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July 24, 2018Volume 14 Issue 28

See how Malibu Boats gets its angle
for wakeboarding fun

Watch the video and view the slideshow detailing how Malibu Boats' PowerWedge II -- the world's only watersports hydrofoil -- enables watersports fun and how Novotechnik's RFD4800 sensor plays a key role by measuring hydrofoil angle while partially exposed to the elements. The positionable hydraulic hydrofoil gets a boat "on plane" quickly to create wakes up to 5 ft high.
Learn more about this exciting application.

In this issue of Designfax

  • 5 evolving NASA innovations that could change lives
  • Honda preps to reclaim world's fastest lawnmower title
  • Merging antenna and electronics boosts efficiency
  • New record set for largest 3D-printed space part
  • Lightning strikes on composite wings
  • It's not all about precision: New way to design for additive manufacturing
  • Plug-and-play motion system in a box
  • Waterproof 6-axis acceleration and angular rate sensor
  • High-gain rubber-type coupling
  • Heavy-duty air-powered conveyor
  • Permanent threads in thin sheet applications
  • DriveWare 7.4.2 released with stepper motor support
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • What adhesive needed? Epoxy, urethane, silicone?
    • LEGO James Bond Goldfinger car kit released
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • Future combat vehicles get super flexible -- Wow!
    • Carbon fiber muscles can lift 12,600x their weight
    • Sneak peek: All-new Ford Police Interceptor Hybrid
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: Honda Mean Mower V2 shoots for 150 mph

News

Self-heating, fast-charging battery makes electric vehicles climate-immune

Hydrogen power in a bottle for on-the-go use: Army plans to license nanogalvanic aluminum powder discovery

Planes will fly on corn, sugar, or trash: Pacific Northwest National Lab's technology clears way for ethanol-derived jet fuel

Volvo Cars aims for 25 percent recycled plastics in every new car from 2025



Image - Universal Robots reduce changeover times 50%
Universal Robots reduce changeover times 50%
Continental has pioneered the move towards industry 4.0 as the company acquired several collaborative UR robots to automate the manufacture and handling of PCB boards for instrument panels. Learn and watch how the robots brought down changeover times by 50%, from 40 to 20 minutes when compared to performing the task manually.
Find out more about this automotive/cobot application.
Request a cobot demo.
Get started with cobots, download the ebook.

Feature articles
5 evolving NASA innovations that could change the way we live and explore
Teams of scientists at NASA Glenn have partnered with industry to produce these five recent innovations, including detecting smoke and fire, predicting aircraft icing dangers, and developing electronics that can handle ultra-extreme conditions.
Read the full article.
Image -
View a new type of miniature piezo ratchet drive that provides high resolution in a small package, ideal for motion systems engineers.


Image - Honda preps Mean Mower V2 to reclaim world's fastest lawnmower title
Honda preps Mean Mower V2 to reclaim world's fastest lawnmower title
Revenge is sweet, and Honda (UK) is planning on getting a big taste of it later this summer. That's when they will attempt to win back the title for building and running the world's fastest lawnmower. Their target speed? A jaw-dropping 150 mph. Now doesn't that make yardwork more exciting?
Read the full article.

Image - Merging antenna and electronics boosts energy and spectrum efficiency
Merging antenna and electronics boosts energy and spectrum efficiency
By integrating the design of antenna and electronics, researchers have boosted the energy and spectrum efficiency for a new class of millimeter wave transmitters, allowing improved modulation and reduced generation of waste heat. The result could be longer talk time and higher data rates for future 5G applications.
Read the full article.

Image - New record set for largest 3D-printed space part
New record set for largest 3D-printed space part
Lockheed Martin has created a 3D-printed titanium dome for a satellite fuel tank so big that you can't even put your arms around it. The 46-in.- diameter vessel completed final rounds of quality testing this month, ending a multi-year development program to create giant, high-pressure tanks that carry fuel on board satellites. The fuel tank dome was printed on an American-made Sciaky EBAM 110 machine.
Read the full article.

Image - Isolating and dissipating the impact of lightning strikes on composite wings
Isolating and dissipating the impact of lightning strikes on composite wings
Parker Aerospace's Fluid Systems Division has developed critical fuel-vent and line static dissipating tubes in collaboration with OEM customers to safeguard today's modern composite aircraft from the risk of fuel-tank ignition and serious safety incidents. Without dissipation, the lightning currents could ignite the fuel in the fuel tanks, fuel lines, and fuel vents.
Read the Parker Hannifin blog.

Image - It's not all about precision: Sandia team designs in a new way for additive manufacturing
It's not all about precision: Sandia team designs in a new way for additive manufacturing
A Sandia National Laboratories team built a telescope to demonstrate how to design for additive manufacturing, familiarly known as 3D printing, to take advantage of the technique's strengths and weaknesses. The team created a lighter weight, less expensive ground-based telescope in about a third of the time of a traditionally made telescope for about a fifth of the cost.
Read the full article.

Image - Plug-and-play motion system in a box
Plug-and-play motion system in a box
Rollon Corp. has launched Motion Box, a new pre-engineered Cartesian robot system designed to deliver users six different motion profiles that can be set up and running in a couple of hours. Motion Box covers everything from the human-machine interface (HMI) to the output of reliable motion. Even the cable management is included. The initial system setup is already complete, so end users can get parts moving in a reliable and repeatable manner. Motion Box incorporates the Q-Motion Controller from Mitsubishi Electric, which features four-axis motion control, energy-efficient drivers, integrated I/O and network access, and a clean, efficient HMI setup.
Learn more.

Image - Waterproof 6-axis acceleration and angular rate sensor
Waterproof 6-axis acceleration and angular rate sensor
Code Mercenaries has released the JoyWarrior56FR1-WP, a cost-efficient, waterproof, six-axis MEMS motion sensor that provides 3-axis measurements of both acceleration and angular rate with 16-bit resolution for motion, vibration, or orientation sensing applications. Readings are taken at 833 measurements per sec in standard mode, while a high-speed mode generates 6,664 data points per sec. The different range settings at which acceleration and angular rate can be measured can be stored permanently in the sensor. Comes with a 6-ft cable and USB interface. Available from U.S. distributor Saelig.
Click here to learn more.

Image - High-gain rubber-type coupling
High-gain rubber-type coupling
In 2007, NBK took the lead in the industry with the launching of the High-Gain Rubber Coupling. With the XG-Series, you can increase the productivity and control of your Servo System with higher gain compared to when using traditional couplings. These High-Gain Rubber Couplings shorten manufacturing time through the reduction of vibration even in high-gain surroundings by an innovative molding technique within the internal structure of the couplings.
Click here to learn more.

Image - Heavy-duty air-powered conveyor resists wear and transports more
Heavy-duty air-powered conveyor resists wear and transports more
EXAIR's new 2-1/2-in. and 3-in. Heavy Duty Line Vacs are powerful in-line conveyors that transport high volumes of material through ordinary hose or tube -- at a rate that is typically twice that of ordinary air-powered conveyors. Designed for rugged, industrial applications, Heavy Duty Line Vacs have a hardened alloy construction that prevents premature wear when transporting abrasive or heavy materials like shot blast, tumbling media, or metal fittings. These units feature large throat diameters that make it possible to convey more material over longer vertical and horizontal lengths. Seven sizes available.
Learn more.

Image - Permanent threads in thin sheet applications -- with only one-sided access
Permanent threads in thin sheet applications -- with only one-sided access
ATLAS SpinTite blind threaded inserts from PennEngineering provide strong, permanent, and reusable threads in thin sheet materials where only one side is accessible for hardware installation. Installation is performed from the accessible "front" side using spin-spin tooling technology. The inserts then become permanently mounted on the "back" side to accept a mating screw for final component attachment. This "blind" installation capability especially suits applications such as tubing, extrusions, and others where access to the back side is either limited or nonexistent. These steel, aluminum, brass, or stainless steel inserts support close-to-edge applications and can be installed at any stage during the production process (even after assemblies have been painted).
Click here to learn more.

Image - DriveWare 7.4.2 released with stepper motor support
DriveWare 7.4.2 released with stepper motor support
DriveWare is ADVANCED Motion Controls' no-cost software tool that allows users to set drive limits, tune the control loops, configure various types of feedback, auto-commutate, analyze signals over a built-in multi-channel oscilloscope, and more. Because of its powerful capabilities and user-friendly interface, DriveWare is the best way to commission and configure the company's DigiFlex Performance series drives. The biggest update to DriveWare 7.4.2 is the expanded support for stepper motors -- making it easy to configure closed-loop steppers while streamlined algorithms make autocommutation 75% faster. DigiFlex Performance servo drives can operate two-phase and three-phase steppers in addition to rotary and linear permanent magnet, brushed, and brushless servo motors.
Click here to learn more.

Most popular last issue

Image - Future combat vehicles get super flexible -- Wow!
Future combat vehicles get super flexible -- Wow!
Round "tires" that transform into triangular tracks, extreme travel suspensions, and virtual windows -- these are just some of the impressive new military-vehicle innovations in the works from DARPA. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is aiming to improve the mobility, survivability, safety, and effectiveness of future combat vehicles without piling on armor.
Read the full article.

Image - Carbon fiber artificial muscles can lift 12,600x their own weight
Carbon fiber artificial muscles can lift 12,600x their own weight
Some researchers working on artificial muscles are seeing results even the fittest individuals would envy, designing muscles capable of lifting up to 12,600 times their own weight. The new muscles are made from carbon fiber-reinforced siloxane rubber and have a coiled geometry.
Read the full article.

Image - All-new Ford Police Interceptor Utility Pursuit-Rated Hybrid offers improved performance, lower gas costs
All-new Ford Police Interceptor Utility Pursuit-Rated Hybrid offers improved performance, lower gas costs
Ford recently gave a sneak peek of the all-new Police Interceptor Utility, the industry's first pursuit-rated hybrid SUV, which is projected to accelerate faster, achieve a higher top speed, and have at least 40 percent better fuel economy than the previous V6-powered model.
Read the full article.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
What type of adhesive do I need? Epoxy, urethane, or silicone?
"What kind of formulation should I choose for my application?" If that's what you are wondering, Epoxies Etc. has some useful advice for you. Choosing the right chemistry for your formulation is a make-or-break decision, and it can help to maximize the value of your product. Get "tips and tricks and knowledge that sticks."
View the video.
LEGO James Bond Goldfinger car kit released
James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 from the 1964 hit film "Goldfinger" is the latest in the LEGO Creator Expert series and sports a wealth of authentic gadgets and gizmos all created in Q's workshop. Featuring 1,290 pieces, you can combine the understated sophistication of Aston Martin with the challenge of LEGO building and create your very own piece of James Bond memorabilia. Watch Mike Pskaki, senior designer, LEGO, describe how his team designed the car and what went into building in all those special features.
View the video.
Go to LEGO shop.

New products

Electrical/Electronics
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Mechanical
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