Ordinary vapor-compression cooling is inefficient and un-green. Future-generations of air conditioning may instead use electrocaloric techniques with almost no moving parts. Leland Teschler • Executive Editor Here’s some bad news about our warming world, courtesy of the International Energy Agency: The use of air conditioners and electric fans already accounts for about a fifth of…
How 3D printing can save trees
By Leslie Langnau Early in the 3D printing industry, there were efforts to take wood byproducts and use that material to make parts. These early efforts were interesting for the novelty. Today, however, there’s a more serious effort to turn wood into a usable 3D printable material. Desktop Metal launched Forust, a process to sustainably…
Hydraulic motion control could enable massive energy savings in supercritical CO2-driven rock pulverization
By Rick Meyerhoefer, Delta Computer Systems Roughly 3% of the world’s generated electricity is consumed in the mining process of breaking down rocks. In Canada alone, mines consume more than 150 petajoules annually. For perspective, 1 petajoule can power the city of Calgary for three weeks, so any significant drop in mining energy requirements could…
Packaging machines designed to use shrink film made of 100% recyclate
When it comes to sustainability, plastics have a bad reputation among many consumers. “The problem here lies less in the explicit use thereof, for plastic has a number of positive material properties. It’s not just unbreakable and flexible, for instance, but also effectively protects the packaged item from various damaging factors,” said Martin Thyssen, packaging…
Thermally conductive battery adhesive is useful for hybrid vehicles
DELO now offers a structural adhesive for batteries used in hybrid vehicles. Designed for high-volume series production, DELO-DUOPOX TC8686 is thermally conductive and flame-retardant. Already being used by an automotive supplier in the ramp-up phase of production, this new adhesive is suitable for low-voltage batteries found in mild hybrid and conventional hybrid vehicles, as well…
From trash to automobile parts?
U.S.-based manufacturer Cascade Engineering has partnered with Israeli-clean-tech startup, UBQ Materials, to create automotive parts made by converting unsorted trash — everything from banana peels to diapers — into mixed plastics and paper. One of the first to trial UBQ as a substitute to traditional oil-based resins, the two companies partnered in an R&D relationship…
MultiVoltage lithium batteries target material handling equipment
Patent-pending MultiVoltage technology enables the battery to charge at double its output voltage, which cuts charging time in half and makes opportunity charging a more accessible option with simplicity and ease of use for the operator. Patent-pending MultiVoltage technology enables charging at double the batteries’ output voltage, halving the charge time and increasing productivity. Applicable…
Batteries and DIN-rail battery chargers for uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs)
Backup power systems provide crucial emergency power to critical components whenever there’s a failure in a facility’s main power supply. These backup systems are indispensable at facilities involved in essential life-saving services, automated manufacturing of expensive product, and other critical operations where they help protect vital equipment and prevent expensive downtime, data loss, and time-consuming…
RFID comes to electric vehicles
RFID tags will play a role in fielding the next generation of vehicles having electric powertrains. Frank Linti • Schreiner LogiData Many suppliers to OEMs must incorporate RFID-compatible labels on components they provide, especially in prototype construction. This is especially true for RFID labels on automotive OEM components. But OEMs sometimes have trouble using these…
IDS focuses on sustainability in shipping
Plastic is one of the most serious problems of the 21st century. This is not due to the raw materials or production processes, but to the fact that 32% of plastic packaging worldwide is not recovered (whether by landfill, incineration, or recycling). They end up uncontrolled in the environment. A complete decomposition of plastics…
Connectivity, automation provides 20% improvement in vehicle fuel efficiency
Vehicle efficiency improvements are genrally accomplished by incrementally modifying components and control systems — often at a cost of millions of dollars. But now, a team led by Southwest Research Institute has applied connectivity and automation to achieve a 20% improvement in efficiency on a 2017 Toyota Prius Prime. Working with collaborators at the University…
Battery cells power stationary energy systems
The Freudenberg Group’s lithium-ion battery operation, XALT Energy, is supplying high-performance battery pouch cells to Commeo GmbH. Commeo, a German energy system specialist, is using the cells in stationary energy storage systems and a wide range of system applications that will provide an uninterruptible, flexible energy supply. Due to the growing private and industrial demands…
Electrostatic-dissipating anti-corrosion film is first to be completely compostable
Eco-Corr Film ESD is a biodegradable, compostable static dissipative film technology that targets electronics, telecommunications, packaging, and electric car industries seeking environmentally friendly packaging solutions. In anticipation of new EU regulations penalizing sales of non-recyclable plastic packaging materials, EcoCortec is offering revolutionary, commercially compostable alternative to conventional polyethylene electrostatic dissipating (ESD) films. Eco-Corr Film ESD…
Bio-inspired adhesion is new frontier in product handling
With the help of adhesive forces, geckos have been moving easily over smooth surfaces for millions of years. Now, Schunk is using this principle for developing various fields of handling applications with its new gripping technology, ADHESO. With this technology, components can be sensitively gripped, without leaving any residue or requiring additional energy. The possible…
Solar Atmospheres partners with energy storage company
Solar Atmospheres of Western Pennsylvania recently entered into a five-year partnering agreement with energy storage company, HI-POWER, a Holtec International and Eos Energy Storage joint venture. HI-POWER builds one of the safest and fully integrated DC storage batteries in the world. The company’s “Znyth” storage batteries are especially stable when housed in extreme temperatures, and…
Material simulation, testing improve lifespan of offshore wind turbines
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has developed an advanced testing procedure and simulation methodology that, in combination with the company’s Ventoguard portfolio of elastomeric materials, offers performance improvements and better longevity in offshore wind energy component applications. The material simulation process helps to identify optimal materials and designs for wind applications by analyzing how materials behave and…
Lithium batteries now shipping from Sager Electronics
Electronics distributor Sager Electronics is now stocking Power Sonic’s PSL-SC Series lithium batteries. The Power Sonic PSL-SC range delivers a lithium battery that lasts longer, weighs less, and charges quicker than the equivalent lead-acid battery. The PSL-SC series features an intelligent battery management system that monitors and reacts to multiple voltage, current, and temperature events…
Sager Electronics now shipping Calex ac/dc battery chargers
Sager Electronics, a leading North American distributor of Interconnect, Power and Electromechanical components and provider of value-add solutions, is now stocking Calex’s CEV Series 300-W ac/dc battery charger. The CEV series can be used as either an external charging source or installed on board a li-ion battery operated application. The series was designed to withstand…
TEGAM announces the ultimate handheld meter – the Display Probe
“Why do I have to look at the meter to read it?” is a question we hear from our customers. It may sound absurd, but we took it seriously when we introduced our new 710A grounding and bond meter. Many applications take our customers into difficult places such as: Lying on your back under an…
Sustainable manufacturing: Recycle those robots!
Here’s a novel way to create more environmentally friendly manufacturing facilities across the world: remanufacturing robots. This practice, being instituted by manufacturer ABB, enables existing robot users to sell inactive or legacy robots with an attractive buy back service, rather than scrapping them or leaving them unused in a corner of the factory. Over the…
Meeting the CO2 specifications of industrial customers — and saving money
Leading industrial companies from the automotive, pharmaceutical and food industries have clear CO2 targets for their products. These require machine builders to make significant energy savings in new machine generations compared with previous machines. Festo’s energy efficiency module MSE6-C2M offers a smart solution for the compressed air system market. When it comes to condition monitoring…
How road-to-rig testing speeds vehicle development efforts
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…
Taking blade testing to the extreme
Each year, roughly one out of every 200 wind turbine blades fail. Those failures pose a twofold concern for turbine owners. First, when a blade fails, there’s unplanned downtime and potential insurance issues. Second, how can blade manufacturers and turbine owners and operators feel confident that the blades on their turbine are tested adequately? Researchers…
Innovations in plastic packaging are contributing to a circular economy
By: Sheldon Yourist, Senior Director of Global Design, Graham Packaging and Balaji Jayaseelan, Director of Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs, Graham Packaging In recent years, plastic has come under increased scrutiny due to low recyclability rates and the growing amount of plastic waste in the natural environment. While manufacturers are stepping up efforts to meet consumer…
How motion plastics can make agriculture sustainable
Lubrication-free tribo-polymers from igus, a German-based manufacturer of motion plastics, are helping vertical farmers meet the challenges of their growing market. With a world population of 7.8 billion, food production has become a challenge that will intensify. The United Nations expects the global population to reach 8 billion by 2023 — and 10 billion by…