Editor Design World

Looking for a positive year ahead After a rough 18+ months, I think we’re all ready for positive news in the coming year. And 2022 is showing some upward trending signs. I recently attended an economic outlook talk given by Jim Meil of ACT Research Co., LLC, presented by the NFPA, and came away feeling…

IO-Link is an internationally standardized, cross-vendor IO technology that enables bidirectional communication to the sensor/actuator level. The fieldbus-independent, open standard can be integrated into any system landscape using standard unshielded cables and point-to-point connectivity. Bidirectional communication enables comprehensive diagnostics and interference-free data transfer. Pepperl+Fuchs’ IO-Link portfolio covers a wide range of sensor technologies, including photoelectric…

  Recirculating Slide Guides Recirculating slide guides excel in three areas: applications needing longer strokes, designs with space constraints and configurations where cost is a primary concern. Because of the unique design, travels are only limited by the maximum rail length of each profile size.

Durability, reliability, and functionality are key elements of modern interconnect designs, particularly in critical applications such as medical, military, and essential infrastructure. Learn how new innovations can prevent failure and ensure uptime while gaining insight into how to select the right interconnect for your systems. Download the e-Book from Mill-Max Mfg. Corp. to learn more.

COVID-19 AND THE GREAT RESIGNATION SPUR AUTOMATION ADOPTION With no end to COVID-19-related supply-chain and labor woes in sight, myriad industries — from semiconductor manufacture to fast food and retail — have increased adoption of factory and process automation. It’s a response first observed to lesser extents during the past decade’s SARS and Ebola outbreaks,…

Amazon underwhelms with Astro There have already been several failed attempts at multipurpose home robots. Amazon’s consumer robot will likely suffer the same fate. How ROS 2 is easing hardware acceleration for robotics The ROS 2 Hardware Acceleration Working Group is creating acceleration kernels based on open standards. 3 tips to developing outdoor robots for…

Taking automation from the factory floor to … everywhere? One of the constant threads we hear about in the manufacturing world is how much automation is taking over processes that were once manual in nature. That’s a good thing for motion control component manufacturers, as it means more business. And while some decry the potential…

Engineering a career in robotics and flight Years ago, in 1979, Ella Atkins was one of the first students to participate in a Johns Hopkins University SMPY program, which began in 1971. In this program, she would study mathematics. A grad student from Johns Hopkins was assigned to her as a mentor. Proving that “Black…

Mechanical drive trains are at the heart of motion control systems. Whether it’s robotics and automation or packaging and material handling, many such systems rely on mechanical drive components such as gears and couplings for optimal performance. When designing a mechanical drive train in a servo motion control system, considerations beyond torque and backlash requirements…

Manufacturing vs. politicians At last month’s NFPA International Economic Outlook Conference, John Manzella, of the Manzella Report, spoke on “Labor, International Trade, and What’s Ahead,” an insightful talk to the 200-ish attendees, many of whom were manufacturing executives in the fluid power realm. Manzella had few kind words for politicians on either side of the…

Talk of EV fires still smolders The latest figures from the National Fire Protection Association show that only about 20% of all vehicle fires arise from problems in the vehicle electrical system—most fires have something to do with the fuel system. Seeing as electric vehicles will do away with problematic petrol, you might wonder whether…

2022 indications bode well for manufacturing At the National Fluid Power’s annual International Economic Outlook Conference, Alan Beaulieu of ITR Economics spoke on “U.S. & Global Macro Trends and Impacts,” and the overall outlook is positive for the manufacturing world. In examining the U.S. economic leading trends, it seems clear that there will be a…

Continuing to grow The additive manufacturing industry is riding a wave of success in 2021. The ongoing pandemic has not slowed activity in this industry, just shifted it. New product development is being outpaced by mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships among additive vendors. A number of these business moves are being funded by Special Purpose Acquisition…

ON BRITNEY SPEARS, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND AUTOMATION Recently, Britney Spears has been in the news concerning the court-ordered conservatorship imposed on her stemming from her infamous 2008 mental health breakdown. As details of the story emerged, the public reacted with astonishment at the setup that essentially limits her freedom to make her own choices and…

SAY GOODBYE TO CROSS-COUNTRY ROAD TRIPS OFFICIALS ESTIMATE it will cost $50 billion to field the chargers needed for the expected number of electric vehicles on U.S. roads by 2030. But it’s possible that spending every penny of this amount won’t prevent the extinction of the cross-country road trip. Here’s the logic behind that statement:…

Do you have an “executive presence?” As we move through our careers, it’s often interesting to watch the trajectory of our peers and compare their paths to our own. In many companies, there’s a natural corporate ladder we all climb, sometimes in stops and starts, depending on the overall structure. But we’ve all seen coworkers…

Teach an old dog some new skills The idea that people can’t adjust and adapt to new rules is a tired one. I’ve seen plenty of people in my career, from the stereotypical older worker who can’t figure out the email system to the stereotypical younger worker who is totally focused on what everything means…

MICROWAVES AND THE HAVANA SYNDROME The National Academy of Sciences recently released its conclusions about what sickened dozens of American Embassy diplomats in Cuba, a phenomenon dubbed the Havana Syndrome. Though the panel reached no definitive conclusion, it found pulsed RF (a.k.a. directed microwave energy) was the most likely cause. Panel members could not rule…

WELCOME TO OUR FIRST 5G HANDBOOK 5G is more than another wireless technology. It’s changed the radio, the access network, the spectrum, and the network core. It might even change our lives. That’s why EE World created 5G Technology World. We cover 5G technologies on engineering terms. The site launched in January 2020, just as…

Energy costs are a significant expense for companies in industries from manufacturing to commercial, transportation to retail, and even for businesses like marinas and campgrounds. But where do you begin the process of maximizing your operation’s energy efficiency? An investment in developing a sound energy master plan, based on guidance in the ISO 50001 standard,…

Disrupting the aerospace industry hope you’ve been enjoying our monthly Future of Design Engineering Series of webinars as much as I have. Last month, we had an engaging talk by Charlie Light, Program Manager for the Space Based Nuclear Detonation Detection Program at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Light’s discussion of the aerospace/defense sector was fascinating.…

Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. introduced a new extended temperature “E” option for its TSSP77038 infrared (IR) sensor module in the Heimdall package. Designed to meet the special requirements of outdoor applications, the Vishay Semiconductors TSSP77038ETR has been enhanced with a storage temperature range of -40 °C to +110 °C and an operating temperature range of -30 […]

CUI Devices’ Switches Group announced the addition of slide switches to its product portfolio. Available in compact package sizes as small as 10 x 2.5 x 5.9 mm, the MSS series is a family of mini slide switches featuring 2.54 mm pitches, SPDT circuits, and on-on switch functions. Thanks to their compact footprints, these mini […]

C&K has developed a miniature SMT tactile switch designed for wearable and portable IoT devices. The PTS847 Series side-actuated tact switch combines a space-saving design with heightened durability to handle drop-impacts common to consumer devices. At only 4.6 mm x 2.2 mm x 2.6 mm, the PTS847 Series features an edge mount configuration that raises […]

Download the Nason Cylinders Ebook Nason’s space-efficient pneumatic and hydraulic cylinders are engineered smaller and stronger for a variety of uses, while their custom-build designs ensure there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. With Nason, your specific application gets the perfect solution.