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SOLIDWORKS 2026 assembly updates: GoEngineer

In this GoEngineer video, you can learn how SOLIDWORKS 2026 is making assembly workflows smarter, faster, and more efficient. Explore the latest enhancements to assemblies, including: streamlined display and configuration tables, AI-assisted fastener mating, improved performance for lightweight components, and more.
View the GoEngineer video.

How to select a linear bearing pillow block

When it comes to choosing a pillow block style to help provide a secure foundation for a rotating shaft, the engineers at Lee Linear suggest using something called "P.O.S.T.L.U.D.E.S" as your guide: Precision, Orientation, Speed, Travel, Load, Unknowns, Duty Cycle, Environment, and Safety. Learn all about pillow block types, construction, and applications.
Read the Lee Linear blog.

3D-printed aftermarket carburetor

Faced with increasing international competition, Tecron, a provider of manufacturing and engineering services to automotive companies across Europe, began researching ways to defend its market position -- and found that metal additive manufacturing was key to their success. Learn how the company used Markforged 3D-printing equipment to make discontinued automotive parts.
Read the Markforged blog.

Stratasys launches iAM Marketplace

Stratasys' iAM Marketplace is an independent new platform set to accelerate adoption of additive manufacturing as a core manufacturing capability. The hardware-agnostic marketplace offers the polymer additive manufacturing industry's widest selection of high-quality polymer materials, engineering services, and products to scale AM-enabled production across a wide variety of applications. It unites under one umbrella the materials expertise of iSQUARED, Forward AM, and assets from Nexa3D. The platform aims to streamline purchasing and support more agile and robust supply chains.
See what iAM Marketplace offers.

New laser-weldable PPS plastic

Polyplastics has launched a laser weldable DURAFIDE^® PPS grade with high transmittance. DURAFIDE PPS 1120LW1 (tentative name) utilizes a unique transmittance improvement technology. Although PPS has traditionally been considered difficult to use for laser welding, this new material expands the possibilities for applying laser welding to parts that previously had limitations in terms of heat and chemical resistance. This material is so new you may want to talk to someone at the company.
Learn more.

Expert design tips and tricks for 3D printing

Join Xometry's 3D-printing experts, Greg Paulsen and Matt Schmidt, as they reveal practical strategies to help you optimize your designs, improve print quality, and reduce costs across your 3D-printing projects. Learn about file-prep best practices, how to reduce costs on 3D prints, key design considerations when working on tolerance or resolution, and much more. Lots to learn here.
View the video.

New sheet metal capabilities for faster, cost-efficient builds

meviy, the on-demand custom parts manufacturing service developed by MISUMI Group, has expanded its sheet metal processing capabilities -- a game-changer for engineers and designers working under tight timelines and budgets. The upgrade includes support for thicker materials (up to 0.5"), bending up to 0.25", and new tapped and countersunk hole options -- all while maintaining meviy's trademark speed and simplicity. From fixture plates to machine frames, this opens the door for faster, low-precision structural builds.
Learn about meviy's many new service offerings.

Keep a firm footing with JW Winco

Every machine, every test system, and every filling station -- none of them floats suspended in the air. They all rest on specific, functionally optimized elements like leveling feet or, if mobility is required, casters. Leveling feet support loads both statically and dynamically, while wheels and casters support units on the move. JW Winco has a huge selection, from light-duty to high-load, available from different material types and loaded with different features. See all your options, including new hybrid units such as EN 22882, which combines a polyamide caster and leveling foot into a single component.
Learn about JW Winco leveling feet, casters, and hybrid solutions.

What's a SLIC Pin^®? Pin and cotter all in one!

The SLIC Pin (Self-Locking Implanted Cotter Pin) from Pivot Point is a pin and cotter all in one. This one-piece locking clevis pin is cost saving, fast, and secure. It functions as a quick locking pin wherever you need a fast-lock function. It features a spring-loaded plunger that functions as an easy insertion ramp. This revolutionary fastening pin is very popular and used successfully in a wide range of applications.
Learn more.

Oxygen analyzer optimizes combustion systems

The new Rosemount CX2100 In Situ Oxygen Analyzer from Emerson is designed to provide the critical info needed to optimize combustion processes and help manufacturers meet emissions standards, reduce energy costs, and increase safety. The CX2100 is simple to install with a transmitter that can be mounted up to 300 ft away from the probe. Its guided setup and commissioning are a snap, and maintenance is easy due to the probe's quick connect/disconnect feature. Autocalibration features regularly measure analyzer accuracy. Industries include power and utilities, chemicals, petroleum and refining, metals and mining, and more.
Learn more.

NEW! Smalley debuts Nestawave™ Compression Spring: Redefines performance in compact applications

Smalley's new Nestawave™ product is a breakthrough in spring design. It combines the space-saving deflection of a Crest-to-Crest^® wave spring with the high-force output of a Spirawave^® nested spring. In one application, Smalley engineers helped a customer streamline their design by replacing a stack of 24 Belleville washers with a single Nestawave spring!
Read the full article.

New Ultra Duty Line Vac for maximum wear resistance and throughput

EXAIR's new Ultra Duty Line Vacs™ offer the most powerful and durable pneumatic conveyors yet. Engineered specifically to withstand highly abrasive conveying tasks, the Ultra Duty Line Vac's design combines a hardened alloy and ceramic material that provide exceptional resistance to wear over extended periods of time. This makes it the ideal choice for moving abrasive materials such as peat, sand, glass, powders, and other fine media commonly found in blasting, grinding, and finishing operations. Three sizes available to fit standard hose or tube diameters.
Learn more.

MATLAB Copilot: Generative AI-powered assistant

MathWorks has launched MATLAB Copilot, a generative AI assistant for MATLAB that enhances productivity and accelerates development for engineers, scientists, and researchers. Available in the latest MATLAB and Simulink Release 2025b (R2025b), the new product is designed to streamline coding, debugging, and learning within the MATLAB environment. MATLAB Copilot offers intelligent features that support users throughout their development workflows, including: Chat and Learn, Code Smarter, and Understand and Improve.
Learn more.

Stainless steel press-in inserts for casting and soft metals

Manufacturers working with soft metals and die-cast alloys now have an innovative time- and labor-saving solution to create strong, durable metal threads. PEM^® 300 series stainless steel CASTSERT^® inserts are designed for quick, reliable, and cost-effective installations by pressing into an "as-cast" or drilled hole. This rapid installation method, using a flat punch and anvil, outpaces traditional methods by approximately 80%.
Learn more.

New steel alloy for 3D printing features ultra-high strength, exceptional weldability

Sandvik has introduced Osprey MAR 55, a highly versatile tool steel powder for 3D printing that bridges the gap between maraging steels and tool steels. With this new alloy, manufacturers no longer have to choose between good weldability of carbon-free maraging steels and the performance of carbon-bearing steels. It provides good mechanical properties and wear resistance. This alloy could be considered for general tooling applications. The exceptional fracture toughness at ultra-high-strength levels also paves the way for use in defense and aerospace.
Learn more.

Weird science: Ice dissolves iron faster than liquid water

By Sara-Lena Brannstrom, Umea University

Ice can dissolve iron minerals more effectively than liquid water, according to a new study from Umea University in Sweden. The discovery could help explain why many Arctic rivers are now turning rusty orange as permafrost thaws in a warming climate.

The study, recently published in the scientific journal PNAS, shows that ice at -10 degrees Celsius releases more iron from common minerals than liquid water at 4 C. This challenges the long-held belief that frozen environments slow down chemical reactions.

"It may sound counterintuitive, but ice is not a passive frozen block," says Jean-François Boily, Professor at Umea University and co-author of the study. "Freezing creates microscopic pockets of liquid water between ice crystals. These act like chemical reactors, where compounds become concentrated and extremely acidic. This means they can react with iron minerals even at temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius."

Releases organic compounds
To understand the process, the researchers studied goethite -- a widespread iron oxide mineral -- together with a naturally occurring organic acid, using advanced microscopy and experiments.

They discovered that repeated freeze-thaw cycles make iron dissolve more efficiently. As the ice freezes and thaws, organic compounds that were previously trapped in the ice are released, fuelling further chemical reactions. Salinity also plays a crucial role: fresh and brackish water increase dissolution, while seawater can suppress it.

From mines to the atmosphere
The findings apply mainly to acidic environments, such as mine drainage sites, frozen dust in the atmosphere, acid sulfate soils along the Baltic Sea coast, or in any acidic frozen environment where iron minerals interact with organics.

The next step is to find out if the same is true for all iron-bearing ice. This is what ongoing research in the Boily laboratory at Umea U. will soon reveal.

"As the climate warms, freeze-thaw cycles become more frequent," says Angelo Pio Sebaaly, doctoral student and first author of the study. "Each cycle releases iron from soils and permafrost into the water. This can affect water quality and aquatic ecosystems across vast areas."

The findings show that ice is not a passive storage medium, but an active player. As freezing and thawing increase in polar and mountain regions, the impact on ecosystems could be significant.

Published October 2025

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