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.
| December 03, 2013 | Volume 09 Issue 45 |
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 | Seal It, Protect It!
A Smalley Laminar Seal is a metallic labyrinth seal consisting of multiple rings in a groove. Sealing an assembly from contamination while withstanding high temperatures and corrosive environments, Laminar rings are produced from metal. The arrangement and orientation of the rings are dictated by the application/severity of the environment.
Click here to learn more. |
 | MICROMO Launches DC Motor Calculator App - 'Motion'
MICROMO introduces a universal DC motor calculator app for use with both iPhone and Android devices. The "Motion" mobile app is designed to help engineers calculate DC motor performance data by providing speed, torque, voltage and other catalog data. The app will also facilitate easy connection between customers and FAULHABER Group products by integrating a contact form.
Explore MICROMO's "MOTION" App Today! |
 | Watch out graphene: 2-D tin may be the next super material
A single layer of tin atoms could be the world's first material to conduct electricity with 100 percent efficiency at the temperatures that computer chips operate, according to a team of theoretical physicists led by researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University.
Read the full article. |
 | Mike Likes:
New PolyVent compact vent for automotive housings
With its new GORE PolyVent Compact Series, W. L. Gore & Associates provides higher performance venting in a smaller footprint for automotive electronic housings. About 30 percent smaller than the widely used PolyVent Snap-Fit product family, the new GORE PolyVent Compact Series is easier to integrate into even the smallest housings. It provides a higher level of protection for sensitive components like sensors, motors, and control units, while providing reliable and rapid pressure equalization.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Product Spotlight:
MEC introduces market's first NC/NO tactile pushbutton switches
MEC, an APEM Inc. company, has launched its Multimec 5 Series NC/NO switches, the market's first NC/NO tactile pushbutton switch. The 5 Series NC/NO switches help designers and manufacturers simplify design, increase functionality, and enhance safety features in their products. MEC's NC/NO switches offer NC (make), NO (break), and NC/NO (switchover, multifunction) functionalities, providing numerous possibilities for use, especially in safety, security, and medical applications.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Product Spotlight:
Posi-drive belts and sprockets for precision belt-drive applications
Sterling Instrument provides single- and double-core posi-drive belts and sprockets for applications that require accurate positioning. The no-slip design offers several distinct advantages. No flanges are required, which saves space and also prevents the trapping of air between the belt and the flanges, creating a much quieter operation. The system also operates with no backlash, which is essential for applications that require no lost motion. Single-core belts and sprockets can be used in applications where the shafts are oriented at an angle with one another. The central core, made of either aramid fiber or stainless steel, can twist in such a way that the pins still stay in perfect mesh with the sprocket. This allows the shafts on either sprocket to be oriented at a full 90-degree angle without sacrificing belt performance. The belts are made of molded polyurethane and require no lubrication. They have excellent chemical and abrasion resistance, making them suitable for medical and food-processing applications. They are sold either by pin count or by the foot up to 100 ft.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Product Spotlight:
High-precision rotary stage
Steinmeyer has announced a new addition to its line of precision rotary stages. The standard DT130-DC stage is a worm gear-driven unit with a rotary encoder and features positional accuracy of +/- 0.07 deg, repeatability of +/- 0.007 deg, a max speed of 15 rpm, and a load capacity of 50 Newton. Drive mechanism is a DC servo-motor. This stage is ideal for applications such as laser machining, precision wafer inspection, photonics, fiber optics, and cell diagnostics. The DT130-DC can also be equipped with a direct reading encoder attached to the rotating stage for higher positioning accuracy. Stage body is manufactured from a low-distortion aluminum alloy (black anodized) and includes a high-stiffness bearing set. This rotary stage is designed to easily mate with Steinmeyer's MT130 linear stage.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Cool Tools:
USB microscope/magnifier boasts 200x power
If you need easy super-magnification at your desktop (and who doesn't?), Saelig's MV200UM is a 2-megapixel USB digital microscope for capturing high-quality magnified images and video for display on a PC using a simple USB 2.0 PC connection. The handy unit can take snapshots and time-lapse sequences. It contains a built-in white LED illumination ring for viewing tiny components and markings, examining traces and solder joints on printed circuit boards, or for detailed product examination and record-taking, inspection, and quality-control purposes. For 60 bucks, a real cool tool or a great thing to pick up for your kid's impending science project.
Learn more about this product.
View a very thorough video review of this product. |
| | Most popular last issue |
 | Accidental discovery dramatically improves conductivity
Quite by accident, Washington State University researchers have achieved a 400-fold increase in the electrical conductivity of a crystal simply by exposing it to light. The effect, which lasted for days after the light was turned off, could dramatically improve the performance of devices like computer chips.
Read the full article. |
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| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | Disney researchers develop algorithm for rendering 3D tactile features on touch surfaces
By altering the friction encountered as a person's fingertip glides across a touchscreen surface, a new algorithm by Disney Research, Pittsburgh, can create a perception of a 3D bump on a touch surface without having to physically move the surface. The method can be used to simulate the feel of a wide variety of objects and textures. The algorithm is based on a discovery that when a person slides a finger over a real physical bump, the person perceives the bump largely because lateral friction forces stretch and compress skin on the sliding finger. The Disney researchers used electrovibration to modulate the friction between the sliding finger and the touch surface with electrostatic forces. The algorithm dynamically modulates the frictional forces on a sliding finger so that they match the tactile properties of the visual content displayed on the touch screen along the finger's path.
View the video. |
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Latest new cars and concepts from LA Auto Show 2013
See the latest that Detroit and carmakers from around the world have to offer. Car expert Doug Brauner highlights new vehicle introductions from the 2013 LA Auto Show, including our favorites the 2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe (shown), 2015 Nissan NISMO GTR, and the BMW X4 concept. If driving a super-luxe stretch SUV is your kind of ride, check out the 2015 Land Rover Range Rover/Autobiography Edition, complete with living-room recliner-style seats.
View the video. |
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A dual-function, back-up light assembly from Minnesota Rubber and Plastics magnifies and disperses a 50-W halogen light with 1 million candlepower.
