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Damping elements, stoppers, and rubber buffers

JW Winco provides a wealth of variants to serve every application when it comes to vibration damping elements for alternating tensile and compressive loads. JW Winco has 40 standard parts covering several hundred article numbers in its selection -- from simple rubber buffers like GN 353 to more complex designs such as GN 148.3 that can take up to 17,600 newtons of compression. These elements have a core of natural rubber, because this still offers the best damping values, unmatched by synthetic elastomers or silicone materials.
See the full line that JW Winco offers.

Stratasys moves beyond polymers: Metal 3D printing

Stratasys, the global leader in polymer additive manufacturing, is getting into metals by investing in industrial metal 3D-printing company Tritone Technologies. The agreement brings cutting-edge, production-grade metal and ceramic technology to Stratasys' service portfolio. At the core of Tritone's offering is its MoldJet^® technology, the only powder-free AM technology that enables the high-throughput production of metal and ceramic parts at industrial scale and speed that overcomes previous challenges.
Learn more about this exciting development.

TS0501: Pushing the limits of aerospace machining

Seco has launched TS0501, a Duratomic^® finishing grade engineered for exceptional performance in turning modern high-hardness superalloys as well as traditional materials such as Inconel 718. Designed for lights-out machining, TS0501 delivers unmatched tool life, surface finish, and reliability in demanding aerospace and energy applications. The insert's wear resistance and thermal stability make it ideal for industries where component integrity is critical.
Read the Seco article.

Most powerful heatsink: Extreme CPU cooling

Learn how 3D Systems played a crucial part in developing "the world's most powerful AI-designed and metal 3D-printed liquid nitrogen (LN2) heatsink for extreme CPU cooling." The heatsink was created using 3D Systems' Direct Metal Printing tech utilizing certified oxygen-free copper for superior thermal conductivity. An eccentric application that pushes the boundaries of thermal management.
Read the 3D Systems blog.

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.

Build-to-order knobs and hand hardware

Rogan Corp.'s innovative use of two-shot plastic injection and insert molding has been providing customers with high-quality plastic clamping knobs, levers, and control knobs for more than 90 years. Rogan offers concurrent engineering, product design, and assistance in material selection to ensure customer satisfaction for standard or customized parts, with a focus on cost optimization and on-time delivery. Custom colors, markings, decorative inlays, or engineered materials to meet special requirements, such as adding extra strength or utilizing a flame-retardant material, are all offered.
Learn more.

Why switch from weld fasteners to clinch fasteners?

According to the experts at Penn-Engineering, engineers usually make the switch from weld fasteners to self-clinching fasteners due to two key motivators: environmental impact and cosmetic appeal. Additional benefits often materialize, though, that have positive effects on time, costs, and end-product quality. Find out how.
Read this PennEngineering PEM blog with real-world examples.

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.

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

What is laser peening for metal components?

According to Curtiss-Wright, laser peening (also called laser shock peening) "drives deep plastic strain into a part that creates a high-magnitude residual compressive stress from 1 to 10 mm below the surface." This process involves hitting a part surface with a laser repeatedly through a stream of water, offering designers the ability "to surgically engineer residual compressive stress into key areas of components." Benefits include enhancements to fatigue strength, durability, damage tolerance, and resistance to stress corrosion cracking of critical metallic components.
Read the extensive Curtiss-Wright article.

Full-color 3D-printing Design Guide from Xometry

With Xometry's PolyJet 3D-printing service, you can order full-color 3D prints easily. Their no-cost design guide will help you learn about different aspects of 3D printing colorful parts, how to create and add color to your models, and best practices to keep in mind when printing in full color. Learn how to take full advantage of the 600,000 unique colors available in this flexible additive process.
Get the Xometry guide.

New lightweight compound for structural car parts

Following four years of collaboration with the University of Toronto, Axiom is proud to announce the creation of AX Gratek PP40 -- a groundbreaking lightweight, high-strength alternative to heavy glass-filled 40-60% PP components. This hybrid composite features graphene nanoplatelets with glass fibers. Patent pending, this material has achieved up to 20% improvement in tensile strength while achieving an impressive 18% weight reduction compared to commercial PPGF60% parts.
Learn more.

Quickparts making big moves for part making

Quickparts has expanded its Seattle HQ to create an Aerospace & Defense Center of Excellence, strengthening the company's long-standing expertise in high-fidelity casting patterns and advanced stereolithography (SLA). Simultaneously, the company is launching its Quick Mold solution across North America, bringing production-quality molded parts to market in as little as five days.
Read the full article.

Print parts in M300 tool steel: Starter kit

Take your 3D printing to the next level with M300 Tool Steel Filamet™ -- a high-strength and wear-resistant material. Virtual Foundry has released a brand-new M300 Tool Steel Kit packed with everything you need to get started, including: 0.5-kg starter filament spool, Filawarmer, 1 kg of steel blend, 0.5 kg of sintering carbon, and an alumina crucible. From the company that brought us 3D-printable lunar regolith simulant.
Learn more, including print instructions.

Tank cleaning: 360° corrosion-resistant option

For processes requiring efficient tank washing, BETE's HydroWhirl Poseidon offers a unique solution that cleans effectively in tanks containing harsh chemicals or stubborn substances. This slow-spinning tank cleaning nozzle provides complete 360° coverage with longer dwell time on target surfaces; ideal for use in corrosive chemical environments, chemical processing tanks, food and beverage processes, IBC Totes, and more. The unit's bearing-free design delivers a slow, deliberate spray that provides a more effective washdown than conventional rotating designs.
Learn more. Available from EXAIR.

Army tests new spacesuit concepts at Fort Irwin

By Caroline Keyser, Fort Irwin USAG

Fort Irwin Soldiers got a chance to help test equipment this fall that they may never have imagined they'd see when they joined the Army.

A team of researchers for NASA and aerospace companies came to the California installation Nov. 7-11 to conduct field tests of equipment that could potentially be used in future missions to the moon and Mars. Their goal was to evaluate how humans could conduct surveys of soil and environment that would allow them to choose sites for outposts in space.

Researchers Pascal Lee and Joshua Schapiro simulate using tools during a spacewalk to collect soil samples during a test conducted for NASA Nov. 9, 2011, at Langford Wells Dry Lake at Fort Irwin, CA. [Photo Credit: Caroline Keyser, Irwin]

 

 

 

 

About 10 Soldiers were used to test a prototype of spacesuit ports that lock in to a pressurized rover. In this new design, the suits hang off the back of the rover, attached by head and shoulders to a port. This would eliminate the time-consuming need for astronauts to enter an airlock chamber to don spacesuits and acclimate to the air they'll breathe. With the ports, astronauts need only to slip into the suit while inside the rover and unlock the port to perform space walks.

The new design also eliminates potential dust buildup in spaceships because the suits are always kept outside, said Pascal Lee, project lead for the field testing.

James Morin, a researcher with Hamilton Sundstrand, helps Spc. Robert Pierre, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, lock in to a spacesuit port at Langford Wells Dry Lake on Fort Irwin, CA, Nov. 9, 2011, during testing conducted for NASA. [Photo Credit: Caroline Keyser, Irwin]

 

 

 

 

"The Soldiers were super helpful because they presented us with a wide range of body shapes and sizes," Lee said. "We don't want the suit ports to be too tightly tailored to an individual."

Spc. Robert Pierre, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, helped the researchers with their testing and got to try out the spacesuits.

"It's definitely a new experience," he said. "I never thought I would do something like this."

Fort Irwin was chosen as the site for the testing because its terrain is similar to that of the moon and Mars, and because it could provide access to maxi-ambulance Humvees, which have been the standard vehicle used to simulate the pressurized rovers, Lee said. If pressurized rovers are eventually used, they would provide astronauts with mobile living and working quarters that would allow them to remain on the surface of the moon or Mars for extended amounts of time.

Working at Fort Irwin was an extremely positive experience, Lee said. Plans are in the works for a second phase of research here in the spring that would test the feasibility of using robots to follow up on the outpost site evaluations performed by humans.

"Our collaboration with Fort Irwin was very fruitful," Lee said. "It's the beginning of a beautiful relationship."

Published December 2011

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