| January 13, 2015 | Volume 11 Issue 02 |
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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. |
 | 2015 COOL PARTS CALENDAR
Designed by designers and engineered for engineers, our annual Cool Parts Calendar features the visions of product developers across the nation and around the world. It features holidays, industry tradeshow dates, and (of course) those elusive days of the week.
Request your free calendar today. |
 | Tiny inverse-Wankel rotary engine concept is 4-lb powerhouse
Noise, excessive vibration, and relative inefficiency are drawbacks of the piston-based internal combustion engines (ICEs) that power today's lawn and garden equipment, such as leaf blowers and lawn trimmers. But now MIT startup LiquidPiston has developed a 4-lb rotary concept that it says is significantly smaller, lighter, and quieter, as well as 20 percent more fuel-efficient than the ICEs used in many such small-engine devices.
Read the full article. |
 | 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. |
 | Robots with guns: Army researchers address challenges of remote lethality
In popular culture, the idea of robots that perform human-like functions has a special hold on the imagination, based on real-life examples like space exploration, unmanned aerial drones and stoked by futuristic scenarios in movies like the "Terminator" series. However, when it comes to the U.S. military integrating lethality, such as a weapon capable of firing 10 rounds per second onto an unmanned ground vehicle, issues arise such as safety, effectiveness, and reliability, as well as military doctrine on how much human involvement is required.
Read the full article. |
 | Wheels:
Exhaust recirculation tech and the road to 54.5 mpg
A new engine design that improves fuel economy and lowers exhaust emissions has received a prestigious 2014 R&D 100 Award. R&D Magazine selected Southwest Research Institute's Dedicated Exhaust Gas Recirculation (D-EGR) engine technology as one of the 100 most significant technological achievements introduced in the past year.
Read the full article. |
 | Engineering better Army technology: Overmatch
Overmatch in weapon systems "means we have an advantage in every sense of the word ... it's much bigger than lethality," says Keith Jadus, acting director of the lethality portfolio for the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology. This article looks at issues in developing technologies with extended range, precision, using direct energy, and more.
Read the full article. |
 | Top Mike Likes:
Plastic parts with no molds required
How often have you wondered what life would be like without having to worry about paying tooling charge after tooling charge for products in early development? The "No Molds Required" (NMR) manufacturing technology from Envision Plastics & Design could be your answer. This unique production process harmonizes a combination of sheet metal fabrication and woodworking practices to produce plastic parts used for enclosures, panels and shrouds, brackets and shields, medical-based products, and more.
Read the full article. |
 | Top Mike Likes:
Powerful pen oscilloscope
Saelig announces the Owon RDS1021 Wave Rambler, a new USB pen scope that packs all the features of a high-performance bench-top oscilloscope in a small, lightweight, and ergonomic probe that fits perfectly in the hand. Used with the included PC software, the RDS1021 Wave Rambler converts any laptop or desktop PC into a powerful oscilloscope without the need for additional probes or power supplies.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Top Product:
DC motors with 90%+ efficiency boost battery life
Maximizing battery life can be a decisive factor to many mission-critical systems. To meet this market initiative, BEI Kimco Magnetics has developed new Frameless Brushless DC Motors in multiple designs that provide extremely high operational efficiencies in excess of 90% that enable extended battery life. For battery-dependent applications, motor efficiency is paramount in getting the longest operating time before it needs to be charged. The newly designed High Torque Density Brushless DC Motors are able to achieve this superior efficiency with improved weight and envelope profiles.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Top Product: First instant hybrid cyanoacrylate adhesive
Henkel has introduced Loctite 4090, a versatile, patented hybrid adhesive that combines the bond strength of a structural epoxy with the speed of an instant adhesive. This powerful combo delivers the first structural cyanoacrylate: an adhesive that offers rapid, high-strength bonding to a range of substrates along with impact and moisture resistance, and temperature resistance to 300 F. Versatile enough to solve both indoor and outdoor design and assembly challenges, the new tech greatly expands the capabilities of cyanoacrylates, especially in applications where traditional instant adhesives offer too little strength or are too brittle.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Top Product: Plastic bearings have staying power
Plastic bearings are strong enough to outperform and outlast metal in countless applications. Plastic bearings are an economical replacement for needle, ball, and plain metal bearings. However, they are often not considered a viable choice in the engineering community due to the common misconception that plastic is inferior or weaker compared to metal. Uncover common misconceptions and learn the true reliability of plastic bearings in this new igus® whitepaper.
Click here to go to the whitepaper -- no registration required. |
| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | Smashing pumpkins: The physics behind punkin chunkin
Learn how the American Chunker team won last year's national Punkin Chunkin Championship with ingenuity and engineering skill, and how they continue to revolutionize the sport by staying ahead of the competition with new ideas and CAD-embedded testing in SOLIDWORKS Simulation.
View the video. |
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One-wheeled motorcycle-like scooter
See the RYNO in action, a self-balancing, one-wheeled prototype electric scooter that lets you ride "in between the cracks of urban transportation." Chris Hoffman, RYNO's CEO and chief creator, says the scooter is "regulated in the city at 12.5 mph just like any other mobility scooter," but comes preloaded with way more fun. Although it still hasn't rolled into showrooms, the aim of the latest model is to "pack 4 horsepower into the wheel ... with 2,000 Watts of motor power, this thing will climb a wall." Twin removable, rechargeable battery packs provide an estimated range of 25 miles.
View the video. |
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