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Plastic Cam Follower and Rollers Improve Motion System Performance When designing motion systems that require rollers or cam followers, many engineers still believe that only all-metal components will fit the bill. Yet cam followers and rollers with polymer bearing surfaces have emerged as a high-performance alternative to traditional metal motion components. Sized as drop-in replacements for standard inch and metric sized metal rollers, composite cam followers and rollers offer some compelling technical advantages -- including reduced maintenance costs, improved performance and extended lifecycle. www.intechpower.com
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In this issue of Designfax |
News |
Cover Image: Nelson Publishing
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Raytheon's aircraft warning system will alert pilots to cyber attacks Laser-light deflector material being co-developed by Metamaterial Technologies and Airbus |
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Protogami Protogami's three-dimensional flexagons create a continual kaleidocycle that exposes a different set of triangular faces with each turn of its living hinges. It lets product designers and engineers see commonly used materials like ABS, PC and acetal, and how they interact with different surface finishes.
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| Featured Articles |
| Lithium-ion battery research reaches for higher voltages | |
 For years, small rechargeable lithium-ion batteries have reliably supplied billions of portable devices with energy, but standard rechargeable batteries are only marginally suited for high performance. To raise the energy density, you need to increase the voltage or the capacity, and that is where traditional electrode materials and electrolytic fluids reach their limits.
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Free online training in robot programming Learning how to set up and program a collaborative robot -- or cobot -- no longer depends on real-life access to a robot or a training class. Now everybody with a desire to learn the concepts of cobots can log in to the Universal Robots Academy and get the introduction necessary to master basic programming skills. Become a robot programmer in only 87 minutes!
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Next Big Thing: Father-son team create liquid metal 3D-printing system A father-and-son team in the START-UP NY program in Buffalo, NY, have invented a liquid metal printing machine that could represent a significant transformation in manufacturing. A breakthrough idea five years ago by former University at Buffalo student Zack Vader, then 19, has created a machine that prints 3D objects using melted aluminum. The nozzle design, which uses a pulsed magnetic field, is key. Printing objects in steel is in the works.
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Wheels: Advanced combat engine aims to drive Army's energy-efficient future The challenge in reducing vehicle fuel consumption for the U.S. Army is that few solutions exist that do not involve expensive retrofitting and fuel-reducing technologies. The U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) is working on projects such as the advanced combat engine to meet the electrical power generation needs of future combat and tactical vehicles, a tactical vehicle electrification kit, and developing a single common powertrain lubricant.
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Mike Likes: Ring/Spring Material Selection Guide Choosing the correct material for your retaining ring or wave spring design can be a critical factor in the success of your application's performance and longevity. Smalley engineers have created a brand new Material Selection Guide that will help you through the selection process. Their easy-to-navigate visual walks you through the 5 most important factors to consider.
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Engineer's Toolbox: Medical mask poses special overmolding challenges Relying on the sealing and cushioning capabilities of a super-soft thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), a small, innovative medical company has addressed a long-standing problem in procedures involving sedation by creating the first nasal-only alternative to the standard full-face oxygenation and ventilation masks. The mask design features a tricky-but-critical TPE cushion that is over-molded onto the PP structure.
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Automation: Robotic joint control how-to Versatile and adaptive robotic armatures have the benefit of increasing manufacturing productivity by automating and performing complex, repetitive tasks 24/7. Designed to obey commands or to work in unison as cooperative robots (cobot/co-robot), these robots greatly simplify the design of automation systems. To further improve performance, reaction torque sensors are placed in-line with the drive motors inside each joint, allowing development of closed loop control laws to ensure smooth, repeatable, and efficient arm motion. Learn about precision torque feedback for robotic arms and co-robots.
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Hydraulics: Higher filtration effect and longer life Eighty percent of all hydraulic systems failures can be traced back to contaminated fluid. The fifth generation of filter materials by Rexroth protects hydraulic systems and reduces the operating costs. This is the first time a manufacturer has equipped all filter elements in standard sizes with an electrical conductive fleece filter medium by default, so the risk of electric discharges in connection with zinc- and ash-free hydraulic oils is reduced. Each discharge can burn tiny amounts of oil and reduce the service life of the medium. Discharges can also burn holes in the filter layers. The new material also increases the dirt-holding capacity, absorbing up to 50 percent more particles and prolonging service life by the same value under constant operating conditions.
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New high-speed motor for medical devices and equipment The new 28-mm, 24-V ResMax 28 brushless motor from Allied Motion is engineered to achieve very high speed (up to 90,000 rpm) with great dynamic responsiveness (0 to 50,000 rpm in only 20 ms, unloaded), exceptional operating life (30,000+ hr at 40,000 rpm average speed), maximal efficiency (up to 90%), rated power of 46 W, and the ability to operate in an oxygen-rich environment. The motor is equipped with integrated Hall-effect sensors to provide commutation information and a NTC thermal sensor to monitor motor temperature. Although designed for medical ventilator and respirator use, the ResMax 28 is also ideal for any application benefiting from its high speed and high dynamic performance. Customizable electronic drivers available.
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Bellows build in dynamic flexibility and high performance Edge welded metal bellows allow for flexibility in axial, angular, and parallel offset motion and provide the most stroke in the smallest amount of space of any bellows technology on the market, by reaching 90% of its free length. BellowsTech can customize size, shape, material, weight, length, and mounting connections to customer specifications. Bellows can now be purchased directly online.
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Laser Services adds high-power fiber-guided laser Laser Services, an ISO 9001:2008/AS9100C and ITAR registered laser job shop, has purchased a customized, fiber-guided, high-power laser from TRUMPF. Benefits of the new 2-kW YAG laser include: greater beam power for cutting highly reflective, non-ferrous materials such as copper and aluminum up to 1/4 in. thick; hole drilling as small as 8 mils; fiber-guided positioning to allow for finer, less variable cut lines; less beam variability for higher yields; deeper/stronger welds for reliability; and greater range of motion and beam articulation for handling larger sheets and more complex patterns. Various shapes and sizes of stainless steel can also now be manufactured, including coils and springs. Welds can be made in surgical tools that are so flawless that very little post-production processing is required.
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| Most Popular |
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Lexus debuts James Bond-ish sport yacht concept Looking like something straight out of a James Bond movie, Lexus unveiled its one-off 42-ft Sport Yacht concept on Biscayne Bay in Florida in mid-January. It was a great way to show off the high design of the Marine Business Department of Toyota Motor Corp. combined with the engineering and manufacturing capabilities of the Marquis-Carver Yacht Group (Pulaski, WI) and the undeniable styling and quality control of Lexus.
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DARPA mechanical arm catches, launches heavy-duty drones Aurora Flight Sciences recently tested a full-scale SideArm technology demonstration system for DARPA that repeatedly captured a Lockheed Martin Fury unmanned aerial system (UAS) accelerated to representative flight speeds via an external catapult. The system handles UASs up to 900 lb.
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World's most powerful jet engine is being turned into 65-MW power plant GE is taking the world's largest jet engine and turning it into a power plant. The machine's beating heart comes from the GE90-115B, which is the largest and most powerful jet engine, capable of producing 127,900 lb of thrust, according to Guinness World Records. The electricity generator, which GE calls LM9000, will be able to generate a whopping 65 megawatts (MW).
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| Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action |
| Speed-torque characteristics of DC motors by Portescap | |
| Looking for some help in choosing the right DC motor for your application? You can learn about the speed-torque characteristics of DC motors from Portescap Application Engineer Faisal Pawaskar. He covers application load points, speed limits, important load values, maximum continuous torque, lowering heat, short-term duration, the relationship between current and torque, and the effect of limiting current.
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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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