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SOLIDWORKS 2025: Sheet metal design top features from an expert

Find out what's new in SOLIDWORKS 2025 when it comes to sheet metal and weldments, and learn some valuable tips and tricks along the way from TriMech. Topics covered include copying cut list properties, bend notches, tab and slot enhancements, groove beads (a new type of weld bead), performance enhancements, and more. When you're done, check out TriMech's full YouTube channel filled with educational material.
View the video.

Introducing ECOMO: Revolutionizing energy efficiency for transformers with the power of nature

ECOMO is ushering in a new era of energy efficiency for existing transformers. This innovative unit from Japan reduces power consumption by 5 to 15% for transformers and other electrical equipment by harnessing the natural properties of tourmaline and ferrite. Many users have achieved a return on investment in under two years, and an ROI calculator is available to estimate potential savings. Easy installation. Requires no external power source. Sound intriguing?
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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.

LEDs: High-precision and focused light source

Würth Elektronik's WL-SMCW SMT Mono-color Chip LED Waterclear now includes a compact model with a footprint of just 1.6 mm x 0.8 mm, in which a dome lens focuses the light with an emission angle of just 30 degrees. With this LED, light can be precisely directed onto a small area while minimizing light scattering and energy loss. This space-saving LED is suitable for consumer electronics, medical devices, handheld products, and symbol or text displays. Available LED colors are blue, green, light green, yellow, amber, and red. A model with diffuse light (WL-SMTD) is also available.
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Chip fuse with 'slow-blow' characteristic

SCHURTER's compact and powerful SMT chip fuse UST 1206 has enjoyed great popularity since its intro in 2008. In response to customer requests, SCHURTER has expanded this line with even more powerful versions with rated currents up to 35 A. The SCHURTER UST 1206 is a chip fuse for surface mounting with a "slow-blow" characteristic. This means it has a high melting integral, so the fuse does not trip immediately at inrush current peaks higher than the rated current. This is of great importance in many industrial applications (e.g. motors, power converters).
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Long-life electric actuators: Improved controllability, performance

Thomson Electrak LL Linear Actuators now offer your machine designs a higher speed option, more electronic control options (including CANopen), and a 48-V option to meet the power requirements in battery-powered applications. Thomson says the new Electrak LL choices are for those who want to gain more control over the position, load, and speed of their applications, such as smart railway pantographs and couplers, AGVs, automated farming robots, movable steps, and access lifts for trains and buses.
Learn more and get the specs.

Real-world applications: FUTEK 100 sensor examples

Get inspired. FUTEK has more than 100 real-world application examples for their load cells, force transducers, torque sensors, pressure sensors, and multi-axis sensors. From a cryogenic load cell on the Mars Curiosity rover to fly-by-wire multi-axis force and torque sensors for aircraft, learn about sensor systems, their specs, and design. Automotive, manufacturing, medical, robotics, and automation are covered too. Fascinating and highly practical.
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Ultra-compact hollow-shaft angle sensor tracks angle even if power is cut

Novotechnik's WAL 200 Series of hollow shaft angle sensors provides absolute rotary position -- even if power is removed. After power is restored, this sensor provides the correct angle. With a 7-mm profile and 22-mm diameter, it is designed to fit in applications with very limited space. The WAL 200 Series has a measurement range of 0 to 340 degrees. Mechanical range is a continuous 0 to 360 degrees. Applications include volumetric dosing systems, joysticks, and more.
Learn more.

What can you do with touchless magnetic angle sensors?

Novotechnik has put together an informative video highlighting real-world applications for their RFC, RFE, and RSA Series touchless magnetic angle sensors. You may be surprised at the variety of off-highway, marine, material handling, and industrial uses. You'll learn how they work (using a Hall effect microprocessor to detect position) and their key advantages, including eliminated wear and tear on these non-mechanical components. We love when manufacturers provide such useful examples.
View the video.

EMI suppression capacitors with enhanced humidity resistance

TDK Corporation has launched the EPCOS B3292xM3/N3 series of X2 EMI suppression capacitors. These new components are 20% smaller than previous models and meet Grade III Test B standards for temperature, humidity, and bias (THB). Their compact size and enhanced durability suit space-constrained, high-humidity environments, especially for "across-the-line" applications in automotive and industrial settings. Applications include automotive on-board chargers, uninterruptible power supplies, and hybrid inverters for energy storage systems.
Learn more.

Uses of thermal cameras in manufacturing expand: This time around to papermaking

What can you so with FLIR thermal cameras to improve your industrial processes? Recent developments in thermal signature analytics have expanded the applications of thermal cameras beyond routine troubleshooting. In papermaking, they now contribute to paper machine control, energy usage benchmarking, wet streak detection, and the identification and prediction of certain classes of sheet breaks. Maybe you'll get some ideas for your applications.
Read the full article.

3-axis motion made simple using CLICK PLUS PLC

Automation-Direct CLICK PLUS PLCs, when combined with stepper motors, make advanced motion control and edge integration simple for smaller systems. Learn motion control basics, motor options, motion with micro-PLCs and steppers, and more in this informative whitepaper from AutomationDirect. No registration required.
Get the AutomationDirect whitepaper.

Benchtop ionizer removes static at a distance

The award-winning EXAIR Varistat^® Benchtop Ionizer is a powerful fan-driven static eliminator engineered to neutralize static charges on surfaces in demanding industrial environments. This Ionizer delivers a consistent stream of ionized airflow, effectively eliminating static and particulates without the need for compressed air. The Varistat is now available in 230 V to meet the needs of industrial locations. Easily mounted and manually adjustable.
Learn more.

All about slip rings: How they work and their uses

Rotary Systems has put together a really nice basic primer on slip rings -- electrical swivels that carry a current from a stationary wire into a rotating device. Common uses are for power, proximity switches, strain gauges, video, and Ethernet signal transmission. This introduction also covers how to specify, assembly types, and interface requirements. Rotary Systems also manufactures rotary unions for fluid applications.
Read the Rotary Systems article.

Digital microscope with 2,040x mag: Under $200

Inspect work products or help your little engineer at home win that science fair with the AD246S-M HDMI Digital Microscope from Andonstar Technology Co. This tri-lens unit boasts a wide magnification range (60 to 240x, 18 to 720x, 1,560 to 2,040x), very good image performance, built-in rotatable monitor, and a slew of multifunctional accessories including a remote, dimmer cable to adjust illumination, and more. A solid choice for a small investment.
Learn more.

Firefly-inspired surfaces improve efficiency of LED lightbulbs

A new type of light-emitting diode lightbulb could one day light homes and reduce power bills, according to Penn State researchers who suggest that LEDs made with firefly-mimicking structures could improve efficiency.

"LED lightbulbs play a key role in clean energy," said Stuart (Shizhuo) Yin, professor of electrical engineering. "Overall commercial LED efficiency is currently only about 50 percent. One of the major concerns is how to improve the so-called light extraction efficiency of the LEDs. Our research focuses on how to get light out of the LED."

Fireflies and LEDs face similar challenges in releasing the light that they produce, because the light can reflect backwards and is lost. One solution for LEDs is to texture the surface with microstructures -- microscopic projections -- that allow more light to escape. In most LEDs these projections are symmetrical, with identical slopes on each side.

Fireflies' lanterns also have these microstructures, but the researchers noticed that the microstructures on firefly lanterns were asymmetric -- the sides slanted at different angles, giving a lopsided appearance.

Saphire surface with asymmetrical pyramids to produce more light in LEDs. [Credit: Yin Lab/Penn State]

 

 

"Later I noticed not only do fireflies have these asymmetric microstructures on their lanterns, but a kind of glowing cockroach was also reported to have similar structures on their glowing spots," said Chang-Jiang Chen, doctoral student in electrical engineering and lead author in the study. "This is where I tried to go a little deeper into the study of light extraction efficiency using asymmetric structures."

Using asymmetrical pyramids to create microstructured surfaces, the team found that they could improve light extraction efficiency to around 90 percent. The findings were recently published online in Optik and will appear in the April print edition.

Typical sapphire surface with symmetric pyramids. [Credit: Yin Lab/Penn State]

 

 

According to Yin, asymmetrical microstructures increase light extraction in two ways. First, the greater surface area of the asymmetric pyramids allows greater interaction of light with the surface, so that less light is trapped. Second, when light hits the two different slopes of the asymmetric pyramids there is a greater randomization effect of the reflections and light is given a second chance to escape.

After the researchers used computer-based simulations to show that the asymmetric surface could theoretically improve light extraction, they next demonstrated this experimentally. Using nanoscale 3D printing, the team created symmetric and asymmetric surfaces and measured the amount of light emitted. As expected, the asymmetric surface allowed more light to be released.

The LED-based lighting market is growing rapidly as the demand for clean energy increases, and it is estimated to reach $85 billion by 2024.

"Ten years ago, you go to Walmart or Lowes, LEDs are only a small portion (of their lighting stock)," said Yin. "Now, when people buy lightbulbs, most people buy LEDs."

LEDs are more environmentally friendly than traditional incandescent or fluorescent lightbulbs because they are longer lasting and more energy efficient.

Two processes contribute to the overall efficiency of LEDs. The first is the production of light -- the quantum efficiency -- which is measured by how many electrons are converted to light when energy passes through the LED material. This part has already been optimized in commercial LEDs. The second process is getting the light out of the LED -- called the light extraction efficiency.

"The remaining things we can improve in quantum efficiency are limited," said Yin. "But there is a lot of space to further improve the light extraction efficiency."

In commercial LEDs, the textured surfaces are made on sapphire wafers. First, UV light is used to create a masked pattern on the sapphire surface that provides protection against chemicals. Then when chemicals are applied, they dissolve the sapphire around the pattern, creating the pyramid array.

"You can think about it this way, if I protect a circular area and at the same time attack the entire substrate, I should get a volcano-like structure," explained Chen.

In conventional LEDs, the production process usually produces symmetrical pyramids because of the orientation of the sapphire crystals. According to Chen, the team discovered that if they cut the block of sapphire at a tilted angle, the same process would create the lopsided pyramids. The researchers altered just one part of the production process, suggesting their approach could easily be applied to commercial manufacture of LEDs.

The researchers have filed for a patent on this research.

"Once we obtain the patent, we are considering collaborating with manufacturers in the field to commercialize this technology," said Yin. Other researchers who worked on the project were Jimmy Yao, Wenbin Zhu, Ju-Hung Chao, Annan Shang, and Yun-Goo Lee, doctoral students in electrical engineering.

Source: Penn State

Published February 2019

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