Aaron Moncur

Back in the days when Pipeline was pretty much a one-man show starring yours truly, I got this gig to whip up a cleaning fixture for a medical device. Picture this: it needed to snuggle right into an existing ultrasonic bath housing like it was made for it, be crafted out of 316 stainless steel to avoid rusting away to oblivion, and play nice with a bunch of different device setups. No pressure, right? Diving into this project, I ran headfirst into the usual design drama—challenges popping up left and right like whack-a-moles. But, like a design ninja, I sliced through each problem with what I thought was sheer elegance. By the end, I was pretty smitten with my creation. It had all the bells and whistles, sturdy as a tank, and it looked cool enough to make the cover of "Stylish Engineering Monthly" (if that was a thing). I kept the client in the loop with weekly updates, watching the design go from sketch to spectacle. They did murmur something about it being "too complex" at one point, but hey, no directive to change course. I figured they'd see the light once they laid hands on this masterpiece. "Just wait till you use it," I thought. "It'll be like going from a flip phone to a smartphone!" Then came the reality check. Ordering the parts had me whispering, "Ouch, that's gonna sting," as I reluctantly handed over a small fortune to my machine shop. But no worries, I reassured myself, the customer's going to be over the moon with this swanky design. Assembly time rolled around, and let's just say it was an eye-opener. "That took forever... and how much did the screws cost?!" And don't get me started on the spring plungers (highlighted in blue below) - 48 of them, at $12 a pop. Ugh. My wallet's still recovering. Shipping day arrived, and off went my baby, all packed and ready to dazzle. I was practically waiting by the phone for the shower of praise. Instead, what I got was a "Houston, we have a problem." The client called, not too pleased, saying, "It's not working out." My jaw hit the floor. "How could this be? Did you try turning it on?" Turns out, it wasn't just about flipping a switch. The fixture was too complex, and some bits were playing hide and seek (hint: screws). After some troubleshooting and a hefty dose of reality, I had to face the music. My "masterpiece" was a dud for the client. Back to the drawing board I went, eating half the cost for my overzealous design escapade. So, what did the client actually want? Drumroll... a design that was about as straightforward as it gets. No frills, no fancy parts—just some cleverly bent wire doing its thing. The bill of materials for this humble pie? Less than a quarter of my original magnum opus. And guess what? It worked like a charm. Lessons learned? Engineers like me can get a little too jazzed about making things complicated. It's like thinking everyone wants a Swiss Army knife when they just need a simple screwdriver. Operators and clients don't always share our geeky enthusiasm for complexity. And, sometimes, less really is more. Moral of the story: Keeping it simple isn't just a design principle; it's a way to keep your clients (boss, stakeholder, etc…fill in the noun appropriate for your situation) happy and your projects on budget. And hey, if you're ever in doubt, maybe ask a few more questions up front. It could save you a lot of headaches (and cash) down the road. As for younger engineers out there, don't go it alone. Find a mentor, a seasoned pro who can spot an over-engineered disaster from a mile away. There's a bunch of them hanging out on The Wave (mentors…not disasters), ready to lend an ear and some sage advice. Trust me, it's better than learning the hard way. In the end, engineering isn't about making the sleekest, most complicated thingamajig. It's about solving problems in the smartest, most efficient way. And sometimes, that means embracing the beauty of simplicity. So, here's to finding elegance in the straightforward, and remembering that in engineering, as in life, the best solution is often the simplest one.

Introduction Voice coil motors (VCMs) are a mechanical marvel, seamlessly merging actuators and sensors into a single powerhouse. These devices deliver blistering speed, pinpoint precision, and unwavering long-term performance. They've earned their stripes in tasks requiring surgical precision, such as product testing, autofocus systems, and even the delicate mechanics of hard disk drives. (Fun fact: The term "voice coil" originates from one of its initial applications, in which it was used to provide the mechanical movement in loudspeakers.) Beyond this, they've found homes in a vast array of industrial and scientific applications, from sorting and testing to precise alignment tasks. Similarly, you can find VCM’s in our test fixtures and custom equipment, and industrial automation solutions. Features Today, we’ll share how we have leveraged the precision and speed of VCM’s in SMAC’s family of cutting-edge linear actuators, specifically the LPL and LDL models. While other servos are locked into position or velocity, SMAC’s voice coil motors offer the added flexibility of constant force output, finely adjustable to ~10 grams. They're fully programmable right out of the box, enabling users to streamline their work and validate accuracy simultaneously. SMAC actuators offer complete control in three distinct modes --Force, Velocity, and Position. • Force Mode operates without feedback from the encoder. Although the actual position is monitored, it doesn't influence the output. • Velocity Mode allows the actuating rod to glide with specified velocity, acceleration, force, and direction. It can rev up to an impressive 20Hz. This can be used in SMAC’s patented 'Soft-Land' procedure which allows the actuator to both measure and manipulate very delicate and high value components with ease (more on this below). • Position Mode guides the actuating rod to a multitude of positions along the stroke. Here, you can tinker with acceleration, velocity, and force settings to execute absolute, relative, or "learned position" maneuvers with precision. When we say precision, we mean it; standard positional accuracy stands at 5 microns. You can also upgrade to a 1um, 0.5um, 0.1um or jaw-dropping 50 nanometer resolution encoder. This level of accuracy applies to both linear and rotational positioning. SMAC's patented 'Soft-Land' procedure allows the actuator to both measure and manipulate very delicate and high value components with ease. Fully programmable in Position, Acceleration, Velocity and Force Sub- micron resolution (5 µm to 100nm) Low moving mass = high acceleration Direct drive = no backlash, excellent repeatability Force control = Soft - Land capability >250 million cycles MTBF = Long operating life < 55dB = Officially ‘Silent’ in operation You can seamlessly switch between these modes during a single stroke. For instance, start in Position mode and smoothly transition to Force mode as your application demands. While we’ve primarily utilized the LPL and LDL actuators, you can find the same features in the MLA, MSA, and LAL actuators. SMAC also offers a line of rotary actuators (LAR, LCR, LBR, LDR). Controller Options and Communication SMAC offers actuators with built-in controller/drives for single-axis applications. Alternatively, you can opt for external controllers, ideal for both single and 2-axis actuators (linear/rotary, X/Y, and grippers). These controllers empower you to program position, velocity, and force modes with ease. Standard SMAC actuators come equipped with four 5-24V digital I/O, an analog input, analog output, serial communication for seamless data exchange, and options for EthernetIP and EtherCAT communications. Connectivity simplifies integration into your mechanical systems. The VCM includes an encoder and other hardware, eliminating the need for arduous programming. Say goodbye to the days of configuring air lines, fittings, flow controls, analog signals for PLCs, and end-of-arm tooling. SMAC actuators seamlessly integrate with your PLC. Applications We recently configured the SMAC LDL40C in a low-profile bag dispenser fixture for our client Oranje. The standout feature was its remarkable ability to maintain a constant force with utmost precision. Whether it was handling delicate tasks or exerting force consistently, the VCM proved its reliability time and again. Additionally, the VCM exhibited an impressive speed that surpassed my expectations, making it a standout choice for applications requiring rapid and accurate movements. While we were pleased with our experience, here are a few notes to consider before buying a SMAC voice coil motor: Size and Shape: These devices aren't the tiniest on the block, and their unique shape might not suit all applications. However, SMAC has responded by introducing the LDR8, their slimmest model to date. For fresh projects, it's a breeze, but if you're planning an equipment upgrade, expect to invest a bit more effort. Interface: The G-code interface isn't the most intuitive for all integrators like us. We needed more time budgeted to learn the G-code interface. Thankfully, SMAC was responsive and provided great support. Cost: For simple linear motion applications that don't require speed, positional, or force feedback the VCM can be higher cost with starting models at $300. That being said, they do provide longevity. Cheaper pneumatic cylinders are budget-friendly up front but have a shorter lifespan of ~10 million cycles than SMAC actuators with controllers which boast a staggering lifespan of 100 to 300 million cycles. Noteworthy is SMAC's recommendation to opt for an actuator capable of two to three times the force required in your application. This would allow the maximum force needed to be a continuous value for safety. If your application requires precise force accuracy, it is critical that the coil temperature doesn't increase. That being said, our sole regret in utilizing the SMAC VCMs is that we weren't aware of their capabilities for our projects sooner. We have already begun integrating them into fixtures similar to our custom carton erector. These exceptional components have proven instrumental in reducing noise levels, significantly accelerating cycle times, and enhancing overall turnaround times for our clients. Our engineering team highly recommends the SMAC actuators for their precision, speed, and exceptional control.

Let me be clear, I'm not very good at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), but I love it. One might even say I have an addiction to it (this is not part of the leadership lesson). One of the reasons I love it so much is the life lessons I learn from the sport. Last week I was rolling (BJJ speak for "sparring") with a partner when my foot started to cramp. Eventually the pain was so sever that I had to pause and stretch it out. During this pause coach Steve (who is awesome, despite how you may feel after reading the next few paragraphs) walks over and starts barking at me: "let's go, let's go, this isn't an aerobics class - get back to rolling!". I respect coach Steve a lot, so I do so. My partner and I start rolling again only this time coach Steve is standing over us watching and asserting commands: "come on, Aaron, don't just lie there, escape, escape! Pull your arm in! Don't leave your leg out there like that!" My foot is cramping again and it's all I can do not to tap out just to relieve my deeply cramped foot. "Move, Aaron, let's go!" Steve yells. Finally I can't take it anymore, the cramp in my foot is so severe I can't even flex my foot as we tumble on the mat. I tap my partner, signaling to him I need to stop. As my partner moves away coach Steve comes barreling towards me: "what are you doing? Get back in there, you can finish this!". "Nope", I say, "I need a break", and hobble away trying desperately to stretch my foot out. At this moment I'm half convinced coach Steve is going to shoot me to the ground himself and finish me, all the while telling me how I gave up too easily and I shouldn't have wussed out. Then something surprising happens: "is it a cramp?" coach Steve asks. "Yeah, it's a pretty bad one", I respond as I try to stretch it out. "I hate those, they can get really painful, I know. Here, let me show you a trick to stretch it out." Coach Steve walks me over to some kind of foot roller with little spikes on it. "Step on this with your body weight and roll it back and forth. That should help." I do so and yes, it helps a lot. "Hey princess, you give up for the night?" another guys yells over at me playfully (I love these guys, seriously, ha). Before I can think of something smart with which to quip back coach Steve jumps in: "he's got a bad cramp. These are no joke, I've had them myself and all you can do is stop and stretch them out until they go away. They're awful." I think to myself, "holy cow, not only is coach not berating me, he's actually sticking up for me". A minute later my foot is thoroughly stretched out and I feel up to another roll. I jump back in with a partner and finish the night several rolls later with no further cramp issues. It is the job of a leader to push his team (or in this case, the job of a coach to push his student). It's this push that leads to real growth in the individual. I've experienced growth I never would have otherwise thanks to coaches pushing me to do things that I didn't think I could do. This is what good leaders do. However, there comes a point beyond which pushing is no longer useful, and can even be harmful. At this point, the role of a leader changes from pushing to protecting. And remember, leaders can't read minds, it's important for team members and individual contributors to communicate with their leaders when they really truly can't go any further. When I stood up and said I couldn't continue, I meant it. I physically couldn't go on. A less experienced leader may have rejected that and pushed me to keep going, anyway. Coach Steve knew better, and instantly changed his position from pushing me to supporting and protecting me. He empathized with me ("I hate those, they can get really painful, I know"). He helped me and facilitated my recovery ("Step on this with your full body weight and roll it back and forth"). And he protected me ("he's got a bad cramp. These are no joke..."). I tell you what, I had huge respect for coach Steve even before this happened, but afterwards he was king of the world in my eyes. What does this look like in a work setting? Perhaps the team is working on an intensely schedule-aggressive project. Team members are having to work nights and weekends to get it done on time. Certainly, it is the job of the team leader to (among other things) push his or her team to stay on schedule, even if that means working long hours or other uncomfortable circumstances. At a certain point, though, leaders need to be keenly aware of signs that a breaking point is on the horizon. Some team members may feel comfortable being assertive with their leaders and telling them outright when that point has arrived, but many others will not, making it even more critical for the leader to closely observe and interact with team members. If you lead people, push them to foster their growth. Ultimately they will thank you for it. However, the line between helping and hurting can be a thin one, and you must be vigilant in discerning the point beyond which one turns into the other. Also, BJJ is awesome. Why else would one dude pay to roll around with a bunch of other sweaty dudes?

This (see Figure 1 below) is a quarter turn fastener distributed by a company called Fixtureworks. There are several varieties, but they all consist of a male end and female end that are each attached to two separate workpieces a user wishes to fasten together. And unlike typical fasteners (screws) that have threads and require many turns to fasten, the quarter-turn fasteners rely on a pin that fits into a corresponding groove and requires only a quarter of a turn to fully engage its counterpart. This is one of the great advantages of Fixtureworks fasteners: they make fastening FAST. Figure 1. A QCTH series quarter-turn fastener from Fixtureworks One reason the quarter-turn fasteners are so fast is they only require a quarter of a turn to engage, hence the name. However, another reason, and potentially an even more significant reason, is they don’t require any tools to do so. If you have a thumb and an index finger, you can fully engage these fasteners in about a second. No more hunting for a screwdriver or allen wrench, or cursing because they aren’t where they’re supposed to be. A simple quarter turn of your hand is all that’s required. And the knob on the top of the fastener is very comfortable to engage, making the fastening process a pure delight. Another thing to consider regarding the speed offered by these fasteners is maintenance down the road. Have you ever had to fix a stripped thread? It’s the pits, and takes a significant amount of time. With Fixtureworks fasteners you never have to worry about stripped threads because there are no threads, which means there is also no lost time due to stripped threads. Have you ever taken an assembly apart (with screws), then when you begin putting everything back together realize you’re missing a screw (or have an extra screw…)? Maybe it rolled off the table. Maybe Jeff from R&D took it to spite you. Or maybe it went wherever socks go when you put them in the wash. Regardless, now you have to spend more time finding another screw. Ugh. Not so with the Fixtureworks fasteners. They are rigidly affixed to your workpieces, so when you take your assembly apart, they stay attached to their parent parts – yet another way in which they save you time. Even if you’re very good about tracking your fasteners and they never get lost, it’s still mental overhead…overhead you don’t have to expend with Fixtureworks fasteners. Something else you’ll notice the first time you pick up one of these fasteners is how well they’re made. These are not your typical dime a dozen (or if you’re using McMaster a few dollars a dozen…) screw fasteners. They are exceptionally well-made pieces of hardware. They feel sturdy in your hands and inspire confidence in their use. Figure 2. Fixtureworks fasteners come in a variety of styles to compliment nearly any application This all sounds great in theory, but do they really work that well? Yes, they do! Our mission statement here at Pipeline is to build equipment that R&D and manufacturing teams LOVE to use. One of the ways we do that is by using hardware that operators enjoy interacting with, like these quarter turn fasteners. We’ve used them for years and continue to do so not just because we like them, but because our customers love using them. A few examples of where our team has used them are shown below in Figure 3 and Figure 4. Figure 3. Quarter-turn fasteners used to attach device holder in cycle test machine Figure 4. Quarter-turn fastener used to hold manufacturing fixture in multiple discrete locations. Fixtureworks provides dozens of categories of slick hardware like these quarter-turn fasteners. A few others that caught our eye as we were writing this review include their shaft locking clamps, sliding locks, and torque limiting handles. Full disclosure, we have not used those items yet (mostly because we didn’t realize they existed), except for the time we spent with them writing this review. So what are the drawbacks? Well, there are a few. For one, these quarter-turn fasteners are far more expensive than your typical screw. The QCTH shown in Figure 1 will run you somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 for a set (that is, one each of the male and female halves). They’re also larger than your typical screw, so if you’re working in very tight spaces these might not be the right solution. Finally, they require more preparation than a simple threaded hole: you’ll need to use their design guide to incorporate the right features in your part to accept the fasteners, and then there is some (simple) assembly work to install them. So, you’ll want to be judicious in where you use them. Nevertheless, if you have workpieces that are being separated frequently, the speed and delightful user experience associated with these pieces of hardware is so much better than traditional fasteners that it’s likely worth the drawbacks. In conclusion, Fixtureworks’ quarter-turn fasteners might be a great solution for your next project if the following conditions are true: You have parts that need to be regularly joined and separated. Your workspace isn’t extremely tight; rather, there is space to accommodate these fasteners. You don’t want to spend time turning screws, fixing stripped threads, or searching for lost screws…like a peasant. This review is about making your life easier; if you need more than a solution for just fasteners, and want to make life REALLY easy, consider giving Pipeline a call. Our expertise is in R&D and developing new manufacturing/testing/inspection processes, then building specialized equipment, fixtures, & automation around those processes to increase production for OEMs. Contact us today to learn how you can leverage our team! Finally, the table below includes links to all the Fixtureworks fasteners we reviewed in this article. As mentioned above, they offer far more than just the quarter-turn fasteners, so we encourage you to check out their site and learn about all the hardware solutions they offer. Product Description Link QCBU Fastener Ball lock, recessed handle, steel Recessed Button Ball-Locking Clamps (QCBU) Quick-Release – Fixtureworks CTK48 Torque Limiting Knobs Plastic knob, orange Torque Limiting Knobs – Stud – Metric – Fixtureworks QCTHA Quarter-Turn Fasteners Retractable, Plastic Knob One Touch Fasteners – Quarter-Turn – Retractable (QCTHA) – Fixtureworks QCSQ Sliding Lock Stainless Handle One Touch Fasteners – Sliding Locks – Square Bar – Knob (QCSQ) – Fixtureworks QCTHS Quarter Turn Fastener Plastic Knob, Steel Shank Heavy Duty Quarter-Turn Fasteners – Plastic Knob (QCTHS) – Fixtureworks QCTH Quarter Turn Fastener Plastic Knob Quarter-Turn Fasteners – Plastic Knob (QCTH) – Fixtureworks QCSPL Shaft Locking Clamp Plastic body Quick Shaft-Locking Clamps (QCSPL) – Fixtureworks – Fixtureworks

Troubleshooting a multi-part system can be challenging since it’s often unclear which part is contributing to the error, or if there are multiple parts contributing. All you know is the end result isn’t what it should be. I experienced this situation recently, and had the opportunity to use my engineering skills to identify where the error was coming from. I think it serves as a good summary of how to break down a system to identify root causes, so I’m writing this article to share the process I went through in hopes that it will help other engineers out there in their troubleshooting efforts. The system I troubleshot was purchased from a company called Edelkrone who manufactures cinematic motion products (we’re trying to up our marketing game here at Pipeline). It included the following products (which were effectively subsystems…see Figure 1 below): JibOne – a swing arm PanPRO – rotates the JibOne HeadPLUS – pitch and yaw motions for the camera Focus Module – focuses the camera lens Figure 1. System level broken down by subsystems (individual products) These products don’t necessarily come as a package, rather they can be mixed as desired. So, it’s not like they all came assembled ready to go from the factory. In addition, to these items, I also already had the camera body and a couple lenses (one Canon, and one Tamron…but the names don’t really matter). Once I had unboxed and installed them all on my tripod, I started experimenting with the system excited to see the programmable motion come to life in a few test videos. The products work with an app that is simple enough to use. Move the camera to a position, record that position in the app, then move the camera to another position and record that position in the app. Now you can move back and forth between those two positions. Or so it was supposed to be… Unfortunately, what I found was that positions in the actual trajectory of the system didn’t match those positions in the corresponding program I created (see Figure 2 below). For example, if position A was at x,y,z coordinates 4,4,4, and position B was at x,y,z coordinates 7,7,7, the actual path of the system might end up at A = 4,5,3 and B = 7,6,8…noticeably different than where they should be. I spent hours trying to understand what was going on at a system level…and that was my big mistake. Even after being an engineer for 20 years, it didn’t occur to me to break the system down into its constituent parts for an embarrassingly long time. But I got there eventually. Figure 2. Video showing discrepancy between positions that were supposed to be the same Once I realized I was fighting a losing battle troubleshooting at the system level, I started testing each product by itself. Very quickly it became clear where the problems were and were not. The PanPRO by itself showed inconsistent positions while the HeadPLUS was spot on every time. The Focus Module was all over the place when using the Tamron lens (but accurate when using the Canon lens) whereas the JibONE was supremely consistent. I tracked everything meticulously. I kept a spreadsheet in which I recorded all my results (Figure 3). An organized folder structure for each test (Figure 4). Clearly named subfolders for each trial within each test folder (Figure 5). And clearly labeled individual photos within each trial folder (Figure 6…two poses for each trial, each taken three times so I wasn’t relying on just a single data point). Not only did staying organized help me clearly see where the problems were, but when I’d go back to it a few days later it was easy to pick back up and continue the testing process since results were recorded very clearly. Figure 3. Master spreadsheet to track results across all tests Figure 4. Folders to keep each test organized Figure 5. Subfolders inside the test folders to organize the different trials Figure 6. Clearly labeled photos to record each trial Armed with this knowledge I was able to present Edelkrone with actionable information. After a couple of exchanges with support, they determined two things: The PanPRO unit was bad. I was using an unsupported lens (the Tamron…the Canon was supported and did work) They quickly sent me a new PanPRO unit, and I stopped using the unsupported Tamron lens. Once the new PanPRO unit arrived I installed it (along with only the Canon lens) and voila – everything worked at the system level! Since then we have gone on to use this setup to film multiple projects with wonderful results. We often have customers and industry contacts comment on how well done our photography/videography is (see examples in case studies on our website). To summarize, here is the process one should consider following when troubleshooting a system that isn’t cooperating: Identify the constituent sub-systems Test each subsystem by itself Record your results in a supremely organized manner Analyze the results to learn if the individual subsystems yield correct results It’s important to note that this process will work for more than just engineering systems. For example, maybe you’ve just started a diet (which is a system itself) and you’re not getting the results you expected. Break it down into its constituent parts, or subsystems: How many total calories am I consuming? What is the caloric quality of the foods I’m eating (e.g. pizza vs carrot sticks) Am I exercising regularly? Am I getting high quality sleep? Etc… Chances are one or more of the subsystems aren’t where they should be. Now that you’ve identified them individually it becomes much easier to troubleshoot each by itself. You get the idea. Good luck troubleshooting your systems, in engineering and in life!