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News

Small buoy to harvest energy from waves

Automotive manufacturers toy around with their dream cars for Hot Wheels Designer's Challenge

New CNC consulting program aimed at small biz, inventors, entrepreneurs

Seals designed for world's largest liquefied natural gas compressor
In this issue:

Feature Articles

Linear motion breakthrough: Single motor generates two-directional movement
Researchers at Philips Applied Technologies have developed a highly innovative technique that allows standard linear motors to simultaneously provide movement along two axes rather than along a single axis. In equipment such as the pick-and-place machines used to assemble electronic printed circuit boards, Philips' patented NForcer Technology will allow designers to reduce the number of motors and electronic drive modules required as well as simplify overall mechanical design.
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DuPont spearheads alliance to combine best of polymers and metals
DuPont Engineering Polymers has formed an alliance with Canadian-based Morph Technologies, Integran Technologies, and U.S.-based PowerMetal Technologies to develop and commercialize a nanocrystalline metal/polymer hybrid technology used to manufacture extremely lightweight components with the strength and stiffness of metal combined with the design flexibility and lightweight benefits of high-performance thermoplastics. The new offering is called MetaFuse nanometal/polymer hybrids.
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Follow the money … to mass customization
A greater than 50% increase in demand for customized, complex, manufactured products is predicted over the next two years, according to a recent survey of U.S. engineers by software developer Cincom Systems. But the study's findings also clearly indicate that many manufacturers are likely to incur significant losses in taking orders for customized products — even though for some companies, that's where the greatest profit lies. How can your company take advantage of the mass customization trend?
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New transparent plastic is strong as steel
By mimicking a brick-and-mortar molecular structure found in seashells, University of Michigan researchers created a composite plastic that's as strong as steel but lighter and transparent. It's made of layers of clay nanosheets and a water-soluble polymer that shares chemistry with white glue. Engineering professor Nicholas Kotov almost dubbed it "plastic steel," but the new material isn't quite stretchy enough to earn that name.
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Wheels: Interior sandwich parts get faster, simpler production
Johnson Controls, one of the world's leading suppliers of automotive interior systems, electronics, and batteries, is the principal engineering partner behind the plastics industry's "Dolphin" consortium — and the driving force behind an innovative, dual-component injection-molding process for automotive interior parts. The aim is to produce a high-performance component from substrates and soft foam surfaces in a single processing step.
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5-Star Product: Servo drive for military and harsh industrial environments
Copley has extended the proven Xenus offline servo drive's temperature, humidity, vibration, and shock ranges to meet military COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) requirements, including Mil Standard #810. The hardened drives, designated Series R10, can now be used to control rotary and linear motors/actuators in military applications and extreme industrial environments.
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New Products
Electrical/Electronic
View products … 		Mechanical
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Motion Control
View products … 		Special: Fluid Power
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Guides

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

  • Non-calibation vibration mounts — Advanced Antivibration Components
  • Precision miniature linear translation stages —
    • Physik Instrumente
  • Transportation products capability brochure —
    • Custom Sensors & Technologies

View guides …

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