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August 24, 2021Volume 17 Issue 32


Image - Xometry: Get CNC Machining Quotes Within Seconds
Xometry: Get CNC Machining Quotes Within Seconds
You won't believe how fast Xometry's Instant Quoting Engine gives you quotes on CNC machining. Just upload your part and get back pricing and lead time in just seconds. Instant pricing on 3D printing and sheet metal is also available, and parts ship free in the US. Xometry is AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015 certified.
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In this issue of Designfax

  • Secret of Stradivarius violin solved? Surprise finding
  • Eaton developing 48-V technologies for vehicles
  • What's a sapphire piston used for?
  • New Porsche Macan: Sportier with even more appeal
  • Top Product: Allite Super Magnesium
  • Researchers figure out how to combine almost any metals
  • Application Note: Why apple harvesters need angle sensors
  • Gantry and multi-axis systems: How to build one your way
  • AutomationDirect adds GAM helical racks and pinions
  • Severe-duty AC motors for the toughest applications
  • Did you know you can tint chrome?
  • Cool Tools: Leica RTC360 3D laser scanner
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • Optimize mechanical misalignments
    • Diamond vs. a hydraulic press -- which will win?
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • Sensors detect odor of COVID-19 infections
    • NASA's Quiet SuperSonic test plane takes shape
    • Ferrari 296 GTB aims to define 'fun to drive'
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: New Porsche Macan S

News

Scientists debut most efficient optical rectennas -- devices that harvest power from heat

How a moving platform -- and not a moving nozzle -- can cut waste and costs in 3D printing

Bumpy flights can be a good thing: How turbulence offers a boost to birds

Barnacle-inspired glue made by MIT seals traumatic injuries in seconds



Image - Your Source for Metric Gears
Your Source for Metric Gears
KHK USA Inc offers the largest selection of stock metric gears in North America -- with over 30,000 configurations. KHK USA can supply your Metric Spur Gears, Helical Gears, Internal Ring Gears, Gear Racks, Bevel Gears, Worms and Wormwheels from stock in most cases. Free 3D CAD models and 24/7 quoting available.
See what KHK USA has in stock for you today!

Feature articles

Image - Secret of Stradivarius violin sound solved? Surprising finding
Secret of Stradivarius violin sound solved? Surprising finding
The violins crafted by Antonio Stradivari in the late 1600s and early 1700s produce a sound so pure that some are valued at $10 million or more. But what's the secret sauce behind the instruments' acoustical superiority? A Texas A&M University scientist has been working on an explanation for years -- and we bet you can't guess it before you read on.
Read the full article.

Image - Eaton developing suite of 48-V technologies to help vehicle manufacturers meet new global emission regulations
Eaton developing suite of 48-V technologies to help vehicle manufacturers meet new global emission regulations
Most vehicles have traditionally operated with a 12-V system, but with tightening fuel economy regulations and new, advanced power-consuming components being added, increasing power needs are driving the move toward 48-V systems.
Read the full article.

Image - What's a sapphire piston used for -- and who can make one?
What's a sapphire piston used for -- and who can make one?
If you want a prototype piston made of metal for research purposes, you have a lot of options -- you can even 3D print your own. But what if you need something much more exotic, like the second-hardest natural material? When Mid Michigan Research had just such a need, it turned to Insaco for the company's long history of custom fabrication of sapphire precision parts, often in unusual forms.
Read the full article.

Image - New Porsche Macan: Sportier with even more appeal
New Porsche Macan: Sportier with even more appeal
About 80% of all Macan buyers are new Porsche customers, and the Macan is Porsche's best overall-selling model, so making this racecar-inspired compact SUV even more appealing was a no-brainer. With increased performance, a sharper design, and a V6 biturbo GTS version that does 0 to 62 in 4.3 sec, you'll be commanding some fast and fine wheels on the highway or on those runs into town.
Read the full article.

Image - Top Product: Allite Super Magnesium
Top Product: Allite Super Magnesium
Weighing 33% less than aluminum and stiffer and stronger pound for pound, the Allite Super Magnesium alloy has shown its mettle in classified defense and aerospace applications. Now it's available for wider use. This material is less expensive than carbon fiber and has the lowest carbon footprint of any structural material throughout the value chain. Industry applications include home improvement, sporting goods, aerospace, automotive, biking, and beyond. Four alloy variants are available to suit welding, forming/forging, or casting. These alloys feature excellent shock-absorption properties, good electromagnetic shielding performance, good heat dissipation, and recyclability. Allite is based in Dayton, OH.
Learn more.

Image - Researchers figure out how to combine almost any metals
Researchers figure out how to combine almost any metals
Researchers in Switzerland have produced nanocrystals made of two different metals using an amalgamation process whereby a liquid metal penetrates a solid one. They think there is great potential for technological applications due to the exact controllability of the composition and size of the nanocrystals together with the possibility to combine metals almost at will.
Read the full article.

Image - Application Note: Why apple harvesters need angle sensors
Application Note: Why apple harvesters need angle sensors
The SFM Samurai is a self-propelled apple harvester that can collect a whopping 100 tons of apples each day. The machine is designed for optimal navigation through the narrowest of orchard rows thanks to its SFM-developed four-wheel steering system that relies on Novotechnik RFC4800 series angle sensors to monitor each axle position.
Read the full article.

Image - Gantry and multi-axis systems: How to build one your way
Gantry and multi-axis systems: How to build one your way
Gantries can be complicated and specialized. There are infinite variations for moving an object on multiple axes, but designing these motion control systems doesn't have to be intimidating. If you have weight, force, or size challenges that don't fit within off-the-shelf parameters, just follow these four steps to create a successful, customized system.
Read this informative Tolomatic blog.

Image - AutomationDirect adds GAM helical racks and pinions
AutomationDirect adds GAM helical racks and pinions
Rack-and-pinion systems are a type of linear actuator consisting of a rotating pinion that drives a linear rack, converting rotary motion to linear motion. The new GAM helical racks and pinions, along with a broad offering of gearboxes, can provide a complete linear solution for your application. High-precision helical racks provide smooth, quiet operation. Pinions can be mounted to SureGear gearboxes, are hardened, and work with ISO 10 hardened racks. Components with module pitches of 1.5, 2.0, and 3.0 are available.
Learn more.

Image - Severe-duty AC motors for the toughest applications
Severe-duty AC motors for the toughest applications
The SIMOTICS SD200 severe-duty motor in frame size 440 is Siemens' latest offering in the low-voltage SIMOTICS motor family. Providing high productivity and energy-efficient operation in all torque ranges, these new cast-iron NEMA motors are built to power pumps, fans, compressors, hoists, winders, and similar equipment in harsh environments. With a three-year warranty, the SD200 motors offer 125- to 800-hp output and feature 444-5013 cast-iron frames for operation in 460- and 575-V ranges. Options include IP56 ingress protection, encoders, brakes, and blowers, plus many others to suit the application required.
Learn more.

Image - Did you know you can tint chrome?
Did you know you can tint chrome?
Push the boundaries of design. SRG Global, a leading manufacturer of chrome-plated and painted plastic parts for the automotive, commercial truck, and household appliance industries, has introduced its G-Coat tint-over-chrome process solution. G-Coat delivers distinct metallic surface finishes for both exterior and interior applications and regularly improves paint adhesion to any chrome-plated plastic part. It offers nearly unlimited custom color options, including a high-optical-density deep black finish not achievable by other technologies. The process also provides enhanced corrosion protection and fingerprint resistance and meets multiple automotive OEM performance standards for basecoat and clear-coat paint systems.
Learn more.

Image - Cool Tools: Leica RTC360 3D laser scanner -- LIDAR for big jobs
Cool Tools: Leica RTC360 3D laser scanner -- LIDAR for big jobs
The new Leica RTC360 laser scanner available from Exact Metrology makes 3D reality capture faster than ever before. With a measuring rate of up to 2 million points per sec, colored 3D point clouds can be completed in under 2 min. Automated, targetless field registration and seamless, automated data transfer from site to office reduce time spent in the field. The CAD models are generally used for factory/shop floor layout plans, power plant equipment changeouts, proof dimensioning, and much more. In addition to the 3D model, full spherical HDR imagining is appended directly to the point cloud, giving a photo-realistic effect to the data and allowing for virtual walkthroughs of the areas, shareable markups, geo-referencing, and meta-tagging. So many uses.
Learn more.

Most popular last issue

Image - Sensors detect odor of COVID-19 infections with up to 100% accuracy
Sensors detect odor of COVID-19 infections with up to 100% accuracy
Does COVID-19 have a distinct smell? Researchers in England say that individuals infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus have an identifiable odor -- and that new sensors they have developed can detect infected people more accurately than any other diagnostic test available.
Read the full article.

Image - NASA's Quiet SuperSonic test plane takes shape at Skunk Works
NASA's Quiet SuperSonic test plane takes shape at Skunk Works
NASA's X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) test plane is under construction at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works in Palmdale, CA. It has been designed to fly at supersonic speeds -- approximately 660 mph at sea level -- without producing a startling sonic boom for people on the ground.
Read the full article.

Image - Ferrari 296 GTB aims to define 'fun to drive'
Ferrari 296 GTB aims to define 'fun to drive'
If expensive, sporty little coupes get your motor running, Ferrari has an exciting new entry for your wish list. The 296 GTB is the company's first mid-rear-engine berlinetta that boasts a turbo V6 coupled with an electric motor to crank out 819 hp total for an exhilarating, high-end ride.
Read the full article.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
Optimize mechanical misalignments, get hidden benefits
C-Flex Couplings combine the best qualities of disc, beam, and bellows couplings in a unique and economical new design. Made to couple two rotating shafts together, these couplings can accommodate large misalignments while transmitting high torque loads with zero backlash. Benefits include lower energy usage and less-frequent bearing failure, since less stress is placed upon bearings. Constructed using high-strength hardened stainless steel or glass impregnated polyamide flexures, these couplings require no maintenance and provide years of trouble-free life, even in contaminated environments. Flexible Pivot Bearings and Super Plastic Torsional Damping Couplings also available.
See C-Flex Couplings handle misalignments.
Learn more.

Video Image
Diamond vs. a hydraulic press -- which will win?
The fun folks over at the Hydraulic Press Channel are at it again. This time, they take a look at crushing raw diamonds. Will the steel press win out, or will the diamond hold its own? Some great slo-mo, close-up photography helps with the judging -- especially with the man-made diamond material, which is the second sample tested. It's a pretty interesting match-up.
View the video.

Video Image

New products

Electrical/Electronics
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