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2021 – SPINNER Rotary Joints Mars

2021

SPINNER Rotary Joints Fly to Mars

The Chinese Tianwen-1 Mars mission carried special space-appropriate single- and dual-channel X-band rotary joints from SPINNER on board. Following its launch on July 23, 2020, it became the first Chinese spacecraft to go into orbit around the red planet on February 10, 2021.

Rotary joints from SPINNER are making a crucial contribution to driving technological advances and enabling precise communication in outer space. Satellites, for example, would be virtually worthless without nonstop communication links to ground stations.

The antennas of satellites must be constantly aligned with ground stations, an application for which rotary joints are indispensable. Outer space is probably one of the harshest environments in which our products are used, and our rotary joints must meet the strictest imaginable requirements in terms of reliability, precision, and quality. Extreme temperature fluctuations in orbit subject materials to enormous stresses.

SPINNER 1- and 2-channel X-band rotary joints for space applications



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2020 – 5G-Compatible Portfolio

2020

SPINNER Rounds Out 5G-Compatible Portfolio for the Mobile Communications Market

Over the last several months, SPINNER has developed and begun selling a large number of broadband distributed antenna system (DAS) components. The goal is to seamlessly cover the entire range from 380 MHz to 3800 MHz.

We have also introduced yet another key component: a new 5G coupler. This means that now our product portfolio includes one or more components in every DAS product group (splitters, tappers, antennas etc.), covering the entire frequency spectrum from PMR to 5G. It is therefore now possible to use SPINNER components to build broadband DAS networks that can accommodate additional frequency bands without the need for any modifications.

With SPINNER mobile solutions for in-building applications, our customers are well prepared for all eventualities. The individual systems are available in a wide variety of versions that now also include 5G-ready products.



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2019 – ATC rotary joints

2019

State-of-the-art rotary joints for airspace control

To dependably track aircraft movements and ensure smooth, orderly traffic while minimizing accidents, it’s essential to deploy state-of-the-art technology with components that leverage the power of digitization.

Rotating radar antennas are used to ensure uninterrupted 360° observation. These work with high-frequency rotary joints so that the signals can be transmitted between a static platform and a continuously rotating antenna system.

Minimal maintenance

The new rotary couplings for contactless power and data transmission require almost no maintenance. This is in stark contrast to conventional sliprings, which involve physical contact and are therefore subject to wear. This can diminish or distort transmission, often requiring them to be replaced or repaired.

When sliprings are nevertheless preferred for special applications, SPINNER has come up with a special “plug & play” design that makes it quick and easy to remove the entire transmission unit for repairs or replacement.

Real-time transmission with GB Ethernet

SPINNER contactless rotary couplings transmit data in real time according to the Profinet Class C Ethernet protocol. They deliver the full bandwidth of standard Ethernet components and have consistently demonstrated absolute reliability millions of times over.

When sliprings are nevertheless preferred for special applications, SPINNER has come up with a special “plug & play” design that makes it quick and easy to remove the entire transmission unit for repairs or replacement.

Real-time transmission with GB Ethernet

SPINNER contactless rotary couplings transmit data in real time according to the Profinet Class C Ethernet protocol. They deliver the full bandwidth of standard Ethernet components and have consistently demonstrated absolute reliability millions of times over.



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2018 – Online Shop – EN

2018

Launch of the SPINNER Online Shop

The SPINNER Group is committed to meeting the needs of small and midsized companies for mastering the challenges of digitalization. As part of our sales strategy, following the launch of the new Product Finder in the summer of 2018 we also introduced an online shop. Since its debut in the German market, it has been extended to enable customers around the globe to register and conveniently order products.

As a result, customers almost everywhere in the world can access the SPINNER Group’s portfolio whenever they wish to get comprehensive information on product attributes and features. Registered customers can easily and transparently view prices and delivery times and directly place orders while flexibly specifying dates and destinations. They therefore receive ordered products even more quickly and efficiently,  thanks to the SPINNER Group’s flexible logistics.

SPINNER focuses on flexibly serving its customers. Each of them is assigned a personal customer service representative, and they can take advantage of technical specialists working in sales and product management. In addition, they enjoy access to a digital information and sales channel.

“We’re committed to offering our customers a positive shopping experience and the same level of service and user-friendliness that they already enjoy as private users of online shops, smartphones and other services. They expect ordering to be just as convenient in a business context – naturally while meeting the demands of the B2B world,” explains Katharina König, the CEO of SPINNER GmbH. Building on 75 years of corporate history, the SPINNER Group is continuing to strengthen its competitiveness and ability to innovate.



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2018 – Cluster Connector-EN

2018

One connector bundles all connections: Market launch of the Cluster Connector

New mobile transmission technologies are emerging while antennas and base stations are shrinking. This is increasing the requirements that connectors must meet. We are responding to them with an ingenious idea: a cluster that integrates the whole range of connection types, from coaxial across DC to AISG and fiber optics.

Self-driving vehicles, the Internet of Things, virtual reality: all of these technologies are now taking off. This is naturally increasing the pressure on mobile communication networks to support them. A wide spectrum of transmission and connection technologies have already appeared, and they in turn will inevitably spawn a steady stream of new versions and adaptations. This trend is mirrored in mobile communication equipment: typically a whole gamut of different connections already emerge from base stations or feed into mobile antennas: coax, DC, AISG, fiber optics … the list goes on and on.

To make it easier to manage this diversity, SPINNER has developed a concept that bundles connectors in an array. The SPINNER Cluster Connector works like a container that merges multiple technologies, accepting multiple kinds of connectors to funnel them to an antenna or other equipment. The current plans for the SPINNER Cluster Connector call for it to initially support 2.2-5, 1.5-3.5, NEX10 as RF interfaces, DC, AISG and fiber optics.



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2016 – Antenna Monitoring System EN

2016

Launch of the SPINNER Antenna Monitoring System (AMS)

Broadcast operators depend on their systems to reliably deliver transmissions to recipients. Yet although infrastructure of this kind is robust, it isn’t failsafe. The insulation of cables and dipoles can develop cracks as a result of long-term exposure to UV radiation, and feed cables can be damaged by strong winds, falling ice, or corrosion. Accidental overloads when operating at high frequencies or lightning strikes can also occur.

Over time, these problems can accumulate and prevent a transmission site from going online due to damaged RF components or even cause fires that completely disable the broadcast transmission system.

How can damage of these kinds be prevented?

SPINNER has developed an active early detection system: the Antenna Monitoring System (AMS). It precisely spots possible problems in cables, distributors, and antennas before major damage can occur.

And How Does Fault Detection Work of the SPINNER AMS work?

In the beginning of 2020, we presented our new distance-to-fault feature: a passive solution that locates faults for fast repairs. Customers showed great interest in it and asked a number of questions, including:

  • How does the passive distance-to-fault method work? 
  • What kind of faults can be detected?
  • Can it detect minor degradation of system’s performance or only major faults?

When you think about methods to locate faults is TDR (time-domain reflectometry) that first comes to mind. It works similarly to radar, actively sending a signal and observing the reflected waveforms to calculate the distance. However, an external signal is the last thing a broadcaster wants to inject into a line. It adds noise, can interfere with other services, and in a worst-case scenario may even violates the allowed emission spectrum, which can vary from country to country.

The SPINNER Solution for Distance-to-Fault Detection:

Intelligent VSWR Monitoring

At SPINNER we were aware of the need for an innovative solution and knew that it had to be passive. Our engineers came up with the brilliant idea of taking an approach similar to radar, but using the broadcast signal itself instead of injecting a new one. We will then listen for the reflected waves to calculate the distance to the fault. This approach makes it possible to monitor the VSWR at every point of an antenna line.

To find out when and where a fault occurs, the system’s current VSWR is compared with a recorded reference measurement made during normal operation. Every event that causes VSWR degradation is treated as a potential fault. Even a deterioration in performance as small as -45 dB can be detected. This makes it possible to spot and fix faults that are still too minor to cause damage to the system and before they turn into severe failures.

The recorded reference measurement is made with a mouse click at our GUI without the need for hardware calibratiion.

Additional Features:

Monitoring of Arcs and Water Ingress

VSWR monitoring is just one of various fault detection methods used by the AMS. It also applies two other measurement methods: water ingress (insulation) monitoring and arc monitoring. The later one being proven extremely important because it can detect matched arcs. These are arcs that don’t significantly degrade the VSWR. They are extremely dangerous because conventional continuous VSWR monitoring is unable to detect them, which means they would persist and continue to heat the surrounding material.



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2015 – contactless rotary joints for transmitting data and power

2015

The Advent of Contactless Rotary Joints for Transmitting Data and Power in Industrial Applications

As a result of extensive networking of machines and systems within the scope of digitalization and automation, enormous data volumes are generated in industry – and especially in connection with rotating applications.

To cope with these, SPINNER has developed capacitive and inductive transmission solutions that are widely used in mechanical and systems engineering, robotics, the food industry, packaging machines, medical technology, and many other fields.

The first capacitive data link was installed in 2014 for a wind turbine. Since then, SPINNER has steadily increased its market penetration in a vast range of industrial applications involving intermediate and high rotational speeds.

Innovations and the environment

These days more and more processes, in everything from manufacturing to shipping, are being increasingly automated. These state-of-the-art applications need to be highly efficient and reliable. And in order for a controller or regulator to do its job effectively in real time, it’s essential to ensure stable, uninterrupted transmission of data and power over long periods of time. Rotating components pose special challenges. But rotary units from SPINNER meanwhile fully meet all of these requirements at speeds up to 5,000 rpm.

In addition to conventional contactless capacity data transmission, since 2020 SPINNER’s portfolio has included fully mature contactless inductive power transmission of 24/48 volts and up to 750 watts.

By combining both contactless technologies, SPINNER is able to offer customers a complete solution for rotary transmission of power and nearly all digital data (as well as analog data in some cases).

In the context of SPINNER’s technology, “contactless” means that the bearings are the only functional components that actually have any direct contact. SPINNER works very closely with major suppliers in this field to design products that perform this function for as long as possible with minimal maintenance.

At the end of the day, this enables users to significantly slash servicing costs – thanks to wear- and maintenance-free operation of production equipment, which also greatly increases reliability (the keyword here is 24/7 operation).



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2013 – 4.3-10 Connector

2013

New 4.3-10 Connector System for the Mobile Communications Market

SPINNER and three other providers teamed up in a consortium to develop the new 4.3-10 connector system for mobile communications applications.

 

Base stations and antennas had been getting more compact for some time, but this trend was constrained by the widely used, fairly large 7-16 connectors. Mobile networks requirements also have to meet greater requirements than before due to increasing problems with passive intermodulation (low PIM) as more frequencies are approved for their use.

In the 4.3-10 connector design, the mechanical and electrical reference levels are separate. The new system consists of a radially spring-loaded jack on the external line. This has two advantages: one is that considerably less pressure needs to be applied to achieve a good electrical connection, and the other is that the system is significantly less prone to PIM. The second of these is increasingly important in mobile networks, since the risk of passive intermodulation grows with the number of frequency bands.

This new connector type was standardized by the IEC in 2016.



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2013 – Wi-Fi on Aircraft

2013

Wi-Fi on Aircraft with SPINNER Rotary Joints

High-speed internet connections or cellular networks aren’t readily available everywhere. When it’s essential to transmit large data volumes, the preferred (or often only) viable approach is to take advantage of satellite communications systems.

But how does Wi-Fi work on board airplanes?

More and more airlines now offer in-flight Wi-Fi. The required technology is either installed while building the aircraft or else retrofitted. It’s easy to tell which planes are equipped with Wi-Fi: the transmitter can be spotted on top of the fuselage directly behind the lateral rudders. It sends all data and other signals to a satellite in orbit around the earth, which relays them to the recipients.

In many cases, so-called VSAT (“very small aperture terminal”) systems operating in the Ku and Ka bands are used. These systems, which are installed on all kinds of vehicles or can even be worn, require very precise positioning of tight-beam antennas on the satellites. This is accomplished with rotary joints, which ensure accurate transmission of signals exchanged between a stationary transmitter and a movable antenna system while minimizing losses, independently of the angle of rotation.

The technical requirements for rotary joints can vary considerably from project to project, and also depend on the frequency band (Ku to Ka).

Applications in which both transmitted and received signals need to pass through the same waveguide call for rotary joints that support a fairly wide range of frequencies, with the downlink band extending from 10.75 to 12.75 GHz and the uplink band from 13.75 to 14.50 GHz. SPINNER supplies waveguide rotary joints of this kind in the R120/WR75 waveguide size and a variety of shapes.

For some projects, planners may want to dispense with a large band while still insisting on reliable signal transmission. Responding to these customer needs, SPINNER developed two single-channel, L-shaped R120/WR75 rotary joints. The standard model features IP40 ingress protection, and there is also a model equipped with an extra seal for IP 65 ingress protection that makes it suitable for outdoor use.

The rotary joints supplied for Wi-Fi applications are contactless versions with an extremely long life expectancy that is limited almost exclusively by wear of the roller bearings. The elimination of nearly all internal points of contact achieves a very low typical insertion loss of less than 0.1 dB and excellent cooling of the joint system. Both are essential prerequisites for enhanced robustness, which is required since these joints are subject to enormous temperature fluctuations due to changes in altitude, among other things.



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2012 – RF Rigid lines for ion beam therapy

2012

SPINNER products for ion beam therapy and research

MedAustron, one of Europe’s most advanced centers for ion beam therapy and research, opened in Wiener Neustadt south of Vienna, Austria in 2011. In addition to treating patients in clinical trials, the center also hosts nonclinical research. Currently there were only three other facilities in the world that provide radiation therapy with either protons or carbon ions at a single site.

The first cancer patients received radiation therapy in 2016 on an outpatient basis. Since the center was completed and began operating at full capacity, up to 1400 patients a year have been treated with this advanced approach. It has opened a new, hopeful front in the war against cancer.

MedAustron also contains SPINNER products

SPINNER, leveraging its many years of experience in the field of radio frequency technology, produced coaxial RF rigid lines for the ion therapy center. In cooperation with CERN, the European nuclear research center, we planned and produced 3 1/8″ EIA and 6 1/8″ EIA RF rigid lines on schedule and then installed them on-site from the klystron to the particle accelerator.

The MedAustron system was yet another high-energy project to which SPINNER has contributed. We have been developing and supplying special RF rigid lines for a variety of fusion research projects since 1967 and are proud to continue supporting cancer research and treatment today.

Therapy at MedAustron

MedAustron practices an innovative form of radiation therapy called ion therapy. An important benefit is that exposure of the healthy tissue in front of the tumor to the radiation can be reduced and almost completely eliminated behind it. Since this approach significantly reduces unwanted side effects, it is an excellent way to treat tumors near radiation-sensitive organs.

The technology

Highly complex, specially developed state-of-the-art systems are wielded to battle cancer. The MedAustron facility contains a therapy section, an accelerator area, and its own research lab. At its heart is state-of-the-art equipment developed at MedAustron in cooperation with a variety of university and industry partners.

Charged particles are pre-accelerated in a linear accelerator and passed throught to a circular particle accelerator about 80 m across called a synchrotron. It increases the velocity of the protons to two thirds of the speed of light before feeding them, depending on the necessary treatment, into one of four irradiation rooms. Two of them have horizontal beams while one is equipped with a fixed vertical beam and the fourth is equipped with a mobile “gantry” for precisely aiming the beam.

The synchrotron: a circular particle accelerator with a circumference of approx. 80 m



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SPINNER GROUP

The SPINNER Group has been setting standards with its RF technology products for 75 years, thus leading the information age to even greater vitality. We have summarised our claim in one phrase:

HIGH FREQUENCY PERFORMANCE WORLDWIDE!

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