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What can replace a coil spring? You've got better options!

Traditional coil springs can limit mechanical designs. Wave springs offer a space-saving alternative, providing equivalent force and deflection in up to half the operating height while reducing assembly size and weight. There are four wave spring types that can replace a coil spring. Learn how each variant delivers unique performance capabilities to optimize space, efficiency, and reliability.
Read this informative NEW Smalley technical article.

Next-gen metal bonding: 3M Scotch-Weld 8500 Series

Replace traditional fasteners and streamline assembly with 3M Scotch-Weld Acrylic Adhesive DP8507NS. Engineered for direct bonding to bare or slightly oily metals with minimal surface prep, this high-performance adhesive withstands paint bake cycles up to 200 C (392 F), resists corrosion, and holds strong down to -40 C. Upgrade durability, aesthetics, and design flexibility. Bonds many plastics too!
View the video.

3 things you need to get right when 3D printing gears

When businesses decide to 3D print their own gears, they can reduce lead times and costs associated with replacements, prototypes, and small-batch production runs significantly. According to the experts at igus, however, "achieving industrial-grade reliability requires more than just a digital file; there are several fundamental technical basics you must master first to ensure your gears can withstand the rigors of real-world use."
Read this informative igus tech tip.

DURACON polymer with 30% recycled content

Daicel Corporation's High Performance Polymers SBU has launched four new DURACON^® POM grades featuring 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) content. Unveiled at CHINAPLAS 2026, the lineup includes Standard, Low VOC, Sliding, and Tough options. Leveraging advanced compounding expertise, Daicel maintains quality and mechanical performance comparable to standard virgin resin grades for demanding global industrial and automotive components.
Learn more.

Renishaw unveils revolutionary LIBERTAS™ 3DP tech

Renishaw's new LIBERTAS software technology addresses two of the most persistent challenges in metal AM: poor downskin surface finish and the need for support structures. Users have greater freedom to manufacture complex geometries.
Read the full article.

Innovate like a PRO: Protolabs' new AI-enabled manufacturing platform

ProDesk by Protolabs accelerates innovation for product development and procurement teams. It features real-time, AI-powered quoting with design for manufacturability (DFM) analysis across injection molding, CNC machining, and 3D printing. The platform enables seamless team collaboration and customizes quotes with instant feedback on materials, lead times, secondary operations, and finishes prior to production.
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.

How Autodesk Research uses Markforged 3D printing

In advanced R&D, "good enough" doesn't cut it. To pioneer its Performance-Aided Design (PAD) workflow, Autodesk Research partnered with Markforged to close the gap between digital simulation and reality. Using sensors and digital twins, PAD replaces delayed field reports with real-time feedback. To test this high-stakes system, Autodesk built massive UAV platforms -- including a 300-lb aircraft. Facing extreme dynamic loads and weather, these drones provide the ultimate torture test for rapid design iteration.
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Top Tech Tip: How do you 3D print STL files?

Learn the basics of 3D printing STL files -- the files that serve as the digital foundation for 3D printing -- and a whole lot more from the experts at Xometry. These files have advantages, of course, but did you know they have disadvantages too? Also learn about STL tools and programs, and how to reduce file size or even repair a file you are having trouble with.
Read the Xometry article.

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.

Radio Flyer cuts ebike prototype time radically with Fuse X1 large-format SLS 3D printer

Radio Flyer cut prototype lead times for its Flyer Loop cargo ebike frame from two months to two days using Formlabs' new Fuse X1 SLS large-format 3D printer. "We can now print an entire Flyer Loop cargo ebike overnight and be gluing it together the next day," said Agostino LoBello, product development engineer at Radio Flyer. "I can iterate three times as often with nine times less labor." The Fuse X1 delivers production-quality parts with 50% lower costs and triple the throughput of comparable industrial systems, featuring automated powder handling and a compact, easy-to-install design. [Credit: Image courtesy of Formlabs]
View the video.

Compact industrial sand 3D printer

ExOne has launched the S-Print Pro, a compact industrial sand 3D printer that brings production-grade binder jetting to smaller foundries, pattern shops, and print service providers. Aimed at businesses competing on cost and flexibility, it handles low-volume casting, spare parts, and custom components. The system processes furan binder with silica sand, CeraBeads, or silicon carbide.
Learn more about this capable machine.

Engineer's Toolbox: How to pin a shaft and hub assembly properly

One of the primary benefits of using a coiled spring pin to affix a hub or gear to a shaft is the coiled pin's ability to prevent hole damage. Another is the coiled pin absorbs wider hole tolerances than any other press-fit pin. This translates to lower total manufacturing costs of the assembly. However, there are a few design guidelines that must be adhered to in order to achieve the maximum strength of the pinned system and prevent damage to the assembly.
Read this very informative SPIROL article.

Get reliable labeling done right

Videojet Technologies has released the Videojet 9310 label applicator, designed to simplify everyday labeling on rigid and flexible packaging. Using Intelligent Motion technology, it digitally controls label tension and alignment to ensure consistent placement with minimal manual adjustments. The system features a simple label path, an intuitive touchscreen, and flexible mounting options to reduce downtime and keep production moving.
Learn more.

Your phone is now your smartest hydraulic tool

Commissioning a proportional valve traditionally requires cables, laptops, and complex software. The new Bosch Rexroth 4WRAE valve changes that. Featuring integrated digital electronics and Bluetooth connectivity, it pairs with the "easy2connect" app. Technicians can now visualize performance, adjust settings, diagnose errors, and force solenoids directly from their phones, simplifying setup for IO-Link or analog systems.
Learn more.

Using 3D printers becomes an 'everyday thing' for Army researchers

By David McNally, RDECOM

When you walk into the research lab at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, you hear the overpowering hum of massive machines with robotic parts swinging past viewing windows as technicians spray objects with lasers attached to limber metallic arms.

Fifty years ago, what goes on in this lab would have been considered science fiction, but what these Army researchers do is scientific fact.

Rapid Technologies Branch Chief Rick Moore explains how they use 3D printing technologies at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.[Photo Credit: David McNally, RDECOM]

 

 

 

 

These artisan engineers create three-dimensional objects out of plastic and metal in printers that seem like Star Trek replicators.

"It's allowed us to develop items for the warfighter quicker," said Rapid Technologies Branch Chief Rick Moore, Edgewood Chemical Biological Center. "We're able to come up with concepts and designs using our [computer-aided design] software, print them out, and have them in an engineer's hand the next day."

The lab is an element of the U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command, which has labs and research centers across the country. Army scientists, researchers, and engineers reach out to the team as needed.

Three-dimensional objects are created with computer-aided design, or CAD, programs, but Moore and his team also use lasers to "read" an object to create a 3D file. This process allows them to reverse-engineer practically anything.

For example, an Army technician scans part of a protective mask. As the laser passes over every millimeter of the object, the computer plots points in 3D space. On-screen the mask immediately comes into view as a three-dimensional object. Sending the file to the printer results in a solid copy you can hold in your hand within a few hours.

"It is kind of a magical thing," Moore said. "Seeing people who have never seen it before come through the lab finally get it and understand it ... you can see it in their face. They think it's something from the future."

The team's 3D printers churn out new objects day and night. Researchers use a variety of techniques to get the job done. Some printers use lasers, others spray heated plastic through print heads. One system uses a vat of "goo" to hold the object in place as it creates it layer by minuscule layer.

One massive printer uses a carbon dioxide laser to precisely melt powder. As one layer solidifies, the platform drops a little, a fresh layer of powder is spread, and the laser goes to work on the next layer.

A metallic part lies freshly made inside a futuristic 3D printer. [Photo Credit: David McNally, RDECOM]

 

 

"In the end, we'll raise the platform up and we'll have the printed object encapsulated in powder," Moore said. "We pull it out, shake off the excess powder, and then we've got a part."

Modeling artist Bradley Ruprecht said other printers in the lab are similar to desktop ink-jet printers.

"Instead of depositing ink on a page, the print head deposits a photo polymer onto the platform. A photo polymer is liquid until it's exposed to ultraviolet light and then it polymerizes, or solidifies, into a plastic," Ruprecht said. "Just like your ink-jet printer can mix colors together to get a different color, we can mix materials together. So we can make a rigid plastic or adjust the shore value and make it the stiffness that you want. You can also make parts that have two different materials embedded in each other."

One recent project involved coming up with a solution to help Soldiers carry a heavy piece of sensor equipment in the field.

"The Army Research Lab asked us to develop a holder for a heavy handheld sensor called a Mine Hound, which is used as an improvised explosive device detection sensor," Moore said. "They wanted something that would cradle the handle, so it's putting more weight on the Soldiers' vest and back as opposed to just their forearm."

The team scanned the sensor and came up with a myriad of design options in short order.

"The fact that we could do this many designs and print them out and have them in their hands in one week gave them the option to choose between what works best for their application," Moore said. "This is a good example of how we use the technology every day.

Moore said the part is still in the design process.

"We're going to make 10 of them for testing," he said. "Once we have their approval we're going to do the rapid tooling and use injection molding to make several thousand of the holders."

Injection molding is a more conventional manufacturing technique; however, the team uses 3D printing technology to augment, test, and even make molds that otherwise would add weeks or months to the process.

"We are deftly pushing what we like to call rapid tooling," Moore said. "It uses these technologies to build molds as opposed to conventional machining a mold."

In the future, Moore sees the technology becoming more commonplace.

"I see it expanding in the materials," he said. "I see the speed increasing and the sizes of the parts increasing. There are also a lot of fascinating medical applications, which kind of overlap with what we'd like to do in the Army in the future."

Medical personnel may use 3D laser scans on a Soldier before he or she is deployed. This would ensure all physical features are on file.

"If a Soldier comes back wounded, we'd have that data on our side where we could possibly build prosthesis that are exactly how the Soldier used to look -- instead of sculpting it and scanning it," Moore said.

3D printing may have been pioneered in the 1980s and brought to the market in the mid-1990s, but combining the processes with more powerful software and accurate lasers offers potential for future manufacturing techniques.

"Every day we're building parts for the customer, whether it is an exploded fragment or munitions," Moore said. "The more our customers use 3D printing, the more they're relying on it to do their testing before they do the manufacturing. So, it's become an everyday thing."

Moore said he and his co-workers enjoy their jobs.

"If you take a look at this equipment, how could you not like the job?" he asked. "I make stuff every day. I make something from nothing with state-of-the-art technology. The future is definitely fascinating."

Published October 2012

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