Technology for OEM Design Engineers November 21, 2006 — Volume 2, Issue 42
FAST Injection Molded Plastic Prototypes Protomold® can turn your 3D CAD model into real plastic parts in as few as three days. Injection molded in your choice of engineering-grade resins, these plastic parts are ideal for functional testing, bridge tooling, or even short-run production. Visit Protomoldonline for more information and a free automated ProtoQuote®. Protomold. Nobody's Faster in the Short Run!
Rhino in the fast lane
Sawing into high-priced sports cars right off the showroom floor might make mortal car-builders squeamish, but inventor and auto-customization wizard Eddie Paul proceeds with a surgeon's confidence. To convert cartoon
"Cars" from Pixar's animated movie into real-world hot rod mods, Paul and his staff adopted a new 3D tool, Rhinoceros software. One of Rhino's biggest strengths is NURBS surfacing, which is popular among a wide variety of product designers because of its ease in sculpting accurate, complex curves. Read the full article
Clamp & Ball Knobs? Electronic Hardware Corporation You know EHC for military & electronic instrument knobs, but take a look at their Clamp & Ball knobs. EHC has the widest variety of any knob manufacturer, at the best prices in the market. Delivery takes just a few days for standard parts & reorders. Their recent acquisition of Rencol — Britain's largest Knob manufacturer — broadens the EHC line even further! For quality knobs at a great price, visit Electronic Hardware Corporation.
Team moves toward silent, eco-friendly plane
MIT and Cambridge University researchers unveiled the conceptual design for a silent, environmentally friendly passenger plane at a press conference Monday, Nov. 6, at the Royal Aeronautical Society in London. Public concern about noise is a major constraint on expansion of aircraft operations. Read the full article
Maximizing wirewound resistor designs
Current wirewound technology extends beyond the usual fusible or non-inductive types. Few design engineers realize that it is possible to build resistors that act more like fuses or inductors. In fact, other parameters such as pulse load capability, lead forming, and final component size/power rating combinations can also be easily tailored to meet individual customer demands. Read the full article
TPEs evolve new super-sticky abilities
A special adhesion technology, along with a unique formulation of TPEs (thermoplastic elastomers),
allows a new shelving system to stick to almost
anything without using any form of suction. In
simplistic terms, the technology is based on
engineering principals of friction, not suction,
using levers that create force on proprietary grades of VERSAFLEX TPE alloy that are overmolded onto polypropylene pads. Read the full article
Hydraulic and control systems: Design one step ahead
Automation Studio provides features designed to help engineers, trainers, and maintenance personnel create fluid power and electrical systems. The software not only provides tools to design systems in a user-friendly way, but also offers flexible documentation capabilities (Bill of Materials, etc.), tools to size components, as well as a fully animated and realistic simulation for pneumatics, hydraulics, and electrical controls. Read the full article
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