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NEED A HELPING HAND TO GET THE JOB DONE? Is there a manual process in your production set-up that you believe could benefit from being automated? Then tell us about it for a chance to win one of three UR robots. It could be a monotonous task that your employees would only be too happy to swap for one that requires problem solving skills or a task that needs to be carried out faster for you to stay competitive.
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In this issue of Designfax |
News |
Cover Image: Nelson Publishing
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DIY lightweight hyperspectral imagers bring sophisticated imaging capability to drones Volkswagen gives sneak peek of its Pikes Peak Hill Climb all-electric racecar entry Laser off-set provides new advantages: Army aviators testing next-gen air-to-ground missile |
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Get up to date on 3D printing tech in under 30 minutes Donovan Weber, COO at FORECAST 3D, discusses a variety of 3D printing technologies so viewers can learn how speed and cost differ per process. An overview of material properties and how each can be measured in comparison to injection molded parts is also discussed. This useful webinar is the first in a new series sponsored by Xcentric Mold & Engineering. It covers benefits of, and materials for, SLA, FDM, SLS, and PolyJet. View the on-demand presentation here.
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| Featured Articles |
| NASA makes big improvement to 3D-printed rocket engine nozzle tech | |
 A team of engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center developed and proved out a new additive manufacturing technique for rocket engine nozzle fabrication that can greatly reduce costs and development time.
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How to prevent step losses with stepper motors When a stepping motor does not operate correctly in a specific situation, the common conclusion is that either the motor or the drive electronics are faulty. The motor selection and the choice of the driver are critical. However, other factors contribute to step losses. Mini-motors expert MICROMO runs through important things to examine for the analysis of step losses or non-operation across a variety of applications.
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Permanent artificial heart is feat of simplified mechanical design Physicians and researchers at Oregon Health & Science University are developing what they hope will be the first permanent total artificial heart. The simplified design replaces two ventricles with one titanium tube that contains a hollow rod that shuttles back and forth to create a pulse-like flow.
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Wheels: Chevy celebrates 100 years of iconic truck design One hundred years ago, Chevrolet introduced the 1918 One-Ton, setting the stage for a century of iconic trucks. To commemorate this milestone, Rich Scheer, director of Exterior Design for Chevy Trucks, names his 10 most iconic Chevy trucks from a design perspective.
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What is electroforming? How does it actually work? Electroplating may have been around for centuries, but only Servometer excels at manufacturing dynamic, convoluted bellows electroforms. Watch Servometer's five-step electroforming manufacturing process and learn how they are able to deliver electroformed components that feature extreme tolerances, complex geometries, lightweight construction, structural strength, and how they can be applied to a variety of applications.
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Dow structural adhesive joining solutions enhance lightweight module construction in automotive Dow Automotive Systems is leveraging its existing structural adhesives portfolio as well as its development expertise to offer BETAFORCE, BETAMATE, and BETASEAL solutions that enhance lightweight module construction. Liftgate/hatchback, decklids, and front-end carrier modules are increasingly designed using a multi-material mix to decrease weight while maintaining design flexibility, styling, and safety performance.
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Pick-and-place universal joints upgraded Belden Universal has recently implemented critical design upgrades to its universal joints for pick-and-place (Delta) robots. The redesign project was necessitated by industry demand (from both OEMs and end users) for space-saving components supporting heavier payloads. The stainless-steel component is based on Belden's unique hybrid design, combining the higher torque capacity of a pin + block joint with the needle bearing's ability to continuously operate at high speeds with low friction. It mitigates corrosion issues, contamination, burnout, and joint seizure.
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Sanitary flange air conveyors ease installation and cleaning for chemical, pharmaceutical, and food systems EXAIR's new Sanitary Flange Line Vac air operated conveyors are the best way to convey materials through systems that require frequent or mandatory cleaning. The ISO 2852-compatible sanitary flanges limit areas where bacteria can grow and help prevent contamination. Made from type 316 stainless steel to provide maximum hygiene and corrosion resistance, these Line Vacs are available in 1 1/2-in., 2-in., 2 1/2-in., and 3-in. flange sizes. Flanged Line Vacs convert flanged piping systems into a powerful conveyor for product, parts, scrap, trim, and other bulk materials. Their larger size makes them perfect for conveying bigger parts and large volumes of material over long distances.
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XY stage gives high resolution and repeatability The XYR-03-01 Motorized Alignment Stage from Optimal Engineering Systems (OES) is a high-resolution, high-repeatability XY-Theta (3-axis) stage for applications such as angular glass cutting and grinding, wafer alignment, semiconductor handling, and laser cutting and drilling. The linear resolution of the X and Y axis is 5µ (non-micro-step) or 0.125µ (20 micro-steps per step motor driver in use), the repeatability is 1.5µ, and positional accuracy is 5µ. The 1-mm per-turn lead screws and preloaded V-groove and crossed roller bearings add to the high precision and stiffness of the XYR-03-01 alignment stage.
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Top 5 challenges of motion control design As motion control solutions -- from angle encoders to direct drive motors -- become even more ubiquitous in industrial situations, engineers face evolving demands and opportunities. From lowering the cost of advanced technologies to improving functional safety in automated environments, here are the top five challenges and opportunities in today's motion control design industry as seen by engineers from HEIDENHAIN.
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Selecting pneumatic or electric actuators For some automation applications, it can be difficult to decide if a pneumatic or electric motor-driven actuator is best. Obviously, cost can be a big factor when choosing between the two, with pneumatic actuators typically costing less. So why should you pay more for an electric rodless actuator? Rollon says the answer boils down to higher levels of stiffness, as well as dynamic speed and motor control.
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| Most Popular |
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World's largest jet engine takes maiden flight The world's largest jet engine took its first flight over the Mojave Desert on March 13. The GE9X is a showstopper. At 134 in., its fan diameter is so tall and wide that Shaquille O'Neil would fit inside the engine's cover with Kobe Bryant sitting on his shoulders. The whole engine is as wide as the body of an entire Boeing 737. By Tomas Kellner, GE Reports.
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It's HAMMER time: Scientists design conceptual asteroid deflector Lawrence Livermore National Lab scientists are part of a national planetary defense team that has designed a conceptual 9-m-tall, 8.8-ton spacecraft dubbed HAMMER to deflect Earth-bound asteroids. They have evaluated whether it would be able to nudge a massive asteroid -- which has a remote chance of hitting Earth in 2135 -- off course. The spacecraft could serve as either a kinetic impactor, essentially a battering ram, or as a transport vehicle for a nuclear device.
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Jay Leno's Garage replaces antique car part for one-tenth the cost with 3D Systems A reverse-engineering workflow using Faro scanners, Geomagic software, and SLA-printed investment casting patterns through On Demand Manufacturing from 3D Systems helped Jay Leno and his team get this hundred-year-old Owen Magnetic electric car back up and running efficiently and cost effectively.
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| Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action |
| Understanding pressure losses | |
Early pressure drop investigations and optimizations are crucial for today's efficient designs. This short 3-minute video from Mentor shows you how to conduct pressure drop characterizations such as determination of kv or cv coefficients in FloEFD, the leading frontloading CFD simulation solution for design engineers.
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