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Eliminate O-Rings to Increase Compatibility and Reduce Potential Leak Paths BellowsTech valve seals, manufactured using bellows technology, can eliminate O-rings to increase compatibility and reduce potential leak paths. Bellows technology creates a uniform outside wall for consistent movement under hydraulic pressure. Various stroke lengths and sizes are offered, and can be manufactured with O-ring grooves, flanges, and carbon-face seals to make the best possible connection to customer assemblies. BellowsTech valve seals are 100% visually inspected throughout the manufacturing process and confirmed with mass spectrometer testing. Click here to view our nearly 100 standard diaphragm sizes online, which is also available as a downloadable PDF file.
Visit the BellowsTech online store today!
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In this issue of Designfax |
News |
Cover Image: Nelson Publishing
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Tiny satellites for all: Crowd-funded, DIY spacecraft to float into low-Earth orbit New 'intelligent' wind turbine has a rotor as big as the London Eye Ward's 10 Best Engines of 2013 announced: no hybrids, all-electrics, or diesels |
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Can you build an all-wheel-drive space rover from standard parts? Yup ... at least the drive system. Using low-cost, standard motion-control parts from the FAULHABER Group/MICROMO and controlled with conventional components, the eight-wheel Shrimp Rover climbing concept was built to carry instrumentation for space travel missions and challenging Earth-bound applications such as minesweeping. Read all about creating the off-the-shelf drive system for this rover.
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| Featured Articles |
| 3M 25-year light bulb requires unique die-cast components | |
 When 3M began the design and development of its new 25-year LED light bulb, there were a number of aluminum components in the design that, in large volumes, would ultimately be too costly to allow for secondary machining and would require net-shape, high-pressure aluminum die casting. 3M's LED Advanced Light has a unique electronics-in-bulb design, sophisticated light-guide technology, and an estimated energy cost of $1.63 per year.
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Wheels: Chevrolet debuts lightweight 'smart material' on Corvette GM's first use of a heat-activated shape memory alloy replaces a heavier motorized part on its new seventh-generation Corvette.
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Campfire pot turns heat and water into electricity -- really Power Practical, a student startup that sprang from research at the University of Utah, is selling a portable thermoelectric cook pot that transforms heat and water into a power source to charge cellphones and other devices.
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Researchers create totally viable peel-and-stick solar panels A decal-like application process allows thin, flexible solar panels to be applied to virtually any surface, from business cards to roofs to window panes.
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Wheels: SuperTruck delivers 54 percent increase in fuel economy Cummins Inc. and Peterbilt Motors Co. recently released test results showing their demonstration "SuperTruck" tractor-trailer achieved a 54 percent increase in fuel economy over standard trucks, averaging nearly 10 mpg under real-world driving conditions.
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Military engineers teach an old water can new tricks A system developed by researchers at the Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center, Department of Defense Combat Feeding Directorate in Natick, MA, will help bring water to Soldiers in the field, either cool or heat it, and then keep it that way for days at a time. The system revolves around a high-stress collapsible water bag, a beverage cooling unit, and an insulated bag that holds the standard 5-gal water can or the collapsible water bag.
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Metal injection molding (MIM): A crucial element in the booming firearms industry Metal injection molding (MIM) is a popular choice in the flourishing firearms market for producing relatively high precision at a low cost. MIM combines powder metal with a low-melt polymer to create a feedstock that is molded using conventional injection-molding equipment and molds. After molding, the plastic must be removed and the parts sintered. The result is a solid metal part created from powder metal to near net shape at 96 percent density of wrought metal.
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Microdrives give humanoid service robots human traits The more human-like a robot is, the more sophisticated the mechatronic engineering input necessary. Microdrives are often central to providing robots the means to exhibit "body language."
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Robotic insects make first controlled flight Inspired by the biology of a fly, with submillimeter-scale anatomy and two wafer-thin wings that flap almost invisibly 120 times per second, Harvard researchers have demonstrated the first vertical takeoff, hovering, and steering of a truly insect-size robot. The RoboBee, an aspiration for the researchers for years, represents the absolute cutting edge of micromanufacturing and control systems.
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Engineer's Toolbox: What's the difference between 17-4PH and 316L stainless steel for pressure sensors? Stainless steel pressure sensors and transducers are most commonly manufactured from either 316L or 17-4 PH. Both offer good material strength and good elasticity, but there are key differences that can have significant impacts on which material you should choose for your application.
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Wheels (and wings): New electromagnetic catapult includes 'most powerful single linear motor ever energized' Catapults incorporating GE Power Conversion's powerful new medium-voltage advanced linear induction machine will be capable of launching aircraft as large as the latest F35-C from aircraft carriers, while smaller versions will be used to launch unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from mobile or fixed installations.
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| Most Popular |
| Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action |
| World's most energy-efficient LED light bulb? | |
| Three young innovators got together and pitched their NanoLight project on Kickstarter. They reached their goal of $20,000 in project seed money in the first three days. What's so cool about the NanoLight? It's a super-economical, omnidirectional 12W LED bulb created from folded PCB boards that puts out the equivalent light of a traditional 100W bulb (1,600 lumens) and has a lifespan of 30,000 hr. Better yet, this device needs no heat sink. Check out this unconventional but very cool design.
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| New products |
| Electrical/Electronics | Mechanical | Motion |
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| For advertising opportunities contact: John Holmes jholmes@nelsonpub.com Dan Beck danbeck58@gmail.com (518) 852-9624 |
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