Minarik and Assembléon partner on U.S. installation
The nine-year partnership between Minarik Drives, South Beloit, Ill., and Assembléon, Alpharetta, Ga., moves forward with the first U.S. installation of the new MC-1 SMT (surface mount technology) pick and place equipment....
Polymers hold promise for self-reporting mechanical stress
Force-sensitive polymers being developed by researchers at the University of Illinois (U. of I.) could one day lead to materials that speak for themselves...
Carpet sample machine uses Powerlink for motion control
Modra Technology, a manufacturer of carpet sample machines based in Warragul, Australia, has chosen to base the motion control system for its innovative Mtuft range of machines on Powerlink technology from Baldor Electric Co., Fort Smith, Ark....
Segway inventor Dean Kamen to speak at fall PTDA meeting
Inventor, entrepreneur, and advocate for science and technology Dean Kamen will be the opening keynote speaker for the co-located PTDA 2009 Industry Summit and FPDA 2009 Network Symposium. ...
Vision system downsizes defects for parts supplier
Defective parts are extremely unwelcome in the automotive world, and nobody knows this better than parts suppliers such as The Meister Group, a Belgian industrial outfit that largely caters to the automobile market. ...
Actuator saves space in sorting application
Manufacturing and packaging facilities may move and sort tons of bulk on conveyors, but the sorters, diverters, and pull-offs that route products to their next destination must be as trim as possible to make the most of valuable floor space....
Stimulus plan boosts science, technology
Washington’s new $787.2 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is packed with incentives for scientists and engineers, including substantial financing for developing clean energy, modernizing roads, bridges, and transit systems, and most importantly, transforming our economy with science and technology...
Efficient solar cells on the horizon
Boosting the energy efficiency of solar cells is key to making solar energy a realistic and affordable energy source...
Slip clutch keeps camera on track
To provide a better view of the action on high school and college football fields, Endzone Video Systems (EVS), Sealy, Tex., developed a portable tower system that lifts a video camera 25 to 35 ft. above the action. ...
ASME president emphasizes continuing education
Mechanical engineers take note: To future-proof your career, lifelong learning will be of the utmost importance....
Teaching robots to walk on sand
Today's advanced mobile robots explore complex terrains across the globe and even on Mars, but have difficulty traversing sand and other granular surfaces like dirt, rubble, or slippery piles of leaves...
Magnetic sensor research holds promise
Here’s a Dagwood that is sure to make any engineer’s mouth water. Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have discovered that a carefully built “magnetic sandwich” that combines layers of a magnetic alloy with a few nanometers of silver “spacer” has dramatically enhanced sensitivity — a 400-fold improvement in some cases. ...
Plastics tradeshow heads to Chicago
The NPE2009 International Plastics Showcase will take place June 22 to 26 at Chicago's McCormick Place. ...
Molecular motors
In some of the smallest motion systems in nature, scientists are now identifying how viruses sweep material inward. ...
Collars, couplings on sale
A list of overstock shaft collars and couplings at 40% off is now available at www.collarsandcouplings.com...
Graphene holds promise for nanoelectronics
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered a novel method for controlling the nature of graphene, bringing academia and industry one step closer to realizing the mass production of graphene-based nanoelectronics....
Eye on design: Immersive technology improving
Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed software that improves the accuracy of the tracking devices in its immersive (virtual) research environment by at least 700%...
Fly farther
This image shows the flow around a golf ball traveling at speeds up to 100 mph. The computations are among the largest direct numerical simulations of complex flows ever performed, involving billions of grid points. ...
Safety first: Nanotechnology
As nanotechnology continues to make its way into virtually every aspect of global industry and society, many are wondering about the health and safety implications. A new report from ISO helps to address these concerns....
Call for papers: Fieldbus applications, industrial Ethernet
esd electronics Inc., Greenfield, Mass., seeks papers and presenters on fieldbus applications and industrial Ethernet technologies that will appeal to engineers, managers, and decision makers....
Whitepaper: New piezomotor achieves accurate positioning
This new whitepaper from Discovery Technology International, Sarasota, Fla., discusses a unique, low voltage, high torque rotary motor, which uses piezoelectric principles rather than EM, and identifies some of the limitations of EM motor systems that it overcomes. ...
Back to school: Industrial automation
During economic downturns, machine designers, operators, and maintenance personnel can improve their marketability with updated skills by taking training courses. ...
Stretching wire generates current
Researchers have developed a new type of electric power generator able to produce ac current through cyclical stretching and releasing of zinc oxide wires. ...
Festo and LeekSeek enter agreement
Festo AG & Co. KG, Germany, and LeekSeek International Ltd., England, have signed a global cooperation agreement. ...
Moog acquires California Linear Devices
Moog Inc., Blacksburg, Va., announces it has acquired California Linear Devices Inc. (CLD), Carlsbad, Calif., a privately held company specializing in high performance linear servomotors for a wide range of motion control applications. ...
