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December 03, 2013Volume 09 Issue 45


Image - Seal It, Protect It!
Seal It, Protect It!
A Smalley Laminar Seal is a metallic labyrinth seal consisting of multiple rings in a groove. Sealing an assembly from contamination while withstanding high temperatures and corrosive environments, Laminar rings are produced from metal. The arrangement and orientation of the rings are dictated by the application/severity of the environment.

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In this issue of Designfax

  • SUV back-up light assembly
  • 2-D tin may be the next super material
  • Wheels: Jaguar 4WD conquers U.S. Snowbelt
  • Mike Likes: Compact vent for auto housings
  • Engineer's Toolbox: Temp data loggers
  • Product Spotlight: First NC/NO switches
  • Product Spotlight: Posi-drive belts
  • Product Spotlight: High-precision rotary stage
  • Cool Tools: USB 200x microscope/magnifier
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • 3D tactile features rendered on touch surfaces
    • Cars/concepts from LA Auto Show 2013
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • Dramatic improvement in conductivity
    • Magnetic switches may trump transistors
    • Hyundai offers unlimited free hydrogen fuel
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: Jaguar XJ/XF 4WD design [Images: Jaguar Land Rover]

News

Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems' researchers build world's first terahertz vacuum amplifier

Cracked metal heals itself to the astonishment of MIT scientists

NASA tests Space Launch System autopilot technology on F/A-18 Jet

Team Chucky stays on target to set world pumpkin hurling record



Image - MICROMO Launches DC Motor Calculator App - 'Motion'
MICROMO Launches DC Motor Calculator App - 'Motion'
MICROMO introduces a universal DC motor calculator app for use with both iPhone and Android devices. The "Motion" mobile app is designed to help engineers calculate DC motor performance data by providing speed, torque, voltage and other catalog data. The app will also facilitate easy connection between customers and FAULHABER Group products by integrating a contact form.

Explore MICROMO's "MOTION" App Today!


Feature article
SUV back-up light assembly design eliminates fasteners, welding
A dual-function, back-up light assembly from Minnesota Rubber and Plastics magnifies and disperses a 50-W halogen light with 1 million candlepower.

The aftermarket product's unique design enhances performance and ease of use while eliminating the need for fasteners and welding in the manufacturing process.
Read the full article.

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2014 Cool Parts Calendar.


Image - Watch out graphene: 2-D tin may be the next super material
Watch out graphene: 2-D tin may be the next super material
A single layer of tin atoms could be the world's first material to conduct electricity with 100 percent efficiency at the temperatures that computer chips operate, according to a team of theoretical physicists led by researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University.
Read the full article.

Image - Wheels: <br>Jaguar conquers America's Snowbelt with 4WD
Wheels:
Jaguar conquers America's Snowbelt with 4WD

For Jaguar, competing across the broad swathe of "Snowbelt" states in North America meant equipping its XJ and XF luxury sedans with four-wheel drive -- something totally new. Time was short, so international automotive design expert Ricardo was summoned to help. Jesse Crosse reports.
Read the full article.

Image - Mike Likes: <br>New PolyVent compact vent for automotive housings
Mike Likes:
New PolyVent compact vent for automotive housings

With its new GORE PolyVent Compact Series, W. L. Gore & Associates provides higher performance venting in a smaller footprint for automotive electronic housings. About 30 percent smaller than the widely used PolyVent Snap-Fit product family, the new GORE PolyVent Compact Series is easier to integrate into even the smallest housings. It provides a higher level of protection for sensitive components like sensors, motors, and control units, while providing reliable and rapid pressure equalization.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Engineer's Toolbox: <br>10 factors to consider when buying a temperature data logger
Engineer's Toolbox:
10 factors to consider when buying a temperature data logger

Engineers and product specialists at CAS DataLoggers talk every day with callers looking for the right data logger for their temperature monitoring application, and now they are ready to share their knowledge with you.
Read the full article.

Image - Product Spotlight: <br> MEC introduces market's first NC/NO tactile pushbutton switches
Product Spotlight:
MEC introduces market's first NC/NO tactile pushbutton switches

MEC, an APEM Inc. company, has launched its Multimec 5 Series NC/NO switches, the market's first NC/NO tactile pushbutton switch. The 5 Series NC/NO switches help designers and manufacturers simplify design, increase functionality, and enhance safety features in their products. MEC's NC/NO switches offer NC (make), NO (break), and NC/NO (switchover, multifunction) functionalities, providing numerous possibilities for use, especially in safety, security, and medical applications.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Product Spotlight: <br> Posi-drive belts and sprockets for precision belt-drive applications
Product Spotlight:
Posi-drive belts and sprockets for precision belt-drive applications

Sterling Instrument provides single- and double-core posi-drive belts and sprockets for applications that require accurate positioning. The no-slip design offers several distinct advantages. No flanges are required, which saves space and also prevents the trapping of air between the belt and the flanges, creating a much quieter operation. The system also operates with no backlash, which is essential for applications that require no lost motion. Single-core belts and sprockets can be used in applications where the shafts are oriented at an angle with one another. The central core, made of either aramid fiber or stainless steel, can twist in such a way that the pins still stay in perfect mesh with the sprocket. This allows the shafts on either sprocket to be oriented at a full 90-degree angle without sacrificing belt performance. The belts are made of molded polyurethane and require no lubrication. They have excellent chemical and abrasion resistance, making them suitable for medical and food-processing applications. They are sold either by pin count or by the foot up to 100 ft.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Product Spotlight: <br>High-precision rotary stage
Product Spotlight:
High-precision rotary stage

Steinmeyer has announced a new addition to its line of precision rotary stages. The standard DT130-DC stage is a worm gear-driven unit with a rotary encoder and features positional accuracy of +/- 0.07 deg, repeatability of +/- 0.007 deg, a max speed of 15 rpm, and a load capacity of 50 Newton. Drive mechanism is a DC servo-motor. This stage is ideal for applications such as laser machining, precision wafer inspection, photonics, fiber optics, and cell diagnostics. The DT130-DC can also be equipped with a direct reading encoder attached to the rotating stage for higher positioning accuracy. Stage body is manufactured from a low-distortion aluminum alloy (black anodized) and includes a high-stiffness bearing set. This rotary stage is designed to easily mate with Steinmeyer's MT130 linear stage.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Cool Tools: <br>USB microscope/magnifier boasts 200x power
Cool Tools:
USB microscope/magnifier boasts 200x power

If you need easy super-magnification at your desktop (and who doesn't?), Saelig's MV200UM is a 2-megapixel USB digital microscope for capturing high-quality magnified images and video for display on a PC using a simple USB 2.0 PC connection. The handy unit can take snapshots and time-lapse sequences. It contains a built-in white LED illumination ring for viewing tiny components and markings, examining traces and solder joints on printed circuit boards, or for detailed product examination and record-taking, inspection, and quality-control purposes. For 60 bucks, a real cool tool or a great thing to pick up for your kid's impending science project.
Learn more about this product.
View a very thorough video review of this product.

Most popular last issue

Image - Accidental discovery dramatically improves conductivity
Accidental discovery dramatically improves conductivity
Quite by accident, Washington State University researchers have achieved a 400-fold increase in the electrical conductivity of a crystal simply by exposing it to light. The effect, which lasted for days after the light was turned off, could dramatically improve the performance of devices like computer chips.
Read the full article.

Image - Magnetic switches may end era of computer transistors, require 10,000 times less power
Magnetic switches may end era of computer transistors, require 10,000 times less power
New work by researchers at UC Berkeley could soon transform the building blocks of modern electronics by making nanomagnetic switches a viable replacement for the conventional transistors found in all computers.
Read the full article.

Image - Hyundai offers three years of unlimited free fuel on its leased hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles
Hyundai offers three years of unlimited free fuel on its leased hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles
Hyundai has just announced its plans to offer its next-generation Tucson Fuel Cell vehicle for the U.S. market for just $499 per month, including unlimited free hydrogen refueling and At Your Service Valet Maintenance at no extra cost.
Read the full article.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
Disney researchers develop algorithm for rendering 3D tactile features on touch surfaces
By altering the friction encountered as a person's fingertip glides across a touchscreen surface, a new algorithm by Disney Research, Pittsburgh, can create a perception of a 3D bump on a touch surface without having to physically move the surface. The method can be used to simulate the feel of a wide variety of objects and textures. The algorithm is based on a discovery that when a person slides a finger over a real physical bump, the person perceives the bump largely because lateral friction forces stretch and compress skin on the sliding finger. The Disney researchers used electrovibration to modulate the friction between the sliding finger and the touch surface with electrostatic forces. The algorithm dynamically modulates the frictional forces on a sliding finger so that they match the tactile properties of the visual content displayed on the touch screen along the finger's path.
View the video.

Video Image
Latest new cars and concepts from LA Auto Show 2013
See the latest that Detroit and carmakers from around the world have to offer. Car expert Doug Brauner highlights new vehicle introductions from the 2013 LA Auto Show, including our favorites the 2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe (shown), 2015 Nissan NISMO GTR, and the BMW X4 concept. If driving a super-luxe stretch SUV is your kind of ride, check out the 2015 Land Rover Range Rover/Autobiography Edition, complete with living-room recliner-style seats.
View the video.

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New products

Electrical/Electronics
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Mechanical
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Motion
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