| December 26, 2012 | Volume 08 Issue 48 |
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 | New Line of Phillips Pan Machine Screws
Micro Plastics has added a new line to their inventory of 250 million parts! The Phillips Pan Machine Screws are molded in tough, resilient, and corrosion-resistant Nylon 6/6 material. Thread sizes included are: 4-40, 6-32, 8-32, 10-32, 1/4-20 and 1/4-28. Available in 25 standard lengths ranging from 3/32 in. up to 3 in., Micro Plastics also offers an extensive line of machine screws, including head styles such as Binder, Binder Combination, Fillister, Hex, Pan, Round, Socket, Flat, Oval, and Thumb Screws, as well as Studs, Grubs, and Flat Head Wing Screws.
Click here for more information. |
 | Happy New Year from Designfax!
Thanks to all of our readers, sponsors, writers, and article contributors for making 2012 a great year. We know that manufacturing, in particular, has been a challenging business sector for years, but hang in there. Things are looking up. We wish all of you a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2013!
Don't forget to pass along your issue of Designfax to an engineering colleague.
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 | Army announces its Greatest Inventions of the year
U.S. Army officials at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland announced the winners of this year's Army's Greatest Inventions competition Sept. 19. A team of combat veteran non-commissioned officers, as well as U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command field-grade officers, reviewed and voted for the Army Greatest Inventions that were fielded in 2011. The top 10 winners include a 120-mm guided mortar cartridge, add-on-armor kits for MRAP vehicles, and a force-detecting and -reporting sensor system integrated into Soldiers' helmets.
Read the full article. |
 | Best Products: Could this be the world's most-effective wedge-locking washer?
X-series washers combine Nord-Lock's unrivaled wedge-effect solution (to prevent spontaneous loosening) with an exceptional spring effect (to compensate for loss of preload due to slackening). When used in pairs, each washer duo has cams on one side and radial teeth on the opposite side to secure the bolted joint with tension instead of friction. Quick and easy to install and remove with standard tools, this is a great solution for handling vibration and dynamic loads, painted or powder-coated surfaces, soft metals, and composites and polymers.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Best Products: Turn standard PCs into powerful multi-axis machine controllers
ACS Motion Control has developed a software-based EtherCAT motion control platform that maximizes performance while minimizing costs for semiconductor, HDD, biomedical, PV equipment, and LED manufacturers. The SPiiPlusSC (soft controller) enables standard PCs to run a 64-axis real-time motion controller and high-speed PLC entirely in software. The advanced soft-controller solution simplifies the connectivity of the entire motion control system by eliminating dedicated controller hardware as well as Windows dependence or latency.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Best Products: Replace pneumatic cylinders with servo actuators
SKF CASM Series servo actuators are ideal electromechanical solutions for applications historically performed by conventional pneumatic cylinders. This technology, in comparison, inherently reduces energy consumption, potential contamination, noise, and maintenance, while eliminating the need for constantly running compressors, hoses, and other components associated with pneumatic cylinders. All three modular models (CASM-32, CASM-40, and CASM-63) have been designed to fit standard industry footprints of pneumatic cylinders and can easily facilitate system conversion. Motor adapter kits enable users to connect the motor package of their choice and easily program motor profiles. Load capacities range from 300 N to 5,400 N, stroke lengths range from 50 mm to 800 mm, and speeds from 60 mm/s to 1,060 mm/s can be achieved.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Best Products: Next generation of 3D scanning is fully automated
eQuality Tech, the exclusive distributor for Solutionix in the Americas, announces the immediate availability of Rexcan CS+, the first fully automated 3D scanner to integrate a turntable with four degrees of freedom for simpler setup and more comprehensive data acquisition. The new rotating and pivoting turntable eliminates scan targets and allows users to reorient a part by simply clicking on the computer screen; no need to physically move the part, turntable, or scanner. Rexcan CS+ can scan small intricate objects as efficiently as larger objects, in some cases drastically cutting the time from receipt of part to creating a full CAD model or inspection report.
Click here to learn more. |
| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | 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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DARPA takes LS3 (BigDog) robot for a walk
DARPA is developing a semi-autonomous four-legged robot, the Legged Squad Support System (LS3) based on the BigDog system created by Boston Dynamics, to work in tandem with a squad of Marines or Soldiers. Recently, the LS3 prototype underwent its first outdoor exercise, demonstrating the ability to follow a person using its 'eyes' -- sensors that allow the robot to distinguish between trees, rocks, terrain obstacles, and people. Over the course of the next 18 months, DARPA plans to complete development of and refine key capabilities to ensure LS3 is able to support dismounted squads of warfighters. Features to be tested and validated include the ability to carry 400 lb on a 20-mile trek in 24 hr without being refueled. Also planned is the addition of hearing technology, enabling squad members to speak commands to LS3. Hopefully, it will be made quieter too.
View the video. |
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3D Printing: World's largest 3D-printed wrench
Looking to fabricate your own 1:1-scale, really large prototype parts? Objet has you covered. Unveiled at Euromold early this month, the company's new Objet1000 system features a climb-aboard-size build tray (39.3 in. x 31.4 in. x 19.6 in.) and is able to print up to 14 different material properties within a single model. Wow. Fourteen in one model! It can also handle big jobs that you could only dream about in the past, like the world's largest 3D-printed wrench, which Objet's Sam Green says took a few days to print.
View the video. |
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