3M, a global leader in commercial bonding solutions, and Innovative Automation Inc., an integrator and provider of high-quality automation systems, are joining together to provide industrial manufacturers with an automated solution for tape applications that require precision, repeatability, and high output. The RoboTapeTM System for 3MTM Tape allows industrial manufacturers to take advantage of the…

By Reese Weber, Senior Application Engineer, 3M Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division and Bridget Nyland, Global Marketing Manager, 3M Industrial Adhesives and Tapes Division COVID-19, supply-chain issues, an ongoing labor shortage and greater sustainability requirements have accelerated the need to reassess all aspects of production, including fastening methods and automating production. Tapes and adhesives provide…

As the number of people with chronic diseases and the size of the aging population continues to grow, medical device design engineers need adhesive solutions that are both gentle and secure to help support device compliance by end-users. Today, 3M announced its latest addition to a new class of silicone adhesives that balances strength, flexibility…

All failures are a lesson learned. But cultivating relationships across disciplines, especially when projects “fail,” improves the odds of success.  Bret Ludwig, Ph.D. Senior Product Development Specialist, 3M Medical Materials & Technologies A sentiment from John C. Maxwell that device development teams could hear more often is, “Fail early, fail often, but always fail forward.”…

Gabi Miholics, Application Development Specialist 3M Abrasive Systems Division BS, Chemical Engineering, Western University I started my adult life as a veterinary assistant. I loved the science of the work I did at the animal hospitals, but it wasn’t quite what I was looking for in a career, so I enrolled in a course that…

3M is claiming that it is reshaping the future of fluoropolymers with 3D printed polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a 3D printable fully fluorinated polymer. Going under the name of 3M Dyneon PTFE, this tailored material formulation is printable with open-source stereolithography 3D printers. PTFE is known as a problem-solver and is often chosen for demanding industries and […]

When considering adhesive science and the challenges of skin as a substrate, design engineers know sticking to skin can be tricky. Adhesive plays a critical role in the success of a medical device, whether it’s holding the device together or adhering it to the wearer’s skin. Today, 3M announced it has added 3M Extended Wear…

As more and more industries are moving towards automation, design engineers are being challenged to increase production efficiencies and solve assembly challenges. Exploring new solutions and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible is the everyday expectation. That’s why 3M has developed the Global Adhesive Solutions Lab – to provide one-on-one attention and individualized solutions designed…

3M today announced it has expanded its lineup of advanced adhesives for medical devices with the addition of 3M Single Coated Medical Extended Wear Adhesive Nonwoven Tape on Liner (3M 4077), a pressure sensitive adhesive that offers omni-directional stretch for superior conformability and breathability. The thin, water-resistant tape offers excellent initial skin adhesion and a…

Too often the adhesive selection for a medical device is left to the end of a project. It doesn’t help that there are so many adhesives as to make the choice overwhelming. With so many potential negative outcomes, here are tips on making the right choice. Tony Kaufman, New Business Ventures in 3M’s Critical and…

Adhesives play a critical role in the success of a medical device, whether it’s holding the device together or adhering it to the wearer’s skin. But with so many adhesive products available, it can be a challenge for design engineers to know which one is right for their project. To help bridge this critical gap,…

Before you start a medical wearable device project, consider the following challenges and suggestions on how to address them. Diana Eitzman, Ph.D. and Kris Godbey Skin is unlike any other substrate. It sweats, grows hair, secretes oil, harbors bacteria, constantly sheds old cells, regenerates new ones and changes with health, environment and age – characteristics…

The largest body of evidence detailing the clinical benefits of patient warming, recently updated, offers scientific insights and instills confidence in temperature management best practices. The 3M™ Bair Hugger™ System Research Compendium includes summaries of over 200 studies across a wide range of surgeries, making it easy for clinicians to search the large volume of…

The University of Minnesota and 3M announced a new sponsorship on Monday, the latest in a 90-year relationship between two of the state’s largest institutions. This 14-year, $11.2 million sponsorship of Gopher Athletics includes the naming rights to Mariucci Arena. Keeping the historic Mariucci name, the Gopher hockey facility will now be known as 3M…

Healthcare facilities can obtain faster sterility assurance results for surgical instruments following the Food & Drug Administration’s 510(k) clearance of the 3M™ Attest™ Rapid Readout Biological Indicator (BI) System for vaporized hydrogen peroxide sterilization (VH202). BI results for VH202 sterilization cycles with the 3M™ Attest™ system can now be read in just 24 minutes—the fastest…

Design engineers are often faced with tricky applications that require bare metals to be bonded, and it can be tough to find products that can achieve this without extensive surface preparation. The path of continued improvement and signature innovation from 3M has led to a product that delivers strength, corrosion resistance and reliable performance for…

Manufacturing and design engineers thrive on producing new and innovative products, and rely on an efficient process to get them there. Now, there are structural adhesives available to take that process to the next level. 3M™ Scotch-Weld™ Acrylic Adhesive DP8425NS and 3M™ Scotch-Weld™ Low Odor Acrylic Adhesive DP8825NS offer a faster cure time and expand…

3M engineers say the TR-600 respirator is intended for those who work in environments with dirty air. The active air filter is the result of comprehensive research to gain an in-depth understanding the needs of those who work in less than clean air. Designed to endure heavy use and long wear, the respirator can help

Windpower Engineering & Development

3M, a technology company known for innovation, is expanding its portfolio of primerless attachment tape solutions with the addition of the 3M™ Acrylic Tape Series PX5000. Used to attach automotive exterior trim parts such as body side moldings and claddings to a variety of materials and substrates, the tape is now available to global automakers,…

By Paul J. Heney, Editorial Director Those wind turbines you see on the hillside may seem like they are turning at a lazy 15 rpm, but their blade tip speeds could be exceeding 160 mph. Some blade tip speeds can even reach an astonishing 250 mph. Being exposed to the elements—rain, hail, and salt spray—can…

3M introduced one of the first LED A19 lamps approved for enclosed fixtures in commercial applications. 3M manufactures the LED A19 lamps in the U.S. with U.S. and…

Power Electronic Tips

Taylor Johnson of Windpower Engineering interviews Jen Kamarainen on the topic of wind blade protection tapes. Jen describes the benefits of this 3M product and talks about how the tapes can decrease maintenance costs.

At the Embedded World Conference in Nuremberg, Germany, 3M unveiled a new Ultra Hard Metric (UHM) Socket Connector engineered to deliver more than 7 Gbps backplane performance for systems based on 2 mm hard-metric connectors. System design engineers working with 2 mm hard-metric-based designs, such as VME or CompactPCI, can now dramatically increase overall system…

3M Touch Systems, Inc. announces that Digi-Key Corporation will expand its 3M MicroTouch line card by adding 17″ 19″, 20″, 22″ and 32″ wide-aspect ratio screen sizes to their existing ClearTek II touch system product set and by offering the ToughTouch II “ruggedized” touch system product. The 3M MicroTouch ClearTek II touch system, 3M’s flagship…