Protolabs experts discuss how software-driven workflows, additive manufacturing and built-in compliance are supporting ...

Hands are remarkable tools, translating thought into action by allowing us to grasp, feel and manipulate objects. They also ...

Closing the casting-to-machining divide reduces scrap, speeds production and lowers costs without compromising quality.

Editor's note: An updated version of this information can be found here. Bearings are used to help reduce friction. Metal-upon-metal contact produces large amounts of friction. The friction adds to ...

What Are FEM, FDM and FVM? FEM, FDM and FVM differ from one another in important ways. Understanding these distinctions is key to selecting the method most appropriate for your purposes. The ...

Linear guideways with built-in encoders are transforming precision motion systems by combining guidance and feedback in one ...

For motor applications, engineers have several options at their disposal. Typically, engineers can choose between direct-current (DC) or alternating-current (AC) motors. Machine Design has covered the ...

Gears might be “old” technology, but they are still considered the most rugged type of mechanical drives. They transmit power with efficiencies of up to 98% and have long operational lives. That’s why ...

The development and practical application of electroplated zinc-nickel alloy coatings began during the 1980s, and its acceptance and use have grown slowly but consistently ever since. So Zn-Ni ...

There are two commonly used ways to fasten wheels to a hub: lug-centric and hub-centric. In hub-centric designs (see figure below), the wheel fits snugly against the hub which provides support along ...

This article was updated April 12, 2023. It was originally published Feb. 3, 2016. Blind rivets, also called pop rivets, are commonly used to hold components together more efficiently and reliably ...

In 2011, a handful European businessmen came up with the idea of starting a racing series modeled loosely on Formula 1 but for electric cars. By 2014, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, or ...