Winning Engineering Students Look Forward to Careers in Manufacturing

Our 2nd annual Ring-A-Majig contest ended with a team of four engineering students from East Carolina University taking the top prize. Their winning entry, a model railroad hand cart, featured a design that incorporated several retaining rings as the fastening method, as well as a wave spring used to activate the braking system.

Members of the winning team included Erik Panarusky, Sam Poindexter, John Rayner and Zachery Rogers. Professor Ranjeet Agarawala served as the team’s advisor.

Winning Design: Model railroad cart is held together by retaining
rings and features a wave spring as part of the braking system.

In addition to a cash award, the students received an all-expense paid trip to Rotor Clip to tour our manufacturing facility and to attend the Atlantic Design and Manufacturing Show in New York, where they exhibited their winning design.

The pulse of manufacturing is quickening and our winning students are part of the excitement that has been building around manufacturing as a career. They look forward to working in companies that utilize the latest technology and practices to produce tomorrow’s breakthrough products.

“Manufacturing plays such a vital role in the world today, and having knowledge and training of up to date processes, automation, seems to be extremely important,” noted Eric Panarusky. John Rayner characterized manufacturing as a “viable career option for a young person.”

“With the advances in manufacturing technologies, 3D printing and robotics specifically,” he continued, “now is as good a time as any for a young person to be getting into manufacturing.”

The students also weighed in on their tour of Rotor Clip, which was for most the first time they had ever been in a manufacturing facility. Zachery Rogers was impressed with the smooth process flow of the factory “…from prepping raw materials to be stamped or coiled with machines, to the packaging of the clips using the plastic wraps (shrink wrap), or the wires (Rings On Wire).”

Eric Panarusky noted the advantage to actually seeing a factory in action versus learning about it in a classroom.

“It can be hard to grasp the scale and interactivity of design and manufacturing until you see it in person,” he said. “I felt the tour was most beneficial in the way of showing how each individual person and machine played a vital role in the entire operation.”

“Seeing this company producing as much product as they’re producing in house was awesome,” added Sam Poindexter. “Looking into the process of how everything is done at the company really gets me interested.”

The trade show was also a first for our students and they were happy to take part in it.

“The trade show was a fantastic opportunity to see current and future advances in manufacturing technologies,” said John Rayner. “Some of the things companies are working on are simply amazing and young people are at the forefront.”

Eric Panarusky was impressed by the diverse companies at the show and the range of products they exhibited.

“It made the workforce I'm hopefully about to enter seem less daunting,” he said, “especially because it made the job market and specific areas of work appear very, very, broad.”

The experience gave Zachery Rogers a basic understanding of what companies are looking for and how they showcase their services. “(It) has helped me understand how companies interact with one another,” he concluded.

We have been heartened and encouraged by the response to our contest, both by the quality of the work submitted and by the promise it holds for the future of manufacturing in our country. We wish our winners luck in their job endeavors and look forward to seeing what creative designs students submit for our 2018 contest.

Joe Cappello is Director of Global Marketing for Rotor Clip Company.

Spray On Memory-An Aerosol Can Filled With Ones & Zeros

Researchers at Duke University created a new “spray on” digital memory device. Although far from being used commercially, the proven concept shows the potential this amazing break through in technology may have on our future.

The “spray” is made of silica-coated copper nanowires encased in a polymer matrix, which can be dissolved in methanol, creating a liquid that can be sprayed through the nozzle of a printer onto a surface. Yes, there is a 3D printer that is used like an aerosol can.

Duke researchers 3D printed a series of gold electrodes onto a glass slide. Then printed, or “sprayed”, the copper-nanowire memory material over the gold electrodes, and lastly printed a second series of cooper electrodes.

To demonstrate, the researchers connected the 3D printed device to 4-programmed LEDs, which became illuminated in various combinations depending on the program.

Where would this spray on material be used? Researchers are looking at Radio-frequency identification tags (RFID), most notably used in tracking inventory. RFID tags electronically store information and when scanned provide limited information, i.e., the product was stored here, picked up at this time, and delivered at this time. With spray on memory, a consumer can see the inventory information, along with the temperature the product was stored in and for how long, or how the product was handled, which would be great for medications, or a perfectly preserved bottle of wine.

Or for golf enthusiasts, imagine having this printed onto your personal golf balls or clubs to track speed, elevation, distance, wind resistance, or to find your ball when you slice it into the woods.

What’s more, the spray-on memory can be re-written with no limits. While conventional memory devices might last only a few years, the spray-on memory has the ability to store data for a decade without degradation.

The current storage space of the spray-on memory is equal to a 4 bit flash drive. That is essentially the computer power of using your TV remote or programming a coffee maker. However, still in its infancy, the spray-on memory technology will only develop to become better and more efficient.

Vincent Rodgers is a Marketing Communications Specialist for Rotor Clip Company. 

NASA Chooses Finalists For Deep Space Exploration Habitat

Hot off last year's successful results, NASA's public-private joint program, Next-STEP has just announced its newest aim to enlist private manufacturing for deep space exploration.

Next-STEP 2 will feature a competitive contract model for six companies chosen by NASA: Bigelow Aerospace LLC, Lockheed Martin, Sierra Nevada Corp, Orbital ATK, NanoRacks, and Boeing. These companies will provide prototypes from a shared grant of $65 million provided by NASA, along with up to 30 percent of their own money to added developmental costs.

Deep Space Habitat Prototype

Whereas the previous objective of 2015's Next-STEP included "commercial capabilities in low-orbit" (basically, airliners in space), this year's criteria focuses fully on developing a habitat environment for humans to survive the long time and conditions of deep space travel. The resulting technology could significantly advance NASA's well-publicized goal of astronauts reaching Mars by 2040. From NASA's press release detailing the endeavor:

"The ground prototypes will be used for three primary purposes: supporting integrated systems testing, human factors and operations testing, and to help define overall system functionality, These are important activities, as they help define the design standards, common interfaces and requirements while reducing risks for the final flight systems that will come after this phase."

 In essence, all six companies will have to find innovative ways to develop new designs of deep space habitats that will be subject to rigorous testing and risk assessment. Afterwards, NASA will almost certainly tweak whatever final prototype they choose, which will serve as the basis for the next generation of an increasingly interesting landscape of deep space exploration.


Donal Thoms-Cappello is a freelance writer for Rotor Clip Company.

"UFO" Houseboat Brings the Tiny House Concept To The Ocean

Off-the-grid lifestyles seem to be all the rage these days, and the tiny home trend is a an excellent reflection of this. Having a small, sustainable habitat has become more and more enticing to younger generations looking for cheaper alternatives to traditional homes, even if it means a bigger price tag up front. Italian-based company Jet Capsule , however, has taken this movement to a whole new level.

Sea level, that is.

The company, which manufactures yachts, has designed plans for a pod-like concept home that floats in the ocean. This "Unidentified Floating Object" will not only include 322 square feet of livable area, but also an off-the-grid energy apparatus including onboard solar panels and wind turbine as well. The fiberglass pod would include a fresh water generator, a vegetable garden on its outer rim, and an economic, slide-out kitchen. While it can cruise on its hydrojet propellers at a rate of 4 miles per hour, the pod's elastic anchor system ensures it won't capsize in stormy weather, provided it's docked in shallow water.

Jet Capsule's Floating Pod design
includes panoramic viewing of
underwater sea life.

One could see an issue if a vessel that moves this slowly had to gamble long distances with the risk of an approaching storm. Nevertheless, while it may not be an impervious home, many interests of the future dovetail with this design. The prospect of living off the grid, with the opportunity to travel to exotic locations, can appeal to all generations, whether green-minded or in retirement mode. And while the prototype Jet Capsule is promising currently demands a total of $800,000, the owners project the model could cost as low as $200,000.

More than a standard yacht, but less than your average home.

Donal Thoms-Cappello is a freelance writer for Rotor Clip Company.

Wazer Desktop Waterjet Cutter Debuts at TechCrunch

At the recent TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield event, San Francisco-based Wazer debuted something that could very well revolutionize the small business world: a desktop waterjet cutter.

Wazer sets its desktop cutter at $6,000 for small business budgets

What was once considered appropriate for hobbyists now takes a different meaning in the context of the maker, DIY movement. The machine has a 12" x 18" bed and can even have its noisiest component (the pump) stored in a separate room. These features make it ideal for small businesses who, while they may have low volume orders compared to franchises, still need to produce original products faster than the speed of hands.

The major advantage of Wazer's product is the surprising effectiveness water and sand has compared to other laser and plasma technology in cutting. The machine issues a stream of water and garnet at a pressure somewhat less than industry standard but at different speeds, depending on the choice of raw material. While Wazer's cutter sacrifices a tiny bit of precision, it can make accurate cuts through one inch of almost any material provided. Steel is no issue, but even paper can be carved in creative methods without dissolving. In addition, the variety of possible materials even gives Wazer's product an edge over current 3D printing methods for start-ups looking to create prototypes. As Wazer CEO and co-founder Nisan Lerea says to TechCrunch:

"The problem with 3D printing,” says Lerea, “is that you’re making something out of relatively fragile plastic. With water jet technology, you can create prototypes out of the materials that will be used in the final products. If you need limited production runs, you can even do small-batch manufacturing with this machine, which doesn’t work with most 3D printing technologies.”  

 Although the owners- who began this project as an academic experiment at Penn Engineering- do not believe water cutting will reach beyond niche markets. they have a very clear vision as to who those markets will be. “One of our test users is a jewelry maker who creates beautiful pieces out of coins,” Lerea continues. "Each piece she makes costs $5-600. The problem is that it takes her forever to make each piece. We can help her make more jewelry with better consistency, faster.”

Wazer's Kickstarter goal of $100,000 is all but in the bag, and as it centers on a resource more and more finite in a world of droughts and environmental instability, it would be interesting to see if the company ever considers plans to integrate resuseable water in its models.

Donal Thoms-Cappello is a freelance writer for Rotor Clip Company.

2016 LAGI Designs For Desalination And Clean Energy Winners

First place at the 2016 went to the Regatta H2O

The 2016 Land Art Generator Initiative entries are no less than breathtaking. The competition, intended every two years since 2008 as a way to blend public art with sustainable energy in architecture and design, centered this year's theme around clean water. The subsequent concept works from all over the world are now officially open to the public at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica, California until November 1st, and the competition's panel has just announced its winners.

The purpose of the exhibits were not only to celebrate innovative aesthetic designs, but also to explore possible futures for infrastructure that can harvest clean energy while integrating into existing societies in ways that please the eye. As recent history has proven, local communities that don't want their landscapes altered have proven a necessary constituent for clean energy advocates to win over.
Having this year's initiative in Los Angeles- a city wracked by years of drought- made it a perfect opportunity to search for ideas built around water infrastructure. The designs were shown throughout the previous months at the iconic Santa Monica Pier. Highlights included a "Giant Orb" design by a Korean group of artists/architects that not only provided its own energy to stay buoyant, but also uses solar powered panels to generate drinkable water as well, producing an annual amount of 600,000 gallons.

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Second place was a US-based effort, created by University of Oregon. The ingenious design, inspired by whales in shape and utilizing high end reverse osmosis, (a process that is perfect for a marine location) can generate over 4300 megawatts of electricity and 172 million gallons of drinking water. Engineers in Pittsburgh took third place with "Paper Boat" . A network of iconic paper coat shapes that mask an underwater apparatus, where coral and kelp, encouraged by electrical currents from on-board solar cells, will grow and provide more habitats for diverse marine life.First place was taken by Tokyo-based Chrostopher Sjoberg and Ryo Salto, and is called the Regatta H2O. The concept involves aesthetically beautiful sails that collect and store wind energy, while also producing fresh water through fog harvesting. The project is estimated to create over 30 million gallons of water per year for local Angelinos.

The "Paper Boat" entry featured giant paper boats
 that cultivated underwater habitats for local marine life

Perhaps the boldest entry, was "The Pipe", designed and manufactured by Canadian-based Khalili Engineers. The Pipe features a solar-powered, electromagnetic desalination system that is capable of generating over 1.5 billion gallons of drinkable water each year. That kind of volume could make a real and immediate difference in local Angelinos who grow more and more each year, putting ever-mounting pressure on a city losing fresh water options with each dry summer that passes. It may not have placed, but The Pipe is the kind of grand thinking more experts in all industries and arts should explore in for the challenges of the next century.


Donal Thoms-Cappello is a freelance writer for Rotor Clip Company.

"Still Made in America...." Rotor Clip E-Book Now Available

US manufacturing companies that have survived the last few decades have a story to tell. Rotor Clip is no exception, which is why we are proud to offer our e-book, “Still Made in America…The Story of Robert Slass and his Contributionto US Manufacturing.”

It’s not a self-congratulatory book, though we have always taken great pride in what we do. Rather, it is a look at how Bob Slass, our founder, met the many challenges he faced while transforming Rotor Clip from its modest beginnings in 1957 to the global leader it has become in the 21^st century. As we all know, manufacturing changed dramatically in our country in the past as foreign concerns lured many companies and jobs away from the US with the promise of cheap wages and low overhead costs.

Rotor Clip E-Book Now Available

But, despite these factors, Bob Slass acted in the true spirit of American entrepreneurism in this country, working hard to restructure his company and embracing the latest technology to counter the adverse economic trends that drove many manufacturing companies out of business.

I was young and disillusioned when I walked into Bob Slass’ office in 1982. I had previously worked at companies that seemed mediocre and complacent, unwilling to recognize how things were changing in our country and what to do to counter them. Bob on the other hand was on top of it, enthusiastic and optimistic, challenging me and all those who worked for him not to sit still for what many saw as the demise of manufacturing in America.

Even when our competition was purchased by a large international company in the 1980’s, he never faltered, never once lost sight of his vision for Rotor Clip and what we could and did become.

That’s the spirit we wanted to convey in our book and that’s the story we want to tell.

I invite you to download a copy of our book by clicking on this link. Then forward it to anyone you think would want to celebrate a US manufacturing company that has not only survived, but thrived as an example of American commitment to hard work, dedication and entrepreneurism.

Joe Cappello is Director of Global Marketing for Rotor Clip Company.