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Engineer's Toolbox: How to design the optimum hinge

Although many pin styles are available, Coiled Spring Pins are particularly well suited for use in both friction- and free-fit hinges. To achieve optimum long-term hinge performance, designers should observe these helpful design guidelines from SPIROL.
Read the full article.

Innovative new robo welding gun

Comau's newest N-WG welding gun is designed for high-speed spot welding for traditional, hybrid, and electric vehicles, in addition to general industry sectors. It features a patented, single-body architecture that enables rapid reconfiguration between welding types and forces, and it delivers consistent performance across a broad range of applications, including steel and (soon) aluminum welding. It supports both X and C standard gun configurations, has fast arm exchange, and universal mounting options. It is fully compatible with major robot brands and represents a significant advancement in spot welding performance and cost efficiency.
Learn more.

What's a SLIC Pin^®? Pin and cotter all in one!

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.

Engineering challenge: Which 3D-printed parts will fade?

How does prolonged exposure to intense UV light impact 3D-printed plastics? Will they fade? This is what Xometry's Director of Application Engineering, Greg Paulsen, set to find out. In this video, Paulsen performs comprehensive tests on samples manufactured using various additive processes, including FDM, SLS, SLA, PolyJet, DLS, and LSPc, to determine their UV resistance. Very informative. Some results may surprise you.
View the video.

Copper filament for 3D printing

Virtual Foundry, the company that brought us 3D-printable lunar regolith simulant, says its popular Copper Filamet™ (not a typo) is "back in stock and ready for your next project." This material is compatible with any open-architecture FDM/FFF 3D printer. After sintering, final parts are 100% pure copper. Also available as pellets. The company says this is one of the easiest materials to print and sinter. New Porcelain Filamet™ available too.
Learn more and get all the specs.

Copper foam -- so many advantages

Copper foam from Goodfellow combines the outstanding thermal conductivity of copper with the structural benefits of a metal foam. These features are of particular interest to design engineers working in the fields of medical products and devices, defense systems and manned flight, power generation, and the manufacture of semiconductor devices. This product has a true skeletal structure with no voids, inclusions, or entrapments. A perennial favorite of Designfax readers.
Learn more.

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.

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.

Test your knowledge: High-temp adhesives

Put your knowledge to the test by trying to answer these key questions on how to choose the right high-temperature-resistant adhesive. The technical experts from Master Bond cover critical information necessary for the selection process, including questions on glass transition temperature and service temperature range. Some of the answers may surprise even the savviest of engineers.
Take the quiz.

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.

What's new in Creo Parametric 11.0?

Creo Parametric 11.0 is packed with productivity-enhancing updates, and sometimes the smallest changes make the biggest impact in your daily workflows. Mark Potrzebowski, Technical Training Engineer, Rand 3D, runs through the newest functionality -- from improved surface modeling tools to smarter file management and model tree navigation. Videos provide extra instruction.
Read the full article.

What's so special about wave springs?

Don't settle for ordinary springs. Opt for Rotor Clip wave springs. A wave spring is a type of flat wire compression spring characterized by its unique waveform-like structure. Unlike traditional coil springs, wave springs offer an innovative solution to complex engineering challenges, producing forces from bending, not torsion. Their standout feature lies in their ability to compress and expand efficiently while occupying up to 50% less axial space than traditional compression springs. Experience the difference Rotor Clip wave springs can make in your applications today!
View the video.

New Standard Parts Handbook from JW Winco

JW Winco's printed Standard Parts Handbook is a comprehensive 2,184-page reference that supports designers and engineers with the largest selection of standard parts categorized into three main groups: operating, clamping, and machine parts. More than 75,000 standard parts can be found in this valuable resource, including toggle clamps, shaft collars, concealed multiple-joint hinges, and hygienically designed components.
Get your Standard Parts Handbook today.

Looking to save space in your designs?

Watch Smalley's quick explainer video to see how engineer Frank improved his product designs by switching from traditional coil springs to compact, efficient wave springs. Tasked with making his products smaller while keeping costs down, Frank found wave springs were the perfect solution.
View the video.

Top die casting design tips

You can improve the design and cost of your die cast parts with these top tips from Xometry's Joel Schadegg. Topics include: Fillets and Radii, Wall Thicknesses, Ribs and Metal Savers, Holes and Windows, Parting Lines, and more. Follow these recommendations so you have the highest chance of success with your project.
Read the full Xometry article.

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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