July 21, 2015 Volume 11 Issue 27

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What can you secure with a retaining ring? 20 examples

From the watch dial on your wrist to a wind turbine, no application is too small or too big for a Smalley retaining ring to secure. Light to heavy-duty loads? Carbon steel to exotic materials? No problem. See how retaining rings are used in slip clutches, bike locks, hip replacements, and even the Louvre Pyramid.
See the Smalley design applications.


Load fasteners with integrated RFID

A crane, rope, or chain may be required when something needs lifting -- plus anchoring points on the load. JW Winco offers a wide range of solutions to fasten the load securely, including: lifting eye bolts and rings (with or without rotation), eye rings with ball bearings, threaded lifting pins, shackles, lifting points for welding, and more. Some, such as the GN 581 Safety Swivel Lifting Eye Bolts, even have integrated RFID tags to clearly identify specific lifting points during wear and safety inspections and manage them digitally and without system interruption.
Learn more.


Couplings solve misalignments more precisely with targeted center designs

ALS Couplings from Miki Pulley feature a simplistic, three-piece construction and are available in three different types for more precisely handling parallel, angular, or axial misalignment applications. The key feature of this coupling design is its center element. Each of the three models has a center member that has a unique and durable material and shape. Also called a "spider," the center is designed to address and resolve the type of misalignment targeted. Ideal for unidirectional continuous movement or rapid bidirectional motion.
Learn more.


What is 3D-MID? Molded parts with integrated electronics from HARTING

3D-MID (three-dimensional mechatronic integrated devices) technology combines electronic and mechanical functionalities into a single, 3D component. It replaces the traditional printed circuit board and opens up many new opportunities. It takes injection-molded parts and uses laser-direct structuring to etch areas of conductor structures, which are filled with a copper plating process to create very precise electronic circuits. HARTING, the technology's developer, says it's "Like a PCB, but 3D." Tons of possibilities.
View the video.


Make nylon 3D-printed prototypes and parts in the office

The new SLS 300 from 3D Systems is an affordable, turnkey, closed-loop 3D-printing system designed to operate in a smaller-footprint environment. SLS 300 makes selective laser sintering available to a broader range of customers with a high-reliability, affordable solution to produce end-use parts. Users can produce tough, durable parts from a range of production-grade nylon materials. Amazing fill, finishing, and clean-up systems.
Learn more.


Engineer's Toolbox: All about lead screws and how to apply them

Lead screws use the helix angle of the thread to convert rotary motion to linear motion. Learn all about their benefits, performance characteristics, design choices, lifecycles, and more in this in-depth article from Thomson Industries.
Read the full article.


Will it erode? 3D-printing materials comparison from Xometry

Which 3D-printed plastics are the toughest? In this "Will it ..." video, Greg Paulsen, Xometry's Director of Application Engineering, 3D printed Benchies (3D test models) using different materials (such as polycarbonate, PLA, polypropylene, ULTEM, and Nylon 11 and 12) and processes (such as FDM, SLS, MJF, SLA, LSPc, Polyjet, and DLS) and then ran several abrasion tests on them. Watch to find out which 3D-printed plastic is truly the toughest of them all!
View Part 1.
View Part 2.


Graphene Handbook: Learn all about this wonder material

Metalgrass LTD has published the 11th edition of its "Graphene Handbook," a comprehensive resource on graphene technology, the industry, and the market for this wonder material made of single layers of atoms of pure carbon. The book includes development history, production methods, current research, an intro to metrology and standardization, and even an investment guide. Under 100 bucks for digital edition. Hard copy available too.
Learn more.


Ceramic bearings for extreme applications

The XTREME 6000 ZrO2 Series of Full Ceramic Radial Bearings from CeramicSpeed are designed to provide levels of performance in extreme environments beyond the capabilities of steel and even hybrid bearings. The complementing components of these bearings were carefully selected to provide the highest levels of performance in high temperatures and adverse environments such as: submerged in water, high-pressure steam, chemicals, and caustic fluids. Available from LM76.
Learn more.


How slip clutches can help maximize your designs

The way they see it over at Polyclutch, there aren't a whole lot of problems you can't solve with a slip clutch. Way beyond using them for overload protection, there are a surprising number of other applications for these versatile and valuable components. From increasing machine speeds and applying constant tension on wire to indexing a conveyor and automatic screw assembly, slip clutches just may provide the design leverage you've been seeking.
Read the full article.


How a BattleBot was built using Onshape

Learn how RoboGym Robotics, a veteran BattleBots team, said goodbye to Solidworks and took their design game to the next level using Onshape, the cloud-native, all-in-one CAD and PDM solution. RoboGym was able to analyze key components of their Roundhouse BattleBot like its armor and weapon bar, run simulations, collaborate, iterate, and optimize their design to its fullest.
Read this informative Onshape blog.


Who knew? How colorants affect plastic

In plastic injection molding, one aspect of polymer characteristics that doesn't always get the consideration it deserves is the addition of colorant. Believe it or not, there is a whole scientific body of knowledge about the ways in which adding color to plastic can affect its behavioral properties. This short article by Denny Scher of ICO Mold takes a high-level look at some of the different, and surprising, ways colorants can affect plastics.
Read the full article.


Smart fixed flange bearings unlock predictive maintenance

igus has developed intelligent two- and four-hole fixed flange bearings with wireless sensing capabilities for wear detection. Constructed from self-lubricating, high-performance plastic, the bearings feature an integrated abrasion sensor, thin circuit board, and cableless battery supply. Wear interrupts the board's conductor paths, causing the electronics to lose the signal. The sensor then transmits a long-range network signal to an igus i.Cee switch cabinet module for analysis, including the percentage of abrasion.
Learn about igus smart bearing technology.


Screw jack configuration and selection tool

Thomson has added a screw jack config and select tool to its online engineering toolset to help design engineers optimize and specify screw jacks for applications involving loads up to 100 tons. Screw jacks are increasingly replacing hydraulic cylinders in many ultra-heavy, low duty-cycle applications. Enter load, speed, travel, duty cycle, and other motion parameters.
Learn more.


Retaining magnets from JW Winco: Universal and clever

JW Winco has expanded its magnet line to support more applications with new materials, shapes, systems, and even raw magnets. Learn about their latest offerings, including retaining magnets designed for corrosive environments (GN 50.8), encapsulated magnets designed for sensitive or painted surfaces (GN 51.8), handle magnets (GN 53.3), and powerful magnets designed to handle challenging environs (GN 52.6).
Learn more.


New high-strength steel could help automakers improve fuel efficiency

A high-strength steel being developed at Missouri University of Science and Technology could help auto manufacturers in their quest to meet future fuel efficiency requirements.

The development of this new steel, known as a "third-generation advanced high-strength steel," is under way at Missouri S&T's Kent D. Peaslee Steel Manufacturing Research Center. "We are currently refining the steel design to achieve 'Gen 3' mechanical property goals while also maintaining manufacturability," says the center's director, Dr. Ronald J. O'Malley, the F. Kenneth Iverson Endowed Chair of Steelmaking Technologies at Missouri S&T. "This is one of the most promising generation-three steels I've seen."

Missouri S&T researchers pour steel in the university's foundry. [Image: Sam O'Keefe/Missouri S&T]

 

 

Under the U.S. Department of Transportation's Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations, auto manufacturers must improve the fuel efficiency of their vehicles year-by-year through 2020. Regulators have set a tentative goal of increasing fuel efficiency to 54.5 miles per gallon for cars and light trucks by the 2025 model year.

Improvements in exhaust treatment systems, transmission efficiency, and aerodynamics all contribute to better fuel efficiency. But reducing vehicle weight is also important in achieving the CAFE goals, O'Malley says.

"Automakers must make lightweight vehicles without sacrificing safety," O'Malley says.

What is called first-generation steel is most commonly used in today's cars and trucks. A second-generation product has been developed, and it is stronger and more lightweight than the first-generation material, but O'Malley says it is too costly to produce and more difficult to manufacture. The third-generation steel being developed by Missouri S&T metallurgical engineers should be lighter, easier to make, and strong enough to address automakers' safety concerns, he says.

The S&T researchers are employing a method known as TRIP -- or transformation-induced plasticity -- to obtain the performance required to meet both safety and CAFE goals. It involves the transformation of an unstable crystal structure known as austenite, which normally exists at high temperatures, into martensite, a harder substance that develops as the steel deforms.

"The S&T alloy design employs a two-stage or 'dual TRIP' mechanism that leads to extreme work hardening and energy absorption, so it's very good for automotive crash-worthiness," says O'Malley.

Under the direction of Dr. David C. Van Aken, Curators' Teaching Professor of metallurgical engineering, the Missouri S&T team has used an atomic modeling method known as density functional theory to identify alloying elements to create the dual TRIP character of these new steels.

The real challenge, however, lies with the large-scale production of these new steels. With the help of industrial partners, the researchers at Peaslee Steel Manufacturing Research Center are examining all aspects of the steel manufacturing -- "from melt practice to final formability by the automotive producer," O'Malley says. A committee of representatives from four steel manufacturers - Nucor, U.S. Steel, AK Steel, and ArcelorMittal -- oversees the project.

One benefit of conducting the research at Missouri S&T is the ability of researchers to create and test small batches of steel. In S&T's labs, researchers can create 200 lb of steel at a time, whereas big steel manufacturers like Nucor, where O'Malley was chief metallurgist before joining S&T, would have to make 170 tons of steel for testing, O'Malley says.

Source: Missouri University of Science and Technology

Published July 2015

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