Custom & Contract Manufacturing

Prepare for Takeoff: NWI Aerostructures Thrusts Forward with CNC Control System

The aerospace industry is in an era of profound innovation. Airplanes and air travel are transforming in response to the needs of the global economy, necessitating the building of aircraft at an accelerated pace. Enter NWI. With over 50 years of long-bed machining expertise, NWI is a contract manufacturer of complex structural components, sub-assemblies, and complete major assemblies of wing structures. Read on to learn more.

2024 Award Finalists

The Create the Future Design Contest, launched in 2002 by SAE Media Group, recognizes and rewards engineering innovations that benefit humanity, the environment, and the economy. Read on to learn about the finalists in all seven categories chosen from new product ideas submitted from more than 50 countries. The Grand Prize winner and category winners will be chosen at a live competition on November 15.

Opening Up the Potential of Thin-Film Electronics for Flexible Chip Design

Silicon semiconductors have become the ‘oil’ of the computer age, as was demonstrated recently by the chip shortage crisis. However, one of the disadvantages of...

2023 Create the Future Design Contest: Automotive & Transportation Finalist

See the 2023 Create the Future Design Contest's Automotive & Transportation Finalist: the Ganaio High-Output Regenerative Damper.

2023 Create the Future Design Contest: Manufacturing & Materials Finalist

Learn about the 2023 Create the Future Design Contest's Manufacturing & Materials Finalist: TenseFlatables, 3D-printed tensegrity-assisted inflatable structures.

2023 Create the Future Design Contest: Sustainable Technology Finalist

Learn about the 2023 Create the Future Design Contest's Sustainable Technology Finalist: Maui Innovation Group Inc.'s leakproof valve.

How Virtual Twins Help Optimize Supply Chains

Unprecedented and unrelenting market turbulence has shown that the old ways of supply chain planning and manufacturing production are outdated and vulnerable to disruption.

Bolstering Product Design Success with Supply Chain Strategies

In the high-tech sector, there's been a shift from “just-in-time” to “just-in-case” inventory strategies.

A Measured, Agile Response to Supply Chain Disruptions

Supply chains run best when all the stakeholders involved stay keenly focused on their core competencies, says Tom Vanderheyden from TTI Americas.

Mask Prototype Can Detect COVID-19 Infection

The sensor technology could also be used to create clothing that detects a variety of pathogens and other threats.

Feature-Based Modeling vs. Bill of Materials (BOM)

A reader asks an industry expert from IBM: How is feature-based modeling better than a bill of materials?

BioPod Takes One Step Closer to Life on Mars

Interstellar used Dassault’s 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud to design and develop its first prototype: BioPod.

NASA CO₂ Removal System Integrates High-Speed Blower

After rigorous ground testing, NASA’s Four Bed Carbon Dioxide Scrubber will be installed on the ISS.

How the Scalable 'Coventor' Stacks Up to a Traditional Ventilator

Learn how a low-cost machine known as the 'Coventor' stacks up to a traditional ventilator.

International Space Station Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED)

Terrestrial uses include physical therapy, clinical diagnosis, athletic training and performance, and robust exercise equipment.

Nature-Inspired, Manufactured, Non-Cuttable Material

The material could be used in security, health, industrial, and safety applications.

Heated Facemask Filters and Inactivates Coronaviruses

The reusable mask would include a heated copper mesh powered by a battery and surrounded by insulating neoprene.

Innovation on a Larger Scale: Robotic Fiber Placement and 3D Printing

“The disruption promised by Industry 4.0 has already begun,” says Jason Melcher from the aerospace manufacturing company Ingersoll.

Special Section: The Winners of the 2020 'Create the Future' Design Contest

Your 2020 winners include a bacteria-repelling wrap, an advanced prosthetic leg, flash graphene, and more.

Technology Leaders: Industry Renaissance Transforms Invention, Learning, Production, and Trade

Digital technologies are enabling an "Industry Renaissance" of virtual experiences.

Zero-Gravity Body Posture Influences Acupressure Massage Chair

NASA’s neutral body position research was used in the design of a medical massage chair.

2020 Create the Future Design Contest: Manufacturing/Robotics/Automation Category Winner — RadiBond

RadiBond technology, based on nanometer-thin coatings, provides ultra-strong and ultra-tight bonding between metals and plastics.

5 Ws of Algae-Based Flip-Flops

Would you take a walk in biodegradable flip-flops?

Product of the Month

Users can edit the shape of a model while viewing results and watch the simulation update immediately.

NASA's 'VITAL' Ventilator: A Choice Between Licensing and Open-Source

As Brazil begins mass-producing a NASA-developed ventilator, a Tech Briefs reader asks why NASA didn't go open-source.