| August 12, 2014 | Volume 10 Issue 30 |
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 | 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. |
 | IMPORTANT message for gmail users -- both personal and corporate email accounts
If you have logged into your gmail account lately directly through gmail.com, you have probably noticed that gmail is pre-sorting your email into three folders, which they call labels or tabs: Primary, Social, and Promotions. If you use a corporate gmail account with a mail management program, you may not know that your gmail is being pre-sorted -- and you may not be receiving all of your email. We would love for Designfax to always be found in your Primary email and hope that making that designation in your gmail account will make finding our issues easier for you.
Find out how to move Designfax to your Primary email tab. |
| | Feature articles |
 | Wings:
Fused Deposition Modeling takes flight with NASA's N+3 concept
An important goal of NASA's N+3 revolutionary aircraft research effort is to define key technologies that will create a 70 percent reduction in fuel consumption relative to today's 737-800 aircraft, offer the ability to operate from 3,000-ft runways, and result in a significant reduction in noise and pollution emissions. Producing model thermoplastic components with Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) provides the development team with design flexibility while meeting high aerospace standards and process requirements.
Read the full article. |
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 | Wheels:
Cockpit for 1,000-mph car revealed
The cockpit of BLOODHOUND SSC, the 1,000-mph Land Speed Racing car, was unveiled June 12 in Bristol, UK. The state-of-the-art carbon fiber monocoque has been tailored to the needs of driver Andy Green and will be his supersonic office during record attempts in the South African desert in 2015 and 2016.
Read the full article. |
 | Mike Likes:
Wireless 3D SpaceMouse
SpaceMouse Pro Wireless' patented 6-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) controller cap creates a natural connection between you and your 3D content, while the advanced 2.4-GHz wireless tech puts an end to unsightly cables on your desktop. With 3Dconnexion's SpaceMouse Pro Wireless, users can smoothly pan, zoom, and rotate models and camera views while 15 conveniently positioned buttons provide access to application commands, standard views, and more. Battery life is two months. 3DxWare 10 allows you to customize and optimize your SpaceMouse Pro Wireless for peak performance and tailor settings and buttons to your application and needs.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Products:
Military/COTS supply delivers 1,000 W at -40 C
The new XFN powerPac from Excelsys Technologies is designed to deliver 1,000 W at -40 C. Designed for use in harsh operating environments, the XFN powerPac is conformal coated to withstand extremes in shock and vibration to MIL-STD-810G levels. It also carries full safety agency approvals, including UL 606950, and is EMC characterized to MIL-STD-461F. Employing an innovative plug-and-play architecture, XF power supplies accommodate up to six Excelsys powerMod output modules, which allow users to rapidly configure a custom power solution. Standard features in the series include 47-440Hz input frequency, 1.5-V to 58-V standard output voltages, and individual output control.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Products:
Paint won't yellow at 1,200 F
Thurmalox 290-00 from Dampney Company is a new ready-to-use, heat-resistant white paint that is non-yellowing at elevated temperatures and will not chip, crack, or peel. Designed for vent pipes and other parts exposed to 1,200 F, this paint can be used with Dampney's clear gloss top coat to achieve a porcelain-like finish. Ideal for wood stoves, BBQ grills and smokers, chemical plants, refineries, process vent piping, and more, this paint is not intended for direct contact with flames.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Products:
Economical drives for simple, reliable motor control
The Parker AC10 Micro Drive is a simple, reliable, and economical solution to everyday AC motor control applications requiring speed or torque control within the power range of 0.25 hp to 30 hp. With compact dimensions and features normally only associated with higher-specification drives, including sensorless vector mode, output frequency up to 650 Hz, 3-phase 460-V supplies in all five frame sizes, and a full 150 percent overload at 0.5 Hz for 1 min., AC10 provides an optimized solution for OEM machine builders looking for a compact, cost-effective, UL-listed drive without compromising on performance.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Products:
MapleSim Advanced hydraulics library
With the MapleSim Hydraulics Library from Modelon, engineers can seamlessly incorporate industry-tested hydraulics components while continuing to take full advantage of all the modeling, analysis, and simulation abilities of MapleSim. This add-on component library includes over 150 components for modeling pumps, motors, cylinders, restrictions, valves, hydraulic lines, lumped volumes, and sensors. It enables engineers to produce very high-fidelity models by accounting for compressible oil and cavitation effects, resulting in an extremely accurate view of system dynamics.
Click here to learn more. |
| | Most popular last issue |
 | Wheels:
Best-ever efficiency points to clean, green gas-diesel engine
The one-cylinder test engine in the basement of a University of Wisconsin-Madison lab is connected to a life-support system of pipes, tubes, ducts, and cables like a patient in intensive care. The elaborate monitoring system shows that the engine can convert 59.5 percent of the chemical energy in its fuel into motion -- significantly better than the 52 percent maximum in modern diesel truck engines.
Read the full article. |
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| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | Is this the most secure washer ever?
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.
View the video. |
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What a super-safe robot can do for your biz
Watch how the lightweight, flexible Universal Robots free up seven man-hours per day and cut the price of production at Canadian shelving manufacturer Etalex, where employees no longer have to perform the potentially dangerous task of unloading the brake press. Automating has resulted in a 40-percent increase in sales with no staff layoffs as a result.
View the video. |
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