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Cool! Internal threading in hard materials now possible

INSACO has a new capability where they can machine an internal thread in ceramic, sapphire, quartz, and other very hard materials. This advance pushes the boundaries of what's possible to support advanced applications that demand high precision and complexity. Ultra-hard materials are alternatives for when metal can't do the job. Ideal for aerospace, medical, and industrial applications.
Learn more. Video available on right side of page.

ClampDisk micro fastener is new alternative for automotive and consumer electronics

Designed as a unique alternative in assemblies for the automotive and consumer electronics markets, the ClampDisk Press-on Fastener is a newer offering from PennEngineering that delivers a fast, simple way to achieve sheet-to-sheet clamped fastening while replacing the use of standard screws, nuts, and adhesives. ClampDisk eliminates over-installation, cross-threading, stripped screw heads, broken screws, and damaged product. This fastener can be removed easily with a sharp-edged tool.
See how ClampDisk works.

Simplify appliance glass assembly

Henkel's Technomelt PUR 9015 BV/WV is a polyurethane hotmelt adhesive providing high initial strength and long-term durability for glass and large-panel appliance assembly. It enables immediate handling, excellent substrate adhesion, and high thermal resistance, while supporting automated, cost-efficient production. It offers a flexible solution for high-reliability manufacturing.
Learn more.

Made-to-order stamped components for insert molding

Traditionally, OEMs source metal inserts and insert molding services separately. Not anymore. Plastics manufacturers and injection molders are now taking on more of the sourcing responsibility for insert molded parts, and they are partnering with Boker's, who has a long-term proven record for delivering precision stampings with quick turnaround times and ensuring metal inserts are mold-ready upon delivery. Boker's has immediate access to over 2,000 commonly specified and hard-to-find materials.
Learn more.

SDP/SI Shaftloc Fastening System

Shaftloc is a unique, reusable locking device for securely mounting mechanical components like gears and sprockets onto shafts without the need for keyways, set screws, or adhesives. Its simple, two-piece design offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional fasteners, providing high clamping force and vibration resistance. Installed with standard tools, Shaftloc is perfect for designers seeking flexible, hubless mounting solutions. Available in four styles.
Learn more from SDP/SI.

Epoxy engineered for heat-sink bonding

Master Bond EP54TC is a two-component epoxy engineered for heat-sink bonding and thermal management applications. Featuring the highest thermal conductivity in the Master Bond electrically insulating portfolio, it delivers exceptional heat dissipation while remaining electrically non-conductive and compliant with ASTM E595 NASA low outgassing requirements. It supports thin bond lines and efficient void filling to maximize thermal performance.
Learn more.

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, including Inconel 625, titanium (Ti64), copper, tool steels, and stainless steels.
View the video and learn more.

Metal 3D printing: EOS adds four new materials

Industrial 3D-printing supplier EOS has added four new metal additive manufacturing materials to its portfolio: an iron-nickel alloy that boasts stability under fluctuating temps, a nickel alloy with high strength and extreme corrosion resistance, a low-alloyed steel prized for its high toughness and strength, and an industrial-grade stainless steel. Each has been optimized for EOS Laser Powder Bed Fusion systems.
Get all the details.

Application Note: Disc springs in mechanical braking system

Braking systems for off-highway equipment are commonly designed to be hydraulically actuated, but without an additional fail-safe system, this design alone has limited reliability. If a hydraulic seal is compromised, or the hydraulic cylinder loses pressure for any reason, the brakes fail. One solid mechanical back-up design uses SPIROL disc springs.
Read the full article.

Configurable welding platform for flexible manufacturing

Emerson's new Branson Polaris Ultrasonic Welding Platform offers a highly configurable, smart solution for advanced manufacturing. It features secure connectivity and real-time control to join diverse materials, from medical devices to food packaging. With adaptable power supplies and actuators, the system scales from benchtop lab trials to fully automated production lines, optimizing footprint and data storage to meet complex application needs.
Learn more.

SPIROL receives 2025 Supplier Excellence Recognition Award from Caterpillar

Kudos to SPIROL! The engineered fasteners manufacturer has received the 2025 Supplier Excellence Recognition Award from Caterpillar Inc. This prestigious award recognizes suppliers who demonstrate world-class performance and a sustained commitment to quality, delivery, and operational excellence.
Read the full article.

Eliminate cotters, bolts, nuts with SLIC Pin^®

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.

Tech Tip: How to install sleeve bearings

According to the engineering experts over at PBC Linear, "Installing Simplicity Sleeve Bearings can be tricky due to the thin aluminum outer shell." Learn the basic procedures that can be followed to install the aluminum-backed Simplicity Sleeve and Flange Bearings -- each comes with its own unique challenges.
Read the PBC Linear blog.

Hold any shape with ID and OD Form Holding Clamps

These simple OD and ID clamping solutions from Fixtureworks clamp onto your part in one easy operation, eliminating the need for custom fixtures. They allow users to clamp onto the inner or outer diameter of small-size, irregularly shaped work parts fast. Lots of options.
Learn more.

Engineer's Toolbox: The basics of pressure regulators

Pressure regulators are found in many common home and industrial applications. Learn all about their functions, selection criteria, installation, and more in this in-depth article from Beswick Engineering.
Read the full article.

Engineers show lab-grown diamond films can stop costly mineral buildup in pipes

By Silvia Cernea Clark, Rice University

In industrial pipes, mineral deposits build up the way limescale collects inside a kettle -- only on a far larger and more expensive scale. Mineral scaling is a major issue in water and energy systems, where it slows flow, strains equipment, and drives up costs.

A new study by Rice University engineers shows that lab-grown diamond coatings could resolve the issue, providing an alternative to chemical additives and mechanical cleaning, both of which offer only temporary relief and carry environmental or operational downsides.

"Because of these limitations, there is growing interest in materials that can naturally resist scale formation without constant intervention," said Xiang Zhang, assistant research professor of materials science and nanoengineering and a first author on the study alongside Rice postdoctoral researcher Yifan Zhu. "Our work addresses this urgent need by identifying a coating material that can 'stay clean' on its own."

Diamond is well known for its hardness, chemical stability, and ability to withstand high heat -- qualities that already make it useful in demanding industrial settings. Earlier studies showed that diamond can fend off biological fouling and bacterial growth, but its potential to reduce mineral scaling had not been systematically examined.

The researchers grew diamond films through microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition, or MPCVD, a technique that uses gas to create a solid coating: Methane and hydrogen gases were fed into a chamber where microwave radiation energized the atoms into a hot plasma state. This broke apart the gas molecules, freeing up carbon atoms that settled onto a silicon wafer and linked into the tightly packed structure of diamond. By applying postgrowth treatments, the researchers could tailor the chemistry of the diamond's surface as it formed.

Rice University researchers Pulickel Ajayan (left) and Xiang Zhang. [Credit: Photo by Jeff Fitlow/Rice University]

 

 

Their goal was to test whether those subtle surface changes would affect how mineral scaling first takes hold. One version, the nitrogen-terminated diamond, stood out in terms of performance: It accumulated more than an order of magnitude less scale than diamond treated with oxygen, hydrogen, or fluorine, and microscopy showed only scattered crystal clusters where other surfaces formed dense layers.

Molecular simulations helped explain the behavior. Nitrogen encourages a tightly bound layer of water molecules to form on the diamond, creating a barrier that makes it difficult for mineral ions to attach and begin building scale.

The researchers applied the same chemistry to boron-doped diamond electrodes used in electrochemical systems. Those electrodes collected roughly one-seventh as much scale without losing performance.

Combined microscopy, chemical analysis, and adhesion measurements captured not only how much scale formed but also how strongly it stuck. "Such a comprehensive study was previously limited by the cost and availability of high-quality diamond films as well as reliable surface treatment methods, which technology has only recently made possible," Zhang said.

"These findings identify vapor-grown, cost-effective, polycrystalline diamond films as a powerful, long-lasting anti-scaling material with broad potential across water desalination, energy systems, and other industries where mineral buildup is a problem," said Pulickel Ajayan, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor of Engineering and professor of materials science and nanoengineering.

Jun Lou, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor of Materials Science and Nanoengineering, added, "The scalable and versatile deposition process of the coating also makes it very attractive for various industry sectors."

Ajayan, Lou, and Zhang are corresponding authors on the study.

Published December 2025

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