| January 17, 2017 | Volume 13 Issue 02 |
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 | 2017 Cool Parts Calendar
Request a free 2017 Cool Parts calendar and never miss a project deadline next year. Each month, you'll be greeted by a new, innovative part made possible by rapid manufacturing processes like 3D printing, CNC machining, and injection molding.
Get your Cool Parts calendar today. |
| | Feature articles | Wheels: Elvis' BMW 507 has left the building
The story of Elvis' long-lost BMW 507 and its restoration is full of twists and turns. This is not simply a tale about the young GI Elvis Presley. It is also about the experienced "hillclimb champion" Hans Stuck, kissable lips daubed on white paint, a retired space engineer and a warehouse for pumpkins, and a Chevy engine that was much too big.
Read the full article. |
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 | Wheels: 10 great Chevrolet racing engines
In 2016, Chevrolet began consolidating its racing engine programs under one roof at its all-new Powertrain Performance and Racing Center in Pontiac, MI. This 111,420-sq-ft state-of-the-art facility is designed to enhance the development processes for the company's diverse racing engine programs. We take a look at the new center and the 10 great Chevrolet racing engines that have gotten the brand this far.
Read the full article. |
 | Wings: 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. |
 | Can incandescent bulbs make a comeback?
Incandescent bulbs have always suffered from one major problem: More than 95 percent of the energy that goes into them is wasted, most of it as heat. That's why country after country has banned or is phasing out the inefficient technology. Now, researchers at MIT and Purdue University may have found a way to change all that.
Read the full article. |
 | How a NASA engineer created the modern airplane wing
Once dubbed "the man who could see air," NASA engineer Richard T. Whitcomb used a combination of visualization and intuition to revolutionize modern aviation -- by turning the shape of the airplane wing on its head. Today, nearly every commercial airplane bears the marks of Whitcomb's several innovations.
Read the full article. |
 | Army experiments with providing 'unlimited magazine' to 2025 Soldiers
A swarm of experts from across the nation assembled for a two-week experiment recently at Fort Sill in Oklahoma trying out systems with the potential to provide service members with unlimited weapons capabilities. The event, called Maneuver Fires Integrated Experiment, demonstrated two types of weaponry: one using lasers and the other using electricity-propelled projectiles to acquire and destroy targets.
Read the full article. |
 | Ford GT Supercar sports Gorilla Glass hybrid technology
When tasked with developing lightweight and advanced material vehicle applications, a team at Ford approached Corning, a recognized leader in material science that introduced light and durable Gorilla Glass to the consumer electronic market in 2007. Interested in further exploring potential automotive applications, Ford engaged Corning to help research and develop a unique formulation for exterior vehicle glass.
Read the full article. |
 | Top Product: Direct metal printing with the
3D Systems ProX DMP 320
The ProX DMP 320 from 3D Systems is the latest addition to the company's line of direct metal 3D printers. It is designed for high-precision, high-throughput direct metal printing and optimized for critical applications requiring complex, chemically pure titanium, stainless steel, or nickel super-alloy parts. It features preset build parameters developed from the outcome of nearly half-a-million builds, providing predictable and repeatable print quality for virtually any geometry, and offers a large 275-mm x 275-mm x 420-mm build volume.
Learn all about this incredible machine and see it in action. |
 | Top Product: What is electroforming? How does it actually work?
Electroplating may have been around for centuries but only Servometer excels at manufacturing dynamic, convoluted bellows electroforms. Watch Servometer's five-step electroforming manufacturing process and learn how they are able to deliver electroformed components that feature extreme tolerances, complex geometries, lightweight construction, structural strength, and how they can be applied to a variety of applications.
Watch the video. |
 | Top Product: 7 guidelines for cable installation
For dynamic applications, the use of igus continuous-flex cables can increase service life and productivity dramatically when compared to traditional cables, which are prone to failures such as corkscrewing, shield/conductor breakage, or jacket abrasion and/or splitting. In this brief tech talk, learn the seven key design features that can ensure a continuous-flex cable will work for your application for millions of cycles -- even in the most demanding environments.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Top Cool Tools: See how easy vibration measurement can be on phones or tablets
The ability to bring high-dynamic-range vibration signals to smartphones and tablets is simplifying and broadening both predictive maintenance and process-improvement uses of sound and vibration. The Digiducer Piezoelectric USB Digital Accelerometer is rapidly gaining acceptance in both industrial and test markets. There are already more than a dozen commercially available software packages that communicate directly with the Digiducer Model 333D01. The device is finding utility in applications from balancing to electric motor monitoring to vehicle vibration. Works with Windows, iOS, Linux, Android, and Mac OS. One new application variant is ACE Controls' VibroChecker PRO native iOS app that turns iPhones and iPads into professional vibration and impact measuring devices.
Click here to learn about the Digiducer Model 333D01.
Click here to learn about the Ace Controls app for iOS. |
| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | Yamaha shows motorcycle-riding humanoid robot
Japan's Yamaha Motor Co. showcases a motorcycle-riding humanoid robot, with developers saying the technology could one day present an alternative to driverless cars by being a personal driver for all your vehicles. But does it enjoy a Sunday drive and feeling the wind in its hair? Matthew Stock from Reuters reports.
View the video. |
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Inventor shows off 'Iron Man'-like diving suit
CNN's Thom Patterson reports on Phil Nuytten, who in 1985 designed the Newtsuit, a deep-sea diving suit so groundbreaking that it was adopted by NASA and the U.S. military. Nuytten's company also built a submarine escape system for the U.S. Navy. Then Nuytten created the Exosuit, "kind of like 'Iron Man' come to life."
View the video. |
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