Designfax – Technology for OEM Design Engineers was launched as an exclusive eMagazine in October 2005 following 25 successful years in print. Subscribers to the weekly publication (48 issues a year) are high-level OEM product design engineers and engineering managers who operate in a broad range of manufacturing industries, including automotive, aerospace, appliances, medical equipment, transportation, computer process controls, industrial equipment, and more. Primary content focuses on the latest exciting applications and products for Electrical/Electronic, Mechanical, Motion Control, Fluid Power, and Materials engineering, including articles on powerful software programs that serve as a primary engineering tool. Take a look at what Designfax offers and then subscribe.
| October 16, 2018 | Volume 14 Issue 39 |
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 | Guide to overmolding best practices
Overmolding is a great injection molded feature you can utilize in your design to capture color contrasts, add flexibility or eliminate assembly. Take advantage of this feature by learning how to design your part for overmolding.
You'll learn:
- How to set up your design for complex overmolding
- Material evaluation and best practices for proper adhesion
- Feature specifications to consider for good overmolds
Get the Xcentric overmolding guide (no registration required). |
 | Custom Photo Etched Screens and Filters
Tech-Etch photo etches custom screens, filters and filter supports for many diverse uses, including medical devices, hydraulic valve screens, laser light filters, fuel filters, extruding screens, liquid filtration, particle separation, and sizing. Hole sizes range from .003" and up. Tech-Etch also offers a standard line of MicroEtch Screens with holes in a 60-degree or 90-degree pattern that are available with a usable perforated area of at least 18" x 21". Screens are primarily produced from Stainless Steel, but other materials are available.
Learn more about custom photo etched screens and filters.
Learn more about MicroEtch Screens. |
| | Feature articles |
 | 50 years ago: Apollo 7 launched as race to Moon reached final stretch
On Oct. 11, 1968, three American astronauts launched to Earth orbit aboard Apollo 7. It was the first piloted mission of the spacecraft designed to meet President John F. Kennedy's challenge to land on the lunar surface. The 11-day flight took place as the race to the Moon was heating up between the United States and the Soviet Union. [Countdown Series: 50th anniversary of Apollo 11]
Read the full article. |
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 | Aluminum on its way to gaining titanium-like strength?
Russian scientists at the National University of Science and Technology MISIS in Moscow have proposed a technology that can double the strength of products made with 3D-printed aluminum powder when that material is specially formulated. The feat advances the characteristics of these products to challenge the quality of titanium alloys in some applications.
Read the full article. |
 | Wheels: Fastest cop car is now an SUV
A sport utility from Ford is the best-selling cop car in America, and now it is the best accelerating and fastest police vehicle in the United States, according to preliminary test data from the Michigan State Police. The Ford bested all entries, including V8-equipped sedans, with its EcoBoost-powered all-wheel-drive version of the all-new 2020 Police Interceptor Utility -- and it's fuel efficient too.
Read the full article. |
 | Top Tech Tip: Balanced retaining rings
Smalley's balanced feature statically balances the retaining ring. A series of slots, opposite the gap end, account for the missing material in the gap. This characteristic is very useful when the balance of the assembly is critical and it is necessary to reduce eccentric loading.
Request your free samples today! |
 | Toolbox: Lightweight bike design gets HyperSizer optimization treatment
Collier's NASA-spinoff HyperSizer software has been widely used in military and commercial aircraft and space-agency programs over the past 20 years. Now the company has released a user-friendly "Express" version of its workhorse tool with the aim of supporting the growing number of other industries that are adopting composite materials to make lighter, stronger, more durable products. Wait until you see what it can do with lightweight composite bike design.
Read the full article. |
 | Small DC motors for spectrophotometry
The DeNovix team needed a motion solution for their spectrophotometer application which called for intermittent short, quick motions with micron-level accuracy. After research and testing, they chose a FAULHABER small DC motor configured with a MICROMO encoder and an all-plastic planetary gearhead to successfully bring their product to market.
Read the full article. |
 | Belt conveyor design program
ABB's new web-based Dodge Passport design tool allows users to select, quote, and order conveyor pulley assemblies complete with shafting and mounted bearings for bulk material-handling applications. Real-time pricing and availability enable customers to make cost-effective selections of readily available components. After selections are complete, Passport's add-to-order capability lets customers seamlessly convert selections into orders via the PT Place e-commerce platform.
Learn more. |
 | 100 million random moves: New lifetime spec for rotary micro stage with integral controller
New Scale Technologies has significantly increased the lifetime specification for its M3-RS-U Rotary Smart Stage, a precision rotary micro stage with embedded controller. The new specification of 100 million random positions underscores the utility of these compact, all-in-one motion modules for integrating embedded motion inside in medical, commercial, and industrial instruments. The increased lifetime spec makes the selection decision even easier for product designers who need to embed motion in their portable and hand-held systems.
Learn more. |
 | Are you spending too much on metal bellows?
Making an error when choosing the right material for your application's performance requirements could be one reason a project is over or under budget. Finding the right material at the right price doesn't have to be difficult. BellowsTech edge welded bellows are available in a wide variety of materials with a range of media compatibilities. Our newly developed one-page "Material Selection Guide" quickly and easily helps you compare leak rates, temperature ranges, tensile strengths, and more of various typical applications.
View the BellowsTech Material Selection Guide. |
 | Updated grippers for plastic materials
FIPA has upgraded its proven product line of sprue grippers for handling plastic material. The Series 90, 100, and 130 grippers now bear the red FIPA dot, which makes the gripper components immediately identifiable in installations. The Series 90 grippers reliably grip small sprues due to their high closing force, wide jaw opening, and compact design, while the Series 100 grippers are designed to securely grip medium to large sprues. The Series 130 grippers feature strong gripping force and a wide jaw opening, making them ideal for large sprues. FIPA grippers have a long life cycle due to their high-strength aluminum alloy housing and jaws, with a durable, corrosion-resistant anodized coating. FIPA also offers grippers with and without "part present" monitoring.
Learn more. |
 | Inserts for plastic assemblies provide reusable metal threads
SI inserts from PennEngineering permanently install in plastic assemblies to provide durable and reusable metal threads for mating hardware and allow for repeated disassembly and re-attachment whenever required. By promoting quick and easy access to an assembly, SI inserts offer highly practical joining solutions in contrast to fixed and unyielding methods, such as adhesives or rivets. Repeated reuse will not damage the strong metal threads or compromise attachment integrity. Types include brass inserts and lead-free stainless steel and aluminum versions.
Learn more. |
| | Most popular last issue |
 | 50 years ago: On the way to the Moon
In the race to fly humans to the Moon in the 1960s, the Soviet Union supported two separate programs. One based on the Saturn-V class N1 Moon rocket planned to land a single cosmonaut on the Moon. The other, the L1 or Zond program (modified Soyuz spacecraft), planned to send two cosmonauts on circumlunar missions without a Moon landing. [Countdown Series: 50th anniversary of Apollo 11]
Read the full article. |
 | X-ray laser becomes world's fastest water heater
Scientists have used a powerful X-ray laser at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to heat water from room temperature to 100,000 C in less than a tenth of a picosecond, or millionth of a millionth of a second. The experimental setup, which can be seen as the world's fastest water heater, produced an exotic state of water.
Read the full article. |
 | INFINITI Project Black S brings Formula One tech to the road
Based on the INFINITI Q60 sports coupe, Project Black S is an engineering testbed exploring how Renault Sport Formula One Team-inspired dual-hybrid powertrain technology (using both heat and kinetic energy-harvesting systems) can be deployed in a twin-turbo V6 gasoline road car. The prototype represents the state-of-the-art performance, dynamic capability, effective aerodynamics, and intelligent energy management offered by INFINITI.
Read the full article. |
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| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | What is Electroforming? How does it actually work?
Electroplating may have been around for centuries, but only Servometer® excels at manufacturing dynamic convoluted bellows electroforms. Watch Servometer's five-step electroforming manufacturing process and learn how they are able to deliver electroformed components that feature extreme tolerances, complex geometries, lightweight construction, structural strength, and how they can be applied to a variety of applications.
Watch the video here. |
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Atlas robot does parkour moves
The droid wizards at Boston Dynamics have been very busy improving -- and now showing off -- the incredible balance and nimbleness of their straight-out-of-a-sci-fi-movie Atlas robot. This time around, they demonstrate parkour jump moves. The control software uses the whole body, including the legs, arms, and torso, to marshal the energy and strength for jumping over a log and leaping up steps without breaking pace. Atlas uses computer vision to locate itself with respect to visible markers on the approach to hit the terrain accurately. It never gets old watching Boston Dynamics innovate!
View the video. |
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