Looking Back 6/4/2009

June 2, 2009
Machine spits out polymer bearings, Clone your workshop for a friend, Heat-resistant mirror reflects space-age demands

10 YEARS AGO — JUNE 3, 1999

Machine spits out polymer bearings: An assembly machine from Thomson Industries Inc., Port Washington, N.Y., claims to place Type 5, 6, and 7 Nyliner bearings and SnapLok Nyliner polymer bearings at a rate of 30 bearings/min versus three by hand. It also eliminates assembly defects caused by human error. The machine requires 2 sq ft of space, mounts into any X-Y-Z orientation, and can be programmed to index bearings to a specific orientation before insertion. The machine can process any length bearing without changing the machine’s components.

30 YEARS AGO — JUNE 7, 1979

Clone your workshop for a friend: The ultimate tool for the do-it-yourselfer, Super Shop can be used to make another Super Shop. Fox Industries, Bloomington, Minn., designed the tool to produce Foxjet twin-engine aircraft and then decided to offer it on the home-workshop market. The 500-lb, 24 × 69-in. tool stands 42-in. high with the powerhead horizontal and 81-in. tall with the powerhead vertical. In its basic configuration, Super Shop is a 10-in. power saw, 12-in. disc sander, / -in. wood/metal drill press, horizontal wood/metal boring machine, 17 × 34-in. wood lathe, high-speed wood shaper, and a variable-speed stationary router.

50 YEARS AGO — JUNE 11, 1959

Heat-resistant mirror reflects space-age demands: Rapidly changing temperatures and stresses of rocket flight into space won’t change the resolving characteristics of this telescope mirror. The mirror’s novel trusslike body is made of Pyroceram from Corning Glass Works, Corning, N.Y. Pyroceram has practically zero coefficient of thermal expansion from –100 to 150°F, the temperatures the mirror will see during space flights. Pyroceram lets the mirror quickly achieve steady state during drastic temperature changes.

Sponsored Recommendations

June 27, 2025
Ensure workplace safety and compliance with our comprehensive Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Safety Training course. Learn critical procedures to prevent serious injuries.
June 27, 2025
Join our expert webinar to discover essential safety control measures and best practices for engineering a truly safe and compliant industrial environment.
June 25, 2025
An innovative aircraft with electric drives combines the best of both worlds. The cross between drone and helicopter could mean significantly faster and more efficient air emergency...
June 25, 2025
Effective when other materials fail, ceramics are particularly suitable for applications requiring wear and chemical resistance, sliding characteristics or biocompatibility. Discover...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Machine Design, create an account today!