Rogers, CT – Rogers Corporation (NYSE: ROG) announced it signed an agreement with PolyWorks Corporation of North Smithfield, Rhode Island to license PolyWorks’ technology for molding Rogers’ high performance foam brand, PORON microcellular polyurethanes, into three-dimensional shapes. The agreement, finalized on November 2, 2010, stems from a multi-year joint development effort to adapt PolyWorks’ molding…
elobau Introduces Illuminated PTO
elobau Sensor Technology Inc. introduces its 151PTO push button for vehicle applications. This new PTO is based on Reed switch technology and has a lower profile then existing PTO push buttons. It is designed to be incorporated in a cab of many types of commercial vehicles. The 151PTO has lighting, which enables “day and night”…
BMW Announces Serial Production of Plug-in Hybrid Sports Car
Munich/Leipzig — It was the star of the Frankfurt international motor show IAA in 2009: a four-seater sports car with charismatic design, fascinating performance figures and unsurpassed efficiency, powered by BMW ActiveHybrid technology and presented under the title BMW Vision EfficientDynamics. With its wide range of completely or virtually production-ready components, this concept study met…
Ball Bearings Keep Rolling Along
By Jim Peta, Product Manager, Thomson Industries, Inc. Radford, VA Reprint Info >> Advances in ball design, such as increased precision and the use of new materials, open up space in new critical high-tech applications. Rolling elements, such as balls and ball bearings, are a critical staple of motion systems. And precision high-tech applications often…
GM and Maplesoft to collaborate on electric vehicle technologies at the University of Waterloo
A new five-year, $10.5-million partnership between General Motors of Canada, Waterloo-based Maplesoft Inc., and a multidisciplinary research team at the University of Waterloo is tackling the challenges of next generation electric vehicles. Through model-based design and prototype testing, the team will investigate crucial technologies for achieving more widespread use of electric vehicles. The research is…
Solar Cars Competition Heats Up
The World Solar Challenge is a competition where universities from around the world design and build fully solar-powered vehicles that can travel 3,000 km across Australia at average speeds of more than 80 km/hr. The goal of the competition is to promote research for sustainable transportation. Key areas of interest are aerodynamics, solar conversion ratio,…
Misumi Introduces New Locating Pins and Linear Motion Units
Schaumburg, IL – MISUMI USA, Inc. has announced the addition of six new automotive style components to its comprehensive family of Locating Pins and Holders. The new products are designed for use in production machines, jigs and fixtures used by automotive OEMs and suppliers of auto systems and assemblies. MISUMI’s new product line-up was developed…
Delphi Working to Make Electric Vehicle Wireless Charging a Reality
TROY, MI — Delphi Automotive has reached an agreement with WiTricity Corp., a wireless energy transfer technology provider, to develop automatic wireless charging products for hybrid and electric vehicles. The collaboration between the two companies will help establish a global infrastructure of safe and convenient charging options for consumer and commercial electric vehicles. An illustration…
Kollmorgen to Unveil New Power Generation System
RADFORD, VA – Kollmorgen is unveiling its new Power Generation System at the Hybrid Truck Users Forum (HTUF™) National Conference 2010, on September 28 – 30, in Dearborn, Michigan. The Power Generation System is a complete, robust power platform that can be optimized to meet virtually any heavy-duty vehicle’s energy requirements, with the flexibility to…
Most Powerful Naturally Aspirated Road Car Engine in the World
Gaydon, England – Aston Martin’s One-77 is being readied for production. The 7.3 litre V12 engine, as part of the development process, has been certified at 750bhp and 750Nm of torque, positioning it as the most powerful naturally aspirated road car engine in the world. In the fourth part of the One-77 film series, Dr.…
Automatic Testing Equipment Gains Popularity
Increasingly more companies are looking to application specific automatic testing equipment versus functional testing methods. That’s because the traditional testing process did not apply for complex systems such as aero and automotive engines. The same challenge awaits other emerging and green technologies within industries such as bio-med, alternative energy, smart appliances, communications, consumer electronics, and…
FANUC FA & Rockwell Announce CNC Collaboration
HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL and MILWAUKEE, WI — FANUC FA America and Rockwell Automation announced a collaborative effort to offer closer integration between CNC and programmable automation controller (PAC) environments. The effort will result in the ability for both companies to deliver integrated automation solutions to key vertical market segments, such as automotive and aerospace. The…
New Materials Facilitate Sustainability and Energy Savings
Here are a few that target optical enhancement and processing improvements for packaging, automotive, and technical applications. They are being sold as unique offerings that can reduce energy consumption and promote more cost-effective production. This image shows a material used for heat dissipation for semiconductor devices. Increasingly, sustainability through additive innovations is central to the…
Siemens IT Solutions and Services Announces Teamcenter Based Content Management Solution
Siemens IT Solutions and Services, Inc. and Siemens PLM Software, announced an integrated Teamcenter software based PLM content management solution. The new integrated service offering – PLM Driven Content Management – developed for the manufacturing industry sector will help customers to better support technical publications writing in development, service or after-sales business. The PLM Driven…
New software-driven safety controllers deliver flexible, cost-effective safety control for small to mid-size machinery
Omron Scientific Technologies Inc. introduces G9SP Programmable Safety Controllers. These software-based stand-alone controllers are programmed to satisfy the complex safety control needs of small and mid-sized machines, and are easily reconfigured to solve evolving machine set-up needs. Three base models with a range of I/O options are available to satisfy varied application requirements, and four…
Quick-turn Ultracapacitor Modules
Quick-turn custom modules suit applications involving powering, backing up, or bridging power in tactical vehicles or electromagnetic (EM) armor and weapons. These ultracapacitor modules provide cost-effective energy storage and robust power delivery, especially in low temperatures. The modules use either PowerBurst®, or Maxwell Technologies’ BoostCap® ultracapacitor cells. The 2.7 V, high power density UL 810A…
To Cut Weight, Use Plastic Circular Connectors in Wheeled Armored Vehicles
By John Currid, Online Editor The need to reduce government spending has opened the market for non-military-type components to be used on military vehicles. Not all military vehicles require rugged, metal connectors qualified to military specifications. Thus, the APD Series plastic circular connectors can be specified for use in wheeled armored vehicles. These connectors were…
BMW Drives Hydrogen-powered Vehicle Design
The BMW Hydrogen 7 will be one of the world’s first premium vehicles with a “bi-fueled” drive concept. It has a V-12 engine that can be powered by hydrogen or by gasoline. This means that even with the still insufficient hydrogen infrastructure, this car provides the expected performance of a BMW for everyday use. The…
Porsche Gives Green Light for Development of Plug-in Hybrid 918 Spyder
Stuttgart, Germany — The Supervisory Board of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, gave the green light for series development of the Porsche 918 Spyder. Reflecting the overwhelming response from the public and customers to the Concept Study, the Supervisory Board gave Porsche’s Board of Management the mission to develop a production model based…
Terrafugia’s "Roadable Aircraft" Engineered with Virtual Prototyping from ANSYS
PITTSBURGH, PA— The world’s first commercial “flying car” will go the distance on both highways and runways next year when it rolls off the production line — thanks, in part, to design optimization from ANSYS (NASDAQ: ANSS).Terrafugia’s beta prototype design is shown in a near wing-stall case, with the propeller being modeled using software from…
Continental to Standardize on PTC’s Windchill Platform for Global Product Development
PTC (Nasdaq: PMTC) announced that Continental has selected Windchill, PTC’s PLM (product lifecycle management) software, as its global standard for product development in its Automotive Group. Continental will replace its existing PLM system and standardize its three automotive divisions – Chassis & Safety, Powertrain and Interior – on PTC’s Windchill platform. The software will be…
Joe Gibbs Racing Licenses D-Cubed 3D DCM from Siemens PLM Software
Siemens PLM Software and Joe Gibbs Racing®, one of the premier organizations in NASCAR®, announced the licensing of Siemens’ D-CubedTM software for integration in specialty applications. The D-Cubed 3D DCM (Dimensional Constraint Manager) will now be deployed in any in-house software application that requires a 3D geometric constraint solving component. The 3D DCM is already integrated…
Chrysler Group LLC contracts with Siemens PLM Software
Siemens PLM Software announced that Chrysler Group LLC, which produces Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram Truck and Mopar vehicles and products, has selected Siemens PLM Software’s technology for product design and development.Chrysler Group began using Teamcenter software, Siemens PLM Software’s digital lifecycle management solution, as its corporate-wide PDM system in 2008. Teamcenter provides a single source…
Reducing Vehicle Weight with High-tech Tools
Engineering Technology Associates, Inc. (ETA) developed an Accelerated Concept to Product (ACP) process that uses design optimization technologies. The company says it achieved significant weight reductions as part of the Future Generation Passenger Compartment (FGPC) project and the Future Steel Vehicle (FSV) initiative. FGPC and FSV are high-profile steel industry projects aimed at reducing next…
Robotic Vehicle Assists Soldiers in Missions
The U.S. Army’s Autonomous Platform Demonstrator (APD) will assist soldiers in payload missions and keep them safe in the process. Developed by the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, (TARDEC), the APD is a 9.6-ton, six-wheeled, hybrid-electric robotic vehicle used by the Robotic Vehicle Control Architecture, or RVCA Army Technology Objective, also out of…