Filed under: Health, Healthy Eating, Eat This
A couple of months ago I wrote a post on alternatives to processed sports beverages and I mentioned coconut water as a much better refresher than something like Gatorade. It seems I was on to a trend without realizing it as coconut water is all the … Read more
We have a new American Idol….and it isn’t early frontrunner Crystal Bowersox.
Proving Simon Cowell’s final Idol prediction spot-on, dark horse Lee DeWyze was crowned American Idol on Wednesday, beating dreadlocked soul singer Crystal Bowersox in one of the most stunning upsets in the show’s nine season history.
Host Ryan Seacrest said on Wednesday’s finale that DeWyze of Mount Prospect, Ill., edged Bowersox, of Toledo, Ohio, in viewer votes cast after Tuesday’s performance show.
“I have never been happier in my life,” a choked-up DeWyze said before a packed house at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
The 24-year-old guitarist won the coveted title and a recording contract after millions of Americans cast their votes for the bluesy guitarist despite what Idol judges had deemed a better showing by Bowersox in Tuesday’s performance finale.
In a HCD poll of more than 3,000 A.I. viewers, Bowersox was the favorite to win tonight’s finale; receiving 66.2 percent of the votes, while Dewyze received just 33.8.3 percent.
DeWyze worked in a Chicago paint shop before auditioning for the FOX TV singing contest a year ago. Lee;s first single will be a cover of U2’s hit track, “Beautiful Day.”
Wednesday’s finale also marked the departure of judge Simon Cowell, a parody song by Dane Clark, and the return of ex-judge Paula Abdul.
The controversy surrounding the government’s attempts to impose internet regulations continues, with the Alliance for Digital Equality (ADE) announcing it will oppose the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) "third way" approach to network neutrality.
Earlier this year the United States District Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the FCC had overstepped its jurisdiction when it tried to impose net neutrality rules on Comcast, which had blocked its subscribers from using the file-sharing website BitTorrent. This effectively closed a similar avenue for regulations, prompting FCC chairman Julius Genacowski to propose a "third way," which would reclassify broadband services under New Deal-era "common carrier" laws created for early landline telephone technology.
This has met with sharp criticism from the two Republican commissioners on the agency’s board, Robert McDowell and Meredith Baker, who said it would lead to regulatory chaos and stifle investment that is necessary to expanding broadband infrastructure and creating jobs.
The ADE has also expressed opposition and urged Congress to play a larger role in the network neutrality debate.
"This policy shift appears to be a risky experiment and will likely lead to higher broadband prices," said ADE chairman Julius H. Hollis.
"As the world of business, medicine and education shift towards a more digital-based economy, the proposal could worsen the problems of [ordinary] Americans, who are already stretched financially and have disproportionately borne the brunt of this recession," added Manuel A. Diaz, vice chairman of the ADE board of directors.
Despite gun opponents’ warnings that easier access to guns leads to escalating violence, the most recent statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) suggest that crime in the United States dropped dramatically in 2009.
Preliminary data from the Uniform Crime Report shows that the violent crime rate went down 5.5 percent nationwide in 2009. This covers all four categories of violent crime: murder, robbery, aggravated assault and forcible rape. Violent crime went down 4 percent in metropolitan counties and 3 percent elsewhere, according to the FBI.
This has prompted gun rights organizations, such as the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA), to point out that these positive trends are taking place despite the evidence—also cited by the FBI—that gun and ammunition purchases are up.
"There are more guns in private hands than ever before, yet crime rates have declined…this means that gun prohibitionists have been consistently wrong," said CCRKBA chairman Alan Gottlieb.
He added that these data suggest that "America should turn its back on the gun prohibition lobby and their insidious policy of victim disarmament."
According to media reports, the decline has continued for the third straight year, and this year’s drops were steeper than those registered in 2007 and 2008, despite the recession. 
(Initial Focus on Employment Tax Compliance)
When the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released its five-year strategic plan last year it promised a flurry of new attacks on the public in a variety of areas. Referred to by the IRS as “enforcement initiatives,” these attacks constitute the key areas the agency will target for increased audit attention in the years to come. What was a mere promise last fall of more audit activity is now a reality. The IRS just recently launched the first wave of audit attacks.
In reviewing the IRS’s strategic plan it came as no surprise to me that the lion’s share of this new audit attention would be focused on small businesses. What did surprise me is the level of aggressiveness with which the IRS intends to carry out the attack. The agency identified four specific areas that it will focus on. I reveal them here.
1. The misclassification of workers as independent contractors (ICs). Employment taxes represent a staggering cost to businesses, both in terms of money and time. For this reason, many businesses look for ways to trim costs by reducing employees. One strategy is to use independent contractors (ICs) rather than employees to perform services for the business. But there is a right way and a wrong way to use ICs. If you go about it the wrong way you open yourself up to substantial tax assessments with penalties and interest.
Because employment taxes are such an important revenue source, the IRS is determined to audit as many businesses as possible to ferret out those that use ICs. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently reported that in 2007, various audits by state revenue departments found that more than 150,000 workers were misclassified as ICs. This report prompted the IRS to undertake its own study. So beginning immediately, the IRS will launch at least 6,000 random audits of small businesses. The announcement came on April 22 and was issued by Robin Arnold, a senior IRS program manager and field specialist.
Of course, the random audits are just the beginning. Once the IRS has the audit program fully developed and refined it will let loose its agents upon businesses on a much wider scale. The agency is training 200 revenue agents right now to conduct these audits. Moreover, it’s in the process of hiring nearly 2,000 more agents this year to help carry the load. Even worse, the results of the audits will be shared with the states so they can get in line behind the IRS to pick the bones clean.
And while it’s certainly not illegal to use ICs, you must be sure the workers are legitimate ICs and not merely employees masquerading as ICs. This is just one reason my IRS Problem Solver Series is so important and valuable for small businesses. This issue is just one of the many I discuss in great detail in that package.
2. Employment tax return non-filers. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration recently called on the IRS to step up enforcement against businesses that don’t file employment tax returns or pay employment taxes on time. The IRS treats this issue very seriously since employment tax money is largely withheld from the paychecks of employees. The employer is then responsible to pay it to the IRS. When the employer fails to do that he is treated as violating a “trust” relationship and becomes personally liable for the unpaid withholding taxes.
The IRS is now expanding its audits to randomly probe businesses for employment tax compliance. And because these audits are entirely random, there’s really no way a business can avoid such an audit. The best you can do is to make sure your business is in compliance.
3. Payment of fringe benefits to employees. Unless specifically excluded by law, the payment of money, property or services of any kind as compensation for services is taxable income. If a person receives goods in exchange for services, those goods are taxed at their fair market value.
On the other hand, the tax code does exclude from taxation certain fringe benefits paid by companies to their employees. But the exclusions are limited and are expressly defined. To the extent that any benefits exceed those limits, they are taxable.
To illustrate how desperate for revenue the Federal government now is, the random audit program targeted at small businesses will also focus on the payment of fringe benefits to employees. Look for the IRS to work on taxing every possible benefit that’s paid to employees. And of course, it intends to squeeze that money out of your pocket.
4. Payment of compensation to corporate officers. One of the most common mistakes made by small corporations is the failure to pay corporate officers (usually the owners) a “reasonable salary.” The tax code provides that corporate officers who provide services to a corporation must be compensated by the corporation commensurate with the fair market value of those services.
But many corporate officers do not draw a salary. Rather, they take their entire compensation in the form of a “dividend.” The difference is that the dividend is generally not subject to social security tax while the salary is. This is an issue of growing concern, but most small business owners will not see it coming. Too many tax return preparation professionals just do not understand the nuances of determining reasonable compensation or even that the IRS will challenge the compensation package of a small business owner. I expect many business owners to be blindsided by this issue. It could cost you a fortune.
—Daniel J. Pilla
A disturbing spectacle was on display last week as Mexican President Felipe Calderon and President Barack Obama—standing almost hand-in-hand on the White House lawn—trashed the state of Arizona over its new immigration law. Calderon then took it a step further by going onto the floor of Congress and trashing Arizona and Arizonians some more.
During the White House meeting, Obama told Calderon, “In the 21st Century we are defined not by our borders, but by our bonds.” He also agreed with Calderon’s description that Arizona’s law is discriminatory.
We’ve come to expect such treachery from the White House, which prides itself in traveling around the world bowing and scraping and accusing the United States of a multitude of sins—both real and imagined—and apologizing for every national and foreign policy decision the country has ever made.
(See Deputy Secretary of State Michael Posner’s admission that during a recent trip to China he brought up the Arizona law “early and often” as an issue of “discrimination or potential discrimination.” Again, he did this in China, a country that runs over its citizens with tanks, throws them in prison for practicing “unapproved” Christianity, and forces families to abort children to enforce a one-child policy.)
But then Calderon went into the halls of Congress—as an invited guest—and trashed Arizona some more saying the bill “introduces a terrible idea that uses racial profiling as a basis for law enforcement.” And for that Democrats in Congress gave him a standing ovation.
Never mind that the law does no such thing. In fact, it forbids discrimination and follows Federal immigration laws almost to the letter.
The Democrat Party continues to find new lows to fall to in its treatment of Americans—ramming through healthcare legislation over the objections of the majority, siding with enemies of Democracy and joining with the president of a failed nation to vilify a state that was forced to enforce laws the Federal government refused to enforce.
George Washington once wrote:
“We are either a United people, or we are not. If the former, let us, in all matters of general concern act as a nation, which have national objects to promote, and a national character to support. If we are not, let us no longer act a farce by pretending to it.”
More and more it seems Obama and the Democrats have decided upon the latter. And more and more the spinelessness of Republicans is on display as they fail in their duty to forcefully call out Obama and the Democrats.
Obviously the elites of the two parties have become peas in the same pod and they have chosen a path in opposition to the very people they supposedly serve. That they would side with the Mexican president over the citizens of Arizona—and about 70 percent of Americans—is despicable.
Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin heavily criticized the Obama administration May 23 for what she considers to be its insufficient efforts to help clean up the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
While speaking on Fox News Sunday, the former vice presidential candidate suggested that the White House’s lack of response to the incident may be due to the campaign contributions that Obama received from oil companies during his 2008 presidential race.
"I don’t know why the question isn’t asked… if there’s any connection there to President Obama taking so doggone long to get in there, to dive in there and grasp the complexity and the potential tragedy that we are seeing here in the Gulf of Mexico," she said.
Palin added that if former President George W. Bush was still in office, "the mainstream media would be all over his case."
The former governor noted later on her Twitter account that during the last 20 years the largest single donation by BP—the company responsible for the spill—was provided to Obama during his 2008 campaign.
In response to Palin’s comments, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told CBS’ Face the Nation that the White House is working around the clock to clean up the spill, and that most "oil companies don’t consider the Obama administration [to be] a huge ally."
Filed under: Morning Scoop
Each morning, we dish out a few links we love.
Has your diet been destroyed by unhealthy cravings? Turn on the TV — studies show that TV static can bizarrely help reduce your cravings.
If you think your mood has something to do with the … Read more
Apodizing Filters eliminate undesirable intensity variations in optical systems.
San Clemente, CA – Reynard Corporation, a leading global supplier of optical components and thin film coatings, announces the Bullseye™ inverted apodizing neutral density filter. This filter is part of the Bullseye™ apodizer line of customizable gradient filters. These filters eliminate undesirable intensity variations in optical systems. The density of the filter increases radially from a clear center, where light is usually at its peak intensity, to the outside edge, where it can becomes completely opaque.
The Bullseye™ apodizing filter can be designed for most distribution functions, such as a Gaussian function, regardless of the size of the beam. The distribution function, substrate type, and bandwidth are a function of the customer’s specific requirements.
Key features include:
• Density gradients can be customized to suit any application
• The filter can be applied to a number of different substrate types
• Can be designed to be used from the UV to the Far IR.
Inserting a Bullseye™ apodizing filter at the aperture stop of your imaging system modifies the intensity variations of your light source which can result in the elimination of edge diffraction patterns.
Application examples are found in diverse industries, such as:
• Entertainment – To make light distribution uneven for cosmetic applications.
• Imaging – To break up diffraction patterns by the introduction of soft edges.
• Photography – To create soft edged in pictures
• Industrial – To make sensors more sensitive in the center of the field of view
• Astronomy – To reduce high intensity light sources around the featured object
“The custom features of our Bullseye™ Apodizer filters allow system designers to match the exact requirements of their instrument, whether the need is for one filter, or in production volumes.” Says Randy Reynard, Vice President of Reynard Corporation.
About Reynard Corporation
Established in 1984, Reynard Corporation designs and manufactures precision thin film optical products for a global customer base, both military and commercial. In-house operation capabilities include design, fabrication, photolithography, coating, and sub-assembly for a one-stop solution. Contact us for a free optical reference and product catalog, or visit our webpage for online ordering and reference at http://www.reynardcorp.com, 949-366-8866.
The Motion Index Drive series RT Trunnions handle a large range of turnover applications. Our RT Series Trunnions are designed and manufactured to handle high offset loads.
Offered in a predetermined fixed index with a mechanical locking dwell and mechanical accel and decel or in a 100% programmable flexible barrel cam which can give you infinite positioning ability.
Our RT series Trunnion Index Drives can come equipped with safety locking devices that can be mounted on the output flange or on the gear motor.
Motion Index Drives also offers complete trunnion solutions with head and tail stock risers and base frames. We also offer control panels for semi automated solutions.
Our flexible solutions can achieve an accuracy of 0.0009″ (0.023mm) at 150″ (3.8 meter) swing diameter.
Most RT Series trunnions are 100% maintenance free.
This new model replaces the older B3/30 SEPEX model with a new AC powered model. Faster performance, improved control and greater power efficiency are the 3 main features of this new model. All the maintenance benefits of our existing 4 wheel AC models are now available on this unit, including no power steering motor and no motor brushes on the traction or hydraulic motors.
Pictures, logos, labels and much more – engraving and marking on various organic and inorganic material surfaces. This is an impressive option!
Laser engraving and marking with a CO2 laser
* Up to 3000 x 3000 mm
* High resolution up to 1200 dpi
* Engraving of reliefs
* No tool changing
* Upgrade for existing systems
The principle is simple.
The application brilliant.
The result more than precise.
Along with 13 other formats, eurolaser also markets the world’s largest laser engraving machine.
A new line of vacuum suction cups and interchangeable fittings that are offered in various styles and materials for specific applications is being introduced by ANVER Corporation of Hudson, Massachusetts.
ANVER Vacuum Suction Cups come in flat, single, and multi-bellows styles in sizes ranging from 5mm to 150mm dia. and various durometers. Featuring silicone cups molded from a clear, translucent compound that is FDA Title 21 approved and meets the German Specification of BGVV (BGA) Part XV, they are ideal for high temperature applications requiring cups without dyes.
Supplied in styles for all types of industrial applications, ANVER Vacuum Suction Cups are available in a wide range of elastomer compounds which are all metric and fully interchangeable with most European-made cups. A variety of fittings and suspensions suitable for product transfer, material handling, packaging, and printing applications are also offered.
Megadyne have developed a new timing belt RPP8 designed for conveyor and
transfer lines, specifically for painting systems.
Belts are silicon free and do not contain contaminants, as requested for water or
solvent based paints; the purity of materials and the absence of polluting particles
guarantee painted surfaces always perfect and without any defect.
Structure
Fiberglass cords with high elastic module and a special surface treatment [2]
Belt body [4] and back [1] made of NBR based compound with an high purity degree and without contaminating agents.
Fabric on teeth [3] with high wearing resistance, with a nitrilic based treatment to protect the external surface.
Properties
Silicon free and without surface impurities and contaminants, according to car manufacturers’ standard and tests made by Forschungsinstitut für Pigmente und Lacke e.V. of the Stuttgart University.
High resistance to ozone and adequate resistance to lubricating oils
Working temperatures from -20°C up to 100°C
No need at all for maintenance and lubrication
Performances equivalent to RPP SILVER
Complete interchangeability on RPP and HTD pulleys pitch 8M
11/19/2009
TGW Mechanics GmbH has nearly 30 years of experience in the construction of stacker cranes for automated storage and retrieval applications which has now been used to develop a completely new version of the Mustang single-mast device. With the Mustang evolution the Austrian market leader for automatic mini-load cranes created a new device that combines well-proven technologies with fundamentally new approaches of handling machine engineering.
Since the early 1980s TGW Mechanics, headquartered in Wels, Austria, has been engineering stacker cranes in lightweight design for automated storage and retrieval applications (AS/RS). The company has implemented more than 3,600 mini-load handling machines since 1996. Producing more than 300 mini-load cranes per year makes TGW a global market leader. “In the last 6 years we clearly noticed a trend towards absolute high performance applications”, says Christoph Wolkerstorfer, Director of Product Development at TGW Mechanics. “In this period of time we implemented more than 1,000 Mustang single-mast cranes which are particularly suitable for high performance applications worldwide.” In order to meet the increased performance requirements, TGW’ cranes had to be adapted to satisfy the highest demands on construction engineering and technical complexity.
Lightweight Design Reduces Weight by 25 %
Now TGW concentrated the long experience in the field of high performance applications on the further development of their stacker crane technology and are about to launch the new Mustang evolution. “The Mustang evolution still uses the same lightweight construction design as the former Mustang version, combined with newer technologies and engineering approaches that are totally new in stacker crane construction,” adds Wolkerstorfer. “This way we created a handling machine that offers considerable advantages, especially with respect to energy efficiency.” The Mustang evolution is a single-mast crane with a maximum payload of 100 kg (220 lbs) and an optimum height of 12 m (39 ft). These height and weight specifications meet the requirements of more than 70 % of all AS/RS solutions.”
The Mustang evolution uses aircraft construction concepts, reducing its overall weight by about 25 %. Much of this comes from the new construction design of the mast, where specially rolled profiles, consistently adapted material thickness and high-strength bolted connections make the new mast three times stiffer yet lighter than with the former Mustang version. The chassis, chassis frame, and lifting unit were reinforced and re-engineered using this weight-optimised design.
Improved Centre of Gravity for Better Distribution of Loads
“Further enhancements in the Mustang evolution come from improvements to the crane’s centre of gravity and better distribution of loads to the running wheels”, adds Christoph Wolkerstorfer. Positioning the drive units at the front end of the chassis and lowering the control cabinet helped to adjust the centre of gravity. The Mustang evolution is now a “front wheel drive and low-slung” crane so to speak.
The combination of the higher stiffness of the mast, the improved centre of gravity, and the friction wheel drive at the bottom rail allows the Mustang evolution to reach maximum speeds of 6 m/s (19.7 ft/s), even with a height of 12 m (39 ft). Combined with a lifting acceleration of 3 m/s2 (9.8 ft/s2) and a maximum lifting speed of 3 m/s (9.8 ft/s), the Mustang evolution is the new standard for high performance in the largest range of automated storage and retrieval applications.
The small spring applied brake series from Ogura (models MCNB 2, 5, and 10) have been redesigned and will now have a thinner profile. The brakes overall reduction in thickness is around 30%. Advances in friction material have allowed the brakes to maintain their same torque rating while eliminating the need for higher force springs and a correspondently higher wattage coil. The new thinner spring applied holding brakes are ideal for the servo motor and robotics industries where size and weight is always a concern. Since less steel is used in the coil shell and less copper in the windings, cost of the brakes are also lower than the current MCNB series. On some of the models, the outside diameter has been slightly reduced but all of the models have the same through whole mounting dimensions as the current MCNB brakes, so brake models will be interchangeable
.
Ogura has been producing clutches and brakes since 1938. Over that time, we have developed over 5,000 different models of clutches and brakes. Although Ogura primarily produces electromagnetic clutches and brakes, we also produce magnet particle, mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic and a variety of specialty products. Ogura is the world’s largest manufacturer of electromagnetic clutches and brakes. Current manufacturing capacity is over 30 million units per year. To provide localized support, we have fourteen manufacturing plants spread throughout the world in Asia, The Americas, and Europe. All manufacturing facilities are ISO recognized and conform to the ISO 9001;2008, ISO 140001, and ISO/TS 16949.
If you would like us to build a special product for you or to modify one of our existing standard models, please contact us at 732-271-7361, and we will assist you in finding a product that will meet your needs. Or if you prefer, please visit our website at www.ogura-clutch.com for immediate information. Ogura Industrial Corp. Somerset, NJ.
POWER TROUGH EFFICIENCY is SAI’s motto, and it has not been chosen lightly. It sums up perfectly the fruitful relationship that has been forged between SAI and ZF Passau, the German specialist for Off-Road Driveline Technology and Axle Systems.
The first transmission was displayed in 2007 during the Bauma exhibition held in Munich after years of joint development work. The individuals involved in this prestigious collaboration, from both companies, have worked hard over the intervening period to validate the project to its current position. The amazing thing is that, even though only two years have passed, SAI and ZF can proudly announce that the project has now been successfully developed to the point that production is now starting.
The new ZF transmission system 2 HC 85 is powered by two SAI integrated variable displacement radial piston hydraulic motors. The resultant package is perfectly matched to the requirements of today’s Market, in that it achieves higher efficiency and improved noise characteristics.
The advanced design features of the SAI motors used in this project, help achieve the highest levels of so called “ENERGY EFFICIENCY”. ZF has accepted the challenge of changing the thinking of the transmission market, usually dominated by axial piston motors, by investing in the radial piston crankshaft design of the SAI motors.
The continuous variable transmission of ZF, which employs 2 completely integrated motors, is able to give: high speed, high volumetric and mechanical efficiencies, reduced power losses, better fuel consumption, reduced vibration and lower noise emissions. What is more, the compact shape of the Hydrostatic Drive Transmission allows it to be extremely adaptable to almost any vehicle design.
As it can achieve speeds in excess of 42 kph, the ZF system is the fastest compact loader transmission manufactured today, which is capable of supporting a load of about 10 tonnes. It must not also be forgotten that, whilst this solution gives superb high speed characteristics, the utilisation of the SAI radial piston design gives remarkably efficient and accurate controllability even when running down to CREEP speeds. Inside the ZF transmission it is this feature of the SAI radial piston design hydraulic motor which makes it the most versatile hydraulic motor available in today’s market.
Demand from our customers has made us launch a brand new addition to our motor range, SUNFAB SAE B2. It is a flexible motor in a series of robust axial piston motors. B2 has a
two-bolt flange and its design featured double-tapered roller bearings allow high shaft loads and provide excellent speed. The displacement range is from 12 to 34 cm3/rev at a maximum
working pressure of 40 MPa.
Sunfab has nearly 600 different versions of motors which meet high performance requirements.
Our products are characterised by a long service life and high quality. They have a compact design, high starting torque and O-rings on all sealing surfaces.
We have developed SAE B2 in order to meet the requirements of the market and create technology with focus on the user. Technology which is energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
The innovative solution for delivering goods to city centres: the CiTi Truck from Linde Material Handling
Linde Material Handling is bringing its revolutionary CiTi Truck into market in June 2010 — a truck that makes light work of delivering goods over the last kilometer. With a minimum of exertion, the operator can move loads of up to 500 kilograms over considerable distances and manoeuvre in the tightest spaces with comfort and safety. Even verges and kerbs can be negotiated with ease.
The futuristic Linde CiTi Truck introduces a new model classification between hand pallet trucks and electric pallet trucks. It offers a superbly innovative solution to the growing numbers of deliveries direct to city centres. Traffic routing, narrow streets and obstructions caused by parking spaces or kerbs hinder the delivery of supplies to businesses, restaurants, workshops and supermarkets.
Hand pallet trucks, which make significant physical demands on the operator, are usually employed for the final stages of delivery. To transfer the goods from the delivery lorry to their destination, the operator must first raise the forks by repeatedly “pumping” the tiller. The heavy loads then have to be pulled and pushed over long distances using muscle power alone, and the road surface is seldom even. In addition, there are kerbs, ramps or verges over which the load must be moved.
The Linde CiTi Truck eliminates the manual effort and makes light work of these demanding tasks. The lightweight yet robust CiTi Truck removes the strain and stress from the operator thanks to the electric traction and lift motors, combined with the unique load and drive wheel configuration and ergonomic tiller controls.
The Linde CiTi Truck enables faster deliveries and lorry turnarounds for higher productivity and lower supply chain costs.
The compact Linde CiTi Truck is suitable for both smaller consignments and palletised loads of up to 500 kilograms. The tubular structural design of this robust yet lightweight truck results in a service weight of less than 100 kilograms.
The CiTi Truck effortlessly negotiates obstacles such as kerbs or verges of up to 70 mm high. This is due to the unique and innovative wheels, which are designed specifically for this purpose. The large, rubber tyred drive wheel and the two pivot-mounted rear load wheels enables the CiTi Truck to travel over obstacles. In addition, the wheels and rollers minimise noise, a real plus for residents when making early morning deliveries to city centres. Thanks to the lift motor ramps with gradients of up to 8 percent can also be negotiated with ease.
From the bearing element up to the complete system:
The LDH Drive our latest special bearing
We specialise in made-to-measure antifriction bearings. The end product is determined by the customer’s individual specifications. This also applies to our latest special bearing. With the LDH Drive, Franke has been able to develop a product that fulfils the wishes of our customers for muted noise development at high speeds. 300 rpm and less than 60 dB (A): these figures speak for themselves.
Moreover, we have integrated a direct drive into the antifriction bearings – a system solution that will profit our customers in more ways than one. You will receive a complete system comprising bearings and drive and, at the same time, you will save energy – cost-saving and environmentally friendly.
The LDH Drive has been specially designed for use with computer tomography but may, however, be used in other areas equally well – anywhere where high speeds, low noise level or a direct drive is needed.
Even at a speed of 300 rpm the LDH Drive is below a level of 60 dB (A) in airborne noise measurement. Specific improvements to the geometry, raceways and the rolling elements have led to this result.
CT bearings are fully tested at our test facilities. All bearings get a test certificate with detailed data on performance.
Airborne noise
Total: Sum = 59.0 dB (A)/20.0u Pa (300 rpm))