Mechanical

Winners in the second annual LEAP Awards, celebrating the best components and services across the mechanical and electrical engineering design space, were unveiled on November 5, 2019. Across 13 categories, the judging panel awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze recognitions, as well as Honorable Mentions for certain submissions. The awards program is supported by three leading…

Those attending the 17th Automotive Testing Expo in Novi, Mich. got a chance to see the latest developments in NVH measurement technology, powertrain development systems, autonomous vehicle design platforms, and numerous other areas. We toured the floor to see what hot topics garnered attention this year. Here are a few of the more interesting demonstrations…

Technology has shifted many former engineering functions to software or electronics over the past couple of decades, and that trend shows few signs of slowing. Let’s take mobile hydraulics as an example. In my career, I’ve met a lot hydraulics people — from system designers to founders of component manufacturers — who started off as…

EXAIR’s compressed air operated Heavy Duty HEPA vac attaches to an ordinary 30, 55, or 110 gallon open top drum to turn it into a powerful, HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) quality, industrial vacuum cleaner. Like the Heavy Duty Dry Vac, it’s powerfully designed to move more material with less wear. Engineered for dusty environments…

ECGenius is a high-power, efficient and cost-effective continuously variable transmission dedicated to telehandler vehicles, and also suitable for other equipment. The mechanical variator (patented in Europe, United States and Asia) at the core of this product is the result of over 15 years of development at CVTCORP, Bonfiglioli’s Canadian partner. It lets OEMs downsize the…

Smalley was presented with the 2017 General Motors Supplier Quality Excellence Award, marking the sixth consecutive year Smalley has achieved this prestigious honor. 175 suppliers were presented with this award in 2017 … but Smalley was just one of five who have received it six years in a row. GM has been recognizing its notable…

Tolomatic ServoChoke SVC electric choke valve actuators are flexible and reliable high-speed actuators for performance drilling applications such as managed pressure drilling (MPD), set-point control or choke-and-kill. Combining an integrated servo motor, planetary roller screws, industrial-automation-grade components and an all-steel body, the ServoChoke SVC quickly and continuously modulates with extreme accuracy and precision in the…

EXAIR’s 1/2 NPT internal mix 360° hollow circular pattern atomizing spray nozzle atomizes fluid and sprays away from the nozzle in all directions, up to 13 ft in diameter. These nozzles are suitable where a liquid application is needed in a broad area, such as dust suppression, humidification and cooling. They can also be used…

Pack Expo in Las Vegas this year was a huge success with more than 29,500 attendees and dozens of new design solutions of display. One supplier at the show making quite a number of important announcements was Emerson Automation. Emerson’s technologies help packaging lines gain flexibility by accommodating numerous package sizes and complexities; reduce losses…

High density, high accuracy and flexibility to accommodate different part sizes or multiple parts are benefits of Kurt’s SeraLock Towers, and WedgeLock and MoveLock workholding modules. “SeraLock Towers make it possible to easily machine a group of dissimilar workpieces or a high density of a single part all in the same setup. The system employs…

Belden Universal, a manufacturer of custom universal joints and highly specialized mechanical power transmission products, announces its plans to move into its new, state-of-the-art production facility. Construction of the new, 40,000 sq ft factory is progressing rapidly in Hillside, IL, in close proximity to Belden’s current headquarters in Broadview. Relocation will proceed in staged phases…

After surviving one of the hottest and most humid summer seasons on record, Solar Atmospheres of Western PA decided to construct a climate-controlled environment for the daily operation of its all-metal hot zoned vacuum furnace. The critical climate within this room is controlled utilizing a high quality HVAC system and is equipped with dehumidifiers and…

Supplier Quality Award Received For the fourth year in a row, Smalley has received the prestigious GM Supplier Quality Excellence Award. Smalley is one of only eighty powertrain suppliers to receive the award four years in a row. “Smalley’s commitment to Quality, Service and Deliverability are what drives the organization to produce the best retaining…

Laird (LRD: London) has developed custom cooling and temperature control systems for semiconductor fabrication equipment. The critical production tools used in semiconductor fabrication facilities must be reliable and easy to service to minimize downtime. Laird’s custom liquid cooling systems for semiconductor tools – which can include heat exchangers, pumps, sensors, thermoelectric modules, thermoelectric assemblies, thermoelectric…

Anritsu Company introduces Cellular Module Test Application (CMTA) software for its Signaling Testers MD8475A/B which provides test cases to dramatically simplify testing chipsets and automotive-related telematics modules used in connected car designs and implementation. Integrating the new CMTA test package with the MD8475A/B through Anritsu’s innovative SmartStudio GUI allows automotive manufacturers and suppliers to verify…

Photo-etched parts made from materials such as nitinol, elgiloy, titanium, and niobium find extensive use in the medical industry. Tech-Etch in Plymouth, Mass., specializes in the photo-chemical etching of tungsten. Because tungsten is extremely dense, 71% heavier than lead, it often serves in medical applications, including grids used to collimate and attenuate stray x-rays in…

The Clippard NIV Series Media Isolation Valve is a solenoid-operated device that uses a flexible diaphragm to isolate the actuation mechanism from the fluid path. Media isolation valves are commonly used for a wide variety of applications, including those that require precise, repeatable dispensing of media for analytical instrumentation. All wetted areas of the valve…

Creating a fast bottle labeling (or cupping) machine requires the design and execution of complex and dynamic ECAM movements. There are many challenges involved in operating more than 60 integrated motor/drives on a fast rotating platform and transferring high-power and high-speed EtherCAT communications through slip rings. This type of design would require manipulators using the…

From medical devices to electronics, the world around us is getting smaller. “How small can you go?” This is one of the questions a Smalley engineer hears all the time … but a better question is how small do you need? As The Engineer’s Choice™ for Wave Springs and Spirolox Retaining Rings we have the…

IronCAD Mechanical add-on offers a library of intelligent tools such as standard fasteners, steel sections, pipes, flanges and a wide set of utilities aimed at increasing productivity in the design process. Because knowledge and rules are built directly into the tools, typical day-to-day tasks, such as bill of materials generation, component placement and sizing, are…

OPENdrive OD700 is an EtherCAT compatible servodrive for brushless motors. A key feature is automatic recognition of connected motors and configuration through “ODM,” a browser executable on PC and on machine board. This feature makes the servo system easy to commission through the EtherCAT channel without modifying machine connections. ODM enables visualization and modification of…

Edited by Mary C. Gannon, Senior Editor LSR (liquid silicone rubber) O-rings are growing in use in a variety of high-volume production applications, especially in life sciences. O-rings are the most commonly used seal, featured in applications from aircraft engines to chemical processing lines, the hydraulics in tractors to subsea down-hole tools. They account for…

Manufacturers need to control processes to produce a consistent, reliable product. Where precision surface engineering is required, surface measurement is a key part of maintaining control of the process. Laser interferometers are widely used in industry for the measurement of small displacements, refractive index changes and surface irregularities. When built into inspection equipment, like a…

Higher productivity through intelligent functions is an increasingly critical factor in the competitive ability of machine tools. One option for adding new and unique functions is with the Open Core Engineering system. Open Core Engineering enhances classic PLC programming by bridging the gap to IT automation. It increases engineering efficiency through its use of open…

by Elmar Kampmann, Mechanical Engineer and David Marvuglio, Design Engineer, Rotor Clip Flat-wire wave springs offer a great balance of size and spring force. Here’s what you need to know to design with these alternatives to traditional springs. Even if you routinely use spring elements in your designs, chances are you haven’t tried wave springs…