Category: News

The economical torque rheometer for mixers and extruders

The Brabender® Plastograph® EC is the economical table-top version of the universal torque rheometer Plastograph® applied all over the world for application investigations in laboratories and simulation.

With its digital 3.8-kW motor, a torque measuring range of 200 Nm, and a speed range from 0.2 to 150 min-1, the Plastograph® EC is the perfect measuring drive for practice-oriented measurements with the Brabender® mixers and extruders for

raw material and recipe development
material testing
quality control parallel to production
optimization of the production process
laboratory-scale production of samples for further investigations

Varvel announces the implementation of modular worm gearboxes, Series RT.

The gearboxes are made of pressure die-cast aluminium housings and covers from size 28 to 85 and cast iron for size 110 up and are lubricated with synthetic long-life oil.

The major features of the new series RT are the “universal” B3 foot mounting, the easy fitting/replacement of input flanges B5 or B14, output flanges on both sides of the PC shaftmount basic version.

Furthermore the usual key-coupling between motor and gearbox was replaced by a customized elastic coupling type “G” without any increase in the geared motor dimensions allowing the motor shaft matching to an external coupling kit and not to a prearranged gearbox.

Such features make the new Series RT particularly fit for distribution, that is more and more concerned about versatility, inventory control and configuration flexibility.

Temperature Controlled HDMP with Seal Lengths up to 50″ for Big Jobs and Tough Materials

Designed for accurate, reliable repeatable fully validatable total process control. The Heavy Duty Sealer is built with industry leading seal pressure to seal the toughest materials. Password protected digital control of all seal parameters, 5 Operating modes, 6 Seal process recipes, and Audible and Visual Alarms.
The HDMP is designed for use on a table top, a stand or in a full verticle position over a conveyor to maximize production. 100% verifiable and Calibratable across all seal parameters for ISO 11607 compliance. External verification ports offer ease of calibration. The laser cut and welded Stainless Steel cases withstand harsh environments and resist the effects of chemicals and biocides.

To expand the international sales network, Accu Seal Corporation is looking for experienced partners in Europe.

Built-In Safety features include safe low pressure jaw close, emergency stop button, internal ‘coyote’ high temperature limit and thermal overload protection.
Accu-Seal products are manufactured in the USA using the highest quality materials and components for unmatched product quality and trouble free performance.

Kistler’s electromechanical joining modules facilitate automation of force-displacement monitored joining and press-fitting processes. The new NC joining module NCFB Type 2160A… has been specially designed for standard joining processes and is an enhancement of the existing product range. With its cost-optimized design, it offers a more favorable price/performance ratio. The piezoelectric force sensor integrated into the robust case offers a choice of two predefined measuring ranges, 50 kN and 25 kN, for precision force measurement.

Even deep end points such as the position of bearings in half-shell gear boxes can be easily reached with a 400 mm stroke. The speed of up to 150 mm/s offers a quick return stroke and hence a short machine cycle, even for a long idle stroke. The use of the absolute encoder, which is part of the standard equipment on all Kistler NC joining modules, eliminates the need for reference point determination even during operation.

The NC Compact Firmware (Type 2159A…), which is integrated into the servo controller, is perfect for simple force displacement evaluation and documentation of standard joining tasks with the NC joining module NCFB. With extremely low investment and mounting costs, it facilitates integration into the customer’s existing control environment.

The Operating Panel (Type 2158A) is used for parameterization and visualization of a standard joining process and for data backup. It is not required for ongoing operation. It has 16 different programs for optimum flexibility in the joining process. These contain functions such as measuring range switchover, fast shutdown, force control, active deflection compensation which eliminates the effect of bending of the customer’s assembly, intermediate positioning and evaluations with up to three analysis windows.

The force-displacement monitoring unit DMF-P A300 NCF Type 4734A… can be used as an alternative to the NC Compact Firmware. With its wide range of analysis windows, it can evaluate the force displacement curves of virtually any application. Moreover, it allows comprehensive documentation of curve developments and the associated target and actual values.

Vlotho – At the 2009 SPS/IPC/Drives exhibition in Nuremberg, Germany, LOHMEIER presents a new assembly table for populating and wiring mounting plates. The height-adjustable and tiltable table helps implement the optimal working position. Moreover, it enables users to install the populated, often heavy mounting plates into the control cabinet without additional hoisting tools: the table, which carries the fully wired plate, is simply upended and slid side-ways on a roller rail onto guide rails inside the cabinet. Four caster wheels with total lock brakes allow for the mounting plates to be moved between the work stations. Users can thus not only perform the majority of equipping and wiring tasks, but also carry out inspection tasks before final assembly.
The MT-400 type table is suitable for mounting plates measuring up to 1,200 x 1,900 mm and weighing up to 400 kg. The plates are fastened to the table via quick release latches. They can be upended or tilted at any angle up to the horizontal level. The table is variable in height between 750 and 1,150 mm. Height and tilt can be freely adjusted via remote control. Time-consuming and laborious handling is altogether minimized. As a further advantage installation on the assembly table means that control cabinets do not enter the production cycle until final assembly since the mounting plates remain on the table throughout the process, which saves much-needed space.

For perfect ergonomics and to suit the specific work place requirements, the assembly tables can be individually equipped. Optionally, they can be fitted with e.g. power supply, compressed air supply, chip suction device, small parts containers, tool holders, cable reels, and lighting. LOHMEIER alternatively offers assembly tables for sale or leasing

For edges and laces

A new developped electrical circuit beveler of the famous japanese manufacturer Nitto Kohki enables steel to get on without edges and laces.
The heart of this new handtool is a new motor which drives the cutting tips at a power of more than 1000W.
The cutting tips remove edges at mild steel to a maximum length of 7mm, at stainless steel maximum 3mm. At circular working the maximum working length is 4mm.
* The chamfer angle can be adjusted between 15° and 45°.
* A dust box collects the separated parts.
* As an option a series of cutting tips for different sizes is available.

Applications are various, reaching from the shipbuilding industry to the machinery building industry and to the production of containers.
For further information pls. see www.nitto.de

Capacitec, a global leader in the design and manufacture of non-contact capacitive displacement, gap and parallelism sensing technologies for scientific and industrial customers, has announced the debut of a series of non-contact capacitive gap and parallelism sensor systems for the solar panel market. The systems are designed to measure the precise distance between liquid, anti-reflective and CVD coating head-to-media during solar panel production, helping manufacturers maintain thin-film coating uniformity, while improving yields and efficiencies.
The unique expertise of Capacitec within the solar panel manufacturing market is the culmination of more than 15 years of successful implementation of measurement technology within the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, as well as in design of slot die coater gap measurement systems sold to companies, working with customers such as 3M, DuPont and Avery Dennison. Within the liquid coating market, Capacitec has successfully collaborated with leading global manufacturers of labels, tapes and films, as well as slot die suppliers, to develop new systems that more precisely measure coater gaps. These systems have made dramatic improvements over traditional gap measurement methods allowing manufacturers to achieve coater gap uniformity of better than 0.25 microns, with gaps as thin as 110 microns across the full length of the coater die.
In traditional solar panels, a thin-film PV layer is deposited onto the silicon layer using a Chemical Vapor Deposition process. Additional layers are added and the PV module is then encapsulated between a glass panel and reflective backing, forming the Solar Panel Module. Capacitec systems are used during each of these steps. In flexible solar panels, CVD coaters are used in the production of the Transparent Conductive Oxide. In this case, a Capacitec parallelism sensor system is used to measure the distance in-process between the CVD coater head and metal carrier roll, in temperatures up to +600°C. During OPV solar panel fabrication, a Capacitec slot die coater gap measurement system is employed to maintain organic material coatings uniformity during PV production. Capacitec systems are also used to maintain parallelism between the Slot Die Coater and metal roller, as well as the parallelism of metal rollers during the encapsulation stage. For more information about these and other non-contact capacitive sensing systems available from Capacitec, please visit www.capacitec.com.

The high-performance 20W Yb Fiber Laser Marker.

Miyachi’s new ML-7320C Yb: fiber laser marker is designed for high speed laser marking, laser engraving, and laser ablation resulting in high contrast marks on both plastics and metals. With all the advantages of fiber technology, user configurable options and unique features the ML-7320C can be tailored for optimized production.

Largest Q switch range of 2 – 500 kHz enables high speed high quality marking on steels and plastics

Full featured user friendly software

Complete integration flexibility with PC, touchscreen, standalone through I/O control or remote programming, LAN connectivity

Integrated motion control for XYZ and rotary

Unique guide beam implementation enables class 1 with guide beam on

Multi language capability

Low cost of ownership

Masterflex AG – Gelsenkirchen, November 2009

The Masterflex AG has recently launched a brand-new “A” hose series that complies with TRBS (Technical Rule for Operational Safety) 2153. Some of the well-tried Masterflex standard hose types have met the requirements lined out in the new directive years before it came into effect. The new “A” series products such as Master-PUR L-A or some hose types for the food industry will further complement the range of applications compliant to TRBS 2153.

The new technical rule which became effective in April 2009 replaces BGR 132 and introduces new criteria for wire-reinforced hoses used in potentially explosive atmosphere zones.

One of the major changes induced by TRBS 2153 is the classification of bulk materials into two categories:

1. combustible bulk materials
2. non-combustible bulk materials

Provisions and procedures concerning the transport of non-combustible bulk goods have basically remained the same. Yet, this is not true for the transport of combustible bulk materials given the fact that TRBS 2153 sets higher requirements in terms of electrostatic properties/conductivity of the materials used.

If wire-reinforced hoses are to be employed in Zone 0/20, the user is required to carry out a specific hazard analysis. As before, it is recommended not to use hoses other than static dissipative models with a surface resistivity of < 10 to the 6 ohms. As to Zone 1/21, requirements have been tightened. Recommendations are to employ antistatic hoses with a surface resistivity of < 10 to the 9 ohms to convey combustible bulk goods. As compared to the previous regulation, the new technical rule does not introduce any significant changes as to Zone 2. It should be noted that TRBS 2153 is generally considered a mere recommendation. Users may deviate from the given provisions as long as they can prove the effectiveness of their solution.

Quickly adjusting the height of sit-stand workplaces 106850

Back pain, spinal disc problems and fatigue. Who doesn´t know this? A lack of movement and an incorrect sitting position often lead to posture damage and other pains. The use of sit-stand workplaces facilitates healthy, alternating work in a sitting and standing position.
For height adjustment, Ketterer offers a combination of bevel gear drives and synchronous telescopic spindles. This system offers you an ideal solution for combining functionality and design. The slim design of the drive units lets you save space by integrating them into almost every standard type of table foot. The new configuration makes it easy to incorporate them into the specific tube design of the customer. The work height can be set quickly and safely. Two synchronised spindles facilitate this at twice the speed of conventional systems. See for yourself and contact us!

Kadant AES, a division of Kadant Inc. (NYSE:KAI), has extended its line of cleaning and conditioning products with the introduction of its Genesis™ modular shower system. The new shower system offers cost-effective modular components that can be added to the single-tube shower system as application needs change. The base module includes a single tube shower pipe and spray nozzles, and can be upgraded with internal stainless steel brushes, oscillation, and a second (outer) tube for optimal performance.

The Genesis modular shower system also features a slide bearing design with alignment keys, split polyethylene bushing, and shower pipe rotation to optimize nozzle spray angle. The stationary shower systems are upgradeable to oscillating shower systems using the EMO III or Genesis oscillators available from Kadant AES.

Kadant AES, based in Queensbury, New York, is a leading provider of products and technologies primarily focused on forming equipment applied to the wet end of the paper machine, the cleaning of forming, press, and dryer fabrics, and filtration of process water throughout the papermaking process.

Kadant Inc. is a leading supplier to the global pulp and paper industry, with a range of products and services for improving efficiency and quality in pulp and paper production, including paper machine accessories and systems for stock preparation, fluid handling, and water management. Our fluid-handling products are also used to optimize production in the steel, rubber, plastics, food, and textile industries. In addition, we produce granules from papermaking byproducts for agricultural and lawn and garden applications. Kadant is based in Westford, Massachusetts, with revenues of $329 million in 2008 and 1,600 employees in 16 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.kadant.com.

The following constitutes a “Safe Harbor” statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including forward-looking statements about our products, technologies, and customers. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such statements are set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in Kadant’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended July 4, 2009. These include risks and uncertainties relating to worldwide and local economic conditions as well as the pulp and paper industry; our debt obligations; restrictions in our credit agreement and compliance with covenants; future restructurings; significance of sales and operation of manufacturing facilities in China; international sales and operations; competition; soundness of suppliers and customers; soundness of financial institutions; litigation and warranty costs related to our discontinued operation; our acquisition strategy; factors influencing our fiber-based products business; protection of patents and proprietary rights; fluctuations in our share price; and anti-takeover provisions. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

… Is Also A Calibrator

Combines communication, configuration and multi-function calibration in a single instrument

The hand-held DPI 620 advanced multifunction calibrator from GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies now incorporates full HART® capability, making it the only combined HART communicator and calibrator currently on the market. The rugged and compact instrument, which is weather-proofed to IP 65, incorporates the latest application software and contains a complete library of registered HART device descriptions to support more than 1000 sensors. Upgrades may be simply downloaded free-of-charge, from the GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies website. Offering so many functions and features within one portable instrument, the DPI 620 has application in the oil and gas, power generation, utilities and process industries, as well as in the laboratory and on-plant.

As Mike Shelton, product manager at GE Sensing & Inspection Technologies, explains, “Unlike competitive HART communicators which can only be used for configuration, commissioning and maintenance, the new DPI 620 is also recognized as one of the most accurate and versatile calibration systems available. Consequently, plant engineers and technicians can now considerably reduce the inventory of equipment they have to carry to perform maintenance and calibration tasks, as for the first time they can use a communicator which is also a calibrator.”

Lighter and smaller than competitive communicators, the new communicator/calibrator, with its full colour, high resolution touch interface, has a large internal memory, allowing it to store additional features such as procedure and datalog files. These can be transferred using USB, WiFi, memory stick or the instrument’s memory card, which can be up to 4GB, with its integral card reader. Features new to HART communicators include an integral 24V loop power supply to energise HART devices and loops and a menu-selectable 250 Ohm loop resistor, rather than a separate physical resistor, for use when a device is not connected or the loop is switched off.

The incorporation of a calibrator within the communicator means that there is no need to carry ancillary equipment such as multi-meters to measure mA when trimming sensors and there is naturally no need for secondary calibration equipment during sensor trim and device calibration, as the DPI 620 simultaneously sources and measures the primary variable, whether this be mA, pressure, V, mV ohms, frequency or temperature from RTDs or thermocouples.

The DPI 620 also has the capability to automate calibration procedures and document “As Found” and “As Left” results and can analyse device trends to support preventative maintenance programmes. It is available in a Windows CE version with standard Windows applications and file management and the computing power to view pdf files and jpeg images such as loop diagrams, data sheets, safety procedures, spreadsheets and to create text documents.

Naturally, the new communicator retains the world-class pressure generation and measurement capability of the existing DPI 620 calibrator. This means on-board pressure generation from vacuum to 100 bar pneumatic or 0 to 1000 bar hydraulic, at an accuracy of 0.005% FS.

Drilling from 3 millimetres diameter from a single source

In addition to the comprehensive range of indexable insert drills, the KOMET GROUP® is adding the KOMET® KUB DrillmaxTM solid carbide high-performance drill for small diameters to its standard catalogue range.

KOMET® indexable insert drills are used for bore diameters of 12 millimetres or more. Until now, solid carbide drills have been created on request and for smaller bore diameters as a special solution, as part of complete component machining. By adapting cutting geome-tries, cutting materials and coatings, these tools have met the most diverse, application-specific demands. This know-how has now been incorporated in a standard tool series which is available quickly from stock.

The new KOMET® KUB DrillmaxTM high-performance solid carbide drills meet the highest of demands. In future, the KOMET GROUP® will provide these tools for bore diameters of 3 to 16 millimetres and in length/diameter ratios of 5xD and 8xD. Adapting the carbide and coat-ing to the drill geometry ensures best machining results. Optimised, special flutes allow excellent chip clearance during a highly productive machining process. KOMET® KUB DrillmaxTM high-performance drills ensure process reliability and extremely high precision in any steel or cast metal machining application.

With its brands KOMET®, DIHART®, and JEL® , the KOMET GROUP® is a leading global manufacturer of precision tools for bore machining, reaming and threading. The group has been at the forefront of innova-tion in the sector for over 90 years – a tradition that began with the early indexable insert borers and continues today with their mecha-tronic tool systems. The company currently employs more than 1,600 staff in its 20 subsidiaries and is represented in around 50 countries.

Capacitec is the world leader in the manufacture of small, high temperature (up to 1832°F (1000°C) capacitive non-contact displacement sensors and systems.
Since the 1970’s this technology has been used in Europe, the US and Japan to solve the most demanding applications for the measurement of small displacements (less than 2mm) and small gaps (0.23 to 4mm) in extreme temperature environments. Accuracy of 0.25 microns is possible with resolution in the nanometer range. Producers of fixed and flexible solar panels, aircraft engines, plate glass, continuous flow steel, now use standardized high temperature Capacitec sensor solutions for in-process applications to control the quality of their production on a real time basis. Qualification testing of disc brakes, jet engine dynamics and high speed shaft rotations also rely on Capacitec sensors.
High Temperature Major Applications:
Disc brake testing
Silicon Wafer processing
Flexible Solar Panel coater head gap/parallelism
Metal and Glass forming
Jet engine thermal expansion
Mold separation
Turbine testing

The vibration welder VSP409 has been designed and manufactured using the most updated technologies. The vibration is circular. Contrarily to the existing common welders, the motion is got through the unbalancing of the shaft, that has a particular geometry. This is very important, as the customer can do the fixtures by himself. The mechanical and electrical solutions allow to work in good conditions and with a wide of regulation possibilities, fitting the welder to the most various welding problems.

The welder structure is very strong. The basement and the column are in painted steel. The motor that drives the central shaft, is a Brushless type with the innovative electronic placement set. The movement of the vibration head is pneumatic, controlled by a proportional valve and it takes place on high precision prismatic guides and with important mechanical characteristics.

One of the most important feature of this welder is certainly the cycle control system completely run by a microprocessor. It is possible to weld with time mode or with quote mode function controlled by an encoder with centesimal resolution.
In every phase of the cycle, head down, welding and compression, it is possible to set different thrust pressures.The microprocessor allows to save 10 welding programs.

Mobile and high-performance

The compact infrared thermal camera TV301 from the German measurement and testing equipment manufacturer Testboy offers you a big scope of services. The TV301 has a high aperture 2,5“ colour display and a resolution of 160 x120 pixels (= 19,200 pixels) as well as featuring a field of vision encompassing an area of 18×13°. A wide-angle lens extending the field of vision to 36×26° is supplied as standard. This enables precise determination of temperatures between -20 and +500°C. Recording of sensory data and image frequency take place at a rate of 50Hz. The TV301 also has a speech recording facility of 40 seconds per image, an isothermal analytical function, a movable measuring surface, eight colour palettes and an optical and acoustic temperature alarm. The TV301 features two high-performance lithium ion batteries each providing continuous operation for a period of 3 hours. The TV301 also features a class 2 laser pointer (wavelength: 635nm) which can be switched on as necessary in order to provide better alignment with the object to be measured. Its integrated flash memory enables up to 2,000 pictures to be stored. The measurements can be transferred to computer via USB cable and analysed with the Reporter software included as standard. This software also enables thermal images to be permanently archived on PC.

FRITSCH Particle Sizing Instruments offer state-of-the-art laser technology for an unique price performance ratio, for each particular area of application and utilization. An extra plus: the special, patented FRITSCH measuring method by laser diffraction inside the convergent laser beam. Your advantage: a simple continuous adjustment of the measuring area as well as up to now unknown number of measuring channels.

The ANALYSETTE 22 NanoTec offers with the measuring range of 10 nm to 2000 µm true entry into the nano range. This is achieved through the use of a second laser beam that is directed at the sample from behind, allowing for detection of the back-scattering light.

The patented capability to move the measurement cell within the beam path of the optical system during the measurement also results in a very high number of effective detection channels, which can be over 500 for the NanoTec model, which leads to a correspondingly high number of particle size classes and therefore a very high resolution. The special shape of the detector combined with intelligent evaluation software LaPaSS also allows information to be obtained about the particle shape.

The Laser Particle Sizer ANALYSETTE 22 NanoTec is an instrument with universal applications for the determination of particle size distributions and particle shape. It is used in research and development, as well as in quality control and process control. The ANALYSETTE 22 is the only instrument in the world with which particle size distribution and the particle shape can be analysed in a single measurement.

Through combination of corresponding components, you can configure a measurement system that is precisely adapted to your needs, with reliability and efficiency guaranteed by FRITSCH as a specialist in particle measurement technology.

FRITSCH Laser Particle Sizer: Sizing with competence.

Catch up on the state-of-the-art laser technology by FRITSCH!
www.fritsch-laser.com

Ethernet Direct Corporation, a primary provider of industrial networking and communication solutions, delivers Class 1 Division 2 certified industrial Ethernet switches to secure power and utility applications.

In the utilities environment, the presence of industrial wastes and evaporating water, gases or vapor, liquids, combustible dust and other ignitable substances are present. If cautionary measures are not properly taken into consideration, possible accidents in the environment may pose a risk. In the application, eelectronic devices including Industrial Ethernet switches installed in the plant must meet certain requirements and obtain special certifications in order to be used in these environments.

Ethernet Direct now delivers Underwriters Laboratories’ (UL) Class I Division 2 certified industrial Ethernet switches suitable for the electric utility operation. Passing strict regulatory approvals mean that customers and end-users can confidently install the industrial devices focusing on environmental security in addition to network security. From unmanaged to managed industrial switches, industrial media converters and industrial power over Ethernet switches, Ethernet Direct offers a variety of new product models with CD options.

Ethernet Direct now has the following product lines that are Class 1 Division 2 certified:
Industrial High Port Density Managed Ethernet Switch
Industrial Full Gigabit Managed Ethernet Switch
Industrial Extended Temperature Managed Ethernet Switch
Industrial Slim Unmanaged Ethernet Switch
Industrial Power over Ethernet Switch
Industrial Media Converter

To learn more about Class 1 Division 2 certified industrial devices, please visit www.ethernetdirect-tw.com or www.ethernetdirect.com

About Ethernet Direct Corporation
Ethernet Direct brings a control system engineering perspective to networking technology. The principals of Ethernet Direct come from process-control and PLC system backgrounds.

The Global Ethernet Direct team covers operations from Product know-how, design implementation, quality assurance, manufacturing, logistics, sales, marketing & technical support. We are well-positioned to fulfill customers’ needs and markets’ demands by providing a great variety of tailor-made products and services. When you work with us, you will experience confidence and dependability. By choosing Ethernet Direct, you have chosen excellence & long-term commitment.

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hybrid, Europe, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Electric, Diesel

Volkswagen has just taken the cover off an all-new concept called the Up! Lite, a sinister looking diesel hybrid that gets (according to VW) 70 mpg combined. As in both City and Highway. Impressive, even if that only ends up being 90 percent accurate. In fact, should Volkswagen decide to green light the unfortunately named Up! Lite, it would be the most fuel efficient and environmentally friendly four seat vehicle on the planet. Again, if the Up! Lite comes to fruition, we’ll all be impressed. Interestingly, this concept isn’t the most fuel efficient and environmentally friendly car on earth is because another Volkswagen — the L1 from Frankfurt – is. But it only seats two.

Ready for the good parts? The aptly titled Up! Lite barely tips the scales at 1,530 pounds. There are Honda Goldwings flirting with that weight class. This svelteness is achieved via a mix of aluminum, lightweight steel and carbon fiber. For instance, the roof is made entirely from the expensive weave. And those amazing wheels consist of ten carbon-fiber spokes and an aluminum fairing. Nifty, no? The tiny, stylized winglettes replace conventional rearview mirrors and contain cameras instead of reflective glass. The same holds true for the interior mounted mirror, as has been replaced by a camera.

Up front, there’s an active air dam that opens up as needed. The extra cooling will help out the TDI hybrid drive lifted from the two-seater L1. This 800cc powerplant transmits power to the wheels using a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch gearbox. Even though the diesel engine is teeny, when coupled to the electric motor, the Up! Lite can reach 100 mph and hit 60 mph in 12 seconds. Not fast by any means, but good enough – especially for an ultra-high mileage vehicle. And it can haul stuff, too – including humans. Unlike the Up! Concept we saw in Frankfurt, the Up! Lite seats four people, and with the rear seats folded, it can haul 30 cubic feet of stuff. Not bad at all.

Overall, we’re pretty impressed by the looks and promise of the Up! Lite. In our estimation, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with blending a Honda CRX with a Volvo C30. Will the Up! Lite ever make it to production? Who knows. VW claims the first Up!s(?) will go on sale in 2011. We get the sense that any future decision will be based on how the two-door Up! does. But we get the feeling the Up! Lite might give the people more of what they want. Official press release after the jump.

Live photos copyright (C)2009 Jonny Lieberman / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source:Volkswagen]

Continue reading LA 2009: Volkswagen Up! Lite Concept teases with practical, lightweight innovation

LA 2009: Volkswagen Up! Lite Concept teases with practical, lightweight innovation originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Here’s essentially what caused Dubai’s debt extravaganza to finally come to an end.

Far too much easy money flowed into Dubai during previous years, fueling a massive construction boom financed with debt. For awhile this debt looked sustainable to those involved because it was ostensibly backed by valuable property.

Yet when the global financial crisis hit, property prices fell in many parts of the world. Dubai property prices were hit especially hard.

As shown below by the skiing Emirati, Dubai property rates per square foot fell 45% from Q3 2008 to Q3 2009 according to Colliers International.

Thus just as many American’s went underwater on their mortgages due to the American property crisis, owing more to the bank than their house was worth, the same thing basically happened to the Nakheel property business of the Dubai state-owned conglomerate Dubai World.

Combined with near-term cash flow constraints, this finally forced Dubai World to admit to its creditors that it would not be able to meet all of its debt obligations.

Get This Delivered To Your Inbox

You can get this dropped in your inbox every afternoon as The Chart Of The Day. It’s simple. It’s convenient. It’s free. All we need is your email address (though we’d love your name and state, too, if you’re willing to share it).  Sign up below!

Join the conversation about this story »