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December 13, 2022Volume 18 Issue 46


Image - Robust, Flexible, and Fast ... Cartesian Robotic Solutions
Robust, Flexible, and Fast ... Cartesian Robotic Solutions
Tolomatic has been creating flexible and robust cartesian robotic systems for decades. Designed to handle high-duty cycle applications and move loads of significant mass. Whether pre-engineered or customized, learn how a Gantry system can work for you. We can help you design a custom solution!
Download our brochure to learn more. (No registration required.)

In this issue of Designfax

  • Bell tiltrotor will replace Army Black Hawk helicopter
  • Engineer's Toolbox: Three steps to mount a step motor
  • High entropy alloy is toughest material ever devised
  • Diesel engine retrofitted to run on 90% hydrogen
  • Good Reads: Amazon wants to eliminate barcodes
  • How to specify electric rod actuators
  • Nexen expands precision rotary indexer line
  • Brush or brushless DC motors? What are the tradeoffs?
  • New sizes: SureFrame cut-to-length T-slotted rails
  • Siemens offers Virtual Product Expert for CNC
  • Image sensor for virtual reality, drones, machine vision
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • Review: What's new in SOLIDWORKS 2018-2023
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • Air Force unveils new B-21 Raider stealth bomber
    • New catalyst could be key for hydrogen economy
    • Genesis future EV styling: X concepts
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: Bell V-280 Valor - Future Long Range Assault Aircraft

News

Communications system achieves fastest laser link from space yet -- 1,000 times better

DOD scouts innovative ideas from industry, allies, partners

Engineer awarded $4.5M to develop AI-powered hypersonic guidance and navigation systems

Rethinking DRAM: Sandia and Intel partner to develop new memory tech



Image - Your Guide to Robotic Palletizing
Your Guide to Robotic Palletizing
Palletizing is labor intensive, repetitive and unergonomic work, which makes it ideally suited to automation. And with global manufacturing in the midst of a very real labor crisis, companies are keenly exploring automated solutions to their painful palletizing problems. Get your OnRobot eBook, a simple guide that will take you through the main considerations and requirements of implementing automation in your palletizing processes successfully.
Download the OnRobot eBook.

Feature articles

Image - Army chooses Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor to replace Black Hawk helicopters
Army chooses Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor to replace Black Hawk helicopters
The U.S. Army has awarded its Future Long Range Assault Aircraft contract to Bell Textron. The award means Bell's V-280 Valor tiltrotor will eventually replace the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, which has been in service for more than four decades. Valor beat out Sikorsky-Boeing's compound coaxial helicopter to be named the Army's winning design.
Read the full article.

Image - Engineer's Toolbox: <br>Three steps to mount a step motor
Engineer's Toolbox:
Three steps to mount a step motor

Jeff Kordik, chief technical officer, Applied Motion Products, runs through the basic steps to mount a step motor and also covers key mounting dimensions. He provides his pro tips along the way and also gives tips for determining proper step motor torque as a sidebar. Lots of good info here.
Read the full article.

Image - High entropy alloy is toughest material ever devised
High entropy alloy is toughest material ever devised
Scientists have measured the highest toughness ever recorded, of any material, while investigating a metallic alloy made of chromium, cobalt, and nickel. Not only is the metal extremely ductile and impressively strong, its strength and ductility improve as it gets colder -- a real oddity in materials science.
Read the full article.

Image - Diesel engine retrofitted to run on 90% hydrogen -- 85% less CO2 and efficiency gains too
Diesel engine retrofitted to run on 90% hydrogen -- 85% less CO2 and efficiency gains too
Engineers from the University of New South Wales in Australia have successfully converted a diesel engine to run as a hydrogen-diesel hybrid -- reducing CO2 emissions by more than 85% in the process and achieving marked efficiency gains to boot.
Read the full article.

Image - Good Reads: Amazon wants to eliminate using barcodes for package sorting
Good Reads: Amazon wants to eliminate using barcodes for package sorting
Finding and scanning product barcodes has its drawbacks for the world's largest retailer when trying to sort through and send orders correctly to customers. Amazon's new solution is a little shocking: Don't rely on barcodes at all. Learn firsthand how the company, which sent more than 7 billion packages globally last year, is making that happen.
Read the Amazon Science article.

Image - How to specify electric rod-style actuators for optimal performance, reliability, and efficiency
How to specify electric rod-style actuators for optimal performance, reliability, and efficiency
Andy Zaske, vice president, Tolomatic, provides his Top 10 Tips for specifying electric rod-style actuators, which have a higher initial cost, more advanced design, and more predictable performance compared to fluid power cylinders. This is a really thorough presentation filled with useful information.
Read the full article.

Image - Nexen expands precision rotary indexer line
Nexen expands precision rotary indexer line
The Motor Ready Sealed (MRS) precision rotary indexer maintains the benefits of Nexen's existing patented precision roller pinion drive design -- zero backlash, high precision, high torque, and high acceleration -- while delivering significant new benefits. A high roller pinion-to-gear ratio allows users to direct drive the system with the addition of a servo motor, eliminating the cost of a reducer. For high-load applications, the customer can drive the system with a reducer/motor combination. Additionally, the gear-to-pinion reaction loads are fully supported, so the servo motor shaft is not subjected to radial loading, which eliminates the need for costly high output-capacity reducers in high-load applications.
Learn more.

Image - Brush or brushless DC motors? What are the tradeoffs?
Brush or brushless DC motors? What are the tradeoffs?
Designing a system that involves motion and performs as intended requires choosing the right motor. The most fundamental decision involves commutation type. In some cases, mechanically commutated brush motors provide the best solution for the budget. In other cases, only brushless DC (BLDC) motors will do. Allied Motion provides a comprehensive review of the technology, along with tips and tricks for choosing the right solution for a given application.
Read the whitepaper (no registration required).

Image - New sizes: SureFrame cut-to-length T-slotted rails
New sizes: SureFrame cut-to-length T-slotted rails
AutomationDirect has added new 30 x 60 mm and 60 x 60 mm profiles to its SureFrame 30 Series lineup of cut-to-length T-slotted extruded aluminum rails. These structures are lightweight, economical, versatile, and easy to construct, with uses ranging from stands that hold barcode scanners and label applicators to OEM machines made entirely of T-slotted aluminum rail. The rails are available in the most popular profiles and dimensions, are compatible with many other brands, and can be cut to your specified lengths in increments of 0.001 in. with no cutting fees.
Learn more.

Image - Siemens offers Virtual Product Expert for CNC
Siemens offers Virtual Product Expert for CNC
Siemens has introduced the Virtual Product Expert (VPE), a new online support program for its CNC machine tool users, machine builders, dealers, and importers. Through the VPE program, customers can interact directly with a SINUMERIK CNC product expert and have their specific operation and programming questions answered, from the basic functions of the control to the most advanced machining technology aspects of the hardware and software suites. Best of all, this service is offered to all Siemens CNC community members at no cost.
Learn more.

Image - Image sensor for virtual reality, drones, machine vision
Image sensor for virtual reality, drones, machine vision
OMNIVISION has just announced the OG0VE global shutter (GS) image sensor, a small-form-factor, high-sensitivity device for AR/VR/MR, metaverse, drone, machine vision, and barcode scanner products. This new-generation image sensor is 26% smaller and more than 50% more power efficient than its predecessor. It supports one-lane MIPI D-PHY at up to 800 Mbps and was designed to address the high market demand for the smallest and lowest power-consuming cameras.
Learn more.

Most popular last issue

Image - Air Force unveils new B-21 Raider stealth bomber
Air Force unveils new B-21 Raider stealth bomber
The U.S. Air Force and Department of Defense, along with employees/developers from Northrop Grumman, hosted a big reveal of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber -- the first new, long-range strike bomber in more than 30 years -- on the night of Friday, Dec. 2. We present the official version of what was shown at the event, along with many of the details that were left out of the celebrations.
Read the full article.

Image - New light-activated catalyst could be key for hydrogen economy
New light-activated catalyst could be key for hydrogen economy
Using only inexpensive raw materials, Rice University researchers have created a scalable catalyst that needs only the power of light to convert ammonia into clean-burning hydrogen fuel. "This opens the door to entirely replace precious metals in plasmonic photocatalysis," one of the lead researchers said.
Read the full article.

Image - Genesis gives a look at future EV styling with X Convertible and two other concepts
Genesis gives a look at future EV styling with X Convertible and two other concepts
Luxury automaker Genesis has given us a solid look at what its future electric vehicle design language will entail with the reveal of the X Convertible concept, which is the last of three new EV concept designs released since March 2021. Low, sleek, and a little bit aggressive are the hallmarks of the cars to come.
Read the full article.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
Review: What's new in SOLIDWORKS 2018-2023
SOLIDWORKS has introduced significant enhancements to optimize your CAD productivity over the past 6 years. Catch up with the best enhancements to parts, assemblies, and drawings from SOLIDWORKS 2018 to SOLIDWORKS 2023. You may discover a valuable feature or two that you've missed along the way, such as custom properties, the texture tool, the silhouette defeature, or alternate position views.
View the video.

Video Image

New products

Electrical/Electronics
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Mechanical
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Motion
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