For as long as radar and weapons targeting systems have been used in air, land and sea defense applications, design engineers have used “pods” as a means to protect them. But until recently, sealing these pods meant accepting some tough performance sacrifices. Alternately known as “gimbals” or “turrets,” pods have become common features on modern…
Carr Lane CEO Earl Walker Passes Away at 91
Earl E. Walker, CEO of Carr Lane Mfg. Co., passed away on August 26, 2011. Known for his philanthropic work with numerous schools and charities, as well as his active involvement with the SME Education Foundation and Scottish Rite, Earl Walker worked full time until just a week before his death at age 91. Earl…
Screw Mountings with Special Features
PEM® Types PF7M™ and PF7MF™ captive panel screws introduce two distinct mounting styles for permanent installation into thin sheets. Both types feature small, compact, and low-profile designs for limited access areas. The screws also have the MAThread® anti-cross threading technology that easily corrects off-angle installations, aligns components, and slides through clogged internal threads. Their Phillips…
Modular Mounting System
Mechanically rugged standard mounting accessories handle complex positioning tasks. The fasteners are available in plastic or V4A stainless steel. The aluminum base holder fits nearly any manufacturer-specific mounting extrusion and fully covers the slot. Also featured are knurled support rods, which provide a secure hold even for large, heavy sensors. The system includes a number…
Medical Grade Epoxy Adhesive Withstands High Temperatures and Sterilization
The EP42HT-2ND2MED (Black) adhesive complies with the testing requirements of USP Class VI plastics. This two-component epoxy resists recurrent autoclaving and sterilizations including radiation, steam, ethylene oxide, and chemical sterilants. It electrical insulates and has a volume resistivity over 1012 ohm-cm, a thermal expansion coefficient of 35 to 40 in./in. x 10-6/° C, a dielectric…
2-56 Wire Thread Inserts from Spiralock
For secure locking and reusability with no tangs to remove, Spiralock introduces its new 2-56 Drive Notch™ (DN™) tang-free Wire Thread Insert. The Spiralock 2-56 DN insert represents a tremendous engineering achievement, overcoming the difficulties encountered when forming the wire and coiling to produce such a small size Spiralock insert. Engineers and designers now have…
Injection Molding with Magnesium
Once known as an arduous and sometimes unpredictable process, magnesium injection molding is now an established technology. When the magnesium element is combined with small percentages of aluminum and zinc (AZ91D), and aluminum and manganese (AM60B), the alloy can be used to produce durable, lightweight parts. Products made with magnesium are also environmentally friendly, 100%…
Metric Sized Shafting and Tubing from J.W. Winco
J.W. Winco, Inc. now offers series GN 480.1 Solid Round Shafting and Hollow Round and Square Tubing in metric sizes. Shafting and tubing is used with mini-clamps and related components to build support structures for mounting sensors, plexiglass guards, or other elements. Solid round shafting is offered in stainless steel, in 8 and 10…
When Micro Welding Conductive Materials, it Pays to Go Green
By Geoff Shannon, Laser Technology Manager, and Paul Severloh, Engineer, Miyachi Unitek Reprint Info >> Micro welding of conductive materials such as copper is difficult, but a green laser (532 nm) offers a useful non-contact joining method, which also happens to be well geared for automatic applications. Connecting conductive parts to achieve electrical contact is…
Solving Assembly Challenges in Reduced Footprint Applications
Smaller, lighter, and thinner electronic devices and their inherently restrictive design envelopes present several challenges on the road to their assembly and manufacture. Hardware for component attachment must perform reliably, despite the shrinking and limited footprints for fastener placement and installation. In addition, designers face reduced parts counts for weight savings and production economies. An entirely…