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August 15, 2017Volume 13 Issue 31


Image - On-Demand Webinar: Polyjet 3D Printing
On-Demand Webinar: Polyjet 3D Printing
PolyJet 3D printing provides a cost-effective and faster way to prototype overmolding and elastomeric designs, since it eliminates the need to invest in tooling. This webinar will share insights into the technology's capabilities, material selection, and offer guidance on part design.
Learn about PolyJet 3D printing at your convenience.

In this issue of Designfax

  • Awards for innovation in automotive lightweighting
  • Multi Jet Fusion tech comes to Proto Labs
  • Graphene aerogel: World's lightest 3D-printed structure
  • Wheels: 2018 Mustang makes burnouts automatic
  • Mike Likes: New innovative way to take up tolerances!
  • Engineer's Toolbox: Using Teflon to solve new challenges
  • Precision Motion for X-ray Optics
  • Pneumatic cylinders with Adaptive Cushioning System
  • Design for complex overmolded plastic parts
  • Top 15 acme/lead screw questions answered
  • Connectors: High-current DC power in compact design
  • 3D positioning system locks devices in space
  • Easily automate a simple axis of motion
  • Cool Tools: Wireless digital micrometer
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • ONE-STOP SHOP: PROTOTYPING TO PRODUCTION
    • Robots revive 74-yr-old U.S. metal hanger factory
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • U.S. Navy electrifies aircraft carrier catapult
    • NASA unleashing sonic booms on Florida
    • Heat-conducting plastic created
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: Mustang does automatic burnouts; 2017 Chrysler Pacifica lightweighting (top l.);

News

30 billion switches on a fingernail-sized chip: IBM Research Alliance builds new transistor for 5-nm technology

Mercedes-Benz is first luxe auto manufacturer to set up registered apprenticeship program through U.S. Dept. of Labor and U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs

Feel the 2X power: NASA pushing forward to advance nuclear rocket-propulsion technology

DARPA: Unique geometries for electron magnetic moments may overcome fundamental limits of computer memory



Image - Super Air Knife Replaces Noisy Blowers
Super Air Knife Replaces Noisy Blowers
EXAIR's Super Air Knife delivers a uniform, high volume, high velocity sheet of air for blowoff, cooling and drying applications. Energy use is 1/3 that of typical blowoffs. Eliminates costly downtime of blowers. Noise is under 70 dBA at 80 PSIG.
Web site offers detailed information.

Feature articles

Image - FCA, Toyota, Faurecia, and AP&T win Altair Enlighten Award for automotive lightweighting innovation
FCA, Toyota, Faurecia, and AP&T win Altair Enlighten Award for automotive lightweighting innovation
Engineering software provider Altair and the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) announced the winners of the 5th annual Altair Enlighten Awards on July 31. The honors strive to promote and celebrate innovation in automotive lightweighting, and the winners this year demonstrated some real engineering prowess.
Read the full article.

Image - Multi Jet Fusion 3D-printing tech comes to Proto Labs
Multi Jet Fusion 3D-printing tech comes to Proto Labs
Rapid manufacturing specialist and service provider Proto Labs has added Multi Jet Fusion to its suite of 3D-printing technologies. The production-grade 3D-printing technology, developed by HP, produces functional nylon prototypes and end-use production parts in as fast as one day. Final parts exhibit quality surface finishes, fine feature resolution, and more consistent mechanical properties when compared to processes like selective laser sintering.
Read the full article.

Image - Graphene aerogel is officially world's lightest <br>3D-printed structure
Graphene aerogel is officially world's lightest
3D-printed structure

The world's lightest 3D-printed structure is so lightweight that it can be placed on top of a cotton ball or the petals of a flower. The record-breaking material is a 3D-printed graphene aerogel developed by researchers at Kansas State University, the University at Buffalo, and Lanzhou University in China.
Read the full article.

Image - Titanium Springs Resist Corrosion
Titanium Springs Resist Corrosion
Titanium springs from Atlantic Spring-MW Industries offer improved resistance to corrosion, lower torsion modulus, shorter free length, greater strength, and significant weight reduction over steel springs. These attributes make titanium springs ideal for various aircraft, space, military, and defense applications. Atlantic Spring offers rapid prototyping services. Prototypes can be available within 3 to 5 days dependent upon design complexity and material availability. ISO9100C certified and ITAR registered.
Download capabilities flyer.

Image - Wheels: <br>2018 Mustang makes burnouts an automatic thing with state-of-the-art electronic line-lock
Wheels:
2018 Mustang makes burnouts an automatic thing with state-of-the-art electronic line-lock

The smell of burning rubber may get a little more common this fall when Ford expands the availability of electronic line-lock on the 2018 Mustang. The track-exclusive feature -- previously available only on the V8-powered Mustang GT -- will be standard on all pony cars, including those equipped with 2.3-liter EcoBoost engines.
Read the full article.

Image - Mike Likes: New innovative way to take up tolerances!
Mike Likes: 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.

Image - Engineer's Toolbox: <br>Using Teflon and other coating options to solve new engineering challenges
Engineer's Toolbox:
Using Teflon and other coating options to solve new engineering challenges

Far more than a product for cookware, Teflon's non-stick properties can be used to solve a variety of design challenges, including preventing build-up of contaminants, corrosion and bacteria; reducing friction or sticking between parts that come into contact; and as an ingredient in heavy-wear, high-load applications.
Read the full article.

Image - Precision Motion for X-ray Optics
Precision Motion for X-ray Optics
Despite their potential danger, X-rays are one of the most powerful instruments and resources utilized in medical diagnostics to help medical professionals restore health by identifying the correct prognosis. When it comes to achieving the best imaging with the lowest X-ray exposure, lenses made by Optec are almost inevitably involved. Their aperture, focus, filters and zoom are moved by FAULHABER motors.
Read the full article.

Image - Advanced pneumatic standard cylinders with Adaptive Cushioning System
Advanced pneumatic standard cylinders with Adaptive Cushioning System
IMI Norgren's ISOLine is a true fit-and-forget ISO cylinder. Inside lies the new Adaptive Cushioning System (ACS), which automatically adjusts the cylinder cushioning for changing loads, so manual cushion screw setting is not required. This makes the ISOLine much simpler to install. Other benefits include lower breakaway pressure, lower minimum speed, reduced leakage, polyurethane seals that ensure efficient low-friction operation, and reduced weight (20% lighter than previous versions). All sizes supplied with magnetic piston rod as standard.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Design considerations for complex overmolded plastic parts
Design considerations for complex overmolded plastic parts
Overmolding is a great injection molded process you can utilize in your part design to manufacture a multiple-part assembly, color contrasts, add flexibility or eliminate secondary process assembly. Take advantage of this new feature from Xcentric Mold and Engineering by learning how to effectively design your part to be overmolded.
Download today.

Image - Top 15 acme/lead screw questions answered
Top 15 acme/lead screw questions answered
Acme lead screws convert rotary motion into linear motion by turning either the screw or the nut. Lead screws and nuts are highly customizable. But do lead screws and nuts need to be lubricated? And how do you decide which Acme screw product to use? Christopher Nook, CEO, Helix Linear Technologies, answers the most often asked questions for these versatile and vital mechanical components.
Read the blog post.

Image - Connectors: High-current DC power in compact design
Connectors: High-current DC power in compact design
Amphenol Industrial Products Group now offers a versatile connection system that distributes high-current DC power in a compact design. Designed to connect wire to wire, wire to board, and busbar terminations, the Amphe-PD series distributes higher currents with less heat than similar-sized connectors on the market. Ideal for use in datacenter equipment, robotics, and industrial automation, the Amphe-PD series connectors offer wire terminations ranging from 12 AWG to 4 AWG.
Click here to learn more.

Image - 3D positioning system locks devices in space
3D positioning system locks devices in space
A new 3D positioning system that simplifies the setup of cameras and other devices for research, laboratory, process, and packaging applications has been introduced by Stafford Manufacturing Corp. The system consists of a rugged group of mounting components, including a base that can securely attach to any flat surface, stepped and straight-through couplings, and precision shafting that can be easily adjusted and locked. Featuring a ball-end shaft and clamp-mount accessory with an infinitely adjustable range of motion, this system lets users move, tilt, and swivel to position and lock devices in space.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Easily automate a simple axis of motion
Easily automate a simple axis of motion
The Tolomatic ACSI integrated servo/motor/controller is now available with PROFINET Industrial Ethernet protocol, allowing engineers to design easy-to-use and cost-effective electric actuator solutions for single-axis applications. The integrated package is ideal for replacing pneumatic cylinders and automating any simple axis of motion with Siemens or other PROFINET-enabled PLCs. With built-in configurations for Tolomatic electric actuators, the ACSI integrated controller automatically configures the motor, actuator, safety limits, and other key settings inside the controller for quick and seamless integration.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Cool Tools: Wireless digital micrometer
Cool Tools: Wireless digital micrometer
The new 40 EWRi is the latest addition to Mahr's Integrated wireless family of products, including digital calipers, indicators, and depth gages, which allow users to measure faster, more easily, and more reliably. Measurement data is transferred to an i-Stick on a computer without any interfering data cables, and MarCom software makes data acquisition simple: Just take a measurement and transmit measuring data directly into MS Excel or via a keyboard code into any Windows program or existing SPC application.
Click here to learn more.

Most popular last issue

Image - U.S. Navy electrifies aircraft carrier catapult
U.S. Navy electrifies aircraft carrier catapult
It may be "full steam ahead" for the U.S. Navy's newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, but it won't be the catapult that will be steam powered. Less than one week after it was commissioned, the Ford launched and recovered its first fixed-wing aircraft in July using the Navy's new electromagnetic launch system (EMALS) and advanced arresting gear (AAG).
Read the full article.

Image - NASA unleashing sonic booms in bid to study making them quieter
NASA unleashing sonic booms in bid to study making them quieter
Residents along Florida's Space Coast will soon hear a familiar sound: sonic booms. But instead of announcing a spacecraft's return from space, they may herald a new era in faster air travel.
Read the full article.

Image - Heat-conducting plastic could lead to lighter electronics and cars
Heat-conducting plastic could lead to lighter electronics and cars
Advanced plastics could usher in lighter, cheaper, more energy-efficient product components, including those used in vehicles, LEDs, and computers -- if only they were better at dissipating heat.
Read the full article.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
YOUR ONE-STOP SHOP FROM PROTOTYPING TO PRODUCTION -- See How It Works!
3D Systems offers complete On Demand Manufacturing Services. From 3D-printed metal and plastic parts to traditional CNC, injection molding, and cast urethane models, we have the expertise and broad range of technologies, finishes, and materials to meet your specific requirements. We provide quality produced parts and prototypes with some of the fastest and most reliable turnaround times in the industry. Get an instant quote through our online portal or consult with our experts to start your project today.
> Watch how your parts get made.

Video Image
Robots revive 74-yr-old Alabama metal hanger manufacturer
Globalization has its advantages, like cheap socks and affordable smartphones. But for some manufacturers, the global economy has taken a toll. In recent decades, increased competition from low labor-cost countries has made it difficult for many companies to manufacture their products in their home countries. With help from both Fitz-Thors Engineering and KUKA Robotics, U.S. manufacturer M&B Hangers thrives despite fierce global competition -- and its position as the last-standing producer of its product category in the United States.
View the video.

Video Image

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