Design World: Recent Episodes
Design World
The Design World podcast series features the latest in design engineering innovation from circuit design & 3D printing to automation & robotics.
Electrification is the hottest segment of engineering in the transportation sector right now. And it's impossible to talk about the automotive industry without discussing electric cars. But there are many in industry who feel that commercial and off the highway applications are the real sweet spot for electrification. This segment is a place where real reductions in operating costs, improvements in overall equipment efficiency and reductions in pollution can all be had at the same time. From an engineering perspective, there are several ways to generate horsepower and torque, and the energy comes from a battery as a DC source. But this doesn't mean that engineers are restricted to DC motors. Advancements in power semiconductor technology, combined with sophisticated control algorithms allow modern electric propulsion designers to enjoy the multiple control and efficiency benefits of alternating current, offering better efficiency in this battery dependent segment. Jim Anderton was joined in conversation by an expert in the field, Jonah Leason, electrification product manager with Parker-Hannifin.
Modern machine design is all about delivering higher performance at a lower cost with higher reliability. Delivering these often-conflicting performance characteristics is the mark of a great designer, and for the most common form of industrial motion, rotation, newer applications such as SCARA robots and their end effectors need torque with low mass in the smallest possible footprint. Frameless motors are an ideal choice for applications that are space-limited or must strictly control inertial mass. Kollmorgen frameless motor expert Tom Wood discusses the technology in conversation with Jim Anderton in this podcast.
The Engineering Research Visioning Alliance (ERVA) published a report on Engineering the Future of Distributed Manufacturing and identifies priorities that can revitalize U.S. manufacturing with sustainability and resilience in mind. In this podcast, Tali Rosman, startup advisor and Entrepreneur-at-Residence at Toronto Metropolitan University, shares how 3D printing plays a role in ERVA’s vision. Tali has worked at Stratasys, led Xerox’s former 3D printing subsidiary, Elem Additive, and now serves as a business advisor with expertise in advanced manufacturing.
Micro tools play a critical role in the manufacturing of medical devices, microelectronics, semiconductors, and any miniature component where precision is essential. Darren Fox, a product manager at ANCA with over 33 years of experience in the cutting tool industry, discusses ultra-precision grinding and ANCA's FX7 Ultra.
In this episode of Design World’s Technology Tuesdays Podcast, VP, Editorial Director Paul J. Heney chats about vision systems with Philip Freidin, an Applications Engineer with IDS Imaging Development Systems Inc. They discuss new and interesting applications, how to select the best industrial camera system, and what the future holds for this important technology area.
In our latest Technology Tuesdays podcast, Design World’s Michelle Froese speaks with David Church, president of Sorbothane, about innovative shock and vibration solutions. Sorbothane has been developing materials and components that isolate vibration, attenuate shock, and damp unwanted noise for more than 40 years.
In our latest Technology Tuesdays podcast, Design World’s Michelle Froese speaks with Mitsubishi Electric Automation’s product marketing manager for mechatronics and robotics, Patrick Varley. In this discussion, we delve into the topic of robotic automation and software provider solutions — and, specifically, how this combination can help ease labor shortages. Patrick explains the significance of consumer personalization and how advanced technology from leading innovators can address the contemporary issues facing today’s manufacturers.
Copper is viewed as a material that will accelerate future aerospace production. For example, the privately funded company Ursa Major delivered a copper-based 3D-printed rocket engine combustion chamber from its additive manufacturing lab in Youngstown, Ohio. A challenge, however, is that the existing supply chain for high temperature metal alloy components is limited. However, development continues.
Several engineering companies say we have the technology to reverse climate change, one of which is using direct air capture. Interestingly, additive manufacturing has the potential to play a major role here.
In our latest Technology Tuesday’s podcast, Design World’s Michelle Froese speaks with David Church, president of Sorbothane, about innovative shock and vibration solutions. Sorbothane has been developing materials and components that isolate vibration, attenuate shock, and damp unwanted noise for 40 years. In fact, the company is celebrating four decades in business this year!
In our latest Technology Tuesday’s podcast, Design World’s Michelle Froese speaks with David Church, president of Sorbothane, about innovative shock and vibration solutions. Sorbothane has been developing materials and components that isolate vibration, attenuate shock, and damp unwanted noise for 40 years. In fact, the company is celebrating four decades in business this year!
In honor of Sorbothane’s anniversary, we discuss the unique history of the company, including how the material was developed for insoles to support runners and then became essential for industrial industries to protect vital cargo and equipment. We also cover Sorbothane material’s properties, the company’s new standard products (launching this fall), and how its online Design Guide Calculators can support your application.
Some of the materials used in 3D printing are generally either not very, or even not degradable in the environment. Some developers and manufacturers though, are working to develop materials that are more eco-friendly, as well as delivering the mechanical properties designers look for. Here is an interview with Dr. Raymond Weitekamp, founder of the Berkeley-based 3D printing startup, polySpectra.
3D printing/additive manufacturing can help designers simplify a part, reducing assembly steps in many cases, and creating a better end product. Is it possible, though, to over engineer a part? Here are some tips to help reduce excessive engineering and get parts out to market faster.
The supply chain continues to be a story for additive manufacturing, especially with the recent news from President Biden on the new AM Forward initiative. I recently interviewed Dave Evans, CEO of Fictiv, to discuss AM and the supply chain, among other subjects.
A conversation with Jeff Blanford, a Solution Architect at Morf3D, to discuss the latest developments with additive technology. This conversation shifted to looking at additive technology as more of a digital enabling technology, not just a different way to build parts.
The scale of sizes that 3D printing machines can handle is impressive, from huge wind turbine blades to parts that are small, such as two microns. John Kawola, CEO of Boston Micro Fabrication discusses the microscale side of 3D printing.
Recently, the World Economic Forum, in collaboration with ETH Zurich and Fraunhofer IGCV, IPT and IAPT, released a report on the current state of additive manufacturing (AM) and its future. Their goal was to provide a realistic understanding of what AM can deliver today and why some are achieving that potential while others are not, as well as define the most probable near-term future production scenarios and what needs to happen to make those scenarios a reality. Pat Carey, Senior Vice President of Strategic Growth for Stratasys addresses this subject.
As additive technology gains importance in aerospace innovation, it offers compelling opportunities to revolutionize critical elements of the aerospace workflow. From design to certification and to production, AM helps companies unlock innovation and maximize efficiency while maintaining the high levels of quality required for aerospace applications.
Additive hardware continues to improve in productivity, accuracy, and in ease of use. Now, the focus is on software to improve additive functions and capabilities, and to take additive to the next level.
As AM becomes more accepted as part of a manufacturing supply chain, it is altering the way engineers work and develop products. We recently had a conversation with Daniel Lazier, product marketing manager at Markforged.
The aerospace industry was an early adopter of additive technology, followed by the automotive industry. Where do these industries stand in relation to additive technology today? In a recent interview, David Giebenhain, global product director at Protolabs, shares his thoughts.
Additive manufacturing has long been used in automotive, especially in racing. AM enables designers to make fast changes when faced with rapidly changing regulations and short design times. What are some of the lessons learned by those who work with motorsports and what can you gain from their experiences?
Martin Schulz, Global Principal Application Engineer with Littelfuse Europe, speaks with us about some of the engineering issues that arise in the quest to design battery and hydrogen-powered energy efficient vehicles. Martin also held a webinar on this subject: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/3191038/C28F3100C80F8D689D6BA8D6D3354C61
In this Technology Tuesdays podcast, Jonathan Cottrell, lead program manager with PTI, chats with Design World’s Michelle Froese about design for manufacturing and the injection-molding process. Cottrell discusses the key factors to take into account when designing plastic parts, including the material, gate, wall, tool, and draft considerations.
Listen in for: • Key considerations for the injection-molding process, including material selection • How to achieve uniform wall thickness and the significance of applying proper draft • The importance of gating, part geometry, and tool design • Variables to account for when ejecting a part from the mold • Tips for improving aesthetics without compromising a part’s reliability
Jonathan Cottrell BSME, MBA, has been working in the field of plastic injection molding since graduating from high school. With nearly 25 years of experience, he’s developed products in several industries including automotive, aerospace, military, agriculture, medical devices, and others. Cottrell’s had the opportunity in his career to follow products throughout their lifecycle — from concept to completion — which has led to valuable experience when implementing design for manufacturing practices to produce quality parts.
PTI is a custom injection molder and manufacturer of plastic components and assemblies, specializing in low-volume production. The company has extensive capabilities in design, engineering, and tooling, with an array of secondary services.
As additive manufacturing gains acceptance as a production tool, the size of a typical 3D print slice data file is predicted to grow cubically. Handling all of these data could become an issue for the additive industry. Harshil Goel, CEO and Founder of Dyndrite discusses potential solutions to this problem.
Materials have been and will continue to be key elements of any additive manufacturing or 3D printing operation. New materials are emerging all the time. As vendors explore and develop materials, new information emerges about the best ways to use additive equipment.
More 3D printing vendors are introducing metal materials for their systems. One popular metal in particular is stainless steel. This material offers a number of benefits to designers. We interviewed Felipe Castaneda, Creative Director at MakerBot, on ways to make the most of it in your designs for 3D printing.
Lattice structures have not been used as often as they could be because manufacturing methods that could produce them easily did not exist until the development of 3D printing / Additive Manufacturing. Today, though, 3D printing easily creates lattice structures in helmets, saddles, shoes, nasal swabs, and in other designs.
3D printing/additive manufacturing and injection molding do not have to be competitors. In fact, 3D printing can aid injection molding. Formlabs recently commented that 3D printing is more of an accelerator for injection molding. 3D printers can introduce a hybrid approach where molds can be created fast and at low cost. Here are key points from an interview with Kathy Bui, engineering vertical lead at Formlabs
Like so many other markets and industries, the COVID pandemic has affected the supply of components used to make semiconductor processing equipment. Semiconductor capital equipment manufacturers are turning to additive manufacturing to help repair the supply chain and enable designers to design for function first. I spoke with Scott Green, Principal Solutions Leader for semiconductors at 3D Systems on this subject. Here are some of the highlights of the interview.
The DARPA Transformative Design TRADES program was created to develop foundational design tools that will help designers take more advantage of the capabilities of additive technology. Recently, Siemens Technology completed its work on a software project for this program. I spoke with Mark Burhop, principal investigator with the research arm of Siemens, to discuss the developments. Here are the highlights of the interview.
Designers in the sports world have been one of the quickest groups to adopt additive manufacturing technology. They’ve developed a few insights and perspectives that might be useful for engineers in other fields. David Woodlock, Application Development and Design Manager at HP, discusses a few of these insights.
3D Systems, a company with decades of experience in the field of 3D printing recently announced plans to significantly expand its development efforts on regenerative medicine and bioprinting. We explore this development with Mr. Chuck Hull, inventor of the Figure 4 3D printing system used in this application.
In this Motion Mondays podcast, Jeff Johnson of Beckhoff Automation chats with Design World’s executive editor Lisa Eitel about linear-motor conveyors (also called intelligent transport systems) as well as planar-motor systems from Beckhoff called the XPlanar. Jeff Johnson is U.S. mechatronics products manager at Beckhoff Automation. Based in Fond du Lac, Wis., Johnson was (prior to joining Beckhoff in 2008) an applications team leader for Danaher Motion and G&L Motion Control. Visit motioncontroltips.com and search on XPlanar to see this podcast’s show notes.
According to Pierrick Balaire, global business line leader at Intertek: “The Intertek Functional Safety mark provides Nexen a way to reduce hazards and risks to operating personnel, machinery, and surrounding environments at a time when they are facing increased demands around functional safety. We’re pleased to grant Nexen with this certification — the first of its kind in North America — and look forward to continuing to work with them and others providing the industry with high-quality products as well as peace of mind.”
In this Technology Tuesdays podcast, Dave Hein — senior vice president and engineering and chief technology officer at Nexen Group — chats with Lisa Eitel of Design World about three brake options that now have Functional Safety certification. Visit motioncontroltips.com and search on Hein to see this podcast’s show notes.
A more indepth look at 2021 predictions from Shapeway, based on insights from industry insiders, strategic partners, and high-profile business and consumer customers.
When it comes to making a designed part, you have several choices: traditional machining, which covers a range of options; injection molding; and now additive manufacturing. Even more recently though, is the trend of combining metal fabrication and additive manufacturing to make parts.
What are the design challenges of developing a car that can walk? Hyundai Motor engineers recently set about exploring that idea and developed a prototype vehicle called the Elevate.
A recent interview with Daniel Lazier, Strategic Application Engineer, at Markforged, covers tips on getting the most out of your additive manufacturing project. Here are a few points from the interview.
With the recent appointment in May of Dr. Jeffrey Graves as the new president and CEO, 3D Systems will be positioned for its next phase of growth.
The additive industry is dynamic, with new techniques introduced frequently. Ethan Escowitz, CEO and founder of Arris Composites, for example, developed a technique called additive molding. This proprietary process combines additive manufacturing and high-volume molding technologies to create composite materials made of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastics.
Many users of 3D printing/additive manufacturing technology are concerned with its potential impact on the environment. Often the focus is on resin-based prototypes ending up in landfills and taking years to degrade. But other materials also end up as scrap, such as that from machining and similar subtractive processes.
One company has made it a mission to turn this scrap into usable metal powder for additive manufacturing (AM). The company is 6K Inc. Recently, I had a chance to interview Aaron Bent, CEO at 6K, about how they turn manufacturing scrap into additive manufacturing “gold.”
A look at recent developments with Greg Elfering, Ultimaker's newly named president of Ultimaker Americas. Ultimaker initially developed desktop 3D printers, but the company has expanded into connected 3D printers, then moved into larger systems as well as a network of 3D printing, including services
Desktop 3D printers continue to evolve. We take a look at developments in metal desktop systems with Jason Meets of Markforged.
A dozen Boston area anesthesiology residents launched an eight-week hackathon hosted on GrabCAD.com to design a rapidly deployable, minimum viable mechanical ventilator for patients with COVID-19-related ventilator-dependent lung injury. The CoVent-19 Challenge was open to teams and individuals anywhere, and finalists worked directly with Stratasys 3D printing experts and the CoVent-19 Challenge team to turn their designs into prototypes for testing.
The Covid-19 pandemic brought considerable attention to the 3D printing/additive manufacturing industry. Much of it focused on systems that work with polymer and resin materials. But what about metal additive manufacturing? How has the pandemic affected the metal side of additive manufacturing? Kevin Brigden, additive manufacturing applications engineer at Renishaw, addressed this and other developments in metal AM.
Recent events show the need for agility to meet market demands. Dr. Joe DeSimone, executive chairman of Carbon, discussed the unique levels of agility offered by additive manufacturing.
In today’s episode of Technology Forward, we explore trends in additive manufacturing. I’m speaking with Arjun Aggarwal, VP of business development at Desktop Metal. Desktop Metal uses carbon fiber to make metal 3D printing with a desktop system accessible to all engineers, designers, and manufacturers.
The additive manufacturing (AM) industry is continuously changing. We asked Justin McCurnin, Vice President of Marketing at Stratasys what trends and developments he sees today. (Stratasys was one of the founders of this industry, and not only have the engineers witnessed a number of developments, they have created many of them as well.)
One of the biggest trends is the additive community’s response to the COVID pandemic. It is highlighting a little recognized capability of additive manufacturing – the importance of a near and quickly responsive supply chain.
The use of 3D printing technology to build devices with embedded electronics has evolved. In the early days, special 3D printers injected dielectric inks onto a layer of a build, creating electronic traces, to build electronic parts. Nano Dimension was the first company to develop such a system, and it continues to evolve the technology. Today, it offers Additive Manufacturing Electronics (AME).
In a recent interview with Jonah Myerberg, co-founder and CTO of Desktop Metal, we explored how metal additive manufacturing, including desktop printers, will affect automotive design and production.
Listen as Greg Thompson of Protolabs discusses how service bureaus are helping in the battle against the Coronavirus with their ability to offer a range of prototyping and manufacturing capabilities.
Disruptive is a familiar word to those in additive manufacturing. This technology has been labeled disruptive by many. As it turns out, when other types of disruption arise, you need a disruptive technology to handle it, a technology that can offer a bridge among multiple manufacturing methods to get you through the disruption. Additive manufacturing’s ability to quickly shift and build new objects is exactly what is needed during disruptive times, such as the current pandemic.
Additive manufacturing has matured to the point where software is becoming key to further adoption. An interview with Radhika Krishnan, Executive Vice President, Software Healthcare and Digitization at 3D Systems offers insight into developments in software as additive manufacturing becomes part of a hybrid manufacturing environment.
In this podcast, we explore the efforts Siemens is contributing to the pandemic. One of the things Siemens offers is its Additive Manufacturing Network
The additive community continues to impress with how quickly additive vendors meet the needs of healthcare workers and the general public in the development of protection devices. I spoke with Blake Teipel, cofounder and CEO at Essentium, on what the company has been and is doing during this pandemic.
In this edition of Technology Forward, we talk with Laura Gilmour, global medical business development manager at EOS about the additive communities responses in fighting the COVID pandemic, and how additive manufacturing can best be used.
3D Systems recently reported the completion of comprehensive testing on the newest materials for its Figure 4 system. For some users, materials testing data is insufficient for their needs. I interviewed Marty Johnson, technical fellow, at 3D Systems about material testing and the needs of the design engineer. Listen in as Marty Johnson discusses developments in testing and how they affect prototyping and production materials.
By 2023, everyone will be working in the fourth dimension, say analysts at OSIsoft. A four-dimensional model is a 3D simulation cross-referenced with time. Digital twins, a recent development enabled by the Internet of Things, are essentially the first models of 4D. We spoke with Richard Beeson, CTO at OSIsoft to learn more about this shift from 3D simulation to 4D
Recently a couple of stories have surfaced about using 3D printing/additive manufacturing for parts that are microns in size. One of these companies is based in Israel. Now, a company out of Boston, Boston Micro Fabrication (BMF) has introduced a microscale 3D printer. I interviewed John Kawola, CEO of BMF, to discuss this trend.
3D Systems recently introduced 3DXpert for SOLIDWORKS 15, a plugin for SOLIDWORKS that helps users prepare and optimize their designs for additive manufacturing. I had a chance to speak with the leading product manager, Maoz Barkai, for 3DXpert. Here are some of the highlights of that interview.
In this edition of the Bearing Tips podcast, Design World editor Mike Santora speaks with CCTY Bearing Company’s Director of North America, Evan Poulakidas. Poulakidas talks about creativity in the design process, inclusivity within the design team, and predictions for the bearing industry in 2020 and beyond.
Listen as Dave Woodlock, Market Development Manager at HP’s 3D printing group discusses lessons learned when incorporating 3D printing into your business as a product and as a tool. Notes Woodlock, many assume that what holds 3D printing back in terms of greater implementation is material, hardware, and so on. But what HP has found is that change management is a larger issue that executives must address. Woodloock also takes a look at 3D printing’s benefits to saving time in getting product to market faster, and in how this technology will expand the role of the engineer in design and manufacturing.
In our latest Executive Edition series, Mary Gannon of Design World chats with Festo Didactic's CEO Thomas Lichtenberger, about the organizations successful programs to change the manufacturing landscape in the United States. Festo Didactic provides equipment and solutions for technical education for all areas of technology in factory and process automation, such as pneumatics, hydraulics, electrical engineering, production technology, mechanical engineering, mechatronics, CNC, HVAC and telecommunications.
Lichtenberger discusses the Festo's successful Mason, Ohio apprenticeship program and its newest work with The Space Coast Consortium Apprenticeship Program – an industry-driven apprenticeship program led by a group of advanced manufacturing companies operating on the Space Coast.
He talks about the future of manufacturing and how Festo's training programs are designed to shape that future.
Dr. Ronald L Hollis, president and CEO at MFG, discusses new business models to help design engineers find the right suppliers to make their designs, and to help suppliers find design engineers they can help.
Eckhart Inc. is a leading integrator of advanced automation and Industry 4.0 technologies. As a tool designer and a technology integrator, companies come to Eckhart to find solutions that improve their profitability, safety, and reliability of different manufacturing processes. Dan Burseth, VP at Eckhart, discusses how Eckhart’s expertise can help users of additive manufacturing make the most out of that technology.
Sniffer Robotics developed a 3D printed drone-based system that can fly over landfills five times faster than a person can walk them. The drone precisely inspects a typical landfill in a day, seeking fugitive methane gas.
In our latest Technology Tuesdays podcast, Design World's Mary Gannon speaks with ITT Enidine's Dan Kowalik, about the company's entrance into the IoT world with its intelligent shock absorber, the Sentinel 1.
In this Technology Tuesdays podcast, Marissa Tucker of Parker Hannifin chats with Design World’s Lisa Eitel about IEC 61131-3 and the industry’s new programmable automation controllers (PACs). Tucker details how open languages can help design engineers pick the best technologies for their machine builds and other designs; she also explains how basing design choices on standards (not hardware brand) can help experienced engineers be productive faster ... even after switching projects or even organizations.
Listen in for: • Reassuring words on the enduring value of (and support for) ladder logic; an explanation of where function blocks improve designs • Details on the benefits of "blended" or hybrid control schemes that leverage the best of the IEC 61131-3 framework • A candid exchange about the supremacy of technical support and lead times.
Marissa Tucker is product marketing manager of controls and HMIs at Parker Hannifin. She’s a mechanical engineer with a background in product development and product management; among other things for Parker Hannifin, Tucker develops and leads product training and seminars for internal and external sales teams.
The founders of Tucson based SafKan, brothers Sahil and Aadil Diwan, designed and developed the first automated ear-cleaning device, OtoSet, for clinical use. OtoSet looks like a pair of headphones, but it can professionally clean a patient’s ear in just 35 seconds.
We kick off the new year of Design World's Executive Edition with Tom Kelly, Executive Director and CEO of Automation Alley.
Over the past two years, Tom has been the driving force behind Automation Alley's transformation into Michigan's Industry 4.0 Knowledge Center and is a nationally and globally recognized expert on the smart manufacturing revolution and its impact on business. Today, we talk with Tom about how Automation Alley is helping manufacturers embrace Industry 4.0 and the changes that come with it.
A Minneapolis-based startup, Sprowt Labs, has developed a “personal malt-house” for those who enjoy home brewing beer. Part of the build involved using injection molding to create a humidifier box for the Acro. Sprowt Labs worked with Protolabs on the development of the humidifier box.
Design World's VP, Editorial Director Paul J. Heney chats with Bradford L. Goldense, one of the 18 judges for this year's inaugural LEAP Awards. Goldense discusses the challenges of such an immense undertaking, as well as some of the technology that most impressed him.
In this episode of Design World's executive edition, we are joined by Nitin Mathur, TE Connectivity's chief digital and e-business officer. With its official launch in September, the new TE store is offering thousands of its products to users in the United States. Mathur highlights how TE plans to use this concept along with online design as an incubator for ideas of engineers and inventors.
Design World's VP, Editorial Director Paul J. Heney speaks with Adam Livesay, the Chief Revenue Officer for Elevat-IoT about his company's work on the Internet of Things in the fluid power space, including some fascinating applications.
Steve Gosk, President and CEO of Fischer Connectors, talks about the future of connectivity.
Design World's VP, Editorial Director Paul J. Heney speaks with Adaptall's General Manager, Mike Rennie, about the fittings business and the industry as it moves into 2019.
John Kawola, president of Ultimaker North America discusses the role 3D printing can have in manufacturing.
Driven by a successful Kickstarter campaign, Boulder, Colorado-based, connected-musical applications company Specdrums had a challenge on its hands. With orders in the queue, the growing company needed production help – they needed it fast, and in a manner that could scale for future growth.
The company’s success is due to its game-changing innovation that brings drumming to your fingertips, literally.
In this issue of Executive Edition, Greg Paulsen, director of applications engineering at Xometry, discusses additive manufacturing and service providers.
The BattleBots competition has become a popular entertainment. But it is also an opportunity for engineers to hone their fast design practices and study failure analysis. One of the more recent winners of the BattleBots is Hal Rucker, an engineer designer, builder, and co-driver, most notably of DUCK. DUCK won in Season 3 of the show.
Design World's Vice President, Editorial Director Paul J. Heney speaks with Orange Seal's COO, Gordon Kolasingh about the company, the fluid power market in his native Caribbean region, and how the coming year is looking for this broker.
A number of prototyping processes are available for the design engineer. Rapid Manufacturing, Nashua, NH, offers rapid prototyping with sheet metal. (The company was recently acquired by Proto Labs.) Here are a few quick tips on making the most out of prototyping using sheet metals.
Gordon Styles, president and CEO of Star Rapid, a service provider in China takes a look at some of the changes he sees coming to additive manufacturing. Styles looks at plastic and metal 3D printing, and how metal desktop 3D printers may affect the manufacturing landscape.
Design World Editorial Director Paul J. Heney talks with Ryan Schroeder, President of the Americas, for IMI Precision Engineering, about his company's impending purchase of Bimba Manufacturing, the IoT and green engineering.
Recently 3D Systems introduced Geomagic® Control X 2018 inspection platform and GibbsCAM 12 manufacturing software. We spoke to Chris MacBain, product marketing manager, 3D Systems to learn more about key features that help design engineers work more efficiently in their product design and prototyping functions.
Drawing inspiration from traditional Zen gardens, the kinetic art table uses a metal ball to create unique and complex designs in sand under a glass top. The table is in a perpetual state of motion, continually creating and erasing patterns in the sand.
In this age of non-GMO, home grown and fully traceable produce, backyard food gardening is on the rise. But it’s not without a few challenges—weeding, proper watering, and so on. What if you could automate many tasks of personal gardening?
In the latest episode of Design World’s Technology Tuesdays Podcast, Editorial Director Paul J. Heney speaks with Ray Szparagowski, Engineering Fellow with Freudenberg NOK Sealing Technologies about the latest in high performance engineering plastics. These materials are increasingly being used for bearing/bushing applications. They offer design flexibility and reduced weight. However, performance is often limited due to poor design and material selections. Ray talks about some of the ways technology is making fluid work better in engineered systems.
In plastic injection molding, 3D printing of cores that include conformal cooling channels are set to become more of a mainstream choice. But there are a few rules that apply when creating such parts for plastic injection molding.
In this Technology Tuesdays podcast, Brian Scott, application engineer at Nippon Pulse America, chats with Lisa Eitel of Design World about linear motors such as iron core, U-channel, and tubular linear motors … and the benefits and drawbacks of each.
Fluid Power World and Design World Editorial Director Paul J. Heney chats with Allen Carlson of the University of Florida (and retired CEO of Sun Hydraulics) about engineering education. Carlson will be a Keynote Speaker at the upcoming Fluid Power Technology Conference in Milwaukee on May 16-17, 2017 (fluidpowertechconference.com). Carlson covers a lot of timely topics, including encouraging women to pursue STEM careers and the skills gap in manufacturing.
Design World Technology Tuesdays Podcast for April 4th 2017 • In this Technology Tuesdays podcast recorded in Irwin, Pennsylvania, Jeremy Miller, product manager of linear mechanics at the Parker Hannifin Electromechanical & Drives Division, chats with Lisa Eitel of Design World about how an increasing number of design engineers are turning to electromechanical offerings instead of fluid power — even in applications where the latter once dominated.
Insert molding is the process of overmolding thermoplastic material around a preformed component (an insert) to create a finished part that incorporates multiple materials. The inserts are generally metal parts used to reinforce the mechanical properties of the plastic part. The metal inserts are placed into the mold to form the part.
Dr. Tao-Yang Han, president of the Atlanta-based IronCAD, talks about the LEGO-like simplicity of his company's CAD design capabilities, a key difference between IronCAD and other CAD packages. He outlines how modular design aids engineers and the types of companies that benefit most from modular design.
A new website helps you determine the cost of printing your part before you seek an additive, 3D Printing service provider. Here are the details.
Fast Radius discusses developments in additive manufactuing service bureaus by Design World
Autodesk’s Fusion Connect is an IoT cloud platform. Recently, the company announced that it will embed an artificial intelligence modeling engine, Eureqa, from Nutonian, a machine intelligence company, to interpret IoT data and maximize business outcomes. We asked Bryan Kester, director of IoT at Autodesk for more information on this development.
University of Minnesota aerospace engineering student used 3D printing to design, and Photo Labs services to build a liquid propellant rocket.
In this podcast, Lisa Eitel talks with Tom Lee, the V.P. of engineering at Airpot Corp., about new gripper designs for 2016.
The company was originally built around the Airpot dashpot, a component invented by industrialist Arthur Cohen in the 1950s for mechanical switches and relays and textile winders.
In the podcast, Tom explains Airpot’s latest technologies as well as end-effector applications as a whole.
Listen in as Jeff Gorges of the University of Houston Research Lab describes how fast turnaround of prototyped and final parts helped the researchers move quickly on developing a futuristic brain-machine robotics system.
Carbon 3D announced that GE, BMW Group, Nikon, and JSR are the newest companies to invest in the additive manufacturing company and its CLIP technology. Joe DiSimone, CEO and co-founder discusses how this funding will affect the company.
Additive service providers continue to develop new features that reduce the time needed to get a quote for a prototype. Bill Conin and Greg Paulsen of Xometry describe their quote app for SolidWorks CAD programs.
Fiat Chrysler uses 3D printing and a transparent clear resin (Somos Watershed) to see how lubricant flows in differential housing designs.
An audio excerpt from a Design World webinar presentation by John Smihal of TB Wood’s Inc. Here, Smihal covers some best practices for handling sleeve coupling installation.
Lynn Beyer joins Fluid Power Fridays to talk the new NFPA website, and all you need to know about the NFPA's Fluid Power Challenge.
An audio excerpt from a Design World webinar presentation by Andy Lechner of R+W America. Here, Lechner covers some best practices for handling coupling installation in precision motion control applications.
Fast iteration and material choices lead competitors to turn to additive manufacturing services to prototype and build parts for their BattleBots.
New startup Vader Systems uses Magneto Hydro Dynamics and Liquid Metal Jet Printing to speed the build process of additive manufacturing in metals. Listen to Scott Vader, CEO and co-founder describe the technology.
In this interview, Bearing Tips.com editor Mike Santora speaks with NMB Field Applications Engineer, Rich Picard. Here, they discuss bearing vibration, noise, and the things to look for when specifying bearings for your motion system.
Lately, the focus of additive manufacturing is on the metal additive side. Whether the technology used to build metal parts is laser or electron beam, additive manufacturing and metal go together very well. We spoke with the president and CEO of Arcam, Magnus Rene, about trends and opportunities in metal additive manufacturing. Arcam focuses on the aerospace and healthcare industries, where its electron beam melting machines create fully dense metal parts that can weigh less than those made through traditional machining.
Two inventors describe how they developed their custom drone using 3D printing and injection molding technology
In our latest Technology Tuesdays podcast series, we speak with Jeff Crane, CEO of TPC Wire & Cable, about the changes we should expect as the company aligns with new ownership and management and how TPC will position itself as a leader in industrial cable design over the next few years.
Don Bossi, President of FIRST, shares his thoughts with Design World Assistant Editor Michelle DiFrangia on the overall state of education, steps we can take to improve it, STEM schools, and the role that FIRST plays in generating excitement about engineering among young adults.
In this podcast, Lisa Eitel of Design World speaks with Doug Burns, director of business development at Lenze Americas Corp., about how new software developments are dramatically reducing machine development time and simplifying the programming of motion control and robotics.
An innovative solution to the problem of ensuring patients use their respiratory prescription was solved using a gaming approach. Proto Labs awarded Compliant Games a grant to continue this project. Listen to the inventor describe the process.
Design World editor Miles Budimir talks with Jeff Phillips, Section Manager for Software Platforms at National Instruments, about the release of LabVIEW 2015.
Click below to listen to Design World Associate Editor Mike Santora chat with Festo Actuator Product Manager Mike Guelker. In this podcast they discuss pneumatic cylinders and the advances necessary for them to stand up to today's harsh environment applications.
In our latest Technology Tuesday Podcast series, Design World's Senior Editor Mary Gannon sat down with Connector Tips contributing editor Dave Brearley to discuss the impact wireless technologies will have on interconnect devices.
Rich Mintz, senior market-development manager for the gear-motor segment of Siemens’ Process Industries and Drives division, continues his discussion with us about right-sizing industrial motor-powered drivetrains to get the best possible efficiency.
Design World Editorial Director Paul J. Heney chats with Danfoss Vice President of R&D Jeff Herrin. They discuss everything from the integration of electronics into hydraulic components to Big Data and the Internet of Things and even the evolving OEM-supplier partnerships.
In this interview, Sr. VP, General Council & Secretary for SKF USA Timothy D. Gifford shares some insights into the current counterfeit bearings situation. Specifically, Gifford tells us how the bearing industry is fighting back against the global counterfeiting market.
In this interview, Sr. VP, General Council & Secretary for SKF USA Timothy D. Gifford shares some insights into the current counterfeit bearing situation. Speciffically, Gifford tells us about the cost of counterfeit bearings to not only his company but the industry as a whole.
In this interview, Sr. VP, General Council & Secretary for SKF USA Timothy D. Gifford shares some insights into the current counterfeit bearings situation. Specifically, Gifford tells us about counterfeit bearings at a global level, and about seizure statistics right here at home.
Design World editor Miles Budimir talks with Brian Fortman of Texas Instruments about designing for the next generation of industrial drive and control systems.
Rich Mintz, senior market-development manager for the gear-motor segment of Siemens’ Process Industries and Drives division explains ways to boost the efficiencies of industrial motor-powered drivetrains.
Design World editor Miles Budimir talks with Todd Walker of Oriental Motor USA about how brushless DC motors, AC motors, and controls are evolving, giving designers more bang for their buck.
Editorial Director Paul J. Heney talks about the business of fluid power and industrial distribution with Bill Tulloch, Executive VP of Flodraulic Group. The impact of the Internet on this business is covered, along with the future of fluid power.
An exclusive interview with the developer of a smart earplug. Daniel and his company, Hush Technologies, recently received the Cool Idea! Award from Proto Labs for innovation. Daniel used Proto Labs 3D printing services to prototype his design.
Application Engineer Ben Orchard discusses the new features and benefits of groov 3.0 and how to use it in your applications.
In our latest Technology Tuesdays podcast series, we speak with Michael Traskos, president of Lectromec, about the importance of wire life extension programs in aircraft and how these risk assessment testing programs can be translated to other industrial uses of electrical wire.
Listen as Carl Dekker, President of Met-L-Flo Inc. and Chair of the ASTM F42 committee at ASTM International discusses the latest news and progress of standards for the various metal additive manufacturing processes.
Design World editor Miles Budimir talks with Peter Dettmer of Madison Technical College about making manufacturing an attractive education option.
Additive manufacturing with metals is a popular subject. A lot of work still needs to be done before we will see additive machines alongside CNC machines and injection molding systems in the average manufacturing facility. Part of the issue is that engineers need good information on how additively made metal parts will perform in an application. This conversation with Frank Herzog, Founder, President and CEO, Concept Laser GmbH, and John Murray, president of Concept Laser Inc. U.S. headquarters in Texas, discussed a number of these points.
How are power circuit designers making use of computerized fluid dynamics in dealing with heat problems? John Parry, Electronics Industry Manager at the Mentor Graphics Mechanical Analysis Div., talks about how much designers need to know about CFD to get useful results, the accuracy of new "simplified" CFD methods, what happens when CFD packages must work with different kinds of CAD models, and much more. Parry has 30 years experience applying 3D CFD methods to numerous areas of electronics.
In this podcast, Lisa Eitel of Design World chats with Ross Rivard, the new president of Ringfeder Power Transmission USA ... manufacturer of couplings, shock absorbers, and keyless connectors.
On this Technology Tuesdays Podcast for 2/24/15, Michael Jermann, assistant editor for Design World, speaks with Joe Conyers, senior consulting engineer for training and development at SKF Training Solutions. They discuss the common bearing lubrication mistakes users tend to make and how engineers are addressing the problem.
Underwriters Laboratories is working to address the short-term and long-term performance and safety concerns of 3D printers and additive manufacturing systems. Recently, UL initiated a number of initiatives that will help designers confidently harness the benefits of 3D printing in a way that’s relevant to their business needs.
A debate is going on in the additive manufacturing and manufacturing world, with some proponents pushing for the elimination of traditional manufacturing methods (such as CNCs and injection molding) in favor of solely additive manufacturing. For Skyven Technologies, a Texas-based manufacturer of solar technologies, CNCs, injection molding and additive manufacturing are needed to develop its Skyven Cogen System that simultaneously produces energy for both electrical power and heated water.
For this week’s Design World Technology Tuesdays Podcast, I spoke with Don Labriola, P.E., President of QuickSilver Controls, Inc., about hybrid stepper motors and the concept of microstepping error, including the role stiction plays in stepper motor performance.
It can be easy to create a printed circuit board that doesn't work well, even when using PCB automation software. Mentor Graphics' Dave Wiens talks about board features and design practices he's seen that habitually cause problems. He also explains what to expect and not expect from PCB layout software and other automation tools.
Design World's Senior Editor Mary Gannon talks about the impact of the Internet of Things and wireless technology on the connector industry with HARTING Inc. North America's President & CEO Jon DeSouza.
Leslie Langnau, Managing Editor at Design World magazine, interviews Oskar Zelazowski and Chris Ammons of Graphene Horizons on trends in 3D printing and the use of graphene as a printing material.
Design World Editorial Director Paul Heney discusses pneumatic cylinder technology and how it's evolving with Aventics' Phil O'Neil.
In this podcast, Lisa Eitel of Design World chats with Pete Kepf, Senior Vision Applications Consultant, about 2015 machine-vision trends and common mistakes.
At the last Automation Fair one focus was the convergence of information technologies (IT) and operational technologies (OT). Here, Lisa Eitel talks with Matt Fordenwalt about how that can boost productivity for industrial OEMs.
Design World Senior Editor Evan Yares speaks with Chris Delvizis, Product Manager for National Instruments, about how to choose the right DAQ hardware for your measurement system. Delvizis explains about the different type of DAQ devices that are available, and talks about the important factors you need to understand, including signal conditioning, sampling rate, resolution, and accuracy.
Bertrand Sicot, SolidWorks’ new president and CEO, discusses long and term goals for the company, upcoming new technology, and trends in the 3D CAD arena.
Larry Boulden interviews Bob Kral of Bimba about the introduction of their OLE (Original Line Electric) actuators.
Randy Frank interviews All Sensors’ Tim Shotter about the applications of their new product line the MLV (millivolt low voltage) series of products.
The wind industry saw a huge number of installs in 2009, and 2010 is shaping up much better than expected. But when 2010 ends, the turbines of ‘09 and earlier will pass out of warranty and move to the service side of the ledger. Their maintenance work could overwhelm the OEMs. So who will take care of them? Shane Mullins, a researcher at Industrial Info Resources, will answer that question. He’ll also comment on how developments in China could assist the U.S. wind industry, what’s needed in infrastructure improvements, and touch on other key issues affecting the wind industry.
With turbine towers reaching beyond met-mast heights, it’s time for another way to measure higher level winds. Sound detection and ranging or sodar equipment provides a solution, says Second Wind CEO Larry Letteney. In this podcast, Letteney discusses how the wind industry now collects wind information and how that might be improved.
Bertrand Sicot, SolidWorks’ new president and CEO, discusses long and term goals for the company, upcoming new technology, and trends in the 3D CAD arena.
Kollmorgen’s new AKD family of servodrives is flexible and innovative. It features a broad power and current range, and is compatible with a wide assortment of feedback options. Best of all, the Performance Servo Tuner (PST) auto-tuning algorithm simplifies servo auto-tuning while bringing more to the table than typical inertia-based auto-tuners. Josh Inman, product manager with Kollmorgen, sits down with me to talk about the features and benefits of this new family of servodrives.
In an interview with Leslie Langnau, Managing Editor of Design World magazine and Editor of Make Parts Fast, Professor Hod Lipson of Cornell University, discusses why the development of AMF is necessary.
In an interview with Leslie Langnau, Managing Editor of Design World magazine and Editor of Make Parts Fast, Professor Hod Lipson of Cornell University discusses some of the key features of the new additive manufacturing file format, which can be used instead of STL.
CUI releases Solus Power Topology, a part of the Novum Advanced Power product line, which is a 720 W quarter brick dc-dc converter with 36-60 Vdc input, 12 Vdc output (with plans to extend in the future), and an industry leading 445 W/in^3 power density. Jeff Smoot, VP of Engineering at CUI, and Joe Gorse, EE Editor for Design World, discuss the technology under the hood of the single-ended primary-inductor converter (SEPIC) plus buck converter which allows such performance gains over other power supplies.
Stratasys introduced a smaller FDM machine to its product line. I was very intrigued with its size and wanted to learn more about why Stratasys created this product. I interviewed product manager Mary Stanley and we discussed the direction of additive manufacturing and the niche the new Fortus 250mc line will play. Take a listen.
Al Secchi, Customer Service Manager at Sunstone Circuits, talks with Joe Gorse about Sunstone’s latest integrated PCB fabrication offering of stencils which bring designers one step closer to manufacturing processes during prototyping and removes some elements of human error in hand-soldering.
You have hundreds of different data acquisition (DAQ) devices to choose from, each with a variety of compatible buses. It can be difficult to select the right bus for your application needs. Each bus has different advantages and is optimized for throughput, latency, portability, or distance from a host. This podcast examines the most common PC bus options and outlines the technical considerations to keep in mind when choosing the right bus for your measurement application.
Design World Editorial Director Paul J. Heney discusses all things sensors with Jim Schwartz, CompactDAQ Product Marketing Engineer for National Instruments. Schwartz explains the types of sensors available, what they do, common measurements that they take and what kind of signals are created for each. In addition, he talks about some of the issues that engineers sometimes have in selecting the right sensor, as well as exploring some of the resources available.
Design World Senior Editor Evan Yares speaks with Chris Delvizis, Product Manager for National Instruments, about how to choose the right DAQ hardware for your measurement system. Delvizis explains about the different type of DAQ devices that are available, and talks about the important factors you need to understand, including signal conditioning, sampling rate, resolution, and accuracy.
The Quadshot is a remote-controlled aircraft combining the stability and control of a helicopter with the speed and maneuverability of an airplane. The creative minds behind the innovative technology just won a Proto Labs Cool Idea! Award.
Design World editors sit down to discuss the evolving programmable world we’re living in and how the “Internet of Things” is impacting design. To watch the video, click here.
Ikon Semiconductor’s integrated circuit (IC), for the dimmable LED retrofit market, is designed to meet cost and performance standards for today’s LED lighting products, while enabling greater design simplicity for bulb manufacturers and OEMs. Its IC solutions match the efficiency of comparative two-stage architectures, but with up to 25 percent fewer components. With broad dimmer compatibility and a compact size, the IC has a better fit for LED bulb retrofits than larger, more complex solutions. An advantage of the Ikon’s solution is that it eliminates the need for opto-couplers and electrolytic capacitors – standard components that add complexity to the module and can hinder reliability. Moreover, OEMs can decide the optimum trade-off between the amounts of PFC (power factor correction) needed and the amount of ripple the design can tolerate.
Conor McAuliffe, Ikon Semiconductor’s CEO, discusses Ikon’s technology in this podcast moderated by EE editor, Natasha Townsend.
McAuliffe has 25 years in semiconductor industry, is a Mixed Signal Technical Director at Parthus (now CEVA), and Founder of Silansys (Frontier-Silicon).
Design World editors sit down to discuss the number of young engineers versus companies’ demand for them. To watch the video, click here.
Gallium nitride (GaN) is one of the technologies that could well displace silicon MOSFETs in the next generation of power transistors. As silicon approaches its performance limits, GaN devices conduct better and switch faster. But GaN devices don’t behave the way silicon power devices do. That’s the reason for the recently published textbook GaN Transistors for Efficient Power Conversion, 2nd Edition. Written by power industry veteran Dr. Alex Lidow along with Johan Strydom, Michael de Rooij, and David Reusch, this book serves as a practical guide for understanding basic GaN transistor construction, characteristics, and applications. In this short podcast, Alex Lidow talks about areas where engineers have trouble grasping the differences between GaN and silicon power devices.
Alex Lidow is CEO and co-founder of Efficient Power Conversion Corporation (EPC). In 1977 he joined International Rectifier as an R&D engineer. In 1978 he co-invented the HEXFET power MOSFET, a power transistor that launched the modern power conversion market. Lidow finally became International Rectifier’s CEO and held that position for 12 years. Dr. Lidow holds many patents in power semiconductor technology, including basic patents in power MOSFETs as well as in GaN FETs. In 2004 he was elected to the Engineering Hall of Fame. Dr. Lidow earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Caltech in 1975 and his Ph.D. from Stanford in 1977.
"Open innovation" techniques are getting a lot of attention because they promise to drastically speed up the process of bringing new products to market. But is OI just the buzzword of the week? Is it a fancy way of saying "outsourcing?" In this short podcast, product development expert Brad Goldense of the Goldense Group Inc. explains what open innovation really is and how it can help design engineers get their job done.