Don't be surprised if you should hear steel industry folks whistling Chubby Checker's familiar tune, "Let's Do the Twist." Twisting appears to be the newest way to improve steel's performance and, perhaps, keep it competitive with materials vying to replace it. In January, this newsletter reported how twisting U-Beam steel achieved weight reduction of 30% without sacrificing strength. Now, Brown University adds its twist. Researchers there developed a simple twisting procedure that doubles a steel's strength without diminishing its ductility. The technique relies on nanoscale structures in twinning-induced plasticity steel — called deformation twins — that get stronger when the material is twisted.

Ball screw support bearings are designed to provide maximum axial rigidity and improved feeding accuracy for use with precison ball screws. Available in inch and metric, open or sealed, singles, pairs, tri-sets and quad-sets. Alpine Bearing carries all major brands including Nachi, Barden, INA, and many more.

Since 1954, Seward Screw Products, Inc. has manufactured high-quality, custom-machined parts and components for a wide variety of industries: architectural hardware, hydraulic valves, HVAC controls. Using single-and-multiple spindle lathe machining, coldforming, rotary transfer machining of bars/blanks, and roll forming of features on blanks, Seward Screw Products can create the precision parts you need.

The ultimate smooth coating — Kashima Coat. Distinctive gold-colored Kashima Coat is a proprietary, hard anodizing process researched and developed by Miyaki. Lubricating molybdenum disulfide is deposited via electrical induction into the billions of micro-pores on the surface of hard-anodized aluminum for better lubrication and less abrasion and wear.

MTC's Gimbal Units, for missiles and other weapon systems, can also incorporate into payloads. MTC Gimbal Units are complex and accurate mechanical assemblies. The classified units are developed and manufactured according to customer specifications.

MTC Gimbal Units are highly resistant under the harshest environmental conditions, due to exceptional raw materials.

Popular because it operates without grease, seals, or shields, this alternative to ball bearings for washdown environments has a new feature that could increase its popularity. The Poly-Round plane bearing insert now has a stainless pin on its outer diameter. This permits installation into bearing housings without a set-screw for anti-rotation.

A low-creep bearing series used widely in fans and pumps has been expanded to accommodate larger motors, with inside diameter sizes to 100 mm. The Creep-free bearings optimize dimensions of the O-ring groove in the outer race and make use of the ring's elastic and repulsive forces. The design doubles the normal resistance to creep.

A German engineering firm applied two software tools, finite element analysis and optimization, to design better wind turbine bearing seals. The software allowed a level of design work not otherwise achievable, including simulating hundreds of variations for gasket geometry and materials. The software narrowed the search by identifying parameters with the most influence on performance.

Material sourcing takes time — often too much time. Directworks developed a solution to streamline communication, resulting in sharing more accurate information and ultimately less costly supplier contracts. Now, the company adds visualization software. The addition improves conversion of CAD files into model data, further enhancing discussions that can lead to easier or cheaper part manufacturing.

QBC offers a large selection of ball bearings, sleeve bearings, linear bearings, pillow blocks, and other linear motion products. We also carry BEGA Special Tools for maintenance of bearings and other power transmission components, including induction heaters, condition monitoring tools, bearing pullers, and much more. Learn more at QBC.

This 30 minute on-demand presentation will cover the why and how of cooling electrical machines. Simulations of tray-loading scenarios will be examined and design recommendations will be discussed. You will learn how to:

• Conduct thermal analysis starting from a CAD model
•Handle the flow and thermal calculations of complex geometries

ASM's full array of electronic hardware, captive screws, assemblies, and specialty fasteners earn top performance ratings from aerospace OEMs, NASA, and the U.S. Military. ASM machines special materials, is AS 9100 certified and DFARS compliant, with a network of Nadcap approved suppliers. Our components meet the most stringent defense specifications. Get our catalog.

Lattice Couplings combines bellows, disc, and beam couplings into a single integrated component. Pivot Bearings are flexure based bearings, utilizing internal flat crossed springs, capsuled in a cylindrical housing, to provide precise rotation with low hysteresis and no frictional losses. Learn more.

Most wood-based insulation materials have drawbacks, like shedding fibers or being less stable than foams. Fraunhofer Institute is giving wood another chance to compete with polymer foams for thermal insulation. It ground wood into fine particles and a slimy mass, then added gas to expand it. The foam can be hardened into rigid boards or flexible mats.

Continuing a fast pace of material introductions for 3D printing, EOS has developed two new powder metals for use in direct metal laser sintering. Following a nickel alloy introduction last fall, EOS now announces titanium and stainless steel powders. Both are biocompatible, so they're suited for additive manufacturing of implants and other medical components.

A new blind rivet bolt from France simplifies locking together two metal sheets or two plastic sheets. Central to the fastener's design is an innovative combination bolt-and-nut in one component. The single piece requires no special installation equipment, and cuts installation time and costs by more than one-third over traditional riveting.

If you find this subject interesting, subscribe to the IHS GlobalSpec newsletter, Fastening, Joining & Assembly...

Screws have changed little over many decades, but a startup company's innovation is stirring things up. It says its Outlaw screw does away with stripped heads, dropped screws, and constant changing of drill bits for each screw size. The fastener's three-tier hexagon design provides 18 contact points — and the highest torque-to-driver ratio.

Do you have a plant full of old paper chart recorders? Do they break down often enough to give you nightmares? Review this application note to learn the advantages of upgrading to humidity and temperature data loggers.

Application examples using the Type RU range from industrial robots to automation. When you install the Type RU in robot joints, it achieves incredibly precise rotary motion, allowing for reliable operation. The Type RU provides smooth and true-to-life turning motion.

Published by SAE International and available from IHS, this specification covers bearings of a tin alloy cast on one or both faces of a steel or bronze backing. It is applicable to bearings, bushings, and sleeves.

For more information on IHS standards, visit us here.

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