NB’s award-winning BG linear actuators combine the functionality of a linear slide guide and precision ball screw in a single component. Compact size and exceptional accuracy make BG single-axis actuators an ideal choice for many applications, including positioning, measurement, automotive and semiconductor equipment. NB Linear Actuator BG type is a compact single axis linear actuator…

How to manage in an uncertain economy After a full 15 months of being homebound, it was exciting — and a little daunting — to take my first business trip since the COVID-19 pandemic began. But it was great to see other fully vaccinated people meeting and networking at the NAHAD Annual Convention in Scottsdale,…

Providing a better product is the goal of every engineering department. When it comes to rail guides, the key factors that make a great unit included rigidity, accuracy, and damping capability. Each of these features has been available—in varying degrees—in products presently on the market. But, with the idea of providing a better product, we’d…

Are we focusing enough on research? One of the things that’s most enjoyable about covering the design engineering space is seeing, on a continual basis, the amount of new technology being used in so many industries, from the component to the system level. But it’s important to realize that much of what feeds that pipeline…

A snapshot of the additive industry It’s always interesting to examine who, how, and why engineers are using additive manufacturing (AM). Recently Stratasys Direct Manufacturing and SME Media conducted a survey on engineers and designers’ experiences with AM . The respondents either currently use or are considering using additive manufacturing. Of the nearly 700 respondents,…

Problem-based learning stands the test of time Engineering students at Stanford are well acquainted with the ME310 course. This year-long design course, now in its 53rd year, is built around problem-based learning. Students work in small teams, focusing on actual engineering problems presented by outside companies that partner with Stanford. The history and evolution of…

Why we don’t need energy efficiency standards for lighting HEADLINES WERE MADE RECENTLY when two national associations dropped a lawsuit attempting to squash light bulb efficiency standards in California. The California standards supposedly save Californians billions of dollars on their energy bills and avoid millions of tons of carbon- warming pollution. The suit was brought…

Protecting yourself One of the more interesting talks I heard over the course of 2019 came at the recent Power Transmission Distributors Association’s Industry Summit. Frank Abagnale, whose early exploits as a con man and check forger were detailed in the 2002 film Catch Me If You Can, spoke about his life and his lessons…

The significance of small choices Years ago, during a high-school woodworking course, our instructor would walk through the shop, repeating: “It’s the nuts and bolts that count!” Students would laugh or roll their eyes. Interestingly, he rarely questioned students about the type of wood selected for a project (though I still have the chestnut bench…

What do your users think of your products? Any smart website designer or software company tests its products, not just for things like basic functionality, but for how the end user interacts with it. San Jose-based UserZoom recently published the results of a survey on user experience trends, and the results are fascinating. Survey respondents…

The growing number of women in leadership roles Women are less likely to be in leadership positions at bigger medical device companies, but the disparity is slowly shrinking. That’s the takeaway from this year’s Women in Medtech issue. Just 18% of executive roles at the top 100 publicly traded medical device are held by women,…

IoT, smart components help improve motion systems Welcome to the (now) 5th annual Motion System Applications special issue. Our editorial team here at Design World puts together four issues on motion control each year, with the last one of the year focusing on motion system applications. Here, we look at some top application examples and…

Designing around gendered data This month, our magazine is producing its second annual Women in Engineering special edition. This endeavor has been a labor of love for our staff, and we’re proud of how the issue turned out. (If you haven’t received a copy yourself, visit designworldonline.com and check out the digital editions, where you…

In this issue… DHL on state warehouse robotics DHL recently opened a 28,000-square-foot Americas Innovation Center in Rosemont, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. This is DHL’s third innovation center, joining the initial center in Cologne, Germany, and a center in Singapore. DHL’s U.S.-based Innovation Center showcases the latest in logistics technology, including robotics. TRI teaches…

Deciding to use—or simply consider—sheet metal for an application is the first step in a process. The process begins, of course, with function, which in turn dictates design. Choosing a material and gauge are critical steps that involve balancing factors like strength, weight, and cost. This is not a simple process, but it can be…

Not a rosy outlook in industrial markets Scott Hazelton of IHS Markit gave an overview of the industrial markets for hydraulics at the recent NFPA International Economic Outlook Conference in Chicago. His outlook wasn’t a sunny one (“not a lot of roses,” he said), dovetailing with many of the other economic speakers at the conference…

Celebrating more engineering creativity Last year, we launched the LEAP Awards, a competition to honor the best engineered components across the mechanical and electrical engineering spaces. Not sure what to expect with a first year’s awards program, we kept things rather simple … and were pleasantly surprised when we received well over 100 entries, making…

DESIGNING PLASTIC PARTS for moldability has always been important for traditional injection molding processes, but it’s particularly beneficial during rapid injection molding to ensure speed and quality remain constant during manufacturing. This guide examines many of the important design considerations that are encountered during injection molding part design. Download the ebook from Protolabs to learn…

What ancient myths can teach us about today’s technology As our editorial team was preparing this year’s Motion Systems Handbook, covering the basics of motion technologies as well as their ongoing evolution, I began to wonder about the origins of the technology we cover. This got me thinking about the idea of control systems and…

V2Clueless – Next generation of connected apps If you had been watching the Saturday Night Live TV show in mid January of 2012, you would have seen a skit called the Headz Up App. It was an ad for a fictional app aimed at people so distracted by texting on their smartphone that they were…

Death of the shadetree mechanic? Technology has shifted many former engineering functions to software or electronics over the past couple of decades, and that trend shows few signs of slowing. Let’s take mobile hydraulics as an example. In my career, I’ve met a lot hydraulics people — from system designers to founders of component manufacturers…

Creating a “wayback machine” for IT security any people are familiar with the “wayback machine,” the useful internet archive at web.archive.org. But until now, there’s been no similar type of system for cyber security professionals. An attack may happen today and not manifest itself for months or years … by then, it’s impossible to do…

The legality of dealing with problem employees One of the more interesting speakers I’ve heard in some time was Pamela Krivda, who recently spoke at NAHAD Annual Meeting & Convention in Las Vegas. She’s an HR legal expert and she presented the audience — many of whom were smaller, family-type hose distributors (along with some…

Will 5G be lethal? Peruse a certain kind of website these days and you’ll find warnings about the lethality of RF transmissions in the frequency ranges slated for 5G networks. One site quotes Devra Davis, director of the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology of the U.S. National Research Council, who warns that our sweat…

When it comes to linear motion, the challenge is rarely easy. Machine designers push progress despite harsh environments, tackle problems with rigorous application requirements, and require expertly designed, reliable components at every step. With high-quality actuators, resilient guide wheel technology, and the knowledge and guidance needed to deploy these tools in the most demanding situations,…