Designfax weekly eMagazine

Subscribe Today!

Archives

View Archives

Partners

Manufacturing Center
Product Spotlight

Modern Applications News
Metalworking Ideas For
Today's Job Shops

Tooling and Production
Strategies for large
metalworking plants

Cool! New energy-efficient R290 enclosure air conditioners

Seifert Systems introduces PFAS-free SoliTherm^® SlimLine NEO air conditioners using eco-friendly R290 refrigerant. These units offer high energy efficiency (EER up to 3.6) and a compact, under-8-in. internal depth. Featuring maintenance-free design with external or recessed mounting options, they deliver up to 8,500 BTU/hr, providing flexible cooling solutions for varied industrial enclosure needs. Several models available based on size/cooling capacity needs.
Learn more and see all your options.

Surface inspection: From Army depot to factory floor

Born from U.S. Army requirements for rotorcraft inspection, the GelSight Modulus 3D surface measurement system has surpassed 100 units sold to commercial and Department of Defense customers. The handheld, micron-scale tool with interchangeable probe tips delivers fast, high-res measurements in places traditional tools can't reach.
Read the full article.

What is Cold Metal Fusion?

Cold Metal Fusion is an open industry standard for sinter-based metal additive manufacturing. It combines polymer SLS design freedom with reliable debinding and sintering workflows, enabling complex geometries, lightweighting, lattice structures, conformal cooling channels, and high-precision metal parts with predictable shrink behavior. Now available from TriMech Group, this process offers a faster, cost-effective way to produce strong, high-performance metal parts.
Learn more from TriMech Group.

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.

U.S. Army engineers use ultrasound to develop safer, better ordnance

By Lauren Poindexter and Ed Lopez, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ

Engineers at Picatinny Arsenal are using ultrasound technology to more easily find defects during the manufacture of ordnance as a way to lower costs, produce more effective ordnance, and provide an added measure of safety for Soldiers in the field.

Engineers at the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) want to remove the "black box" that surrounds the production of energetic materials. In the context of defense research, "energetics" is a short-hand term for materials such as explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics.

"We have this black box, and it's currently hard to see inside with the technology that is available," said chemical engineer Viral Panchal.

"Ultrasound gives us the ability to open up the box, leading to more effective research, development and manufacturing," Panchal added.

Viral Panchal and Rajen Patel, engineers at the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, display the pieces that make up the ultrasound technology for propellants. [Photo by Todd Mozes]

 

 

 

 

ARDEC engineers have been working with Wes Cobb at the University of Denver, who has decades of experience developing ultrasound technology for the food, oil, and medical industries.

The ARDEC engineers provide expertise regarding the energetic material, explaining what properties need to be measured, and Cobb develops tools to do so. The technology developed by Cobb allows for faster research and development that will aid in developing better manufacturing models.

Ultrasound technology for energetics research is used as an in-process research and development tool, which ARDEC engineers and contractors are validating in a manufacturing setting.

Advantages of ultrasound include the ability to capture extensive information in real time, easily pass through metal, and operate at low energies, leading to safe use with energetic materials. Ultrasound technology also provides two useful measurements to include measuring the speed of sound and attenuation vs. frequency during real-time monitoring.

Project Director Joint Services, which is part of the Program Executive Office for Ammunition at Picatinny, is the main sponsor for the use of ultrasound technology in energetic manufacturing. It has made a significant investment in instruments to examine the melt-castable explosive fills for mortar and artillery shells during the casting process.

The Small Business Innovation Research program provided funds to Applied Sonics Inc., which was then able to create key components for the ultrasound equipment. This early investment enabled PM JS to fully support the implementation of the technology to manufacturing lines.

Much of the Army's ordnance items are manufactured as explosive materials cast into shell cases (TNT, Comp B, IMX-101 etc.). The solid explosive materials are first melted in a mixing kettle, stirred, and then poured into an empty shell.

Ideally, the casting hardens from the bottom up and evenly fills the case. However, variations in source materials and process conditions can lead to defects such as piping (vertical holes), porosity, and separation between the explosive and the case.

These defects, if found, lead to increased production costs and, if not, can ultimately affect the safety of Soldiers in the field if a loaded projectile with a cast defect is fired.

Currently, there is no way to monitor the quality of the explosive fill at any time during casting.

Recent work has shown that noninvasive ultrasonic sensors can be used to continuously monitor the solidification process during the casting of munitions and detect the formation of defects.

The monitoring technique can use sensors that are explosion-proof, operator friendly, intrinsically safe, and non-destructive to production rounds.

The sensing technology can measure in real time, at a high rate, providing valuable information that will eventually be incorporated into a control system.

"Energetic material manufacturing equipment is out of date, and the origin of flaws is difficult to understand as most available sensors cannot withstand the harsh manufacturing environments," said ARDEC engineer Rajen Patel.

"We had a program started several years ago that examined explosives for internal cracks, density, and viscosity in melt pour formulations. We were able to show that using ultrasound we can collect this information in real time."

Ultrasound with propellants
ARDEC engineers are also currently working with University of Denver to apply ultrasound technology to propellant manufacturing. Propellants are chemical substances that burn rapidly and generate gases, which push bullets or rockets downrange.

Previously, there were a number of methods in place to examine propellants, including X-ray imaging to check for the presence cracks and defects, buoyancy measurements for density, and viscometers to measure viscosity.

These properties are important for the quality of the materials and repeatability of propellant performance.

"Propellants are typically fabricated by mixing both solid and liquid ingredients with a suitable solvent system in batch mixers," said Panchal. After mixing, the product has a tough, dough-like consistency, which is then placed in an extrusion press and squeezed through a die of desired geometry to form strands.

"The strands are then cut into specific lengths to meet ballistic burning rate requirements," Panchal added.

"These cut grains are then blended together to make up the final propellant lot."

The propellants are then thoroughly analyzed afterwards.

"Moving forward, the goals for the project are to reduce the scrap rate and the number of voids in the propellants, while eliminating the blending cycle to reduce lot-to-lot variation.

"This will result in a more consistent product the first time rather than remaking substandard propellant lots at increased time and costs," added Panchal.

"Propellants often have a range of solvent content as they are extruded, and this solvent needs to be removed from the final grains through subsequent drying steps," he continued.

"Knowing the solvent level at the extrusion press allows the propellant manufacturer to tailor the diffusion rates of the solvents, controlling how they exit the propellant so that the formation of potential voids and cracks in the grains can be reduced.

"If you can detect the solvent levels at the time of extrusion, you can correct manufacturing defects in real time."

Real-time monitoring
An operator sitting in the control room can monitor the process and the solvent level in real time so that potential problems can be identified early, reducing production time, saving money, and boosting product quality.

"Nothing before could tell you in real time about the product quality," said Panchal.

Ultrasound technology allows the operators to stop at any point during production to address potential problems early on, instead of having to scrap an entire batch.

"We can eventually transfer this technology to our manufacturers to get a higher quality, more consistent product at a lower price," said Patel.

"It will reduce scrap rates and lower production times," he added.

Published November 2015

Rate this article