Designfax – Technology for OEM Design Engineers was launched as an exclusive eMagazine in October 2005 following 25 successful years in print. Subscribers to the weekly publication (48 issues a year) are high-level OEM product design engineers and engineering managers who operate in a broad range of manufacturing industries, including automotive, aerospace, appliances, medical equipment, transportation, computer process controls, industrial equipment, and more. Primary content focuses on the latest exciting applications and products for Electrical/Electronic, Mechanical, Motion Control, Fluid Power, and Materials engineering, including articles on powerful software programs that serve as a primary engineering tool. Take a look at what Designfax offers and then subscribe.
| February 23, 2021 | Volume 17 Issue 08 |
 | Save space with copper oxide coated foam heat sinks
Ideal where space is tight and performance is critical, microporous copper foam coated with a thin, hard layer of copper oxide provides outstanding performance as a low-profile heat sink in passive cooling environments. A smaller footprint is possible, since the size requirements of individual components can be reduced due to increased thermal efficiency. Thicknesses of 4mm, 5mm and 10mm are available; other sizes may be available upon request.
Learn more from Goodfellow. |
 | Molded threads and how to design them
Molded threads are everywhere as part of mass-produced plastic parts we encounter every day, parts that were made using multi-cavity, highly automated molds costing hundreds of thousands of dollars and requiring many months to design and manufacture. But what if you don't have that kind of time or money? No worries, that's what contract manufacturers like Protolabs are for. Just follow some basic design guidelines, and understand that the threads found on molded parts are a bit different than the ones made in a machine shop.
Read the full article. |
 | Metal 3D printer and furnace made for office use
In partnership with Rapidia, the ExOne Company has launched the ExOne Metal Designlab printer and X1F advanced furnace, which can produce metal parts in a day. Its 3D printer operates with the ease of an entry-level plastic printer, and the parts it produces go directly into the furnace, skipping the long chemical or thermal debinding steps required by competing systems that can take three to five days to deliver final parts.
Read the full article. |
 | Porsche 911 made into extreme all-terrain rally off-roader
Some days you just want to see what's out there -- something fun and wild. Take, for example, the All-terrain Competition Study (ACS), in which Singer Vehicle Design, a high-end restoration house, turned a 1990 Type 964 Porsche 911 into an off-road desert racing beast. From its dramatically increased ride height, suspension travel, and overall strength to its carbon fiber body and 450-hp twin turbo, it's a real showstopper that's made to impress and compete.
Read the full article. |
 | Virtual Expo: Automating machine tending tasks with cobots Feb. 23-24
Universal Robots -- the originator of the collaborative robot -- is hosting the first-ever virtual expo focused on automating machine tending tasks with cobots. The two-day Machine Tending Expo event Feb. 23-24 aims to help manufacturers looking to deploy cobots to tend machines such as CNC, press brakes, injection molding, or 3D printers. In live demos, keynotes, and interactive booth sessions with exhibiting partners, Universal Robots offers solutions on how to implement cobots seamlessly, tackle the labor shortage, and improve crucial machine uptime.
Read the full article. |
 | Self-sterilizing polymers can inactivate COVID-19
Researchers from NC State University have demonstrated a family of self-sterilizing polymers that are effective at inactivating coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2 -- the virus that causes COVID-19. The work opens the door to a suite of applications -- including coating high-contact surfaces -- that could help to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 and other diseases.
Read the full article. |
 | How Onshape has improved parametric CAD fundamentally
For over 30 years, feature-based parametric modeling has been the gold standard for creating complex parts and assemblies and is used in production every day by hundreds of thousands of companies worldwide. Learn how the Onshape complete all-in-one product development platform is radically different -- and better -- in so many ways, including: Multi-Part Design, Configurations, Standard Content, Managed In-Context Design, Simultaneous Sheet Metal Tools, and Custom Features.
Read this informative Onshape blog. |
 | Ball rail systems and ball screw assemblies:
20,000 km without relubrication
Good news for mechanical engineers and users: the ball rail systems BSHP and ball screw assemblies BASA from Bosch Rexroth now achieve lubrication intervals that are up to four times longer. In more and more applications, they can even be used maintenance-free over the entire service life of a component. Low-maintenance or maintenance-free linear motion tech minimizes operating costs and protects the environment. Recent tests show the lubrication intervals for BSHP ball rail systems are 2x improved and can cover up to 20,000 km before the first relubrication. BASA ball screw assemblies achieve up to 200 million revolutions with the basic factory lubrication, a 4x improvement.
Learn more. |
 | Perfectly positioned with stainless steel adjusting screws
For precisely secure and simple adjustments as well as for quick changing of mechanisms or tools, JW Winco now offers three new parts that complement each other perfectly: stainless steel adjusting screws with an adjustment scale plus matching bearing blocks and knurled nuts. The innovative stainless steel adjusting screw GN 827 is intended for use with bearing blocks GN 828 and simplifies fixing of parts to various processing and assembly mechanisms in machines, installations, and jigs. Once the optimal setting has been found, the adjusting screw can be locked in place with a stainless steel knurled nut GN 827.1 designed specifically for this purpose.
Learn more. |
 | Mastercam 2022 Public Beta released for global testing
If you are a currently maintained Mastercam customer, you can now participate in the Public Beta Program for Mastercam 2022. Manufacturers all over the world, from small job shops to Fortune 100 companies, get a chance to test drive Mastercam 2022 before it is released and provide valuable feedback to help shape the final product. Participants in the Public Beta Program get an early look at dozens of powerful new tools for simple to complex jobs, including faster and more flexible multi-axis programming, modeling advances, and enhanced intelligence and automation.
Learn more. |
 | Automotive Ethernet cables
The ODU MINI-SNAP for Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) enables Ethernet connections via copper cables with a single twisted wire pair, while allowing for the voltage supply of terminal devices via PoDL (Power over Data Line). The simpler design of the new generation of connectors and the associated weight and space reduction are good for designers and developers in various areas. SPE is currently being introduced in new automotive generations, replacing CAN and other bus systems. In the future, communication, controls, and security functions will be managed uniformly via Ethernet.
Learn more. |
 | 3D printing for vehicle components using tribologically optimized polymers
igus, the manufacturer of motion plastics, now offers lightweight and durable wear-resistant parts from its 3D-printing service. Customers can order their special part made of tribologically optimized polymers online in seconds. Material options include more than 55 lubrication-free iglide materials. This 3D-printing service is particularly suitable for the short-term production of wear-resistant parts and prototypes. Turnaround is usually a few days.
Learn more. |
| | Most popular last issue |
 | Audi e-tron GT: Cool enough for Iron Man to drive
Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) drove the Audi e-tron GT concept car in Marvel Studios' "Avengers: Endgame," and now you can command -- with superhero acceleration and handling -- the real all-electric gran turismo yourself. Hang on to your helmet. The dual-motor 2022 Audi e-tron GT (up to 522 hp) and RS e-tron GT (up to 637 hp) will go on sale this summer.
Read the full article. |
 | Mars 2020 Rover survives 7 min. of terror
NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover landed on Mars Feb. 18. In the span of about seven minutes, the spacecraft slowed down from about 12,100 mph at the top of the Martian atmosphere to about 2 mph at touchdown in an area called Jezero Crater. Watch the landing highlights animation, including our favorite part -- the skycrane maneuver. Well done, NASA.
View the video. |
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| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | Easy retaining ring installation/removal
What's the difference between a Spirolox® Retaining Ring and a traditional stamped snap ring? Our retaining rings are designed to be installed and removed by hand, so no special tooling is required. This video covers how to install and remove an External Spirolox® Retaining Ring using a flathead screwdriver and a staple remover.
View the video. |
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New real-time Mars landing onboard cam footage
NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance mission captured thrilling footage of its rover landing in Mars' Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021. The footage in this 3.5-min. video was shot by several cameras that are part of the rover's entry, descent, and landing suite. The views include a camera looking down from the spacecraft's descent stage, a camera on the rover looking up at the descent stage, a camera on the top of the aeroshell looking up at that parachute, and a camera on the bottom of the rover looking down at the Martian surface.
View the video. |
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