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March 12, 2019Volume 15 Issue 10


Image - Achieve Maximum Flexibility with Electroformed Bellows Couplings
Achieve Maximum Flexibility with Electroformed Bellows Couplings
Electrodeposited bellows technology offers the best combination of flexibility and strength among coupling technologies. Servometer® flexible shaft bellows couplings offer seamless construction with maximum flexibility, and handle angular misalignment up to 31° and parallel misalignments up to .076". Servometer bellows couplings exhibit low windup due to the bellows' radial rigidity, and low side thrust due to its lateral flexibility.
Request a free sample.

In this issue of Designfax

  • NASA captures supersonic shockwave interaction
  • Goodyear debuts flying car concept tire
  • New 'acoustic metamaterial' cancels sound
  • Ford Ranger gets tough with VelociRaptor treatment
  • How OnRobot's dual RG2 gripper cuts cycle time in half
  • Universal Robots targets industries facing labor shortages
  • App Note: Air-rifle trigger assembly gets coiled spring pins
  • Vandal-resistant sealed switches
  • Clippard PTFE multi-channel gradient valves
  • Cool Tools: New Artec LEO 3D scanner
  • New drive for infrastructure pump, fan, or compressor
  • Fun! LEGO launches 1,471-piece 1967 Ford Mustang
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • Application Focus: Components for endurance tester
    • Body and paint problems with my Tesla Model 3
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • New Star Trek replicator projection 3D printer
    • New Army tech guides Soldiers in complete darkness
    • Refined muscle: New Mercedes-AMG GT R Roadster
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: 2019 Hennessey VelociRaptor Ford Ranger

News

Hyundai Motor Group develops smartphone-based digital key

Fireproof, self-powered sensor can track firefighters in burning buildings

Computer vision challenger: RFID tags provide new way for robots to track moving objects with unprecedented precision

Autonomous cars are the future of transport? Don't believe the hype, says Monash University Professor in Transport Engineering



Feature articles
NASA captures first air-to-air images of supersonic shockwave interaction in flight
NASA has successfully tested an advanced air-to-air photographic technology in flight, capturing the first-ever images of the interaction of shockwaves from two supersonic aircraft -- a pair of T-38s from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School -- in flight.
Read the full article.
Image -
FAULHABER Motion Controllers V3.0 are optimized for both OEM and automation applications.


Image - Goodyear debuts flying car concept tire
Goodyear debuts flying car concept tire
Flying cars need tires too, but they need something special -- and very lightweight. Recently unveiled at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show, the Goodyear AERO concept is a two-in-one tire designed for the autonomous flying cars of the future. Interestingly, this concept would work as both a tire for driving on the road and a "propeller" for flying through the sky.
Read the full article.

Image - BU mechanical engineers develop 'acoustic metamaterial' that cancels sound
BU mechanical engineers develop 'acoustic metamaterial' that cancels sound
Boston University researchers recently demonstrated it's possible to silence noise using an open, ring-like structure, created to mathematically perfect specifications, for cutting out sounds while maintaining airflow. The 3D-printed acoustic metamaterial is shaped in such a way that it can cancel 94 percent of sound.
Read the full article.

Image - Ford Ranger gets tough with special VelociRaptor treatment
Ford Ranger gets tough with special VelociRaptor treatment
Who knew a little 2019 Ford Ranger could look so intimidating? The creative geniuses at Hennessey Performance Engineering did. Known for taking vehicles "from mild to wild," the famous upgrades shop has created a 500-unit special edition VelociRaptor Ranger that looks as big and bad as its high-end Raptor sibling. It's got solid power upgrades too.
Read the full article.

Image - How OnRobot's dual RG2 gripper cuts cycle time in half
How OnRobot's dual RG2 gripper cuts cycle time in half
Swedish machine shop FT Produktion needed to drastically expand throughput as the company received orders from Volvo and Renault. OnRobot's dual-version RG2 gripper enabled the machine shop to reach its goal without adding staff, reducing cycle time from 25 to 12 seconds, saving 500 hours on a 150,000 parts series.
Watch how this was done:
Find a distributor in your area:
Request a quote for OnRobot products:

Image - Universal Robots targets manufacturers' primary business challenge with new solutions for fast-growing applications in industries facing labor shortages
Universal Robots targets manufacturers' primary business challenge with new solutions for fast-growing applications in industries facing labor shortages
When U.S. manufacturers were asked to describe their primary business challenge, close to 70 percent in the National Association of Manufacturers' 2018 fourth-quarter outlook survey responded that attracting and retaining a quality workforce was their No. 1 concern. In its booth at the upcoming Automate 2019 show, Universal Robots will feature four different application clusters for machine tending, packaging, assembly, and processing. We bet you will learn something new about what cobots can do in this story.
Read the full article.

Image - App Note: Air-rifle trigger assembly gets coiled spring pins
App Note: Air-rifle trigger assembly gets coiled spring pins
When engineers at SPIROL evaluated the trigger assembly for a client's air-rifle product, they thought they could do better in terms of part count, assembly time, and assembly steps. Their solution was to replace 15 components (five pins and 10 retaining E-rings) with five self-retaining Coiled Pins. Learn how they did it -- and helped to automate production along the way.
Read the SPIROL application note.

Image - Vandal-resistant sealed switches
Vandal-resistant sealed switches
C&K has just launched its ATP19 and ATP22 series anti-vandal sealed pushbutton switches. The new high-strength, lightweight switches are IP67/IK10 rated, ensuring their suitability for operation in harsh conditions and ability to withstand potential malicious damage. The switches are also corrosion resistant and offer the industry-standard ring-illuminated version in 19-mm and 22-mm diameters.
Learn more.

Image - Clippard PTFE multi-channel gradient valves
Clippard PTFE multi-channel gradient valves
NIV series gradient valves feature multiple two-way, normally closed solenoids connected around a central body. This unique design provides significant reduction in internal volume with enhanced mixing capabilities. Each actuator operates independently, allowing for flow of various media to be mixed or for one media to be split into multiple streams. These multi-channel gradient valves are useful for solvent selection, stream splitting, flushing, and other automated applications.
Learn more.

Image - Cool Tools: New Artec LEO 3D scanner
Cool Tools: New Artec LEO 3D scanner
Exact Metrology is proud to announce the availability of its Artec LEO 3D scanner, the first scanner to offer onboard automatic processing with an integrated touch panel viewer. This frees users from being tied to a computer for data capture. The scanner has a 3D reconstruction rate of 80 frames per second, making it the fastest professional scanner on the market. With its large field of view, Artec LEO can scan and process large objects and scenes quickly and accurately, and it boasts a data acquisition rate of up to 4 million points per sec.
Learn more.

Image - New Sinamics G120X drive series specializes in infrastructure pump, fan, and compressor applications
New Sinamics G120X drive series specializes in infrastructure pump, fan, and compressor applications
Siemens has introduced the new Sinamics G120X drive, a simple, seamless, and easy-to-use drive designed for use in pump, fan, and compressor applications in industries such as water/wastewater, HVAC/R, irrigation/agriculture, and in industrial environments. Sinamics G120X has a power range of 1 to 700 hp (0.75 to 630 kW) and can operate in temps from -4 to 140 F (-20 to 60 C) with any standard motor, including synchronous reluctance motors (SRM). It has an integral DC choke that improves harmonics and EMC performance. Sinamics G120X meets all the latest and upcoming UL, NEMA, and EN/IEC standards for 2019 and beyond and offers up to 100-kA short-circuit current rating (SCCR), ensuring enhanced product safety and energy efficiency.
Learn more.

Image - Fun! LEGO launches 1,471-piece 1967 Ford Mustang
Fun! LEGO launches 1,471-piece 1967 Ford Mustang
If it's still too cold in your neck of the woods to work on a car in the driveway, you have other options to tinker. The LEGO Creator Expert Ford Mustang went on sale March 1. Developed in partnership with Ford, the 13-in.-long 1967 Fastback muscle car comes complete with working steering, dark-blue bodywork, white racing stripes, bonnet scoop, printed Mustang grille badge, GT emblems, and five-spoke rims with road-gripping tires. Customization options include a supercharger, rear ducktail spoiler, beefy exhaust pipes, front chin spoiler, and a nitrous oxide tank for an authentic pony car build experience.
Check it out.

Most popular last issue

Image - New Star Trek replicator-like projection 3D printer makes full objects in single pass
New Star Trek replicator-like projection 3D printer makes full objects in single pass
A new type of 3D printer can create objects all at once by projecting carefully crafted patterns of light "movies" onto a rotating cylinder of liquid that solidifies. The objects are smoother, more flexible, and in some cases more complex than what is possible with most traditional 3D printers. The Star Trek-like tech can also encase an already existing object with new materials, which current printers struggle to do.
Read the full article.

Image - New Army technology guides Soldiers in complete darkness
New Army technology guides Soldiers in complete darkness
Researchers at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory have developed a new type of thermal imaging camera that allows Soldiers to see hidden objects that were previously undetectable. The new tech markedly improves detail resolution when compared to conventional thermal imaging.
Read the full article.

Image - Refined muscle: New Mercedes-AMG GT R Roadster
Refined muscle: New Mercedes-AMG GT R Roadster
Looking like a well-defined comic-book superhero, the new Mercedes-AMG GT R Roadster deftly melds high performance and a refined, stylish design. It's classy and yet ripped, straight from the gym -- but a high-end gym at that. The 577-hp V8 Biturbo features intelligent lightweight construction and highly dynamic handling. It's quick too. Zero to 60 mph in 3.5 sec.
Read the full article.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
Application Focus: Components for endurance tester
Successful manufacturing automation systems require consistent results and durable components to meet high cycle counts. This application explains how the components from FUTEK (load cell and differential strain gauge amplifier), Galil (motion controller), and SMAC (moving coil linear actuator) work together to create a robust endurance testing system. Learn the basics so you can grow your knowledge base.
View the FUTEK video.
Body and paint problems with my Tesla Model 3
Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained had a $46,000 Tesla Model 3 delivered, and right away -- before he even drove it -- he noticed fit and finish issues. And then he saw some more, and then, well, he got to measuring too. He found paint scratches, paint defects, and also mismatching panel gaps. Is Fenske being picky about his add-on $2,500 special red paint job? Is Tesla missing the mark by ramping up production? Would you accept a new car in a condition like this?
View the video.

New products

Electrical/Electronics
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Mechanical
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Motion
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