With special emphasis on clean energy and industry 4.0, a selection of companies will demonstrate Norway’s ambitions for a low carbon society and its key role in developing solutions necessary to transform the industry and reach net-zero. Norway is honored to be Partner Country at Hannover Messe. Norway’s highly skilled work force, advanced industry and…
Hannover Messe: igus ramps up its AI app
At last year’s Hannover Messe, igus CEO Frank Blasé showed off the company’s brand-new igusGO app, a brilliant use of AI to help customers identify where igus products could be implemented on a particular machine. He demonstrated taking a photo of a nearby bicycle, which the app correctly identified, and then showed the various bearing…
Hannover Messe: Altair’s multi-pronged approach
At the upcoming Hannover Messe in April, Altair will focus on a theme of “The Science of Possibility,” highlighting the company’s technologies for simulation, high performance computing (HPC), data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI). Areas of interest will include: Simulation-driven design AI-powered engineering Digital twins, and AI on the factory floor We spoke to Mirko…
Technical thinking: Experimental vehicles
By Mark Jones My initials were visible on the structure protruding from the roof of the white Jaguar as it approached. The car pulled up and the app signaled I could unlock the door. With a tap, the door handles extended. I entered for my first ride in a fully autonomous vehicle. I found myself…
Solar eclipses: When 99% is simply not good enough
I’m going to veer off the normal engineering focus of this column for a month to dabble in a scientific field that’s close to my heart: astronomy. We’re a month out from this year’s big heavenly spectacle in the U.S., the total solar eclipse on April 8th. This eclipse will sweep across the country from…
Emerson switching things up for Hannover Messe 2024
Emerson is changing some things up for this year’s Hannover Messe trade fair, scheduled for April 22-26 in northern Germany. The engineering and automation company is moving to Hall 11, known as the Automation, Motion & Drives area, to better represent its vast product and solution range. Last year, Emerson invited attendees to see how…
Beckhoff looking to AI advancements at Hannover Messe
At the official Press Preview for the 2024 Hannover Messe tradeshow this week, Dr. Fabian Bause, Product Manager, Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co. KG was the keynote speaker, discussing how AI in automation is something that will affect the entire manufacturing process. Bause noted that AI is simply a tool that can be used to…
Technical thinking: We still don’t know everything about ice
I recently saw my first icicle of the year. It was a small, wiggly thing. I know why thanks to some of the ice-related discoveries of the past year. Written by Mark Jones In an example of curiosity driven research, the observation that icicles aren’t perfect cones led researchers to ask why. No one had…
Hannover Messe focusing on AI’s impact for 2024 trade fair
This year’s Hannover Messe trade fair (said to be the world’s largest industrial trade show) takes place from April 22-26 in this northern German city, and some may say the outlook for manufacturing is uncertain. For sure, in his opening remarks, Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairperson of the Managing Board, Deutsche Messe AG listed many reasons…
Technical thinking: Use AI — but with care
By Mark Jones ChatGPT can write code. All who have written code likely thought it required human creativity. It can now be done by a computer. I’ve played with ChatGPT. I’m growing less impressed. ChatGPT is not creating code; it is copying code. It simply regurgitates what it finds on the internet. It turns out,…
Hannover Messe cooperating with German Robotics Assoc.
At this year’s Hannover Messe industrial trade show in Germany, visitors will be able to experience the Application Park in Hall 5, which has a strong partner in the German Robotics Association (DRV). The DRV has made it a mission to promote and foster the use of robotics in Germany. Given the shortage of skilled…
Thinking outside the bus
I love learning about engineering colleagues who are innovating in new ways — people who are rethinking problems that seem to be up against the proverbial brick wall. Take the current issues with renewable energy. While strides have been made in many areas of solar and wind, the daily (or hourly) variability of these technologies…
Technical Thinking: The long road to Lego sustainability
By Mark Jones Many readers of Design World will likely recall gifts of Lego, and maybe some of them will be giving Lego (curiously, a word that is both singular and plural) this season. Lego bricks, as we know them today, came on the market in 1958. Other shapes have been added. Electronic controls have…
Reshoring manufacturing — and the Texas-Mexico connection
JCB recently announced that it will build a new factory in North America, creating 1,500 new jobs over the next five years. The British company is a global manufacturer of construction equipment and also builds machinery for the agricultural and waste-handling industries. JCB said this new facility will manufacture machines mostly for North American customers.…
Norway announced as Partner Country for Hannover Messe 2024
Norway will be the Partner Country at Hannover Messe 2024. Jan Christian Vestre, Minister of Trade and Industry, Norway, and Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Managing Board, Deutsche Messe AG, made the official announcement at the recent signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in Berlin. The designation of Norway as Partner Country spotlights an…
Technical thinking: Mind not blown
By Mark Jones The Science Desk at The Atlantic pulled together its 74 mind-blowing science stories of 2022. I finished the list with my mind unblown, but one observation did linger. Number 9, “beyond a certain temperature — as low as 95°, by some estimates — fans do more harm than good,” stuck in my…
Engineering … illustrated
I write a lot in this space about the need to get more young people from all backgrounds to consider engineering as a career. We rarely end up as a sexy occupation on television. That’s relegated to doctors, lawyers, and heck, even crime scene investigators and morticians. (I don’t think we can count MacGyver as…
IDS Imaging Development Systems’ Philip Freidin on vision systems
In this episode of Design World’s Technology Tuesdays Podcast, VP, Editorial Director Paul J. Heney chats about vision systems with Philip Freidin, an Applications Engineer with IDS Imaging Development Systems Inc. They discuss new and interesting applications, how to select the best industrial camera system, and what the future holds for this important technology area.…
Let’s address the culture-war issue
Design World recently released its special Engineering Diversity and Inclusion issue, a staff-driven evolution of our popular Women in Engineering issues that started in 2018. The editors of Design World are honored to bring you statistics and distilled information on this topic as well as inspiring stories about engineers of various ages, orientations, races and…
October 2023 Issue: EDI – Engineering Diversity + Inclusion
Let’s address the culture-war issue Welcome to Design World’s Engineering Diversity and Inclusion issue, a staff -driven evolution of our popular Women in Engineering issues started in 2018. The editors of Design World are honored to bring you statistics and distilled information on this topic as well as inspiring stories about engineers of various…
Here are the Switches & Sensors winners from the 2023 LEAP Awards!
Winners were announced in the 2023 LEAP Awards yesterday in the program’s competitive Switches & Sensors category. Following are descriptions of the three medalists and one honorable mention, which were awarded in this category. Gold Gefran TWIIST Linear Position Transducer The judges commented: “A transducer that not only outputs position but also incorporates temperature, […]
2023 LEAP Awards winners are announced!
Winning entries in the 2023 LEAP (Leadership in Engineering Achievement Program) Awards were announced by WTWH Media today in 11 categories: Advanced Materials Connectivity Embedded Computing Fluid Power Industrial Automation Mechanical Motion Control Power Electronics Software Switches & Sensors, and Test & Measurement. These brands cross four of the company’s design engineering brands: Design World, Fluid…
LEAP Awards judging panel for 2023 unveiled; winners to be announced Thursday
On Thursday, October 19th at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time, we’ll be announcing the winners of the 2023 LEAP Awards (Leadership in Engineering Achievement Program). You may register for the live announcement here: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/4382809/3A647A3B8A9946C4310F13AD425B782A What we feel sets this awards program apart from so many others is the involvement of the engineering community. Each year, our…
Laine Chan: Strong engineers aren’t afraid to ask for help
This profile will be featured in Design World’s upcoming Engineering Diversity & Inclusion issue. Solving problems first drew Laine Chan to engineering. As a young girl, she loved working on puzzles, playing with Lego blocks, and helping her dad assemble Ikea furniture. She also had a natural affinity for math and science, so engineering seemed…
We’re the reason vinyl chloride was on train 32N
By Mark Jones Norfolk Southern train 32N derailed in February in East Palestine, Ohio, while carrying chemicals and other freight. The presence of vinyl chloride and the actions taken to manage it made the derailment big news. Vinyl chloride is correctly described as flammable, toxic, and carcinogenic. It doesn’t sound like something that belongs in…