Computationally designing molybdenum-based alloys
Interestingly, a company has won what's called a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project from DARPA to develop software tools for computationally designing molybdenum-based alloys with greater ductility, oxidation resistance, and creep resistance for use above 1,300 °C (such as in rocket engines). The materials will be manufacturable using standard methods. The U.S. Army awarded the contract to QuesTek Innovations LLC.
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Leslie.Gordon@Penton.com, Twitter @LeslieGordon
Articles
Interior parts for public buses are designed for durability, safety, and appearance, an exacting balance that leaves little margin for tradeoffs. One such part, the luggage cover for use on mass transit buses is produced by composites specialist Amtech LLC in Wapato, WA.
The cover measures 5 × 4 × 3 ft. and is fabricated in a deep-draw vacuum-forming process that generates a remarkable 40 in. (1,016 mm) draw. The interior layer is glass-reinforced epoxy vinyl ester resin; the core is a proprietary bonding material; and the outer layer is 0.180 in. gauge thermoplastic sheet from Boltaron in Newcomerstown, OH.
The original laminate had a gel coat surface that didn’t withstand the harsh conditions and occasional abuse the luggage covers receive in service and during assembly. “The finish didn’t hold up well in the field and needed numerous repairs,” he says.
In contrast, the proprietary Boltaron sheet, Grade 4800, with impregnated color, ensures that part-to-part aesthetics are consistent. The sheet also works better in deep-draw vacuum forming, getting greater surface texture resolution with fewer surface contaminants during forming.
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An amphibious combat craft needed to be made mostly of a lightweight aluminum alloy so that it would meet its mission objectives. But aluminum is relatively soft, and fasteners used to attach components to the aluminum frame needed to satisfy several requirements. They had to be lightweight, create watertight seals, lock in place solidly, resist extreme vibrations and shock, and withstand extended exposure to saltwater. The Marines also wanted be able to remove and replace the fasteners in the field.
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The realities of the economics of recycling will probably prevent the widespread recycling of thermoform-grade RPET for some time to come. (The “R” of RPET means the polymer comprises virgin material plus regrind, or recycled content.) In a pilot study conducted by thermoform packaging maker Dordan Manufacturing in Woodstock, Ill., the company shipped 50 of its RPET clamshells to a local recycling facility to determine how well the containers could be sorted. The automated waste-management facility that accepted the RPET samples sort different kinds of polymers using optics.
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 Non-Drip Adhesive Meets NASA Low Outgassing Specifications
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New Products
Aluminums will likely be in airframes for another century, while composites represent the new material on the block. Two materials play major roles in modern aerospace: aluminum alloys for airframes and skin, and composites for structures. This guide takes a look at both.
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New High Temperature Material from Objet is available for use on Objet Connex500 and Eden500V 3D printers. The new material simulates the thermal performance of engineering plastics while maintaining dimensional stability, so it allows for the genuine thermal functional testing of 3D printed parts and prototypes. For instance, the material’s temperature resistance makes it highly beneficial for thermal testing of static parts such as hot air-flow or hot water-flow in taps and faucets.
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A new material from The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) offers companies and researchers a badly needed source of uniform and well-characterized carbon nanotube soot for material comparisons and chemical and toxicity analysis. NIST has issued the world's first reference material for single-wall carbon nanotube soot. Distantly related to the soot in a fireplace or a candle flame, nanotube-laden soot is the primary industrial source of single-wall carbon nanotubes.
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News from MD
Today's Additive Manufacturing: Injection molding, living hinges, overmolding and more
Sponsored by: Objet
Date: Febbruary 23rd, 2012
Time: 2:00pm ET/11:00am PT
During This Webinar You Will Learn:
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