Designfax – Technology for OEM Design Engineers was launched as an exclusive eMagazine in October 2005 following 25 successful years in print. Subscribers to the weekly publication (48 issues a year) are high-level OEM product design engineers and engineering managers who operate in a broad range of manufacturing industries, including automotive, aerospace, appliances, medical equipment, transportation, computer process controls, industrial equipment, and more. Primary content focuses on the latest exciting applications and products for Electrical/Electronic, Mechanical, Motion Control, Fluid Power, and Materials engineering, including articles on powerful software programs that serve as a primary engineering tool. Take a look at what Designfax offers and then subscribe.
| February 03, 2026 | Volume 22 Issue 05 |
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 | The Key to Longer-Lasting Bearings
Unlock smoother, quieter, longer-lasting bearing performance with Smalley Single Turn Wave Springs. Designed for precision bearing preloads, these springs apply consistent pressure to remove play between ball bearings and their races. The result is tighter control, reduced vibration, and a noticeable boost in bearing life. You will also enjoy quieter operation thanks to minimized bearing noise.
Learn more and get your samples. |
 | Are gravitons real? First detector aims to find out
Gravitons are the quantum building blocks of gravity, long thought to be undetectable. As a result, the problem of quantum gravity has remained largely theoretical, with no experimentally grounded "theory of everything" in sight. However, a new perspective that synthesizes two major experimental advances aims to change all this.
Read the full article. |
 | Scientists engineer unsinkable metal tubes
Can engineers create "unsinkable" ships? Researchers at the University of Rochester have developed a new process that turns ordinary metal tubes unsinkable -- meaning they will stay afloat no matter how long they are forced into water or how heavily they are damaged.
Read the full article. |
 | Magnet-free electric motor tech is award winner
BorgWarner won an R&D 100 Award in partnership with the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Lab for their work on new motor technology. The project powers an electromagnet-based rotor, eliminating the need for rare earth magnets, and does away with some other traditional components too.
Read the full article. |
 | Key factors for ball screw applications
Learn the six key factors that should be considered when specifying ball screw assemblies in motion control applications. PCB Linear gathered a panel of experts in the field of linear motion to concentrate on this important topic -- particularly when it comes to the company's miniature ball screw product line. Learn about precision and accuracy, orientation, speed and acceleration, duty cycle, linear motion travel, and load capacity. Podcast available too.
Read the PCB Linear blog. |
 | Brushed DC motors for higher temps
Traditionally, operating temperatures up to 200 C were exclusively the domain of brushless motors. maxon has changed this with the new DCX22S HT brushed DC motor, which uses a high-temp-grade Neodymium magnet, a customized winding, and a newly designed cover made of a high-temp-capable material. Works with the GPX22 and GPX26 gearbox ranges.
Learn more. |
 | Structural beam-type linear motion guide
THK's LM Guide JR is a structural beam-type linear motion guide designed to serve as both a linear guide and a machine structural component. With its high rigidity rail design and four-way equal load capacity, LM Guide JR supports stable, precise motion while helping simplify machine structures and reduce overall system complexity. Since the LM rail's cross-section center is slightly thinner, it can absorb parallelism errors between two rails by bending inward or outward. Its cross-sectional shape provides high flexural rigidity, though, allowing it to serve as a structural component.
Learn more. |
 | meviy cuts CNC milling lead times to just 4 days
meviy, the on-demand custom parts manufacturing service developed by MISUMI Group, has upgraded its Expedite+ service with improved lead times for CNC Milled parts. Customers can now have their parts shipped in as few as four days through meviy's fastest delivery option. The enhanced service helps manufacturers and engineers stay on schedule when projects are behind or production is interrupted. Supported materials include steels and aluminums. Check out their instant quoting too.
Learn more. |
 | How AI is quietly transforming simulation
Is AI really useful, or is it just a passing trend? Balavignesh Vemparala, an R&D Engineer II at ANSYS, lays out a compelling case for how artificial intelligence is already hard at work in the simulation world with real results for users. From faster solves to accelerated workflows, improved quality and traceability, generative models, and more, discover what you might be overlooking when it comes to real-world AI application. Worth the read.
Read this informative ANSYS blog. |
| | Most popular last issue |
 | Multi-material 3D printing gets big tech boost
Seen as a breakthrough in additive manufacturing, a new 3D-printing technology developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Lab combines multiple extruders into a single, high-output stream -- delivering precise, multi-material prints with virtually zero waste.
Read the full article. |
 | Can LEDs replace lasers? Sandia researchers ask AI for help
After Sandia researchers discovered how to steer LED light, they began asking whether lasers could eventually be replaced with cheaper, smaller, more energy-efficient LEDs. AI helped advance the idea, but relying on it introduced its own challenges -- especially the "black box" uncertainties behind how AI generates answers.
Read the full article. |
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| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | All about photoelectric sensors
From counting boxes on a conveyor and ensuring precise packaging and labeling to the automatic doors you walk through daily, learn all about photoelectric sensors and the options available from AutomationDirect. Did you know there are four main types? Familiarize yourself with their constructions, capabilities, and their main pros and cons. A good basic primer or refresh.
View the AutomationDirect video. |
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