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When uncertainty strikes, our tendency is to cling to the familiar
way of doing things. That cautious approach makes sense, but little
tweaks can sometimes take an existing process to the next level. In
today's newsletter, we'll look at controls that boosted efficiency in
thermal drilling, at the details that go into picking the right hinge,
and at machine vision that checks out reconditioned welding tips.
Also check out Machine Design's special U.S. election coverage. Do you
know the candidates' stances on technology? Check them out here. And don't forget to vote next week!
Jessica Shapiro
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Tips any good? Weld rod inspector can
tell.
A device for inspecting welding rod tips uses machine vision to
determine whether redressed tips are good enough to resume welding.
Traditional machine-vision equipment has had a hard time telling good
welding tips from bad ones, particularly after a redressing operation.
The problem is that assessment of tip health can be subjective. So
humans have done a better job of deciding whether tips are ready to weld
or need more work.
Read the full article.
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Newest Weapon for Thermal
Management
 Master Bond's
EP30AO is a thermally conductive, electrically insulative potting and
encapsulation compound that facilitates thermal management by permitting
effective heat dissipation from highly populated circuit boards. EP30AO
has a low viscosity; cures at room temperatures; has superior
dimensional stability and high physical strength; resists long-term
exposure to water, oils, fuels, and many chemicals; and can withstand
thermal cycling.
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Electrohydraulic controls boost thermal
drilling
Thermal drilling relies on friction from a carbide bit to melt and
extrude metal and form a hole. The process leaves a thicker lip around
the edges of holes than with conventional drilling, providing more metal
for stronger welds or threads. It also eliminates the waste metal shards
generated by conventional drill bits. Thermal drilling works well on
thin materials that normally do not provide support for a threaded
surface or sleeve bearing, and when there is a need to attach a welded
or riveted nut or special insert.
Read the full article.
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WESTERN WIRE PROUCTS
LET US MEET YOUR SPECIFICATIONS FOR CUSTOM WIRE FORMS,
STAMPINGS
AND ASSEMBLIES
 CNC Custom
Wire Forming
Western Wire is a leader in the CNC wire forming
industry. Whether your need is for small volumes or prototyping to
medium volumes, in complex or simple shapes Western Wire offers a unique
range of CNC forming capabilities to address your requirements. Send
over a sample, print or sketch for us to quote!
Multislide Forming & Stamping
Western Wire maintains an extensive capability in multi-slide/fourslide
wire forming and stamping. Typically for higher volume tasks, Western
Wire’s multi-slide/four-slide department provides high quality
competitively priced components for your needs.
Click Here to Visit WesternWireProd.com
or call 800-325-3770
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Don't come unhinged over enclosure
design
When designing or specifying cabinets and enclosures, hinges play a
key role in determining whether or not the product lives up to
expectations. With literally thousands of products on the market,
there’s usually a standard one that fits the bill and is available for
quick delivery. But all those choices can make the selection process a
bit overwhelming. Here are several basic points engineers should
consider to help zero in on the hinge best suited for a particular
enclosure.
Read the full article.
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Floating panel fasteners
PF11MW and PF12MW floating panel fasteners align components in
access panels by compensating up to 0.060 in. of mating thread
misalignment. The captive screw installs permanently with a punch and
anvil. The design doesn’t mar painted surfaces. PF11MW fasteners have
a knurled cap for UL 508-type "operator access area" requirements.
PF12MW fasteners are smooth-capped to meet UL 1950 "service access area"
requirements. Both types have universal and Phillips slots. Thread sizes
range from #4-40 through 1/4-20 and M3 through M6 with mating washers
supplied.
PennEngineering
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Enclosure Designer's Hardware Selection
Guide
 Get Southco's
FREE design tool to evaluate the best latch, hinge, gasket and rack
attach solutions for electronic, industrial, and other enclosure
applications. Compare and select optimum solutions by more than 20
design criteria—including configuration, load, dimensions, product
performance, access control, materials, and more.
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Handheld plastic welder
The 49-mm-diameter TMW3 plastic welder uses a ceramic plug-in
element said to improve performance and reliability. The unit uses 1,700
W at 230 V and 50 Hz to weld plastics at up to 650°C. Its ergonomic
in-line design resists adverse working conditions. It weighs 1.2 kg,
including its 3-m power cord and air-supply hose. The unit requires at
least 40 lpm of airflow from an optional remote blower system or
compressed-air supply.
Techspan
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Structural blind rivets
HuckLok Structural Blind Rivets offer strength and versatility. A
generous grip and large blind-side footprint give excellent shear,
clamp, and tensile strength. Designed to fill a wide range of hole sizes
and offering a broad grip range from 0.12 to 0.87 in., the Huck- Lok
creates rugged joints suited for a wide range of structural assemblies.
The HuckLok is available in 0.18 through 0.25-in. diameters.
Alcoa Fastening
Systems
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Rev up your interdisciplinary design skills
What happens when a microcontroller turns on a power FET, sending a
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of what many engineers grapple with today. If you happen to be one of
them, then the place for you — where you can find answers and meet
others with similar concerns — is www.Mechatronic-Design.com.
Backed by some of engineering's top information sources including
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Electronics, Mechatronic-Design.com is the interdisciplinary engineer's
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Find. Learn. Apply.
Mechatronic-Design.com.
Experience National Instruments Technologies From
the Comfort of Your Own Computer!
 With more
than 200 on-demand webcasts, videos, interactive
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Begin your search here with a collection of
webcasts specifically chosen for design and automation engineers.
CAD Library offers advanced CAD Resources
The Machine Design CAD
Library, includes millions of configurable 2D and 3D CAD models
of
components and assemblies downloadable for easy use in new and existing
designs. Our models are in native CAD formats. No translation
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Sponsored
by:
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UPCOMING IN-PERSON EVENTS
Design-2-Part Shows are America's longest running and most trusted
events for sourcing custom parts and services.
Ten shows covering the country offer OEMs, engineers and purchasing
personnel the opportunity to meet job shops and
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UPCOMING WEBCASTS
Scaling Engineering and Scientific Performance for the Workgroup –
What's the Best Infrastructure for You?
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Science and Engineering are boundless, but many workgroups are
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Introduction to Linear Actuators
Sponsored by HaydonKerk Motion Solutions
DATE: November 13th, 2008
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT
What is a stepper motor based linear actuator? How does it work? How
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These are questions that will be answered in HaydonKerk Motion Solutions
first technical webinar. Engineering managers Frank Morton and Ray
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In this webinar:
Basic stepper motor theory
Components that make up a stepper motor-based linear actuator
The selection of a linear actuator based on load, resolution, and
travel requirements
Who should attend:
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Supercharging and Securing Products with Embedded RFID
Sponsored by Skyetek
DATE: November 18th, 2008
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT
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Click here to learn more and register!
ARCHIVED WEBCASTS AVAILABLE FOR FREE VIEWING
Click Here for a list of archived Machine Design
webcasts.
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Dymax acquires
Tridak
Dymax Corporation announced its acquisition of Tridak, a designer
and manufacturer of equipment for material filling and dispensing for
over 30 years. The acquisition is said to expand Dymax's adhesive and
material-supply capabilities. Tridak operations will move from Danbury,
CT, to a larger Dymax facility in Torrington, CT. The move is intended
to promote synergy among the companies' research, engineering, and
manufacturing operations.
Contact Dymax for
more information.
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Refurbish your old riveter
National Rivet & Manufacturing Co. has added announced a “Used and
Retooled” section to NationalRivet.com. The page provides a centralized
location for manufacturers to inquire about selling used equipment,
purchasing a refurbished riveter, reconditioning existing riveters.
Refurbishment includes diassembly, component inspection, replacement of
worn parts, and testing after reassembly.
For more information, visit National Rivet and click on the Used and Retooled
section.
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Editorial questions: Jessica Shapiro
216-931-9850
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216-931-9893
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