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Long-life electric actuators: Improved controllability, performance

Thomson Electrak LL Linear Actuators now offer your machine designs a higher speed option, more electronic control options (including CANopen), and a 48-V option to meet the power requirements in battery-powered applications. Thomson says the new Electrak LL choices are for those who want to gain more control over the position, load, and speed of their applications, such as smart railway pantographs and couplers, AGVs, automated farming robots, movable steps, and access lifts for trains and buses.
Learn more and get the specs.

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.
Learn more.

Ultra-compact hollow-shaft angle sensor tracks angle even if power is cut

Novotechnik's WAL 200 Series of hollow shaft angle sensors provides absolute rotary position -- even if power is removed. After power is restored, this sensor provides the correct angle. With a 7-mm profile and 22-mm diameter, it is designed to fit in applications with very limited space. The WAL 200 Series has a measurement range of 0 to 340 degrees. Mechanical range is a continuous 0 to 360 degrees. Applications include volumetric dosing systems, joysticks, and more.
Learn more.

What can you do with touchless magnetic angle sensors?

Novotechnik has put together an informative video highlighting real-world applications for their RFC, RFE, and RSA Series touchless magnetic angle sensors. You may be surprised at the variety of off-highway, marine, material handling, and industrial uses. You'll learn how they work (using a Hall effect microprocessor to detect position) and their key advantages, including eliminated wear and tear on these non-mechanical components. We love when manufacturers provide such useful examples.
View the video.

EMI suppression capacitors with enhanced humidity resistance

TDK Corporation has launched the EPCOS B3292xM3/N3 series of X2 EMI suppression capacitors. These new components are 20% smaller than previous models and meet Grade III Test B standards for temperature, humidity, and bias (THB). Their compact size and enhanced durability suit space-constrained, high-humidity environments, especially for "across-the-line" applications in automotive and industrial settings. Applications include automotive on-board chargers, uninterruptible power supplies, and hybrid inverters for energy storage systems.
Learn more.

Uses of thermal cameras in manufacturing expand: This time around to papermaking

What can you so with FLIR thermal cameras to improve your industrial processes? Recent developments in thermal signature analytics have expanded the applications of thermal cameras beyond routine troubleshooting. In papermaking, they now contribute to paper machine control, energy usage benchmarking, wet streak detection, and the identification and prediction of certain classes of sheet breaks. Maybe you'll get some ideas for your applications.
Read the full article.

3-axis motion made simple using CLICK PLUS PLC

Automation-Direct CLICK PLUS PLCs, when combined with stepper motors, make advanced motion control and edge integration simple for smaller systems. Learn motion control basics, motor options, motion with micro-PLCs and steppers, and more in this informative whitepaper from AutomationDirect. No registration required.
Get the AutomationDirect whitepaper.

Benchtop ionizer removes static at a distance

The award-winning EXAIR Varistat^® Benchtop Ionizer is a powerful fan-driven static eliminator engineered to neutralize static charges on surfaces in demanding industrial environments. This Ionizer delivers a consistent stream of ionized airflow, effectively eliminating static and particulates without the need for compressed air. The Varistat is now available in 230 V to meet the needs of industrial locations. Easily mounted and manually adjustable.
Learn more.

All about slip rings: How they work and their uses

Rotary Systems has put together a really nice basic primer on slip rings -- electrical swivels that carry a current from a stationary wire into a rotating device. Common uses are for power, proximity switches, strain gauges, video, and Ethernet signal transmission. This introduction also covers how to specify, assembly types, and interface requirements. Rotary Systems also manufactures rotary unions for fluid applications.
Read the Rotary Systems article.

Digital microscope with 2,040x mag: Under $200

Inspect work products or help your little engineer at home win that science fair with the AD246S-M HDMI Digital Microscope from Andonstar Technology Co. This tri-lens unit boasts a wide magnification range (60 to 240x, 18 to 720x, 1,560 to 2,040x), very good image performance, built-in rotatable monitor, and a slew of multifunctional accessories including a remote, dimmer cable to adjust illumination, and more. A solid choice for a small investment.
Learn more.

What is 3D-MID? Molded parts with integrated electronics from HARTING

3D-MID (three-dimensional mechatronic integrated devices) technology combines electronic and mechanical functionalities into a single 3D component. It gives engineers the power and freedom to shrink components, optimize space, and provide higher overall functional density -- while offering the same or more capabilities as in larger devices. HARTING's tagline for the tech is, "Like a PCB, but 3D."
Read the full article.

World-first bendable 5K2K gaming monitor

The LG UltraGear OLED Bendable Gaming Monitor (model 45GX990A) is the world's first 5K2K-resolution bendable OLED display. The 45-in. monitor can smoothly transition from completely flat to a 900R curvature within seconds for more flexibility and control over your gaming experience. Its upgraded Dual-Mode feature allows users to switch effortlessly between resolution and refresh rate presets, and customize aspect ratio and picture size.
Learn more about this monitor and other LG releases at CES.

Rugged photoelectric sensors see up to 4 meters

Automation-Direct has added AchieVe FDM series 12-mm tubular photoelectric sensors that offer a rugged metal construction, high IP67 protection ratings, and sensing distances up to 4 m. These sensors feature selectable light-on/dark-on operation, a 10- to 30-VDC operating voltage range, potentiometer or teach-in button sensitivity adjustment, and a fast 1-kHz switching frequency. Highly visible red LED models are offered with the polarized reflective sensing style, while infrared models are available in diffuse and through-beam styles. Lots of applications. Three-year warranty.
Learn more.

Engineer's Toolbox: Critical inspection of airplane parts with a SVS-Vistek 10GigE camera

Manufacturers of aviation engine components are being impacted by Industry 4.0's emphasis on quality control, which is challenging them to rethink outdated processes and to embrace new technologies. A new system developed by researchers in Italy uses a Kuka robot, a SVS-Vistek 61-megapixel 10GigE camera, and AI to detect defects in honeycomb aerospace parts faster and with more accuracy.
Read the full article.

What's new in MATLAB and Simulink?

Release 2024b from MathWorks offers hundreds of new and updated features and functions in MATLAB and Simulink including several major updates -- including 5G Toolbox, Simulink Control Design, System Composer, and more -- that streamline the workflows of engineers and researchers working on wireless communications systems, control systems, and digital signal processing applications.
View the video.

Weird science: Atom swapping could lead to ultra-bright, flexible next-generation LEDs

Artist's impression of glowing halide perovskite nanocrystals: By swapping one out of every 1,000 atoms of one material for another, researchers were able to triple the luminescence of a new material class of light emitters known as halide perovskites. [Image: Ella Maru Studio]

 

 

 

 

An international group of researchers has developed a new technique that could be used to make more efficient low-cost light-emitting materials that are flexible and can be printed using ink-jet techniques.

The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge (U.K) and the Technical University of Munich (Germany), found that by swapping one out of every 1,000 atoms of one material for another, they were able to triple the luminescence of a new material class of light emitters known as halide perovskites.

This "atom swapping," or doping, causes the charge carriers to get stuck in a specific part of the material's crystal structure, where they recombine and emit light. The results, reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, could be useful for low-cost printable and flexible LED lighting, displays for smartphones, or cheap lasers.

Many everyday applications now use light-emitting devices (LEDs), such as domestic and commercial lighting, TV screens, smartphones, and laptops. The main advantage of LEDs is they consume far less energy than older technologies.

Ultimately, also the entirety of our worldwide communication via the internet is driven by optical signals from very bright light sources that within optical fibers carry information at the speed of light across the globe.

The team studied a new class of semiconductors called halide perovskites in the form of nanocrystals that measure only about a ten-thousandth of the thickness of a human hair. These "quantum dots" are highly luminescent materials: the first high-brilliance QLED TVs incorporating quantum dots recently came onto the market.

The Cambridge researchers, working with Daniel Congreve's group at Harvard, who are experts in the fabrication of quantum dots, have now greatly improved the light emission from these nanocrystals. They substituted one out of every 1,000 atoms with another -- swapping lead for manganese ions -- and found the luminescence of the quantum dots tripled.

A detailed investigation using laser spectroscopy revealed the origin of this observation. "We found that the charges collect together in the regions of the crystals that we doped," said Sascha Feldmann from Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory, the study's first author. "Once localized, those energetic charges can meet each other and recombine to emit light in a very efficient manner."

"We hope this fascinating discovery -- that even smallest changes to the chemical composition can greatly enhance the material properties -- will pave the way to cheap and ultrabright LED displays and lasers in the near future," said senior author Felix Deschler, who is jointly affiliated at the Cavendish and the Walter Schottky Institute at the Technical University of Munich.

In the future, the researchers hope to identify even more efficient dopants that will help make these advanced light technologies accessible to every part of the world.

Source: University of Cambridge

Published July 2021

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