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.
| January 14, 2020 | Volume 16 Issue 02 |
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 | Eliminate The Need For A Dynamic Seal
BellowsTech edge welded metal bellows can eliminate the need for a dynamic seal, when used within a bearing housing to translate rotation from an input shaft to a co-linear output shaft while sealing hermetically. Linear and angular motion for "wobble stick" applications is also available.
Learn more. |
 | Bell unveils 360 Invictus attack helicopter
Bell Textron has unveiled its entrant for the U.S. Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) Competitive Prototype program, the Bell 360 Invictus. FARA seeks a new platform to become "the 'knife fighter' of future Army Aviation capabilities, a small-form-factor platform with maximized performance." Two other FARA concepts, one from Sikorsky and one from a partnership between AVX Aircraft and L3 Technologies, also debuted in 2019.
Read the full article. |
 | New bullet design works under water
Like something right out of a James Bond movie, a Norwegian company called DSG Technology has invented a special bullet that can work under water. The technology uses supercavitation, where the design of the projectile creates a bubble around the bullet as it travels through water, reducing drag and enabling high speeds.
Read the full article. |
 | Skunk Works begins assembling NASA supersonic plane
In the high desert of California, where some of the most important aircraft in aviation history have been built and flown, the next airplane destined to take its place among those aeronautical icons -- NASA's X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology -- starts to take shape on a legendary factory floor.
Read the full article. |
 | Ford Ranger gets tough with special VelociRaptor treatment
Who knew a little 2019 Ford Ranger could look so intimidating? The creative geniuses at Hennessey Performance Engineering did. Known for taking vehicles "from mild to wild," the famous upgrades shop has created a 500-unit special edition VelociRaptor Ranger that looks as big and bad as its high-end Raptor sibling. It's got solid power upgrades too.
Read the full article. |
 | Michelin and GM roll forward with airless tire design
Michelin and General Motors presented a new generation of airless wheel technology for passenger vehicles, the Michelin Uptis Prototype (or Unique Punctureproof Tire System), at the Movin'On Summit for sustainable mobility in Montreal this past June. The partnership aims to put Uptis tires on passenger models as early as 2024.
Read the full article. |
 | Top Application: Hoover Dam pressure-relief valves updated with unique team effort
Hoover Dam, one of the most impressive engineering feats of the 20th century, generates hydroelectricity for millions of homes and businesses across the Southwest, and it's a constant challenge to keep the vital power source running smoothly. Recently, a team of innovative engineering experts -- led by Precision Machine & Supply and including Parker Hannifin and Controlled Motion Solutions -- wrapped up a massive multi-year retrofitting and refurbishing project to make the dam safer and more operationally efficient.
Read the Parker Hannifin blog. |
 | Top Product: Desktop Metal launches 316L stainless steel for 3D printing
Desktop Metal, a 3D-printer maker, has just announced the launch of 316L stainless steel for the company's Studio System, the world's first and only office-friendly metal 3D-printing system. This machine is great for prototyping and low-volume production. A fully austenitic steel known for its corrosion resistance and excellent mechanical properties at extreme temperatures, 316L is well suited for applications in the most demanding industrial environments, including salt water in marine applications, caustic cleaners found in food processing environments, and chemicals in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Learn more. |
 | Top Product: World's darkest spray paint
A whole range of products can now take advantage of the world's blackest coating, Vantablack, thanks to the development of a spray version called Vantablack S-VIS. It is easily applied at large scale to virtually any surface. Vantablack's carbon nanotube matrix structure absorbs virtually all (99.8 percent) incident light, enabling precision optical systems to be optimized. The material's developer, UK-based Surrey NanoSystems, has mimicked the performance of its original Vantablack with this new version that can be sprayed onto objects, rather than deposited using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process.
Click here to learn more. |
| | Most popular last issue |
 | 'It's like Uber for manufacturing': Meet Xometry
Manufacturing is a notoriously finicky business. Smaller machine shops dependent on a handful of local customers in a single industry are particularly vulnerable to the whims of economic downturns. Since finding new work can be costly and time consuming, some have been hoping for an Uber-like service for manufacturing. The Maryland-based company Xometry recently developed that very model. By Amy Kover, GE Reports
Read the full article. |
 | Top Product: Cut-and-form LED sheets let you bend the rules of lighting design
VCC is bending the rules of lighting design with its new VentoFlex tiles. The VentoFlex modular lighting system opens up countless ways for architects and lighting designers to make an impact. Available in 12-in. x 12-in. sheets, these innovative LED tiles can be cut and formed around any design element, including rounded corners and tight spaces, without taking up much room at all -- just 0.15 in. (3.81 mm). A pair of scissors is the only tool required to cut VentoFlex tiles to the size and shape you desire. Ten or 15 tiles can be linked together to one driver and dimmer to create thousands of square inches of versatile lighting power. Neat.
Learn more about this new and exciting lighting technology. |
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| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | Fly along in a Blue Angels cockpit
Since 1946, the Blue Angels have flown for more than 260 million spectators. Ride along with the Blue Angels Diamond pilots as they perform the Double Farvel over Fort Lauderdale Beach during the 2019 Fort Lauderdale Air Show. The mission of the United States Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron is to showcase the pride and professionalism of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps by inspiring a culture of excellence and service to country through flight demonstrations and community outreach. We challenge you to watch this only once.
Watch and ride in a Blue Angels cockpit.
Take a different ride over Seattle. |
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Top Product: How Nord-Lock washers work
Can you get a design and functional edge with a wedge? In this animated video, Nord-Lock explains the principle behind their original wedge-locking technology, which secures bolted joints even when exposed to severe vibration and dynamic loads. The company says it is impossible for this washer type to loosen unintentionally, due to the wedge created underneath the bolt head and nut.
View the video. |
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7 strangest new drone concepts
Tech Planet runs through their list of Top 7 weird and sometimes wonderful new drone concepts, including a craft with no moving parts that is powered by ion flows and a UAV that uses supersonic air blown through its wing for control. Throw in some hummingbird inspiration and a flying saucer design, and you've got a real interesting mixed bag of developing technology prepped to get your imagination soaring.
View the video. |
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