03_Three-Axis Test Table

04_Large Torque Simulator

07_ACUTRONIC Olten expanding

Issue 11_May 2007

Newsletter

Astronaut working on International Space Station

ACUTRONIC USA, Inc. has designed,

manufactured, and is currently testing a

Model AC371-1 Three-Axis Motion Simula-

tor designed to test and evaluate missile

systems and their components for Lock-

heed Martin. This “turn-key” Three-Axis

Motion Simulator includes a three-axis

ACUTRONIC USA Designs\ Manufactures a Three-Axis HWIL Motion SimulatorPaul Hollinger, ACUTRONIC USA

ACUTRONIC USA has manufactured a Three-Axis Missile Motion Simulator (TAMMS) which maintains payload orienta-tions with a maximum composite error of 50 micro radians.

Editorial

Dear reader

Many of the past newsletters – and its

editorials – were marked by traditional

themes such as process reengineer-

ing programs, customer orientation

activities or quality management. All

these topics marked the milestones of

a growing company. Being the leader

in our market, we will now enter new

areas to continue our path for growth.

The question remains how a highly

specialized company as ACUTRONIC

can grow. With its strong technology

skills, a capability based strategy ap-

proach is the path to go. Currently

we explore ways to enter into new

markets and applications based on

our existing capabilities. We will keep

you updated.

Thomas W Jung

Group CEO ACUTRONIC

Continued on page 02

simulator, drive power amplifi er consoles,

simulator control console containing an

ACUTROL 3000 motion controller, and a

SCRAMNet high speed refl ective memory

remote interface along with system instal-

Source: NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

02Projects

lation, integration, and startup at Lockheed

Martin’s facility. The Hardware-in-the-loop

Simulation System will enable Lockheed

Martin to simulate realistic engagement

scenarios. Key features and performance

specifi cations for the Model AC371-1 are

as follows:

■ Designed for large payloads; up to 12-

inch diameter, 47-inch aft dimension, and

250 lbs.

■ The Three-Axis Motion Simulator is de-

signed to produce and maintain Payload

Orientations with a maximum composite

error of 50 micro radians (10.3 arc se-

conds).

■ Controlled by the truly digital ACUTROL

3000 servo system with SCRAMNet shared

memory interface for real time Hardware-

in-the-loop (HWIL) simulations.

■ AC brushless servomotors drive all three

axes with the Pitch axis peak torque being

greater than 55,000 ft-lbs (74,580 N-M). ]

For further information please contact:

Paul Hollinger

ACUTRONIC USA Inc.

640 Alpha Drive

Pittsburgh, PA 15238

Phone: 412-963-9400

phollinger@acutronic.com

www.acutronic.com

Model AC371-1

Three-Axis Missile Motion Simulator

Performance Specifi cations Roll Yaw Pitch

Displacement, deg Continuous ± 50 ± 45

Position accuracy, 0 to peak, arc-sec 2 2 2

Rate, maximum, deg/sec 1,440 400 400

Acceleration, deg/sec2 15,000 6,000 6,000

Frequency Response, Hz (with 100 lb. payload) 35 35 35

Continuation cover story

03Customers

ACUTRONIC USA, Inc. Delivers Three-Axis Test Table Frank Davis, Project Manager ACUTRONIC USA

ACUTRONIC USA delivers the Three-Axis Rotational Simulator (TARS) to the NASA Johnson Space Center for development of the International Space Station Rate Gyro.

ACUTRONIC USA was selected in March

2006 to provide a Model BD357 Three-Axis

Test Table to the NASA Johnson Space

Center in Houston, TX.

Three-Axis Rotational Simulator (TARS)

The Series BD357 is a standard

ACUTRONIC test table designed for auto-

mated production testing and calibration of

inertial navigation systems. All three axes

are servo controlled with the ACUTROL3000

digital motion controller to provide preci-

sion position, rate and acceleration motion.

The drives feature excellent rate stability

and accurate positioning achieved with a

resolver/Inductosyn transducer package.

This BD357 was successfully

delivered and installed on schedule in

December 2006 to the Sonny Carter Training

Center facility. The table will be utilized as

an engineering instrument to simulate the

motion of the International Space Station

(ISS) for further development of the ISS’s

rate gyro assembly. The new table comple-

ments a Model 357L Three-Axis Test Table

delivered to NASA Johnson Space Center

by ACUTRONIC USA in 1996. ]

Standard Series BD357 Specifi cations

Test Table Dimensions w Temp. Chamber w/o Temp. Chamber

■ Table top diameter, in (mm) 28 (711) 32 (813)■ Table top height (from fl oor), in (mm) 66 (1676) 63 (1600)■ Table top hole pattern 1/4-20 threaded holes on 2 in grid■ Overall dimensions, in (mm) 105 (2667) Dia�118 (2997) H 93 (2362) Dia�105 (2667) H

Unit Under Test (UUT)

■ Maximum Weight, lbs (kg) 110 (50) 110 (50)■ Dimensions, max, in (mm), (Dia�H) 24 (610)�15 (381) 28 (711)�20 (508)■ Sliprings (optional) 85 lines for customer use, 80 @ 3 amp, 5 @ 5 amp

Performance Specifi cations Outer Axis Middle Axis Inner Axis

■ Rotational Freedom, deg

– without sliprings +/– 185 +/– 185 +/– 185 – with sliprings (optional) unlimited unlimited unlimited■ Position

– Accuracy, arc-sec RSS 1 1 1 – Resolution, deg 0.00001 0.00001 0.00001 – Repeatability, arc-sec < 1 < 1 < 1■ Rate

– Maximum, deg/sec +/– 100 +/– 100 +/– 100 – with sliprings (optional) +/– 300 +/– 300 +/– 1000 – Resolution, deg/sec 0.00001 0.00001 0.00001 – Stability, % – over 360 deg; unlimited rotation 0.001 0.001 0.001 – over 10 deg; limited rotation 0.01 0.01 0.01 – Accuracy, % – over 360 deg; unlimited rotation 0.001 0.001 0.001 – over 10 deg; limited rotation 0.01 0.01 0.01■ Wobble, arc-sec +/–5 +/–5 +/–5■ Orthogonality, arc-sec 3 3■ Peak acceleration, deg/sec2 (no test load) with temp. chamber (28 inch table top) 100 200 700

Temperature Chamber (optional)

– Range, deg C – 55 to + 85– Stability, deg C +/– 1.0– Rate of change, deg C/minute– LN2 (or CO2) 5 (cooling and heating)

04Innovation

1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

Year

Torq

ue (k

Nm

)

Figure 1: Increase of torque on the outer axis of FMS during the last 7 years. Orange line, double vane actuators and grey line single vane actuators.

Due to a close and cooperative partner-

ship with our large base of local suppliers

ACUTRONIC Olten is able to adapt to a

varying demand for production in a very

short time. After agreeing to a 12 month

delivery time for a new HWIL fl ight motion

simulator, the project was kept fully on track

and after only 10 months we are ready for

integration and subsequent factory ac-

ceptance test.

The total torque from the two single

vane hydraulic actuators on the horizontal

outer axis adds to more than 100 kNm. This

huge torque can accelerate the outer axis

which has an angular freedom of ±126°up

to 10,000 deg/s2 with the customers unit

under test (UUT). The main parameters

which determine the required torque on the

outer axis are the required acceleration of

the outer axis and the mass and offset of

the customers UUT.

Figure 1 shows the development

of the outer axis torque for FMS in recent

years. Note the continuous fi ve fold increase

in torque over the last 7 years. This increase

is not just correlated with acceleration

requirements because these only vary a

factor of two in this period. ]

Delivery of a Large Torque Flight Motion Simulator Dr. Michael Warden, CTO ACUTRONIC Switzerland Ltd

In order to comply with the increasing quest for higher dynamics and increased inertia of test units, a new Hardware-in-the-Loop (HWIL) fl ight motion simulator was designed and manufactured in Switzerland.

Hydraulic power unit with the two pumps shown on the right. The heat exhanger which keeps the oil at a constant temperature and accordingly at constant viscosity is visible on the left side.

05Innovation

Ready for integration in the production facility in Olten/Switzerland. The fi ne pressure equalizer lines run between the two motors in order to prevent distortion of the outer axis.

The accumulator required to buffer peak oil volume fl ows.Close-up view of the middle gimbel. A yellow 80 kg dummy load is mounted on the role axis and it has a large fi eld of view.

We wish all our new colleagues a good

start, success, enjoyment of their work

and of course, a long and successful

career at ACUTRONIC.

06Inside

Dominique E. Schinabeck

ACUTRONIC USA

At ACUTRONIC USA Inc. starting Feb-

ruary 1st 2007 Larry Zana will assume

the position of VP Marketing & Business

Development. Larry Zana has worked for

ACUTRONIC in the position of Head of

Instrumentation and Product Development

since 2002 contributing to the development

of the ACUTROL3000. Larry has a MS. in

Electrical Engineering from the University of

Pittsburgh. He has worked with marketing

on new business development at Redzone

Robotics and Westinghouse (commercial

and DoD contracts)

Larry also supported the implemen-

tation of the marketing strategy as Director

of Engineering at Cellomics.

Starting April 1st 2007 Frank Davis has

been promoted to the position of Manu-

facturing Manager. Frank Davis, a former

Carco Electronics employee, has worked

for ACUTRONIC since the acquisition of

Carco in February 2005 in the position of

Project Manager and Planning. Frank has a

BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology

from Penn State University.

We are excited to once again offer promising

internal career paths to our employees.

Thomas W. Jung

ACUTRONIC Switzerland

Also the Marketing & Sales team at ACU-

TRONIC Switzerland Ltd is being enhanced

by adding Beat F. Brunner as VP Marketing

& Business Development. This decision

stands in the context of the newly defi ned

corporate strategy where additional efforts

will be put into marketing and business

development. Beat Brunner joined the

company in April of 2007.

Beat Brunner, born in 1954, has

a MS. in Mechanical Engineering from the

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in

Zurich. Beat Brunner brings a deep knowl-

edge of our industry along, as he joins us

from the leading Swiss Aeronautics and

Defence fi rm, Lucerne-based RUAG Aero-

space Inc. Before being promoted as Head

of Staff, Beat Brunner was General Manager

of the Business Unit Aerostructures. ACH is

Beat F. Brunner

Larry Zana

excited to have a “calibre” like Beat Brunner

on board who will not only complement the

existing team but also support the growth

plans of ACUTRONIC.

Roland Bischof has been appointed as

an Electrical Designer as of June 1, 2007.

Roland Bischof is an experienced profes-

sional with large technical know-how. He

replaces Patrick Hutter who will be joining

the Service Team as a Service Engineer in

September 2007 after fi nishing his electrical

engineering studies.

Frank Davis

Roland Bischof

Growing ACUTRONIC We are happy to announce the following enhancement of the teams at both the Pittsburgh and Bubikon facilities.

The continuous strive for effi ciency, quality

and professionalism lead to the investment

decision in 2006 to signifi cantly upgrade

the manufacturing location of ACUTRONIC

Switzerland in Olten. January 2007, a

completely refurbished manufacturing and

integration site went into operation. The total

production area now sums up to 1,000 m2

and offers a separated space for assembly

and integration work of hydraulic fl ight mo-

tion simulators. Several new isolated piers

have been introduced to enable parallel fi nal

integration stations of motion simulation

systems. In addition, a new annex building

has been added offering space (a total of

200 m2) for offi ces as well as a generous

visitor area for customers during Factory

Acceptance Testing. ACUTRONIC Olten,

the center of competence for hydraulic

work as well as for mechanical and electri-

cal integration, welcomes you any time to

the wonderful town of Olten in the heart of

Switzerland. ]

1_Overview of the fi nal assembly area within the renewed factory hall

2_Inside view into the hall specially designated for hydraulic work

3_Outside perspective of the newly built offi ce and visitor building

07Inside

ACUTRONIC Olten expands its Production and Integration Facility Bruno Ackeret, Head of Production, ACUTRONIC Switzerland

ACUTRONIC Olten, the manufacturing unit of ACUTRONIC Switzerland, invested substantially into the expansion of its existing site with the goal to further increase process effi ciency and industrialization of its products.

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08Pinboard

1_Dr. Michael Warden, CTO 2_Robin Hauser, Control Design

ACUTRONIC Groupwww.acutronic.comA Member of Jung Technologies Holding AG

ACUTRONIC Schweiz AG

Techcenter SchwarzCH-8608 BubikonSwitzerlandphone +41 55 253 23 23fax +41 55 253 23 33offi ce@acutronic.com

ACUTRONIC USA Inc.

640 Alpha DrivePittsburgh, PA 15238USAphone +1 412 963 94 00fax +1 412 963 08 16aus@acutronic.com

ImprintPublished byACUTRONIC Group

Concept & DesignYesway AG, Zürich

Print run2500 copies

05-412-070

ACUTRONIC Switzerland Ltd attended Job Fair at Hochschule Rapperswil (HSR)By Michael Warden and Robin Hauser

ACUTRONIC’s presence underlined our continuous engagement to offer internships and job opportuni-ties to well qualifi ed future engineers.

On November 8, 2006 ACUTRONIC at-

tended the annual job fair at the Hochschule

Rapperswil. Among others, the HSR offers

broad and extensive electrical and me-

chanical engineering programs. We remain

in constant contact with the professors and

their students to ensure a successful and

persistent cooperation. ]

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