs to suit specific applications, or unique, custom designs for large scale OEMs. Products are suitable for on- and off-highway applications, including automotive, construction and agricultural vehicles, materials handling and other specialty vehicles; as well as industrial equipment.
Curtiss-Wright Corporation’s (NYSE: CW) Industrial division, via its Arens Controls branded range of products, is rapidly emerging as a world leader in engineering and manufacturing precision operator interface control systems and power management systems for commercial on- and off-highway vehicles.
Products include by-wire shift selectors for automatic and automated manual transmissions for on-highway vehicles including trucks and buses; and off-highway mechatronic controls including multiple-function operator consoles and hydrostatic lever controls. Key sectors include hybrid vehicle power management systems such as traction inverters, DC/DC converters, DC/AC inverters and power distribution modules.
From the latest on- and off-highway commercial vehicles, to the rapidly developing hybrid vehicle market, Curtiss-Wright engineers are focused on developing bespoke, innovative solutions and next generation technology. This intelligent engineering, from initial concept to finished product, demonstrates the Industrial division’s commitment to providing the advanced control and power management systems demanded by today's commercial vehicle manufacturers.
Power Distribution Modules
A range of power distribution modules (PDMs) that incorporates state-of-the-art, digital electronics technology for use in on- and off-highway vehicles such as medium- and heavy-duty trucks, buses and motor coaches. PDMs are also available for construction and agricultural vehicle applications and materials handling and other specialty vehicles.
Traction Inverters for Hybrid Vehicles
Traction inverters for hybrid vehicles are at the heart of today's hybrid drivetrain technology and are designed to maximize the efficient management of high-voltage power between the power source and the drivetrain components. In fact, Curtiss-Wright’s Industrial division was one of the first companies to produce traction inverters specifically designed for use in commercial hybrid vehicles and today is leading the industry in the production of automotive hardened traction inverters with power ranges from 30kW to 500kW. These are ideal for truck, bus/coach, agricultural and construction equipment applications, including those where modern, hybrid solutions are being adopted.
Power Converters & Auxiliary Power Modules
This includes a wide range of DC/DC and DC/AC power converters for on-board systems as well as export power needs. Auxiliary power converters provide on-board AC power for work trucks of all sizes and units are available with output up to 25kW and voltages of 120/208/240 in either single- or 3-phase. Its range of auxiliary power converters are ruggedly built to provide years of dependable operation and can be integrated into the electrical system of virtually any vehicle.
Integration of all these converters is now made easier with the Arens Controls branded PowerPac a recently introduced range of power converters featuring special, compact designs that are engineered to fit into vehicle battery boxes. Both air- and liquid-cooled designs are available and all feature the industry's highest power density and surge capacity, CAN communications, cast enclosures and self-diagnostic capabilities.
For further information about other innovative on- and off-highway vehicle solutions available from Curtiss-Wright’s Industrial division, please visit www.cw-industrialgroup.com or call +44 (0)1425 271444.
About Curtiss-Wright Corporation
Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE:CW) is a global innovative company that delivers highly engineered, critical function products and services to the commercial, industrial, defense and energy markets. Building on the heritage of Glenn Curtiss and the Wright brothers, Curtiss-Wright has a long tradition of providing reliable solutions through trusted customer relationships. The company employs approximately 9,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit www.curtisswright.com.
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Editor’s Note:
Arens Controls was acquired by Curtiss-Wright in 2013 and, with brands including Penny & Giles, PG Drives Technology and Williams Controls has formed a key group in the Corporation’s Industrial division. These well-established brands are all experts in the design, testing and manufacture of a range of components and systems for the safe and reliable operation and control of mobile and static machinery - especially off-highway vehicles, heavy trucks, buses, military and motorsport vehicles.
Arens products can be found on today's most advanced commercial vehicles, from agricultural equipment to school and transit buses, as well as on a growing number of commercial vehicles for both on-road and off-road applications. In fact, Arens is the established leader in power management for the rapidly expanding hybrid commercial vehicle market.
Looking to the future, Arens is committed to the continued development of technologies designed to improve the operator / vehicle control interface while improving overall vehicle performance and economics as well as operator comfort and safety.
In addition to vehicle control products, Arens intelligent engineering is focused on developing the next generation power management products such as intelligent power distribution modules and high-voltage / high-power junction boxes; DC/DC and DC/AC converters and traction inverters for heavy-duty truck and bus hybrid drives.
Commenting for Curtiss-Wright, Senior Vice President & General Manager of the Industrial division, Kevin Rayment says: “The Industrial division has more than 50 years experience in providing control and feedback solutions for numerous applications and we’re no newcomer to high-octane and motorsport applications where custom sensors are often specified.”
Thanks to the experience gained from its aerospace businesses – where reliability under extreme and hostile conditions is paramount – Curtiss-Wright’s sensors have become a benchmark for motorsport applications and are used in numerous race series including the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), Formula One (F1) and Formula Student. In fact, from the moment a leading F1 team adopted a custom-engineered Penny + Giles sensor as part of its revolutionary active suspension system, to today’s unique Hall-effect position sensors, we can proudly boast to have been the first position sensor manufacturer to enter motorsport and have supplied every F1 championship winning team since 1986.
“With a performance to match today’s Formula racing cars, the single-seat Mono required an equivalent level of intuitive direct control, so BAC designers and engineers specified components that were themselves designed and engineered for the racetrack,” says Mr. Rayment.
With motorsport very much in mind during its evolution, Mono was the vision of BAC design director Ian Briggs. However, he also wanted the car to feel at home as much on country lanes as it does on the race track. Mr. Briggs noted, “I wanted Mono to be high tech and totally fresh in its approach. A car for people who want to feel a connection, and be really involved in the character of the car they drive. It had to be a car people would be consistently excited by, and would experience pride in owning. In short, Mono is a totally immersive experience, from start to finish.”
Operated via steering wheel-mounted paddles, Mono uses an F3-specification, six-speed sequential Hewland gearbox with an electronic/pneumatic semi-automatic, closed-loop gear selection system that delivers paddle-shift changes in 35 milliseconds. This is coupled to a 2.3 litre, 285bhp four-cylinder Cosworth engine enabling the Mono to achieve a 0-60mph time of less than three seconds.
The closed-loop control system on Mono uses a gearbox control unit (GCU) with inputs from a Penny + Giles gear position sensor to alter its own operation in real-time. During gear changes, the closed-loop system monitors the gear position sensor to determine the angular position of the gearbox selector barrel. Information from this is then relayed to the GCU to ensure use of the throttle blip, torque reduction or pneumatic actuator where necessary, to effect consistently quick and reliable gearshifts.
As BAC co-founder and technical director Neill Briggs explains, when a gear position sensor was required for the Mono’s gearbox, specifying Penny + Giles was the obvious choice. “Used to relay gear position feedback to the GCU, sensors were vital during BAC’s development of Mono and are as vital under normal and track day driving conditions in informing the driver of the car’s current gear. We therefore needed a sensor that was dependable, reliable and met our exacting requirements for Mono, so we called Penny + Giles.”
Standard Penny + Giles SRH280P rotary position sensors use a factory-programmable, non-contact Hall-effect sensor system to provide reliable and accurate rotary position measurement in extreme motorsport and industrial environments where shock and vibration can occur. Additional key features include single or dual output channels; total sensor measurement range from 0-20° to 0-360°; low noise level (1mVrms) on output signal; crush-proof mounting flange with steel inserts; and rapid availability.
Using the popular 38mm flanged housing and with an environmental protection rating to IP68, the sensors operate from either 5Vdc regulated or 9-30Vdc unregulated power supplies and are available with analog (0.5 - 4.5Vdc and 0.1 - 4.9Vdc) or digital (PWM) output signals. The sensor is factory programmable – allowing OEMs to specify the output signal type, measurement range (0-20° to 0-360° in 1° increments) and output direction (clockwise or anticlockwise) – has a 12 bit resolution (0.025%) over the selected measuring range, and operates from -40 to +140°C when powered at 5Vdc.
Curtiss-Wright’s Industrial division is a recognized leader in the production of critical controls and assemblies for specialty vehicles, including sensors, electronic throttle controls and joysticks. For further information about Penny + Giles products and other innovative solutions available from Curtiss-Wright’s Industrial division, please visit www.cw-industrial.com or call +44 (0)1425 271444.
About Curtiss-Wright Corporation
Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE:CW) is a global innovative company that delivers highly engineered, critical function products and services to the commercial, industrial, defense and energy markets. Building on the heritage of Glenn Curtiss and the Wright brothers, Curtiss-Wright has a long tradition of providing reliable solutions through trusted customer relationships. The company employs approximately 10,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit www.curtisswright.com.
Penny + Giles, a business group of Curtiss-Wright Controls and designer and manufacturer of joystick controllers, solenoids and high precision sensing technology, is supplying its TPS280DP throttle position sensors to UH Racing, the University of Hertfordshire’s Formula Student racing team.
Used as a testing ground for the next generation of world-class engineers, Formula Student challenges university students from around the world to design and build single-seat racing cars with the aim of inspiring the next generation and addressing the all too apparent skills shortage in engineering.
Commenting for UH Racing’s Formula Student team, engine specialist Craig Brant says: “The 2011 season has been one of the toughest yet, but UH Racing was named top UK team and achieved an overall third place at the Formula Student UK event held at Silverstone. We were also awarded top UK team and overall seventh place at the Formula Student Germany event.”
Like many other racing formulas, vehicles entering the Formula Student event are subject to restrictions, including a maximum 600cc engine size and air restrictors to the engine. However, Formula Student is one of the most open formulas in the world with teams able to choose single cylinder or v-twin engines, many derived from powerful, high-revving motorbike units. UH Racing’s car – dubbed UH14 because it is the University’s fourteenth combustion-engine vehicle since entering the event in 1998 – uses a 600cc, four-cylinder, four-stroke Yamaha engine.
For 2011 many teams have taken a different approach, opting for a lightweight design with very small wheels and a single cylinder engine to give them an advantage on the skid pad and sprint course.
However, as Craig explains: “With UH14, UH Racing has continued the approach of using a more powerful but slightly heavier engine, but has also started to adopt Formula One technologies including the use of a carbon fibre body, tyre pressure monitoring systems and tyre temperature. We have also been lucky to have students in work placements with Cosworth Racing who, through sponsorship, have offered technical advice and supplied useful equipment.”
He goes onto say that because the track for the 2011 endurance event was tight and twisty, UH Racing wanted to replace its usual gear lever with a paddle shift system to enable drivers to change gears more quickly, easily and safely, and in turn improve lap times.
The initial student-designed system involved steering wheel mounted paddle switches actuating a solenoid attached to the engine block, which in turn moved a gear selector on the engine to change gear. However, tests revealed that the system’s ECU read the gear position based on the wheel speed of the car and the data couldn’t accurately provide drivers with a dashboard display showing which gear was selected.
To achieve a more definitive gear position the team decided to monitor the barrel of the engine using a sensor installed on the barrel position of the gearbox. Now, when it moves the selector forks to change gear, the rotation is changed and the team is able to determine exactly which gear has been selected.
UH Racing’s Yamaha-based engine has its gearbox mounted to the engine, making it a very compact unit. However, the sensors mounted on the engine block and gearbox barrel are subjected to extremely high levels of shock and vibration over long periods, so the team needed a sensor that would withstand the mechanical abuse from the engine/gearbox configuration.
Having already partnered Active Technologies (AT Power) in developing a Formula Student throttle body, the University of Hertfordshire again approached the company for advice. AT Power had themselves recently begun using Penny + Giles throttle position sensors on its own throttle bodies and after further testing and discussions with Penny + Giles engineers, the same advanced TPS280DP sensors were also specified for use on UH Racing’s gear position system.
As Craig explains: “Previously, we had used potentiometer-based sensors from another manufacturer, but we decided that for this season a more advanced sensor was needed. As AT Power had recommended the TPS280DP for the throttle bodies, we approached Penny + Giles to source the same sensors for our new gear position system.”
Penny + Giles tailored the throttle position sensor to UH Racing’s specifications and the team designed its own mounting bracket for the engine. The sensor was then factory-programmed with a 360° rotation to allow it to read the full range of gears. The throttle position sensors are now connected to the gear position barrel and provide feedback on the exact position of the barrel and therefore the exact gear number.
The Penny + Giles TPS280DP uses a factory programmable Hall effect sensor with two outputs that can be programmed individually for angular range, output range and direction. It has no contacting sensor parts, which ensures zero signal degradation over the lifetime of the sensor, and has a tested life of more than 60 million operations – more than 18 times the life of an equivalent potentiometer. In addition, when powered with 5Vdc, the sensor has an operating temperature range from -40 to +140ºC.
The TPS280DP has been specifically designed to work in harsh motorsport environments and has excellent shock and vibration resistance. Its drive and body are IP69K-rated to provide excellent protection against the ingress of dust and fluids. It is also mechanically interchangeable with many existing potentiometer-based throttle sensors using 32mm mounting centres, and is designed to interface with most common throttle body D type spindles.
“The new setup works very well.” says Craig. “Instead of the ECU trying to calculate the gear position, the TPS280DP now provides us with an exact position, ensuring that the correct gear is displayed on the dashboard. In endurance events this helps the driver to prepare the car for the course ahead while navigating the tight and twisting courses.”
The updated throttle bodies and new gear position system have been thoroughly tested on and off the track, on cars from both the 2010 and 2011 seasons, and have proved very reliable.
Summing up the Penny + Giles contribution Craig Brant says that while the team’s engines aren’t too highly stressed they are run very hard and adds: “We expected the sensor to last the life of the engine and therefore the season, and we haven’t been disappointed.”
