We have developed two types of shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator and estimated the long-term reliability of SMA microcoils. A tube type tip articulator consists of 4 sets of SMA microcoil (wire diameter: 0.125 mm, coil diameter: 0.5 mm) for driving source and super elastic alloy (SEA) microcoils (wire diameter: 0.1 mm, coil diameter: 0.5 mm) for bias springs, support plates and flexible outer t...

Greenville Tube Company (GT), a manufacturer of high-precision, small-diameter stainless steel tubing, conducted an in-house system performance optimization project to improve the efficiency of its No. 6 tube drawing bench. This tube drawing bench plays an integral role in the production process, but severely hindered the productivity and energy efficiency of the facility. GT’s plant engineer, ...

In ultrasonic tube hydroforming, the tube is hydro formed while the ultrasonic vibration is applied to the die. Prior studies provide experimental proof that ultrasonic tube hydroforming reduces corner radius, improves lubrication and uniform thickness. Use of ultrasonic vibration can decrease friction at the tube-die interface. Few attempts have been made to analyze the wire drawing while the ...

A flexible distal tip with two degrees of freedom has been developed for endoscopic robot surgery. The flexible tip consists of a superelastic NiTi tube which can be bent from -90o to +90o in 2 directions by means of 4 cables. The improvement over previous devices is the combination of two degrees of freedom with a small diameter of only 5 mm. An additional advantage is the tool channel which e...

The need for energy efficient, low cost, and reduced material solutions are encouraging HVAC&R engineers to explore new heat exchanger designs, including those using small diameter tubes and tubes with internal enhancements. Such developments thus require review and consideration for new and/or improved heat exchanger manufacturing techniques. Experimental and analytical study of a pressure exp...

Dear Editor, A 57-year-old man presented for suspension microlaryngoscopy and biopsy of a laryngeal lesion that was mildly obstructive. After induction of general anaesthesia, a standard midline approach of glideScope laryngoscopy provided good laryngeal exposure. A junior anaesthesiologist made a failed attempt to introduce a 5.0-mm internal diameter cuffed microlaryngeal tracheal (MlT) tube w...

Since the original publications by Martini et al. (Dtsch. Arch. Klin. Med. 169: 212-222, 1930) and Fahraeus and Lindqvist (Am. J. Physiol. 96: 562-568, 1931), it has been known that the relative apparent viscosity of blood in tube flow depends on tube diameter. Quantitative descriptions of this effect and of the dependence of blood viscosity on hematocrit in the different diameter tubes are req...

Abstract We have undertaken low-temperature conduction measurements on arc-discharge synthesized, semiconducting multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT). The diameters of these are in the range 2.5–10 nm, corresponding to sizes just above single-walled (SWNT), up middle-sized MWNTs. energy gap, inversely related diameter, varies strongly this range, and consequently there is a strong dependence tra...