The BMU Series is now available with an optional space and cost saving right-angle hollow shaft hypoid JH gear. The new compact, high-output and high efficiency gear is currently available for the BMU Series 120 W (1/6 HP) motor. 200 W (1/4 HP) and 400 W (1/2 HP) motor models will be available soon. High…
Ultra-compact C6015 IPC from Beckhoff Offers Extreme Space-savings and Flexibility
Beckhoff Automation introduced a new standard in ultra-compact Industrial PC technology at the SPS IPC Drives 2016 trade show in Nuremberg, Germany. The new C6015 Industrial PC (IPC) opens up new application areas for PC-based control technology, especially those with pronounced cost or space restraints. Fully suited to industrial applications, the multi-core IPC measures just…
Why do cylinders fail on an excavator?
Hydraulics works well in extreme conditions, including in mobile equipment such as excavators. Hydraulic systems run at higher pressures here, typically 4,000 psi or more. The components used, including the cylinders, are very heavy duty in nature, and they have high duty cycles—which means these machines can run for hours at a time—continuously. And, it […]
Applied Motion launches EtherCAT-enabled closed-loop stepper system
At PackExpo earlier this month, Applied Motion Products introduced its newest closed-loop stepper system, which comes with EtherCAT functionality. Its StepServo closed-loop motor and drive system for industrial Ethernet will be available soon. According to Eric Rice, Applied Motion Marketing Manager, the StepServo with EtherCAT “offers up to 50% more torque than traditional step motors […]
Alternatives Emerging to Silicon-Based Sensors
At the MEMS & Sensors Group Executive Conference in Scottsdale, AZ, Roger Grace, President of Roger Grace Associates, a MEMS Marketing Consultancy, discusses the ongoing activity for technology alternatives to silicon sensors. Silicon can be about 50% of the cost of a sensor with packaging and testing being the other 50%. Other materials such as […]
New M8 and M12 IP67 Cordsets
Carlo Gavazzi is pleased to announce the launch of the CONB Series IP67 Cordsets. CONB Cordsets provide a broader range of options than the previous CONM Series cordsets, and offer improved overall performance at a much more competitive price. In addition to their standard PVC jackets, the new CONB Cordsets are also available with 100%…
New magnetic Kit Encoders as alternative to resolvers and optical systems
POSITAL’s new family of kit encoders provide the manufacturers of servomotors and other machinery with rugged, accurate and cost-efficient tools for building rotary position measurements into their products. The new kit encoders are based on POSITAL’s highly successful self-contained magnetic rotary encoders. Now however, the core components of these instruments are available as separate assemblies…
Tolomatic adds extreme-force capability to electric linear rod actuator offering
Tolomatic’s new RSX hydraulic-class electric linear rod actuator meets the need for extreme forces and is a good choice for replacing hydraulic cylinders. Designed and tested for 100% duty cycle, the actuator’s roller-screw drive ensures long, consistent life. Applications include pressing, punching, stamping; riveting, fastening, joining; injection molding; and sawmilling. The Tolomatic RSX family of […]
DES-Case reimagines the oil sight glass, launches redesigned version that improves contamination monitoring
Des-Case Corporation, a global manufacturer of specialty filtration products that improve process equipment reliability and extend lubricant life, has launched an entirely redesigned oil sight glass.
Senator Gillibrand Pushes Rural Broadband Bill
Rural access to high-speed broadband is generally a problem. And most of us living in a major metro leaning hard on the internet to get through the day don’t feel the pain unless we’re on a pastoral vacation or visiting relatives for what turns out to be a low-speed holiday. If you’ve had the experience, it…
Opto 22 announces relationship with Dell to develop and deploy Internet of Things (IoT) applications
Industrial automation manufacturer and Internet of Things (IoT) application toolset provider Opto 22 announces that it has joined the Dell IoT Solutions Partner Program. This relationship provides a product and solution ecosystem for connecting real-world signals and industrial “things” to the digital world of information technology, mobile, and cloud computing. A technology revolution is gaining […]
Deep-Learning Algorithm Creates Short Videos from Still Photos
Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory developed a deep-learning algorithm that can take a still image from a scene and create a brief video that simulates the future of that scene. The researchers used 2 million unlabeled videos that comprise a year’s worth of footage. The algorithm they developed…
UK Bill Requiring Firms To Store Web Histories Becomes Law
A contentious internet surveillance bill that creates databases of Britons’ online activity has become law—though the government says some of its provisions still need “extensive testing” before taking effect. House of Commons Speaker John Bercow told lawmakers on Tuesday that the Investigatory Powers Bill had received royal assent, the last formality to becoming law. It…
DARPA Creating Industry/Government Group For Safe Operation Of Space Robotics
Recent technological advances have made the longstanding dream of on-orbit robotic servicing of satellites a near-term possibility. The potential advantages of that unprecedented capability are enormous. Instead of designing their satellites to accommodate the harsh reality that, once launched, their investments could never be repaired or upgraded, satellite owners could use robotic vehicles to physically…
The World’s Largest Particle Accelerator Is Inspected By Robots
In the depths of Switzerland, the CERN physics laboratory has the equipment necessary to make The Flash universe a reality. Inside the CERN facility exists the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s largest particle accelerator. The underground tunnel is a 17-mile long circle responsible for colliding particles together at the speed of light (and creating metahumans).…
Team Develops Thin Foam That Keeps Vehicles, Buildings Cooler, Quieter
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has developed a new material that will make vehicles and buildings cooler and quieter compared to current insulation materials in the market. Known as aerogel composites, this new foam insulates against heat 2.6 times better than conventional insulation foam. When compared to traditional materials used in soundproofing, it can…
Ready For Takeoff: Blues Skies Thinking To Improve Aircraft Safety
Nervous flyers and crew alike would prefer jet airliners not to vibrate so much at take off. Research published in the International Journal of Aerodynamics points to blue skies thinking that might explain the phenomenon and find ways to reduce the safety and image problems associated with this troubling aircraft noise. Engineer Stanislaw Raczynski of the Universidad…
U.K. Regulator Orders a Openreach/BT Split
Ofcom, which is the communications regulator in the United Kingdom, reported on Tuesday that it was making a formal notification to require the legal separation of Openreach from BT. It says BT fell well short when the regulator asked for voluntary proposals to address competition concerns. The core of the Ofcom proposal is a requirement…
MEMS Microphone Employs Energy Harvesting
At the MEMS & Sensors Group Executive Conference in Scottsdale, AZ, Matt Crowley, the CEO of Vesper Technologies, demonstrates his company’s wake on sound MEMS microphone. The VM1010 prototype uses the piezoelectric MEMS microphone as a piezoelectric energy harvester for saving power with an always on voice mode. For more information, click here.
France is Building a Human-Powered Gym Boat – and Other Around-the-World Tech Stories You Might Have Missed
Canada is Testing its First Autonomous RV Our Neighbors up North have finally entered the race to develop self-driving cars. The decade-long project, costing almost $3 million, involves three vehicles: a Lincoln MKZ hybrid sedan (adorably dubbed, “Autonomoose”), developed by the University of Waterloo; a 2017 Lincoln, developed by software company, BlackBerry QNX; and a…
Squeezed States of Light Can Improve Feedback Cooling Significantly
How does the tightrope walker manage to maintain her balance and avoid that fatal drop from the sky? She carefully senses the motion of her body and vibrations of the rope and accordingly compensates any deviation from equilibrium by shifting her center of gravity. In a thermally excited system, the amplitude of the mechanical vibrations…
FirstNews Briefs: Nokia, Altair, Cricket, PayByPhone
Nokia said it has teamed up with Finnish operator Elisa to deliver the first cloud-based Voice-over-LTE and Voice-over-Wi-Fi service in that country. As a result of Elisa’s nationwide launch of the VoLTE service, Nokia said customers will be able to experience faster call connectivity while enjoying high 4G data speeds. The addition of Voice-over-Wi-Fi will…
Novel Silicon Etching Technique Crafts 3-D Gradient Refractive Index Micro-optics
A multi-institutional research collaboration has created a novel approach for fabricating three-dimensional micro-optics through the shape-defined formation of porous silicon (PSi), with broad impacts in integrated optoelectronics, imaging, and photovoltaics. Working with colleagues at Stanford and The Dow Chemical Company, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign fabricated 3-D birefringent gradient refractive index (GRIN)…
Trump Picks Price As HHS Secretary; Democrats Blast Choice
President-elect Donald Trump has selected Georgia Rep. Tom Price, a leading critic of President Barack Obama’s sweeping health care law, to head the Department of Health and Human Services. A key Senate Democrat immediately criticized the choice. If confirmed by the Senate, Price would play a central role in Republican efforts to repeal and replace…
NASA’s ISS-RapidScat Earth Science Mission Ends
NASA’s International Space Station Rapid Scatterometer (ISS-RapidScat) Earth science instrument has ended operations following a successful two-year mission aboard the space station. The mission launched Sept. 21, 2014, and had recently passed its original decommissioning date. ISS-RapidScat used the unique vantage point of the space station to provide near-real-time monitoring of ocean winds, which are…