| August 14, 2012 | Volume 08 Issue 30 |
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 | New Full Line Catalog -- Full of New Fasteners
Micro Plastics introduces its new catalog #39. With 290 pages of nylon fastener items, 12 new product lines, and over 500 new items added. Contents include: standard and metric machine screws, cap screws, nuts, washers, spacers, insulators, grommets, bushings, rivets, hole plugs, clamps, printed circuit board accessories, suspended ceiling hooks, and wire routing kits. FREE samples are available upon request.
Click here for more information. |
 | Mike Likes:
3D simulation for injection molding
One of the hottest trends in injection molding is process optimization in 3D. This capability is moving up the manufacturing chain to the design engineer so that final parts mirror specifications from the get-go. SIGMASOFT, based on MAGMASOFT technology, can import any 3D solid model generated by CAD packages such as Pro/Engineer, Unigraphics, and CATIA to predict die filling, curing, and the subsequent cooling of rubber and plastic materials. Used upfront in the design stage, this process heads off injection-molding problems with wall thicknesses, inserts, and a whole lot more. This thorough paper lays out all the advantages for optimizing injection molding projects in 3D using SIGMASOFT.
Download the SIGMASOFT .pdf (no registration required). |
 | Engineer's Toolbox:
'Under the Boot' paper examines automotive coil-on-plug connections
An incredibly thorough whitepaper from ETCO focuses on the connection between the coil and spark plug used in coil-and-plug assemblies in regards to consumer performance complaints. This 18-page study thoroughly analyzes 10 OE-style, aftermarket, and prototype connecting devices. Measurement and testing for each sample included: static resistance measurements in ohms, voltage drop under load, coil output voltage at .040 air gap, retention force measurements, vibration effects on connections, and visual evaluation of sparking events at .400 gap. No registration required to download the paper.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Quick Look:
Quieter, smoother linear guides for higher loads
The new SBC Linear Profile SBI linear guide system from LEE LINEAR features a higher load capacity and increased operating speeds. By utilizing a low profile and wide base design, there is less noise, less vibration, and increased life over caged ball assemblies. The extra load capacity, which is the same in all directions, includes a dynamic load rating from 14.1 to 232.5 kN and a static capacity from 24.1 to 354.1 kN. The available guide sizes are: 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 45, 55, and 65. The SBI block types available are flanged (FL), flanged long (FLL), slim (SL), and slim long (SLL). Raydent coatings are available for protection against corrosion.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Quick Look:
Hybrid motor starter saves design space and time
The MOTUS ContactronControl from Woehner USA is used in place of traditional motor-starting components. It is perfectly suited for system or machine designs that require motor loads up to 5 hp. The unit's most unique feature is that it combines four important functions within its small frame design. It can be used to: start motors in a forward rotation, reverse the motor's rotation, serve the function of an emergency stop controller, and safeguard a motor through a combination of electronic overload sensing and fusible short-circuit protection. All this in a device that is less than 1 in. wide. Hybrid motor starters can achieve up to 10 times as many switching operations as a mechanical contactor. Once the motor load is brought up to speed, the current is shunted through a traditional set of contacts to ensure cool operating temperatures.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Cool Tools:
USB microscope/magnifier boasts 200x power
If you need easy super-magnification at your desktop (and who doesn't?), Saelig's MV200UM is a 2-megapixel USB digital microscope for capturing high-quality magnified images and video for display on a PC using a simple USB 2.0 PC connection. The handy unit can take snapshots and time-lapse sequences. It contains a built-in white LED illumination ring for viewing tiny components and markings, examining traces and solder joints on printed circuit boards, or for detailed product examination and record-taking, inspection, and quality-control purposes. For 60 bucks, a real cool tool or a great thing to pick up for your kid's impending science project.
Learn more about this product.
View a very thorough video review of this product. |
| | Most popular last issue |
 | 3D printed exoskeleton lets little girl lift arms and play
Stratasys released a video and case study last week demonstrating how 3D printing has helped 4-year-old Emma Lavelle overcome the limitations of a congenital disorder, allowing her to use her arms for the first time. Using a Dimension 3D printer, researchers at the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Philadelphia were able to create what little Emma calls her "magic arms." The device is a custom-designed, lightweight robotic exoskeleton that enables her to conquer greatly limited joint mobility and underdeveloped muscles. Really neat.
View the video. |
Engineers tackle challenges of hypersonic flight
Aeronautical engineers believe that hypersonic planes flying at seven to 15 times the speed of sound will someday change the face of air travel here on Earth and out into space. Hypersonic flight is a particularly intense engineering challenge, both in the mechanical forces placed on the structure of the plane and in the physics of the sophisticated engines that must operate without fail in the extremes of the upper atmosphere.
Read the full article. |
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| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | Ramp up electric motor efficiency with solid-state motion control
Born from NASA research, E-Save is a solid-state motion control platform that can optimize the efficiency of 3-phase electric motors by 15% to 30% in appropriate constant-speed/variable-load applications like those found in industrial equipment, commercial buildings, and appliances. We suggest going the full 7-min video route when checking out this dynamic energy-saving option from Power Efficiency Corp. There's also a 2-min quickie primer. Good stuff. Videos are on left of screen.
View the video. |
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