Design News - April 7, 2008

Cover Story

Roasting Plant’s Javabot Combines Engineering and Coffee

Engineers really don’t make coffee like other people. Just check out the design of the Javabot, an automated coffee roasting and brewing system that features pneumatic conveyors and a high-end distributed control system.

Departments

Calamities
The Case of the Culpable Contactor
Flash
Sensing Wing Positions
Monitoring Materials on the Fly
People Watching with a Purpose
Providing a Sense of Security
Mouse Fits in Cramped Spaces, Goes Through Walls
Gadget Freak
Gadget Freak Case #118: Spying on Your Freezer
Rant
The U.S. Should Be Smart Enough to Know Better
Slant
GM's Power Train Strategy
The Dodge Report
Coffee, Industrially Automated
Tips From Titus
Count Your Effective Bits
Trend Watch
New Power Management Devices Boost Efficiency
Weblog
Readers Pick the Best and Worst Tech Movies

Feature

Special Section

Analog/Power Management
Single-, Multi-Phase Buck Regulation
Confronting Signal Conditioning Issues
Power Factor Correction Gets the Green Light

«2008 Archive Table of Contents

Design News Partner Zones

Light Matters: The Unsung Heroes of Modern Health Care
First, let's define "no-compromise." In an ideal configuration, this lamp would use a high-brightness LED (HBLED) that is built into a small, integrated package and is able to produce a large quantity of focused light, operate with a high level of reliability and generate no audible noise. Is this difficult? Yes, but it is possible.
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Design Engineers' Portal for Sensing and Machine Safety
Whatever industry you're in, or whatever product you manufacture, the right sensors to automate your plant, and to improve your overall efficiency, quality and safety are a must. You'll find Banner Engineering to be an amazing resource of products, training and people with expertise.