| June 05, 2012 | Volume 08 Issue 21 |
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 | Noisy Bearing?
Smalley wave springs are ideal for bearing preload. The wave spring preloads the bearing through its outer race, taking up play in the bearing. Preloading will reduce bearing damage, wear, noise and vibration. The wave spring prevents sliding between the rolling elements. Bearing springs come in metric sizes to match popular bearing sizes. Smalley has over 150 standard springs available, from 16 mm to 580 mm. Specials are available for unique bearing sizes with No-Tooling-Charges™.
Click here for more info. |
| | Feature article | Latest Objet desktop 3D printer prints in seven killer materials
Objet launched a new desktop 3D printer at the RAPID 2012 show in Atlanta at the end of May. Objet30 Pro users have some serious choices for printing objects – seven to be exact.
Yup, seven materials and four functional properties to choose from, including, for the first time on a desktop system, a clear transparent material and a high-temperature-resistant material.
Read the full article. |
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 | Metal Bellows for Corrosive Media
BellowsTech edge welded metal bellows provide the most flex in the smallest amount of space and allow for flexibility in axial, angular and parallel offset motion. BellowsTech can customize its bellows to survive the high temperatures, pressures and corrosive media associated with the oil and gas industry.
Click here to learn more … |
 | Mike Likes:
No-cost NASA e-book details human factors in aerospace accidents
Wow, this will probably be my favorite Mike Likes of the year. No kidding. The latest offering in the NASA Aeronautics Book Series, "Breaking the Mishap Chain," by Peter Merlin, Gregg Bendrick, and Dwight Holland, is available gratis as an e-book. The 244-pager details lessons learned from aerospace accidents and incidents in research, flight test, and development. It includes a number of mishap case studies (X-31, X-15, XB-70, space shuttle, etc.) that focus on the human factors that are often associated with a chain of events that, if even one element had been altered, could have prevented the disaster. Available in EPUB, MOBI, and PDF formats. Like me, you may be thinking, "Is it my birthday already?!"
Go to the NASA description and download page. |
 | Quick Look:
Connectors with snap-in flanges
WAGO Corporation's MCS-MIDI 231 and 721 Series Connectors feature Snap-in Flanges for drill-and fastener-free through-panel mounting. Intended for rectangular cut-outs, snap-in flanges eliminate drilling, screws and other components associated with through-panel applications. Part of WAGO's Multi-Connection System, the Connectors accept all conductors AWG 28–12 and carry ratings up to 600 V/20 A. Applications include elevators, drives, multimedia displays (common to transit systems) and replacing studs in rail control panels (MCS-MIDI expedites box swaps).
Click here to learn more. |
 | Quick Look:
Reliable, flexible seals for robotics systems
Roxtec entry seals allow cables and pneumatic plastic pipes to be routed in the same unit. The system is based on a rubber-sealing module that consists of two halves, a center core, and removable black and blue layers. This construction ensures adaptability to different sizes of cables and pipes. Just peel off layers to achieve a tight installation. Most cables can be effectively sealed with just six basic sizes of Roxtec sealing modules. Easily installed Roxtec modules are used together with a frame and a compression unit, resulting in an optimum sealing solution suitable for wide-ranging applications.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Quick Look:
High-load, motorized linear stages with dust covers
Zaber's A-LST-C stages are computer controlled and have travel ranges from 254 mm to 1,500 mm. They are available with various lead screw pitches so you can select the device with the resolution and speed capability that you need. This innovative stage design is capable of speeds up to 420 mm/s and can support loads up to 100 kg. The flexible, stainless steel dust cover protects the internal lead screw and bearings. Available from Servo2Go.
Click here to learn more. |
| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | Will opposing-piston technology make it – and provide efficiency improvements of 15% to 30%?
Pinnacle Engines has developed an innovative, spark-ignited, twin-crank, 250cc single-cylinder engine with opposed-piston architecture, using dual-camshaft actuated reciprocating sleeve valves for induction and exhaust in a traditional four-stroke fashion. But will it float for motorcycles and small cars of the future? Company founder Monty Cleeves is interviewed by Automotive Engineering International at the SAE 2012 World Congress.
View the video. |
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Flying wind turbine aces test flight
Altaeros Energies, a wind energy company formed out of MIT, took to the Maine skies in late March to test its helium-filled, 35-ft Altaeros Airborne Wind Turbine (AWT). The prototype climbed to 350 ft, produced power at altitude, and landed in an automated cycle, lifting the top-selling Southwest Skystream turbine to produce over twice the power at high altitude than generated at conventional tower height. The product aims to reduce energy costs by up to 65% by harnessing the stronger winds found over 1,000 ft high and reducing installation time from weeks to days. The lifting technology is adapted from aerostats, industrial cousins of passenger blimps that for decades have lifted heavy communications and radar equipment into the air for long periods of time. Aerostats are rated to survive hurricane-force winds.
View the video. |
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