| April 05, 2016 | Volume 12 Issue 13 |
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 | Seal It, Protect It!
A Smalley Laminar Seal Retaining Ring is a metallic labyrinth seal consisting of multiple rings in a groove. To seal an assembly from contamination while withstanding high temperatures and corrosive environments, Laminar rings are produced from metal, not rubber, neoprene, or other non-metallic materials. The arrangement of the rings and the specific orientation of the rings are dictated by the application and the severity of the environment. Numerous configurations are available; standard sizes from 5/8" to 50".
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 | Brushless DC Motor with Benchmark Performance
The new 3274 BP4 brushless DC motor series from FAULHABER is overload?resistant and operates without wear?prone mechanical commutation, giving the 3274 BP4 longer operational life than conventional micro DC motors. Weighing just under 320 grams, the 3274 BP4 brushless servo motor packs massive continuous torque of 165 mNm and is overload-resistant, making it ideal for applications in which high power and dynamic start/stop operation with the lowest possible weight is crucial.
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 | Keepin' it really real: Stratasys redefines state-of-the-art 3D printing
Stratasys unleashed its top-of-the-line J750 multi-color, multi-material 3D printer on the world yesterday, a machine so advanced that it sets a new benchmark for the industry as a whole. Users can choose from more than 360,000 different color shades plus multiple material properties -- ranging from rigid to flexible, and opaque to transparent -- all in the same part. Just look at this sports-shoe prototype, which was produced with full-color, smooth surfaces and a rubber-like sole in a single print operation.
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 | Plastic 10x tougher than ABS -- and recyclable to boot
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Lab have made an impressive thermoplastic by replacing styrene with lignin, a brittle, rigid polymer that, with cellulose, forms the woody cell walls of plants. They have invented a solvent-free production process that produces a meltable, moldable, ductile material that's recyclable and at least 10 times tougher than ABS.
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 | Cool Tools: Self-powered IoT starter kits feature EnOcean and IBM technologies
Global electronics distributor element14 has launched two cutting-edge Internet of Things (IoT) starter kits that tap into technologies from EnOcean and IBM. Both the Entrepreneur and Enterprise kits feature micro-computer boards from element14 and energy-harvesting wireless sensors from EnOcean, and provide seamless integration to IBM's Watson IoT Platform. Using the popular Raspberry Pi single-board computer, these out-of-the-box, IoT-ready starter kits are flexible and cost-effective gateways to developing intelligent building products for hospitals, homes, airports, and other venues on the way to a seamlessly connected IoT. The Entrepreneur kit is more technical in nature (for engineers, makers, and startups), while the Enterprise model caters to facilities managers, property owners, and property management companies.
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 | Engineer's Toolbox:
The advantages of using edge-bonded shims
Precision shims are thin pieces of material often used as compensators to fill in small gaps between objects aligning parts, reducing wear, and absorbing tolerances between mating components. Shims can also significantly reduce manufacturing time and costs. Christie Jones of SPIROL Corp. runs through shim types (laminated, surface bonded, and edge bonded) and offers their advantages and disadvantages.
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 | Motion: Neat! Plug-and-play motion system in a box
Rollon Corp. has launched Motion Box, a new pre-engineered Cartesian robot system designed to deliver users six different motion profiles that can be set up and running in a couple of hours. Motion Box covers everything from the human-machine interface (HMI) on one side to the output of reliable motion on the other end. Even the cable management is included. The initial system setup is already complete, so end users can get parts moving in a reliable and repeatable manner. Motion Box incorporates the Q-Motion Controller from Mitsubishi Electric, which features four-axis motion control, energy-efficient drivers, integrated I/O and network access, and a clean, efficient HMI setup.
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 | Shielding: EMI-shielded vents and filters
Tech-Etch manufactures EMI-shielded honeycomb vents, fan vents, quiet vents, and air filters from prototype to high volume in all shapes and sizes. In-house plating improves shielding effectiveness and environmental protection, while providing fast turnaround. Many RoHS-compliant finishes are available. Honeycomb Vents are offered in both standard and custom configurations. Shielded Fan Vents with optional dust screens provide maximum airflow without degrading fan output. Available in 66 standard sizes, Quiet Vents are a low-cost shielding solution for the cooling requirements of today's electronic equipment.
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 | Fans: Industry's first airflow monitoring kit
Orion Fans has developed a complete, cost-effective airflow monitoring system that is easy to implement and use. The field-retrofittable AFM Kit includes an AFM-01NC airflow module, mounting clip, three plastic guards (80 mm, 92 mm, and 120 mm), buzzer, LED and holder, switch, and wall-mounted power supply. The kit comes completely assembled in a 10-ft wire assembly, making installation easy. Placed on the output or input side of an AC or DC fan or blower, it operates an optical LED and/or audible alarm when airflow falls below 8.2 ft/sec due to fan filter clogs, foreign objects come in contact with the fan blade, or there is a fan failure.
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 | Lead screws: 60% lighter than stainless steel
Featuring tribologically optimized plastic lead screw nuts and hard anodized aluminum screws, new dryspin lead screw options from igus offer considerable weight savings, as well as the reduction of required maintenance and external lubrication, with dramatic increases in service life. Diameters range from 6 mm to 20 mm. Utilizing asymmetric geometry to reduce friction, vibration, and wear rates, dryspin lead screws and nuts are an excellent alternative to stainless steel options.
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 | Robotics: Get a collaborative robot on the house
Everybody needs a helping hand, and sharing your story just may get you one. Maybe you have difficulties staffing the night shift, you want better quality control and consistency, or you simply need to optimize your production to get ahead. Tell Universal Robots about it, and you might score one of three collaborative robots to turn your business dreams into reality.
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| | Most popular last issue |
 | Wheels:
Honing gives drag racers winning finish
Winning finish has a double meaning for Elite Performance, where the honing expertise of co-owner Nick Ferri has put the "winning finish" into engines behind 57 national NHRA Pro Stock wins and five championships, including back-to-back titles for 2015 Pro Stock Champion Erica Enders-Stevens. Ferri says honing finish rates a "10" in importance for engine seal-up, which translates into higher vacuum, greater fuel pull, and ultimate track performance.
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| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action |
World's first jet-powered, 3D-printed UAV tops 150 mph!
Aurora Flight Sciences, a Virginia-based manufacturer specializing in advanced UAV systems, is pushing the envelope of UAV design by teaming up with Stratasys to create the world's first jet-powered, 3D-printed aircraft. Using 80 percent 3D-printed parts, the UAV is composed of Stratasys' ULTEM 9085 lightweight material to achieve flight speeds of over 150 mph. The high-speed system boasts an impressive 9-ft wingspan and weighs in at only 33 lb. Watch Dan Campbell, Aerospace Research Engineer at Aurora Flight Sciences, explain how the UAV project met a number of goals using Stratasys 3D-printing solutions.
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History demonstrates time and again that humans often do their most innovative work when they are under the greatest pressure. In the automotive industry, it was the 2012 announcement of much stricter fuel economy standards for 2025 that shook up the OEMs. Craig Parsons, President of Automotive, NanoSteel, talks about the coming generation of advanced high-strength steels (AHSS).
