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Damping elements, stoppers, and rubber buffers

JW Winco provides a wealth of variants to serve every application when it comes to vibration damping elements for alternating tensile and compressive loads. JW Winco has 40 standard parts covering several hundred article numbers in its selection -- from simple rubber buffers like GN 353 to more complex designs such as GN 148.3 that can take up to 17,600 newtons of compression. These elements have a core of natural rubber, because this still offers the best damping values, unmatched by synthetic elastomers or silicone materials.
See the full line that JW Winco offers.

Stratasys moves beyond polymers: Metal 3D printing

Stratasys, the global leader in polymer additive manufacturing, is getting into metals by investing in industrial metal 3D-printing company Tritone Technologies. The agreement brings cutting-edge, production-grade metal and ceramic technology to Stratasys' service portfolio. At the core of Tritone's offering is its MoldJet^® technology, the only powder-free AM technology that enables the high-throughput production of metal and ceramic parts at industrial scale and speed that overcomes previous challenges.
Learn more about this exciting development.

TS0501: Pushing the limits of aerospace machining

Seco has launched TS0501, a Duratomic^® finishing grade engineered for exceptional performance in turning modern high-hardness superalloys as well as traditional materials such as Inconel 718. Designed for lights-out machining, TS0501 delivers unmatched tool life, surface finish, and reliability in demanding aerospace and energy applications. The insert's wear resistance and thermal stability make it ideal for industries where component integrity is critical.
Read the Seco article.

Most powerful heatsink: Extreme CPU cooling

Learn how 3D Systems played a crucial part in developing "the world's most powerful AI-designed and metal 3D-printed liquid nitrogen (LN2) heatsink for extreme CPU cooling." The heatsink was created using 3D Systems' Direct Metal Printing tech utilizing certified oxygen-free copper for superior thermal conductivity. An eccentric application that pushes the boundaries of thermal management.
Read the 3D Systems blog.

When metals can't survive: Machined ceramics as an alternative

Technical Ceramics are so hard and wear resistant that they cannot be machined with conventional tools -- but they can outlast and outperform other materials in demanding or harsh applications. INSACO's proprietary diamond grinding process and specialized techniques developed over many decades allow the company to produce and document parts to exacting specifications consistently. Learn all about the alternatives you have when metals just can't take it.
Read the INSACO article.

Build-to-order knobs and hand hardware

Rogan Corp.'s innovative use of two-shot plastic injection and insert molding has been providing customers with high-quality plastic clamping knobs, levers, and control knobs for more than 90 years. Rogan offers concurrent engineering, product design, and assistance in material selection to ensure customer satisfaction for standard or customized parts, with a focus on cost optimization and on-time delivery. Custom colors, markings, decorative inlays, or engineered materials to meet special requirements, such as adding extra strength or utilizing a flame-retardant material, are all offered.
Learn more.

Why switch from weld fasteners to clinch fasteners?

According to the experts at Penn-Engineering, 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. Find out how.
Read this PennEngineering PEM blog with real-world examples.

Tech Tip: How to create high-quality STL files for 3D prints

Have you ever 3D printed a part that had flat spots or faceted surfaces where smooth curves were supposed to be? You are not alone, and it's not your 3D printer's fault. According to Markforged, the culprit is likely a lack of resolution in the STL file used to create the part.
Read this detailed and informative Markforged blog.

Metal 3D printing: Right at your desktop

From prototyping to tooling or batch production of end-use parts, the Studio System 2 from Desktop Metal brings metal 3D printing to any office, studio, or lab setting. This powder- and laser-free system consists of an easy-to-adopt two-step process: print using pre-bound metal rod feedstock and then sinter. It requires minimal training and operator intervention. Combined with next-gen Separable Supports and a software-controlled workflow, the Studio System makes metal 3D printing simpler than ever. This platform offers more materials than any other metal extrusion 3D-printing system on the market. They include Inconel 625, titanium (Ti64), copper, tool steels, and stainless steels.
View the video and learn more.

What is laser peening for metal components?

According to Curtiss-Wright, laser peening (also called laser shock peening) "drives deep plastic strain into a part that creates a high-magnitude residual compressive stress from 1 to 10 mm below the surface." This process involves hitting a part surface with a laser repeatedly through a stream of water, offering designers the ability "to surgically engineer residual compressive stress into key areas of components." Benefits include enhancements to fatigue strength, durability, damage tolerance, and resistance to stress corrosion cracking of critical metallic components.
Read the extensive Curtiss-Wright article.

Full-color 3D-printing Design Guide from Xometry

With Xometry's PolyJet 3D-printing service, you can order full-color 3D prints easily. Their no-cost design guide will help you learn about different aspects of 3D printing colorful parts, how to create and add color to your models, and best practices to keep in mind when printing in full color. Learn how to take full advantage of the 600,000 unique colors available in this flexible additive process.
Get the Xometry guide.

New lightweight compound for structural car parts

Following four years of collaboration with the University of Toronto, Axiom is proud to announce the creation of AX Gratek PP40 -- a groundbreaking lightweight, high-strength alternative to heavy glass-filled 40-60% PP components. This hybrid composite features graphene nanoplatelets with glass fibers. Patent pending, this material has achieved up to 20% improvement in tensile strength while achieving an impressive 18% weight reduction compared to commercial PPGF60% parts.
Learn more.

Quickparts making big moves for part making

Quickparts has expanded its Seattle HQ to create an Aerospace & Defense Center of Excellence, strengthening the company's long-standing expertise in high-fidelity casting patterns and advanced stereolithography (SLA). Simultaneously, the company is launching its Quick Mold solution across North America, bringing production-quality molded parts to market in as little as five days.
Read the full article.

Print parts in M300 tool steel: Starter kit

Take your 3D printing to the next level with M300 Tool Steel Filamet™ -- a high-strength and wear-resistant material. Virtual Foundry has released a brand-new M300 Tool Steel Kit packed with everything you need to get started, including: 0.5-kg starter filament spool, Filawarmer, 1 kg of steel blend, 0.5 kg of sintering carbon, and an alumina crucible. From the company that brought us 3D-printable lunar regolith simulant.
Learn more, including print instructions.

Tank cleaning: 360° corrosion-resistant option

For processes requiring efficient tank washing, BETE's HydroWhirl Poseidon offers a unique solution that cleans effectively in tanks containing harsh chemicals or stubborn substances. This slow-spinning tank cleaning nozzle provides complete 360° coverage with longer dwell time on target surfaces; ideal for use in corrosive chemical environments, chemical processing tanks, food and beverage processes, IBC Totes, and more. The unit's bearing-free design delivers a slow, deliberate spray that provides a more effective washdown than conventional rotating designs.
Learn more. Available from EXAIR.

Can golf ball dimple tech help rockets fly better?

Graham Monroe, left, and Sal Rodriguez display the dimpled rocket nose they built as part of a collaboration between Sandia and the University of New Mexico. [Credit: Photo by Jennifer Plante]

 

 

Sal Rodriguez, a nuclear engineer at Sandia National Laboratories, is forging a rocket revolution with the help of the University of New Mexico and student Graham Monroe.

Their cutting-edge research is propelling the future of aerospace by infusing rocket science with a touch of golf ball magic.

They incorporated dimples similar to those found on golf balls, a key element in Rodriguez's fluid dynamics and heat transfer research.

The making of the rocket nose
The idea started in 2019 when Monroe was working with Rodriguez at Sandia as a student intern.

"I was always interested in aerodynamics," Monroe said. "I was working on my bachelor's in engineering degree in 2019 when I took part in the Lobo Launch at the Spaceport America Cup. Meanwhile, Sal was researching some dimpling projects. We started talking and came up with the idea of dimpling the nose cone of a rocket."

The experiment turned into Monroe's master's thesis project.

They started with the dimpling program that Rodriguez created starting in 2014 and copyrighted in 2017.

The dimpled rocket created by Sal Rodriguez and Graham Monroe was tested in December of 2022. [Credit: Photo courtesy of Sal Rodriguez]

 

 

"The program includes a specific set of equations that allows the user to look at an object's geometry and add the velocity and the fluid it's traveling through," Rodriguez said. "You put that into the program, and it outputs the required dimple pattern."

Monroe then 3D printed the nose cone. UNM's Lobo Launch team, meanwhile, created the accompanying rocket and a smooth nose cone that was identical, minus the dimples.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the fact that the Lobo Launch team needed their rocket for the upcoming Spaceport America Cup competition, launching the rocket became a challenge.

It was finally put to the test in November and December of 2022.

"We were overjoyed when we found that the dimpled rocket had 22% less frictional drag compared to a smooth rocket," Rodriguez said. "At its peak, it reduced drag by 39.1%. So that's less fuel you need, and it produces less CO2, which is good for the environment."

Monroe successfully defended his thesis in the fall of 2023, earning the coveted "pass with distinction."

"It's been really neat to be part of this research," Monroe said. "To be part of something that could be used in the real world. When we look at the day and age that we are in, as far as space exploration, the effect this could have on energy savings is really significant."

How dimples work
So how do these dimples work?

"They generate turbulence, redistribute the turbulent energy, accelerate the flow in the dimpled regions, and reduce the boundary layer thickness," Rodriguez said.

He said a good analogy is an Olympic diving competition: "The diver who plunges into the water with the smallest splash gets extra points because only a very small amount of resultant water flow is generated by the more aerodynamic dive. The same occurs with dimples. They generate a flow pattern that is so aerodynamic that only small, disorderly flow currents are generated by the dimpled objects -- a gold medal dive."

Bring in the Mustang

Computer simulation shows how dimples affect drag. [Credit: Courtesy of Sal Rodriguez]

 

 

However, it's not just rockets that can benefit from this dimpling. Rodriguez has been exploring other ways to use dimples. In a little-known project with Bobby Unser Junior, he dimpled the hood of a Ford Mustang.

"It was so exciting because he was so enthused about racing and race cars," Rodriguez said of Unser. "I told him about my copyright and that I could dimple his sports car and make it go faster. He was very excited."

Rodriguez used his program to find the ideal size and placement of the dimples on the car's hood. Like the rocket, the results were significant. They showed a minimum 25% reduction in airflow drag compared to a car with no dimples. The experiment also included a car with tennis ball-sized dimples to prove that while all dimpling helps, precision with dimples is key.

Whether consumers would be okay with dimples on their car was another question the pair hoped to explore. Unfortunately, Unser died before the project went any further.

It's not just in aerodynamics
One of Rodriguez's latest projects is using dimples in heat transfer.

With the help of funding from the New Mexico Small Business Assistance Program, he has built an apparatus that shows how dimples can speed up the heating process.

A box with three sides of plexiglass and one side of dimpled aluminum is filled with water and then connected to a heat source.

"We put beads and dye in there to see how they move along the dimples," Rodriguez said. "We witnessed them accelerate, twice the velocity than outside the dimple area, and with increased turbulence." That proves that the dimpling enhances heat transfer.

Click this thumbnail to watch a heat transfer experiment using dimples. [Credit: Sandia]

 

 

Rodriguez says this technology can be transformed into a solar water heater. That could be life-changing for places that don't have easy access to electricity, such as Indian reservations or developing nations. It has already caught the attention of a company in another country.

The road ahead
Rodriguez's dimpling work is far from done. His team recently submitted a non-provisional patent application for dimpled wind turbines.

"We can apply to rockets, aircraft, cars, electronic vehicles, submarines, drones, and wind turbine blades," Rodriguez said. "We can extend the distance that they can travel or the energy they harvest. Dimpling will have a beneficial effect on aerodynamics. We will be able to design rockets that can carry a much heavier payload in space and make space exploration more affordable by at least 10 to 20 percent."

Sal Rodriguez, right, looks on as technologist Robin Sharpe injects dye into the dimpled model they built, showing the way dimples increase heat transfer in water. [Credit: Photo by Craig Fritz]

 

 

While his work is very practical, Rodriguez also hopes to have a little fun with it. He's already dreaming up new ideas. "Maybe we could do speedboats, jet skis, even frisbees," Rodriguez said.

Read more Sandia technical developments at sandia.gov/news/.

Source: Sandia

Published January 2024

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