| April 21, 2015 | Volume 11 Issue 15 |
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 | Torus
Torus is filled with complexities: bayonets, text on ribs, gears, bump-offs, clip cams and more. We created the free design aid to illustrate that just because we manufacture parts really fast, it doesn't mean you're limited to certain features in the geometry of your part. Torus has a trio of interconnected sections, each highlighting features that serve various purposes in part design.
Register to receive a free Torus design aid. |
 | Brushless DC motors improve PCB assembly
Siemens has developed the SIPLACE X Series with the purpose of providing electronics manufacturers worldwide with a more cost-effective solution for printed circuit board (PCB) assembly. The head of the 20-segment Collect and Place unit includes 20 pipettes, each with their own compact brushless DC motor to maximize output and precision without sacrificing speed or the light-weight design.
Read the full article. |
 | Mike Likes: Design with HP power tools
Built for high-end computing and visualization, the new HP Z840 workstation delivers outstanding performance in one of the industry's most expandable chassis. The HP Z840 allows you to get the performance you need with the ability to support two next-generation Intel Xeon processors for up to 36 total processor cores in one system. This 1-TB unit also boasts the latest graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD, and fast DDR4 RAM.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Engineer's Toolbox:
NIST report aims to improve 'printed' metal parts
Manufacturing researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have scoped out the missing sections in current guidelines for powder bed fusion, the chief method for "printing" metal parts. The new NIST report identifies key unknowns that must be solved before the technique -- one of the most promising and versatile of the additive manufacturing processes -- can progress from largely a "trial-and-error" method to one that can be fine-tuned automatically.
Read the full article. |
 | Springs: New innovative way to take up tolerances
Smalley Linear Springs are a continuous wave-formed (marcelled) wire length produced from spring-tempered materials. They act as a load-bearing device, having approximately the same load/deflection characteristics as a wave spring. Linear Springs are now available as a standard part in carbon and stainless steel, with over 200 sizes.
Click here to learn more. |
 | Mechanical: Build a mini synchronous drive system
Stock Drive Products (SDP) has introduced the new Miniature Synchronous Drive System so you can put your own 1-, 2-, or 3-mm design together in a snap. The tiny timing belts and pulleys are engineered and manufactured to give high accuracy and smooth, dependable operation in 3D printers, moving security cameras, med devices, robotic surgical equipment, self-service machines, and more. Advantages include no-slip synchronization, accurate positioning, high torque transmission with low backlash, quiet operation, and long belt life.
Click here to learn more. |
 | LEDs: LED lighting connector range
Engineered to be the perfect choice for LED strip light applications, the new GCT BJ300 and 301 mating connector combinations offer a reliable dual-contact design. LED strip applications are usually low cost, consisting of small panels of LED lights clustered on PCBs. The PCBs snap together in co-planar orientation. GCT White Lite connectors fit perfectly with these applications, because they're economically priced and fit onto small and thin PCBs. Mated connector height is 2.6 mm, with a total mated footprint of 8.80 mm (width) x 11.00 mm (depth).
Click here to learn more. |
| | Most popular last issue |
 | Daimler's SuperTruck program exceeds Class 8 truck goals
Daimler Trucks North America's SuperTruck program has achieved 115 percent freight efficiency improvement -- surpassing the Department of Energy (DOE) program's goal of 50% improvement and exhibiting the best results of all reporting OEMs. The SuperTruck was unveiled on March 25 at the 2015 Mid-America Trucking Show.
Read the full article. |
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| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | Gordon Moore: Thoughts on the 50th Anniversary of Moore's Law
This April marks the 50th Anniversary of Moore's Law. Three years before co-founding Intel, Gordon Moore made a simple observation (in a trade magazine!) that has revolutionized the computing industry. It states that the number of transistors -- the fundamental building blocks of the microprocessor and the digital age -- incorporated on a computer chip will double every two years, resulting in increased computing power and devices that are faster, smaller, and lower cost.
View the video. |
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Festo 3D-printed BionicANTs exhibit cooperative behavior
Like their natural role models, Festo's 3D-printed BionicANTs work together under clear rules. They demonstrate how autonomous individual components can solve a complex task working together as an overall networked system. The laser-sintered components are embellished with visible conductor structures. Festo -- a pneumatics and electrical automation company -- leverages the benefits of piezo technology for the actuator technology used in the legs. The bending actuators can be controlled quickly and precisely, work on little energy, and do not need much space.
View the video. |
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