Designfax — October 7, 2008 — Volume 4, Issue 37

ID/OD Retaining Ring Lock
Need a low-cost, unseen, high-strength, tamper-proof, rotating joint? Try a Spiral retaining ring in both an internal and external groove at the same time. First install the ring in one groove and than compress the ring with the mating component into the second groove. When the grooves meet the ring snaps into place.

Smalley Steel Ring Company is a manufacturer of spiral retaining rings and wave springs. Smalley has over 6,000 standard parts from 1/4" to 16" as well as specials from .200" to 90"; all are available in carbon and stainless steel, with No-Tooling-Charges.
To Learn more go to Smalley online.

What’s new in SolidWorks 2009?

Watch the demos here.

News

GE invests in Advanced Electron Beams; technology cuts manufacturing costs, saves energy and resources

TRW's Active Buckle Lifter aims to make seat belts easier to use

WABCO puts the (autonomous) brakes on trucking

Lockheed Martin develops tool to maximize overall human-system performance during critical tasks

In this issue:

Dealing With The ATEX Directive
EFD.Lab Flow Sim Helps Optimize Power Tools
Novel Noise Thermometry May Help Redefine Kelvin
Wheels: Zytel Covers High-End Air-Suspension Systems
5-Star Product: Eliminate Rail Wear And Lubrication
Engineer's Toolbox: Corel Goes Deep For 3D-to-2D CAD Conversion
Products: Electrical/Electronic, Mechanical, Motion
Special: Switches Products
Literature, CDs, and free stuff

Feature Articles

Dealing with the ATEX directive
One of the new minefields for a product manager in the global economy is the mandatory European Community Harmonized Safety Compliance Directives and Standards, with the most current being ATEX ("Atmosphere Explosive" in French) directive 94/9/EC. Despite the fact that ATEX compliance testing has been mandatory in Europe since July 1, 2003, many manufacturers are still not integrating the time, labor, and cost implications of ATEX compliance into their R&D project planning and resource allocation.
Read the full article

EFD.Lab flow simulation helps optimize cool power tools
AEG Electric Tools GmbH, one of the market-leading manufacturers of heavy-duty portable electric power tools for professionals, uses Flomerics EFD.Lab fluid flow and heat transfer simulation software for optimizing airflow and cooling effects in their power tools. "On a recent project we used EFD.Lab, and we were able to get the engine running 20% cooler, and also we obtained this improvement much faster than before," says Markus Wörner, design engineer at AEG.
Read the full article

Piezo Motors Electrify the OEM World
A new family of linear and rotary piezo motors was announced by MicroMo Electronics, Inc. Piezo-electric material directly contacting the output drive allows backlash-free positioning to nanometer or microradian resolution and eliminates the need for fragile transmission components. The cost-effective, robust designs meet the needs of applications from consumer electronics to metrology instrumentation. Demo kits ship from stock within 48 hours. Visit MicroMo online.

Novel "noise thermometry" may help redefine Kelvin
After seven years of work, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have built a system that relies on the "noise" of jiggling electrons as a basis for measuring temperatures with extreme precision. The system is nearly precise enough now to help update some of the crucial underpinnings of science, including the 54-year-old definition of the Kelvin.
Read the full article

Wheels: Zytel has high-end air-suspension systems covered
DuPont Zytel HTN was the material of choice for Woco Industrietechnik GmbH during the development of a pneumatic switchover unit, which is exposed to high internal pressures. It is used in air-suspension systems from Continental Automotive Systems.
Read the full article

Electric Replacement for Hydraulics!
Exlar's electric linear actuators deliver the force of hydraulics and the speed of pneumatics. The patented roller screw technology offers peak forces in excess of 40,000 lbf., speeds to 60 in/sec, and stroke lengths to 96 inches, all with the ease and reliability of servo control. Visit Exlar online for more information.

5-Star Product: Eliminate rail wear, lubrication, and contamination
Long-wearing, easy-rolling composite iCamFollowers from Intech Corporation offer equipment designers a replacement for traditional metal cam followers that are the source of excessive damage and wear to aluminum and steel rails and cams. Unlike conventional metal cam followers, which require the application of external grease onto rails or cams, metal-free Intech iCamFollowers do not require lubrication.
Read the full article

Engineer's Toolbox: Corel goes Deep for 3D-to-2D CAD conversion
Looking for a way to transform your 3D CAD models into accurate 2D graphics for your technical illustrations and documents? Well Corel DESIGNER Technical Suite X4 can help you do just that. Corel DESIGNER Technical Suite has traditionally been a great software choice for businesses that rely on technical illustrations and diagrams. And now it's gotten even better.
Read the full article

New Products

Electrical/Electronic View products …	Mechanical View products …
Motion Control View products …	Special: Switches View products …

Literature, CDs, free resources, and more

Literature, guides, catalogs, and other great free stuff: Always more than 50 new resources

Thermally conductive polymers brochure —

Cool Polymers

CD guide on wireless and RF testing —

Keithley Instruments

Bellows couplings selection guide —

GAM

View guides …

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