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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.

Bayer deepens involvement in futuristic Solar Impulse aircraft

Bayer MaterialScience is expanding its contribution to the Solar Impulse project -- an unprecedented around-the-world flight powered solely by solar energy scheduled for takeoff in 2015. The company specializes in high-performance materials and is responsible for the complete design of the cockpit shell of the second, improved model. Among its contributions will be an innovative, extremely high-performance insulating material. Solar Impulse and Bayer MaterialScience announced recently at a joint news conference in Payerne, Switzerland, that the new solar aircraft is expected to be completed in late 2013 and will conduct test flights the following year.

The Solar Impulse first-generation plane flies over Switzerland in 2011. [Image copyright: ©Solar Impulse, Jean Revillard]

 

 

The first model, completed in 2009, will remain available for additional missions. "We are studying several possibilities, and it could perhaps be making its first flights around the United States next year," said Bertrand Piccard, the initiator and chairman of the Swiss project that aims to prove that clean technologies are fully reliable, allowing a drastic reduction in energy consumption. So far the solar aircraft has completed flights in Europe and to North Africa; in each case with materials from Bayer MaterialScience on board.

Solar Impulse aims to be the first aircraft that can fly day and night without fuel or polluting emissions. The project hopes to demonstrate the huge potential of new technologies in terms of energy reduction and the production of renewable energy. The first-generation carbon-fiber aircraft (HB-SIA), which has the wingspan of an Airbus A340 (63.4 m) and the weight of an average family car (1,600 kg), is the result of seven intense years of work, calculations, simulations, and tests by a team of 70 people and 80 partners.

The 12,000 solar cells built into the wing provide four 10-hp electric motors with renewable energy. By day, the solar cells recharge the 400-kg lithium batteries, which enable the plane to fly at night. The Solar Impulse project is supported by Main Partners Solvay, Omega, Deutsche Bank, and Schindler; Official Partners Bayer MaterialScience, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, and Altran; Official Scientific Advisor: EPFL (the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne); and Aeronautical Consultant: Dassault-Aviation.

The first manned around-the-world flight in a fuel-less aircraft is scheduled for takeoff in early 2015. That trip will take place using the second-generation craft called HB-SIB. The flight is expected to take 20 flight-days, with five to six needed just to cross the Pacific and two to three for the Atlantic crossing. Including the necessary breaks, the solar-powered aircraft's journey from west to east will take a total of three to four months.

System leader for the cockpit
"We are now deepening our involvement as we go from materials supplier to system leader for the new cockpit," said Patrick Thomas, chief executive officer of Bayer MaterialScience.

Bayer MaterialScience is contributing a variety of products and solutions to ensure that the second, larger model of the futuristic aircraft will be lightweight, yet retain its rigidity. For example, because the cockpit cowl will be hinged for the first time, a section of it is being supported with a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic.

In addition, the innovative polyurethane foam called Baytherm Microcell will be used as insulation in places. The material offers significantly greater insulating performance than the current standard because Bayer researchers were able to shrink the pores in the foam by an additional 40 percent. Highly efficient insulation is particularly important for the aircraft, because it must withstand temperature fluctuations between -50 degrees C at night and 50 degrees C during the day.

Carbon nanotubes on board
"The significantly larger size of the new cockpit shell and Solar Impulse's tight weight budget meant that we had to further optimize the weight through design measures and targeted choice of materials," explained Martin Kreuter, Solar Impulse project manager at Bayer MaterialScience. Another innovation announced by Kreuter was the use of Baytubes carbon nanotubes in carbon fiber-reinforced structural components in order to reach more savings both regarding material and weight.

"This will allow us to enlarge the wings of the new aircraft and increase the number of solar cells mounted on them," Kreuter said.

Solar Impulse CEO and cofounder Andre Borschberg says that work on the new aircraft is already far advanced. "Eighty percent of the design phase and 50 percent of the construction phase have been completed," he said.

Here is the first-generation craft landing this year:

Learn more at solarimpulse.com

Source: Bayer MaterialScience

Published December 2012

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