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Dual-laser metal AM system makes parts faster

Renishaw's new dual-laser RenAM 500D metal additive manufacturing machine has been designed to offer exceptional product quality and productivity for a wider range of budgets. The RenAM 500D features two 500-W lasers that can access the entire build platform, delivering superior performance when compared with single-laser systems. Additionally, the RenAM 500D Ultra, fitted with Renishaw's TEMPUS technology, allows the laser to fire while the recoater is moving, saving up to nine seconds per build layer and reducing cost per part. This also helps to deliver a production speed up to three times faster than conventional single-laser systems. Many more features.
Learn more.

NEW! Aluminum Press-In Inserts for plastics

SPIROL is pleased to introduce a range of 2024 aluminum Press-In Inserts. Available in symmetrical (Series INS 50) and headed (INS 51) versions, the new aluminum Press-In Inserts line complements the existing brass line. Threaded Inserts are essential for reinforcing plastic components and provide a reusable thread within a bolted assembly. This ensures a proper seating torque and prevents the potential for plastic creep over time. These inserts are designed to be Pressed-In without heat and provide the lowest cost to install with acceptable joint performance for many applications.
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When glass or plastic can't cut it: Transparent ceramics solve critical design challenges

Complex designs are still possible when grinding and polishing Fused Silica or Sapphire. Ceramic properties such as wear, abrasion resistance, and strength of these optical materials can be a designer's dream solution when high temperatures or severe environments rule out standard optical glass or plastic. INSACO is a machine shop specializing in ultra-hard and extreme materials.
→ Contact Jackson Evans, Sales Engineer at INSACO jpe@insaco.com.
→ Learn more about INSACO materials and capabilities.

New contactless link magnetic couplings use magnetic field to transmit torque

Miki Pulley Magnetic Couplings are shaft couplings that transmit torque from one shaft to another using a magnetic field instead of a physical or mechanical connection. These Magnetic Couplings are non-contact and rely on the attraction and repulsion of magnetic poles to generate rotational power. The full product range can withstand significant misalignments and are silent, vibration-free, and do not generate thermal conduction. Design advantages include configurations that are versatile for use in various engagement angles and installations. Max transmittable torque is adjustable.
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New aero and defense PEKK-based FDM polymers from Stratasys

Stratasys has partnered with top aerospace and defense companies to develop two newly qualified materials for 3D printing. Antero 800NA is a PEKK-based FDM polymer with excellent physical and mechanical properties for demanding applications. Antero 840CN03 is a high-performance PEKK-based FDM polymer with electrostatic dissipative (ESD) properties. These new advanced industrial solution materials were rigorously qualified in collaboration with Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Blue Origin, Raytheon, Naval Air Systems Command, the National Institute for Aviation Research, United States Air Force, BAE, and Stratasys Direct Manufacturing.
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New washer tech for leak-free automotive sealing

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has launched the Rubore^® Washer, a unique solution offering virtually leak-free sealing beneath screwheads to safeguard critical systems in vehicles, especially electric ones.
Read the full article.

EOS expands its Nickel superalloys for 3D printing

EOS, a leading supplier of manufacturing solutions for industrial 3D printing, has added two new metal additive manufacturing materials: EOS NickelAlloy IN738 and EOS NickelAlloy K500, both delivering excellent performance, part properties, and value to a variety of industries that leverage EOS Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LBPF) 3D-printing technology. The IN738 superalloy is aimed at high-strength, high-stress energy and turbomachinery applications, while the K500 superalloy is a cost-effective, corrosion-resistant option for chemical, maritime, and space industries.
Learn more.

Ruland acquires RoCom Couplings, expanding beam coupling and machined spring capabilities

Ruland Manufacturing has acquired the assets of RoCom Couplings, a Santa Maria, CA-based company specializing in beaming technology, including beam couplings, machined springs, and custom beamed components. The acquisition expands Ruland's beam coupling offerings and enhances its manufacturing capabilities to better serve customers requiring precision-engineered flexible couplings and custom machined solutions.
Learn more and see what's offered.

norelem adds 30,000 new components to its range

norelem, a global manufacturer and supplier of standard components for machinery and automation, has expanded its product range by adding 30,000 parts to its catalog. Unique in the industry, this expansion brings norelem's selection of high-quality components to over 130,000 products for design engineers and machine technicians. From sensors and clamps to plungers, levers, and measurement instruments, norelem's entire supply is available to order from its online shop with guaranteed fast and reliable delivery times.
Check out what norelem has to offer. They are new to Designfax.

Wear-resistant precision hinges from JW Winco

The precision hinges GN 7580 from JW Winco supply a pivoting movement to elements such as swing arms, spacers, and clamping plates in applications such as jig construction, automation systems, or testing systems. These wear-resistant hinges feature low radial play and adjustable axial play. They are made of black anodized and high-strength alloyed aluminum, while the bearing bushings are made of bronze. Stainless steel is used for the hardened hinge axis as well as the thrust washers and adjusting screws. An additional polyamide coating on the adjusting screws provides for thread locking.
Learn more.

Supercar of the skies: Autodesk Alias design

Learn how Hill Helicopter is using Autodesk Alias to design the innovative HX50, the "supercar of the skies." The next-gen, private copter marries high-end automotive and aero design and materials to create a futuristic flying five-seat SUV for a discriminating clientele. A neat insider look.
View the video.

CNC machining: How to avoid high costs on thin walls

Parts that are light and strong are crucial to nearly every industry. To achieve better performance without risking part failure, parts must maintain a specific wall-height-to-thickness ratio and wall-height-to-length ratio. Additionally, some geometries and supports can support thin walls to achieve a lighter component weight. Dive deeper into the cost drivers behind CNC-machined thin walls in this Xometry design-for-manufacturing article.
Read the full article.

Before you design your next application, try this

Smalley's industry-leading Spirolox^® Retaining Rings feature a gapless design with 360° of retaining surface. Unlike other rings, Spirolox has no protruding ears to interfere with mating components in your assembly! The highly versatile Spirolox rings are also groove-interchangeable with circlips, meaning they can replace circlips without any design changes. Are you ready to try the Smalley Advantage? Request your free samples today!
Learn more.

No-cost courses in fastener technology

Master the theory of fastener design to expand your product knowledge and become an even better and more efficient design engineer. PennEngineering's PEM FastenerClass^® courses aim to give participants insight into peer and competitor techniques, a better understanding of loads and stress analysis, and enhanced career opportunities -- all beyond the basics of fastener design, selection, and installation. Self-clinch, threads, press-in inserts, surface-mount options, and sheet-to-sheet are only a few of the many topics covered.
See what courses are offered.

Engineer's Toolbox: The secret to living hinges that fold flat

Living hinges are often used to produce a container and its lid as a single molded part. If properly designed, they can open and close thousands of times without ever losing strength or flexibility. Protolabs provides valuable tips on designing these (sometimes thin and fragile) parts.
Read the full article.

UChicago Medicine doctors see 'remarkable' success using ventilator alternatives to treat COVID-19

Doctors at the University of Chicago Medicine are seeing "truly remarkable" results using high-flow nasal cannulas rather than ventilators and intubation to treat some COVID-19 patients.

High-flow nasal cannulas, or HFNCs, are non-invasive nasal prongs that sit below the nostrils and blow large volumes of warm, humidified oxygen into the nose and lungs.

A team from UChicago Medicine's emergency room took 24 COVID-19 patients who were in respiratory distress and gave them HFNCs instead of putting them on ventilators. The patients all fared extremely well, and only one of them required intubation after 10 days.

"The success we've had has been truly remarkable," said Michael O'Connor, MD, Director of Critical Care Medicine.

The HFNCs are often combined with prone positioning, a technique where patients lay on their stomachs to aid breathing. Together, they've helped UChicago Medicine doctors avoid dozens of intubations and have decreased the chances of bad outcomes for COVID-19 patients, said Thomas Spiegel, MD, Medical Director of UChicago Medicine's Emergency Department.

"The proning and the high-flow nasal cannulas combined have brought patient oxygen levels from around 40 to 80 and 90 percent, so it's been fascinating and wonderful to see," Spiegel said.

Mechanical ventilation, the most common treatment for these patients thus far, involves inserting a breathing tube into the windpipe so a ventilator can pump air into the lungs. Using a ventilator or intubation as a last resort -- an approach UChicago Medicine teams call "prevent the vent" -- helps get COVID-19 patients out of the hospital intensive care unit and prevents harmful side effects caused by ventilators, such as lung injuries.

"Avoiding intubation is key," Spiegel said. "Most of our colleagues around the city are not doing this, but I sure wish other ERs would take a look at this technique closely."

This approach is not without risk, however. HFNCs blow air out, and convert the COVID-19 virus into a fine spray in the air. To protect themselves from the virus, staff must have proper personal protective equipment (PPE), negative pressure patient rooms, and anterooms, which are rooms in front of the patient rooms where staff can change in and out of their safety gear to avoid contaminating others.

UChicago Medicine's Emergency Department recently doubled its number of anterooms, thereby doubling its capacity to give high-flow nasal cannula to patients. The main hospital also added negative pressure rooms on two floors, making it safer and easier to take care of COVID-19 patients.

Since the first COVID-positive patient was admitted March 13, UChicago Medicine has successfully treated and discharged 297 patients with the virus. Even as the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has grown, doctors have managed ventilator usage. As of last Wednesday (April 22), UChicago Medicine had 137 COVID-19 patients, but only 27 of them were on ventilators. The medical staff has avoided mechanical ventilation on 40 percent of patients and extubated 50 percent of those who needed ventilators, O'Connor said.

"It's a phenomenal number, because in Italy, the number of extubations was much lower," O'Connor said, who also gave credit to the cross-team collaboration.

UChicago Medicine care teams got an early preview of how COVID-19 treatments were working in China and Italy from the university's hospital affiliates in those countries. When the time came for the Hyde Park-based health system to start caring for COVID-19 patients, they'd already concluded that steroids were an ineffective treatment. The UChicago Medicine teams opted to use less invasive approaches, such as HFNCs or helmet ventilators. For patients who did require mechanical ventilation, the goal was to get those people off the ventilator as soon as possible.

O'Connor and Spiegel agree that the steps the city took to flatten the curve worked. At first, UChicago Medicine was doubling its cases every two to three days, leaving doctors terrified of running out of space, staff, and equipment. Now that the doubling time of COVID-19 patients has slowed to approximately 12 days, it helps the hospital staff generate good outcomes.

"The curve having been flattened has provided us a world of relief," Spiegel said.

Source: University of Chicago Medical Center

Published April 2020

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