Click this link if you cannot read the issue below: Designfax - Tech for OEM Design Engineers
December 17, 2024Volume 20 Issue 47


Image - Need Inserts? We make it E-Z.
Need Inserts? We make it E-Z.
E-Z LOK threaded inserts allow users to repair or reinforce threads without the need for special taps or installation tools. Our line of threaded inserts is used in metal, plastic, wood, composite and additive industries. Extensive inventories of standard products are available throughout the U.S., and we are also able to produce special threaded inserts to print or per application requirements. Our products are available through a variety of different channels depending on the volume needed.
FREE SAMPLES FOR STANDARD PRODUCTS.
Learn more
or contact Kyle Lindsly-Roach at 310.323.5613 x221.

In this issue of Designfax

  • New air-cooled Wankel rotary engine fits in your hand
  • Ultra-corrosion-resistant alloy: Maritime game-changer
  • World-first carbon-14 diamond battery made
  • Aston Martin Valhalla: 1,064-hp everyday hypercar
  • Achieve higher loads with a round wire Wave Spring
  • Conveying and guiding: One-stop shop for components
  • Tbot Linear Robot systems perfect for pick and place
  • Cool Tools: SpaceMouse Wireless Bluetooth Edition
  • Why hybrid bearings are becoming new industry standard
  • What are carbon composite bellows springs?
  • Good reads: Why anti-drone tech companies can't zap NJ's aerial invaders
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • Top-shelf engineering: $250K TV
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • Supersonic mini plane sets altitude climb record
    • Could LED light strips stop shark attacks?
    • SOLIDWORKS Tips: Easy ways to focus on your model
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: Aston Martin Valhalla

News

Beyond wires: How bubble technology may power some next-gen electronics

Stretchable, flexible, recyclable: Princeton engineers create fantastic 3D-printed plastic

MIT offshoot wants to turn repurposed automotive engines into modular chemical plants to make green fuels

'Writing' with atoms could transform materials fabrication



Image - Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays <br>from Designfax!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
from Designfax!

2024 was another year overflowing with challenges for us all, but we made it! Thanks to all our readers, sponsors, writers, and article contributors. We wish you a healthy and happy holiday season! Don't forget to pass along your issue of Designfax to an engineering colleague.

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Feature articles

Image - New air-cooled Wankel rotary engine fits in your hand
New air-cooled Wankel rotary engine fits in your hand
UK-based Advanced Innovative Engineering has launched an air-cooled Wankel rotary engine called the 40ACS that is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand yet powerful enough to crank out over 5 hp. It has been designed for UAV (drone) propulsion systems, robotics, and more.
Read the full article.

Image - SPEE3D develops ultra-corrosion-resistant alloy -- a game-changer for maritime additive manufacturing
SPEE3D develops ultra-corrosion-resistant alloy -- a game-changer for maritime additive manufacturing
Australian manufacturer SPEE3D has developed two grades of an ultra-corrosion-resistant Nickel Aluminum Bronze alloy that are compatible with its Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing technology. The powder material is a game-changer for maritime OEMs and the U.S. Navy, as it will help with supply chain delays and keep critical maritime systems operational.
Read the full article.

Image - World-first carbon-14 diamond battery made
World-first carbon-14 diamond battery made
Scientists and engineers in the UK have created the world's first carbon-14 diamond battery. The current iteration is in coin-cell form and has the potential to provide low power to devices for thousands of years.
Read the full article.

Image - Aston Martin Valhalla: 1,064-hp hybrid hypercar for everyday driving
Aston Martin Valhalla: 1,064-hp hybrid hypercar for everyday driving
It's been a long time in the works, but Aston Martin's mid-engine hybrid Valhalla hypercar will finally go into production in 2025. Boasting a flat-plane crank 4.0-L twin-turbo V8 engine with three electric motors, the race car for the road will zoom you around town or to work going 0 to 62 mph in 2.5 sec. A curvy silhouette, dramatic forward-hinged dihedral doors, and a design chock full of aero elements are just the beginning.
Read the full article.

Image - Achieve higher loads with a round wire Wave Spring
Achieve higher loads with a round wire Wave Spring
Wavo Springs are produced from round-section wire to provide higher loads while maintaining the accurate loading found in wave springs. As an alternative to Belleville Springs, the Wavo provides similar loads but with an accurate, predictable spring rate. Available in carbon and stainless steel from stock, sizes range from 1/2" to 6" diameters. Free samples are also available!
Learn more.

Image - Conveying and guiding: One-stop shop for components
Conveying and guiding: One-stop shop for components
JW Winco has expanded its range of conveying and guiding components with additional practical elements designed for common industrial applications, providing everything needed -- from guides and rails to brackets and feet -- for constructing unmotorized conveyor lines using standard parts.
Read the full article.

Image - Tbot Linear Robot systems with fixed motor mounting are perfect for pick and place
Tbot Linear Robot systems with fixed motor mounting are perfect for pick and place
Macron Dynamics' belt-driven X/Z T-Bot systems (TBG line) are perfect for pick-and-place processes. The simple design, where a single belt drives both axes, means there is no need for costly cable carriers. This type of motion can be used for anything pick-and-place oriented, and the extruded construction means it can scale to virtually any application. The architecture of the line allows for smaller travel heights for the Z axis, providing a more compact structure that is easier to integrate into existing designs. Models available to handle max loads from 10 to 100 lb.
Learn more.

Image - Cool Tools: SpaceMouse Wireless Bluetooth Edition
Cool Tools: SpaceMouse Wireless Bluetooth Edition
3Dconnexion's SpaceMouse revolutionized the way users could navigate, sculpt, and design in 3D applications. Now you can take this "handy" tool anywhere with the Wireless Bluetooth Edition. Experience seamless control without being tied to a desk. Most users control this SpaceMouse with their non-dominant hand -- rotating, panning, and zooming -- while using the standard mouse to select, create, and edit. A pretty sweet stocking stuffer.
Learn more.

Image - Why hybrid bearings are becoming the new industry standard
Why hybrid bearings are becoming the new industry standard
A combination of steel outer and inner rings with ceramic balls or rollers is giving hybrid bearings unique properties, making them suitable for use in a wide range of modern applications. SKF hybrid bearings make use of silicon nitride (twice as hard as bearing steel) rolling elements and are available as ball bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, and in custom designs. From electric erosion prevention to friction reduction and extended maintenance intervals, learn all about next-gen hybrid bearings.
Read the SKF technical article.

Image - What are carbon composite bellows springs?
What are carbon composite bellows springs?
The Carbon Composite Bellows Spring (CCBS) from MW Components is a system of carbon fiber elements that combine to work as a high-performance, lightweight, and design-flexible compression spring meant to replace coil springs or metallic Belleville disc springs. A functional spring is made from several individual elements paired and joined to make a stack. The stack spring rate is determined by the number of elements, the base rate of each element, and their series or parallel orientation in the stack. Applications include motorsports, aerospace, and high-performance activities.
Learn more.

Image - Good reads: Why anti-drone tech companies can't zap New Jersey's aerial invaders
Good reads: Why anti-drone tech companies can't zap New Jersey's aerial invaders
Bruce Crumley at Inc. magazine looks at why it's not so easy to just start blasting flying objects with flashing lights -- sometimes thought to be unmanned drones or even UFOs -- out of the sky. We learned a few things here.
Read the Inc. article.

Most popular last issue

Image - Supersonic mini plane sets altitude climb record
Supersonic mini plane sets altitude climb record
Ride along with the Mk-II Aurora rocket-powered aircraft on its maiden supersonic flight reaching Mach 1.1 and 82,500 ft. Developed by New Zealand-based Dawn Aerospace, the 15.7-ft-long, unmanned space plane is designed to fly multiple times a day to the upper atmosphere from a standard airport runway carrying small payloads.
Read the full article. Includes some very cool videos.

Image - Could LED light strips stop shark attacks on surfers?
Could LED light strips stop shark attacks on surfers?
Surfers could be protected from future shark attacks following new discoveries made by researchers at Macquarie University in Australia. Surprisingly, great whites are likely completely color blind.
Read the full article.

Image - SOLIDWORKS Tips: 3 easy ways to focus on your model
SOLIDWORKS Tips: 3 easy ways to focus on your model
SOLIDWORKS Elite Applications Engineer Alin Vargatu demonstrates his top tips for focusing on your model: finding planes the easy way inside your assembly with the Q key, breadcrumbs, and a better way to use the component preview window. Very helpful. Lots more tips on the SOLIDWORKS YouTube channel.
View the video.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
Top-shelf engineering: $250K transformer TV
Are you itching to spend a little of your secret Bitcoin millions? Consider a C-SEED N1 4K MicroLED TV that starts off as a high-end console or sculpture and morphs into a standing 5-panel 103-, 137-, or 165-in. glorious luxe display. Want it totally hidden? Build it into the floor (if it doesn't take up room from your underground supercar garage). Mid-range unit is almost $250K. These TVs are weatherproof, too, so go big with a 201-in. outdoor unit for the pool area. Lots of cool engineering in this one.
[Credit: Images courtesy of C-SEED]
View the video.

New products

Electrical/Electronics
View Products…
Mechanical
View Products…
Motion
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