Materials & Fasteners
The PEM family of Atlas Plus Tite blind threaded steel inserts has been expanded with a new version that features a straight shank design. This pre-bulbed insert offers superior pullout resistance when installed permanently in plastics or thin sheet metal. All types provide reliable and reusable threads for blind attachment applications, including tubing and extrusions, where only one side is accessible for fastener installation and component assembly. A single mating...
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3M has established a specialist Automotive Acoustics Group in Europe. Already active in NVH and structural adhesives, the Group will focus on balancing manufacturers’ weight reduction and acoustics requirements, and developing advanced materials and products for specific projects. As a result, 3M will allocate additional resources to its European acoustics laboratories and will expand its European engineering, testing and manufacturing capabilities. ...
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Quadrant introduces machinable polyimides and modified PEEK grades (19/07/2010)
Quadrant is expanding design and performance possibilities for machined parts in high temperature applications with the launch of Duratron D7000 PI polyimides and modified PEEK Semitron MP370. Duratron D7000 PI and new bearing grade Duratron D7015G PI are high performance polyimide materials that bring the benefits of polymer materials to applications operating in the region of 315degC. While polyimide has been widely used in...
British engineering firm supplies the New York subway (16/07/2010)
A Black Country engineering firm has joined forces with a contemporary in the USA to work on a tooling and component project for the New York subway system. Midland Tool and Design (MTD) is collaborating with the California-based company to provide stampings for a flywheel that will convert and reuse the energy generated in braking on the subway network. MTD has been producing laminations and related tooling for 40 years, and says it was apprached by the US company for the...
Winners of the Bosch Technology Horizons Award are announced (14/07/2010)
The 2010 winners of The Bosch Technology Horizons Award have been announced at an event held at the Royal Academy of Engineering in London. This essay writing competition, which is open to all young people aged 14 to 24, is now in its fifth year and aims to raise the profile of engineering and technology amongst young people. For the latest competition, entrants were asked to write a short essay in answer to the following question:
Student designs talking trolley to help elderly (14/07/2010)
A product design student has made a talking gadget for supermarket trolleys to help the millions of elderly and visually impaired people who find shopping difficult. Ben Charles, 22, designed the wireless device for his final project, University of Portsmouth BSc in Computer Aided Product Design course. He has graduated with a First Class degree today (July 14). The device is attached to the trolley’s handle and when a shopper...
Student designs talking trolley to help elderly (14/07/2010)
A product design student has made a talking gadget for supermarket trolleys to help the millions of elderly and visually impaired people who find shopping difficult. Ben Charles, 22, designed the wireless device for his final project, University of Portsmouth BSc in Computer Aided Product Design course. He has graduated with a First Class degree today (July 14). The device is attached to the trolley’s handle and when a shopper...
Coming to terms with a load of old rubbish (12/07/2010)
Some eighteen months ago I reported in this column on the growing menace of space junk – the vast quantities of debris in orbit around the earth, from microscopic particle to full-size redundant satellite. The issue came strongly into focus following the first widely reported incident in January 2009 of the collision between the US commercial...
Precision fluid dispensing workstation for medical device assembly (12/07/2010)
Medical device assembly is a demanding task that requires very precise control of every step in the process, including the way adhesives, RTV silicones, epoxies and other fluids are applied to join, seal and fill components. Applying the correct amount of adhesive or other fluid to join or seal medical devices can be tricky, particularly if done manually. EFD’s new precision fluid dispensing system, Ultimus V, eliminates variability by removing operator guesswork...
Shearline plans first commercial magnesium moulding facility of its kind in the UK (12/07/2010)
Ultra lightweight, very strong, complex moulded components are now possible with a new approach to magnesium moulding. Precision manufacturing company Shearline is creating a test rig with the support of the University of Sheffield and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) with Boeing, in order to evaluate the process for its clients, particularly with regard to new alloys for the aerospace, automotive and defence sectors. Charles Maltby (pictured), Shearline's technical &...
Non-halogen containing flame retardant grades from BASF (09/07/2010)
BASF is introducing additional grades of flame retardant polyamides (PA) and polybutylene terephthalates (PBT), and launching the new Ultramid FRee and Ultradur FRee product lines. The FRee grades are formulated without halogen-containing flame retardants and, because of their light natural colour, are suitable for manufacturing electrical components in all colour tones. The suffix 'FRee' stands for Flame Retardant and electrical/electronic. Ultramid FRee and Ultradur FRee...