Joining & Assembly

Products: Test & Measurement

New on the Market: February 2021

Disconnect terminal blocks, oscillioscope probes, test modules, and more.

Articles: Motion Control

Electronic Device Manufacturers Shouldn’t Fear Custom Connector Solutions — They Should Embrace Them

As 5G arrives, devices will need to expand I/O counts at the controller, as well as overall networking capabilities.

Blog: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

A Spiraling Robotic Gripper 'Twines' Like a Plant

As engineering professor Mable Fok saw how the pole beans in her garden wrapped tightly around any objects nearby, she had an idea:

What if a robotic gripper could do the same...

Articles: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Executive Roundtable: Robotics Design

A panel of experts explains how robots are playing a larger role in manufacturing.

Articles: Materials

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.

Products: Sensors/Data Acquisition

New on the Market: December 2020

Mixed-signal oscilloscopes, 3D printers, DC/DC converters, and more.

Articles: Robotics, Automation & Control

2020 Create the Future Design Contest: Aerospace & Defense Category Winner — NiobiCon™

The NiobiCon™ underwater connector will not short out, corrode, or cause an electrical shock if touched while powered in harsh environments like saltwater.

Blog: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Researchers Prove Their Elastic Exosuit Eases Back Stress

Vanderbilt University engineers are proving that their elastic exosuit can provide relief for people doing the heavy lifting.

Products: Electronics & Computers

New on the Market: October 2020

Tubing plugs, displacement measurements, CAM software, and more.

Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Rapid Prototyping of Cable and Connectors for Unique Applications

Standard commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) connectors continue to be a great resource for quick prototypes and reference designs.

Application Briefs: Motion Control

Custom Gimbal for JHU-APL Shows Promise for Others

See how Blue Joule developed and delivered the Mini Mount (MM) Gimbal to Johns Hopkins University.

Products: Robotics, Automation & Control

New Products: October 2020 Motion Design

Accelerometers, actuators, hexapods, and more.

Blog: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

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.

Products: Manufacturing & Prototyping

New on the Market: September 2020

Foam gasket tapes, data analytics software, ceramic tape, and more.

Facility Focus: Test & Measurement

Facility Focus: NASA John C. Stennis Space Center

Stennis now is testing RS-25 rocket engines for the Space Launch System (SLS) that will carry humans back to the Moon.

Briefs: Materials

Acoustic Monitoring of Laser Welds

Empa researchers were able to demonstrate real-time acoustic monitoring of laser weld seams.

Application Briefs: Connectivity

USB and GigE Connectivity for Modern Machine Vision

Learn the USB3 and GigE vision standards, how they keep pace with imaging technologies, and how augmenting the cabling is critical for optimal performance.

Briefs: Motion Control

Gripper Handles Freely Moving Cables

The gripper’s soft, sensitive fingers could enable robots to help with tying knots, wire shaping, or surgical suturing.

Briefs: Motion Control

Flexible Feet Help Robots Walk Faster

This technology can help robots walk up to 40 percent faster on uneven terrain such as pebbles and wood chips.

Products: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

New Products: August 2020 Motion Design

Positioning devices, vibration transmitters, brushless DC motors, and more.

Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Ultrasonic Metal Welding Enables Advances in Battery Technology

A number of battery-related innovations have been assisted by a joining technology: ultrasonic metal welding.

Products: Semiconductors & ICs

New on the Market: August 2020

Data storage boards, modular plugs, equipment enclosures, and more.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Selecting Electrical Safety Relay Modules for Optimal Performance

New safety relay modules follow updated standards to give designers more options for a tailored electrical safety implementation.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Wraparound Sensors

These sensors monitor electrical loads from household appliances to support grid operations.

Blog: Robotics, Automation & Control

Answering Your (Mars 2020) Questions: Will the Perseverance Rover Carry Around NASA's Mars Helicopter?

The Mars rover Perseverance has a helicopter. Will the rover have to carry it around?

Articles: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Products of Tomorrow: July 2020

NASA's Dry Goods Delivery System, a lung-heart sensor on a chip, and more.

Blog: Robotics, Automation & Control

Coffee Grounds Put a Pep in the Step of Flexible Robotic Feet

Traditional robotic feet are made of rigid components. A team of engineers at UCSD turned to coffee grounds to make legged robots more flexible and able to walk on a variety of rough terrain.

Articles: Motion Control

Don’t Blame it on the Bearings

New measurement methodologies can save you time that would otherwise be wasted on returning and reordering bearing.

Application Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Magnetic Transmissions Increase Lifespan of Offshore Wind Farms

In places of limited accessibility and harsh conditions, replacing failed transmissions is a challenging and tremendously costly task.