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Standard parts with signal feedback included

JW Winco standard parts are becoming even more functional -- multifunctional, to be precise. From smart stop bolts that report whether workpieces are precisely positioned in the machining process to cabinet handles with signal lights and fluid level indicators with electronic REED contact signals, intelligent standard parts from JW Winco ensure greater safety, higher efficiency, and increased stability. Many more very useful options available for a wide range of applications.
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Create smarter control systems with relays

Control relays play a pivotal role in the world of automation and control systems. These versatile devices are designed to help you manage electrical circuits, making them indispensable for a wide range of applications. Learn the distinctive benefits of relays, including reliability and durability, versatility, ease of use, and costs. Check out the relays AA Electric has in stock too.
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COMSOL Multiphysics Version 6.2 is here

COMSOL Multiphysics Version 6.2 introduces faster solvers for turbulent fluid flow, electric motors, and room acoustics. It also brings data-driven surrogate model functionality for creating multiphysics-based digital twins and building fast and accurate standalone simulation apps. Get the full details of what's new in the latest version.
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17 ways SOLIDWORKS 2024 helps you work faster

SOLIDWORKS 2024 helps designers and engineers work faster than ever. Learn all about improvements to core 3D CAD modeling features, new 3D modeling techniques, and graphical and software performance boosts that will help you get your parts made and your products developed in record time.
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6 tips to streamline workflow in Mastercam 2024

Mastercam 2024 CAD/CAM software has been intentionally upgraded to make programming fast and easy. It prioritizes streamlining workflow so that the entire machining process -- from design to QC -- is as efficient as possible. Learn how to maximize the benefits of Mastercam 2024, including special toolpaths, easier hole-making operations, wireframe shortcuts, and more.
Read this informative Mastercam blog.

Leak detection sensor for multiple HVAC refrigerants

Sensata Technologies has launched the Sensata Resonix RGD sensor, the first leak detection sensor with UL certification for multiple A2L refrigerant gases used in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment. It supports HVAC manufacturers' transition to refrigerants with a lower global warming impact. Typically mounted near the evaporator coil, the new sensor measures the acoustic resonance of the surrounding air in real time and can trigger mitigation, such as a fan, when A2L gas is detected.
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New electro-pneumatic vacuum regulator

The Type 1005V Electronic Vacuum Regulator is the first electronic vacuum regulator offered by ControlAir. It is used in various industrial and automation applications to precisely control and regulate the flow of air or gases in a system. It has two solenoid valves, a pressure sensor, and an electronic board for precise control to ensure that the vacuum pressure remains steady.
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Real-world applications: FUTEK 100 sensor examples

Get inspired. FUTEK has more than 100 real-world application examples for their load cells, force transducers, torque sensors, pressure sensors, and multi-axis sensors. From a cryogenic load cell on the Mars Curiosity rover to fly-by-wire multi-axis force and torque sensors for aircraft, learn about sensor systems, their specs, and design. Automotive, manufacturing, medical, robotics, and automation are covered too. Fascinating and highly practical.
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Filter fans for enclosures: 70 models in new series

The new 4000 Series from Seifert Systems covers 70 UL-listed filter fan models designed for enclosure applications. They snap in place once a cutout is made in the enclosure. Mounting screws are available with EMC models or as an option. Filter media snaps in place and easily slides out for replacement. When used with a Seifert thermostat, 4000 Series filter fans can be turned on only when needed. Air flow ranges from 7 to 483 cfm.
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What is 3D-MID? Molded parts with integrated electronics from HARTING

3D-MID (three-dimensional mechatronic integrated devices) tech combines electronic and mechanical functionalities into a single, 3D component. It replaces the traditional printed circuit board and opens up many new opportunities. It takes injection-molded parts and uses laser-direct structuring to etch areas of conductor structures, which are filled with a copper plating process to create very precise electronic circuits. HARTING, the technology's developer, says it's "Like a PCB, but 3D." Tons of possibilities.
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Need help with electronics connection design and manufacturing?

Conta-Clip combines electronics hardware and software development and production under one roof. Their comprehensive services range from simple-but-effective interface converters to complex control systems with touch displays and Ethernet connections. The company develops competitive connection solutions (including account costing) and closely cooperates with customers from needs analysis to prototype development, functional testing, series production, and even certification.
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Rugged sensor measures surface temperatures

TDK's tiny new T850 SMT NTC sensor measures surface temperatures for applications such as heat sinks of power modules and monitoring of industrial processes. It combines high humidity resistance with fast response time due to excellent thermal coupling to the target. The sensor is suitable for harsh environments with temps from -40 C to 150 C and is waterproof to 500 hrs.
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Inflatable EMI shielded RF enclosures

Saelig Company has introduced the Select Fabricators Series 700 EMI Enclosures -- reliable, portable, and lightweight RF and EMI shielding enclosures in standard sizes with a fast-up inflatable frame, ready for operation in less than 60 sec. No more aluminum tents. The Series 700 applies the same level of RF security obtained with previous RF/EMI shielded enclosures but is now made even more portable. Great for military operations, secure communications, mobile testing, emergency response, and more.
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Haptic feedback prototyping kit from TDK

Get your customers to feel the difference your products make. TDK has just released a development starter kit for fast haptics prototyping. It gives mechanical designers and engineers first impressions of the haptic feedback using PowerHap piezo actuators, shows how the mechanical integration works, and provides a reference design. Applications include automotive, displays and tablets, household appliances, vending machines, game controllers, industrial equipment, and medical devices.
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Position sensor real-world applications: Automotive and mobile equipment

From firetruck nozzle positioning and race car steering to accelerator control and wheel vector sensing, learn how position sensors from Novotechnik are used in real-world applications. Sensor types include non-contacting rotary sensors, angle sensors, and magnetic encoders. We love when manufacturers provide examples of their products in action.
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Researchers create paper-thin transistor that handles more than 8,000 V

The advancement surpasses silicon and other technologies, and could help improve distances that electric cars and locomotives can travel.

By Cory Nealon, University At Buffalo

People love their electric cars, but not so much the bulky batteries and related power systems that take up precious cargo space.

"The passivation layer is a simple, efficient, and cost-effective way to boost the performance of gallium oxide transistors," says Uttam Singisetti, associate professor of electrical engineering, University at Buffalo.

 

 

 

 

Help could be on the way from a gallium oxide-based transistor under development at the University at Buffalo.

In a study published in the June edition of IEEE Electron Device Letters, electrical engineers describe how their tiny electronic switch can handle more than 8,000 volts (V), an impressive feat considering it's about as thin as a sheet of paper.

The transistor could lead to smaller and more efficient electronic systems that control and convert electric power in electric cars, locomotives, and airplanes. In turn, this could help improve how far these vehicles can travel.

"To really push these technologies into the future, we need next-generation electronic components that can handle greater power loads without increasing the size of power electronics systems," says the study's lead author, Uttam Singisetti, who adds that the transistor could also benefit microgrid technologies and solid-state transformers.

Singisetti, PhD, associate professor of electrical engineering at the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and students in his lab have been studying the potential of gallium oxide, including previous work exploring transistors made from the material.

Perhaps the chief reason researchers are exploring gallium oxide's potential for power electronics is a property known as "bandgap."

Bandgap measures how much energy is required to jolt an electron into a conducting state. Systems made with wide-bandgap materials can be thinner, lighter, and handle more power than systems made of materials with lower bandgaps.

Gallium oxide's bandgap is about 4.8 electron volts, which places it among an elite group of materials considered to have an ultrawide bandgap.

The bandgap of these materials exceeds that of silicon (1.1 electron volts), the most common material in power electronics, as well as potential replacements for silicon, including silicon carbide (about 3.4 electron volts) and gallium nitride (about 3.3 electron volts).

A key innovation in the new transistor revolves around passivation, which is a chemical process that involves coating the device to reduce the chemical reactivity of its surface. To accomplish this, Singisetti added a layer of SU-8, an epoxy-based polymer commonly used in microelectronics.

The results were impressive.

Tests conducted just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shuttered Singisetti's lab in March show the transistor can handle 8,032 V before breaking down, which is more than similarly designed transistors made of silicon carbide or gallium nitride that are under development.

"The higher the breakdown voltage, the more power a device can handle," says Singisetti. "The passivation layer is a simple, efficient, and cost-effective way to boost the performance of gallium oxide transistors."

The graph image on the left shows the breakdown voltage of three different versions of the gallium oxide transistor. The illustration on the right shows the configuration and materials that make up the transistor that achieved a breakdown voltage of more than 8,000 V. [Credit: University at Buffalo]

 

 

 

 

Simulations suggest the transistor has a field strength of more than 10 million V (or 10 MV) per centimeter. Field strength measures the intensity of an electromagnetic wave in a given spot, and it eventually determines the size and weight of power electronics systems.

"These simulated field strengths are impressive. However, they need to be verified by direct experimental measurements," Singisetti says.

Additional authors of the study include current and past members of Singisetti's research lab: Sudipto Saha, Shivam Sharma, and Ke Zeng.

The research was supported by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Published June 2020

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