| November 28, 2023 | Volume 19 Issue 44 |
| | Feature articles | NASA receives laser data from 10 million miles away
In a technology first, NASA's Deep Space Optical Communications experiment aboard the Psyche spacecraft has beamed a near-infrared laser encoded with test data from nearly 10 million miles away -- about 40 times farther than the Moon is from Earth -- to Caltech's Palomar Observatory in California. This is the farthest-ever demonstration of optical communications and is even more complicated than you may think.
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 | How Toyota is using Generative AI
The news about artificial intelligence (AI) can be alarming, sounding like robots are taking over the world. That is not reality. Toyota has been using AI for years, within the enterprise as well as in the products they offer. See what the company is up to now and has plans for in the future.
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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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 | Heavy duty: Electric actuators open 3-ton bunker doors
Converting a 1960s nuclear-proof bunker into a museum is full of challenges, one of which was to repurpose 3-ton, all-metal nuclear-safe doors as fire doors. But how do you open and close such massive doors safely? Luckily, Thomson Industries' Electrak HD electric linear actuators were up for the challenge.
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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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 | Hybrid actuation system reduces energy consumption, simplifies designs
Learn how a leading manufacturer of household cleaning products solved its downtime problems due to an overloaded ball screw in its production-line electromechanical automated plastic cap dumping function. A Hybrid Actuation System (HAS) did the trick, combining the controllability of traditional electromechanical actuators with the power density, longer life, and failsafe conditions commonly found on traditional hydraulic systems.
Read this informative Parker blog. |
 | Particle foam perfectly distributed thanks to simulation with Ultrasim
BASF's Ultrasim simulation solution now includes Infinergy, an expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (E-TPU) that is used in a wide range of applications to make components with particle foam -- from bicycle tires to the soles on shoes. Identify and solve problems related to pneumatic filling when distributing particle foams in molds, even taking gravity and mold closing into consideration. Avoid those pesky air pockets.
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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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| | Videos+: Technologies and inspiration in action | See Optimus Primal get 3D printed
Paramount Pictures, Velo3D, 3D Printing Nerd, and Adam Savage's Tested partnered up earlier this year on a very cool project that leveraged metal 3D printing to bring Transformers to the real world. To promote the new movie "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," Velo3D 3D printed the head of the character Optimus Primal using its Sapphire XC printer and Inconel 718, a high-performance nickel-based superalloy used by some of today's most innovative space companies. Host Joel Telling walks through all the steps that produced the 225-lb mega part with laser powder bed fusion. Cumulative print time was a whopping 160 hours.
View the video. |
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