Click this link if you cannot read the issue below: Designfax - Tech for OEM Design Engineers
June 09, 2026Volume 22 Issue 22


Image - How Do Sealed Systems Equalize Pressure Without Moisture Ingress?
How Do Sealed Systems Equalize Pressure Without Moisture Ingress?
Pressure equalization protects sealed enclosures from damaging pressure and vacuum differentials. However, every breathing cycle can introduce moisture into the system. Breathing desiccators help control humidity by drying incoming air before it enters the enclosure.
  • Dry incoming air during pressure equalization
  • Reduce condensation caused by humidity ingress
  • Combine moisture control and pressure management in one solution
Learn how breathing desiccators work and how using them protects the enclosure and the equipment inside.
→ Talk to an AGM Design Engineer or call (520) 844-0952.

In this issue of Designfax

  • What went wrong? NASA space antenna mishap
  • World first: Factory converts plastic to aviation fuel
  • New propulsion for tiny satellites
  • AC Cobra GT Coupe: 710 hp and super cool
  • How to maximize and optimize stepper motor control
  • 3D Printing: Why DfAM optimization is falling short
  • Full-color 3D-printing Design Guide from Xometry
  • What's new in hyperMILL 2026?
  • Mini edge AI systems for vision, generative AI
  • Clear, high-flex silicone meets low-outgassing specs
  • Affordable nanometer-level precision focus stage
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • Vision-guided robots on Ford assembly line
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • NASA tests next-gen thruster for Mars
    • Ram 1500 Rumble Bee: HEMI-powered muscle trucks
    • What's an optical tornado?
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: AC Cobra GT Coupe

News

Partnership aims to create a U.S. domestic gallium supply from aluminum production

3D Printing: Stratasys to acquire MarkForged

Spend almost a whole day on the plane: World's longest-range aircraft takes to the skies

MIT researchers teach AI models to interpret charts



Feature articles

Image - What went wrong? NASA space antenna mishap report released
What went wrong? NASA space antenna mishap report released
NASA has completed its investigation into the significant damage sustained last year at its 70-meter radio-frequency antenna known as the Deep Space Station 14 in California. Find out the domino effect of electronic, mechanical, and human errors -- and even a flood -- that resulted in a repair bill over $4 million.
Read the full article.

Image - World first: Factory converts waste plastic to aviation fuel
World first: Factory converts waste plastic to aviation fuel
A major breakthrough in tackling both waste plastic and aviation emissions has been reached with the opening of the world's first waste plastics-to-sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) pilot facility. Located in England, the unique operation uses hard-to-recycle waste plastics.
Read the full article.

Image - New propulsion system could make tiny satellites both fast and fuel efficient
New propulsion system could make tiny satellites both fast and fuel efficient
Engineers are testing a new propulsion system that combines the power and speed of conventional chemical thrusters with the precision and fuel efficiency of electrical thrusters. It uses a type of "green monopropellant" originally developed by the U.S. Air Force.
Read the full article.

Image - AC Cobra GT Coupe: 710 hp and super cool
AC Cobra GT Coupe: 710 hp and super cool
AC Cars launched its redesigned open-air AC Cobra GT Roadster last year, and now it has a fixed-top version hitting the streets in 2028. The Cobra GT Coupe is a high-end 710-hp runabout that combines sass and class in a super-cool package. It would be great on the track too.
Read the full article.

Image - How to maximize and optimize stepper motor control
How to maximize and optimize stepper motor control
Engineers from Performance Motion Devices take a comprehensive look at how to control two-phase stepper motors, beginning with the basics (operations, strengths, and weaknesses) and moving on to traditional and updated advanced techniques for control including closed loop. A very thorough presentation.
Read the Performance Motion Devices technical article.

Image - 3D Printing: Why DfAM optimization is falling short
3D Printing: Why DfAM optimization is falling short
Rather than expanding creativity, most off-the-shelf DfAM tools end up standardizing it. Wrapped neatly within CAD interfaces, they offer preset lattices, cookbook-style recipes, and topology tweaks, not tools that help re-imagine what the component could be. Optimization becomes an exercise in tuning a model, not engineering a part. By Laurence Coles and Manolis Papastavrou, Co-Founders, Metamorphic AM
Read the full article.

Image - Full-color 3D-printing Design Guide from Xometry
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.

Image - What's new in hyperMILL 2026?
What's new in hyperMILL 2026?
OPEN MIND Technologies has announced a wide range of new and enhanced capabilities in its hyperMILL 2026 CAD/CAM Software Suite that save time and increase accuracy. For precise and efficient 2.5D, 3D, precision 5-axis, and mill/turn machining, hyperMILL offers users exceptionally productive programming and powerful machining strategies. Check out all the new features.
Learn more.

Image - Mini edge AI systems for vision, generative AI
Mini edge AI systems for vision, generative AI
As enterprises transition from PoC to real-world edge AI deployment, Aetina has launched its Mini Series Edge AI systems. Powered by NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano and NX modules, these compact, fanless systems deliver high-performance vision and generative AI inference. Engineered for demanding industrial environments, they offer flexible camera connectivity, space-saving designs, and long-term reliability to accelerate smart infrastructure.
Learn more.

Image - Clear, high-flexibility silicone meets NASA low-outgassing specs
Clear, high-flexibility silicone meets NASA low-outgassing specs
Master Bond MasterSil 981-LO is a two-component, addition-cured silicone for bonding, sealing, coating, and encapsulating. Meeting NASA low-outgassing specs, its optical clarity suits aerospace, satellite, and optoelectronic applications. This 100% reactive, solvent-free system features a forgiving 1:1 mix ratio, minimal shrinkage, a 3- to 4-hr working life, and cures overnight at room temperature plus heat.
Learn more.

Image - Affordable nanometer-level precision focus stage
Affordable nanometer-level precision focus stage
Zaber Technologies has launched the DMA Objective Focus Stage, a compact, linear motor solution for microscope OEMs. Starting at $4,500 with an integrated controller, it offers 50-nm repeatability and sub-15-ms settling times -- matching piezo precision at one-third the cost. Featuring plug-and-play architecture, a developer-friendly API, and a tiny footprint, it accelerates high-throughput workflows like spatial biology and digital pathology.
Learn more.

Most popular last issue

Image - NASA tests next-gen nuclear electric thruster for Mars
NASA tests next-gen nuclear electric thruster for Mars
A prototype of a lithium-fed electric thruster was tested recently in a special chamber at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It is 25 times more powerful than any NASA spacecraft electric thruster currently operating. Thrusters like this could be part of a propulsion system powering human missions to Mars.
Read the full article.

Image - Ram 1500 Rumble Bee: New line of HEMI-powered, racy muscle trucks
Ram 1500 Rumble Bee: New line of HEMI-powered, racy muscle trucks
Ram has an all-new subsegment of muscle trucks featuring three HEMI-powered variants that deliver tons of attitude and performance. The top-level 777-hp Rumble Bee SRT is the first Ram track-capable truck in more than 20 years and the most powerful, quickest, and fastest V-8-powered production pickup ever.
Read the full article.

Image - What's an optical tornado?
What's an optical tornado?
Can light behave like a whirlwind? It turns out it can, and the discovery of such "optical tornadoes" opens a new pathway for creating miniature light sources with complex structures for photonic devices.
Read the full article.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
How Ford automated a moving EV assembly line with vision-guided robots: Inbolt case study
Automating moving assembly lines is highly challenging. At Ford's Cologne Electric Vehicle Center in Germany, applying pressure to water shields on vehicle bodies required following a precise path on unsynchronized, continuously moving vehicle carriers. To automate this, Ford deployed two Universal Robots cobots equipped with Inbolt 3D cameras. Using real-time vision guidance, the robots track vehicle positions and adapt on the fly. The result? Near-zero repairs, reliable moving-line automation, and new possibilities for tasks like tightening operations.
View the video.

New products

Electrical/Electronics
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Mechanical
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Motion
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