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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.

April 28, 2026Volume 22 Issue 16


Image - NEW! Programmable angle sensors <br>No contact = No wear
NEW! Programmable angle sensors
No contact = No wear

Vert-X 13E sensors from Novotechnik U.S. deliver wear-free, maintenance-free rotary measurement thanks to a touchless magnetic design and hermetic IP69 sealing that shrugs off water, oil, and dust. They provide precise 0 to 360° feedback with 14-bit resolution, SPI/PWM outputs, and 50-year MTTF -- all in a compact 13-mm package that retains absolute position through power loss. Applications include servo drives, insetting machines, robots, and medical.
Learn more.

In this issue of Designfax

  • Cold-start tech reduces gas engine emissions 70%
  • NASA Spinoff: New insulation to benefit many industries
  • Lightning in a bottle: Cleaner fuel made in single step
  • All-new 2027 Infiniti QX65: Luxe sporty fastback SUV
  • What can you do with touchless magnetic angle sensors?
  • What's new in robotic efficiency, advanced gauging?
  • ClampDisk micro fastener -- a new alternative
  • Simplify appliance glass assembly
  • New Titanium servo-drive line for harsh environs
  • Top Tech Tip: Automating winding, unwinding applications
  • What can the new Autodesk Inventor AI Assistant do?
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • Cool! Internal threading in hard materials
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • Army's latest advanced manufacturing capabilities
    • New HP computer is built into keyboard
    • Titanium made significantly tougher with a zap
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: All-new 2027 Infiniti QX65 SUV

News

MIT researchers show how to create 'humble' AI

Weird science: Scientists create a magnet with almost no magnetic field -- say it is incredibly useful

Army aviation takes major leap: Receives first autonomous-ready Black Hawk copter

Want to work for NASA? New hiring portal opened



Feature articles

Image - Bosch's new cold-start tech for gas engines reduces emissions up to 70%
Bosch's new cold-start tech for gas engines reduces emissions up to 70%
As automakers focus on the efficiency and performance of internal combustion and hybrid powertrains as part of a multi-lane approach to vehicle propulsion, Bosch is advancing technologies that help to reduce real-world emissions without requiring major vehicle redesigns.
Read the full article.

Image - NASA Spinoff: Space insulation upgrade to benefit many industries
NASA Spinoff: Space insulation upgrade to benefit many industries
One of NASA's most significant, widespread technologies in space and on Earth -- multi-layer insulation made of Mylar sheets -- has gotten an upgrade, more than 60 years after its invention. Find out how this incredibly useful material has been improved significantly.
Read the full article.

Image - Lightning in a bottle makes a cleaner fuel in a single step
Lightning in a bottle makes a cleaner fuel in a single step
Northwestern University chemists have discovered a new way to turn natural gas into liquid fuel in a single step. The method bypasses the extreme heat and high pressures required by current industrial processes.
Read the full article.

Image - All-new 2027 Infiniti QX65: Luxe sporty fastback mid-size SUV
All-new 2027 Infiniti QX65: Luxe sporty fastback mid-size SUV
Infiniti has a slick new SUV coming out this summer, and if you are a fan of high-end interiors, it's a real winner. The all-new 2027 QX65 two-row SUV defines sporty luxury. It will be offered in three trims -- base Luxe, mid-range Sport, and fully loaded Autograph -- with a peppy 268-hp turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
Read the full article.

Image - What can you do with touchless magnetic angle sensors?
What can you do with touchless magnetic angle sensors?
Novotechnik has put together an informative video highlighting real-world applications for their RFC, RFE, and RSA Series touchless magnetic angle sensors. You may be surprised at the variety of off-highway, marine, material handling, and industrial uses. You'll learn how they work (using a Hall effect microprocessor to detect position) and their key advantages, including eliminated wear and tear on these non-mechanical components. We love when manufacturers provide such useful examples.
View the video.

Image - What's new in robotic efficiency and advanced gauging systems?
What's new in robotic efficiency and advanced gauging systems?
Renishaw will highlight its latest solutions for maximizing robot performance and manufacturing efficiency at Automate 2026, taking place June 22-25 at McCormick Place in Chicago. Highlights will be demonstrations of its Robot Calibration System for cell recovery and in-field robot calibration, the Equator-X dual-method gauging system for high-throughput production environments, and position and motion control encoders.
Read the full article.

Image - ClampDisk micro fastener is new alternative for automotive and consumer electronics
ClampDisk micro fastener is new alternative for automotive and consumer electronics
Designed as a unique alternative in assemblies for the automotive and consumer electronics markets, the ClampDisk Press-on Fastener is a newer offering from PennEngineering that delivers a fast, simple way to achieve sheet-to-sheet clamped fastening while replacing the use of standard screws, nuts, and adhesives. ClampDisk eliminates over-installation, cross-threading, stripped screw heads, broken screws, and damaged product. This fastener can be removed easily with a sharp-edged tool.
See how ClampDisk works.

Image - Simplify appliance glass assembly
Simplify appliance glass assembly
Henkel's Technomelt PUR 9015 BV/WV is a polyurethane hotmelt adhesive providing high initial strength and long-term durability for glass and large-panel appliance assembly. It enables immediate handling, excellent substrate adhesion, and high thermal resistance, while supporting automated, cost-efficient production. It offers a flexible solution for high-reliability manufacturing.
Learn more.

Image - New Titanium servo-drive line for harsh environs
New Titanium servo-drive line for harsh environs
The Elmo advanced Titanium line of harsh-environment servo drives offers optimal performance with advanced power density, providing exceptional intelligent and compact servo drives that are operational within minutes. These single-axis and multi-axis servo drives, featuring top-performance multi-core processors, deliver superior productivity, Functional Safety, advanced networking, and local intelligence in a compact package for operation in extreme conditions.
Learn more.

Image - Top Tech Tip: Automating winding, unwinding applications
Top Tech Tip: Automating winding, unwinding applications
From paper mills and textiles to sheet metal and plastics manufacturing, winding and unwinding mechanisms play critical parts in many industries. Jonathan Bullick from KEB America examines the automation architecture behind industrial winding applications, with particular emphasis on motor selection, variable frequency drive (VFD) configuration, and control system design. Tension, winding loads, torque speed, regen energy, bus load sharing, and more are all addressed in this excellent technical overview.
Read the KEB America article.

Image - What can the new Autodesk Inventor AI Assistant do for you?
What can the new Autodesk Inventor AI Assistant do for you?
Autodesk Assistant brings industry-specific context to help execute tasks and orchestrate actions across your 3D models -- not just answer questions. Designed to understand your workflows, Assistant appears as a dockable panel alongside your Inventor workspace and includes the ability to perform complex tasks or gather information from your designs without writing a single line of code. Find out what this new AI "colleague" can do for you.
Watch this informative Autodesk video.

Most popular last issue

Image - Army lets us in on new advanced manufacturing capabilities
Army lets us in on new advanced manufacturing capabilities
Persistent collaboration between Army researchers and the University of North Texas is making a big difference in real-world applications, including new metal alloys that support the rapid production of sturdier and more resilient vehicles, aircraft, and other Army platforms.
Read the full article.

Image - New HP computer is built into keyboard
New HP computer is built into keyboard
Desk nomads rejoice. HP recently unveiled the world's first full AI PC built into a keyboard. The HP EliteBoard G1a Next Gen AI PC is a CES 2026 Innovation Award Honoree and features a design that moves, connects, and adapts to any workspace. It is the most compact AI-capable PC HP has ever produced.
Read the full article.

Image - Titanium made significantly tougher with a zap
Titanium made significantly tougher with a zap
A team of scientists in Japan and China has developed a groundbreaking processing technique that dramatically improves the strength and toughness of titanium alloys in just a few milliseconds.
Read the full article.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
Cool! Internal threading in hard materials now possible
INSACO has a new capability where they can machine an internal thread in ceramic, sapphire, quartz, and other very hard materials. This advance pushes the boundaries of what's possible to support advanced applications that demand high precision and complexity. Ultra-hard materials are alternatives for when metal can't do the job. Ideal for aerospace, medical, and industrial applications.
Learn more. Video available on right side of page.

Video Image

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