New Features in Solidworks, advanced sustainable products, tropical bobsledding, and more: It’s all happening this week in engineering.
SOLIDWORKS 2019 Sneak Peek – Top Eight Features
SOLIDWORKS World 2018 wrapped up last week, and engineering.com came home with a sneak peek of some of the features you can expect in SOLIDWORKS 2019. These include everything from quality-of-life updates, like being able to group mates by their status, to virtual reality support for the e-Drawing viewer, which will allow users to view models in VR.
Keep in mind that Dassault Systems is not guaranteeing that all features will work exactly as shown, or even that they will make it into the final release (expected this Fall), but they nevertheless offer an exciting look into the future of CAD.
Design for Sustainability: LED Lighting
Up next, we shed light on new developments in the sustainability of light emitting diodes, or LEDs. This article takes a look at several independent consortiums that are working to make LEDs a mature and sustainable technology.
These include Repro-Light, which is developing a lighting fixture that can be reconfigured, repaired, refurbished, recovered and recycled; as well as the Design Lights Consortium, which is working to establish standards for color tuning, networked lights, Power over Ethernet lighting and more.
New Super Wood is Strong as Titanium
Speaking of sustainability, Engineers at the University of Maryland, College Park have found a way to make wood more than 10 times stronger and tougher than before, creating a natural substance that is stronger than many titanium alloys. The process involves manipulating the concentration of lignin, which acts as the glue between wood cells.
The team tested the new wood material against natural wood by shooting bullet-like projectiles at it. The projectile blew straight through the natural wood. The fully treated wood stopped the projectile partway through.
I’m hoping this new material finds its way to the automotive market. Bring back the wood-paneled station wagon!
Bobsled Tracks Gravitate Toward Plastic Ice
Speaking of projectiles, the winter Olympics are in full swing this week, and we took a look at one of the season’s most exciting sports: Bobsled.
participation in bobsled competitions has generally been limited to countries with an abundance of ice and snow, but a new material could change that.
Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene is a low-wear, low-friction plastic that mimics the properties of ice when lubricated with a mist of water. Tests on plastic tracks indicated comparable performance to ice with significantly reduced wear.
With the possibility of bobsled tracks in warm, tropical countries, I see an exciting opportunity: the world’s fastest waterslide.
Precision CNC Machining of Medical Implants
And lastly, if you get hurt on that waterslide, you may be in the market for a titanium knee replacement. Our final feature of the week covers the intricacies of machining these complex medical implants. According to Seco Tools, 85 percent of the orthopedic component manufacturing market is dominated by five major suppliers, with more than 200 companies fighting for the remaining 15 percent. This article explores what it takes to compete in the medical machining market.
Let us know what you think in the comments below!