Manufacturing road map
Using a combination of experimental data and simulations, researchers have identified key parameters that predict the outcome of nanoimprint lithography, a fabrication technique that offers an alternative to traditional lithography in patterning integrated circuits and other small-scale structures into polymers.
Results of the three-year study, conducted by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Sandia National Laboratories, provid
Cider making, as with any similar process, involves the production of leftover “waste” such as the apple pulp, discarded apples and liquid residue, for example.
AZTI-Tecnalia Technological Centre, given its intention to improve and innovate the production process of natural cider, is undertaking a number of studies of the management, the reduction and the re-evaluation of waste residue from cider making. The aim is twin-fold: the gains from eliminating the waste generated in th
When Michael Furey, professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering, at Virginia Tech, met Czeslaw Kajdas, then with the Radom Technical University in Poland, at a conference in Europe in 1981, they had differing views on how to form polymer films on surfaces to reduce wear. The result of their eventual collaboration has been fundamental discoveries in surface chemistry and dozens of compounds that reduced wear in metals, advanced alloys, and ceramics. These include ashless antiwear additiv
… organized jointly with the 10th Shipbuilding Day of Mecklenburg – Western Pomerania
Innovative ship designs and optimized production techniques are key factors for the success of European shipbuilders in the market for complex one-of-a-kind ships. German and European shipyards benefited significantly from the worldwide increase in orders, resulting in order books well filled for the coming years.
Maintaining and improving this market position requires developing s
Newly published research by a Princeton engineer suggests that understanding how air travels across the sunroof of a car may one day make jet engines less noisy.
Clarence Rowley, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, did not actually conduct his experiments on a sunroof. Rather, he and collaborators used computer simulations and subsonic wind tunnels at Princeton and at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, to experiment with models that rese
The research team led by Norberto López de La Calle at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of the Basque Country, have designed a new model for optimising the high-speed, 3- or 5- axis milling of complex parts. One of the objectives in this field has been the development of a methodology for the a priori estimation of errors due to flexion of the milling-machine housing system given that some errors, induced by cutting forces, lead to non-compliance with the tolerances of c
A pioneering manufacturing process that can turn titanium, stainless steel and many other metals into a new breed of engineering components could have a big impact across industry.
Unlike conventional solid-metal components, the new parts have a tiny lattice-like structure, similar to scaffolding but with poles twice the diameter of a human hair, making them ultra-light. Because loads are channelled along the poles, the parts can comprise up to 70% air while remaining strong enough
In what promises to be an important advance, researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara have developed a novel laser by bonding optical gain layers directly to a silicon laser cavity. This hybrid laser offers an alternative to silicon Raman lasers and is an order of magnitude shorter. The laser is optically pumped, operates in continuous wave mode, and only needs 30 mW of input pump power.
This evanescent silicon laser demonstration is the first step toward an electrica
Surface alignment of liquid crystal multilayers evaporated on a photoaligned polyimide film observed by surface profiler
In order to successfully fabricate a commercial Liquid Crystal Display, uniform orientation of the liquid crystal (LC) molecules is required. Traditionally this molecular alignment of liquid crystal is achieved by physically or chemically treating the surface. A simple method used to achieve preferred orientation is rubbing but this may produce dust, static chargi
Orelis of France is launching a new individual filtration module, the Pleiade® MP4, for the ultrafiltration of electrophoretic paint. The competitively priced module is available in two versions – MP450 and MP470 – and is easy to use and clean (both plates and frame), while offering the compactness of spiral modules.
Based on the tried and tested Pleiade® technology, the filtering surface of the Pleiade® MP4 is a stack of separate membranes. A unique feature is that users can
A paper published in Nature, by scientists at the Universities of Sheffield and Warwick and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, describes how experts have used X-rays to see structures in unprecedented detail at the atomic scale. The technique is 100 times more sensitive than any other method, and has the potential to allow scientists to improve things like data storage, healthcare sensors and security systems.
Prof Mike Gibbs, of the Department of Engineering Materials at the
University of California scientists working at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a novel machining technique that uses a jet of solid carbon dioxide (CO2) to cool/lubricate the surface of metal parts and remove the cut material during machining. Called Snow-Machining, the process could someday eliminate the use of oil-based or synthetic chemical fluids for metal cutting and metal parts cleaning in industry.
The Snow-Machining technology creates a high velocity stream
An artificial eye developed for Earth observation is now being employed to recognise colour variations in dyed fabrics: a critical element of textile production. This could significantly reduce the 160 million metres of dyed fabrics discarded annually in Europe with high environmental costs.
“Today most of Europe’s more than 40,000 textile companies rely on human quality control. Specialised personnel monitor fabrics as they are produced, but this is an expensive and techn
Dutch researcher Bart de Graaf has developed a solid oxygen carrier, a sort of oxygen sponge. The oxygen from the sponge reacts with hydrogen to produce water. With De Graaf’s discovery a lot of energy can be saved during the production of raw materials for plastics.
Hydrogen is released during the conversion of ethane and propane to ethylene and propylene, raw materials for the production of plastics. Using oxygen from a so-called oxygen sponge to convert hydrogen into
In order to carry out research on complex flow processes, the Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH) has developed a special sensor that can be used to measure turbulent jet flows.
Turbulence is one of the last phenomena in the field of physics which has is still not understood. However, the rapid development of computer simulations and experimental technology has led to a better understanding turbulence. Phenomena like reducing the turbulence of ships by using micro-bubbles, or increasing th
The University of Leicester is playing a key part in a network of 33 companies and universities, set up to develop pioneering new processes for metal coatings which will offer benefits to a wide range of industries, including automotive and aerospace component manufacturers.
The network uses ionic liquid technology developed at the University of Leicester, exploited through its spin-out company, Scionix Ltd.
Companies and academics from 11 European countries have been brou
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