| October 17, 2017 | Volume 13 Issue 39 |
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 | 2018 Cool Parts Calendar
Request a free Proto Labs 2018 Cool Parts Calendar and keep all your projects on track next year. Every month you'll see a custom part made possible through 3D printing, CNC machining, injection molding, and the innovative companies behind the design of those parts.
Request your free calendar today! |
 | Ceramic pump moves 1,400-deg C molten metal!
A ceramic-based mechanical pump able to operate at record temperatures of more than 1,400-deg C (1,673 Kelvin) can transfer high-temperature liquids such as molten tin, enabling a new generation of energy conversion and storage systems. Use of ceramic components, normally considered too brittle for mechanical systems, was made possible by precision machining -- and seals made from another high-temperature material: graphite.
Read the full article. |
 | Mike Likes: Smalley's New Medical Capacity
Medical devices are shrinking, and the need for smaller medical rings and medical springs has grown. Smalley continues to push the boundaries of coiling technology, producing the smallest wave springs and retaining rings on the market. As the preferred supplier to the medical industry, Smalley's Spirolox® Retaining Rings and Wave Springs are found in medical devices from surgical instruments to implantables, imaging equipment to dental tools, and more. From prototypes to production volumes, Smalley is able to scale production to meet your manufacturing schedule. Medical-grade alloys including surgical 316 Stainless Steel, Elgiloy, and implantable Titanium are readily available. Smalley strives to provide the best engineered products, quality, service, and deliverability. Their dedication to the medical industry is evident by their certification to ISO 13485:2016.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Engineer's Toolbox:
Multi-switch detection interface for automotive
Automotive body control modules (BCMs) are electronic control units that manage numerous vehicle comfort, convenience, and lighting functions, including door locks, windows, chimes, closure sensors, interior and exterior lighting, wipers, and turn signals. John Griffith, Automotive Systems Engineer, Texas Instruments, runs through the benefits -- including significant overall power savings -- of incorporating these devices into automotive designs.
Read the full article. |
 | Motor Tech:
UAV camera stabilization with brushless motors
Today, recon is dominated by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and drones due largely to concerns for pilots' safety and costs. However, photos and videos obtained from UAVs are only useful if they are crisp and clear, which requires both precise focusing and extreme stabilization of the camera system. Compact and powerful FAULHABER brushless DC motors from MICROMO were selected to get the job done.
Read the full article. |
 | Alternative to traditional drive systems
Nexen Group has introduced a stainless steel version of its patented precision roller pinion system (RPS). The Nexen RPS engages two teeth simultaneously to achieve superior accuracy with zero backlash at any length. The system is also extremely quiet and 99% efficient. Stainless steel makes the system corrosion resistant, with a long life of up to 36 million meters. Nexen's RPS provides a low-maintenance, durable alternative to rack and pinion, ball screw, and belt drive technology. The RPS is used for a wide range of applications including laser cutting, plasma cutting, and gantry applications.
Learn more. |
 | Simplify thermal management, handle high surges
Littelfuse has introduced two new series of High Temperature Alternistor Triacs. With a maximum junction temperature of 150-deg C, the 16A QJxx16xHx Series and 25A QJxx25xHx Series are designed for use as AC switches, helping circuit designers address overheating challenges in AC power control applications with limited or no heat sinking. Applications include: heater control in coffeemakers; tankless water heaters and infrared heaters; AC solid-state relays; dimmers for incandescent and LED lighting; motor speed control in kitchen appliances and power tools; and compressor motor control in light industrial applications.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Completely updated new full-line catalog of fasteners
Micro Plastics introduces its new 300-page catalog #41 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.
Check out the new online catalog. |
 | Cool Tools: Babysitter for equipment now includes thermal monitoring
Fluke has expanded the capabilities of its Condition Monitoring system to include thermal monitoring with the addition of the new Fluke 3550 FC Thermal Imaging Sensor. Maintenance managers can now collect a more comprehensive variety of key-indicator data -- thermal imaging, voltage, current, temperature, and power -- on critical equipment to build a real-time picture of an asset's condition. Alarms can be set to notify technicians via their mobile phones when specific measurement thresholds have been hit. Machine builders might suggest this system when they sell applicable units.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Sciaky 3D metal printing wins aerospace award
Metal additive manufacturing solutions provider Sciaky has won the TCT Aerospace Application Award, along with Lockheed Martin, for the successful production of titanium propellant tanks using Sciaky's industry-leading Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM®) technology. The TCT Awards celebrate the innovators, technology, and collaborators behind the best examples of 3D technology use across the globe. For this particular application, Lockheed Martin Space Systems reduced costs by 55%, material waste by 75%, and production time by 80% using Sciaky's EBAM metal 3D-printing solution over traditional forging methods. The EBAM system excels at producing large-scale, high-value metal parts.
Learn more about the Sciaky EBAM process. |
 | Great Resources: Urethane casting tips and tricks
Xometry's team of engineering experts has created a no-cost design guide to help you optimize your urethane casting designs. Urethane casting creates rigid or flexible end-use parts that are highly durable. This process is optimal for low- to mid-volume production runs, and little to no finishing is required because desired textures and finishes are applied to the master pattern.
This design guide focuses on how to save time and money on your next casting project.
Get the urethane casting design guide. |
| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | 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. |
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Astronauts prove humans are more fun to spin than fidget spinners in space
What's so fun about spinning a fidget spinner in space? Well, not much, as NASA astronaut Randy Bresnik proves in a new Youtube video shot on the ISS. "Allowing the fidget spinner to float reduces the bearing friction by permitting the rate of the central ring and outer spinner to equalize, and the whole thing spins as a unit," says Bresnik. But watching the crew spin is way more entertaining!
View the video. |
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