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What's a high-helix (high-lead) screw and what can it do for you?

"High-helix (high-lead) screws are a crucial component in many motion control systems, offering increased efficiency and faster linear motion," says Christopher Nook, CEO and founder of Helix Linear Technologies. "Unlike standard lead screws, these specialized screws feature a steeper helix angle, allowing for greater lead per revolution." Learn their mechanics, advantages, and many applications.
Read the Helix Linear Technologies blog.

New interactive factory microsite helps manufacturers discover EXAIR solutions

EXAIR and BETE have launched a new interactive factory microsite designed to help manufacturers quickly identify products that can improve efficiency, safety, and performance throughout their facility. From conveying and cooling to blowoff, static elimination, and industrial cleanup, the platform demonstrates how liquid and air solutions integrate into everyday manufacturing challenges. The digital experience features a fully interactive factory floor map with clickable hotspots positioned throughout key production and maintenance areas. Each hotspot highlights how specific EXAIR and BETE products can be applied in real-world industrial processes.
Explore the interactive microsite.

Next-gen SLA materials rival traditional thermoplastics

Formlabs has announced two new SLA materials that bring 3D printing significantly closer to being a manufacturing method for end-use part production. Tough 1000 Resin and a significantly improved Tough 2000 Resin join Tough 1500 Resin, forming the new Tough Resin family. These resilient engineering materials stand up to harsh environments, impact, and repeated wear, all while delivering a dark, matte surface finish with crisp details when printed on Form 4 Series 3D printers.
Learn more.

SOLIDWORKS: Mastering sheet metal -- advanced tips and tricks

GoEngineer's Brady Daniels, Senior Applications Engineer, gives a master class in next-level sheet metal design. This on-demand webinar covers practical tips and techniques aimed at expanding your understanding and improving real-world workflows. Topics include bend calculations, comparing design approaches, how flat patterns work, and embracing multi-body design. Skip through or take in the whole presentation when you have time. [Credit: Screenshot courtesy of GoEngineer]
View the GoEngineer video.

SJT Industries SIM couplings and timing pulleys

Automation-Direct now offers SIM couplings and 8M timing pulleys for reliable power transmission in OEM and MRO applications. Designed for precise motion control, these components efficiently transmit torque and rotational power. Available in multiple bore sizes and configurations, they ensure accurate alignment, consistent torque transfer, and dependable tooth engagement for various industrial equipment systems.
Learn more.

Top Tech Tip: How do you 3D print STL files?

Learn the basics of 3D printing STL files -- the files that serve as the digital foundation for 3D printing -- and a whole lot more from the experts at Xometry. These files have advantages, of course, but did you know they have disadvantages too? Also learn about STL tools and programs, and how to reduce file size or even repair a file you are having trouble with.
Read the Xometry article.

Tech Tip: Why pins walk and how to ensure it doesn't happen

Lateral movement of installed solid, slotted, or coiled spring pins, commonly referred to as "walking," can occur within a dynamic application if proper design guidelines are not followed. Issues with different pin types may have different causes. Learn the many reasons why pins walk and the design best practices you should follow to avoid the condition.
Read this informative SPIROL Tech Tip.

Ball screw assemblies: Ships in 2 to 3 weeks

Designed to simplify your projects and minimize assembly time, the BNK and SDA-VZ Ball Screw Assembly Series from THK are ready when you are. Each ball screw assembly includes: ball screw shaft (finished ends for standard THK support units), nut bracket, support units, housings, and coupling. Intermediate flange and coupling kit for your motor available.
Learn more.

Cool! New energy-efficient R290 enclosure air conditioners

Seifert Systems introduces PFAS-free SoliTherm^® SlimLine NEO air conditioners using eco-friendly R290 refrigerant. These units offer high energy efficiency (EER up to 3.6) and a compact, under-8-in. internal depth. Featuring maintenance-free design with external or recessed mounting options, they deliver up to 8,500 BTU/hr, providing flexible cooling solutions for varied industrial enclosure needs. Several models available based on size/cooling capacity needs.
Learn more and see all your options.

Surface inspection: From Army depot to factory floor

Born from U.S. Army requirements for rotorcraft inspection, the GelSight Modulus 3D surface measurement system has surpassed 100 units sold to commercial and Department of Defense customers. The handheld, micron-scale tool with interchangeable probe tips delivers fast, high-res measurements in places traditional tools can't reach.
Read the full article.

What is Cold Metal Fusion?

Cold Metal Fusion is an open industry standard for sinter-based metal additive manufacturing. It combines polymer SLS design freedom with reliable debinding and sintering workflows, enabling complex geometries, lightweighting, lattice structures, conformal cooling channels, and high-precision metal parts with predictable shrink behavior. Now available from TriMech Group, this process offers a faster, cost-effective way to produce strong, high-performance metal parts.
Learn more from TriMech Group.

Cool! Internal threading in hard materials now possible

INSACO has a new capability where they can machine an internal thread in ceramic, sapphire, quartz, and other very hard materials. This advance pushes the boundaries of what's possible to support advanced applications that demand high precision and complexity. Ultra-hard materials are alternatives for when metal can't do the job. Ideal for aerospace, medical, and industrial applications.
Learn more. Video available on right side of page.

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 newer 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. ClampDisk eliminates over-installation, cross-threading, stripped screw heads, broken screws, and damaged product. This fastener can be removed easily with a sharp-edged tool.
See how ClampDisk works.

Simplify appliance glass assembly

Henkel's Technomelt PUR 9015 BV/WV is a polyurethane hotmelt adhesive providing high initial strength and long-term durability for glass and large-panel appliance assembly. It enables immediate handling, excellent substrate adhesion, and high thermal resistance, while supporting automated, cost-efficient production. It offers a flexible solution for high-reliability manufacturing.
Learn more.

Made-to-order stamped components for insert molding

Traditionally, OEMs source metal inserts and insert molding services separately. Not anymore. Plastics manufacturers and injection molders are now taking on more of the sourcing responsibility for insert molded parts, and they are partnering with Boker's, who has a long-term proven record for delivering precision stampings with quick turnaround times and ensuring metal inserts are mold-ready upon delivery. Boker's has immediate access to over 2,000 commonly specified and hard-to-find materials.
Learn more.

New ultrasonic framework improves dynamic oil film thickness measurement in rolling bearings

A collaborative research team from Xi'an Jiaotong University in China and Imperial College London in the UK has developed a coupled elastohydrodynamic-acoustic framework that enables high-resolution ultrasonic measurement of dynamic film thickness in lubricated rolling bearing contacts, according to a recent study published in Engineering. The work offers a refined, noninvasive way to evaluate central oil film thickness, a key parameter affecting the efficiency and reliability of rolling bearings used in large rotating machinery.

Lubricant film thickness directly influences bearing performance, but accurate in-situ measurement remains difficult due to dynamic fluctuations, elastic deformation, cavitation, and varying oil supply. Traditional optical and electrical methods often need transparent components or strict shielding, limiting their industrial use. Ultrasonic techniques show strong potential for non-destructive testing, yet spatial resolution and complex interface reflections have restricted their application in real bearing systems.

To address these issues, the researchers combined numerical elastohydrodynamic lubrication simulations with high-fidelity acoustic modeling to interpret ultrasonic reflection signals under realistic operating conditions.

The team first performed elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) simulations that account for cavitation using the Elrod-Adams algorithm and JFO boundary conditions to obtain surface deformation profiles, pressure distributions, and cavitation regions. They then built a high-precision acoustic model using COMSOL Multiphysics to analyze how inlet and outlet zone lengths, rotational speed, and load affect ultrasonic wave propagation and reflection. The reflection coefficient distribution shows a symmetric double-peak with central valley pattern shaped by contact geometry and EHL film thickness. Cavitation shifts the central valley toward the inlet and raises the reflection coefficient, while changes in speed and load further modify the signal.

Overview of a coupled elastohydrodynamic-acoustic framework for the high-resolution ultrasonic measurement of dynamic film thickness in lubricated contacts. [Credit: Image by Pan Dou, Yayu Li, et al/Courtesy of Higher Education Press]

 

 

 

 

Using these findings, the researchers established a six-step procedure to extract central film thickness. They introduced a correction factor to link the overall sensor reflection coefficient with the central region value, then used polynomial fitting to relate the factor to operating parameters. The corrected reflection coefficient is converted to film thickness via the spring model.

Validation experiments were carried out on glass-oil-steel and steel-oil-steel bearing setups. Fluorescence measurements on the glass configuration confirmed the reflection coefficient distribution trends, while tests on all-steel bearings showed the measured film thickness closely matches theoretical EHL predictions with a maximum error of 12.7%, outperforming conventional ray and spring models.

The framework accounts for real contact geometry, elastic deformation, and cavitation effects that distort ultrasonic signals, improving measurement accuracy. The method supports in-situ, noninvasive monitoring and is compatible with piezoelectric ceramic sensors that can be attached directly to bearing surfaces. Future work will extend the approach to other bearing types and explore dimensionless formulations to broaden applicability. The study provides a practical tool for condition assessment and life prediction of rolling bearings in industrial rotating equipment.

See "A Coupled Elastohydrodynamic-Acoustic Framework for High-Resolution Ultrasonic Measurement of Dynamic Film Thickness in Lubricated Contacts" in the journal Engineering authored by Pan Dou, Yayu Li, Suhaib Ardah, Tonghai Wu, Min Yu, Thomas Reddyhoff, Yaguo Lei, and Daniele Dini.

Source: Higher Education Press

Published May 2026

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