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November 05, 2019Volume 15 Issue 42


Image - New Innovative Way to Take Up Tolerances!
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 available.
Learn more.

In this issue of Designfax

  • Airbus tests hinged wing-tip technology
  • Drill, grind, polish, cut with heavy-duty robot tools
  • Composite metal foam vs. aluminum in aero wings
  • Climb every mountain: New Land Rover Defender 2020
  • Join carbon materials and more with innovative C-Solder
  • PCs and workstations: Ignore distinctions at your risk
  • 12 key factors in bellows design
  • Slip rings for demanding environments
  • New electrically conductive flame-retardant plastic
  • Motor sizing basics: Balancing torque, speed, and inertia
  • Powerful LED curing lamp for tight work spaces
  • Fun: LEGO Technic Land Rover Defender
  • Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
    • Gear maker decreases cycle time with dual grippers
    • Top 5 takeaways: Xometry CNC Machining Guide
    • Navy tests spinel for transparent armor
  • Most Popular Last Issue
    • Magic bullets: Future of AI in weapon systems
    • Weird vs. the wild: Audi autonomous off-roader
    • Cobot at the controls: Air Force drop-in ROBOpilot
  • New Products
    • Electrical, Mechanical, Motion
    Cover Image: Land Rover Defender 2020

News

Researchers create quantum chip 1,000 times smaller than current designs

New test using microfluidics can diagnose Lyme disease in 15 minutes -- right in the doctor's office

Will robots bring a job apocalypse? MIT report examines how to make technology work for society -- big changes ahead

Engineers put Leonardo da Vinci's bridge design to the test -- would have been world's longest at the time



Image - New 16mm Brushless Motor Delivers High Torque & Speed
New 16mm Brushless Motor Delivers High Torque & Speed
MICROMO is now FAULHABER MICROMO and has just launched the new FAULHABER 1660 BHx series, a high-power brushless DC motor based on 2-pole technology that's setting new standards for performance, speed, and power. 16mm in diameter and 60mm in length, the 1660 BHx series motor weighs only 78g and is ideal for handheld tools and devices requiring impressive power and high efficiency. Available in two motor design options, each optimized for speed and torque performance.
Learn more.

Feature articles
Airbus tests hinged wing-tip technology
Inspired by the albatross seabird, Airbus engineers in Filton, UK, have developed a remote-controlled aircraft demonstrator that has semi-aeroelastic hinged wing tips. It is the first prototype to trial in-flight, freely flapping wing tips that can react and flex to wind gusts, significantly reducing load and drag for a lighter, more fuel-efficient aircraft.
Read the full article.
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Hexapods are based on a very flexible 6-DOF concept that can easily solve complex motion and alignment problems.


Image - Drill, grind, polish, and cut with these heavy-duty robot tools
Drill, grind, polish, and cut with these heavy-duty robot tools
New end-of-arm tooling solutions from SUHNER's ROBO Tools line can help you handle those heavy-duty tasks. Ever since it was founded, SUHNER has been working on low-cost automation and is regarded today as a go-to specialist in machining units for drilling, milling, and thread-cutting operations. Their automation products come with built-in flexibility, because they can be put together in a modular system that can be tailor-made for your project.
Read the full article.

Image - Composite metal foam outperforms aluminum for aircraft wing use
Composite metal foam outperforms aluminum for aircraft wing use
New research shows that a combination of steel composite metal foam (CMF) and epoxy resin has more desirable characteristics for use as a leading-edge material for aircraft wings than the aluminum currently in widespread use.
Read the full article.

Image - Climb every mountain: New Land Rover Defender 2020
Climb every mountain: New Land Rover Defender 2020
It's climb every mountain, ford every stream with the new Defender 2020 -- the toughest and most capable Land Rover vehicle yet. It combines a new body structure with all-new technologies and proven hardware to create an all-terrain adventurer that is fit to follow every byway -- and look chic downtown too.
Read the full article.

Image - Join carbon materials and more with innovative C-Solder
Join carbon materials and more with innovative C-Solder
C-Solder tin-based soldering alloys enable the joining of carbon materials as well as carbon to metals (copper, aluminum) and aluminum to aluminum. The resulting bond is mechanically strong and electrically conductive. C-Solder is both flux-free and lead-free, has a melting point of 232 C (solidus temperature), has excellent flow, does not leave a residue, and is not affected by cleaning solvents.
View the 1-minute video.
Learn more from Goodfellow. A really cool material!

Image - PCs and workstations: Ignore distinctions at your own professional risk, says top analyst
PCs and workstations: Ignore distinctions at your own professional risk, says top analyst
Through the years, a desktop computer or laptop has been interchangeably called a PC or workstation. "Same thing" you could say. But if you did, you'd likely receive a memorable put-down by the likes of Dr. Jon Peddie, the world-renown computer graphics analyst. And if you dare utter the words workstation PC around him, better run for cover. By Bob Cramblitt
Read the full article.

Image - 12 key factors in bellows design
12 key factors in bellows design
What do you need to know to design your own custom bellows? The specialists at Servometer have prepared this handy resource for you. Typical bellows applications include: volume compensators, actuators, electrical spring contacts, pressure switches and transducers, flexible shaft couplings, and more.
Read the full article.

Image - Slip rings for demanding environments
Slip rings for demanding environments
The Orbex Group now offers IP65-rated slip rings for reliable use in demanding industrial or outdoor applications. Constructed from stainless steel, the rugged 200 series resists shock, vibration, and corrosion in salty or washdown environments. It features a wide temp range (-40 to 80 C) and the longest service life of any Orbex slip rings -- up to 80 million revolutions. Units incorporate proprietary channeled brush technology, which creates multiple contact points and reduces contact forces to minimize wear in food processing, packaging, wind turbines, marine cable reels, downhole inspection equipment, and other demanding applications. Mini (300 series) and through-bore (series 500) slip rings also available.
Learn more.

Image - New electrically conductive flame-retardant plastic
New electrically conductive flame-retardant plastic
Electrically conductive plastics continue to provide reliable EMI shielding in a wide variety of applications. Thermoplastics provide a good alternative to bulky metal enclosures due to their superior weight, EMI shielding capabilities, and simpler manufacturing process. However, before purchasing any thermoplastic, it is important to consider performance capabilities. Paige Ludl from the Chomerics Division at Parker runs through the basics of what you need to know about these materials.
Read this informative Parker blog.

Image - Motor sizing basics: Balancing torque, speed, and inertia for optimal application performance
Motor sizing basics: Balancing torque, speed, and inertia for optimal application performance
Optimizing motor selection for motion control applications can have significant performance, cost, and maintenance benefits. Select too large a motor, and you could overwhelm your actuators and incur unnecessary equipment and energy costs. Select too small a motor, and you may not achieve the torque and speed you need for effective performance. Andrew Skidmore, senior project engineer at Thomson Industries, covers what you need to know to make the proper selection for your application.
Read the Thompson article.

Image - Powerful LED curing lamp for tight work spaces
Powerful LED curing lamp for tight work spaces
DELO now offers a compact LED curing lamp for use in industrial applications with limited work space. The powerful DELOLUX 503 is designed to bond small surfaces, like cameras used in autonomous cars, within seconds on serial production lines. The new lamp directs light diagonally downward so that it does not need to be installed at level with the components that need to be bonded. This gives more moving space to axes or grippers and helps to integrate complex systems. The UV lamp ensures high process reliability through continuous intensity control, internal control, and monitoring of important parameters like LED temperature. Up to four LED heads can be controlled by DELO controllers or by an external PLC, allowing the adhesive to be evenly exposed from several angles.
Learn more.

Image - Fun: LEGO Technic Land Rover Defender
Fun: LEGO Technic Land Rover Defender
Launched alongside the real, new 2020 adventure vehicle at the Frankfurt Motor Show this year, the 2,573-piece LEGO Land Rover Defender model features a host of realistic elements and functions, including authentic body panels and rims, four-wheel drive with three differentials, fully independent suspension, detailed dashboard, and a working winch. A new transmission system has two levers for engaging high or low ratios and a selector for changing gear -- LEGO Technic's most sophisticated gearbox yet. You can also fold the rear seat forward to view the four-speed sequential gearbox, lift the hood to view the in-line six-cylinder engine with moving pistons, and turn the rear-mounted spare wheel to open the rear door.
Learn more.

Most popular last issue

Image - Magic bullets: The future of artificial intelligence in weapon systems
Magic bullets: The future of artificial intelligence in weapon systems
AI on the battlefield will come. That's guaranteed. Before AI automates "slaughterbots," we need to think through the moral and ethical implications of such powerful technology in warfare. What does it mean for a weapon to be fail-safe? Is a human in the loop necessary or even desirable? By Dr. Gordon Cooke, Director, West Point Simulation Center
Read the full article.

Image - Weird vs. the wild: Audi autonomous off-roader concept
Weird vs. the wild: Audi autonomous off-roader concept
Audi introduced its electric AI:TRAIL quattro concept at the International Auto Show in September. With its fortified suspension and tires, 360-degree "helicopter" views, and integrated drones, it's weird vs. the wild for the future of off-roading.
Read the full article.

Image - Cobot at the controls: Air Force Research Lab conducts first flight of drop-in ROBOpilot
Cobot at the controls: Air Force Research Lab conducts first flight of drop-in ROBOpilot
Imagine being able to rapidly and affordably convert a general aviation aircraft, like a Cessna or Piper, into an unmanned aerial vehicle. The Air Force Research Lab and DZYNE Technologies have done just that. The drop-in system "grabs" the yoke, pushes on the rudders and brakes, controls the throttle, and even reads the dashboard gauges -- a novel approach to rapidly commissioning flight automation systems.
Read the full article.

Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action
How a gear manufacturer decreased cycle time
by 12 seconds, realizing 3 months ROI with OnRobot Grippers

The Copenhagen-based company Osvald Jensen increased productivity on CNC machines by retrofitting them with RG2 Dual Grippers from OnRobot that significantly decrease cycle times and allow for production to continue after operators leave the shop.
This single gripper can handle two objects at the same time!
Watch how this was done:

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Top 5 takeaways from Xometry CNC Machining Design Guide
According to Greg Paulsen, director of application engineering at Xometry, there's a lot to keep track of when designing a part for CNC machining. This short video introduces you to Xometry's comprehensive CNC Design Guide and covers the top 5 takeaways you'll need to keep in mind when designing parts for CNC machining such as tolerances, surface finishes, fillets, and more. Very useful information.
View the video.
Learn more by viewing Xometry's top tips to save on CNC machining.

Video Image
Navy tests replacing glass with re-engineered spinel for transparent armor
The U.S. Navy Research Lab is testing using spinel as a replacement for glass in armored vehicles. Spinel (magnesium aluminum oxide) is much tougher, stronger, and harder than glass -- and the researchers are working on making it lighter weight. It also provides better protection in more hostile environments, so it can withstand sand and rain erosion -- not to mention better protection from enemy fire.
View the video.

Video Image

New products

Electrical/Electronics
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Mechanical
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Motion
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