Designfax weekly eMagazine

Subscribe Today!

Archives

View Archives

Partners

Manufacturing Center
Product Spotlight

Modern Applications News
Metalworking Ideas For
Today's Job Shops

Tooling and Production
Strategies for large
metalworking plants

Millimeter-wave imaging inspection in real time

With its new quality and inspection R&S IMAGER millimeter-wave scanner, Rohde & Schwarz aims to simplify the industrial inspection of packaged products. The system sees through common packaging materials at production speed without using X-rays, protecting both products and operators. The high-contrast 3D images are used as digital twins and can be automatically integrated into AI-powered fault-detection systems. Sees through plastics, cardboard, and composites. Applications include food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, logistics.
Learn more.

What are single-loop process controllers?

PLCs are powerful, but complex control isn't always necessary. For standalone processes requiring single-variable monitoring -- like temperature, pressure, or flow -- a single-loop controller is ideal. See how single-loop controllers can streamline your next project.
Read the AutomationDirect tech tip.

Great Resources: Flexible circuit design guide

Tech-Etch uses advanced techniques to manufacture flex and rigid-flex circuits to exacting customer specs. Special processes include selective plating a single circuit with two different finishes, contoured circuits with variable metal thickness, semi-additive and subtractive techniques, open window or cantilevered contact leads, plus SMT for component assembly. Tech-Etch specializes in flexible circuits for medical, telecommunications, aerospace, semiconductor, and other high-reliability electronic applications.
Learn about flex circuits and get the guide (no registration required).

EMI Investigations: New immunity development system

Saelig Company announces the Langer E1 Immunity Development System for EMI investigations. This compact, affordable kit simulates burst and ESD interference to pinpoint layout weak spots down to IC pins. By eliminating "black box" guesswork early in development, engineers can efficiently identify coupling mechanisms, test measures, and resolve immunity issues before compliance failure.
Learn more and see it in action.

Battery packs for unmanned aerial vehicles

Re:Build Manufacturing has launched U.S.-assembled, NDAA-compliant lithium-ion battery packs for commercial, public safety, and defense UAV applications. Available in Core, Power, and Performance series, the packs use non-FEOC cells and are produced at Re:Build's advanced facility in New Kensington, PA. Re:Build also offers custom pack and battery management system development.
Learn more.

Easy-to-use precision measurement system

Optical Gaging Products has announced the StarLite S1, a compact, semi-automatic 3-axis video measurement system. It combines fully automatic video measurements with manual stage motion and features an IntelliCentric-S optical system for high-resolution images. Powered by Measure-X software, this system delivers fast, repeatable, high-accuracy results, making it ideal for both shop-floor and quality-control applications.
Learn more.

Why a soccer kick bends the ball path: SOLIDWORKS simulation

With SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation, you can virtually test a ball's flight path and see the science behind its amazing trajectory. Visualize anything you want to test, including the physics that make a ball curve and dip, to optimize performance and reduce physical testing. See the SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation study setup and learn about the Magnus effect where a spinning object moving through a fluid curves away from its straight path. [Credit: Screenshot courtesy of SOLIDWORKS]
View the video.

Lightning-fast in-line verification, high-performance barcode reading

The Omron VHV5 Barcode Reader now combines high-performance barcode reading and calibrated ISO verification in one device. Replacing offline sample checks, it delivers 100% inline verification at production speeds up to 1,200 parts per minute. With flexible lighting, the VHV5 easily inspects labels and Direct Part Marks, even on challenging curved or irregular surfaces.
Learn more.

How to choose the right industrial Ethernet switch

Antaira Technologies breaks down 10 mission-critical capabilities separating industrial-grade switches from commercial compromises. Even if you aren't in IT engineering, you will find valuable networking knowledge in this guide to protect vital infrastructure.
Read the full article.

New CAM software cuts robotic machining deployment

At Automate (Booth #4476), RoboDK will showcase RoboDK CAM, which generates robotic machining programs directly from CAD files. Designed for easy deployment, it cuts setup time by up to 40%. Live demonstrations will show users how to create collision-free robot motion straight from CAD data, eliminating manual line-by-line coding.
Learn more about RoboDK CAM.

AI Tools You Can Use: What is OpenClaw? How do I get it and use it?

OpenClaw is trending big time right now, but what is it? The YouTubers over at Create a Pro Website run through the basics of what you need to know and how to implement it. Basically, OpenClaw is a next-gen 24/7 AI assistant that lives on your computer and can perform actions for you. You talk to it through a chat app. You can set it up to do real work such as alert you to important emails, answer emails for you, manage your calendar and travel, and so much more. There is a great intro video here and also a longer, very thorough step-by-step video to setting up OpenClaw.
View the OpenClaw intro video.
View the OpenClaw setup video.

New! 6-digit programmable display/controller

Bristol Instruments has released the OM 403UNI Series displays/ controllers, allowing users to monitor two or three simultaneous functions. Configured via OM Link software or front-panel buttons, they feature four- or six-digit displays with +/-0.05% of f.s. range accuracy. They function as numeric/bar-graph displays, controllers, data recorders, or accumulators. Additionally, they detect and alert users to error conditions like broken sensor wires.
Learn more.

Mini edge AI systems for vision, generative AI

As enterprises transition from PoC to real-world edge AI deployment, Aetina has launched its Mini Series Edge AI systems. Powered by NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano and NX modules, these compact, fanless systems deliver high-performance vision and generative AI inference. Engineered for demanding industrial environments, they offer flexible camera connectivity, space-saving designs, and long-term reliability to accelerate smart infrastructure.
Learn more.

Thermal imaging on the quality control line

On a high-speed food and beverage line, what you can see is not always what is happening. Thermal imaging adds a different layer of control. Instead of relying on surface appearance, it measures heat distribution as seals are formed and products move through the line, providing continuous, 100% in-line inspection instead of just sampling.
Read the full article.

Built for the test bench, ready for the field

FUTEK's IDC150 Signal Conditioner packages high-performance signal conditioning in a rugged aluminum enclosure. Built for engineers needing accurate, synchronized data from strain gauge sensors, it fits prototyping and lab environments. The device connects seamlessly to existing setups and pairs with SENSIT software and Python APIs. It is ideal for compact, high-performance digital sensor evaluation.
Learn more.

Department of Defense: Collaboration and standardization are key to battery strategy

The Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System (TRUAS) flies during a demonstration at DZ Cockatoo on Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA, March 29, 2023. Combat Development and Integration demonstrated the TRUAS, programming the Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air to carry a payload over a short distance, drop it at a specified location in the landing zone, and return to its staring point. [Credit: Photo By: Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kayla LeClaire]

 

 

 

 

By Halimah Najieb-Locke, Lee Robinson, and Devon Bistarkey, U.S. Department of Defense

Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks has made clear a healthy battery supply chain is essential for military capabilities and national security, and when it comes to batteries, "America needs to lead the world." Batteries are a vital and dynamic sector at the center of national efforts to deliver effective battlefield operations, secure critical defense supply chains, and ensure America's clean energy future. The Defense Department depends on batteries to communicate, operate autonomous vehicles, power directed energy weapons, and electrify warfighting platforms.

"Advanced batteries are the single-greatest cost and a bottleneck for electric platforms due to supply chain and integration issues," said Andrew Higier, director of the energy portfolio at the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). "From raw materials to assembly, the commercial supply chain is heavily reliant on adversarial nations -- and defense integration of new batteries is slow, cumbersome, and costly."

Each year the Defense Department makes substantial procurements of specialized, bespoke battery designs to power critical weapons systems, creating challenges in affordability and pacing market capability. By better leveraging the commercial market, DOD has the opportunity to optimize its buying power across the $515 billion in active global auto industry investments, according to the 2022 Securing Defense-Critical Supply Chains report.

The supply chain report, published by the Defense Department's Office of Industrial Base Policy, was a response to Executive Order 14017, which directed assessment of potential supply chain risks and strategies to mitigate or overcome them.

As part of that effort, DOD is working to align industry and military battery standards wherever practical -- from tactical vehicles and unmanned systems to military installations -- in order to ensure future defense requirements can be produced affordably, while meeting warfighter needs.

The report recognizes that despite a reliance on batteries in nearly all systems, the Defense Department can be a challenging industry partner. Currently, the battery acquisition process is often limited to low-volume purchases of bespoke batteries over short-term contracts with limited considerations for the security of the supporting supply chain. This process has resulted in high non-recurring engineering costs for vendors who preferentially select low-cost components from less-than-secure sources.

"By improving our understanding of the where, when, why, and how we buy batteries, and by standardizing where it makes sense, we will increase our buying power and our ability to better inform industry of our needs in the future," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience, Halimah Najieb-Locke.

Currently, the IBP office is partnering with DIU to tap into U.S. and allied partner-based industry innovation and the growing commercial battery market. As the commercial solution gateway, DIU leverages significant private sector investments in battery development in order to learn from the most knowledgeable players in the field, then uses that expertise to make scalable products with traditional and non-traditional industry partners. These technology partnerships in advanced batteries ensure the Defense Department evolves with industry in order to move beyond program-by-program procurement.

"This is important work," said Najieb-Locke. "We must send a consistent and coherent demand signal to industry -- and by coordinating our efforts, we are ensuring that the batteries our forces use are available, ready, and free of adversarial influence."

Action plan to standardize and aggregate battery demand will:

• Bring In Commercial Best of Breed: Source rechargeable battery cells from domestic and allied battery manufacturers to serve DOD storage capacity and performance requirements
• Perfect the Standard Form Factors: Demonstrate these cells in high-capacity rechargeable battery packs across a range of standard use case categories: single-cell batteries, hand-held, soldier-worn, ruck-able, equipment, and vehicle battery packs
• Integrate into Critical Platforms: Optionally, integrate newly standardized rechargeable batteries into respective devices for performance characterization and testing

The first step toward bringing the commercial market into defense batteries is currently underway with DIU's Jumpstart for Advanced Battery Standardization program that prototypes commercial batteries to electrify current and next-gen military platforms. The program focuses exclusively on leveraging commercial electric vehicle (EV) batteries at the module and pack level to inform both the process of integration into military vehicles and the military specifications for electrification of future platforms.

Marine Corps Master Sgt. Christopher D. Genualdi, capabilities integration officer, Logistical Combat Element Integration Division, Capabilities Development Directorate, Combat Development and Integration, speaks during a UAV demo at DZ Cockatoo. The TRUAS UAV has a 9-mile range, max payload 150 lb -- enough to fly ammunition, food, med supplies, batteries, and other supplies. [Credit: Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kayla LeClaire]

 

 

 

 

Additionally, DIU's Family of Advanced Standard Batteries, or FASTBat, project is focused on adopting a streamlined battery procurement and integration process, driving down supply chain and design challenges. Work under FASTBat aims to aggregate the DOD's purchasing power, increase the demand signal to commercial battery manufacturers, and provide an approved battery pack form-fit-function to power military systems. This work will include designing, prototyping, testing, and evaluating battery cells and/or packs, as well as integrating the batteries into devices as applicable.

In 2021, the Department of the Navy and IBP secured $12 million to begin investment in the JABS program, which was followed by an FY 2023 investment of $44 million in battery standardization, analytics, and infrastructure. These investments align to initiatives laid out in the DOD's Lithium Battery Strategy 2023-2030, recently released for distribution to U.S. Government personnel and contractors.

In accordance with the Department of Energy's National Blueprint for Lithium Batteries 2021-2030 ("National Blueprint"), both programs demonstrate the Department's ability to turn strategy into action.

"We are leveraging our partners in the interagency, particularly in the Department of Energy, to develop a whole of government approach to build up a domestic lithium battery industrial base that is supported by secure and resilient supply chains," said Najieb-Locke.

Budget and strategy are also aligned in this critical mission. The President's recently released FY 2024 defense budget request makes critical investments into revitalizing the defense industrial base, driving innovation, and building enduring advantages. The budget request invests approximately $6 billion in fostering industrial base resilience, including long-term investments in five defense-critical sectors in alignment with E.O.14017, including $125 million in battery and energy storage.

"This is a very exciting time to be working on industrial base and supply chain issues, because the issues that we work on are central concerns of leaders across government and industry. I look forward to working with our key Departmental, interagency, and international partners when it comes to scaling up new, advanced manufacturing tech in our 'critical sectors,' which includes batteries, microelectronics, and renewable energy." said Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, the recently sworn in Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy.

The Defense Department is now putting these tools to work to ensure access to critical battery technologies that will power the future force.

Published June 2023

Rate this article