| July 02, 2013 | Volume 09 Issue 25 |
 | Can you build an all-wheel-drive space rover from standard parts?
Yup ... at least the drive system. Using low-cost, standard motion-control parts from the FAULHABER Group/MICROMO and controlled with conventional components, the eight-wheel Shrimp Rover climbing concept was built to carry instrumentation for space travel missions and challenging Earth-bound applications such as minesweeping. Read all about creating the off-the-shelf drive system for this rover.
Read the full article. |
| | Feature articles | 3M 25-year light bulb requires unique die-cast components
 When 3M began the design and development of its new 25-year LED light bulb, there were a number of aluminum components in the design that, in large volumes, would ultimately be too costly to allow for secondary machining and would require net-shape, high-pressure aluminum die casting. 3M's LED Advanced Light has a unique electronics-in-bulb design, sophisticated light-guide technology, and an estimated energy cost of $1.63 per year.
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 | Military engineers teach an old water can new tricks
A system developed by researchers at the Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center, Department of Defense Combat Feeding Directorate in Natick, MA, will help bring water to Soldiers in the field, either cool or heat it, and then keep it that way for days at a time. The system revolves around a high-stress collapsible water bag, a beverage cooling unit, and an insulated bag that holds the standard 5-gal water can or the collapsible water bag.
Read the full article. |
 | Metal injection molding (MIM):
A crucial element in the booming firearms industry
Metal injection molding (MIM) is a popular choice in the flourishing firearms market for producing relatively high precision at a low cost. MIM combines powder metal with a low-melt polymer to create a feedstock that is molded using conventional injection-molding equipment and molds. After molding, the plastic must be removed and the parts sintered. The result is a solid metal part created from powder metal to near net shape at 96 percent density of wrought metal.
Read the full article. |
 | Robotic insects make first controlled flight
Inspired by the biology of a fly, with submillimeter-scale anatomy and two wafer-thin wings that flap almost invisibly 120 times per second, Harvard researchers have demonstrated the first vertical takeoff, hovering, and steering of a truly insect-size robot. The RoboBee, an aspiration for the researchers for years, represents the absolute cutting edge of micromanufacturing and control systems.
Read the full article. |
 | Most Popular Products:
Great alternatives to riveting or spot welding
PEM SpotFast self-clinching fasteners enable two sheets to be joined permanently in a flush-attachment connection without protrusions on either side. These practical alternatives to riveting or spot welding provide ideal solutions to attach two metal sheets too thin to weld, fasten sheets of unequal thicknesses, join dissimilar metals, attach ultra-thin metal sections, or join metal sheets to PCB or plastic panels. Their rotational capability offers additional application advantages by allowing the fastener to act as a hardened pivot point. SpotFast fasteners install smooth with the top sheet and flush or sub-flush with the bottom sheet. Can be installed in aluminum or steel sheets as thin as .030 in./0.8 mm.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Most Popular Products:
Powerful CAD viewer for fast viewing and markup of over two dozen CAD formats
KeyMarkUp CAD from Kubotek USA views and marks up over two dozen CAD file formats -- but this product does so much more. It gives engineers a powerful method to measure, analyze, annotate, print, and export CAD data for better collaboration and more accurate quoting. A dynamic selection tool, for instance, allows users to create simple cross-sections easily of complex parts or assemblies to complete difficult measurements or geometry checks. Multiple dimensioning, measuring, and mass property features and calculating tools, as well as mold design tools, simplify quoting and estimating. And there is a lot more.
See all that KeyMarkUp CAD can do. |
| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | World's most energy-efficient LED light bulb?
Three young innovators got together and pitched their NanoLight project on Kickstarter. They reached their goal of $20,000 in project seed money in the first three days. What's so cool about the NanoLight? It's a super-economical, omnidirectional 12W LED bulb created from folded PCB boards that puts out the equivalent light of a traditional 100W bulb (1,600 lumens) and has a lifespan of 30,000 hr. Better yet, this device needs no heat sink. Check out this unconventional but very cool design.
View the video. |
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Festo creation inspired by dragonfly flight
After tackling accurate (and mesmerizing) robotic bird flight in 2010, the mechatronics experts at Festo have turned their substantial creative talents to modeling the dragonfly at a technical level. The 175-g "BionicOpter" is a 63-cm-wide ultralight carbon-fiber/foil bot that can fly in all directions and execute complicated flight maneuvers -- all controlled by smartphone. It can move each of its wings independently, so it can slow down, turn abruptly, accelerate swiftly, and even fly backwards. Sensors, actuators, and mechanical components, as well as open- and closed-loop control systems, are all installed in a very tight space. The flapping frequency, amplitude, and angle of incidence are controlled by software and electronics, so piloting the dragonfly is quite simple. Intelligent kinematics correct any vibrations during flight and ensure flight stability. In order to stabilize the bot, data on the position and the twisting of the wings is continuously recorded and evaluated in real time during flight.
View the video. |
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