Product Design & Development

Quest Industrial is bringing robotic palletizing to more customers and markets with the launch of its new standardized Box Bot – the QB300 series, which is debuting in booth C-2825 at PACK EXPO 2021, Sept. 27-29, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas. The Box Bot, a space-saving robotic palletizer with a small footprint,…

Smalley recently launched the 2021 Ring and Spring Catalog and Design Guide, a resource engineers have relied on for decades for retaining ring and compression spring selection. Smalley’s Catalog and Design Guide contains specifications on over 10,000 stock parts, custom design configurations, engineering equations, application guides, and more; all wrapped up into one comprehensive guide. Our newest release is unique because…

The winners of the 2020 LEAP Awards (Leadership in Engineering Achievement Program) were announced yesterday in a digital ceremony, with products across 12 categories. Critical to LEAP’s success is the involvement of the engineering community. No one at WTWH Media selected the winners. Instead, our editorial team did the arduous work of assembling a top-notch…

Public health concerns have put a new emphasis on contactless credentials. The blossoming variety of reader formats complicates the task of reading and verifying IDs. Kiran Vasishta • ELATEC, Inc. Contactless credentials can be divided into two categories: soft credentials that include mobile phone apps transmitting data via BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) or NFC (Near…

Tacho generators in drives of mountain railways and ski lifts are exposed to enormous strain. Nevertheless, they must perform for precise and reliable speed measurement. This is why manufacturers rely on HeavyDuty solutions from Baumer Hübner. What does it take for a tacho generator to withstand the rough conditions on snow-covered mountains? Every day, and…

The PF08H1 Facial Temperature Screening Kiosk is an easy-to-use, self-contained personnel temperature screening device that scans in under three seconds. Using Heimann sensor technology from Germany, a global leader in thermal imaging technology, the PF08H1 Thermal Guard system detects face temperature with an accuracy of ±0.5°F. This touchless, plug-and-play standalone system does not require any…

Road-to-rig testing brings real-world emissions testing into a precision lab setting and is generally regarded as the future of vehicle development. JOSH ISRAEL | HORIBA AUTOMOTIVE TEST SYSTEMS In 1995, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created Rover—a first-of-its-kind on-board mass emissions measurement system. In the 25 years since the creation of that first unit, the…

Solid-state devices that convert heat to energy have a reputation for being inefficient. New materials may eventually change the equation. Leland Teschler • Executive Editor Estimates are that 61% of the energy consumed in the U.S. is lost to heat. No wonder, then, that there is interest in finding ways to harvest some of these…

Teschler on Topic Leland Teschler • Executive Editor lteschler@wtwhmedia.com On Twitter @ DW_LeeTeschler Ever heard of the K890 sub-machine gun? A a prototype came out during the 1950s, but there were hardly any made. The reason was its awkwardly shaped stock which made the gun difficult to shoot accurately. It also had a weirdly short…

Innovative medical devices from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) get a lot of press. But many of those devices wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for innovative contract manufacturers and suppliers. Working with materials as pliable as polyester and as strong as stainless steel, these companies are always innovating to create new or improved components that their…

Pioneer Metal Finishing has launched the launch of Surface Engineering Academy (SEA) — an Expert-Level resource for surface engineering and modification advancement. “We’re very excited to launch Surface Engineering Academy as part of our ongoing efforts to help engineers optimize the performance of their products. Given the complexity, breadth, and development of surface modification options,…

Computer-aided engineering (CAE) simulation software and services company MSC Software Corp. (MSC)  recently founded the MSC Nastran Excellence Award to recognize the engineering and design innovation of its users around the world. MSC Nastran is a simulation tool used across nearly every kind of industry – from aerospace to medical technology. It is a widely…

By Mario Mitchell • Parker Hannifin Despite all the expertise of a motion control manufacturer, a distributor, or an integrator, sometimes it’s the customer who is best suited to create the application they need. Case in point: Yost Chokes owner Bill Yost (in Creston, Ohio) recently needed a special storage rack to organize his inventory…

When a customer needed to upgrade their existing food processing line to merge two lanes of frozen pizzas into a single lane, Dorner’s Engineered Solutions Group designed the perfect custom solution. Dorner’s Engineered Solutions Group (ESG) gives extra attention to building conveyor systems with unique dimensions and performance characteristics above and beyond Dorner’s regular conveyor…

There are two fundamental categories of post-launch reviews. The first we shall call “Team Self-Assessment Project Reviews.” These reviews are primarily for product developers to explore their lessons learned from working together on a project that has just completed. The second we shall call “Management Business Reviews of New Products.” These reviews are primarily for…