David Matthews Appointed as Vice President of Sales - Americas
MT. KISCO, NY, March 20, 2009 — Curtis Instruments, Inc. announces that Mr. David Matthews has been appointed to the position of Vice President of Sales –Americas for Curtis Instruments, Inc. Mr. Matthews has been a key member of the Curtis sales and operational management team staff for more than 10 years. In his new position, Mr. Matthews will manage the sales operations of Curtis Instruments for all of the Americas, in addition to his existing responsibilities as Vice President of Operations–Asia. Mr. Matthews is a highly qualified and experienced Curtis senior manager. He studied at the University of Rhode Island, from where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in electronic engineering in 1982. He joined Curtis in 1999 as Product Manager for the company’s EV battery charging products. In 2000, he took over the operations management of the newly developed Curtis office in India. He was promoted to Vice President of Operations– Asia in 2001, responsible for all aspects of Curtis operations on the continent, including sales. Prior to joining Curtis Instruments, Mr. Matthews held a series of progressively responsible international engineering and managerial positions with major international corporations, including as Director of Business Development for ABB and Production Program Manager for United Technologies. Mr. Matthews lives in Newtown, CT with his wife Gail and their two children. He stated his approach to the new America’s responsibility, “As a 50 year old integrated systems provider to the electric vehicle industry, Curtis is well positioned to be part of the global green revolution. I am committed to advancing the company by continuing to build partnerships and to provide unique solutions to our customers.”
Curtis Introduces New Integrated AC Traction & Hydraulic System Controller
Dec. 12, 2008, Mount Kisco, NY — Curtis Instruments introduces the Curtis Model 1298 Integrated AC traction & hydraulic system controller. This advanced new controller combines advanced AC traction motor control together with variable speed DC hydraulic pump and proportional valve control into a compact, cost effective integrated package. The Curtis Model 1298 is designed primarily for Class III material handling vehicles requiring AC traction control, with variable speed or soft start and soft stop control of the hydraulic lift and lower functions. The model 1298 utilizes the popular CANopen CANbus communication protocol to allow easy systems integration, and communication with other CANopen devices. It comes with fully-featured generic software for Walkie and Walkie-Stacker applications.. Other OEM specific requirements can be easily supported and programmed with Curtis’ unique VCL- vehicle control language. VCL can be used by OEMs themselves, or Curtis can provide assistance as required with VCL programming and CANbus configuration to implement the required functionality. The Curtis field-oriented vector AC control algorithm provides peak torque and optimal efficiency across the entire operating range. The Model 1298 also features full regenerative braking and precise zero speed control. It is field programmable and easily tuned with in-vehicle motor characterization which allows easy tuning of the controller to any AC motor. Half-bridge pump output allows superior regulation of pump motor speed and current demand. Curtis controllers are designed for maximum flexibility and Model 1298 is no exception. Special features and I/O for electromagnetic brake, DC Pump motor, and hydraulic valve control allow for economical control of the entire vehicle system. It also includes software selectable options for variable speed lift and lower or single-speed lift and lower. Additionally, the 1298 controller is designed for safe operation in rugged environments and it meets or complies with all relevant US and international regulations. Its Insulated Metal Substrate (IMS) power base provides superior heat transfer for increased performance and reliability, while the controller’s sealed housing and connectors meet the IP65 environmental rating. Full power operation is over -40º C to 85º C heatsink temperature range.
Curtis Introduces New Electric Steering Controller
Dec. 12, 2008, Mount Kisco, NY — At PROMAT 2009 in Chicago, Curtis Instruments will introduce the latest addition to its Motor Controllers line: The Model 1222 electric Steering Controller, which provides responsive and intuitive control of AC induction gear motors for Electric Power Steering (EPS) applications. The model 1222 interfaces directly with the steering command input, wheel position feedback, and AC motor to create a seamless drive-by-wire system. The controller is designed for use in EPS drive-by-wire applications in material handling and other light industrial vehicles. These include reach trucks, man-up warehouse trucks, order pickers, stackers, tow tractors and other industrial vehicles. This highly programmable controller features advanced design and functionality, and employs a dual redundant micro architecture which satisfies the critical EN954-1 cat. 3 safety rating. . In the event of a system error, the controller opens the main contactor and can also release the vehicle’s EM brake, displaying the nature of the error on the external fault output line, and the built-in status LED’s. The Model 1222 accepts 24V – 80V system voltages and is rated to deliver 70 A RMS for a full 2 minutes. Primary features include closed-loop optimized performance in both velocity and position control modes as well as end-stop protection and auto-center features. This new controller utilizes the popular CANopen protocol, allowing simple interfacing with the vehicle control system., Steering signals from most types of steering command devices are accepted. Steering commands can also be received over the CANbus, and automatic adjustment of steering response dependent on vehicle speed and direction is possible. CANbus allows the model 1222’s diagnostic and status messages to be displayed on the vehicle’s CAN based instrumentation and displays. Like all Curtis controllers, it is is easy to install and maintain, and is designed and manufactured according to robust safety and reliability standards.An Insulated Metal Substrate (IMS) power base provides superior heat transfer for increased reliability. The Model 1222 features rugged, sealed housing and connectors and meets the IP65 environmental sealing standard for use in harsh environments.
Curtis Introduces High-Power Hydraulic Pump Controller
Dec. 12, 2008, Mount Kisco, NY — Curtis Instruments introduces the Curtis Model 1253, a high-power hydraulic pump controller which provides both digital input and analog throttle based control of DC series wound motors. It features microprocessor based logic with programmable parameters and offers maximum flexibility for minimum cost. The Curtis 1253 Series Motor Speed Controller is designed as a highly affordable solution for solid-state control of DC motor driven hydraulic pumps on Class I and Class II material handling vehicles. This new controller features advanced functionality, offering programmable acceleration rates and delivering smooth application and release of pump motor torque. At 15.6 kHz PWM frequency it operates at near silent operation. The controller is easily programmable and includes four Speed Select inputs with individually programmable fixed speeds. A programmable analog throttle input assures proportional speed control with a variety of signal sources. An off-delay timer is provided for power steering. An adjustable minimum speed setting maintains steering system pressure and pump lubrication. Lift lockout input disables the controller at low battery state of charge. This controller seamlessly integrates with Curtis model 803, 906, 841, and enGage® IV displays for lift lockout functions, and features a separate interlock input to disable the controller when the operator is not present. Like all Curtis controllers, it is designed for robust safety and reliability. Its rugged housing meets IP54 environmental ratings. Full power operation is over -40 ªC to 80 ºC heatsink temperature range.
Curtis Instruments Introduces New Series of Foot Pedals
Mt. Kisco, NY. Dec. 2008. Curtis Instruments, a world leading developer of advanced instrumentation and control systems for electric vehicles of all types, introduces a new series of foot pedals designed and manufactured to the exacting requirements of TS16949 to achieve unprecedented reliability. Curtis Model FP foot pedals are ideal for use with electronic vehicle controllers in material handling, construction, airport, golf, sweeper/scrubber, utility, Light-On-Road and general industrial vehicles. The modular design of these pedals combines standard sensors (resistive or Hall Effect) with flexible mechanical designs to provide solutions for every application. They can be used in a wide temperature range and IP66 environmental protection allows reliable use of electronic control in harsh industrial vehicle applications. Metal and rugged thermoplastic composite versions are available to meet the specific cost and performance requirements of every application. Multiple pedal angles and mounting configurations (floor, suspended, flush) allow use in wide range of vehicle cab styles and sizes. The 0 - 5 Volt operation allows easy integration with existing Curtis and other vehicle controllers. Integrated Packard connector eases installation, eliminates historical wiring problems and lowers production costs. A Packard-to-Deutsch adaptor is also available. These pedals meet SAE J1113 Category 4 compliance for EMI allows safe and reliable use in applications with severe electrical noise and comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 124 (return-to-idle) and 302 (flammability).
Curtis Instruments Introduces New Expansion Module for Hydraulic Controls
Mount Kisco, NY, Dec. 2008: Curtis Instruments, a world leader in advanced instrumentation and control systems for vehicles of all types, introduces the Model 1352 eXM Hydraulic I/O Expansion Module. This new module provides a flexible, affordable means for integrating additional hydraulic I/O to any CANopen control system. The module is designed for use on equipment such as materials handling vehicles, aerial lifts,ground support equipment, sweeper scrubbers and construction vehicles. It is especially beneficial to engineers looking to add proportional control of hydraulic functions to new or existing system architectures. Proportional control of hydraulic functions considerably enhances the safety, productivity and efficiency of the application vehicle. This innovative new product offers nine multipurpose I/O pins, in a rugged IP65 sealed enclosure.It allows fully configurable control of up to six proportional hydraulic valves, and provides three high-resolution analog inputs. All I/O pins can also be used as basic digital I/O, providing highly flexible functionality. Model 1352 utilizes a CANbus interface to allow connection to any centralized or distributed vehicle control system that uses the popular CANopen protocol, such as Curtis AC motor controllers and Curtis Vehicle System controllers. All output drivers feature short circuit protection with independent hardware and software watchdog circuits for safe, reliable operation. Flashing LED’s provide fast and easy fault identification.
