Engineers in some circles have questioned the life expectancy of shape memory alloys (SMAs), which undergo a solid-state phase change when cooled and return to their original shape when heated. The flap over it may be unjustified. After seeing an article on SMAs in the 04.21.03 issue of Design News, astute reader Victor Rossi brought to our attention a demonstration that's been operating in the lobby of Dynalloy, a manufacturer of Flexinol® SMAs, since 1985. The butterfly, an early prototype of ones sold in stores, has been flapping its SMA-powered wings 6 million times a year for 18 years. Dynalloy President and Founder Wayne Brown says that the company is so confident of Flexinol's performance that it offers a one-year warranty on the butterfly, no questions asked. Of the 50,000 butterflies purchased each year, customers return only about 1%. "We perform a kind of equivalent of an Alien Autopsy to determine what went wrong, and even send the owner an official autopsy report," he says. "The SMA is never the culprit. It's almost always a circuit failure, or the dog ate it."
By refining topologies and using new fluid technology, Moog's new peak sine drive controller increases available power without increasing controller volume.
Lantronix Inc. has expanded its line of controllers for sensor networks with the release of a rugged controller that improves management of automation systems used in a number of industries, including manufacturing, oil and gas, and chemicals.
Inspired by the hooks a parasitic worm uses to penetrate its host's intestines, the Karp Lab has invented a flexible adhesive patch covered with microneedles that adheres well to wet, soft tissues, but doesn't cause damage when removed.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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