X-rays without film. Fewer X-rays taken. Less radiation exposure. Real-time digital images that can be stored electronically or sent anywhere in the world via telecommunications systems. Such will be the change in X-ray technology with the large-scale, amorphous-silicon X-ray detectors developed by GE Medical Systems (Milwaukee, WI). Conventional X-ray film and chemicals are replaced with computer images and a large-format X-ray detector. Measuring up to 41 @ 41 cm in the active area, GE says these are the largest panels available anywhere. The immense format and high pixel density eliminate the need for optical image reduction. Each pixel delivers up to 16 bits of dynamic-range (contrast) information. Officials at GE predict this will revolutionize the way X-ray images are acquired, analyzed and shared. The manufacture of the detector starts with a pizza-box-size, glass-panel substrate. Photolithographic techniques create photodiodes by applying and patterning successive thin-film layers of silicon, metals, and insulators. A final layer of scintillator material, which converts X-ray photons to visible light, is applied over the array. EG&G (Santa Clara, CA) will have exclusive rights to manufacture the panels, available for medical applications by late 1998 or early 1999. Phone (408) 565-0850.
New disc magnet motors fit into the design trend of stepping up to closed loop performance while maintaining the cost advantage of stepper motor technology.
At the Design News webinar on June 27, learn all about aluminum extrusion: designing the right shape so it costs the least, is simplest to manufacture, and best fits the application's structural requirements.
A new battery design, which replaces lithium with abundant and low-cost elemental sulfur, is still in its nascent stages but shows real promise for giving batteries more energy potential.
The push to achieving more intelligent, integrated manufacturing is putting a strong focus on networking and connectivity as key enabling technologies.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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