Click this link if you cannot read the issue below: Designfax - Tech for OEM Design Engineers
April 24, 2012Volume 08 Issue 16


Image - New ‘pin and keeper' quick-assembly <br>sign fastening system
New ‘pin and keeper' quick-assembly
sign fastening system

The Micro Plastics sign fastener is designed for rapid assembly and disassembly of a sign or other panel to its support structure. The reusable fastener was designed to fit a hole diameter of 5/16 in. to 3/8 in. (8 mm to 9.5 mm) and can be used to fasten two pieces together with total panel thickness from 1 in. to 1.64 in. (25.4 mm to 41.6 mm). Simply squeeze the keeper together and slide onto the pin, then release the keeper. Molded from impact-resistant and UV-stabilized nylon 6/6, the sign fastener is designed to withstand the elements in outdoor applications.
Click here for more information.

In this issue of Designfax

  • Army tech promises greater lethality
  • Plastics parts design tip: Cut to the bone
  • Tiny MEMS chips go 3D
  • Wheels: Composite brake rotors for all
  • Mike Likes: Measure, calculate cost of energy waste
  • Engineer's Toolbox: Plastics design competition winners
  • Quick Look: High-temp cabinet coolers
  • Quick Look: Medium- and heavy-duty slides
  • Quick Look: Powerful micro motor for robotic, industrial apps
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • World's most advanced electric motorcycle
    • Test motion behavior impact on iPhone
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • Wheels: Audi manufactures car sounds
    • Record photovoltaic efficiency
    • Med device propels itself through bloodstream
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: MIT researchers produce new 3D microchips.

News

USCAR rolling out shared-connector designs in 3D

Future U.S. Navy force may sail with the strength of titanium

Continental tests ‘highly automated' driving over 6,000 miles in Nevada

Rising demand for wind turbines and electric vehicles could strain supplies of some rare earth metals



Image - Metal Bellows for Corrosive Media
Metal Bellows for Corrosive Media
BellowsTech edge welded bellows provide the most flex in the smallest amount of space and allow for flexibility in axial, angular and parallel offset motion. Metal bellows technology is employed in sub-sea and down hole applications with high temperatures, high pressures and corrosive media, all of which BellowsTech can customize its bellows to accommodate.
Learn more …

Feature articles
New Army technology holds promise of greater lethality
Imagine a warhead with fragments that flare and burn when the warhead detonates. Now imagine the potential lethality of an artillery shell made almost entirely of that stuff.
Read the full article.
Plastics parts design tip: Cut to the bone
Plastic is inherently light, generally economical, and relatively easy to form. But that doesn't mean that it can't, with thoughtful design, be lighter still and even more economical, all without sacrificing performance or complicating manufacturing.
Read the full article.
Tiny MEMS chips go 3D
MIT researchers have developed a new approach to producing three-dimensional microchips that could be used as super-tiny accelerometers for autonomous space navigation and many other applications.
Read the full article.
Wheels:
Lightweight, ultra-durable brake rotors coming to mass market

A new, fiber-reinforced, metal matrix composite (MMC) brake rotor is being developed for the mass market. It will be easier to manufacture, and the fiber reinforcements will provide a longer life span.
Read the full article.

Image - Mike Likes: <br>Measure and calculate the cost of energy waste
Mike Likes:
Measure and calculate the cost of energy waste

The new Fluke 430 Series II Power Quality and Energy Analyzers use a patented algorithm to measure energy waste and quantify its cost. This technology can help facilities reduce electrical power consumption and improve the performance and lifespan of electromechanical equipment by providing the ROI justification to mitigate power quality distortion. Electrical engineers, technicians, and electricians can assess the financial impact of new energy-efficient lighting, motor controls, and HVAC systems. Available from Newark element14.
Click here to learn more.
Engineer's Toolbox:
Winners of International Plastics Design Competition announced

Shown and presented at the huge NPE2012 show earlier this month, the award winners in the 2nd International Plastics Design Competition (IPDC) sponsored by SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association certainly span a wide range of applications, and many of them embody innovative use of technologies in support of sustainability goals.
Read the full article.

Image - Quick Look: High-temp, large-cabinet coolers
Quick Look: High-temp, large-cabinet coolers
EXAIR's new Dual High Temperature Cabinet Cooler Systems purge and cool overheated electrical control panels in harsh environments up to 200°F (93°C), providing air as cool as 20°F (-7°C). Ideal for large electrical enclosures and high heat loads, these coolers incorporate a vortex tube that cools ordinary compressed air to cold air without the use of refrigerants.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Quick Look: <br>Medium- and heavy-duty ball bearing slides
Quick Look:
Medium- and heavy-duty ball bearing slides

Illinois Lock Company offers a wide range of medium- and heavy-duty ball bearing slides suitable for applications ranging from office furniture and cabinets to electronic enclosures, shelving, and heavy-duty tool boxes. Standard and custom slides are available with load ratings up to 500 lb. Profiles up to 3 in. x 3/4 in. can be provided. Tested to a minimum of 50,000 cycles and available in electro-zinc plate, black electro-zinc plate, and black electro-dipping finishes.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Quick Look: <br>Powerful micro motor for robotic, industrial apps
Quick Look:
Powerful micro motor for robotic, industrial apps

The 3863 CR DC Micro Motor from FAULHABER, available from MICROMO, has ZHN48 magnet material for benchmark torque performance of 150 mNm at 8,000 rpm. The motor is available in 12, 18, 24, 36, and 48 V and can be equipped with a three-channel encoder (also available in a line-driver design) as well as combined with a wide range of precision gearheads. With its robust power, the 3863 CR DC Motor is an ideal fit for robotic, industrial, and process equipment applications.
Click here to learn more.

Most popular last issue
Wheels:
Audi manufactures sounds for its electric lineup

Audi's future e-tron models like the super-cool R8 will cover long distances powered by practically silent electric motors. To ensure that pedestrians in urban settings will hear them, the brand has developed a synthetic solution: Audi e-sound.
Read the full article.
Concentrating photovoltaic modules produce record 33.9% efficiency
Read the full article.
Med device propels itself through bloodstream
A Stanford electrical engineer recently demonstrated a tiny, wirelessly powered, self-propelled medical device capable of controlled motion through the bloodstream.
Read the full article.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
Designing the world's most advanced electric motorcycle
Meet Michael Czysz, a man on a mission to build the world's most technologically advanced – and fastest! – electric motorcycle, and learn how he uses SolidWorks in his design process. [Image courtesy: motoczysz]
View the video.

Video Image
Test the impact of motion behavior on iPhone, iPad
Autodesk ForceEffect Motion is a new, no-cost mobile simulation app for developing and testing mechanical systems with moving parts (scissor lift, windshield wipers, automobile engine, robotics, etc.). You start by importing an existing image or creating a freehand sketch and adding functional mechanical joints, actuators, constraints, and supports. Tap objects to select, move, rotate, and scale. Real-time solving capabilities provide immediate feedback on the system's performance, which you can then print, email, or view as a results report on your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch or any other device with an HTML-enabled browser. Also check out Autodesk ForceEffect, a simulation app that lets users calculate forces on a static object. Both available in the Apple App Store.
View the video (scroll down on page after clicking).

Video Image

New products

Electrical/Electronics
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Mechanical
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Motion
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