Aerospace Technology News

Orders for titanium fastener materials are up. Demand for nickel and stainless aerospace fasteners is also rising. Why? Credit Boeing's 787 Dreamliner. Anticipated build rates, reports Design News, are driving order activity with primary suppliers such as Carpenter Technology, Alcoa Fastening Systems, and Allegheny Technologies building inventories. Rather than rivets, the composite-body aircraft features lightweight specialty fasteners. Dreamliner build rates could reach 10 per month by 2013.

GlobalSpec's new video archive provides direct access to GlobalSpec's online trade show & conference educational sessions developed by leading manufacturers and thought leaders. Browse over 100 searchable, educational videos. Check back often to view new videos as we will be adding more monthly.

Steinmeyer now offers a new high lead, miniature ball screw that is perfect for aerospace fin actuators! The screw is available in standard lengths with machined journals as well as custom configurations! All parts are manufactured from certified materials! Steinmeyer is also EN9100 certified and registered with DDTC.

MilesTek has delivered solution-oriented products to the avionics industry worldwide for over 25 years. Our product offering, used primarily in military R&D and production applications, consists of a complete line of bus couplers, custom harnesses and assemblies, connectors, and connector termination systems and a broad range of related accessories.

CAP Wireless broadband power amplifier solutions are especially well-suited for military electronic defense and satellite communication applications such as electronic warfare (EW) systems, radar and communication systems, laboratory instrumentation, electromagnetic compatibility and interference (EMC/EMI) testing, radar, microwave imaging, and satellite and terrestrial communications systems.

Visit us here for more information!

Storage Battery Systems, Inc. manufactures custom lead acid and NiCad batteries of all types to match rigid Aerospace and Military specifications. The custom division produces batteries for a variety of miltary and aerospace applications where the environments are extreme and the performance of the battery is truly critical. Learn more...

Traditional ultrasound non-destructive testing features a transducer that radiates sound waves into a workpiece, then analyzes reflected beams to find where defects are located. However, this method can be quite slow. Now, researchers at Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Non-Destructive Testing have leveraged innovative software to create 3D images, while increasing the testing rate a hundredfold. I-Deal Technologies is marketing testing systems based on this principle, with special focus on auto and aerospace materials

Simulation software is helping Lufthansa Technik keep one step ahead of aircraft engine wear and tear to extend service life and reduce cost. As reported in Engineering Talk, the software can be used to evaluate structural or thermal loads. This, in turn, helps engineers optimize maintenance and repair intervals.

Manufacturers traditionally use physical contact methods — plastic shims, feeler gauges, and step gauges — to measure and control gaps between mating surfaces during aircraft assembly. But Six Sigma and other standards require capture and documentation of more data. That has assemblers turning to new measurement tools, like these electronic gap gauges.

Two linked satellites planned for a 2015 launch will monitor electromagnetic signatures on Earth to aid in earthquake prediction. The Russo-British project will place the nano- and micro-sized sensors in low earth orbit, 400 km apart, over zones prone to seismic activity. Data collected may improve advance event warning capabilities.

Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum recently announced the introduction of a next generation dry-compression vacuum pump line called DRYVAC®.

DRYVAC features an integrated frequency converter that requires no motor protection switches. The on-board frequency drive limits current drawn by the vacuum pump.

For more information visit www.leyboldchampion.com or call Mario Vitale at 1-800-764-5369.

For over 45 years, we've provided Northrop Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, Boeing, Naval Research Labs, and other Dept. of Defense contractors with precisely manufactured miniaturized components such as high resolution interconnects, targeting sights, and sensor circuits. However, saying any more would be a breach of confidentiality!

Sensonor Technologies has played a significant role in the development of the global MEMS industry and is now launching STIM210, a high performance multi axis gyro module including up to 3 gyroscopes with an In-run bias instability of 0.5°/h and low bias error over temperature (10°/h rms). Contact us for more information.

WG-700™ is a completely new whisker-reinforced ceramic insert. Greenleaf's new, proprietary "platinum" nano-layered coating provides low-friction machining in both wet and dry environments, high temperature stability, abrasion resistance, oxidation resistance, and chemical inertness. With Greenleaf's WG-700™, customers can expect superior wear resistance and toughness at high speeds and feeds.

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have improved a software program that promises to take the stressful guesswork and trial-and-error out of stress testing ceramics and other alloys. For example, how will layers of ceramic material sprayed onto jet turbine blades respond when the metal blades heat up and expand over time? Just run it through the new software, OOF2 (Object-Oriented Finite) element analysis. Engineers can put the software itself to the test with a complimentary download.

Performance thermoplastics are taking off in aircraft. Used in sheets, foams and other forms, the biggest reason for the climb is fulfilling weight-out priorities. But sustainability, flame-smoke-toxicity regs, and performance are factors, too. Lexan, Ultem, and Extem stand in where PVC, acrylics, and die-cast aluminum once served — in seats, cockpit linings, window surrounds.

Northrup Grumman has introduced an aircraft capable of unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance as well as piloted transit through densely populated airspaces. The forward swept wing "Firebird's" most interesting attribute, however, is its open architecture for information technology. Designed as a "basic truck" with the focus on sensors, the aircraft accommodates quick changeover of sensor payloads.

The idea is to begin in the world's remotest regions, carrying cargo where trucks, trains, and planes can't. Once their worth is proven, penetration of mature freight markets will follow. This piece from Scientific American presents the case for Airships.

Protect sensitive equipment and parts from damage during transportation and storage with custom fit covers from Select Fabricators, Inc. Covers are made to customer specifications including material selection, required certifications, and cleanroom levels. Uses include EMI and RFI shielding, static dissipation, and moisture protection. Learn more.

Ideal for general aviation, business jets, and helicopters operating up to MACH 0.8. HARCO outside air temperature sensors utilize Resistance Temperature Detectors. RTDs operate on the principle that a material's electrical resistance changes with temperature. Platinum elements are typically used because of their excellent sensitivity, accuracy, and temperature characteristics. Learn more.

A THK original design, the Type RU Cross Roller Ring's unique configuration results in an overall costs savings of up to 50%. Featuring mounting holes on both rings, the Type RU requires reduced parts and labor.

The EMC810 Clock Oscillator is an advanced spread spectrum modulator with a standard TTL or CMOS compatible output that meets clock requirements of all major CISC, RISC, and DSP processors. It provides a modulated clock source that reduces electromagnetic emissions and associated harmonics at the source.

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Events are open to GlobalSpec's six million registered users and are an opportunity for you and your company to be viewed by your target audience, competition, and peers as industry thought leaders. Increase brand awareness. Influence key decision-makers. Learn more or submit your proposal here.

"As technology for autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) grows, so does the number of potential applications…such as fighting forest fires," writes Mechanical Engineering's John Falconi. However, technical challenges still exist in specific areas like human-robot interaction. Falconi points readers to an article describing a research program where drones are being developed using open-source hardware and software.

Using a custom designed jetpack attached to a pair of wings mounted on his back, Swiss Aviator Yves Rossy recently flew through the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The novel jet-powered wing contains four small engines for thrust and acts as a rudder, effectively giving Rossy control of his direction and flight path.

A Long Term Commitment

Would you invest in a risky project that won't see an ROI in a century? DARPA — the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency — hopes so.

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