Designfax — October 9, 2007 — Volume 3, Issue 38

Largest manufacturer of Threaded Nylon Fasteners in the world
Micro Plastics, Inc. offers over 20,000 items and stocks an inventory of 250 million parts. Machine Screws, Nuts, Washers, Spacers, Panel Fasteners, Hole Plugs, P.C.B. Hardware, Wire Handling Hardware and more.
For more information, visit Micro Plastics online.

News

Space tow-truck technology being developed for satellite operations

Abaqus Unified FEA software revs up RC8 Superbike design

Wireless lights help cyclists keep rolling safely at night

Alcoa launches innovation website to showcase tech solutions for design engineers

In this issue:

7 Obstacles Old-School Companies Face
Single-Axis Actuators: When To Build, When To Buy
Valve Prototype Design Time Slashed: 3 Months To 1 Day
Nanotubes Detect, Repair Cracks In Aircraft Wings
Wheels: Adhesive Tape Trailer Assembly Tells Rivets To Stick It
5-Star Product: Transparent Electroluminescent Displays
Products: Electrical/Electronic, Mechanical, Motion
Special: Software Products

Feature Articles

The flat world fitness challenge: 7 obstacles old-school companies face
Does our rapidly flattening world have you rethinking the way you manage people and projects? It should. Our spherical world has been declared flat once again. And if your company has any age on it at all, you've likely found that your "old way" of doing business fits about as well as the suit you wore 30 pounds ago. Not only have many operations scattered to the four corners of the globe, the attitudes of the workforce have undergone a similar shift.
Read the full article

The performance of a lifetime
The 3500 series (size 14) double stack hybrid linear actuators provide higher force, longer life and improved performance. The various patent pending designs deliver exceptional performance and new linear motion design opportunities. Three designs are available, captive, non-captive and external linear versions. The 35000 Series is available in a wide variety of resolutions - from 0.00012" (.003048 mm) per step to 0.00192" (.048768 mm) per step. The motors can also be microstepped for even finer resolutions. The Size 14 actuator delivers thrust of up to 50 lbs. (23 Kg). For more information visit Haydon Switch & Instrument online.

Single-axis actuators: When to build, when to buy
A variety of linear motion devices are available today for performing the function of single-axis movement, whether it be for an assembly operation, testing, packaging, or simple motion control. This article defines the various types and lays out the options to be considered when deciding whether to build or buy a single-axis actuator, also known as a linear guide, slide, or table.
Read the full article

Valve prototype design time slashed: 3 months to 1 day
Aerospace valve manufacturer Shaw Aero Devices saved at least $9,000 and three months in prototyping sweat by using Flomerics' EFD.Lab computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software to iterate to an optimized design. The CFD results for each iteration provided insights into how the design could be improved. Rob Preble, project engineer for Shaw, created a design that provided the required pressure drop without the need to build a single hardware prototype. "We moved from the beginning of the project to the development of an acceptable software prototype in only one day," he says.
Read the full article

Nanotubes detect, repair cracks in aircraft wings
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a simple new technique for identifying and repairing small, potentially dangerous cracks in high-performance aircraft wings and many other structures made from polymer composites. By infusing a polymer with electrically conductive carbon nanotubes, and then monitoring the structure's electrical resistance, the researchers were able to pinpoint the location and length of a stress-induced crack in a composite structure. Once a crack is located, engineers can then send a short electrical charge to the area in order to heat up the carbon nanotubes and in turn melt an embedded healing agent that will flow into and seal the crack with a 70% recovery in strength.
Read the full article

Wheels: Adhesive tape trailer assembly tells rivets to stick it
3M recently announced the results of a commissioned, independent study of smooth-sided trailers made with 3M VHB Tape compared with standard, mechanically fastened trailers. The testing was conducted by Bosch Automotive Proving Grounds in South Bend, IN. 3M sent two trailers to the testing facility — one built using 3M VHB Commercial Vehicle Tape and the other assembled with mechanical fasteners.
Read the full article

5-Star Product: New transparent electroluminescent displays
Specialty display creator Planar Systems has added transparent and segment electroluminescent (TASEL) displays to its family of high-performance electroluminescent (EL) displays. Featuring the same visual performance characteristics of Planar's proven EL displays, this new technology offers the added benefits of transparency and the ability to cut or shape the display.
Read the full article

New Products

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

Guides

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

OEM solutions for commercial vehicles — Siemens VDO

Comprehensive Auto-ID Handbook —
Accu-Sort
Di-Dro advanced hydraulic manifold —
Hyson Products

View guides …

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