Mechanical Components

Products: Manufacturing & Prototyping

New on the Market: September 2020

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

Articles: Energy

Products of Tomorrow: September 2020

An A/C alternative, AI that sharpens blurry images, and a NASA energy harvester.

Facility Focus: Energy

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.

Application Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Force/Torque Sensor Helps Rover Sample Mars

See how one company reached out to NASA with an offer to develop a custom sensor for the Mars 2020 mission rover.

Briefs: Test & Measurement

Acoustic Monitoring of Laser Welds

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

Products: Transportation

New Products: September 2020 Sensor Technology

Safety-critical MEMS, absolute pressure sensors, thermal imaging cameras, and more.

Application Briefs: Photonics/Optics

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: Photonics/Optics

Spider Silk Can Create Lenses Useful for Biological Imaging

One unexpected application for spider silk is its use in the creation of biocompatible lenses.

Blog: Aerospace

Scientist Proposes Life on Mars, Below the Surface

Although life has not been found on Mars just year, a researcher from NYU thinks there could be life...under it.

Application Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control

Valve Leakage Detection in Industrial Pumps

As an integral part of onshore and offshore drilling, mud pumps circulate drilling fluids to facilitate drilling oil and natural gas wells. Mud pumps stabilize pressure and support the well during...

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

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: Manufacturing & Prototyping

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: Test & Measurement

New Products: August 2020 Motion Design

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

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Fluid-Filled Frequency-Tunable Mass Damper

Applications include absorbers, tuned mass dampers, harmonic absorbers, and seismic dampers.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Electrolyte Design Improves Anode Capacity in Lithium-Ion Batteries

The battery design increases the number of possible cycles from tens to more than 100 with little degradation.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Tough, Solid Electrolyte Battery Component

Using ceramic material and graphene, the toughness of solid-state lithium-ion batteries can be doubled.

Products: Software

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: Nanotechnology

Nanosensors for Real-Time Plant Health Monitoring

This approach allows scientists to study the communication within plants, providing valuable insights to improve crop yields.

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Magnetic Force Manages Pain

This gel-like material leads a path toward “mechanoceuticals.”

Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping

Wraparound Sensors

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

Blog: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Watch: NASA's Mars 2020 Sample Return Briefing

Watch below as NASA experts review how they plan to return samples from the surface of Mars back to Earth.

Blog: Aerospace

Answering Your Questions: How Does the Mars Rover Camera Stay Clean?

The Perseverance rover has an almost human-like way of keeping its lenses clean.

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?

Briefs: Transportation

Electrohydraulically Actuated Valve Train

The new technology demonstrates a 20 percent savings in fuel in typical passenger car low-load operating conditions.