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hyperMILL 2024 CAD/CAM software suite

OPEN MIND Technologies has introduced its latest hyperMILL 2024 CAD/CAM software suite, which includes a range of powerful enhancements to its core toolpath capabilities, as well as new functionality for increased NC programming efficiency in applications ranging from 2.5D machining to 5-axis milling. New and enhanced capabilities include: Optimized Deep Hole Drilling, a new algorithm for 3- and 5-axis Rest Machining, an enhanced path layout for the 3D Plane Machining cycle, better error detection, and much more.
Learn more.

One-part epoxy changes from red to clear under UV

Master Bond UV15RCL is a low-viscosity, cationic-type UV-curing system with a special color-changing feature. The red material changes to clear once exposed to UV light, indicating that there is UV light access across the adhesive material. Although this change in color from red to clear does not indicate a full cure, it does confirm that the UV light has reached the polymer. This epoxy is an excellent electrical insulator. UV15RCL adheres well to metals, glass, ceramics, and many plastics, including acrylics and polycarbonates.
Learn more.

SPIROL Press-N-Lok™ Pin for plastic housings

The Press-N-Lok™ Pin was designed to permanently retain two plastic components to each other. As the pin is inserted, the plastic backfills into the area around the two opposing barbs, resulting in maximum retention. Assembly time is quicker, and it requires lower assembly equipment costs compared to screws and adhesives -- just Press-N-Lok™!
Learn more about the new Press-N-Lok™ Pin.

Why hybrid bearings are becoming the new industry standard

A combination of steel outer and inner rings with ceramic balls or rollers is giving hybrid bearings unique properties, making them suitable for use in a wide range of modern applications. SKF hybrid bearings make use of silicon nitride (twice as hard as bearing steel) rolling elements and are available as ball bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, and in custom designs. From electric erosion prevention to friction reduction and extended maintenance intervals, learn all about next-gen hybrid bearings.
Read the SKF technical article.

3M and Ansys train engineers on simulating adhesives

Ansys and 3M have created an advanced simulation training program enabling engineers to enhance the design and sustainability of their products when using tapes and adhesives as part of the design. Simulation enables engineers to validate engineering decisions when analyzing advanced polymeric materials -- especially when bonding components made of different materials. Understand the behavior of adhesives under real-world conditions for accurate modeling and design.
Read this informative Ansys blog.

New FATH T-slotted rail components in black from AutomationDirect

Automation-Direct has added a wide assortment of black-colored FATH T-slotted hardware components to match their SureFrame black anodized T-slotted rails, including: cube connectors (2D and 3D) and angle connectors, joining plates of many types, brackets, and pivot joints. Also included are foot consoles, linear bearings in silver and black, cam lever brakes, and L-handle brakes. FATH T-slotted hardware components are easy to install, allow for numerous T-slotted structure configurations, and have a 1-year warranty against defects.
Learn more.

Weird stuff: Moon dust simulant for 3D printing

Crafted from a lunar regolith simulant, Basalt Moon Dust Filamet™ (not a typo) available from The Virtual Foundry closely mirrors the makeup of lunar regolith found in mare regions of the Moon. It enables users with standard fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printers to print with unparalleled realism. Try out your ideas before you go for that big space contract, or help your kid get an A on that special science project.
Learn more.

Break the mold with custom injection molding by Rogan

With 90 years of industry experience, Rogan Corporation possesses the expertise to deliver custom injection molding solutions that set businesses apart. As a low-cost, high-volume solution, injection molding is the most widely used plastics manufacturing process. Rogan processes include single-shot, two-shot, overmolding, and assembly. Elevate your parts with secondary operations: drilling and tapping, hot stamping, special finishes, punch press, gluing, painting, and more.
Learn more.

World's first current-carrying fastening technology

PEM^® eConnect™ current-carrying pins from Penn-Engineering provide superior electrical connections in applications that demand high performance from internal components, such as automotive electronics. This first-to-market tech provides repeatable, consistent electrical joints and superior installation unmatched by traditional fastening methods. Features include quick and secure automated installation, no hot spots or poor conductivity, and captivation options that include self-clinching and broaching styles.
Learn more about eConnect pins.

New interactive digital catalog from EXAIR

EXAIR's latest catalog offers readers an incredible source of innovative solutions for common industrial problems like conveying, cooling, cleaning, blowoff, drying, coating, and static buildup. This fully digital and interactive version of Catalog 35 is designed for easy browsing and added accessibility. Customers can view, download, print, and save either the full catalog or specific pages and sections. EXAIR products are designed to conserve compressed air and increase personnel safety in the process. Loaded with useful information.
Check out EXAIR's online catalog.

5 cost-saving design tips for CNC machining

Make sure your parts meet expectations the first time around. Xometry's director of application engineering, Greg Paulsen, presents five expert tips for cutting costs when designing custom CNC machined parts. This video covers corners and radii, designing for deep pockets, thread depths, thin walls, and more. Always excellent info from Paulsen at Xometry.
View the video.

What can you secure with a retaining ring? 20 examples

From the watch dial on your wrist to a wind turbine, no application is too small or too big for a Smalley retaining ring to secure. Light to heavy-duty loads? Carbon steel to exotic materials? No problem. See how retaining rings are used in slip clutches, bike locks, hip replacements, and even the Louvre Pyramid.
See the Smalley design applications.

Load fasteners with integrated RFID

A crane, rope, or chain may be required when something needs lifting -- plus anchoring points on the load. JW Winco offers a wide range of solutions to fasten the load securely, including: lifting eye bolts and rings (with or without rotation), eye rings with ball bearings, threaded lifting pins, shackles, lifting points for welding, and more. Some, such as the GN 581 Safety Swivel Lifting Eye Bolts, even have integrated RFID tags to clearly identify specific lifting points during wear and safety inspections and manage them digitally and without system interruption.
Learn more.

Couplings solve misalignments more precisely with targeted center designs

ALS Couplings from Miki Pulley feature a simplistic, three-piece construction and are available in three different types for more precisely handling parallel, angular, or axial misalignment applications. The key feature of this coupling design is its center element. Each of the three models has a center member that has a unique and durable material and shape. Also called a "spider," the center is designed to address and resolve the type of misalignment targeted. Ideal for unidirectional continuous movement or rapid bidirectional motion.
Learn more.

What is 3D-MID? Molded parts with integrated electronics from HARTING

3D-MID (three-dimensional mechatronic integrated devices) technology combines electronic and mechanical functionalities into a single, 3D component. It replaces the traditional printed circuit board and opens up many new opportunities. It takes injection-molded parts and uses laser-direct structuring to etch areas of conductor structures, which are filled with a copper plating process to create very precise electronic circuits. HARTING, the technology's developer, says it's "Like a PCB, but 3D." Tons of possibilities.
View the video.

Volvo Trucks says fewer injuries at work with its dynamic steering

Long days behind the wheel cause many truck drivers to feel pain in their upper back. Henrik Gustafsson, 27, is one of them. Five years ago, when driving long-haul transport in Norway, he developed a problem with a muscle behind his left shoulder. Henrik stopped driving long-haul because of this and started driving timber in the forest with his father. He also took up weight training, but the problem did not disappear completely. However, a year and a half ago Henrik got the opportunity to drive the new Volvo FH, equipped with Volvo Dynamic Steering, in field tests. Since then his back has felt much better.

"The difference now is that I don't have to be on edge and drive in a guarded way. With Volvo Dynamic Steering the truck is very stable", says Gustafsson.

Injury-prone driving
The problems associated with industrial injuries are long recognized. In a study by Volvo Trucks involving 160 truck drivers in Europe, over half had problems with back, shoulder, and neck pain. In the study, conducted in 2011 and 2012, the majority of participants were men who drove long-haul operations.

Another 2011 study by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work shows that 54 percent of women and 37 percent of men in the transport sector in Europe have muscular and skeletal problems. These are often concentrated in the backs, shoulders, and necks of the drivers.

Peter Bark, who conducts research on health and safety issues at the Transport Research Institute, a research institute for transportation and logistics, explains why.

"Tightening muscles in the arms and neck, together with repetitive movements, put a large strain on certain muscle groups. Gripping the wheel hard when steering leads to even greater tension, I would expect. Larger muscles like biceps are not as sensitive, but when tensing the forearm and certain muscles that connect to the fingers and hands, there is a risk of feeling fatigued. Tensing the shoulders also leads to fatigue, which can then spread to the back of the neck."

How Volvo Dynamic Steering works
Volvo Dynamic Steering is based on a conventional mechanical steering system where a steering shaft links up to a steering gear. A hydraulic servo unit generates force that helps the driver turn the truck's road wheels. In Volvo's system, an electronically controlled electric motor is added, which is attached to the steering shaft. This electric motor works together with the hydraulic power steering and is adjusted thousands of times per second by the electronic control unit. At low speeds, the electric motor adds extra force, and at higher speeds, the electric motor automatically regulates the steering and compensates for irregularities that feed through to the steering wheel, caused for instance by side winds or bumps in the road surface.

Drastically reduced vibrations with Volvo Dynamic Steering
The new Volvo Dynamic Steering greatly reduces the movements of the steering wheel, which would otherwise be created by road uneveness. It not only makes steering easier and more comfortable for the driver, it also impacts less on the muscles and joints in the long term.

Driving at low speeds on normal roads with Volvo Dynamic Steering reduces the effort necessary to turn a steering wheel by approximately 75 percent. When driving on rough roads, it almost entirely reduces tremors by 95 to 100 percent. In combination with the automated I-Shift gearbox, it means that the pressure on the driver is massively reduced.

"If you take away everything that can happen to the driver outside the truck, then repetitive motion from road uneveness and from steering and shifting, so-called 'whole-body vibration,' is the biggest cause of occupational injuries," says Bark. "A road is never completely smooth; the body will shake with the motion. This creates what in ergonomics is called RSI or 'Repetitive Strain Injury.' It is a wearing of the muscle, just like tennis elbow, for example."

This is exactly what happens when truck drivers get a sore back or neck. They are sitting still while the body sways up and down. He or she controls the steering wheel with a certain load. The higher the load, the greater the risk of injury.

Gustafsson's back pain turned out to be a classic work injury. So, when he and his father bought a new truck, the choice was easy: a new Volvo FH with Volvo Dynamic Steering.

"Previously, I would tense up and steer the truck on small, winding roads. With Volvo Dynamic Steering the wheel is still, even when driving on bumpy roads when a force comes from the side that would normally shake the wheel. This is countered by the system, so I can sit and feel more relaxed as a driver. Today, I have a very different position when I drive" says Gustafsson.

Source: Volvo Trucks

Published February 2014

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