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Top Stories
In this newsletter, get the details on the type of thin-section
bearings used in the rovers sent to Mars. Then, if you're a racing fan,
be sure to stay up to date on the technology used by one of the Sprint
Cup teams to keep their cars running fast and smooth. Finally, don't
miss the development of a "micromuscle" for the MEMS competition, a
technology that opens up plenty of options for surgical operations.
The featured video this week is a brief survey of a completely wooden
mechanical clock with a warm sound and a completely pleasing aesthetic.
Definitely not something you'll see every day.
--Kelsey Rubenking
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Bearings for a Martian Scooper
The robotic arm used by the Phoenix Mars Lander to scoop up samples
of Martian soil employs thin-section bearings in its key positioning
joints. This means lower weight, but also more appreciable loads. The
arm can move up and down, side to side, back and forth, and rotational.
This versatility (and the camera mounted above the trowel on its end)
makes it the perfect limb for a roving Martian explorer.
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NASCAR Racers Get Toolholding Help
The Joe Gibbs Racing Team, one of NASCAR's premier Sprint Cup racing
teams, will be relying on high-tech pallets and other workholding
technology from Schunk Inc. The equipment should allow the modification
of race cars such that specific race courses will be easier to handle,
and turnaround times will be shortened.
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Micromuscle Wins Big at MEMS
Competition
The University of Oklahoma won the "Novel Design" category of the
University Alliance Design Competition with a mechanical micromuscle
powered by thermal actuators. A mechanical arm is used to move above, to
the side, and in the plane of its operating chip. This design opens up a
whole new set of options for microsurgical operations.
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Hibou Wooden Mechanical Clock
Mechanized parts get a more natural look with this carved and
polished mechanical clock. The sound is just as pleasant as any other
non-digital clock you might remember (maybe even moreso) and it's a
pretty safe bet that it's more welcome than your morning alarm.
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Corrosion-resistant shaft collars
Line of corrosion-resistant shaft collars now includes 316 stainless
steel, yellow zinc plating, and high-strength-grade aluminum with an
anodized finish.
The 316 stainless-steel collars feature screws in the same material to
prevent corrosion. A high level of resistance to chloride corrosion
makes these collars suitable for marine applications.
The yellow-zinc-plated shaft collars are plated using a RoHS-compliant
trivalent process. The zinc plating makes the products less expensive
than stainless-steel counterparts. These collars have less holding power
than black-oxide-finished carbon-steel versions because of the zinc's
reduced coefficient of friction.
The high-strength-grade aluminum shaft collars with an anodized finish
are lightweight, have low inertia, and withstand the recommended screw
torque to provide the holding power similar to carbon steel. These
collars come with steel screws for higher torque and holding power.
More Information:
Ruland Manufacturing Co.
Inc.
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Misalignment coupling
The Step-Beam misalignment coupling are plastic molded devices that
replace stainless-steel and aluminum metal-beam or bellows counterparts
while providing the same or higher torque ratings, as well as voltage
and RF isolation. The units feature positive metal to metal shaft
clamping, light weight, -20 to 140°C operation, and can directly
replace many ½, ¾, and 1-in.-diameter metal beam
couplings.
More Information:
Rino Mechanical
Components Inc.
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