Hunters of technical data, engineers are on a constant prowl for information that will help them solve thorny design problems--information on new materials, new components, new design tools, new ideas. That's why you read engineering magazines.
At Design News, we're constantly hunting for feedback on how well our articles are meeting your information needs. That's why we ask you in every issue to rate the usefulness of the stories we publish. Examining those ratings gives us a pretty good idea of, among other things, the kinds of technology you're most interested in. In 1999, the top three articles you found most useful included two on materials and one on motion control. For those who may have missed them, here they are:
Number one is a story in our Annual Medical Issue, June 7, entitled "Surgical gloves will stop needle sticks," by Senior Editor Charles J. Murray. The focus of the article: SuperFabric, a technique developed by Higher Dimension Research for assembling materials into a hard entity. It involves the use of blocks of material connected by a mesh, and, says the company, it can be used with stainless steel, ceramics, composites, and plastics, among other materials. One graphic showed a hypodermic needle bending as it comes into contact with the gloves, a dramatic illustration of the fact that gloves made with this material process prevent needles from penetrating them and puncturing skin. The same process could also be used for industrial gloves and luggage, among other applications.
Next is "Metals that make a difference" (April 19, 1999), by Senior Editor Gary Chamberlain that describes, among other things, an electrolytic surface conversion and coating process developed by Almag Al Ltd. The hardness of the coating is in the same class as sapphire, claims the company, and the wear resistance is about four times that of hard, anodized aluminum.
Rounding out the top three is an article with the intriguing title, "Man moves 30,000 packages in 4 hours!!" (February 1, 1999), by International Editor David Bak. The report is about a package-handling operation that employs IR scanners from Omnix, motors and drives from Lenze, and PLCs from Mitsubishi. Bak follows a typical package through the system, noting that thanks to the technology it goes from receiving station to a final destination conveyor in 2.5 minutes.
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
Researchers at MIT and Sandia National Labs have observed a reaction in lithium-air batteries that could help improve the design of these cells for electric vehicles and other applications.
Healthcare might seem to be an unlikely target application for the Internet of Things technology, but recent developments show small ways that big-data is going to make an impact on patient care moving into the future.
As energy efficiency becomes more and more a concern for makers of electronics devices, researchers are coming up with new ways to harvest energy from sound vibration, footsteps, and even electromagnetic fields in the air.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
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A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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