Okay Folks,
This one is a little off-topic, but I wanted to share.
We received some plastic parts from our mold house on Friday. These were the first production run of parts off of our ISIS inMOTION mold tool. Check out details on inMOTION here.
My career as an engineer has ebbed and flowed since I joined the workforce. I spent a good number of years as a hard-core engineer, designing machines, processes, products and components. I have also spent a lot of time on the business side of the business, long separated from where I started. Since we broke off ISIS as its own entity, we all find ourselves wearing a lot of hats. In any given week, we're meeting with investors, courting customers, chasing the FedEx truck down the street with product and yelling at suppliers. As a team, we all have to be flexible, but we all have our own specific set of skills. Mine is mechanical design. All the enclosures, connector assemblies and housings are done by me.
There are very few things more exciting to me than seeing something become tangeable from a concept. I am probably of the last generation of mechanical engineers that started on the drafting table. At Purdue, we were requried to take one year of mechanical drafting with paper and pencil, then we transitioned to CAD during our sophomore year. Even when I started my internship, we were still maintaining designs on pen and paper. One of my favorite tools was the electric eraser, which they still make.
One of my early mentors told me that engineers had no business working on compters. They were for secretaries and draftsmen. An engineer's place was in the laboratory or on the machine floor. He said that he never forsaw the need for everyone to have a computer on their desk. He couldn't have been more wrong.
CAD has evolved in amazing ways even over my short career. The tools are powerful and intuitive. As with most things in my life, it is hard to imagine doing it without the computer. There is no way that I could create a compliated mechanical assembly drawing again with just a ruler, a compass and a pencil.
Anyway, I get a mixed bag of feelings when I open the first parts off of new mold tool. The most overwhelming is the anxiety that it will be completely messed up. Did I scale the model incorrectly? Did I leave out an important part? Are the tolerances screwed up? It is a victory to me to take a new part and mate the connectors to it or mount the PCB in the housing. Seeing things fit, connect properly and align make my day. They are good distractions to customers, investor meetings and paying the bills.
Yes, I probably should have spent much more time on the business Friday afternoon, but I had to play with my new toy. I assembled it dozens of times to make sure that it was right. The connectors mated and sealed. The covers aligned correctly. I took a sample home to show to Kari and the kids. It needed to be showed off. I felt victorious. Against who, I have no idea. Maybe it was a victory against myself. Or maybe it was victory against all things that plague engineers: managing all of the real world factors that make that perfect model on the computer screen imperfect.
To me, there is nothing more fulfilling than the sense of creating something.
Sorry again... General musings, far off topic. Please feel free to comment as appropriate.
Jay
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
More from the One Lap Team...
James Shipka just sent me a proof for a great article in Camaro Performers covering his car, the One Lap Camaro. It should be on the news stands now. The editor, Steve Rupp, has been following the car since its inception and has even been James' co-pilot a bunch of times. As I mentioned below, James' car has one of the eariest installs of our standard ISIS 3-Cell Kit.
ISIS gets a nice call out in this article. Watch for it on stands and I'll put a link to it in the media section on the ISIS Power website. You can see links to ISIS coverage on Two Guys Garage, listen to the interview that I did on Gear Heads radio and see some of the other magazine articles here.
Jay
ISIS gets a nice call out in this article. Watch for it on stands and I'll put a link to it in the media section on the ISIS Power website. You can see links to ISIS coverage on Two Guys Garage, listen to the interview that I did on Gear Heads radio and see some of the other magazine articles here.
Jay
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Why do I need a fuse?
Okay... lesson one in our fuseology series.
Most fundamental, why do I need a fuse? The short answer is to keep your car from burning to the ground. The more detailed answer can be summarized in the favorite saying of my former mentor at Littelfuse: "Fuses protect wires from fires". This phrase was ground into us as we were being indoctrinated into the engineering group. Even worse was the fact that the phrase was always spoken with an exaggerated, overly-fake southern accent.
This leads to an important point and the second most asked question related to fuses. Fuses don't protect the end load. They protect the wire carrying the current to the load. For example, you don't need to fuse the wire going to your headlights to protect the filament in the bulb. That can take care of its self. Rather, the fuse is intended to be the weakest electrical link in the circuit. If more current flows through the wire than intended, the fuse should open in a controlled way, instead of the wire getting hot and causing damage.
All wires have a maximum current carrying capability. In most cases, the limiting factor is not the copper conductor, it is the insulation. When the current flowing through a wire exceeds its safe rating, the conductor heats up. The safe current carrying capacity for a wire is ultimately determined by the temperature rise of the insulation.
Different types of insulation react differently to this increase in temperature. Some materials get soft and melt off of the conductor. Other materials get brittle and crack. Some materials smoke and burst into flames. An overheating wire can cause significant damage to other wires or even ignite materials in the car.
As I said above, fuses are designed to be the weakest electrical link in the system. They are made of special conductive alloys that melt at specific temperatures. They are encased in housings made of high-temperature materials. The goal is to have the fuse open gracefully, without damaging anything in the electrical system, long before the wire gets hot enough for something bad to happen.
So in closing for this post, check out this video. This is an extreme example of what can happen to an un-protected wire. Click here to see it. Make sure that you turn up your volume. Do you want this to happen in your car?
Enjoy!
Jay
Most fundamental, why do I need a fuse? The short answer is to keep your car from burning to the ground. The more detailed answer can be summarized in the favorite saying of my former mentor at Littelfuse: "Fuses protect wires from fires". This phrase was ground into us as we were being indoctrinated into the engineering group. Even worse was the fact that the phrase was always spoken with an exaggerated, overly-fake southern accent.
This leads to an important point and the second most asked question related to fuses. Fuses don't protect the end load. They protect the wire carrying the current to the load. For example, you don't need to fuse the wire going to your headlights to protect the filament in the bulb. That can take care of its self. Rather, the fuse is intended to be the weakest electrical link in the circuit. If more current flows through the wire than intended, the fuse should open in a controlled way, instead of the wire getting hot and causing damage.
All wires have a maximum current carrying capability. In most cases, the limiting factor is not the copper conductor, it is the insulation. When the current flowing through a wire exceeds its safe rating, the conductor heats up. The safe current carrying capacity for a wire is ultimately determined by the temperature rise of the insulation.
Different types of insulation react differently to this increase in temperature. Some materials get soft and melt off of the conductor. Other materials get brittle and crack. Some materials smoke and burst into flames. An overheating wire can cause significant damage to other wires or even ignite materials in the car.
As I said above, fuses are designed to be the weakest electrical link in the system. They are made of special conductive alloys that melt at specific temperatures. They are encased in housings made of high-temperature materials. The goal is to have the fuse open gracefully, without damaging anything in the electrical system, long before the wire gets hot enough for something bad to happen.
So in closing for this post, check out this video. This is an extreme example of what can happen to an un-protected wire. Click here to see it. Make sure that you turn up your volume. Do you want this to happen in your car?
Enjoy!
Jay
ISIS Fuseology Introduction...
Some of the most popular questions that we get relate to how to properly fuse the wires in a car. Since most of the team over here at ISIS Power came from the engineering group of the largest global supplier of fuses, we know a thing or two about this topic.
We all went through our technical infancy under some of the world's experts on fusing and circuit protection, a rockin' group of guys to hang with. One of my favorites of all of these characters was Dave Krueger, formerly Littelfuse's Vice-President of engineering. He taught an 8-week course known as Fuseology. You wouldn't think that there is that much material, but I can attest that there is. I can also confess that I slept through a fair amount of it.
As I have posted before, one of our goals for the ISIS Intelligent Multiplex System is to simplify the process of wiring your car. Additionally, there are things built into the system to improve the reliability and safety of your car's overall electrical system.
This is the first of many posts on how to property protect the wiring in your car. Here are a few of the topics that I'll be covering.
-Why do I need a fuse?
-When should I use a fuse?
-Fuses versus Circuit Breakers?
-How do I select the right fuse rating?
-Fast-acting versus time-delay
-Other electrical threats in the car electrical system (load-dumps & electrostatic discharge)
Stay tuned for our series on Fuseology and lessons on how to properly wire your car.
Jay
We all went through our technical infancy under some of the world's experts on fusing and circuit protection, a rockin' group of guys to hang with. One of my favorites of all of these characters was Dave Krueger, formerly Littelfuse's Vice-President of engineering. He taught an 8-week course known as Fuseology. You wouldn't think that there is that much material, but I can attest that there is. I can also confess that I slept through a fair amount of it.
As I have posted before, one of our goals for the ISIS Intelligent Multiplex System is to simplify the process of wiring your car. Additionally, there are things built into the system to improve the reliability and safety of your car's overall electrical system.
This is the first of many posts on how to property protect the wiring in your car. Here are a few of the topics that I'll be covering.
-Why do I need a fuse?
-When should I use a fuse?
-Fuses versus Circuit Breakers?
-How do I select the right fuse rating?
-Fast-acting versus time-delay
-Other electrical threats in the car electrical system (load-dumps & electrostatic discharge)
Stay tuned for our series on Fuseology and lessons on how to properly wire your car.
Jay
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Customers...
Good day to all...
When we originally developed the ISIS Intelligent Multiplex System, we were focused on small OEM's and manufacturers of off-road, truck & bus equipment. The aftermarket, enthusiast wiring harness market was far off our radar. We learned a lot from Chris Loubier at I Squared Engineering about the aftermarket and started to see a strong response from guys building kit cars, hot-rods, resto-mods, race cars and antiques. Since this was a far different kind of sell that what we were used to, we had to learn very quickly about the importance of personal contact and customer service. There is a level of trust that you need to build with someone who is working on their dream car.
We have met a lot of great people since we launched ISIS to the market in 2008 and I like to think that were doing the right things to build a brand and to become the trusted name for wiring cars.
I wanted to post this thread from the Factory Five Racing owners group that was started by one of our very first customers. It is a short posting with just a few responses, but it is an affirmation to me that we are doing something right with our customers.
You can see it here.
Thanks to all,
Jay
When we originally developed the ISIS Intelligent Multiplex System, we were focused on small OEM's and manufacturers of off-road, truck & bus equipment. The aftermarket, enthusiast wiring harness market was far off our radar. We learned a lot from Chris Loubier at I Squared Engineering about the aftermarket and started to see a strong response from guys building kit cars, hot-rods, resto-mods, race cars and antiques. Since this was a far different kind of sell that what we were used to, we had to learn very quickly about the importance of personal contact and customer service. There is a level of trust that you need to build with someone who is working on their dream car.
We have met a lot of great people since we launched ISIS to the market in 2008 and I like to think that were doing the right things to build a brand and to become the trusted name for wiring cars.
I wanted to post this thread from the Factory Five Racing owners group that was started by one of our very first customers. It is a short posting with just a few responses, but it is an affirmation to me that we are doing something right with our customers.
You can see it here.
Thanks to all,
Jay
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Good planning equals great execution...
Okay Folks,
I received a call from a potential customer yesterday. His question was so good and so relevant, I had to post about it. He was building a Factory Five GTM and wanted to know at what point in the build should he be planning the electrical system for the car. Good for him to be thinking about wiring this far ahead in his project.
Every customer or potential customer that we meet can give us excrutiating details of their engine and transmission down to the head bolts that they are going to use. They can also extol the wonders of their audio system that they are going to install ticking off every amp and tweeter hidden in the car. But when you ask them about how they are going to get electrical power to all of these goodies, a lot of them stop and scratch their heads. In a lot of cases, wiring the car is an after thought.
Regardless of how simple or complicated a car is, the electrical system is what really makes it go. From powering just a simple coil and a few headlights all the way to complicated EFI controllers and powerful audio systems, the wiring harness is truely the backbone of the car.
Whether you are using the ISIS Intelligent Multiplex System or a traditional fuse & relay based wiring harness, good forethought and planning can make all the difference in the install. Especially with ISIS, the best benefits of the system come from when you optimize the electrical system. Strategic placement of the MASTERCELL and POWERCELLs in the car can really make a difference.
In the case of our new customer with the GTM, he answered his question, even before I could. He said that he wanted to have ISIS early in the build so that he could spend time laying out the system while he had the bare frame. That way he has a figurative clean sheet to work with. He could design and build his brackets to mount the cells easily. He could also route the CAN and power cables without a lot of obstructions.
Spend some time going through our reference library to help plan your install. You can find links to the manuals and the different configuration sheets for the system. Plus there are links to application notes in our installation guide section.
We designed the ISIS Intelligent Multiplex System to simplify the wiring of your car's electrical system. Good planning of your install can make this process even easier.
Jay
I received a call from a potential customer yesterday. His question was so good and so relevant, I had to post about it. He was building a Factory Five GTM and wanted to know at what point in the build should he be planning the electrical system for the car. Good for him to be thinking about wiring this far ahead in his project.
Every customer or potential customer that we meet can give us excrutiating details of their engine and transmission down to the head bolts that they are going to use. They can also extol the wonders of their audio system that they are going to install ticking off every amp and tweeter hidden in the car. But when you ask them about how they are going to get electrical power to all of these goodies, a lot of them stop and scratch their heads. In a lot of cases, wiring the car is an after thought.
Regardless of how simple or complicated a car is, the electrical system is what really makes it go. From powering just a simple coil and a few headlights all the way to complicated EFI controllers and powerful audio systems, the wiring harness is truely the backbone of the car.
Whether you are using the ISIS Intelligent Multiplex System or a traditional fuse & relay based wiring harness, good forethought and planning can make all the difference in the install. Especially with ISIS, the best benefits of the system come from when you optimize the electrical system. Strategic placement of the MASTERCELL and POWERCELLs in the car can really make a difference.
In the case of our new customer with the GTM, he answered his question, even before I could. He said that he wanted to have ISIS early in the build so that he could spend time laying out the system while he had the bare frame. That way he has a figurative clean sheet to work with. He could design and build his brackets to mount the cells easily. He could also route the CAN and power cables without a lot of obstructions.
Spend some time going through our reference library to help plan your install. You can find links to the manuals and the different configuration sheets for the system. Plus there are links to application notes in our installation guide section.
We designed the ISIS Intelligent Multiplex System to simplify the wiring of your car's electrical system. Good planning of your install can make this process even easier.
Jay
One Lap Camaro Preps for the One Lap...
Hello Folks,
We have met a bunch of great people since we launched ISIS to the market in 2008. I just had a good conversation with one of our early partners, James Shipka. He and his team built an amazing Pro-Touring 1967 Camaro RS, specifically for the One Lap of America Challenge. If you have never heard about the One Lap of America Challenge, you have to check this out. This is a Smokey & The Bandit Style, no-holds barred, 3,500 mile race that puts man and machine to the test. It is certainly not for the faint of heart.
If you haven't stumbled across James' car an any one of the many magazines that have featured it, it is beautiful. The fit and finish are top notch. Outside of just being a pretty car, this thing performs. They have been cleaning up everywhere they go. Check out their exploits at their website.
We crossed paths with James and his team as we were starting to prepare for SEMA in 2008. We put out a posting offering early ISIS 3-Cell Kits to team building cars for the show. James was just at the right place in his build to start wiring his car. His Camaro was built with all modern technology: LS7 Motor, performance suspension, stickier tires & brakes. The concept of a simpler install, with modern functionality out of the wiring harness was enough to get him behind the product. He has one of the earliest installs and honestly, this car has been through some grueling miles over the road. This car is a testament to the durability of ISIS.
James and his team are furiously preparing for the One Lap of America Challenge. I'll keep you all updated on their progress and let you know how they do in the race.
Jay
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Fulfilling my civic duty today...
Hello All,
This has been a reasonably unproductive day on our end. The team is finally reassembling after the long holiday. We should be back in full force tomorrow. Additionally, I spent the day on jury duty. I made it as far as being interviewed by the court, but was not seated. Oh well... I am now trying to catch up on voice mails and emails.
We have had a lot of customers asking us about batteries lately. Watch for upcoming posts on this exciting topic. I say this modestly sarcatically, but battery health is critical to the performance of any car.
Also, we have seen a lot of general problems with customers' electrical systems related to grounds. As a matter of fact, we'd estimate that 90% of all car wiring issues are tied to poor grounds. Look for more posts on this over the next few days.
Stay warm and off of the roads. Chicago is expecting about 9 inches of snow over the next day.
Jay
This has been a reasonably unproductive day on our end. The team is finally reassembling after the long holiday. We should be back in full force tomorrow. Additionally, I spent the day on jury duty. I made it as far as being interviewed by the court, but was not seated. Oh well... I am now trying to catch up on voice mails and emails.
We have had a lot of customers asking us about batteries lately. Watch for upcoming posts on this exciting topic. I say this modestly sarcatically, but battery health is critical to the performance of any car.
Also, we have seen a lot of general problems with customers' electrical systems related to grounds. As a matter of fact, we'd estimate that 90% of all car wiring issues are tied to poor grounds. Look for more posts on this over the next few days.
Stay warm and off of the roads. Chicago is expecting about 9 inches of snow over the next day.
Jay
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
V8TV Does It Again...
Well, I want to thank Kevin & Kelle Oeste for their continued support for the ISIS Intelligent Multiplex System.
They just edited and posted another great video showing off the ISIS features and capabilities. Check out the video that they shot at our booth at the SEMA in November 2009. You can see it here.
I have to confess that I was a little reluctant to watch this one. I spent the whole week at SEMA sick as a dog. I was doing everything that I could to not cough during the interview. At least my shirt was ironed.
Anyway... this shows off the most complicated install that we have out there. The guys at Custom Classics in Island Lake, IL built a remarkable 1971 Convertable 442. Everything about this car is extreme. Check out more details here.
If you haven't already seen it, the V8TV crew did a great video at the 2008 SEMA show. It shows off the features and benefits of the system and why ISIS offers you more than a traditional wiring harness. It's right on our main web page. Check it out here. Look for me in the wrinkled shirt.
Enjoy!
Jay
They just edited and posted another great video showing off the ISIS features and capabilities. Check out the video that they shot at our booth at the SEMA in November 2009. You can see it here.
I have to confess that I was a little reluctant to watch this one. I spent the whole week at SEMA sick as a dog. I was doing everything that I could to not cough during the interview. At least my shirt was ironed.
Anyway... this shows off the most complicated install that we have out there. The guys at Custom Classics in Island Lake, IL built a remarkable 1971 Convertable 442. Everything about this car is extreme. Check out more details here.
If you haven't already seen it, the V8TV crew did a great video at the 2008 SEMA show. It shows off the features and benefits of the system and why ISIS offers you more than a traditional wiring harness. It's right on our main web page. Check it out here. Look for me in the wrinkled shirt.
Enjoy!
Jay
Bring on 2010!
Okay Folks,
Happy New Year to you all. The team here at ISIS Power has been slowly coming back to work after shutting down the office for a few days between Christmas and New Years. We're just about dug out of the virtual pile of emails and voice mails. We're also working on getting caught up on all of the open orders that we have from before the holidays.
2010 is going to be a big year for us. We're moving to a new facility around March. We're launching a bunch of new products, we're working on a new TV spot and we have a bunch of other suprises in the works.
As you know, our goal is to help take the hassle out of wiring your car. ISIS brings simplicity, functionality and features that no traditional car wiring harness could offer. Whether your project is a hot rod, pro-touring car, off-road, resto-mod, restoration, antique or something even more exotic, the ISIS Intelligent Multiplex System is for you.
Keep watching this space for frequent updates on products, customer projects and general musings about automotive aftermarket electrical topics.
Best to you in 2010!
Jay
Happy New Year to you all. The team here at ISIS Power has been slowly coming back to work after shutting down the office for a few days between Christmas and New Years. We're just about dug out of the virtual pile of emails and voice mails. We're also working on getting caught up on all of the open orders that we have from before the holidays.
2010 is going to be a big year for us. We're moving to a new facility around March. We're launching a bunch of new products, we're working on a new TV spot and we have a bunch of other suprises in the works.
As you know, our goal is to help take the hassle out of wiring your car. ISIS brings simplicity, functionality and features that no traditional car wiring harness could offer. Whether your project is a hot rod, pro-touring car, off-road, resto-mod, restoration, antique or something even more exotic, the ISIS Intelligent Multiplex System is for you.
Keep watching this space for frequent updates on products, customer projects and general musings about automotive aftermarket electrical topics.
Best to you in 2010!
Jay
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