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January 16, 2024Volume 20 Issue 02


Image - What is the C-Flex Pivot Bearing?
What is the C-Flex Pivot Bearing?
It's a flexure-based bearing utilizing internal flat crossed springs, capsuled in a cylindrical housing, to provide precise rotation with low hysteresis and no frictional losses. The C-Flex bearing will offer infinite life when used within its rated load and rotation values. Applications include Medical, Industrial, Aerospace, Semiconductor, and Optical.

Advantages include: Frictionless, Backlash-free, Self-centering, Simple installation, Low hysteresis, Vacuum applications, Stock items, No lubrication, No maintenance, and Infinite life.
Learn more from C-Flex, The Leader in Flexing Metal Technology.
View the C-Flex Pivot Bearing training page.


In this issue of Designfax

  • Ducati makes most powerful single-cylinder moto engine
  • All-new Dodge Hornet: Fastest CUV under 30 grand
  • Ram 1500 Ramcharger: V-6 hybrid 690-mile range
  • Bobcat unveils all-electric skid-steer loader
  • Ford Ranger Raptor is built for adventure: Woohoo!
  • Crab-walking, zero-turn wheel unit: Hyundai
  • Toroidal propeller: More speed, fuel savings claimed
  • Drako Dragon: American-made 2,000-hp SuperSUV
  • Top Application: Actuators for 3-ton bunker doors
  • Top Product: World's smallest servo drives
  • Top Tech Tip: How to create quality STL files for 3D prints
  • Top Toolbox: What they didn't teach you about fittings
  • Top Toolbox: How to pin a shaft and hub assembly
  • Top Toolbox: Self-clinching fasteners tips
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • Ride along with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
    • Watch Ford F-150 Lightning trucks being made
    • Home-building robot carries, cuts, lays block
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • 55 years ago: NASA solves the 'pogo effect'
    • Wilson shows off airless 3D-printed basketball
    • Great Resources: ABCs of Gears and more
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: Ford Ranger Raptor, Ducati Single Cylinder Engine, Dodge Hornet

News

NASA receives laser data from 10 million miles away

Military camouflage nets get key tactical upgrades

Hyundai and Kia unveil new wheel drive system for EVs

Elastocaloric cooling system may open door to climate-friendly AC



Feature articles

Image - Ducati creates most powerful single-cylinder road engine
Ducati creates most powerful single-cylinder road engine
High-performance Italian motorcycle maker Ducati says its new 659-cc Superquadro Mono is the most powerful single-cylinder engine in the world. It was created by choosing refined materials and solutions for each component.
Read the full article.

Image - All-new Dodge Hornet: Fastest CUV under 30 grand
All-new Dodge Hornet: Fastest CUV under 30 grand
The all-new Dodge Hornet will come in two powertrain options: GT (4-cylinder turbo) and R/T (the brand's first hybrid). Dodge says the entry-level GT is the industry's quickest, most powerful utility vehicle under $30,000. Hornet includes lots of high-performance features.
Read the full article.

Image - Ram 1500 Ramcharger: V-6 hybrid with up to 690-mile range
Ram 1500 Ramcharger: V-6 hybrid with up to 690-mile range
The 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger light-duty truck sports a 3.6-liter V-6, two electric motors, a huge battery pack, and a claim of up to 690 miles of range, but Ram doesn't want you calling this truck a hybrid.
Read the full article to find out why.

Image - Bobcat unveils world's first all-electric skid-steer loader -- and autonomous loader concept too
Bobcat unveils world's first all-electric skid-steer loader -- and autonomous loader concept too
Bobcat unveiled two new machines at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023 show: the world's first all-electric skid-steer loader, the Bobcat S7X, and the Bobcat RogueX, a futuristic all-electric autonomous concept with dual lift-arm geometry.
Read the full article.

Image - Ford Ranger Raptor is built for adventure: Woohoo!
Ford Ranger Raptor is built for adventure: Woohoo!
The all-new 2024 Ford Ranger lineup includes a ruggedized 405-hp Raptor model that shares a lot of Bronco DNA. It's the most powerful and off-road-capable Ranger ever.
Read the full article.

Image - Crab-walking, zero-turn wheel unit tested by Hyundai
Crab-walking, zero-turn wheel unit tested by Hyundai
Hyundai's mobility technology development spinoff company called Mobis recently showed off a demo car fitted with the "e-Corner System," which can crab walk and drive sideways to park in tight spaces. An all-electric IONIQ 5 was equipped with the high-maneuvering tech.
Read the full article.

Image - Toroidal propeller: More speed, fuel savings claimed
Toroidal propeller: More speed, fuel savings claimed
Four years of independent and factory testing have proven Sharrow Propeller's toroidal design bests standard blade technology: significant speed increase, up to 30% greater fuel efficiency, less vibration, dramatic noise reduction, more reverse thrust, superior handling in tight turns at high speeds, and more.
Learn all about the development of this very cool technology.

Image - Drako Dragon: American-made 2,000-hp SuperSUV
Drako Dragon: American-made 2,000-hp SuperSUV
If you're interested in finding out what's on the bleeding edge of the expanding electric vehicle market, take a look at the new Drako Dragon, a 2,000-hp, quad-motor luxury SuperSUV being built in San Jose, CA.
Read the full article.

Image - Top Application: Electric actuators open 3-ton bunker doors
Top Application: Electric actuators open 3-ton bunker doors
Converting a 1960s nuclear-proof bunker into a museum is full of challenges, one of which was to repurpose 3-ton, all-metal nuclear-safe doors as fire doors. But how do you open and close such massive doors safely? Thomson Industries' Electrak HD electric linear actuators were up for the challenge.
Read the full article.

Image - Top Product: World's smallest servo drives
Top Product: World's smallest servo drives
Celera Motion claims its newly launched Denali Series features the world's smallest servo drives. The compact and ultra-fast servo drives are perfect for a variety of service robots, surgical robots, industrial grippers, and lab automation applications.
Read the full article.

Image - Top Tech Tip: How to create high-quality STL files for 3D prints
Top 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.

Image - Top Toolbox: What they didn't teach you about fittings in engineering school
Top Toolbox: What they didn't teach you about fittings in engineering school
Experts at Beswick Engineering run through the common types of fittings used in smaller pneumatic applications, along with thread sizes and seals to help you make the correct choice. They also touch on pressure and temp ranges, chemical compatibility issues, rigid and flexible lines, and the ease of assembly and maintenance.
Read the full article.

Image - Top Toolbox: How to pin a shaft and hub assembly properly
Top 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.

Image - Top Toolbox: Self-clinching fasteners design tips
Top Toolbox: Self-clinching fasteners design tips
Leon M. Attarian of PennEngineering provides three mini case studies where manufacturers benefited greatly by switching to self-clinching fasteners in their assemblies. This article is filled with insightful tips and suggestions.
Read the full article.

Most popular last issue

Image - 55 years ago: NASA solves the 'pogo effect' -- gets one step closer to moon landing
55 years ago: NASA solves the 'pogo effect' -- gets one step closer to moon landing
On July 18, 1968, NASA announced that engineers had found a solution to the problem that occurred near the end of the Saturn V rocket's first stage during the uncrewed Apollo 6 mission. During the last 10 seconds of that first-stage burn, the rocket experienced longitudinal oscillations called "pogo effect." Had a crew been onboard, they would have experienced severe vibrations and even possible injury.
Read the full article.

Image - Wilson shows off airless 3D-printed basketball
Wilson shows off airless 3D-printed basketball
Houston Rockets' player KJ Martin used an airless 3D-printed basketball in the first round of the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest on Feb. 18, 2023. Created by Wilson Sporting Goods, the first-of-its-kind ball closely matches the performance specs of a regulation basketball.
Read the full article.

Image - Great Resources: ABCs of Gears and more
Great Resources: ABCs of Gears and more
KHK USA takes you on a journey through the history and applications of gears in two information-packed, no-cost volumes called "The ABCs of Gears." Part A is aimed at beginners, while part B moves on to intermediate fare, such as types of gears and tooth forms, heat treatment, surface treatment, production methods, etc.
Learn more.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
Ride along with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds
Take a ride with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as they train flying F-16 Fighting Falcons in formation for upcoming air shows and flyover events. Training during winter months takes place at Spaceport America in New Mexico and Ft. Huachuca in Arizona. Interestingly, the Thunderbirds also train with the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, at the Naval Air Facility in El Centro, CA.
View the video.

Video Image
Watch Ford F-150 Lightning electric trucks being made
Join Zack Nelson from his JerryRigEverything YouTube channel on a tour of the Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, MI, to see how F-150 Lightning all-electric trucks are assembled. Ford has a goal of cranking out 150,000 Lightnings a year in this facility. It is always neat to see how all the parts come together -- and sometimes a little surprising. [Photo credit: Ford]
View the video.

Video Image
Home-building robot carries, cuts, lays block
Australian robotics system builder FBR has created the next generation of its Hadrian X construction robot, which the company says is on its way to the United States to help build structures. Hadrian X features a shuttle block delivery system, a 32-m telescopic boom arm, special stabilization tech for precision block laying at a rate of 240 blocks per hour (directly linked to CAD drawings), and the ability to apply a special adhesive used for mortar. Very cool to see in action.
View the video.

Video Image

New products

Electrical/Electronics
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Mechanical
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Motion
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