Industry News - October 2008

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:03:56 +0100

TTI Signs Pan-European Franchise Deal with C&K Components

TTI, Inc. a leading passive, connector and electro-mechanical specialist distributor in the electronics industry, has signed a distribution agreement with C&K Components, a recognized leader in the design and manufacture of switches, smart card interconnect devices, and high reliability connectors. C&K is known throughout the world as one of the most relied upon switch manufacturers and offers the broadest portfolio of switch products as well as specialty connectors.

Comments John Sandy, TTI’s European Director Supplier Marketing Connectors: “There is no doubt that C&K is one of the world’s leading switch brands. I’m confident that our current switch portfolio allows us to address any and all market requirements.”

Adds Henk Raaijmakers: C&K Components’ Distribution Manager Switches for Central & Nordic Europe: “TTI is very focused on our sector and has a track record of targeting new business rather than just trying to take market share. Customers will have access to a wide range of our products stocked in depth by TTI.”

www.ck-components.com

Digi-Key Corporation and Alpha & Omega Semiconductor Sign Global Distribution Agreement

Digi-Key Corporation and Alpha & Omega Semiconductor, Inc. (AOS) have announced that the companies have signed a global distribution agreement.
AOS is a leading developer of advanced semiconductor solutions. AOS products stocked by Digi-Key are featured in its print and online catalogs and are available for purchase directly from Digi-Key. This new distribution agreement will enable Digi-Key to fulfill both the design and production quantity needs of its very diverse customer base.

"We are very excited to expand our semiconductor portfolio with products from Alpha & Omega Semiconductor," said Mark Larson, Digi-Key president and COO. "AOS' commitment to excellence in design, manufacturing reliability, and responsiveness to its customers makes this company a good match for Digi-Key, and we are certain that AOS products will be of consequential interest and appeal to our customers."

"AOS and Digi-Key complement each other in its business philosophy of bringing the best value to customers and best service in the industry. With Digi-Key's global presence and top-rated online commerce, customers will be able to access AOS’ wide range of products in a more efficient manner," said Jonus Chen, vice president of worldwide sales for AOS. "We look forward to a successful partnership with Digi-Key."

http://www.digikey.com
http://www.aosmd.com

General Manager Boosts Management Team at Gresham

Gresham Power Electronics, the Salisbury, UK based MIL and commercial power solutions specialist, announces the appointment of Roger Diment to the position of General Manager. Roger comes to Gresham form Rolls Royce where he held a number of technical, commercial and logistics roles.

Roger’s main focus will be to add further expertise to Gresham’s considerable global naval defence sales and to develop new markets in merchant marine power systems. He will also assist with direct and distribution sales of Gresham’s high power density commercial OEM power supplies.

Gresham Power is part of the power conversion empire formed of Telkoor Power Supplies Ltd in Israel, a major supplier of MIL and custom commercial power solutions and Digital Power, the San Francisco based market leader in low profile, high power density OEM power supplies. This combination of global design and manufacturing expertise and very wide market experience offers a unique source of off the shelf and custom power conversion products with worldwide customer support.

Roger has had a long career of working in “blue-chip” global solution suppliers and has worked in Europe and the Middle East providing technical and logistical services. He has had considerable experience of marine electrical system which will be a major asset for his new role with Gresham Power. He says. “I am convinced that many of Gresham’s MIL products will provide value for money solutions for the merchant marine market and I will be developing sales channels to develop this business. I am also looking forward to being involved in our commercial product sales and will be providing support to Telkoor’s direct sales in Europe.”

Gresham Power provides static frequency converters, DC UPS, distributed power systems and DC:AC inverters for Naval defence systems and OEM power supplies and compactPCI products for telecoms, medical, industrial and commercial applications.

http://www.greshampower.com

Lineage Power Appoints Global VP of OEM Sales

Lineage Power Corporation has announced that Chris Meaney has been appointed global vice president of OEM sales. Meaney will be responsible for driving the global sales strategy for the OEM (original equipment manufacturers) market.

Most recently, Meaney served as vice president of sales at IntraLinks, a leading provider of virtual data room workspaces and other online workflow management solutions. Primarily responsible for the regional direct sales team, Meaney played a key role in generating a $14 million revenue stream. Before IntraLinks, Meaney held multiple sales positions for Siemens Enterprise Communications, where he managed regional and global accounts, such as Coca-Cola, IBM, UPS and Ford Motor Company. Meaney also served as multi-services regional manager at Cisco Systems.

Meaney earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Vermont. He will be based in Atlanta.

http://www.lineagepower.com

LTi REEnergy Selects Maxwell Technology BOOSTCAP® Ultracapacitors for Backup Power in Wind Turbines

Maxwell Technologies Inc. announced today that LTi REEnergy GmbH (LTi), one of the world’s leading producers of electro-mechanical wind turbine blade pitch control systems, has selected Maxwell’s BOOSTCAP® Ultracapacitors to supply backup power for LTi’s PitchMaster® blade pitch control system.

Blade pitch control systems enhance the consistency of wind turbines’ electrical energy output and ensure that rotor speed remains within a safe operating range by constantly adjusting turbine blades to compensate for changes in wind velocity. Ultracapacitors supply backup power for orderly system shutdown in the event of a main system power failure.

David Schramm, Maxwell’s president and chief executive officer, said that LTi’s PitchMaster® system incorporates multi-cell BOOSTCAP ultracapacitor modules based on Maxwell’s BCAP0350 “D cell” product.

“LTi supplies blade pitch control systems to a number of major wind turbine manufacturers around the world, and already sold more than one thousand PitchMaster® systems, so this new supply agreement represents a significant expansion of Maxwell’s penetration of the rapidly growing wind energy industry,” Schramm said. “We are pleased to be aligned with another leading player in the dynamic renewable energy marketplace.”
Matthias Vehring, LTi’s Managing Director, said that ultracapacitors were chosen over batteries for backup power because of their longer operating life, lower maintenance requirements and ability to operate more reliably in harsh climates.

“Wind turbine operators need systems that perform reliably for many years in all weather conditions with minimal maintenance,” Vehring said. “BOOSTCAP products have demonstrated their durability and reliability at temperatures ranging from -40 to +65C, which enables our pitch control systems to better meet our customers’ expectations.”

Industry sources report that nearly 20,000 MW of new wind generator capacity was installed in 2007, bringing the total worldwide installed base to approximately 94,000 MW. From 2003 through 2007, the industry maintained an annual growth rate of more than 20 percent, and it is projected to continue to meet or exceed that rate through 2012.

http://www.maxwell.com
http://www.reenergy.lt-i.com

Microsemi Appoints Bel Lazar Senior VP of Operations

Microsemi Corporation has announced the appointment of Bel Lazar as Senior Vice President of Operations, reporting to Ralph Brandi, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

Lazar comes to Microsemi from International Rectifier, where he was Vice President of the Aerospace & Defense Business Unit, having responsibilities for operations in Leominster, Massachusetts, Santa Clara, California, and Denmark.

"We are excited to welcome Bel to Microsemi," said Ralph Brandi. "Microsemi has entered exciting new territory in the last year, introducing a number of RadHard parts for military and aerospace applications, with more products on the roadmap for release in the near future. These are some of the most profitable high-reliability markets and represent an entirely new growth opportunity for the company. Bel's deep understanding of these technologies and applications makes him an integral part of the team and a key component of our next generation growth strategy."

Lazar, who has a Juris Doctor degree from Southwestern University School of Law, earned a Master of Science degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Southern California in 1986 and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from California State University, Northridge, in 1984.

http://www.microsemi.com

SolFocus Completes CPV Installation at ISFOC’s 3MW Solar Power Plant

SolFocus and ISFOC today announced the completion of SolFocus’ concentrator PV (CPV) installation in Spain at the Institute of Concentration Photovoltaic Systems (ISFOC) 3MW municipal power production facility. SolFocus is the first of three companies to complete its contract with ISFOC in the first phase of the project. SolFocus has installed two distinct CPV power plants: 200kW at Puertollano and 300kW at Almoguera. The ISFOC facility has performed initial testing and analysis confirming that in SolFocus’ first commercial deployment of its flagship product, the SF-1000P CPV panel, each panel is performing as designed at specified power levels.

The ISFOC project was created both as a municipal power plant and a proving ground for CPV technology. The original contract was awarded to SolFocus in late 2006, shortly after the creation of ISFOC as a power-producing testing facility for high-efficiency CPV technology. ISFOC sought the most promising CPV technologies approaching the electrical generation market, and selected SolFocus in advance of commercial production. SolFocus now enters the industrial, commercial, and utility markets having fine-tuned its design and technology development to emphasize reliability and overall system performance at the ISFOC installation. This month, the California Energy Commission (CEC) approved the SF-1000P CPV panel as the very first CPV product listed for commercial deployment in the state of California,

http://www.solfocus.com

High-Performance Two-Wheel Inverted Pendulum Robot via R&D Cooperation

STMicroelectronics and the Waseda University Humanoid Robotics Institute (HRI) have announced the development of a high-performance two-wheel inverted pendulum robot, called WV-1 (Waseda wheeled Vehicle-No.1), which is the first result of an ongoing cooperation for the research and development of technology and solutions for innovative humanoid robots and medical-care robot systems.

ST and HRI are cooperating to use leading-edge semiconductor know-how to promote the speedier development of innovative ‘humanoids’ and medical-care robotic systems, involving researchers and development engineers from both ST and HRI. ST will become a supplier to HRI for semiconductor products, while also furnishing HRI with the leading-edge semiconductor prototypes on a cost-free basis, making it possible for HRI to conduct advanced evaluations of possible humanoid and medical-care robotic applications. In addition, future cooperation between ST and HRI is expected to include the establishment of an ST-sponsored scholarship system for HRI students.

The WV-1 is a two-wheeled robot on which a pole with weights is installed in an inverted fashion on a pedestal. A feedback system, controlled with the STM32, ST’s ARM® Cortex™-M3 based 32-bit MCU and the LIS344ALH 3-axis digital acceleration sensor, allows the robot to move while maintaining its balance. The MCU rapidly computes the angle of robot body incline, angular velocity and other sensor data, enabling the motor to constantly generate optimum torque, which allows the robot to continue moving smoothly without tipping over. Potential applications for this inverted pendulum robot control technology include postural control functions for humanoids and other devices, realizing new means of mobility.

HRI received a grant from “the project for reinforcement of development technologies for robotics” from The Robotics Industry Development Council. The grant was used for the development of the WV-1. Additionally, HRI is now working on plans to commercialize the robot.

http://www.st.com
http://www.humanoid.waseda.ac.jp

Vicor Strengthens European Team

Vicor is investing in its European sales organisation and announces the appointment of Catalin Tachiciu as Regional Sales Manager Germany, Switzerland and Denmark and Hannes Schachenmayr to Regional Sales Manager Eastern Europe.

Hannes Schachenmayer has created a strong distributor network and successfully developed the customer base in these markets for Vicor over the past 14 years. He has over 20 years’ experience in the power supply business and will now focus his expertise on building the Eastern European market for Vicor, which is an important and growing part of Vicor’s international business.

Photo: Hannes Schachenmayer

Catalin Tachiciu, 45, who joins Vicor from Rohm Semiconductor, brings extensive experience with him. He graduated from Munich University with a degree in electronics and telecommunications and started his professional career in the semiconductor industry with Analog Devices and brings a strong sales and marketing focus in established and emerging markets.

Photo: Catalin Tachiciu

“We are excited about the addition of Catalin to the Vicor Team and it confirms Vicor’s ongoing commitment to developing the European market, especially Germany. This appointment will now allow Hannes to focus on our fast growing Eastern European territories”, says Andy Gales, Vice President of International Sales at Vicor.

http://www.vicoreurope.com

Power Systems Design

Industry News - October 2008