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Advanced tips for CNC designs and drawings: On-demand webinar

Greg Paulsen and Steve Zimmerman from Xometry present a comprehensive understanding of CNC design principles, what features are considered common, and what can drive costs. The experts also go through guidance to make great technical drawings to communicate design intent to manufacturers. Lots of good info here. Flip through now and take it all in later when you have the time.
View the video. No registration required.

Get a 24-piece bearings sample box from igus

igus has a new and improved 24-piece iglide^® sample box that engineers can request and receive gratis. All iglide components are self-lubricating, resistant to dirt and dust, and offer low rates of wear. The sample box contains bearings, gears, piston rings, and more, and includes many of the most widely used iglide materials. Nothing like having the materials in hand to really check them out.
Learn more.

Couplings provide stable control in challenging stepper/servo motor applications

Zero-Max's ServoClass-HSN Couplings address noise and vibration issues that can be experienced in high-gain, high-speed stepper/servo motor applications such as linear actuators, high-response gantry systems, pick-and-place systems, and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Featuring a Highly Saturated Nitrile Rubber (HSN/HNBR) flex element, these couplings are specifically designed for maximum damping and performance. They incorporate the field-proven ServoClass clamping hub system and have a zero-backlash design.
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New infinitely reconfigurable and reusable mold tech

UK-based company Fyous is launching the world's first infinitely reusable molding technology that can shapeshift in under 20 minutes, producing zero tooling waste and making usable parts 14 times faster than 3D printing. Sort of like a kid's pin art toy, Fyous' PolyMorphic molding can be set, used, and then reset to help create parts from carbon fiber, polyurethane, PET sheet (thermoformed), foods like chocolate, and more.
Read the full article.

New disk-type flexible couplings

Stock Drive Products/ Sterling Instrument (SDP/SI) has expanded their selection of flexible couplings to include the single disk-type couplings (short-type) series S50XHSM and the double disk-type couplings (standard length-type) series S50XHWM. The disk-type flexible couplings are an economical option that provides greater torque capability and improved performance in a reduced size, with torque ratings of 0.6 up to 12 Nm -- an improvement over similar products.
Learn more.

What is a Heatric Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger?

According to Parker Hannifin, "A Printed Circuit Heat Exchanger is a robust, corrosion-resistant, high-integrity plate-type heat exchanger manufactured using diffusion bonding." Learn about the technology and why Heatric, a Parker brand, "can manufacture a unit up to 85% smaller and lighter than traditional technologies such as shell and tube heat exchangers."
Read this informative Parker blog.

Top Product: 3M Friction Shims -- Why have more than 300 million been sold?

3M Friction Shims are small, thin steel shims with a big impact. They can increase maximum load and peak torque in bolted connections without additional fasteners or redesigns. What else makes them so popular -- and so useful?
Read the full article.

Big news from Smalley! New online store

Smalley's customers for the highest-quality retaining rings and wave springs now have a new procurement option: the Smalley online store. This new service channel is a first for the renowned rings and springs provider. After creating an account, approved users gain access to: convenient 24/7 online ordering that includes more than 11,000 standard parts, real-time product pricing, easy reordering with saved history and wish lists, and a quick checkout. No more waiting for an RFQ response to purchase!
Learn more.

New robotic parts feeding system claims to be a game changer

TM Robotics has launched a revolutionary new robotic feeding system called Infinifeed™ to the North American market. Powered by Shibaura Machine's advanced THE series of industrial robots, the Infinifeed is an automated feeding system that addresses the common challenges of parts feeding and sorting. Designed by DOMA Automation and integrated by Tera Automation, Infinifeed uses a unique parallel belt conveyor system with opposing motion. This innovative design, equipped with diverters and a 2D vision system, ensures seamless part feeding and sorting.
Learn more.

V-Conform O-ring Belts -- the Ultra-Drive Belts

V-Conform™ Reinforced O-ring Belts from Dura-Belt are bi-modulus (rubber reinforced with elastic stretchy nylon), so they provide greater tension than solid polyurethane belts. These belts have soft, tiny ribs that conform to standard 3/16-in. roller grooves, so they can replace round elastic belts while maintaining grip and tension. Lots of benefits, including: energy savings, motorized drive roller (MDR) protection, bearing and shaft hole wear prevention, and more.
Learn more.

EXAIR's new AR Mobile App enhances user experience

The new EXAIR AR Mobile App provides users with a handy compressed air reference tool for over 570 different EXAIR products. The app expedites the solution-finding process by allowing users to select their specific sizes and performance requirements, place a 3D version of the product in their actual workspace using Augmented Reality, and navigate to a page to purchase -- all from their mobile device. The app includes a library of conversion calculators. Available in both the Apple and Google Play Stores.
Learn more.

ClampDisk micro fastener is new alternative for automotive and consumer electronics

Designed as a unique alternative in assemblies for the automotive and consumer electronics markets, the ClampDisk Press-on Fastener is a new offering from PennEngineering that delivers a fast, simple way to achieve sheet-to-sheet clamped fastening while replacing the use of standard screws, nuts, and adhesives. The most common challenges that can be eliminated or reduced by using ClampDisk include over installation, cross threading, stripped screw heads, broken screws, and damaged product. This fastener can be removed easily with a sharp-edged tool.
Learn more and see how ClampDisk works.

New laser welder automates assembly of small plastic parts

Emerson's new Branson GLX-1 Laser Welder offers users flexibility to meet the growing demand for joining small, complex, or delicate plastic components and assemblies. Its compact footprint and modular design make it compatible for use in ISO-8 cleanroom environments, while an integral automation controller simplifies installation and interfaces with production robotics. The precise, servo-based actuation controls allow for greater freedom to design and join components with three-dimensional contours in small-part applications for the medical, electronics, automotive, and appliance industries.
Learn more.

Slip clutch real-world applications

When design engineers think about slip clutches, they first think of using them for overload protection. While this is certainly a valuable application, there are a surprising number of other applications that solve many engineering problems. See real-world applications of Polyclutch slip clutches, from conveyors and military robots to vending machines, printers, and more. There's a good Selection Guide here too.
Learn more.

Precision profile rolled steel products

Need steel products with a special edge? NIPPON KINZOKU CO. of Japan offers its Fine Profile cold-rolled technology that produces metal pieces with irregularly shaped cross-sections of different thicknesses. By rolling the uneven pattern on the roll surface, it is possible to process various designs and functions such as unique designs, oil grooves, gloss prevention, identification grooves, etc. Final products can be delivered in a variety of forms such as record rolls, oscillate rolls, fixed-length products, and secondary processing. An interesting alternative to machining processes such as cutting and grinding.
Learn more.

New sustainable metal-recycling method created for e-waste

The process reduces cost and greenhouse gas emissions.

A research team led by Rice University's James Tour has developed a method to recycle valuable metals from electronic waste (e-waste) more efficiently while significantly reducing the environmental impact typically associated with metal recycling.

Metal recycling can reduce the need for mining, which decreases the environmental damage associated with extracting raw materials such as deforestation, water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.

"Our process offers significant reductions in operational costs and greenhouse gas emissions, making it a pivotal advancement in sustainable recycling," said Tour, the T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry and professor of materials science and nanoengineering.

A research team led by Rice University's James Tour has developed a method to recycle valuable metals from electronic waste more efficiently while significantly reducing the environmental impact typically associated with metal recycling. [Credit: Photo courtesy of Rice University].

 

 

 

 

The research team's work was published in Nature Chemical Engineering on Sept. 25.

Innovative technique
The new technique enhances the recovery of critical metals and builds upon Tour's earlier work in waste disposal using flash Joule heating (FJH). This process involves passing an electric current through a material to rapidly heat it to extremely high temperatures, transforming it into different substances.

The researchers applied FJH chlorination and carbochlorination processes to extract valuable metals, including gallium, indium, and tantalum, from e-waste. Traditional recycling methods such as hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy are energy intensive, produce harmful waste streams, and involve large amounts of acid.

In contrast, the new method eliminates these challenges by enabling precise temperature control and rapid metal separation without using water, acids, or other solvents, significantly reducing environmental harm.

"We are trying to adapt this method for recovery of other critical metals from waste streams," said Bing Deng, former Rice postdoctoral student, current assistant professor at Tsinghua University, and co-first author of the study.

Efficient results
The scientists found that their method effectively separates tantalum from capacitors, gallium from discarded light-emitting diodes, and indium from used solar conductive films. By precisely controlling the reaction conditions, the team achieved a metal purity of over 95% and a yield of over 85%.

Moreover, the method holds promise for the extraction of lithium and rare Earth elements, said Shichen Xu, a postdoctoral researcher at Rice and co-first author of the study.

"This breakthrough addresses the pressing issue of critical metal shortages and negative environmental impacts while economically incentivizing recycling industries on a global scale with a more efficient recovery process," Xu said.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rice Academy Fellowship, and startup funds from Tsinghua supported this study.

Source: Rice University

Published October 2024

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