| June 14, 2016 | Volume 12 Issue 22 |
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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. |
 | FREE Part Printability Check With Every 3D Printing Quote
3D Systems, On Demand Manufacturing offers advanced rapid prototyping and manufacturing solutions, in both metal and plastic, focusing on three core additive manufacturing processes and cast urethane parts. Are you ready to produce your designed parts and want to make sure your designs are accurate for 3D printing? We can help! We offer a FREE printability check with every quote -- no purchase necessary. Simply upload your 3D CAD file and check for thin walls or narrow regions in your parts, giving you an opportunity to update your file before production.
Upload a 3D CAD file now and get started! |
| | Feature articles | Army researchers develop hybrid cold-spray system, transition to industry
 The U.S. Army Research Laboratory has developed a novel, hybrid cold-spray system in collaboration with the South Dakota School of Mines that is being transitioned throughout the Department of Defense and is anticipated to save millions of dollars in sustainment costs. The cold-spray process uses mixtures of metallic and nonmetallic particulates in powder form that are accelerated at supersonic velocities onto the surface of a worn or damaged part to restore it back to its original dimensions.
Read the full article. |
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 | Plating: Where to go when you're going for the (real) gold
When top organizations are thinking about how gold can help enhance a project, they often turn to Laser Gold to solve thermal control problems and enhance performance. Whether it is NASA's desire for 99 percent infrared reflectivity or the "Academy's" wish to make the finish on the historic Oscars statuettes more rugged, Epner Technology's Laser Gold electro-plating process is where it's at.
Read the full article. |
 | Metallic glue may stick it to soldering and welding
A team of researchers at Northeastern University has created a glue made out of metal that sets at room temperature and requires very little pressure to seal. MesoGlue "is like welding or soldering but without the heat," says Hanchen Huang, a professor and chair in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, who created the substance with two PhD students and started a company to feature it.
Read the full article. |
 | Wings: In an industry first, 30-mile helicopter flight piloted by tablet
Engineers and researchers at Sikorsky have been working for years to build and perfect advanced autonomous systems that can act as co-pilots on rotorcraft. On May 24, the company let the world know that it had taken its work one step farther by having the systems actually pilot a Sikorsky commercial helicopter on an extended mission, performing a completely autonomous 30-mile "click and fly" flight using a tablet computer for control.
Read the full article. |
 | Cool Tools: Voice coil actuator developer kits
BEI Kimco has improved its Voice Coil Actuator (VCA) Developer's Kit to include three new actuator sizes with greater force and stroke capabilities to provide a broader diversity in off-the-shelf selection (custom kits can also be ordered). Choose from six actuators with force performances ranging from 15.56 N to 1,512 N, and total strokes ranging from 6.35 mm to 31.7 mm. The kit provides all the necessary components to get an actuation system up and running to easily build a prototype. Uses include actuation, position, force control, proof-of-concept, full-function prototypes, test bed for actuator system design, stand-alone use for single-purpose actuation, live testing, vibration generator, and student engineering projects.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Springs: New 2016 Lee Spring Midyear Catalog Available Now
Lee Spring's 2016 Midyear Catalog is available now. It is an industry standard listing 23,000+ Compression, Extension, Torsion, and Specialty Springs. This year's catalog includes an expanded HEFTY™ Die Series lineup and an expanded selection of Stainless Steel 316 springs. Also included are LeeP™ Plastic Composite Springs, REDUX™ Wave Springs, BANTAM™ Mini Compression Springs, Lite Pressure™ Series Compression Springs, Battery Springs, and Constant Force. ISO 9001 Registered.
Request a catalog today. You gotta have one. |
 | Prototyping: Cut-2-Size Backlighting Kit
The Cut-2-Size Backlighting Kit from Lumitex was created for design engineers who need quick prototype backlighting for membrane switches, keypads, overlays, LCDs, or other graphics displays. It can also be used for fast-turn, small-volume production. Requiring no tooling or non-recurring engineering (NRE), the kits include 6 in. x 11 in. thin Clad Flat Fiber (CFF) flexible optical sheets, and printed circuit boards with eight white side-fire LEDs that can be powered by a standard 9-VDC supply. The polycarbonate panels can be easily cut into any shape or size using standard cutting tools such as scissors or a knife.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Cooling: Programmable EC fans deliver savings
Orion Fans has developed a family of electronically commutated (EC) fans that offer a low-power, dual-speed, energy-efficient cooling solution. Designed for large, power-hungry equipment, the EC Series fan speed settings can be pre-programmed at the factory to simplify installation and deliver even more power savings. These fans are routinely used for electronic cabinets, air conditioners, refrigerators, chillers, range hoods, ventilation systems, and more. The fans use a brushless DC motor with a single or universal AC input and provide low power ratings of 8 W at low speed and 26 W at high speed. Standard fan speeds are 1,400 RPM and 2,200 RPM with airflow values of 300 CFM and 480 CFM respectively.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Motion: Beam couplings for motors
Ruland beam couplings are designed to couple stepper and servo motors to encoders, lead screws, and light-duty actuators in a variety of industries. They are zero-backlash, have high torsional stiffness, accommodate all forms of misalignment, and have a balanced design creating a highly accurate and flexible coupling. Stepper and servo-driven systems benefit from the multiple beam design of Ruland couplings. They consist of two overlapping spiral cuts to increase torque capabilities and torsional stiffness. Separating the spiral cuts into two sets gives the coupling better parallel misalignment capabilities while easily accommodating angular, complex, and axial misalignment.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Motion: Low-cost linear motion systems resist roll, pitch, and yaw
The low-cost, wide, stable platforms of the SAIBO SB-LGC Linear Motion Systems are available exclusively from LM76 in two sizes to meet load requirements up to 6,000 N (1,349 lb). These wide, low-profile linear motion systems feature low noise, smooth travel, high speed to 10 m/s (120 ft/s), high acceleration to 50 m/s (150 ft/s), low weight, high linear accuracy, and sealed radial low-friction bearings. Because of their wide profile, they have high moment (roll, pitch, and yaw) load capacities. Additionally, they are easy to install, in any orientation, into new and existing applications.
Click here to learn more. |
| | Most popular last issue |
 | Researches hunt down source of annoying golf club clang
In 2007, a new type of golf club hit the market. The distribution of mass in the club head made it less likely to twist, making an off-center hit less likely to send the ball veering off course. It did have one drawback, though: a loud noise when it struck the ball, "like a cookie tray hitting the top of a car."
Read the full article. |
 | Designing in the cool factor -- Custom Russian choppers use in-house CNC
How sweet it is when you've got the right tools. For Vladislav Belyakov, the CEO of BOX39 in St. Petersburg, Russia, the tools that often make all the difference are his in-house design and milling capabilities. Belyakov pushes design and construction edges from fantasy land into the real world by customizing a bike into something recognizably cool, like an amazing cartoon that you can ride.
Read the full article. |
 | New concept turns battery technology upside down
A new approach to the design of a liquid battery, using a passive, gravity-fed arrangement similar to an old-fashioned hourglass, could offer great advantages due to the system's low cost and the simplicity of its design and operation, says a team of MIT researchers who have made a demonstration version of the new battery.
Read the full article. |
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| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | New motion plastics for Industry 4.0 and beyond!
Get an overview of new products from plastics experts igus® presented at HMI 2016. Including cables, carriers, and linear systems that predict failure, maintenance-free robotic solutions, and customizable bearing systems. Featuring Artur Peplinski, Vice President of International Development at igus® headquarters, Cologne, Germany, direct from the igus® booth at Hannover.
View the video. |
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5 fun, easy project ideas you can try with a
$35 Raspberry Pi
Patrick Norton from Digital Trends scratches the surface of cool things you can do with a Raspberry Pi, that $35 credit-card-size computer board that makers and budding science geeks love. Why not make a vintage arcade console, an ad blocker (called a Pi-Hole) for your home network, or a DIY streaming box for your HDTV? Raspberry Pi boards and accessories are available at element14.
View the video. |
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