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Clean and Neat
For a long time, rubber or plastic plugs were typically used to protect ABS and ESP systems from in-process contamination before final assembly. This was a complex proposition. For automotive supplier Bosch, Schreiner ProTech developed a more efficient solution using a special, protective film...
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PCB Connectors
A for standard edge connectors and about 1 A for the smaller Eurocard contacts. Connectors can also be polarized through insertion of metal or plastic keys which fit into notches cut into the circuit board. Circuit-board connectors have a variety of contact styles, which determine the number...
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Advanced adhesives foster hybrid structures
Low-energy-substrate adhesives pave the way for metal-plastic structures. The front-end carrier on Volkswagen's new Polo features steel reinforcement bonded to a plastic framework with Betamate lowenergy-substrate adhesive from Dow Automotive. The resulting structure reduces weight by 25% compared...
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Berke on Safety: How to Mistreat a Hair Dryer
quot;You could drop it into water." "You could drop it on the floor and crack the plastic housing." "The plastic housing can overheat." "The hot air makes your hair frizzy." "Ha! The hot air can burn your skin, too." These were some of the ideas brainstormed in my last column (Machine Design, Apr...
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Hydraulic fluids change with the times
degradation in high-temperature equipment, such as plastic injection-molding machines. Others need to resist fire, biodegrade, or operate in wet conditions, requiring different formulations. Not all additive packages or combinations provide equal performance, so it is important to understand how...
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Easy mowing
, when backing up a zero-turn tractor, if the steering wheel turns to the left, the front of the machine follows, but not the rear. A reverse logic system automatically switches the steering to react as operators expect. Plastic rear fenders replace sheet metal for better durability during those...
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Maintaining Connector Reliability in Critical Applications
, such as PEEK and PPS ielectric plastic materials, molded parts and base metals is critical to maintaining nnector reliability. ITT utilizes contacts made of beryllium copper with gold or ickel plating, while their connectors with metal housings use either aluminum or c diecast. These are just some...
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Teaching With Toys
in action This half-scale plastic model might not power your motor scooter, but it won't drip oil on the carpet either. The kit includes over 150 parts that go together to build a 13-in.-tall replica of a Twin Cam 88. It includes clear external parts that give a view of key internals. And those internal...
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Micromini ceramics sport supersized properties
, and distribution. Under carefully monitored conditions, powders are blended with proprietary binders and additives, giving the mixture the fluidity to consistently fill finely detailed molds similar to those in traditional plastic-injection molding. Production CIM tooling, however, must be made from hardened...
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The saber saw as a tool for automobile maintenance
if, indeed, he could locate one at all. It became obvious that the only solution had to be a drastic one. Resorting to my electric saber saw, I cut through the molding to get to the retractor. Then I found it was in a plastic housing with no apparent means of disassembly. So I continued cutting...