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August 26, 2025Volume 21 Issue 32


Image - Need Inserts? We make it E-Z.
Need Inserts? We make it E-Z.
E-Z LOK threaded inserts allow users to repair or reinforce threads without the need for special taps or installation tools. Our line of threaded inserts is used in metal, plastic, wood, composite and additive industries. Extensive inventories of standard products are available throughout the U.S., and we are also able to produce special threaded inserts to print or per application requirements. Our products are available through a variety of different channels depending on the volume needed.
FREE SAMPLES FOR STANDARD PRODUCTS.
Learn more
or contact Kyle Lindsly-Roach at 310.323.5613 x221.

In this issue of Designfax

  • IIHS says vehicle blind spots have been increasing
  • Why landers leave weird patterns on the Moon
  • New faster circuit breakers to update electric grids
  • 49 years ago: Chevy Aerovette, rotor engine experiments
  • Ball transfer units: Movement in all directions
  • Tech Update: Self-healing materials real-world progress
  • Great Resources: ABCs of Gears and more
  • Why switch from weld fasteners to clinch fasteners?
  • Clog-resistant HydroClaw® nozzle: Powerful tank cleaning
  • Great Applications: 50 ways to use a hexapod
  • LEDs with highest output power available
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • What's so special about wave springs?
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • New Corvette concepts: CX and CX.R
    • Laser paint stripping Australian Air Force
    • NASA-developed 3DP alloy can take the heat
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: 1976 Chevrolet Aerovette concept

News

How AI could help autonomous vehicles navigate without GPS

ABB launches new low-force system for ultra-thin metals in cold rolling mill applications

United Airlines investing in adaptive engine concept for supersonic flight

No more stitches? Impressive biopolymer is approved and ready for med market



Feature articles

Image - IIHS says vehicle blind spots have been increasing, accidents up over past 25 years
IIHS says vehicle blind spots have been increasing, accidents up over past 25 years
The forward blind zones of six top-selling passenger vehicles grew substantially over the past 25 years as pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities soared, a comparison technique developed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) shows.
Read the full article.

Image - Why landers leave weird patterns on the Moon
Why landers leave weird patterns on the Moon
Multiple Moon landings, conducted over several decades, have produced a remarkably similar pattern of dust on the lunar surface. The recurrence of this pattern created by rockets firing during touchdown, which wouldn't be the same on Earth or Mars, is a long-running mystery that now has an answer.
Read the full article.

Image - New faster circuit breakers will update and protect the modern electric grid
New faster circuit breakers will update and protect the modern electric grid
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Lab have developed medium-voltage circuit breakers capable of handling increasing levels of direct current at a lower cost, an advance that could help reduce future electricity costs and expand capacity in an overburdened U.S. grid.
Read the full article.

Image - 49 years ago: Chevy Aerovette and GM's experiments with rotary engines
49 years ago: Chevy Aerovette and GM's experiments with rotary engines
To tell the story of the sleek 1976 Corvette concept car known as the Aerovette, you have to go back to experiments General Motors did a few years earlier with rotary engines -- which the Aerovette didn't have under the hood. However, without the company's tinkering with rotary engines, there would never have been an Aerovette.
Read the full article.

Image - Ball transfer units: Movement in all directions
Ball transfer units: Movement in all directions
Ball transfer units are classics in the world of conveyor systems. They are a primary choice whenever it is necessary to turn, move, or transport workpieces with minimal effort. JW Winco has introduced new versions including units with: extra-secure mounts (GN 509.5), integrated vertical springs that extend functionality (GN 509.7), and a novel design with a ball in a plastic friction bearing integrated into the tip (GN 509.11) that includes an external thread for mounting and making precise adjustments. Overall, the GN 509 family encompasses nine types of ball transfer units.
Learn about all the options.

Image - Tech Update: Self-healing materials real-world progress
Tech Update: Self-healing materials real-world progress
A sci-fi movie staple is the virtually indestructible robot, capable of operating without rest due to extended battery life and regenerating components. New self-healing materials for the real world could represent the first step on the path toward such technologies, according to the market experts at IDTechEx.
Read the full article.

Image - Great Resources: ABCs of Gears and more
Great Resources: ABCs of Gears and more
KHK USA takes you on a journey through the history and applications of gears in two information-packed, no-cost volumes called "The ABCs of Gears." Part A is aimed at beginners, while part B moves on to intermediate fare, such as types of gears and tooth forms, heat treatment, surface treatment, production methods, etc. Another mid-level text called "Introduction to Gears" and an in-depth "Gear Technical Reference" are also available. No registration required.
Learn more.

Image - Why switch from weld fasteners to clinch fasteners?
Why switch from weld fasteners to clinch fasteners?
According to the experts at PennEngineering, engineers usually make the switch from weld fasteners to self-clinching fasteners due to two key motivators: environmental impact and cosmetic appeal. Additional benefits often materialize, though, that have positive effects on time, costs, and end-product quality.
Read this PennEngineering PEM blog with real-world examples.

Image - Clog-resistant HydroClaw<sup>®</sup> nozzle provides powerful stationary tank cleaning
Clog-resistant HydroClaw® nozzle provides powerful stationary tank cleaning
EXAIR has recently added a selection of BETE products to its site, including the innovative BETE HydroClaw (HC) tank- and vessel-cleaning nozzle. This clog-resistant design makes it an ideal solution for industries that demand powerful, maintenance-free tank cleaning, such as breweries, wineries, chemical processing plants, or food processing facilities. The nozzle's low-pressure/high-flow operation with 360° spray angle quickly cleans tank walls while simultaneously decreasing water consumption.
Learn more.

Image - Great Applications: 50 ways to use a hexapod
Great Applications: 50 ways to use a hexapod
Hexapods, six-legged parallel-kinematic machines, can solve many complex positioning and alignment tasks in fields including Optics, Photonics, Precision Automation, Automotive, and Medical Engineering. Features include a programmable pivot point, sub-micron precision, and load capacities from 2 to 2,000 kg.
See how they're used in the real world from PI.

Image - LEDs with highest output power available
LEDs with highest output power available
The new OCI-460 SWIR LED series from EPIGAP OSA Photonics features markedly improved output power compared to the company's previous OCI-480 package and all competitive SMD SWIR LED devices. For example, model OCI-460 ID1550-XS operates at 1,550 nm and features drive current up to 1.5A to deliver approximately 13% higher output efficiency over EPIGAP's OCI-480 package. This impressive advancement features 96% higher output power compared to any other SWIR SMD LED currently on the market. Ideal for use in sensing, machine vision, and more.
Learn more.

Most popular last issue

Image - New Corvette concepts: CX and CX.R
New Corvette concepts: CX and CX.R
The eighth-generation (C8) Corvette design is six years old, and GM is looking to change it up -- at least conceptually. We may see an all-new model before the end of this decade. Will it be similar to the latest CX and CX.R concepts released by the company's designers?
Read the full article.

Image - Laser paint stripping a hit for Australian Air Force
Laser paint stripping a hit for Australian Air Force
Laser technology successfully tested by the Australian Air Force's division that handles vintage restorations could revolutionize the removal of hazardous paint from military equipment requiring maintenance or reconditioning.
Read the full article.

Image - NASA-developed 3D-printable alloy can take the heat
NASA-developed 3D-printable alloy can take the heat
A metallic alloy called GRX-810 -- developed by NASA and newly available to the commercial sector -- fills a big materials gap for printed parts. It is estimated that a part made of the superalloy could last up to a year at 2,000 F under stress loads that would crack any other affordable alloy within hours.
Read the full article.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
What's so special about wave springs?
Don't settle for ordinary springs. Opt for Rotor Clip wave springs. A wave spring is a type of flat wire compression spring characterized by its unique waveform-like structure. Unlike traditional coil springs, wave springs offer an innovative solution to complex engineering challenges, producing forces from bending, not torsion. Their standout feature lies in their ability to compress and expand efficiently while occupying up to 50% less axial space than traditional compression springs. Experience the difference Rotor Clip wave springs can make in your applications.
View the video.

Video Image

New products

Electrical/Electronics
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