| August 09, 2016 | Volume 12 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. |
 | Pneumatic actuators are inspired by human muscle
To make robots more cooperative and have them perform tasks in close proximity to humans, they must be softer and safer. A new actuator developed by a team of Harvard researchers generates movements similar to those of human skeletal muscles. It uses vacuum power to automate rubber beams.
Read the full article. |
 | Engineer's Toolbox:
Key considerations for selecting a brushless DC motor
If an application requires high speed, quiet operation, low EMI, and longevity, then brushless DC motors (BLDCs) might be what you're looking for. Unfortunately, the higher cost of construction puts BLDC technology out of reach for many applications -- you can easily spend twice as much on a brushless system and lose the simplicity of a brushed motor. And don't forget to save room for the control and drive electronics too!
Read the full article. |
 | Compressed Air: EXAIR's new catalog 30 features cabinet coolers, conveyors, HEPA vacs, and air jets
EXAIR's new Catalog 30 is the company's best catalog yet -- a full-color technical guide offering solutions to common industrial conveying, cooling, cleaning, blowoff, drying, coating, and static electricity problems. Catalog 30 introduces new Cabinet Coolers, Line Vac Air Operated Conveyors, Heavy Duty HEPA Vacs, and Stainless Steel Air Jets. EXAIR products help companies conserve compressed air, reduce dangerous noise levels, and eliminate harmful dead-end pressures. Detailed technical explanations, performance data, application photos, and dimensional drawings are provided for each product.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Mechanical: Lockable safety knobs
J.W. Winco now offers EN 5337.9 Technopolymer Plastic Lockable Safety Five-Lobed Knobs (with tapped brass insert) in metric sizes. These RoHS-compliant knobs are temperature resistant to 100 C (215 F), as well as resistant to solvents, oils, grease, and other chemical agents. To engage and release, the key must be inserted and turned by 180 degrees, creating a form lock between the handle and the tapped insert. Turning the key back by 180 degrees will release the connection. The key can be inserted and pulled off in both end positions, and two keys per knob are included.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Motion: Custom-molded lead screws, linear motion components
Haydon Kerk Motion Solutions recently added SolidWorks Plastic Professional mold flow analysis software to help with the design of custom-molded lead screw and linear motion components. Haydon Kerk's experience using over 60 molded materials, including the Kerkite composites, PEEK, and PPS base materials, combined with the capabilities of this new software, allows engineers to reduce the time required for the design and build process for custom molds. The combination of on-site tooling and molding machines also reduces the time to production for custom parts for existing Haydon Kerk polymers or customer-specified materials.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Motion: Ultra-fast compact piezo nanopositioner
The new P-630 X-axis nanopositioning stage from PI (Physik Instrumente), with a large clear 30-mm diameter aperture, 0.1-nm resolution, and a small footprint and low profile, will ensure high accuracy and long life with travel ranges to 80 µm. Equipped with an internal capacitive sensor that allows for precise, extremely stable motion, the stiff flexure design enables exceptional responsiveness and accuracy. Vacuum version is available. PI piezo actuators are being utilized in research and industry microstructuring and scanning applications, precision positioning of optical elements, and micromachining.
Click here to learn more. |
| | Most popular last issue |
 | Next-gen Cessna turboprop features jet-engine tech and 3D-printed engine parts
Textron Aviation just unveiled a new business aircraft powered by a propeller engine that features many of the comforts of a private jet, but at an entry-level price. The plane, called the Cessna Denali, will have the largest cabin in its class -- seating up to eight people -- and an engine powerful and efficient enough to reach Chicago from Los Angeles or Miami from New York. GE Reports takes a look at the plane's jet-engine technology and 3D-printed engine parts.
Read the full article. |
 | Titanium-gold alloy 4x harder than most steels
Titanium is the leading material for artificial knee and hip joints because it's strong, wear-resistant, and nontoxic, but an unexpected discovery by Rice University physicists shows that the gold standard for artificial joints can be improved with the addition of some actual gold.
Read the full article. |
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| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | FlexShapeGripper from Festo modeled on chameleon tongue
Festo's bio-inspired FlexShapeGripper can pick up, gather, and set down several objects with a wide range of shapes in one procedure -- without the need for manual tool-gripper conversion. The gripper consists of a double-acting cylinder: one chamber is filled with compressed air while the second one is permanently filled with water. A piston, which closely separates the two chambers from each other, is fastened with a thin rod on the inside of the silicone cap. The water-filled silicone cap wraps itself around the items in a flexible and form-fitting manner.
View the video. |
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Guy turns floppy drives, scanners, etc. into orchestra
Polish university student Pawel Zadrozniak, who admits he has extra time on his hands, makes impressive music from the mundane sounds of things like stepper motors running magnetic heads on floppy drives or flatbed scanners moving back and forth. Learn about his unique approach to creating his own full-blown orchestra (called the "Floppotron"), and enjoy music from "Star Wars," "Hawaii Five-O," Nirvana, and "Game of Thrones" along the way.
Learn more and watch some fun music being made. |
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What's new in ANSYS SpaceClaim 2016?
Check out this quick overview of what's new in ANSYS SpaceClaim 2016. Lots of new capabilities, including: locking down parameters, automatically smoothing edges, model rotation, names changes, sheet metal enhancements, easy complex flanges, easy animations, and more.
View the video. |
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After a year of redesigning the recoil system on the M119A3 Howitzer, engineers at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey have made the mobile weapon safer, simpler, and more reliable while also reducing the cost of the recoil system. The M119A3 Howitzer is a lightweight, direct and indirect fire support asset used by the U.S. Army and National Guard's infantry brigade combat teams.
