With the rise of smart farming in agriculture, equipment manufacturers face the challenge of maximizing machine uptime in harsh and extreme environments. Companies are leveraging different types of motion systems to improve reliability in their designs, with technology evolving alongside farming practices. Such systems take advantage of advancements across automation more generally, which includes robotics,…

Semiconductor products were more affected than any other by COVID-induced supply-chain issues felt around the world. International political tensions have only prolonged and exacerbated the problem. By Lisa Eitel | Executive editor Every modern gadget, vehicle, smart device, and appliance is peppered over with semiconductors galore — offering that singular function of processing power that…

In keeping with industry growth, Pack Expo Las Vegas 2023 (Sept. 11-13; Las Vegas Convention Center) is on pace to be the largest, most comprehensive edition of this trade show since its inception. As the premier destination to explore cutting-edge packaging and processing solutions, Pack Expo Las Vegas will include more than 2,000 suppliers, as…

An automobile’s automatic transmission case is a very complex casting that includes a sophisticated valve body with many channels and passages. These features must be precisely connected to perform the necessary control functions. However, it’s not always possible to cast all interconnections. Some case features necessitate drilling through the casting’s outer shell (and one or…

By Eryn Devola — Vice President of Sustainability for Siemens Digital Industries Design has always been a balance of performance, cost, and quality. But these metrics do not take the full, lifetime environmental impact of a product into account. Sustainability must be added to ensure every impact of a product is addressed in even the…

With Bosch Rexroth’s Rokit Locator software, mobile robots can independently determine their position. Users no longer need expert knowledge or additional infrastructure to commission a mobile robot. Locator allows mobile robots to determine their position and orientation in any environment, simplifying the automation of intralogistics tasks in industry and trade. Locator is compatible with various…

Gone are the days when inventory inaccuracy is just part of doing business. As new technology is increasingly affordable and pervasive, more third-party logistics (3PL) companies embrace innovation to improve their competitive advantage. Inventory accuracy is one of the most important KPIs for any 3PL or warehouse. The higher the accuracy, the faster orders can…

What was unthinkable in the past has become commonplace in modern warehouses. Robots and scalable automation are now must-haves for thriving during market fluctuations. Warehouse automation has been around a lot longer in the U.S. than people may assume. Though today we think of autonomous robots and software-driven machines operating continuously in human-free environments, automation…

The winners of the 2022 LEAP Awards (Leadership in Engineering Achievement Program) were announced earlier this week in a digital ceremony, with products across 14 categories, including Industrial Automation. Critical to LEAP’s success is the involvement of the engineering community. The Design World editorial team assembled a top-notch independent judging panel, comprised of a cross-section…

Metal-cutting company Sandvik Coromant is expanding its milling offering with the new CoroMill MF80 for automotive milling applications in ISO K and ISO P materials in close to 90° operations with fixture constraints. Based on a technology platform like the existing CoroMill 345, this new milling concept offers a 40% lighter cutter body with shim…

Moog Inc. announced that it has collaborated with Komatsu to build a fully electric compact wheel loader machine. The companies will demonstrate the connected and automation-ready, zero-emission, battery-powered machine at bauma 2022 from October 24 – 30 in the Komatsu demo area (FM.713/1). Moog’s intelligent machine electrification system includes an electric traction motor, lift, tilt…

Bosch Rexroth is planning to expand its operations and will move its linear and assembly technology manufacturing facility to a new location in Charlotte. The company has held operations in Charlotte, NC for over 30 years, with the past 26 years at its current location in Steele Creek. Since experiencing significant growth in its factory automation…

In booth #505, experience how Bosch Rexroth takes your assembly operations from start to finish with its complete portfolio of automation solutions. Start your journey towards a streamlined factory automation experience with Bosch Rexroth’s linear technology eTools portfolio, which makes it easier for users to plan, design and order Bosch Rexroth Linear Motion systems required…

Powerful statistical techniques can discern a desired audio signal from a jumble of inputs. Dave Betts • AudioTelligence Most of us live and work in the midst of noise. We have become used to contending with the sounds of other people talking, music playing, the TV blaring, traffic roaring… Our brains are pretty amazing at…

What would our world look like in 1D or 2D? Well, 3D is our natural human visual reality and it is impossible to imagine life without it. In recent years, 3D has also become more and more a reality in modern high tech. How do designers and engineers in medical device technology use this new…

The Mars helicopter team is awarded the Collier Trophy for being the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on another planet. NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter flies with electric motors from the Swiss company maxon, a provider of precision drives. This prestigious award was presented on June 9th in Washington DC by the National Aeronautic Association…

EXAIR’s dual high-temperature Cabinet Cooler Systems purge and cool overheated electrical control panels in harsh environments up to 200°F (93°C). Cabinet Coolers keep electrical enclosures cool with air as cool as 20°F (-7°C) air to eliminate high temperature malfunctions and protect sensitive electronics from hot, dirty locations, such as foundries, glass plants or steel mills.…

Provider of flexible shaft products, S.S. White Technologies is supplying flexible shafts that transmit power to the hydraulic-activated Thrust Reverser Actuation Systems (TRAS) on Delta Airlines’ Pratt & Whitney GTF turbofan engines to power their first Airbus A321neo aircraft. Delta is committed to purchase a total of 155 Airbus A321neo platforms through 2027. S. S.…

At the recent NFPA Annual Conference, I was eager to hear Peter Ziehan, the famed geopolitical analyst, and his take on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Ziehan has been predicting this type of aggression from Putin for years, based on his country’s terrible societal demographics, which indicate a country slowly imploding. But what I came away…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…