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.
| March 04, 2014 | Volume 10 Issue 09 |
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 | Custom Wave Springs
Smalley can manufacture custom Wave Springs quickly and economically to meet your specific application requirements. Because force and deflection requirements are application-specific, custom springs are often needed. With Smalley's No-Tooling-Cost™ manufacturing process, customs can be produced from .200" to 120" diameters in carbon steel, stainless steel, or other readily available exotic alloys. Prototypes can be available in as little as two weeks for testing.
Click here to learn more. |
 | SURVIVOR flexible disc pack couplings aim for infinite MTBF
R+W is introducing its SURVIVOR series of maintenance-free, flexible disc pack couplings. Not to be confused with a servo coupling, the flexible disc pack coupling is ideally suited for many of the most demanding industrial power transmission systems and makes further advancements toward the goal of infinite service life. Andy Lechner, product manager, R+W America, explains what makes this new kind of coupling so different -- and beneficial.
Read the full article. |
 | Wheels:
TARDEC engineers envision future military mobility designs
The U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC) engineers are venturing into uncharted vehicle development territory by exploring future mobility systems that align with the Army's 30-year vision. The Mobility Demonstrator project drives the engineering team to envision future concepts and reshape the designs for Army vehicle systems.
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 | Mike Likes:
Dynamic HP70 pick-and-place direct-drive module
Industry-leading rotary tables and automation specialist WEISS North America has introduced a pick-and-place direct-drive component that is thinner (60-mm wide) than any linear motor or pneumatic module on the market today. Despite its uniquely compact design, the company says that its HP70 unit surpasses all previous pick-and-place units when it comes to speed, achieving over 100 cycles per minute with repeat accuracy of 0.01 mm.
Read the full article. |
 | Reduce circuit size by 40 percent
Stackpole's RAVF Series convex thick-film chip resistor arrays offer a wide variety of sizes, power ratings, and schematics to help engineers reduce the amount of board space required by their designs. Changing from discrete chip resistors to chip arrays can reduce the size of a circuit design by up to 40 percent and provide up to a 20 percent reduction in weight. Another advantage is the resistors in a chip array will have tolerance and TCR tracking that is 50 percent better than discrete chips. Finally, using chip arrays can lower total cost per resistor when considering all cost factors that go into procuring and placing components. The RAVF Series is available in a variety of sizes, pin counts, and schematics.
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 | Precision parts photo-etched from polyester
Tech-Etch is well known for the extensive list of exotic materials that it is capable of photo-etching. In addition to materials such as tungsten, titanium, elgiloy, MP35N, nitinol, and polyimide film, Tech-Etch has now developed a process to photochemically etch polyester sheet up to .010-in. thick. All of the advantages of photo-etching -- clean burr-free edges, the ability to create intricate features with minimal tooling cost, and fast delivery -- can now be applied to this high-strength, hydrophobic, solvent-resistant, optically clear material. Polyester sheet can also be depth-etched with grooves or channels unavailable with other manufacturing methods. Applications include dielectrics, diaphragms, gaskets, washers, discs, spacers, seals, caps, and insulators.
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 | High-temp extreme BLDC motor
The new maxon EC-4pole 32 HD motor features detent-free running properties and excellent control characteristics designed for extremely rough operating conditions, such as deep drilling and outer space. The different versions of the EC-4pole 32 HD are designed for operation in air or in oil (flooded in hydraulic oil). The power rating depends on the surrounding medium and amounts to 220 W in air and, due to the much higher heat flow, 480 W in oil. They are designed for ambient temps of more than 200 deg C and atmospheric pressures up to 1700 bar. The motors can withstand vibrations up to 25 grms as well as impacts up to 1000 G. These motors feature high efficiency (up to 89 percent in air, more than 80 percent in oil), making them ideal for use in battery-operated applications.
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| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | Boeing QF-16 makes first unmanned flight
Last September, a pilotless F-16 fighter jet roared into the sky for the first time at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida. The modified, remote-controlled F-16s will be used for real-world target practice by the U.S. Air Force.
View the video. |
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Five favorite no-cost engineering tools
Jeremy Regnerus, product marketing specialist for SolidWorks, takes a look at his five favorite free tools (not all SolidWorks!) for engineers. Each tool provides valuable time-saving capabilities. Watch and learn how each tool works and where to find it.
View the video. |
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Researchers working in GE labs have used a special magnetic material to achieve temperatures cold enough to freeze water. The breakthrough system, which is projected to be 20 percent more efficient than current refrigeration technology, could be inside your fridge by the end of the decade.
