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July 13, 2021Volume 17 Issue 26


Image - PolyDrill<sup>®</sup> Multi-Spindle Heads
PolyDrill® Multi-Spindle Heads
Multiple drill heads are available for a variety of machine OEMs. Two-spindle up to 10-spindle units, with fixed or flex shaft power, adjustable or fixed hole pitches and compact designs allow adaptability for the machine builder, integrator or assembly line designer. Holes in most material from 0.06"-1".
Contact Lee Coleman at Suhner for all the details.
706-314-2927

Learn more.

In this issue of Designfax

  • New Air Force B-21 Raider stealth bomber rendering
  • New screw design beefs up sound dampening
  • Why driving in snow is such a challenge for AI sensors
  • Customizing Harleys requires top-quality CNC machines
  • Hard Materials: Designer's guide to technical ceramics
  • Top Tech Tip: Innovative way to take up tolerances
  • The future of braking tech is here
  • ActiNav next-gen machine loading goes on tour
  • How Xometry is changing the way NASA develops parts
  • 52-page EMI/RFI shielding catalog
  • Cool Tools: New Stratasys PolyJet 3D-printing solutions
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • Meet Stretch, Boston Dynamics' warehousing robot
    • Watch Richard Branson float in space
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • 55 Years Ago: Gemini IX tragedy, lots of problems
    • 82-year-old female pilot oldest person in space
    • Material is extraordinarily stable over wide temps
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: USAF B-21 Raider artist rendering [Photo: Courtesy of Northrop Grumman]

News

A world first: Ultrathin semiconductors electrically connected to superconductors

New face mask prototype can detect Covid-19 infection

New truck design may have semis looking more like bullet trains to increase fuel efficiency

Why didn't I think of that? New hiccup-relief device boasts 92% effectiveness



Image - 1/4 Ton Of Refrigeration
1/4 Ton Of Refrigeration
This small, stainless steel Vortex Tube produces 1/4 ton of refrigeration and has no moving parts to wear out. Temperatures range from minus 50 to +250 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooling applications include electronic controls, machining operations, heat seals, welding operations, hot melts and more.
More details online.

Feature articles
New Air Force B-21 Raider stealth bomber rendering released

The U.S. Air Force has released a new artist rendering of its B-21 Raider stealth bomber. The Air Force plans to replace its B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit stealth bombers incrementally to form a two-bomber fleet of B-21s and modified B-52s.
Read the full article.
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MC 3001: Designed for control and positioning tasks of DC micromotors, linear DC servomotors, or brushless DC motors.


Image - New screw design claimed to beef up sound dampening in buildings
New screw design claimed to beef up sound dampening in buildings
Can a screw help mitigate noise inside buildings from other rooms or neighbors in multi-unit dwellings? Researchers in Sweden think so. Their design for a screw that includes a spring and coupling is claimed to cut noise from adjacent rooms in half when used as part of a room's initial drywall installation.
Read the full article.

Image - Why driving in snow is such a challenge for AI sensors
Why driving in snow is such a challenge for AI sensors
A major challenge for fully autonomous vehicles is navigating bad weather. Snow, especially, confounds crucial sensor data that helps a vehicle gauge depth, find obstacles, and keep on the correct side of the yellow line -- assuming it is visible. Major automakers and research universities are still tweaking self-driving technology and algorithms. Researchers at Michigan Tech say sensor fusion is the answer.
Read the full article.

Image - Customizing Harleys requires top-quality CNC machines
Customizing Harleys requires top-quality CNC machines
Kodlin Motorcycle in Borken, Germany, customizes motorcycles based upon bikes from the legendary American brand Harley-Davidson. Sophisticated technology and an easy-to-use control system are essential for this way-out-there creative work, which is why the company chose the Sinumerik 828D CNC from Siemens.
Read the full article.

Image - Hard Materials: Designer's guide to technical ceramics
Hard Materials: Designer's guide to technical ceramics
Modern technical ceramics offer amazing material properties and features when compared to conventional steels, plastics, or other non-ferrous materials. Ceramics typically offer very high hardness, wear resistance, compression strength, and electrical resistance -- as well as minimal susceptibility to acids or caustics. But there are many challenges when working with these materials, like tolerance considerations, shrinkage, finishing, and costs. Hard-materials experts at Insaco run through the basics.
Read the full article.

Image - Top Tech Tip: Innovative way to take up tolerances
Top Tech Tip: Innovative way to take up tolerances
Smalley Steel Ring Company's Linear Spring Series offers a selection of spring loads that react along a straight line, as opposed to a conventional spring that fits in a circular cavity. They act as a load-bearing device, having approximately the same load/deflection characteristics as a wave spring.
Read the full article to see how they work.

Image - The future of braking tech is here
The future of braking tech is here
NexSafe Functional Safety certified Rod Locks, Rail Brakes, and Servomotor Brakes from Nexen provide a verified, reliable solution that machine builders can depend on. With ISO 13849-1 Functional Safety Certification by Intertek, these brakes are capable of Categories B through 4 and Performance Levels PLa through PLe. With spring-engaged, air-released functionality, these products are default-to-lock and are ideal for emergency stopping and holding applications.
Learn more.

Image - Universal Robots takes ActiNav next-gen machine loading on tour
Universal Robots takes ActiNav next-gen machine loading on tour
Universal Robots, the leading manufacturer of collaborative robots, is hitting the road this summer showcasing its new ActiNav solution for flexible machine loading at live events hosted by partners across the United States. The company is also challenging potential customers to bring their own parts to be picked to see how easy the system setup is and how flexibly and accurately ActiNav operates overall. Find out about the demo happening nearest to you.
Read the full article.

Image - How Xometry manufacturing is changing the way NASA develops parts
How Xometry manufacturing is changing the way NASA develops parts
Learn how NASA engineers at the Marshall Space Flight Center employed Xometry's large-format CNC machining capabilities to build mission-critical air purification units for the International Space Station (ISS). Abandoning the traditional welded construction in favor of a one-piece barrel design required the fabrication to be outsourced in order to get the job done on time.
Read the full Xometry article.

Image - 52-page EMI/RFI shielding catalog
52-page EMI/RFI shielding catalog
Tech-Etch's Shielding Catalog PDF features to-scale technical drawings, compression values, and metal thickness for over 100 BeCu and stainless steel Finger Stock shielding profiles. Interactive sales drawings for all shielding profiles as well as Metalized Gaskets, Fan Vents, and Board Level Shields can be downloaded. Catalog includes contact rings, "D" connector gaskets, conductive foam gaskets, knitted mesh shielding, elastomer gaskets, air filters, and honeycomb vents. A valuable reference for the design engineer.
Learn more and get yours (no registration required).

Image - Cool Tools: New Stratasys PolyJet 3D-printing solutions
Cool Tools: New Stratasys PolyJet 3D-printing solutions
Stratasys recently announced two new PolyJet 3D printers, the Stratasys J35 Pro and the Stratasys J55 Prime, along with new software solutions for research and packaging prototyping. The J35 Pro represents the first multi-material 3D printer for the desktop from Stratasys, while the J55 Prime extends the value of the J55 3D printer to include a new set of versatile materials providing tactile, textual, and sensory capabilities in addition to full color. Capabilities include printing simulated glass bottles, labels, and product fillings such as cosmetics, makeup, or liquids.
Learn more.

Most popular last issue

Image - 55 Years Ago: Gemini IX -- Tragedy, problems, progress
55 Years Ago: Gemini IX -- Tragedy, problems, progress
The primary goals of Project Gemini included proving the techniques required for the Apollo Program to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth before the end of the 1960s. Paramount among those was rendezvous and docking, required to implement the Lunar Orbit Rendezvous method NASA chose for the Moon landing missions. The goals of Gemini IX included docking with a target vehicle and conducting a lengthy spacewalk during a three-day mission. Much of the mission did not go according to plan.
Read the full article.

Image - 82-year-old female pilot chosen to be oldest person in space after being cut from Project Mercury astronaut program in 1960s
82-year-old female pilot chosen to be oldest person in space after being cut from Project Mercury astronaut program in 1960s
Wally Funk will fly along with Amazon's Founder Jeff Bezos on Blue Origin's first human flight to space scheduled for July 20. Funk's journey to space began in the 1960s when she was the youngest graduate of the Woman in Space Program. She was also the first female FAA inspector and the first female NTSB air safety investigator.
Read the full article.

Image - New advanced material shows extraordinary stability over wide temperature range
New advanced material shows extraordinary stability over wide temperature range
Researchers from the University of New South Wales in Australia have found an extraordinary material that does not expand or contract over an extremely wide temperature range and may be one of the most stable materials known.
Read the full article.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
Meet Stretch, Boston Dynamics' warehousing robot
Stretch is the name of the newest robotic creation from Boston Dynamics, famous makers of the Spot dog-like robot, the incredible balancing ATLAS bi-pedal robot, and more. The Stretch prototype is designed to automate box-moving tasks. It features a long, seven-degrees-of-freedom arm with a smart vacuum gripper on a mobile, battery-operated base. Lots of potential. This company always puts a cool spin on things.
View the video.

Video Image
Watch Richard Branson float in space
Billionaire Richard Branson finally made his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut a reality on Sunday, July 11, when he flew onboard Virgin Galactic's first fully crewed test flight to 53.5 miles above the Earth's surface and floated around for a few minutes. Branson flew to Mach 3 in the VSS Unity rocket ship after it was released from its mother ship called VMS Eve. There were three other crew members and two pilots onboard VSS Unity. Whether he truly made it to "space" or just the edge is debatable, but he did prove that he was willing to take the risk himself before taking on paying passengers from the general public. Congrats.
View the video.

Video Image

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