Congratulations to Robert Strobel, winner of our World's Smartest Design Engineer competition for 2011. Robert won the $1,500 grand prize for providing the most correct answers for the past year. And the contest continues! Monthly winners for January were Marcel Ipince, Robert Grieger, Mark Sterrett, Bill White, and Adam Kellada. Each received a $100 Am Ex gift card. Play now at www.smartestengineer.com
Articles
Employment on the American factory floor is growing, up by 334,000 jobs over the past two years. Journalists have taken note of the trend. The tenor of the recent headlines on the subject echo that in the New York Times, which claimed that, "U. S. Manufacturing is a Bright Spot for the Economy." But growth in jobs is a case of good news/bad news. The good news is that reports show the economy is now producing the same amount of goods and services it did in 2007. The bad news: It is doing so with 6.3 million fewer workers.
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 Continuous Level Float Sensors
Continuous Level Float Sensors are a long-established level measurement technology ideal for a wide range of industrial applications. Learn more about the principles and practical uses of this standard, reliable sensor for accurate and continuous tank level measurement. Download whitepaper
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The Solowheel, an electric unicycle, can carry a rider at up to 10 mph, for up to 20 miles on a single charge of the battery. The 26-lb device handles riders weighing up to 250 lb, letting them stand on a pair of floorboards that jut out from the wheel covering. There is no seat. But riders can squeeze against a central pad. Starting and stopping takes place by leaning forward or back, respectively, much like the two-wheeled Segway.
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 Ultra-Reliable Flow Switches. Fit and Forget!
The FS-600 series uses proven thermal dispersion technology to provide a robust no moving parts flow switch even without filtration. The solid state sensor is compatible with both conductive and non-conductive fluids. Suitable for fluids with particulates or slurries, and is immune to changes in media viscosity. The straight through switch is designed for a long life, mounts in any orientation, and handles a wide range of flow rates. No moving parts means years of reliable service. www.gemssensors.com
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From the files of safety expert Lanny Berke: Here is a sobering statistic: As a safety expert, I am usually called to investigate an accident at a hospital as many as 12 times a year. The problems I find often result because of poorly trained employees, but there are also lessons in these incidents for designers of medical products. Some of the accidents I’ve looked at involve unfortunate interactions between medical equipment and seemingly innocuous room furniture. One such case happened when a man went into the hospital for an annual checkup.
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A manufacturing technique devised by Marc Quenneville combines vacuum infusion with rotational molding. The process completely eliminates the seam typically found in large composite structures such as aircraft fuselages, seaplanes, and submarines. The new technique molds large monolithic composite structures using almost any moldable material such as thermosets, ceramic composites, and carbon-fiber reinforced plastics.
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 Specifying High-Performance Cables: The Devil is in the Details
Many of the problems that surround cable failure, especially in extreme and harsh operating environments, could have been avoided by selecting the correct cable from the outset. In today’s world of sophisticated electronics, cable failure is not an option. This whitepaper discusses several criteria to consider when specifying high-performance cables, and helpful tips to reduce downtime and avoid failure. Download whitepaper
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3D printing supplier Objet will be hosting a 48-hour workshop for Architecture professors and students at this year's Association of Collegiate Schools of America 100th Annual Meeting, taking place March 1-3 in Boston. Attendees will develop designs from concept to 3D model completion in just 48 hours, which will then be displayed at the meeting.
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New Products
The Rack & Pinion Drive System catalog covers five levels of precision rack & pinion drive systems. DIN 7 and 8 quality levels provide competitive prices. The new StrongLine DIN 5 hardened and ground gear racks use a carburized case-hardening process to increase the strength of the rack, including the tooth flanks and root, which maximizes its power density, stiffness, and performance.
The design of the new TR ISO 9409-1 flanged pinions reduce the amount of drive torque required and allow for a smaller reducer to be used.
The HighForce rack-and-pinion drive systems have an integral output housing and outboard bearing to provide a rigid support to the output pinion, increasing the system's linear stiffness by 300%, as well as increasing its power density.
The catalog features updated rack-and-pinion force ratings based on the latest refined calculation methods and material data.
Atlanta Drive Systems Inc.
A three-way mixing/diverting ball valve has a common inlet port that can be open to flow with the outlet ports either individually, for diverting service, or simultaneously, for mixing applications. The miniature ball valve is made in 303 or 316 stainless steels, with a variety of available seal materials. It has excellent corrosion resistance and fluid/temperatures compatibility.
Beswick Engineering Co. Inc.
Featured Links
Thomas Division
Thomas provides OEM pump and compressor solutions for medical, environmental and lab applications with oil-less technology offerings including WOB-L® and articulated piston, diaphragm, rotary, linear, and liquid pumps.
www.gd-thomas.com
6-Axis Parallel Positioners by PI Solve Alignment & Positioning Problems
PI is the leader in hexapod 6-axis motion systems. Load: 4 lbs to 2 tons. Learn more at www.hexapods.net
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