MD_Fastening and Joining Monthly

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December 13, 2010

With the holiday season in full swing, our guess is that November's World's Smartest Design Engineer Corey Ruchs (corey872) from BNSF Railway will be using his $250 Amazon gift card to make short work of his shopping list. Corey registered for the game November 1, so there is hope for those who haven't tried WSDE yet. Even bettter, in 2011 there will be five WSDE winners each month in addition to an overall yearly winner. In 2011 there will be more new questions, too, including a new Materials category and questions based on content in Machine Design and on our website.

The 2011 version begins January 1 so study up now with some recent and archived content from Machine Design:

Rapid prototyping's in-roads into automotive manufacturing
New ways to cure cyanoacrylate adhesives
Understanding annular snap-fit joints

Don't forget to scroll down for new products, news from Machine Design, and industry updates. And please stay in touch at machinedesign.com, on our discussion forums, and by email.

Happy holidays!
Jessica Shapiro

Articles

Bigger role for rapid prototyping in automotive design

In the current economy, rapid-prototyping techniques are gaining new respect as a way of fabricating parts that do double duty: serving as functional prototypes for trying out concepts and, in some cases, being tough enough to work as production parts. Moreover, OEMs increasingly find that additive-prototyping methods such as stereolithography (SLA) make it possible to devise limited-run parts that would have been uneconomical to produce otherwise.
Read the full article.

Video: New two-part and light-cure adhesives
Henkel Corp.'s John Lafond demonstrates two-part and light-curing cyanoacrylate engineered adhesives for demanding applications. Running time: 3:04.
See the full video.

The fundamentals of annular snap-fit joints

Snap-fit joints are the most widely used way of joining and assembling plastics. They are classified according to their spring element and by separability of the joint: Will it be detachable, difficult to disassemble, or permanent? The most common snap fit is the cantilever. But the perhaps least understood type is the annular snap joint (ASJ).
Read the full article.

New Products

Non-sagging light-cure adhesive

Loctite 3979 single-component, light-cure adhesive is a translucent, non-sagging gel that fills moderate gaps without migration, cures tack-free in seconds in UV/visible light, and fluoresces red for inspection. It adheres up to 3,500 psi on plastic, metal, and glass substrates and cures to depths greater than 0.25 in.

It is biocompatible to ISO-10993 and withstands temperatures from -65 to 300°F. It comes in 25-mL syringes and 300-mL cartridges for automatic or manual dispensing.
Henkel Corp.

Wave Spring 3D Models

CAD models of Smalley Wave Springs are downloadable at application specific heights. Enter any height between the spring solid and free height in over 60 native and natural CAD formats. Wave springs can reduce spring height by up to 50% with the same force and deflection as coil springs. Over 4,000 Smalley Wave Springs are available from ¼” to 16” diameters in carbon and stainless steel; specials can be manufactured to 90”. Samples are available to test in your application. All Springs Are Not Equal®.

www.smalley.com

Electronic swinghandle latch
The H3-EM electronic locking swinghandle latch is microprocessor-controlled and gear motor-driven. It uses less than 200 mA of operating current at the moment of actuation only. It integrates sensors and outputs for industry-standard rack control and monitoring. A simple retrofit permits addressable remote access control over the web. It can generate an activity log.

The glass-filled nylon H3-EM fits industry-standard panels and both left and right doors. The assembly can be customized to meet color, logo, and installation-configuration requirements.
Southco

Ultrasonic welding equipment

New HiQ ultrasonic welding machines include Dialog, Vario, and Logic units. Dialog has four weld forces permitting force profiling, extended memory for 300,000 welds, and weld-process graphics with EasySelect and expert modes. A quick-change system permits ultrasonic stack mounting without tools.

The Vario pneumatic drive unit has proportional valve technology and digital generators with various strokes, cylinder diameters, frequencies, and power outputs up to 6,000 W. Graphics visualize joining processes and record quality. Standard equipment includes multiple USB high speed interfaces, printer, and Ethernet connections.

The Logic units include a travel measuring system, proportional valve technology, password protection, volume counter, and five operating modes: time, power, energy, depth RPN and absolute distance. The unit has a 5.7-in. touch screen.
Herrmann Ultrasonics Inc.

News from MD

ENGINEERINGTV.COM IS ALL NEW!

The video site for engineers, EngineeringTV.com has been completely redesigned and relaunched with an entirely new look and enhanced functionality. Browse video libraries on specific technology topics or browse by company brands, by tradeshow, or even by publication-specific video “playlists.” It is all the same quality editorial content and cutting-edge technology videos, but with better usability. Check it out today!

Machine Design's WORLD'S SMARTEST DESIGN ENGINEER
Players from across the globe are competing for fun, education, prizes and the ultimate bragging rights. Thanks to our sponsors for their support of the exciting online opportunity for engineers! Play Now!

Altech Corp.
Avago Corporation
Digi-Key Corporation
Forest City Gear Inc.
Ringfeder Power Transmission
W. L. Gore & Associates

Precision Plastic Parts:
Developing Components to Meet Project Requirements
Sponsored by: Accumold
Date: December 14th, 2010
Time: 2:00pm ET

OEMs are pushing for the greatest amount of functionality and quality in the smallest product space possible. These requirements force engineering teams to work through difficult challenges, many of which will require precision or micro molded plastic parts. The right solution doesn’t appear magically. Designers test concepts, investigate materials, prototype component options and validate performance.

To help designers move through this process, Accumold’s engineers are presenting a technical webcast on the key issues and caveats OEMs should understand in working either internally or with outside vendors on a precision molded solution.

register today!

ARCHIVED WEBCASTS AVAILABLE FOR FREE VIEWING
Click Here for a list of archived Machine Design webcasts.

Industry Update

Fabrico debuts CNC die-cutting video

Fabrico, Kennesaw, Ga., is featuring a video on its website that details its CNC die-cutting and wide-web-laminating capabilities for flexible materials. The CNC die-cutting and wide-web-laminating system efficiently cuts flexible materials with close tolerance cutting and optimal layout for higher output and less scrap. It maintains accuracy with a speed of 966 mm/s over long runs.

Fabrico’s CNC die-cutters accommodate materials -- including foam, rubbers, tape, and paper -- up to 1,400 mm wide and 1 in. thick for 324 in.² of die cutting space with a maximum part size of 25 in. square. In-line stamping and laminating increases lead-time and throughput. Mix-and-match of multiple substrates is also possible.

The company's capabilities are shown in a web video.
For more information, visit Fabrico.

Matheson opens online welding-products store
Matheson, Basking Ridge, N.J., announced the launch of an online store for specialty gas equipment, welding equipment, welding supplies, associated accessories, safety products, and power and construction tools at www.MATHESONDirect.com. The company previously offered online ordering to its customers with existing “house accounts," but the new site enables credit card transactions for old and new customers. The store carries welding products, power tools, and construction tools from over 120 well-known manufacturers such as Lincoln, Miller, Hitachi, Milwaukee, Skil, Bosch, Makita, and Dremel as well as MATHESONSelect.

Customers can search and sort by price, category, manufacturer, and product SKU number. An interactive Regulator Selection Tool lets customers choose options using pull-down menus. Customers can also review specifications before purchase.
Matheson