Designfax weekly eMagazine

Subscribe Today!

Archives

View Archives

Partners

Manufacturing Center
Product Spotlight

Modern Applications News
Metalworking Ideas For
Today's Job Shops

Tooling and Production
Strategies for large
metalworking plants

SOLIDWORKS 2025: Sheet metal design top features from an expert

Find out what's new in SOLIDWORKS 2025 when it comes to sheet metal and weldments, and learn some valuable tips and tricks along the way from TriMech. Topics covered include copying cut list properties, bend notches, tab and slot enhancements, groove beads (a new type of weld bead), performance enhancements, and more. When you're done, check out TriMech's full YouTube channel filled with educational material.
View the video.

Introducing ECOMO: Revolutionizing energy efficiency for transformers with the power of nature

ECOMO is ushering in a new era of energy efficiency for existing transformers. This innovative unit from Japan reduces power consumption by 5 to 15% for transformers and other electrical equipment by harnessing the natural properties of tourmaline and ferrite. Many users have achieved a return on investment in under two years, and an ROI calculator is available to estimate potential savings. Easy installation. Requires no external power source. Sound intriguing?
Learn more.

Tech Tip: How to create high-quality STL files for 3D prints

Have you ever 3D printed a part that had flat spots or faceted surfaces where smooth curves were supposed to be? You are not alone, and it's not your 3D printer's fault. According to Markforged, the culprit is likely a lack of resolution in the STL file used to create the part.
Read this detailed and informative Markforged blog.

LEDs: High-precision and focused light source

Würth Elektronik's WL-SMCW SMT Mono-color Chip LED Waterclear now includes a compact model with a footprint of just 1.6 mm x 0.8 mm, in which a dome lens focuses the light with an emission angle of just 30 degrees. With this LED, light can be precisely directed onto a small area while minimizing light scattering and energy loss. This space-saving LED is suitable for consumer electronics, medical devices, handheld products, and symbol or text displays. Available LED colors are blue, green, light green, yellow, amber, and red. A model with diffuse light (WL-SMTD) is also available.
Learn more.

Chip fuse with 'slow-blow' characteristic

SCHURTER's compact and powerful SMT chip fuse UST 1206 has enjoyed great popularity since its intro in 2008. In response to customer requests, SCHURTER has expanded this line with even more powerful versions with rated currents up to 35 A. The SCHURTER UST 1206 is a chip fuse for surface mounting with a "slow-blow" characteristic. This means it has a high melting integral, so the fuse does not trip immediately at inrush current peaks higher than the rated current. This is of great importance in many industrial applications (e.g. motors, power converters).
Learn more.

Long-life electric actuators: Improved controllability, performance

Thomson Electrak LL Linear Actuators now offer your machine designs a higher speed option, more electronic control options (including CANopen), and a 48-V option to meet the power requirements in battery-powered applications. Thomson says the new Electrak LL choices are for those who want to gain more control over the position, load, and speed of their applications, such as smart railway pantographs and couplers, AGVs, automated farming robots, movable steps, and access lifts for trains and buses.
Learn more and get the specs.

Real-world applications: FUTEK 100 sensor examples

Get inspired. FUTEK has more than 100 real-world application examples for their load cells, force transducers, torque sensors, pressure sensors, and multi-axis sensors. From a cryogenic load cell on the Mars Curiosity rover to fly-by-wire multi-axis force and torque sensors for aircraft, learn about sensor systems, their specs, and design. Automotive, manufacturing, medical, robotics, and automation are covered too. Fascinating and highly practical.
Learn more.

Ultra-compact hollow-shaft angle sensor tracks angle even if power is cut

Novotechnik's WAL 200 Series of hollow shaft angle sensors provides absolute rotary position -- even if power is removed. After power is restored, this sensor provides the correct angle. With a 7-mm profile and 22-mm diameter, it is designed to fit in applications with very limited space. The WAL 200 Series has a measurement range of 0 to 340 degrees. Mechanical range is a continuous 0 to 360 degrees. Applications include volumetric dosing systems, joysticks, and more.
Learn more.

What can you do with touchless magnetic angle sensors?

Novotechnik has put together an informative video highlighting real-world applications for their RFC, RFE, and RSA Series touchless magnetic angle sensors. You may be surprised at the variety of off-highway, marine, material handling, and industrial uses. You'll learn how they work (using a Hall effect microprocessor to detect position) and their key advantages, including eliminated wear and tear on these non-mechanical components. We love when manufacturers provide such useful examples.
View the video.

EMI suppression capacitors with enhanced humidity resistance

TDK Corporation has launched the EPCOS B3292xM3/N3 series of X2 EMI suppression capacitors. These new components are 20% smaller than previous models and meet Grade III Test B standards for temperature, humidity, and bias (THB). Their compact size and enhanced durability suit space-constrained, high-humidity environments, especially for "across-the-line" applications in automotive and industrial settings. Applications include automotive on-board chargers, uninterruptible power supplies, and hybrid inverters for energy storage systems.
Learn more.

Uses of thermal cameras in manufacturing expand: This time around to papermaking

What can you so with FLIR thermal cameras to improve your industrial processes? Recent developments in thermal signature analytics have expanded the applications of thermal cameras beyond routine troubleshooting. In papermaking, they now contribute to paper machine control, energy usage benchmarking, wet streak detection, and the identification and prediction of certain classes of sheet breaks. Maybe you'll get some ideas for your applications.
Read the full article.

3-axis motion made simple using CLICK PLUS PLC

Automation-Direct CLICK PLUS PLCs, when combined with stepper motors, make advanced motion control and edge integration simple for smaller systems. Learn motion control basics, motor options, motion with micro-PLCs and steppers, and more in this informative whitepaper from AutomationDirect. No registration required.
Get the AutomationDirect whitepaper.

Benchtop ionizer removes static at a distance

The award-winning EXAIR Varistat^® Benchtop Ionizer is a powerful fan-driven static eliminator engineered to neutralize static charges on surfaces in demanding industrial environments. This Ionizer delivers a consistent stream of ionized airflow, effectively eliminating static and particulates without the need for compressed air. The Varistat is now available in 230 V to meet the needs of industrial locations. Easily mounted and manually adjustable.
Learn more.

All about slip rings: How they work and their uses

Rotary Systems has put together a really nice basic primer on slip rings -- electrical swivels that carry a current from a stationary wire into a rotating device. Common uses are for power, proximity switches, strain gauges, video, and Ethernet signal transmission. This introduction also covers how to specify, assembly types, and interface requirements. Rotary Systems also manufactures rotary unions for fluid applications.
Read the Rotary Systems article.

Digital microscope with 2,040x mag: Under $200

Inspect work products or help your little engineer at home win that science fair with the AD246S-M HDMI Digital Microscope from Andonstar Technology Co. This tri-lens unit boasts a wide magnification range (60 to 240x, 18 to 720x, 1,560 to 2,040x), very good image performance, built-in rotatable monitor, and a slew of multifunctional accessories including a remote, dimmer cable to adjust illumination, and more. A solid choice for a small investment.
Learn more.

How to charge electric vehicles 5x faster in subfreezing temps: U-M researchers figure it out

A stabilizing coating on an electrode, combined with microscale channels, helps solve the tradeoff between range and charging speed, even in cold temperatures.

A modified manufacturing process for electric vehicle batteries, developed by University of Michigan (U-M) engineers, could enable high ranges and fast charging in cold weather, solving problems that are turning potential EV buyers away.

Engineering student Chloe Acosta plugs in an EV for charging in snowy weather on the University of Michigan's North Campus. EV charging becomes less efficient in colder weather, but a new strategy for manufacturing battery electrodes could enable charging in 10 minutes in temperatures as cold as -10 C. [Credit: Photo by Marcin Szczepanski, Michigan Engineering]

 

 

 

 

"We envision this approach as something that EV battery manufacturers could adopt without major changes to existing factories," said Neil Dasgupta, U-M associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering, and corresponding author of the study published in Joule.

"For the first time, we've shown a pathway to simultaneously achieve extreme fast charging at low temperatures, without sacrificing the energy density of the lithium-ion battery."

Lithium-ion EV batteries made this way can charge 500% faster at temperatures as low as 14 F (-10 C). The structure and coating demonstrated by the team prevented the formation of performance-hindering lithium plating on the battery's electrodes. As a result, batteries with these modifications keep 97% of their capacity, even after being fast charged 100 times at very cold temperatures.

Current EV batteries store and release power through the movement of lithium ions back and forth between electrodes via a liquid electrolyte. In cold temperatures, this movement of the ions slows, reducing both battery power as well as the charging rate.

To extend range, automakers have increased the thickness of the electrodes they use in battery cells. While that has allowed them to promise longer drives between charges, it makes some of the lithium hard to access, resulting in slower charging and less power for a given battery weight.

Previously, Dasgupta's team improved battery charging capability by creating pathways -- roughly 40 microns in size -- in the anode, the electrode that receives lithium ions during charging. Drilling through the graphite by blasting it with lasers enabled the lithium ions to find places to lodge faster, even deep within the electrode, ensuring more uniform charging.

This sped up room-temperature charging significantly, but cold charging was still inefficient. The team identified the problem: the chemical layer that forms on the surface of the electrode from reacting with the electrolyte. Dasgupta compared this behavior to butter: You can get a knife through it whether it's warm or cold, but it's a lot harder when it's cold. If you try to fast charge through that layer, lithium metal will build up on the anode like a traffic jam.

"That plating prevents the entire electrode from being charged, once again reducing the battery's energy capacity," said Manoj Jangid, U-M senior research fellow in mechanical engineering, and co-author of the study.

The team needed to prevent that surface layer from forming. They did this by coating the battery with a glassy material made of lithium borate-carbonate, approximately 20 nanometers thick. The addition of this coating sped up cold charging significantly, and when combined with the channels, the team's test cells were 500% faster to charge in subfreezing temperatures.

"By the synergy between the 3D architectures and artificial interface, this work can simultaneously address the trilemma of fast charging at low temperature for long-range driving," said Tae Cho, a recent Ph.D. graduate in mechanical engineering and first author of the study.

In the past two decades, EVs have become more commonplace on roadways, but AAA survey results showed that the momentum is hard to maintain. From 2023 to 2024, the number of U.S. adults who would be "likely" or "very likely" to buy a new or used EV dropped from 23% to 18%, and 63% said they would be "unlikely" or "very unlikely" to make an EV their next vehicle purchase. Part of the concerns are range drops over the winter, combined with slower charging, which was widely reported during the January 2024 cold snap.

"Charging an EV battery takes 30 to 40 minutes, even for aggressive fast charging, and that time increases to over an hour in the winter. This is the pain point we want to address," Dasgupta said.

Source: University of Michigan

Published April 2025

Rate this article