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June 24, 2025Volume 21 Issue 24


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

  • A sensor first: New unit measures heat in EV motors
  • Quantum mechanics: New factory for random numbers
  • 'Industrially viable tech' makes hydrogen from seawater
  • 2026 Corvette ZR1X: Next-gen American hypercar
  • Inserts for 3D-printed plastics
  • Engineer's Toolbox: Self-clinching fasteners tips
  • Expert tips for designing dynamic motion control systems
  • Robots think and act on the fly: Assembly lines
  • Protect sensitive electronics: Cabinet Cooler Systems
  • What's a SLIC Pin®? Pin and cotter all in one!
  • New tech for fast-switching power device testing
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • How Nord-Lock washers work: Wedge power!
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • Electric motor made with non-metal coils!
    • Most powerful Bentley SUV yet: Bentayga Speed
    • Machine cranks 6M joules: Solar flare study
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X

News

DARPA program sets distance record for power beaming

U.S. Navy and Army push for 'right to repair' equipment -- won't wait for contractors

Research team develops scalable aluminum alloys for the hydrogen economy

Cold spray 3D-printing technique proves effective for on-site bridge repair



Image - Mitigate the effect of heat build-up with encoders
Mitigate the effect of heat build-up with encoders
Heat build-up impacts the accuracy of CNC machine tools. Thermal expansion of the ballscrew can cause significant errors. Using FORTiS encoders to create a full-closed servo loop can maintain higher accuracy by mitigating the effects of thermal growth. Read our application note to discover the FORTiS encoder's advantages against heat.
Learn more.

Feature articles

Image - A sensor first: New unit measures heat in EV motors
A sensor first: New unit measures heat in EV motors
Continental has developed a new sensor technology that measures the temperature inside permanently excited synchronous motors in electric vehicles directly on the rotor for the first time. It enables vehicle manufacturers to reduce the amount of rare earth elements used and to improve potential motor performance, which also means greater sustainability.
Read the full article.

Image - NIST and partners use quantum mechanics to make a factory for random numbers
NIST and partners use quantum mechanics to make a factory for random numbers
Einstein believed that nature isn't random, famously saying, "God does not play dice with the universe." Scientists have since proved that Einstein was wrong. NIST researchers and their colleagues at the University of Colorado Boulder created the Colorado University Randomness Beacon (CURBy). It is the first random number generator service to use quantum nonlocality as a source of its numbers, and it is the most transparent source of random numbers to date. Anyone can use it.
Read the full article.

Image - 'Industrially viable tech' makes hydrogen from seawater
'Industrially viable tech' makes hydrogen from seawater
Researchers from the United Arab Emirates claim to have developed a novel technology capable of producing clean hydrogen fuel directly from seawater -- and at an industrial scale. The process extracts hydrogen without the need to remove the mineral salts dissolved in seawater or add any chemicals.
Read the full article.

Image - 2026 Corvette ZR1X: Next-gen American hypercar
2026 Corvette ZR1X: Next-gen American hypercar
The 2026 Corvette ZR1X is an all-day comfortable tourer, a straight-line rocket, and a racetrack weapon, all in one. With a total of 1,250 hp available, a 5.5L V8, electrified all-wheel drive, and a 0- to 60-mph time of under 2 sec, ZR1X is a true, next-gen American hypercar and the most advanced Corvette ever.
Read the full article.

Image - Inserts for 3D-printed plastics
Inserts for 3D-printed plastics
E-Z LOK's threaded metal inserts designed for plastic allow for strong, reusable metal threads to be put into 3D-printed parts. These inserts can be installed in several different ways, ranging from press-in installation (E-Z Press™ and E-Z Fin™, for a quick and straightforward installation process) to heat-staking with a soldering iron (E-Z Sonic™, which works well with products made from similar materials). E-Z Sonic and E-Z Press inserts are available in assortment kits too.
Learn more and get all the specs and tips for use
or contact Kyle Lindsly-Roach for free samples at 310.323.5613 x221.

Image - Engineer's Toolbox: <br>Self-clinching fasteners design tips
Engineer's Toolbox:
Self-clinching fasteners design tips

Dozens of types and thousands of variations of self-clinching fasteners (steel, stainless steel, or aluminum) have been engineered over the years. PennEngineering provides three mini case studies where manufacturers benefited greatly by switching to self-clinching fasteners in their assemblies. This article is filled with insightful tips and suggestions.
Read the full article.

Image - Expert tips for designing dynamic motion control systems
Expert tips for designing dynamic motion control systems
Learn from the motion control experts at Nanotec how the right inertia ratio between motor and load often makes the difference between precise performance and instability. This article takes a look at the key factors in motor design and how to effectively improve unfavorable inertia ratios.
Read the Nanotec article.

Image - Robots think and act on the fly at moving assembly line speeds
Robots think and act on the fly at moving assembly line speeds
Inbolt and FANUC are launching a manufacturing breakthrough enabling FANUC robots to tackle one of the most complex automation challenges: performing production tasks on continuously moving parts at line speeds. With Inbolt's AI-powered 3D vision, manufacturers can now automate screw insertion, bolt rundown, glue application, and other high-precision tasks on parts moving down the line without costly infrastructure investments or cycle time compromises.
Learn more.

Image - Protect sensitive electronics in explosive environments with new aluminum ATEX Cabinet Cooler Systems
Protect sensitive electronics in explosive environments with new aluminum ATEX Cabinet Cooler Systems
EXAIR's ATEX Cabinet Cooler® Systems deliver a powerful and affordable solution for keeping electrical enclosures cool in hazardous ATEX classified areas -- and they're now available in durable aluminum construction. Engineered for use in Zones 2 and 22, these coolers are UL tested, CE compliant, and meet stringent ATEX standards for purged and pressurized enclosures. With cooling capacities up to 5,600 Btu/Hr., ATEX Cabinet Coolers are ideal for preventing overheating in electrical cabinets. EXAIR offers a comprehensive lineup of systems.
Learn more.

Image - What's a SLIC Pin<sup>®</sup>? Pin and cotter all in one!
What's a SLIC Pin®? Pin and cotter all in one!
The SLIC Pin (Self-Locking Implanted Cotter Pin) from Pivot Point is a pin and cotter all in one. This one-piece locking clevis pin is cost saving, fast, and secure. It functions as a quick locking pin wherever you need a fast-lock function. It features a spring-loaded plunger that functions as an easy insertion ramp. This revolutionary fastening pin is very popular and used successfully in a wide range of applications.
Learn more.

Image - Isolated probing tech for fast-switching power device testing
Isolated probing tech for fast-switching power device testing
Keysight Technologies has developed an optically isolated differential probing family dedicated to enhancing efficiency and performance testing of fast-switching devices such as wide-bandgap GaN and SiC semiconductors. Validation of floating half-bridge and full-bridge architectures commonly used in power conversion, motor drives, and inverters requires measurement of small differential signals riding on high common-mode voltages. This measurement can be challenging due to voltage source fluctuations relative to ground, noise interference, and safety concerns.
Learn more.

Most popular last issue

Image - Electric motor made with non-metal coils!
Electric motor made with non-metal coils!
Researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology have succeeded in constructing the coil of an electric motor using only carbon nanotubes without any metals. They tested their lightweight motor against one made with copper windings.
Read the full article.

Image - Most powerful Bentley SUV yet: Bentayga Speed
Most powerful Bentley SUV yet: Bentayga Speed
The new, super-luxe Bentayga Speed is the most powerful and most dynamic Bentley SUV to date. It eclipses even its acclaimed W12-engined predecessor, delivering increased power and performance along with the most dynamic chassis setup ever offered on a Bentayga. It looks sweet too.
Read the full article.

Image - New machine cranks out 6 million joules to study solar flares and magnetic reconnection on Earth
New machine cranks out 6 million joules to study solar flares and magnetic reconnection on Earth
A first-of-its-kind giant machine will allow U.S. researchers to study magnetic reconnection, a phenomenon that occurs when magnetic field lines on the sun snap apart and join together again, releasing enormous amounts of energy. FLARE can discharge enough energy to power around 1,000 houses for five seconds.
Read the full article.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
How Nord-Lock washers work: Wedge power!
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.

Video Image

New products

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