Ontic, aerospace industry provider of ‘Extended Life Solutions’ for Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) legacy and non-core products, has acquired electromechanical product lines from Marsh Bellofram. The products include Servotek TachSyn brushless DC tachometer and commutators, instrument-grade DC tachometers and rotary encoders. The products are on a variety of industrial and aerospace applications. Westcon AC/DC tachometers…
Festo and the power of worker upskilling at the Oracle Industry Lab
Oracle and Festo are joining forces to help educators create new opportunities and solve tough challenges at the Oracle Industry Lab. Opened today, the facility provides hands-on, simulated industry settings for customers to experiment, learn, and bring transformative technologies to life. At the lab, visitors will interact with a sophisticated Festo “Learning Factory” used in…
Flexible rotary shafts support thrust reverser on 150 LEAP 1-A turbofan engines
S.S. White Technologies is supplying the flexible shafts that transmit power to activate and synchronize the deployment of the Thrust Reverser Actuation Systems (TRAS) on 150 CFM International LEAP-1A turbofan engines that have been selected to power UK based Jet2’s latest order for up to 75 Airbus A321neo aircraft. The CFM LEAP-1A turbofan engines incorporate…
Drone-mounted inspection breaks barriers for F-35
By Dr. David Rizzo The F-35 Lightning II is an all-weather stealth combat aircraft built to perform warfare strike missions and electronic surveillance capabilities at speeds up to 1.6 Mach. Composites comprise 35% of the airframe weight, with the majority being bismaleimide, as well as some carbon nanotube-reinforced epoxy — which has a tensile strength…
Interesting tech at SAE’s WCX 2022 exhibits
The SAE’s WCX World Congress Experience was billed as where the engineering community convenes on mobility’s biggest hurdles from mass deployment of electric vehicles to developmental timelines for autonomous vehicles to understanding of global supply chain constraints impacting the automotive industry. We had a chance to peruse the WCX exhibits and kick the tires on…
TriStar, a misunderstood failure of design
By Charles Tschaggeny, Tschaggeny Design In 1984, Lockheed ceased production of the L1011 TriStar airplane and exited the world of commercial aircraft for good. For Lockheed, its latest passenger jet had been heralded as a technological marvel but was, in fact, a business disaster. The TriStar is a fascinating story that clearly illustrates fundamental concepts…
Leveraging Wireless Power for medical application
by Brig General (ret) Craig Baker, Acting COO & Cherif Chibane, CTO at WiGL Wearable medical devices play a vital role in healthcare for the military and civilians. Small, portable, and easy to wear, these devices assist first responders, war-fighters and patients with services ranging from physiological diseases like muscle disorders to neurocognitive disorders such…
The physics of failure
Failure models and estimates of useful product life have grown increasingly more accurate thanks to a better understanding of how devices and materials degrade under stress. Leland Teschler • Executive Editor Back in the early 1970s, a college classmate of mine told an interesting story about his summer job running production-line tests for a manufacturer…
Five ways to drive ROI from personnel and cobot investments
In this article, we detail how assembly, packaging, and machine-tool OEMs can keep senior plant personnel in charge of the most demanding and intricate tasks — and relegate everything else to pre-programmed work routines and automated workcells. Such approaches make copious use of cobots and augmented reality (AR) tools. By Tim LeCrone • Director of […]
3D printings effects on sustainability
Among the many benefits of using 3D printing is how it effects sustainable efforts in design and production. Recently I had a chance to speak with Nadav Goshen, president and CEO at MakerBot on 3D printing developments in this area. Here are highlights from our conversation. Design World · 3D printings effects on sustainability Sustainability […]
How drones are advancing metrology for fighter jets
The F-35 Lightning II is an all-weather stealth combat aircraft intended to perform warfare strike missions and electronic surveillance capabilities at speeds up to 1.6 Mach. Composites comprise 35% of the airframe weight, with the majority being bismaleimide, and some carbon nanotube-reinforced epoxy — which has a tensile strength of approximately 100 times greater than…
Nye Lubricants’ Pennzane Oil to launch on James Webb Space Telescope
Nye Lubricants will take part in its second high-profile NASA mission in 2021 with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scheduled to launch on December 24 from French Guiana. This infrared telescope, developed in conjunction with the European Canadian space agencies, will be used to study and compare the evolution of exoplanets to planets in…
EXAIR’s Family of Air Knives
EXAIR’s family of engineered Air Knives (Super Air Knife, Standard Air Knife and Full-Flow Air Knife) dramatically reduce compressed air usage and noise when compared to other blowoffs. The Super Air Knife is the most efficient way to clean, dry or cool parts, webs or conveyors. It delivers a uniform sheet of laminar airflow across…
Vibration tests boost NASA’s electric aircraft project
To ensure NASA’s new X-57 “Maxwell” electric aircraft would be energy efficient and safe for use, NASA carried out extensive ground vibration tests, simulating the stresses it would experience during a real flight. With the increasing demand for electric-powered ground transportation, NASA wanted to prove that an aircraft could also be electrically powered. The result…
AstroAccess completes ZERO-G Parabolic flight with crew of 12 disability ambassadors
AstroAccess, an initiative dedicated to advancing disability inclusion in space exploration, and Zero Gravity Corporation (ZERO-G) successfully completed a parabolic flight with a crew of 12 ambassadors with mobility, vision and hearing disabilities on Sunday, October 17. On Sunday, the ZERO-G aircraft ascended to an altitude of 32,000 feet, at which point the vehicle commenced…
Ruggidized modular computers come in small form factor
The DAGRX and SAYBRX small form factor (SFF) line replaceable unit (LRU) computers featuring Intel processors and flexible I/O deliver high performance in a compact package. The modular I/O approach in both rugged and lab variants empower users to select what is necessary for the application, optimizing size, weight and power (SWaP). The DAGRX and…
Custom hose design helps aerospace test facility
By Michael Hoffman, of Dragos and the SANS Technology Institute Few industries require more product validation and qualification than the military and aerospace sectors. Before any new technology is approved by the military’s regulatory agencies, they must undergo many levels of technology development, often in a simulated environment. This test environment is designed to push…
Right sized packaging to boost sustainability
E-commerce has recently experienced an enormous rise in acceptance and success. At the same time, consumers increasingly value sustainability and avoiding the use of unnecessary packaging material. To address these trends Quadient, in Drachten, the Netherlands, developed a new packaging machine for the flexible, sustainable, and cost-effective production of customized corrugated cardboard packaging. This system…
Creating a greener package design
To make sealing applications greener, ultrasonic welding offers many advantages compared to traditional heat sealing. Its precise, reliable capabilities and efficiency allow end-users to reduce energy consumption, confidently use biodegradable packaging, minimize product and packaging waste, and improve packaging recyclability and compostability. This sustainable technology can ultimately save energy by up to 25% and reduce…
Safety Air Guns use engineered air nozzles for high performance
EXAIR’s vast selection of Safety Air Guns offer just the amount of force you need for your individual application. These CE compliant Air Guns are durable and comfortable and easy to use. Each model uses an engineered Air Nozzle that provides superior performance by entraining large volumes of surrounding air. Safe operation is assured along…
EXAIR’s new no drip siphon fed spray nozzle coats, cools and cleans
EXAIR’s new 1/2 NPT siphon fed air atomizing spray nozzle atomizes a variety of fluids in a round spray pattern where no liquid pressure is available and heavy application of liquid is needed. This corrosion resistant type 303SS nozzle draws liquid into the airstream and mixes it internally while providing up to 24 inch of…
New FLEXION Gripper from PHD inspired by human hand
PHD announces the release of FLEXION, a new technology inspired by the ultimate gripper: the human hand. Suitable for both collaborative and industrial applications, FLEXION’s configurable design allows for an unparalleled range of application ability and offers the potential to solve challenges that previously had no answer. When actuated, FLEXION’s internal tendon system engages multiple joints…
The top ten free engineering math software packages
Numerous open-source software packages now provide engineering math capabilities and go easy on the pocketbook. Leland Teschler • Executive Editor The Mars Climate Orbiter made headlines back in 1999 when it approached Mars on a trajectory bringing it too close to the planet and wound up either destroyed in the Mars atmosphere or orbiting the…
Build, test and repeat: Getting your hobby projects “off the ground”
Some people have a project car. Weekends and evenings are spent tuning, working Bondo and fiberglass to patch holes, cursing the frustrations of electrical work, and relishing the feeling when the engine roars to life for the first time. My ‘project car’ is actually a Rotorway JetExec helicopter. Same journey, same payoff, slightly different license…
EXAIR’s expands selection of Atomizing Spray Nozzle family
EXAIR’s Air Atomizing Spray Nozzles atomize fluids in a range of spray patterns for a variety of uses. They combine liquid and compressed air to create a mist of atomized liquid that can be easily adjusted to meet the needs of your application. One of the primary reasons atomizing spray nozzles are used is because…