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July 26, 2016Volume 12 Issue 28


Image - Smartest, toughest cable tie out there
Smartest, toughest cable tie out there
The DualZip cable tie from Micro Plastics combines the functionality of both a releasable and a permanent tie in one part. The permanent lock is so strong that, under normal circumstances, the part will fail with the strap breaking before there is slippage within the lock. The releasable lock can be ratcheted and released many times and will continue to reliably lock. With this design, the teeth are on the outside of the bundle diameter, making it easy to release, and the release tab is located up and away from the bundle for easy access every time. The DualZip Cable Tie is available in 8-in. length. Free samples available on request.

Click here to learn more.


In this issue of Designfax

  • Countering old-school views on product design
  • Design Tips: Metal 3D-printing support structures
  • Scientists develop plastic flexible magnetic memory
  • Wings: Army researchers shoot bullets at rotorcraft
  • CNC Machining Material Selector!
  • Engineer's Toolbox: Experts answer retaining ring Qs
  • Mars rover's laser can now target rocks all by itself
  • Mechanical: Low-cost thin spring engaged brake
  • Outdoor Electronics: Protective vents for machinery
  • Mike Likes Robotics: Tiny powerhouse of a robot
  • Aerospace: Custom modular cooling pumps
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • 5 no-nos for dual-clutch vehicles
    • You crushed it! See stuff get smashed
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • NASA engineer who created modern airplane wing
    • Wheels: New piston shape for Volvo Trucks
    • New transparent metal films
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: BAE Systems develops laser airspeed sensor for aircraft

News

Office of Naval Research explores ways to trim software bloat, improve security

Mercedes-Benz Trucks starts offering on-demand 3D-printed spare parts for older models

BAE Systems develops laser airspeed sensor for next-generation high-altitude aircraft

Is your company in a bad mood? 11 signs and what to do about it



Image - Direct Metal 3D Printing: The hottest thing in additive manufacturing
Direct Metal 3D Printing: The hottest thing in additive manufacturing
Build complex, REAL metal parts from 3D CAD data, while getting industry-leading part quality, fine details, precision and repeatability. The Direct Metal Printing process from 3D Systems is an additive manufacturing technology that builds fully dense, chemically pure complex metal parts that often can't be achieved through traditional machining.

Learn more.


Feature articles
Countering the reappearance of old-school views on product design
In the early 1980s, a product design methodology called Design for Assembly (DFA) began to gain popularity. In the past 10 years, there has been a significant resurgence in a different design philosophy -- a very old and outdated one -- that is skewing the productivity gains companies achieved through DFA. Using real-world examples, Boothroyd Dewhurst's Brian Rapoza describes how to -- and how not to -- cut costs during part redesigns.
Read the full article.
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Image - Design Tips: Metal 3D printing and the ABCs of building in support structures
Design Tips: Metal 3D printing and the ABCs of building in support structures
If you're ready to climb aboard the direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) express, there are a few things you should know first. Although the technology produces fully dense parts from high-strength, corrosion-resistant metals, certain part features are prone to warping and curl if not supported properly during the build process. Gus Breiland, Customer Service Engineering Manager, Proto Labs, gives us some valuable advice.
Read the full article.

Image - Scientists develop plastic flexible magnetic memory device
Scientists develop plastic flexible magnetic memory device
It looks like a small piece of transparent film with tiny engravings on it, and it's flexible enough to be bent into a tube. Yet, this piece of "smart" plastic -- aimed at the burgeoning flexible electronics market -- demonstrates excellent performance in terms of data storage and processing capabilities: 1,000 times faster than typical FLASH memory and 100 times more storage capacity than FLASH.
Read the full article.

Image - Wings: Army researchers explore future rotorcraft technologies, shoot bullets at continuous trailing edge flap
Wings: Army researchers explore future rotorcraft technologies, shoot bullets at continuous trailing edge flap
The U.S. Army is moving ahead with research on potential new component-level technologies for future rotorcraft. A team from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory completed the first-ever live-fire test of a rotor blade with individual blade-control technology in mid-January 2016. Researchers fired three shots representative of typical ground fire on a 7-ft-span rotor blade section to explore the ballistic vulnerability of emerging individual blade-control technologies.
Read the full article.

Image - CNC Machining Material Selector!
CNC Machining Material Selector!
Proto Labs' free Material Selector is a quick reference guide to help you identify the right thermoplastic and metal materials for your next machining project. It lists specific measurements like tensile strength, heat deflection and hardness to ensure you have the most suitable material for your part's application, and even includes a detailed chart of threading options.
Get a free Material Selector today!

Image - Engineer's Toolbox: <br>Experts answer questions about retaining rings and wave springs
Engineer's Toolbox:
Experts answer questions about retaining rings and wave springs

Every year, hundreds of technical questions are submitted through Smalley's "Ask the Expert" page. The company's team of engineering experts answers the questions directly, but they also post them in a blog for sharing. This selection addresses some commonly asked questions about retaining rings and wave springs. Very useful info.
Read the full article.

Image - Mars rover's laser can now target rocks all by itself
Mars rover's laser can now target rocks all by itself
New software is enabling ChemCam, the laser spectrometer on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover, to select rock targets autonomously -- the first time autonomous target selection is available for an instrument of this kind on any robotic planetary mission. Having a smarter rover that can pick its own samples is in line with self-driving cars and other smart technologies being implemented on Earth.
Read the full article

Image - Mechanical: Low-cost thin spring engaged (power-off) brake
Mechanical: Low-cost thin spring engaged (power-off) brake
The Thin Spring Engaged Brake (TSEB) from SEPAC provides OEMs with a thin-body, high-performance/low-cost spring-engaged power-off brake. This solution is 60 to 70 percent thinner and up to 20 percent less expensive than conventional servomotor-type high-performance brakes. It is ideal for a wide range of OEM applications, including: servo motors/systems, medical apparatus, robotics and imaging equipment, material handling, semiconductor equipment, energy-related (wind, petroleum, etc.) actuators, and security-related actuators for doors, gates, and curtains.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Outdoor Electronics: Protective vents for machinery, equipment
Outdoor Electronics: Protective vents for machinery, equipment
W. L. Gore & Associates announces two new innovative venting solutions: GORE PolyVent Stainless Steel for premium-level durability under the most challenging conditions in the field; and inside-mountable GORE PolyVent InSet for easy, cost-effective, and nearly invisible integration. GORE PolyVent Stainless Steel for screw-in installation delivers reliable oleophobic protection, flammability resistance, and the durability to withstand corrosion, chemicals, and punishing conditions in the field. GORE PolyVent InSet for snap-in installation offers fast, easy, cost-effective integration, with an inside-mount option that benefits both design and production processes and is nearly invisible when installed.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Mike Likes Robotics: Tiny powerhouse of a robot
Mike Likes Robotics: Tiny powerhouse of a robot
The small-but-mighty KUKA KR 3 AGILUS is aimed at production applications where very short cycle times and maximum output are required, such as assembling small components and performing handling tasks, screw fastening, brazing, adhesive bonding, packaging, testing, inspecting, and more. Payload capacity is 3 kg; reach is 540 mm. This 600 mm x 600 mm (2 ft x 2 ft) little workhorse is characterized by impressive speed and precision.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Aerospace: Custom modular cooling pumps
Aerospace: Custom modular cooling pumps
A new family of cooling pumps from Parker Aerospace shares a common core of basic motor and pump components. The pumps are compatible with a variety of dielectric fluids including PAO, fuel, Galden, and turbine engine oils and are available in fixed- or variable-speed configurations to accommodate a variety of flow rates. Both AC and DC motor configurations are available as 115 VAC at 400 Hz, 28 VDC, or 270 VDC. The wet-motor design allows the fluid to extract heat from the electronics or the sensor suite, while also removing heat from the pump motor itself.
Click here to learn more.

Most popular last issue

Image - How a NASA engineer created the modern airplane wing
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.

Image - Wheels: <br>New piston shape has Volvo Trucks riding wave of increased efficiency
Wheels:
New piston shape has Volvo Trucks riding wave of increased efficiency

The Volvo Group's new truck engines coming to the United States are more fuel efficient due to a clever new piston design. Waves on the piston crown improve oxygen utilization, boosting efficiency and producing less soot.
Read the full article.

Image - New transparent metal films may cut prices on smartphone, tablet, and TV displays
New transparent metal films may cut prices on smartphone, tablet, and TV displays
A new material that is both highly transparent and electrically conductive could make large-screen displays, smart windows, and even touch screens and solar cells more affordable and efficient, according to the Penn State materials scientists and engineers who discovered it.
Read the full article.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
5 things you should never do in a dual-clutch transmission vehicle
Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained runs through a litany of no-nos for owners of (and those considering owning) dual-clutch transmission vehicles. Jason always does a great job of explaining not only the "whats" but also the "whys." Check out his other channel offerings too.
View the video.

Video Image
You crushed it! See stuff get smashed
Some enterprising guys in Finland with a penchant for smashing stuff have created their own Youtube channel -- and they want to share all the fun. "Wanna see stuff getting crushed by a hydraulic press?" they ask. This is the right channel for you. From cameras to ice to an old safe, a ball bearing, a running four-stroke motor, a motorcycle helmet, and more, take a few minutes out of your day to feel like you crushed this one.
View the videos.

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New products

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