In this issue of Fastening & Joining there are articles on torque for fastening and unfastening, a compact nailer that speeds installation, and design considerations for joining in design and assembly.

The highlighted products are bridge connections, vacuum grippers, and pneumatic grippers.

Be sure to check out the Industry Update to find out about free seminars on fastening.

Thanks for reading and have a Happy Holiday!

Torque for fastening and unfastening
The 2135Ti-2 Impactool impact wrench from Ingersoll Rand, Montvale, N.J. (ingersollrand.com), weighs 3.95 lb but puts out 1,100 lb-ft of nut-busting torque, giving it the highest power-to-weight ratio of any similar hand tool. It can deliver 1,250 blows/min or spin at up to 9,800 rpm (free speed). Users can choose between four torque levels.
Full Article

Surface mount R’ANGLE® fasteners PEM® ReelFast® surface mount R’ANGLE® fasteners (Type SMTRA™) offer an efficient andreliable method to create permanent right-angle attachment points on printed circuit boards. These patented threaded fasteners mount to the edge or interior of PC boards in the same manner and at the same time as other surface mount components prior to the solder reflow process. www.pemnet.com

Compact nailer speeds connector installation
Within the past few years, mother nature has wreaked havoc around the globe. The resulting massive structural damage has pushed engineers to develop stronger and more efficient building materials and, has also brought about stiffer building codes. Last year, Stanley Bostitch, East Greenwhich, Rhode Island, brought out Hurriquake nails for areas prone to both hurricanes and earthquakes. The metal connectors have become the industry standard virtually overnight. This year, the firm has developed the Strapshopt 2½ in. metal connector nailer, to help contractors speed up installation.
Full Article

Joining Design and Assembly: Design Considerations
When the chosen joining method involves the use of fasteners, the choice of fastener can be as important to joint integrity as the joint design itself. Seemingly slight differences in the material used to make fasteners can greatly affect their performance. Whether the fasteners used are threaded or nonthreaded, and especially when special types of fasteners are required, materials, finishes, and coatings should not be overlooked. They should be selected according to the joint requirements, just as the type of fastener is chosen.
Full Article

Bridge connections
A bridge connection is now available for the UtiliTrak product line. The UtiliTrak lets two systems run in parallel. The system compensates for mounting errors and does not require absolute parallelism for accurate operation. The Vee side serves as the motion guide and the roller side allows for parallel misalignment. The connections come in aluminum and steel. The aluminum version has industry-standard profile extrusions with T-slots for easy mounting, and the steel version comes in a variety of widths tailored to customer specs.
More Information:
Bishop-Wisecarver Corp.

Adhesive Has Exceptionally High Thermal Conductivity Master Bond EP21AN is a two part epoxy resin system with a thermal conductivity in excess of 22Btu•inch/ft2•hr•°F. It is an outstanding electrical insulator with a dielectric strength of >400 volts/mil and a volume resistivity greater than 1013 ohm cm. This easy to use adhesive has been formulated with a non-critical one to one mix ratio by weight or volume. It cures readily at ambient temperatures. Its coefficient of thermal expansion is a desirable 18-20 x 10-6 in/in/°C. www.masterbond.com

Vacuum gripper system
The VGS 3010 Vacuum Gripper System features a suction cup and vacuum generator in one unit, and is designed to increase material-handling reliability at higher speeds. The unit features Coax technology, which integrates the internal components of a multistage vacuum pump into a small, efficient, and reliable vacuum cartridge. Dualhardness Duraflex suction cups on the VGS provide the strength and flexibility to seal uneven or course surfaces, and are suited for applications prone to microleakage, such as handling corrugated cardboard. The decentralized design lets users generate vacuum directly at the point of suction, which reduces energy consumption and prevents pressure-loss problems inherent to traditional vacuum systems with a central vacuum pump. The product’s flexible design also eliminates the need for multiple end effectors when handling different shapes and sizes, which makes for quick and easy changeover and less downtime.
More Information
Piab USA

High-force pneumatic grippers
The GPL Series of parallel pneumatic grippers increases payload capability of automation systems by reducing gripper weight. Because grippers are part of the payload robot or fixed automation system, a gripper’s mass is critical to system cost and efficiency. The new grippers reportedly offer the highest force-to-mass ratio through careful design and the use of aluminum alloys with custom tempering and heat treatment to reduce mass. In most cases, the new materials exceed the durability of classic materials in life tests. The design uses fewer steel fasteners than found in conventional grippers.
More Information
Zaytran

Experience National Instruments Technologies From the Comfort of Your Own Computer!
With more than 200 on-demand webcasts, videos, interactive tutorials and demos available for users of any experience level, it is easier than ever to learn about the newest products and features available from National Instruments.
Begin your search here with a collection of webcasts specifically chosen for design and automation engineers.

Subscribe to our RSS feeds Machine Design headlines Motion System Design headlines Hydraulics & Pneumatics headlines Medical Design headlines

Sponsored by:

UPCOMING WEBCASTS

Discovering Direct Digital Manufacturing: Impact and Opportunity
Sponsored by RedEye RPM
DATE: December 12, 2007
TIME: 2:00pm ET

Designers face difficult design challenges every day and each issue has different technological options for a solution, but no one technology works every where, every time. RedEye RPM, a business unit of Stratasys, Inc. has invited Todd Grimm, a well known rapid prototyping consultant, to discuss different technologies, leading to a closer look at where DDM (Direct Digital Manufacturing) technology works and why. The presentation will cut through the confusion to provide designers and manufacturing engineers the data they need to move in the right direction for their projects.

Click here to register!

Introduction to Direct Gear Design
Sponsored by AKGears
DATE: January 16th, 2008
TIME: 2:00pm ET

Invention of the gear hobbing process about 150 years ago revolutionized not only gear fabrication, but also gear design. The cutting edge of the hob presents the generating gear rack. The standard universal gear design approach provides gear interchangeability and reduces tooling inventory, however, it also constrains performance for particular gear applications.

This webcast presents the Direct Gear Design method — an alternative approach to traditional analysis and design of involute gears, which separates gear geometry definition from the generating rack and tool selection to maximize gear transmission performance for a particular product and application.

ARCHIVED WEBCASTS AVAILABLE FOR FREE VIEWING

Free fastener training
Atlantic Fasteners has added two free seminars to their online educational series. The new seminars teach shortcuts for conversion from inch to metric systems and are based on the first seminar in the series, "Bolting Basics." This review describes how nuts and bolts are manufactured, compares advantages and disadvantages of They help OEMs pair the proper nuts and bolts to handle load and shear levels. Both seminars are based on the first in the series on "Bolting Basics." Demonstrations and close-ups of fastener samples help make the technical concepts easier to understand. Each seminar is about 30 minutes long.
More Information

Guden Offers Online Gas Spring Knowledge Base
H. A. Guden Co., Inc. announces the publishing of an online knowledge base to aid engineers in the selection of gas springs and dampers. The documentation includes Product Descriptions, Technical Guide, FAQ's, Design Forms, CAD files, Pricing, and Warranty Information.
www.guden.com

Bosch Rexroth
High Performance Linear Motion for High Performance Engineers. Design your machine faster with 3D Solid Models in almost any format.
www.boschrexroth-us.com

When it comes to components, we own precision.
Vlier components are high quality, low cost and in stock. Our High-Value Leveling Devices are Stud and Socket styles, Zinc/Gold Chromate and Stainless and Nickel options. Vlier-Lock Ball Lock Pins have T- and Button-handle configurations. For a complete catalog contact us at Vlier.com, or call 1-800-821-1090

DIGI-KEY CORPORATION
Search over 1,000,000 electronic components from more than 400 leading manufacturers, complete with stock status and real-time pricing.
Go to the Digi-Key PartFinder. Send me a Digi-Key Catalog!

Thank you for reading the Fastening & Joining Monthly Newsletter from Machine Design.
This email was sent to %%$email%%. You've received this e-newsletter for one of two reasons:
1) You signed up for it on one of our web sites.
2) You are a reader of Machine Design magazine.

Manage Your Subscription
To quickly unsubscribe from this newsletter, click here Unsubscribe
To subscribe or unsubscribe, to this or any of our newsletters, visit our subscription page.
To CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, visit our subscription page, login with your old email address, then change your address.

Contact Information
Editorial questions:   Julie Kalista 216-931-9458
Advertising/sponsorship opportunities:   Virginia Goulding 216-931-9893

Machine Design
1300 E. 9th St.
Cleveland, OH 44114

©2007 Penton Media, Inc. All rights reserved.