INSIDER: Motion Control
System Harvests Energy from Automotive Shock Absorbers
Boosting the fuel efficiency of motor vehicles by “harvesting” the energy generated by their shock absorbers and feeding it back into batteries or electrical systems such as air...
Articles: Motion Control
Choosing Stepper- or Servo-Driven Actuators to Replace Air Cylinders
Reduced downtime. Electric linear actuators (whether screw- or belt-driven) are very low-maintenance. Regreasing may be the only...
Application Briefs: Robotics, Automation & Control
Custom Machines Create Engine Lip Skins on Boeing Aircraft
MJC Engineering, a custom machine tool builder in Huntington Beach, CA, specializes in metal-spinning machines for such applications as sheet spinning, flow forming, wheel spinning,...
Products: Software
Modeling and Analysis Software
COMSOL (Burlington, MA) announced updates to COMSOL Multiphysics® modeling and simulation software that include a Rotordynamics Module. The module is designed to help engineers analyze vibrations due to...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Foundry Robot
ABB Robotics (Auburn Hills, MI) introduced the IRB 1200 Foundry Plus 2 robot for material handling and machine tending. The compact foundry robot features the company’s optional protection system so it resists corrosion and...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Robot Programming Software
With the RISE interactive graphical interface from Hypertherm (Hanover, NH), users control the Robotmaster V6 programming software from within a robot simulation environment. Users can modify a robot’s positions...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Digital Piezo Controller
PI (Physik Instrumente) L.P. (Auburn, MA) announced a 4-channel version of the E- 727 digital piezo controller that is designed for multi-axis nanopositioning applications. The controller features a choice of...
Products: Motion Control
Linear Motor
The LinX® linear motor from Anca Motion USA (Wixom, MI) delivers a continuous force from 333 N to 665 N, and peak force from 2136 N to 4272 N. It features a cylindrical design with a thermal barrier that helps separate and...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Automatic Multi-Pallet Changer
Midaco Corp. (Elk Grove Village, IL) offers an automatic multi-pallet changer for 5-axis and standard vertical machining centers (VMCs). It can load and unload 19 aluminum pallets, one at a time, on any new or...
Products: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Vertical Lift Module
Modula OnePick from Modula (Lewiston, ME) combines the company’s vertical lift technology with an automated system for picking or replenishing a single product directly from the bay. Using a secure delivery interface...
Products: Motion Control
Automation System
Liebherr (Saline, MI) introduced the Rotary Loading System (RLS) for entry into high-efficiency production with one or two machining centers. The compact automation system is designed for workpiece weights of up to 800 kg...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Reversible Hard Jaws
Reversible hard jaws from Dillon Manufacturing (Springfield, OH) are suitable for ID and OD workholding. The jaws are designed to hold a specific range of part sizes and are usually used for first operation workholding....
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Cable Retraction System
The triflex® RSE pullback system from igus (East Providence, RI) uses a simple linear retraction without bends, fiber rods, or rollers. The system consists of a drylin® linear guide with carriage, elastic cord for...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Collaborative Robot
Kawasaki Robotics (Wixom, MI) introduced the duAro collaborative robot. The dual-arm, horizontal articulated robot can safely collaborate with humans in work operations due to its low-power motors, soft body, speed, and...
Products: Automotive
Auto Crash Sensor
Meggitt Sensing Systems (Irvine, CA) introduced the Endevco model 7264H optimally gas-damped accelerometer for automotive safety testing. The sensor is small in size and mass, and eliminates irrelevant frequency content...
Products: Aerospace
Air Compressor
Gardner Denver Thomas (Sheboygan, WI) offers the 2380 series twin WOB-L® piston oil-less air compressor designed for pressure/vacuum and high flow. It provides 100 psi (6.9 bar) maximum pressure with open flow of 2.3 cfm (65...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Rotational Speed Sensors
RHEINTACHO Messtechnik GmbH (Freiburg, Germany) introduced the FQ series of plastic sensors for detecting rotational speed and direction. The sensors feature an IP69K protection class rating, which means they can...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Collaborative Robot
Rethink Robotics (Boston, MA) introduced Sawyer, a smart collaborative robot designed to execute machine tending, circuit board testing, and other precise tasks. The robot modifies its behavior to respond to changing and...
Products: Motion Control
Manufacturing Connectivity
Sandvik Coromant (Fair Lawn, NJ) introduced the CoroPlus™ platform for connecting manufacturing tools and software. The platform gives users access to product and application data through connected software and...
Products: Motion Control
Part Positioners
Yaskawa Motoman (Dayton, OH) expanded its line of RM2 ferris wheel-style robotic part positioners. The positioners have two servo-driven trunnion/station axes on opposite sides of a central “sweep” axis. One station is...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Optical Encoders
MICROMO (Clearwater, FL) announced the FAULHABER high-precision IER3 and IERS3 optical encoders. Both encoders deliver two-channel quadrature signals and an additional index signal. They can position a FAULHABER micro DC...
INSIDER: Motion Control
Rocket Motor Design Could Boost Small Satellite Missions
Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a rocket motor concept that could be used to power CubeSat low-cost satellites. The Los Alamos team recently tested a...
INSIDER: Robotics, Automation & Control
Morphing Wing Could Enable More Efficient Manufacturing and Flight
A new morphing wing architecture could greatly simplify the manufacturing process and reduce fuel consumption of aircraft by improving the wing’s aerodynamics, as well...
INSIDER: Motion Control
Spherical Motor Eliminates Robot’s Mechanical Drive System
The SIMbot robot features an elegant motor with just one moving part: the ball. The only other active moving part of the robot is the body itself. A spherical induction motor...
INSIDER: Motion Control
New Steel Enables Better Electric Motors
In order to make plug-in electric vehicles as affordable and convenient as internal-combustion cars, their motors must be smaller, lighter, more powerful, and more cost-effective. A research team...
Articles: Motion Control
Precision Robotics and Automation: Hexapods Advance Production Processes
Hexapods — six-legged parallel-kinematic machines — are quickly gaining ground in a broad range of industrial automation applications after “learning” how to...
Application Briefs: Motion Control
Motor Controller Provides Custom Electronic Control Solution
A Fortune 200 company needed a turnkey, DC voltage, agency-compliant electronic control solution capable of providing motion control with memory position capabilities and auto...
Products: Robotics, Automation & Control
Electro-Hydraulic Motion Controller
Delta Computer Systems (Battle Ground, WA) has announced the RMC200 closed-loop electro-hydraulic motion controller that has the capacity to handle closed-loop control of up to 32 motion axes. The...
Products: Motion Control
Grippers
Airpot® Corp. (Norwalk, CT) announced GramForce™ Accurate Force Pneumatic grippers that generate no measurable friction and provide a gentle grip for delicate operations. They operate at pressures from 0.02 MPa to 0.7 MPa, and...
Top Stories
Blog: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

A Former NASA Mission Manager Reflects on a 'Flawless' Mars Landing
Blog: Robotics, Automation & Control
A Robot Walks — No Electronics Needed
Videos: Photonics/Optics

'LaserFactory' Manufactures Fully Functional Devices & Drones
Videos: Imaging

Watch NASA's Perseverance Rover Land on Mars
INSIDER: Imaging

High-Speed Infrared Reveals Safer Hypergolic Propellant
INSIDER: Motion Control

Webcasts
Upcoming Webinars: Materials
Ultra-High Purity Silicone in Aerospace and Defense Product Design
Webinars: Medical
Lunch & Learn: Pitfalls of Medical Cord Sets
Upcoming Webinars: Automotive
A Four-Pillar Approach to Driving Greater Efficiency ePowertrain...
Upcoming Webinars: Automotive
Confident TCU Connectivity Through Efficient Functional Testing
Upcoming Webinars: Transportation
7 Levers for Electric and Autonomous Vehicles
Upcoming Webinars: Robotics, Automation & Control
Trending Stories
Application Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition
Using the IoT for Predictive Maintenance
Articles: Electronics & Computers

Smart Sensor Technology for the IoT
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Green PCB Removal From Sediment Systems (GPRSS)
Articles: Electronics & Computers

New SAE Wireless Charging Standard is EV Game-Changer
Articles: Robotics, Automation & Control
Metallic Glass Shatters Gear Limitations
Briefs: Photonics/Optics

A Solid-State Alternative to the Vacuum Photomultiplier Tube