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New lead screw configurator allows for quick design

igus has developed a new lead screw configurator that allows customers to design their own lead screw and associated drawing in minutes without in-depth technical knowledge and CAD software. The new tool even directly checks the plausibility of the configuration. Trapezoidal, high helix, or metric thread lead screws in combination with nuts made of iglide high-performance polymers ensure lubrication-free adjustment for long-lasting and smooth-running applications. The company runs its North American operations out of Providence, RI.
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Compact spiral elevator opens up conveying possibilities

FlexLink AB has upgraded its compact spiral elevator even further with in and out feeds. With a total of six configurations, this solution increases your possibilities and fits different production line layouts even better. The spiral gives you increased access to the production floor, offering a 40 percent smaller footprint compared to the most common solutions on the market -- and the possibility to transport goods vertically, bridging the differences of height. The spiral can be installed in a few hours and ensures smooth running, low noise, and long service life.
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Water park's 5D movies require special pneumatics

Can you imagine going to the movies in a bikini or swim trunks? You can really do it -- you don't have to dream it. A new form of movie experience at an Abu Dhabi water park involves the audience sitting in special moving seats with various integrated effects taking place around them and on them, including real floods that fill up the theater. Emerson's AVENTICS pneumatic components play a key role in making the magic happen.
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8 ways to improve your sheet metal parts

All sheet metal parts start out flat. And no matter how convoluted or complex their final shapes may be, the wall thickness of those parts must be uniform throughout. Engineers from Protolabs share their eight quick sheet metal design tips, focusing on material and finishing options along with design elements like bends, reliefs, holes, and slots when developing your metal components. Really useful info.
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Resins: Alkali stress crack resistance for automotive

The Polyplastics Group recently introduced a new polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) resin that delivers excellent alkali stress crack resistance for a range of automotive applications. DURANEX 532AR also exhibits outstanding hydrolysis, heat shock resistance, and electrical performance for components in the chassis and engine compartment. This material has successfully reduced the risk of cracking in molded articles by preventing alkali (often formed by rust on metal parts) from penetrating the inside of the resin, thus imparting toughness that helps generate less stress. Ideal for use in parts (like electrical components and sensors) installed in the chassis section and lower areas of vehicles.
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New washdown servo gearboxes from Gam

Gam Gear's new SSP Series is an innovative washdown servo gearbox solution designed for food, medical, or sanitary applications. It is a precision inline planetary gearbox outwardly constructed of 300-series stainless steel. The motor adapter plate, housing, and shaft are all stainless steel. Viton seals, stainless steel hardware, and sealed interfaces provide outstanding corrosion resistance in all types of wet and caustic washdown environments. Ideal for any light or demanding servo application where corrosion resistance is a requirement, the SSP Series offers economy, high precision, and long-lasting performance.
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Get a linear shafting sample on the house

Lee Linear has produced world-class, linear motion components and linear shafting for over 40 years. With the ability to manufacture custom shafting -- threading, diameter reduction, keyways, flats, plating, and more -- to required standards in a short amount of time, Lee Linear is able to fulfill orders on time, eliminating downtime and increasing profits for its customers.
Request your sample.

Top Product: Cross roller ring can swing the loads

Because it has orthogonally arranged cylindrical rollers, the cross roller ring from THK is a roller bearing with high rotation accuracy capable of bearing loads in every direction. Cylindrical rollers are arranged with each roller perpendicular to the adjacent roller, in a 90-deg V groove, separated from each other by a spacer retainer. This design allows just one bearing to receive loads in all directions including radial, axial, and moment loads. This component is optimal for applications such as joints and swiveling units of industrial robots, swiveling tables of machining centers, rotary units of manipulators, precision rotary tables, medical equipment, measuring instruments, and IC manufacturing machines. Available in several rotation configurations including inner/outer ring, inner ring only, and outer ring only. And now a new micro cross roller ring is perfect to handle smaller applications.
Learn more about THK cross roller rings.
Learn about the new Micro Cross Roller Ring RAU.

Solvay develops sustainable Halar ECTFE anti-corrosion coating system

Solvay's new waterborne Halar ECTFE coating system broadens metal corrosion-prevention applications for the chemical processing industry. The coating system is comprised of a high-adhesion primer and topcoat and is easily applied using standard liquid spray equipment. Solvay's Halar ECTFE powder coatings have been used for corrosion prevention for over 40 years for equipment in a range of industries including acids, mining, pulp and paper, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and semiconductor, among others. The new waterborne Halar ECTFE liquid coating tech expands the range of end-use applications to those that are difficult or impossible to powder coat. This includes complex shapes, uneven surfaces, oversized vessels, pipe interiors, and tanks and containers. Moreover, it provides engineers an alternative protective metal coating option to corrosion-resistant alloys (CRAs).
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Powerhouse gripper for collaborative applications

The SCHUNK Co-act EGL-C long-stroke gripper is a milestone on the way to a comprehensive human/robot collaboration (HRC): It is the world's first long-stroke gripper developed for collaborative operation. It achieves high gripping forces up to 450 N (handling weights beyond small parts assembly) and combines them with a long stroke of 42.5 mm per finger. The intelligent 24-V unit is suitable for handling workpiece weights up to 2.25 kg and can be flexibly used in a wide range of applications. The SCHUNK developers are particularly focused on the automotive-related supply industry, carmakers, and machine building, where powerful grippers may be able to achieve rapid success in HRC applications.
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Xometry receives ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certifications

Xometry, the world's largest digital manufacturing marketplace, recently announced that it has received ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certifications. These certifications are among the industry's most rigorous and reflect the company's commitment to quality. ISO 9001 is the world's most widely recognized quality management standard and helps organizations to meet the expectations and needs of their customers. The AS9100 standard goes beyond the requirements of ISO 9001 to meet the rigorous demands of the aerospace and defense industries.
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Lightweight, heavy-duty thermoplastic planks introduced

If you're told to walk the plank these days, you may find yourself walking on plastic. SABIC recently introduced its STADECK heavy-duty panels to the Americas. These high-strength but extremely lightweight panels are used for scaffolding and numerous other applications in the building and construction industries. They are made from glass fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin and are up to 60 percent lighter than wooden planks, saving not only your back but also the gas or diesel it takes to tote heavier support materials around. They also never rot or corrode.
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Completely updated new full-line catalog of fasteners

Micro Plastics introduces its new 300-page catalog #41 containing thousands of fastening solutions for engineers and product designers. Find hundreds of new problem-solving products including Spacers, Washers, Clips, Clamps, Ties, Bushings, Screws, Nuts, Rivets, and Plugs. Micro Plastics specializes in Nylon threaded fasteners, but the company also offers extensive product lines for wire management and circuit board hardware. Samples are available upon request.
Check out the new online catalog.

Plastic torque-limiting wing nuts

JW Winco, a leading supplier of standard industrial machine components, has now made available EN 5320 Plastic Torque Limiting Wing Nuts, which are used when manually applied torque is to be limited. Turn clockwise, and the torque of the wing nut triggers an "over-engagement" when the specified torque is reached. When tightening, this will ensure the maximum permissible torque is not exceeded. Turn counter-clockwise, and the torque needed for loosening will always be transmitted properly. The technopolymer plastic is glass fiber reinforced and temperature resistant up to 176 F (80 C). The wing nuts are available in either a black matte or orange matte finish. An aluminum version (GN 3663) is also available.
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ICOMold: New CAD model design service partner

ICOMold has partnered with a professional design service with a large group of designers who specialize in designing for injection molding. If you need to get a quote but don't have a 3D CAD model (or need your file modified, repaired, or converted), ICOMold is now offering these services through its design partner ZVerse.
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Hydrogen power in a bottle for on-the-go use: Army plans to license nanogalvanic aluminum powder discovery

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory's nanogalvanic aluminum powder for hydrogen generation. [U.S. Army photo by David McNally]

 

 

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory plans to license its discovery of a nanogalvanic aluminum powder for hydrogen generation.

Army researchers at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland have developed a novel, structurally stable, aluminum-based nanogalvanic alloy powder that, when combined with water or any water-based liquid, reacts to produce on-demand hydrogen for power generation without a catalyst.

"This powder-based alloy includes material that disrupts the formation of an encapsulating aluminum oxide layer, allowing for the continuous production of hydrogen that can be used at the point of need to power a wide range of devices via fuel cells and internal combustion," said Dr. Anit Giri, a scientist with the lab's Weapons and Materials Research Directorate. "The powder can be easily manufactured to scale, and can be conveniently and safely transported via tablets or vacuum pouches, thus eliminating reliance on high-pressure hydrogen cylinders."

Dr. Anit Giri, a scientist with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, observes a sample of a unique aluminum nanomaterial powder that reacts with water to produce hydrogen. [U.S. Army photo by David McNally]

 

 

 

 

ARL will be posting a Federal Register Notice and launching a supporting website inviting companies to submit their ideas on how best to commercialize this technology. The laboratory will then select the most appropriate partners and collaborators. Officials said license exclusivity will then be determined.

Researchers said the powders has many advantages, including:

• Energy and Power Source
• Stable Alloy Powder
• Non-Toxic
• Environmentally Friendly
• Hydrogen Emitting
• Manufacture to Scale
• Easily Transportable

Army researchers discovered the unique properties of the nanopowder while investigating aluminum alloy compositions for other purposes. The researchers, from the lab's Lightweight and Specialty Metals Branch, made the serendipitous discovery that at least one of these compositions can, in the presence of water, spontaneously generate hydrogen -- rapidly and efficiently.

"The researchers have since demonstrated rapid hydrogen generation rates using powder and tablet forms of the alloy," said Branch Chief Robert Dowding. "The hydrogen has been shown to be useful for powering fuel cells and is expected to power internal combustion engines." The researchers are currently taking advantage of the innovation by characterizing the hydrogen generation rates and purity of the gas generated, Dowding said.

Army researcher Anthony J. Roberts inflates a balloon with hydrogen produced from a chemical reaction between water and an aluminum nanomaterial powder discovered at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. [U.S. Army photo by David McNally]

 

 

 

 

"They are also examining the effects of compositional changes to the alloy and systematic changes in the microstructure of the powders," he said.

Giri said the discovery has many benefits and applications, such as simple manufacturing.

"The powder can be made using current manufacturing techniques from either pure or alloyed aluminum," he said. "The manufacturing process is easily scalable and it is also very fast -- with a 75-percent theoretical hydrogen yield in one minute at standard temperature and pressure, and 100-percent theoretical yield in three minutes."

The nanopowder is also extremely efficient. Giri said 1 kg of powder can generate 4.4 kWh of energy -- enough to power 10 60-W incandescent light bulbs for more than seven hours or the equivalent LED bulbs for over 50 hours.

The material can be in powder or tablet form and be combined with any available water-based liquid to provide hydrogen on demand, at the point of need.

The discovery eliminates reliance on high-pressure cylinders, Giri said.

"It's easy to transport and store via tablets or vacuum-sealed pouches with no inherent inhalation risk," he said. "The powder is also environmentally friendly. Its by-products are stable and non-toxic. Finally, it's a versatile hydrogen source with direct combustion for vehicular power, to use in fuel cells to power any electronic device, and could potentially be used in 3D printing/additive manufacturing to create self-cannibalizing robots/drones."

In order to support a better understanding of the material, the laboratory established a website to showcase details on the technology and a review the process that will culminate in the granting of a patent license(s) around September 2018.

On this website, visitors can register their interest to be contacted about further developments, post general questions, and download background technical information, as well as templates for all the required documents that will be used throughout the process.

For further information, click here.

"The Federal Register announcement is a significant step forward in the transition of power to the Soldier in the field, where it will become available on demand at the point of need," Dowding said.

Source: U.S. Army Research Laboratory

Published July 2018

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