| November 17, 2015 | Volume 11 Issue 43 |
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 | 2016 Cool Parts Calendar
Keep track of your schedule in 2016 with our Cool Parts Calendar that showcases a year's worth of cool medical devices, aerospace components, automotive parts, lighting elements and more. Each month highlights what's possible with 3D printing/additive manufacturing, CNC machining and injection molding at Proto Labs.
Click here to get your 2016 calendar. |
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In this issue of Designfax
- Material Wars: The automotive metals race
- Neat! Washer can measure bolt clamping force
- Machine 3D prints 10 materials at once
- Wings: 3D-printed jet-powered UAV
- Mike Likes: Wavo -- The New Spring in Town
- Engineer's Toolbox: Ceramic air valves work every time
- Micro DC motors power micro-volume analysis
- Displays: Thinnest seven-segment LED display
- 3D Printing: Trade in competitor printer, get up to $30K
- Cool Tools: Pocket LED stroboscope now 60% brighter
- Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
- StepSERVO motors: Higher torque, cooler running
- See what's new in SOLIDWORKS 2016
- Most Popular Last Issue
- Custom rifle barrel makers learn new trick
- New technique can weld 'unweldable' metals
- Wings: Drone strikes commercial jet turbofan sim
- New Products
- Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
Cover Image: Dan Campbell, Aurora Flight Sciences, shows off largest, fastest, most complex 3D-printed UAV. Made by Stratasys machines.
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News
ORNL demonstrates road to supercapacitors using scrap tires
Army Research Lab test drives flapping-wing Robo-Raven drone
$30M scaled-down GM wind tunnel aims to accelerate fuel-saving designs
Cornell researchers create artificial foam heart
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| | Feature articles |
 | Material Wars: Who's going to win the automotive metals race?
There's a lot of press out there about new materials replacing sheet steel in the automotive industry. Aluminum and composites are being touted as the next best things for taking weight out of cars, but steel companies are not ignoring this lightweighting trend. By David Paratore, President and Chief Executive Officer, NanoSteel.
Read the full article. |
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 | Neat! New washer can accurately measure a bolt's clamping force
A piezoelectric load-sensing washer being developed by a professor and a recent graduate at the University of Alabama in Huntsville provides a more accurate way to measure the clamping force exerted by the bolt it is on. That's a benefit for numerous industries where the clamping force of bolts is critical, including construction, auto assembly, nuclear power, racing, aviation, and space.
Read the full article. |
 | 'MultiFab' machine 3D prints a record 10 materials at once, no assembly required
Researchers at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) say that they've found a way to make a better, cheaper, more user-friendly printer. In a paper accepted at the SIGGRAPH computer-graphics conference at the end of August, a CSAIL team presented a 3D printer that can print an unprecedented 10 different materials at once by using 3D-scanning techniques that save time, energy, and money.
Read the full article. |
 | Wings:
3D-printed jet-powered UAV unveiled at Dubai Airshow
3D-printing and additive manufacturing solutions heavyweight Stratasys has teamed with Aurora Flight Sciences to deliver what is believed to be the largest, fastest, and most complex 3D-printed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) ever produced. The high-speed aircraft was built using lightweight Stratasys materials to achieve speeds in excess of 150 mph.
Read the full article. |
 | Mike Likes: Wavo -- The New Spring in Town
Wavo Springs are produced from round-section wire to provide higher loads while maintaining the accurate loading found in wave springs. As an alternative to Belleville Springs, the Wavo provides similar loads but with an accurate, predictable spring rate. Available from stock in 1/2" to 6" diameters. Free samples available.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Engineer's Toolbox:
Ceramic air valves work every time
Up until recently, air valve failures were a daily occurrence at the Noranda Aluminum mill in New Madrid, MO, costing thousands of dollars per day in parts, labor, and lost production. Today, the problems have disappeared, thanks largely to a new type of contamination-resistant valve that uses sliding ceramic plates to control the air flow direction.
Read the full article. |
 | Micro DC motors power micro-volume analysis
Scientists working in genomics and proteomics need results at the touch of a button to maximize efficiency during drug discovery and advanced diagnostics. When DeNovix began development of a spectrophotometer for life-science analysis, they focused on designing a fast, simple, foolproof instrument that could extract accurate, repeatable output in seconds. With small DC motors from MICROMO, the DS-11 can automatically set optimal measurement parameters for samples as small as 0.5 L.
Read the full article. |
 | Displays: Thinnest seven-segment LED display
The surface-mountable DSM Series seven-segment LED display from VCC uses patented technology to deliver a thickness of only 0.083 in. (2.10 mm). By reducing the required thickness of a printed circuit board, this single-digit unit delivers significant cost savings and expanded design opportunities. It is ideal for a wide range of applications, including appliances, automation and controls, industrial devices, food prep equipment, light control, med devices, telecom, transportation, white goods, and more.
Click here to learn more. |
 | 3D Printing: Trade in competitor printer, get up to $30K credit
Is your FDM, PolyJet, or DLP 3D printer just not meeting your expectations? Here's your chance to trade in your old printer for a brand new one from 3D Systems -- and score up to a $30K credit in the process. Select from 3D Systems' MultiJet (MJP), ColorJet (CJP), or Stereolithography (SLA) printer lines to see how you can get high-precision prototypes for functional testing; full-color, photo-realistic concept models; or highly accurate, smooth-finish production quality parts. Last day is Dec. 4.
Learn more and see what your trade-in printer is worth. |
 | Cool Tools: Pocket LED stroboscope now 60% brighter
LabStrobe STB100-F from Control Resources is a handheld LED stroboscope used to measure the speed of rotation or frequency of vibration of a fan, motor, or other mechanical part or system. Its compact 4.9-in. X 2.8-in. X 1.3-in. size and 2-AA battery operation make it very portable. Stroboscopes have the advantage of not loading or disturbing the equipment under test, allowing mechanical equipment to be observed under actual operating conditions.
Click here to learn more. |
| | Most popular last issue |
 | New technique can weld 'unweldable' metals
Engineers at Ohio State University have developed a new welding technique that consumes 80 percent less energy than a common welding technique, yet creates bonds that are 50 percent stronger. The new process could have a huge impact on the auto industry, which is poised to offer new cars that combine traditional heavy steel parts with lighter, alternative metals to reduce vehicle weight.
Read the full article. |
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| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | StepSERVO motors: Higher torque, cooler running
StepSERVO Closed Loop Integrated Motors from Applied Motion Products offer many advantages over traditional step motor systems, including higher torque and acceleration, higher machine throughput, better efficiency, and quieter operation. Starting with a proven integrated motor design, a high-resolution incremental encoder and closed-loop servo firmware are added to create peak torques up to 50% higher than a conventionally operated step motor, while running the motor at much cooler temperatures and with less audible noise.
View the video. |
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See what's new in SOLIDWORKS 2016
SOLIDWORKS 2016 is finally here, and it's packed with new, customer-focused enhancements. Whether you design single components, incredibly complex equipment, or even entire facilities, SOLIDWORKS 2016 delivers easy-to-use tools to help turn your ideas into higher-quality products. Streamline all your parallel design processes, connect electrical and mechanical design, animate assembly motion, fast-track your designs to manufacturing, and more.
View the videos. |
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