All bearings are not created equal; this is true even for identical models which can undergo variations in manufacturing and hardening processes, mounting stress, and material and lubrication cleanliness. Rather than testing volumes of units for statistical analysis, engineers use standardized bearing life calculations to better reflect true bearing life expectancy.

Automobile and appliance parts require some type of lubrication to fight excessive heat and wear. Use of topical treatments can cause eventual loss of performance as the lubrication washes away from surfaces. One solution is to specify FKM elastomers with a low friction treatment bonded to the gasket or seal.

Sealing flanges in conditions where two surfaces are less than perfect can be difficult. However, a self-loading gasket material can swell to create a liquid-tight seal. The cost-effective, environmentally safe material withstands loads that would crush elastomer gaskets, and provides a seal in water flanges, compressors, pumps, and gear boxes.

Today's aircrafts use hundred of thousands, if not millions of individual fasteners. This requires applying wet sealant to each fastener before installation, and account for many man-hours. Now, construction time can be reduced using a fastener with a pre-applied Nano-composite skin sealant, lowering labor costs and speeding aircraft delivery.

Spacing and bonding surfaces that normally don't stick present a variety of challenges. But a new concept uses heat to strengthen the mechanical bond even at temperatures up to 400 C. This could lead to high heat fastening adhesives, paints, and coatings for use inside jet turbine engines.

The demand for lighter, stronger metal mechanical components is hampered by current methods used for casting tricky metals like Magnesium Alloy. A new casting technology promises to eliminate the need for pressure or vacuum when filling the die. This simplifies the process and provides a superior strength to weight ratio in complex shapes.

High-speed milling tools generate noise and vibration as the cutting tool moves deeper into the work material. Eventually, intense chatter will break the work piece. Researchers have developed a software-based solution that can calculate optimal cutting speeds and make adjustments on the fly to prevent breakage.

Are you machining today's hardened metals with cutting technology developed decades ago? That requires careful operations to produce results without damaging the tool. However, using advanced cutting tool inserts and improvements in machine tool power, hard-turning of materials is gaining acceptance and enabling easy completion of tough milling tasks.

And now you don't. Is it really possible to create a cloaking device? Well, unfortunately the answer is no, but steps have been taken to produce the beginnings of a cloaking device which works in the lab for only certain wavelengths of microwave light. The device uses the science of metamaterials and concentric circles to accomplish the spooky task.

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