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July 08, 2014Volume 10 Issue 26


Image - Completely Updated New Full Line Catalog: <br>Full of New Fasteners
Completely Updated New Full Line Catalog:
Full of New Fasteners

Micro Plastics introduces its new 300-page catalog #40 containing thousands of fastening solutions for engineers and product designers. Find hundreds of new problem-solving products, including Spacers, Washers, Clips, Clamps, Ties, Bushings, Screws, Nuts, Rivets, and Plugs. Micro Plastics specializes in Nylon threaded fasteners, but the company also offers extensive product lines for wire management and circuit board hardware. FREE samples are available upon request.

Click here for more information.


In this issue of Designfax

  • 3D printing RoboCop suits
  • Army 'compound sensors' instead of GPS
  • Ultra-stiff aerogels created
  • Wheels: Ford glove-box airbag for 2015 Mustang
  • Mike Likes: Replace Darlington transistor arrays
  • Toolbox: Metal injection molding stainless steel
  • Switches designed to impress
  • Springs any way you like 'em
  • Custom washers, stampings for aerospace
  • Open system linear position sensors
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • How long will your brew stay cold?
    • Vacuum cups feature Varioflex material
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • Part 2 | Designfax Most Popular Stories
    • Part 1 | Designfax Most Popular Stories
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: 2015 Ford Mustang features new airbag tech

News

Wi-Fi, 4G LTE hits battlefield; homeland natural disaster response will also benefit

Audi bringing 40-percent-lighter suspension springs to new car production model

First production HondaJet, complete with over-wing-mounted engines, aces maiden flight

MICROMO launches powerful new e-commerce offering: Motion System Selector™



Image - 3D-printer filament is 50 times more abrasion resistant than ABS and PLA
3D-printer filament is 50 times more abrasion resistant than ABS and PLA
igus' new Tribo-filament uses the same proven technology as igus' iglide bearings. Tested countess times in our in-house lab, this is the first 3D printer filament specifically developed for dynamic applications. Create custom, wear-resistant bearings, prototypes, or other components with excellent strength and wear-resistance. Two materials available to sample, full spools available soon.

Click here to learn more.


Feature articles

Image - 3D printing is the 'master tool' for creating latest RoboCop suits
3D printing is the 'master tool' for creating latest RoboCop suits
One of RoboCop's biggest allies is 3D printing. Jason Lopes, Lead Design Engineer at Legacy Effects, the creators of the Robocop main suit in this year's blockbuster movie remake, says that Stratasys Objet Connex multi-material 3D printers played the role of the "master tool" in making the futuristic armor.
Read the full article.

Image - Army developing 'compound sensors' to guide munitions in absence of GPS
Army developing 'compound sensors' to guide munitions in absence of GPS
Army scientists have packaged 10 ordinary, automotive-grade inertial sensors into one unit to create a compound sensor with incredible accuracy and greatly reduced cost. The combo sensor could be used to guide cannon-fired munitions to a target with near precision -- even if GPS navigation technology is unavailable.
Read the full article.

Image - Researchers create ultra-stiff aerogels using 3D-printing technology
Researchers create ultra-stiff aerogels using 3D-printing technology
Imagine a material with the same weight and density as aerogel -- a material so light it's called "frozen smoke" -- but with 10,000 times more stiffness. This material could have a profound impact on the aerospace and automotive industries as well as other applications where lightweight, high-stiffness and high-strength materials are needed.
Read the full article.

Image - Wheels: <br>Ford introduces innovative glove-box airbag design on new 2015 Mustang
Wheels:
Ford introduces innovative glove-box airbag design on new 2015 Mustang

A new airbag design debuting on the 2015 Ford Mustang aims to raise the bar for passenger safety by providing inflatable restraint protection in a smaller, lighter package that also enables a roomier interior for more comfort.
Read the full article.

Image - Mike Likes: <br> Replace Darlington transistor arrays in high-voltage systems
Mike Likes:
Replace Darlington transistor arrays in high-voltage systems

Texas Instruments has introduced the industry's first seven-channel, NMOS low-side driver, replacing standard Darlington transistor arrays with a power-efficient, drop-in compatible integrated circuit (IC). The TPL7407L replaces half of the transistor arrays required to drive high-current loads, providing a new option for high-voltage systems that previously required a number of transistor arrays or a motor driver. Reducing power by 40 percent, this new device efficiently drives the LED matrix, relay, or stepper motor in applications such as white goods, building automation, lighting, and HVAC.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Engineer's Toolbox: <br>Metal injection molding -- Designing for metal moldability of stainless steel
Engineer's Toolbox:
Metal injection molding -- Designing for metal moldability of stainless steel

Metal injection molding (MIM) is a particle materials technology that has existed for the last 40 years, but the molding of metal parts has been a process typically only used when large volumes were needed due to high tooling costs. Protomold now provides product designers and engineers the option of 25 to 5,000+ affordable stainless steel (316L and 17-4PH) parts in less than three weeks. Learn about important considerations when designing for metal injection molding.
Read the full article.

Image - Switches designed to impress
Switches designed to impress
The FP series 30-mm series pushbutton switch from APEM features a 30-mm diameter bushing and is available with a fully illuminated plunger or laser-etched illuminated symbols. Snap-in and threaded bushing models available. These highly visible pushbutton switches are ideal for vehicle dashboards, passenger, and freight applications including tractors, buses, trucks, and automotive, as well as defense, security, and medical instrumentation. Chrome-plated version available.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Springs any way you like 'em
Springs any way you like 'em
Myers Spring Company produces quality, fine wire precision springs with wire diameters ranging from 0.006 in. to 0.719 in. These springs are produced from a range of materials and are integral components for a variety of products, including high tech-precision instruments, military applications, industrial, automotive, agricultural equipment, appliances, toys, and many other consumer products. The company's new website features offers easy-to-navigate buttons highlighting the company's products, videos, lean production, value-added services, history, and more.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Custom washers, stampings for aerospace
Custom washers, stampings for aerospace
Custom washers and stampings from Boker's, Inc. can accommodate nearly any aerospace and aviation application, including avionics, flight control systems, airframes, engines, hydraulic, pneumatic, and other aviation equipment that requires specific, unique specifications. Custom washers are available in outside diameters ranging from .080 in. to 12 in. Boker's custom stamping offering includes flat blanking and piercings in sizes up to 12 in. x 12 in., metal forming in thicknesses from .005 in. to .134 in., and draws up to 3 in. deep and 8 in. in diameter. Material choices include 2,000 metallic or non-metallic options, low-carbon sheet steel, various super alloys, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, copper, and nickel silver. Non-metallic materials include ABS, acetal, polyester, nylon, MD nylon, polycarbonate, fiber, polyethylene and NEMA grade laminates.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Open system linear position sensors
Open system linear position sensors
Novotechnik, U.S. introduces the PTP Series of open-housing position sensors. These cost-effective sensors are designed to be integrated into applications where they can be mounted in enclosed devices. Custom wiper interfaces are available. PTP Series sensors feature an ultra-compact profile of 13 mm (w) by 11.6 mm (h). Length is dependent on the application and typically is between 10 mm and 300 mm. Integral guides and mounting clamps make mounting quick, and other mounting options can be made. These sensors enable users to minimize costs in their applications, because the PTP Series can be ordered without a rod and side-actuated.
Click here to learn more.

Most popular last issue

Image - Part 2 | Designfax Most Popular Stories, Products, Toolbox, And More
Part 2 | Designfax Most Popular Stories, Products, Toolbox, And More
What were the most-read stories in Designfax for the first half of 2014? What research stories did readers find most interesting in the past six months? What products and tools generated the most buzz? Find out these answers and more in the first of our two-part Designfax special.
Go to the Most Popular issue Part 2.

Image - Part 1 | Designfax Most Popular Stories, Products, Toolbox, And More
Part 1 | Designfax Most Popular Stories, Products, Toolbox, And More
What were the most-read stories in Designfax for the first half of 2014? What research stories did readers find most interesting in the past six months? What products and tools generated the most buzz? Find out these answers and more in the first of our two-part Designfax special.
Go to the Most Popular issue Part 1.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
How long will your brew stay cold at an afternoon barbeque?
Watch as the easy-to-use and accurate physical modeling of SolidWorks Flow Simulation is applied to a very real-world problem: How long will your brew stay cold at an afternoon barbeque? Hmmm ... now how else could you solve this problem? We vote for real-world testing.
View the video.

Video Image
Vacuum cups feature super-soft Varioflex material
A new suction cup design from FIPA features a special polyurethane that combines a stable body (black, 60° Shore) with a soft, flexible sealing lip (red, 30° Shore). The soft yet extremely wear-resistant sealing lip offers the highest level of flexibility when handling uneven, rough, or textured products and is ideal for products that are still being coated or that have already undergone surface finishing. The robust Varioflex cups cover a wide range of automation applications in which high resistance to mechanical abrasion, oil, and ozone is required.
View the video.

Video Image

New products

Electrical/Electronics
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Mechanical
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Motion
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