Engineering and Technical Services Reference Materials
Reference Articles 1 - 100 of 408
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Understanding: Aluminum Extrusion Technical Data
From: Faztek, LLCDescription: An aluminum extrusion alloy is a predetermined mixture of one or more elements together with aluminum to be heated and hydraulically pressed through an extrusion die. Some common elements alloyed with ...
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Environmental Silicone: Detection, Control, and Impact on Adhesion in Manufacturing
From: Brighton ScienceDescription: Silicone contamination is a huge problem in many painting and bonding applications. It’s impossible to see, hard to remove, and it creeps in unseen like a ghost. Where the harm it can cause is ...
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The Role of a Network Assessment in Your Plant Network Upgrade
From: Belden Inc.Description: A network assessment can capture insights regarding network health, performance and suitability to give industrial networks the attention and expertise they need. ...
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Smartphone App Processors
From: Critical Link, LLCDescription: This study focused on the leading device manufacturers, and on the designs that were the most current as of the study date. ...
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Overconfidence in Idealized Models
From: Avantier Inc.Description: Idealized models are a wonderful way to get a quick grasp of how an optical system might work. But be careful! Real life will never meet your ideal model. ...
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Brunei's Ambitious Plans for Hydrogen
Description: Brunei is currently the largest per capita emitter in the region. But its wealth of natural gas represents a path to the future: hydrogen. It is already being exported to Japan. What else could be ...
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Aiding in the Balancing Act: Removing the Burden of Innovation for Fluid Power Customers
Description: As fluid power professionals, from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to C-Parts suppliers, we are continually challenged to manage day-to-day business activities that drive the bottom line while ...
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Global Supply Optimization, Material Aggregation
From: BinMaster, Inc.Description: A continuous level measurement sensor reports the level of material in a bin, tank, or silo over its full span from top to bottom. It reports inventory over time using software or display consoles. ...
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Optical System Design: Challenges and Advantages
From: Avantier Inc.Description: At Avantier, we use Zemax for designing, analyzing, and optimizing optical systems, such as lenses, objectives, cameras, and other optical devices. ...
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Unlock Efficiency and Precision with SpecTRAX Lite: Your Competitive Advantage
From: TechInsights Inc.Description: No longer spend hours manually collecting specification data and monitoring product launches. Let SpecTrax Lite do the work for you, for free. Say goodbye to manual data collection and product ...
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Simulations Reveal Valuable Information About Fluid Power Components
Description: To achieve optimal efficiency, fluid power applications and their sealing components need good friction characteristics and long life to reduce maintenance. ...
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What is the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
From: ANZERDescription: A: The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) refers to using internet-connected devices and sensors in industrial settings to collect and exchange data to improve operational efficiency and ...
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What is AS9100:2016 Certification?
From: ANZERDescription: AS9100:2016 Certification is a quality management system (QMS) standard developed for the aerospace industry. It is a revision of the previous version AS9100:2009 and is based on the international QMS ...
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Chromalox Provides Unparalleled Guidance and Technology for Decarbonization
From: ChromaloxDescription: Chromalox's Decarbonization Assessment Program starts with a site assessment, where a Chromalox Certified Decarbonization Specialist will walk the facility in order to identify electrification ...
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Resource: Cut production costs and optimize material consumption
From: SICKDescription: Improving processes to optimize material consumption, speed, flexibility or yield increases value creation – by lowering material costs, adapting to changes quickly and increasing revenue with ...
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The Engineer's Guide to Digital Transformation
From: SICKDescription: Also called Industry 4.0, this is achieved when all processes and systems in the factory are in harmony and everything is operating at the highest levels, automatically, with minimal intervention. ...
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Integration and Upgrades for Better Jet Engine Testing
From: RedViking Group, LLCDescription: A large military aerospace center had a standalone test bench for one type of auxiliary power unit (APU). The stand was located outside of the main test center and was completely unlike all other test ...
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Whirl Tower Increases Productivity and Efficiency
From: RedViking Group, LLCDescription: One of the world's largest helicopter companies came to us with a challenge - design and build a new kind of blade balance stand. It needed to handle blades from multiple manufacturers, have greater ...
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Corrosion Under Insulation - A Guide to Dealing with this Hidden Problem
Description: By understanding the types of corrosion and the likely areas of damage concentration where CUI may occur, a well thought out inspection plan can be developed and executed. ...
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Top 3 Reasons for Staff Augmentation in Quality Assurance & Inspection
Description: Staff Augmentation has always been a great option for growing companies, both during times of larger contract work, and during plant transition periods. But now, more than ever, is the right time to ...
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Applications in Manufacturing and Healthcare of AR/MR/VR Part 4
From: Avantier Inc.Description: Augmented Reality (AR) devices overlay digital content onto the real world, benefiting industries like manufacturing and healthcare. Microsoft HoloLens is an example of such a device. Avantier, an ...
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Improve Carrying Costs with Bulk Measurement System
From: BinMaster, Inc.Description: Before COVID and the supply chain crisis, industries relied on savvy just-in-time ordering to minimize carrying costs like warehousing, tied-up capital, product spoilage, and waste. According to ...
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Introduction to Reverse Engineering
From: Avantier Inc.Description: Unlock the secrets of cutting-edge optics with reverse optical engineering. Replicate, improve, and customize optical components and systems for medical devices, telecommunications, and military ...
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SAFER Workplace
From: Schmersal Inc.Description: The SAFER workplace initiative promotes workplace safety, with a heightened focus on machine safety, to reduce the potential of near misses, accidents, and injuries. The SAFER acronym is based on the ...
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A Day in the life of...a Digital Technical Consultant
From: SICKDescription: William Fisher’s day-to-day is never the same. As a Digital Technical Consultant for SICK, William can sum up his job in one way: solving customer’s problems. But it’s a bit more ...
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How Could the Manufacturing Sector Utilize Extended Reality?
From: igus® inc.Description: The manufacturing industry is always growing and innovating. Automation and Industry 4.0 are the most talked about examples of this; however, extended reality (XR) provides an avenue to not only ...
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TechInsights' CPL Summary 1Q 2023
From: TechInsights Inc.Description: TechInsights' CPL Summary 1Q 2023 Macroeconomic Outlook. The Component Price Landscape (CPL) report for the first quarter of 2023 still shows a decline in component prices; however, the lead times ...
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What is Shore Power and Why is it Important?
From: igus® inc.Description: As more and more companies and industries aim to become more environmentally friendly, changes need to be made to long-standing conventions. One of the most radical changes is the shift to shore power ...
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3D Image Analysis
From: Avantier Inc.Description: The quality of data obtained from different 3D cameras that use 2D sensor arrays to calculate the XYZ positions of illuminated surface points is compared. The article highlights the problems that can ...
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How to Read an Optical Drawing
From: Avantier Inc.Description: Discover how optical drawings act as a universal language between optical designers and manufacturers worldwide, and learn how to interpret these detailed plans with precision using the widely ...
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Image Processing Case Study
From: Avantier Inc.Description: Discover how extensive image processing can be used in the transportation industry with this case study. See how two cameras captured high-resolution images of moving boxes on a conveyor belt, despite ...
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Image Recovery or Image Reconstruction of an Imaging System
From: Avantier Inc.Description: Blurring can degrade images and the point spread function (PSF) can be used to recover them. An example of using inverse PSF to eliminate barcode image degradation is provided. By deducing inverse PSF ...
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Reverse Optical Engineering Case Studies from Avantier
From: Avantier Inc.Description: Reverse engineering is a complex process that can yield significant benefits for businesses facing difficult technical challenges. In this article, we present three case studies that demonstrate the ...
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Green Hydrogen - An energy carrier with potential.
Description: Across industry, electricity, logistics, mobility and built infrastructure sectors: To achieve our ambitious climate targets, we need sustainable energy sources everywhere. Hydrogen is considered an ...
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Why is there a certification for green hydrogen?
Description: TÜV Rheinland Standard H2.21: An independent verification for the documentation of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen fuels. ...
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Intravenous (IV) Filters: Form-Fit-Function
From: ITW MedicalDescription: Intravenous lines deliver fluids from a solution source to the patient, generally providing hydration and life-sustaining medication. In-line IV filters are used for filtering particles and bacteria ...
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An Insider's Checklist for Selecting a Project Partner
Description: In today’s market where transparency, tracking and validation are more important than ever – ensuring that your fluid handling supplier is with you for the long haul makes selecting the ...
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Tips and Tricks for Downloading 3D Models
Description: We provide the CAD data on our website for you through the CADENAS platform. Due to the variety of our products, we offer only a selected range on the corresponding detailed article pages with CAD ...
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Global Manufacturer Experiences Double-Digit Productivity Improvements by Partnering with Experts at Belden's Customer Innovation Center
From: Belden Inc.Description: Through its collaborative Customer Innovation Center, Belden—a leading global supplier of network and digitization solutions—is empowering industrial plants around the world to build solid ...
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Component Price Landscape (CPL)
From: TechInsights Inc.Description: Electronic component prices have fluctuated wildly in recent quarters in light of component supply shortages, panic ordering by OEMs, and inflation concerns. ...
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How Does an AGV Navigate Safely?
From: RedViking Group, LLCDescription: Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) represent the next step in the evolution of the assembly line. AGVs are set to transform manufacturing in the near future. As the name suggests, the operations of AGVs ...
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Supertalls!
From: Critical Link, LLCDescription: When the (still) tallest building in my hometown of Syracuse went up in the late 1920's, it was considered a skyscraper. All 21 floors of it. A couple of years later, when the Empire State Building ...
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Navigating the Challenges of Designing for a Multi-Platform Embedded Computing Solution
Description: Modern computing system requirements are anything but simple. Embedded system integrators are tasked with developing packaged solutions that must be highly adaptable to a range of applications and ...
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Waiting for Inspiration to Strike?
Description: Creativity is the process of altering reality. The brain imagines a future different than anything that has existed before and conceptualizes the steps needed to make that future reality. Altering ...
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Design for Manufacturing Case Study - Medical Device Application for AR Headsets
From: Shanghai OpticsDescription: Shanghai Optics offers custom optical solution services including Design for Manufacturing (DFM). We are proud of our long history of offering custom optical solutions for helping customers improve ...
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Cloud Manufacturing Technology and Applications
From: RedViking Group, LLCDescription: Cloud technology saw dramatic adoption in the past decade. It has seeped into all facets of business and transformed how companies carry out operations. Cloud technology delivers huge scale ...
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7 Reasons Why Companies Fail at Lean Manufacturing
From: RedViking Group, LLCDescription: Manufacturing has always been a competitive sector. But the intensity of competition manufacturers faced in the 1950s pales in comparison to what industry players have to deal with today. Thanks to ...
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Medium Voltage Electric Steam and Hot Water Generators for District Heating
From: ChromaloxDescription: The electrification trend has spread beyond automobiles and is now moving into district heating applications with a focus on eliminating or supplementing fuel fired systems. Many district heating ...
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Design for Manufacturing Case Study
From: Shanghai OpticsDescription: A scientific device and instrument company needed to develop an infrared lens with focal length of 40mm and f number of 0.98 for spectral imaging application. The spectral imager was meant to measure ...
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Battery Testing
Description: Batteries have a pivotal societal role, from providing the initial power needed to start automobile engines to acting as a backup electrical source for essential services. As batteries are further ...
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Environmental Simulation Safeties for Battery Testing
Description: The need for higher performing, lower weight batteries has increased as the design and production of electric vehicles and other devices has greatly expanded over recent years. Now more than ever, ...
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How To Choose A Walk-In And Drive-In Test Chamber
Description: To thrive, your product must survive. Years of development, design, and delivery can be undone if your product can't endure extreme climate changes, tolerate intense vibrations, manage mechanical ...
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Halloween: Yet Another Area where Technology has Made Inroads
From: Critical Link, LLCDescription: I am continually amazed by the inroads technology has made into all aspects of our lives. As someone who remembers rolling down a car window, and using a phone that - however long the cord - was ...
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Best Practices for EU GDPR Compliance
Description: In the wake of the GDPR, many countries, including the U.S. are beginning to consider adopting the ways of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in order to better protect their citizens. ...
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Bicycle Workshops in the Test: A Defect Rarely Comes Alone
Description: TÜV Rheinland has examined the quality of service in bicycle workshops. Result of the sample: The industry urgently needs to improve this. ...
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GDPR Considerations for IoT Manufacturers and Service Providers
Description: The recently enforced General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies to all organizations offering goods or services or marketing to individuals in the EU, regardless of company size or where the ...
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The Importance of NRTL Testing in Healthcare Facilities
Description: According to OSHA 29 CFR 1910, all electrical equipment used in a workplace is required to be factory-certified or labelled as electrically safe by a Nationally-Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). ...
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Get Ahead of the Top 3 Trends Impacting the Fluid Power Industry in 2022
Description: Manufacturers delivering fluid power solutions face unprecedented challenges today. High demand for new equipment and machinery is being countered by supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, and ...
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Tech Advancements Driving the Fluid Power Market Forward
Description: Mobile fluid power is an essential part of the construction, agriculture, mining, and other heavy-duty segments. But although the primary technology is mature, many factors drive change and demand ...
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Silicon Photonics: helping Moore's Law keep up
From: Critical Link, LLCDescription: Silicon photonics has been around for a while - twenty years now - and is wending its way from being used in data centers and "industrial strength" applications into the consumer realm. ...
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Some Cool New Cooling Technology
From: Critical Link, LLCDescription: It's been estimated that, by 2050, there will be 4.5 billion air conditioning units in place around the world, and they'll be responsible for consuming 13 percent or so of all electricity. ...
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There's Always Something More on Moore's Law
From: Critical Link, LLCDescription: There's always something more to say on Moore's Law, and several writers are saying it in a series of pieces on EE Times. ...
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Case Study: TÜV Rheinland "Supersizes" Field Evaluation Services for Largest Stadium Display in North America
Description: TÜV Rheinland has field tested and labeled video screens at more than 50 venues, including the big screens in Dallas, TX and at Times Square in New York City ...
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Mechanical Performance of X-Ray Systems.
Description: This paper reviews the requirements for mechanical devices critical for delivering safe amounts of radiation while preserving X-ray image quality ...
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Industry 4.0: Sensors and Cloud Software Provide Answers for Worker Shortage, Safety and Inventory Management
From: BinMaster, Inc.Description: While manufacturing managers were implementing the Industry 4.0 philosophy, COVID-19 hit. The pandemic brought worker and supply chain shortages and accelerated the effort to boost technology in ...
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Interview with the New Manager for our Business Line TFP
Description: Umicore: Dear Mr Bracher, why did you choose Umicore MDS, what attracted you most? ...
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Paleo Technology: The Making of Prehistoric Planet
From: Critical Link, LLCDescription: The visual effects team designed the dinosaurs on computers, starting with skeletons based on fossil scans, and then adding muscles and skin. ...
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Choosing a Compliance Partner for the Global EV Market
Description: The electric and hybrid vehicle industry is growing rapidly, with every car company and even the appliance company Dyson looking to release their own electric model within the next few years. ...
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Common Problems Found During Field Evaluations
Description: Electrical, building and mechanical inspectors understand that electrical product safety laws protect our homes and our places of work. Manufacturers and employers must work with authorities having ...
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Compliance Challenges with EV Safety Standards
Description: Electric Vehicles (EV) offer many benefits over their gas-powered counterparts, but their market appeal is currently tempered by their higher cost and new safety concerns ...
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Dismantling the High-Voltage Risks of Electric Vehicles
Description: Stronger and longer-lasting batteries in EVs increase the vehicle's market appeal, but the high-voltage energy systems are dangerous and even deadly if not handled correctly. ...
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FAQ's About the ISO 27001 Standard
Description: With an information security management system (ISMS) certified to ISO 27001, a business, its employees, and its stakeholders can all be assured that processes are in place to protect proprietary and ...
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How Can ISO 9001 Improve Your Business?
Description: A quality management systems (QMS) is a formal system that documents process, procedures and responsibilities related to quality policies and helps focus the organization towards customer and ...
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How to Ensure Machinery Safety and Compliance
Description: In the United States, any modifications made to a production line means that the system is no longer the same, and the mark applied by the Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) that ...
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How to Prepare for Your Upcoming Remote Audit
Description: Remote audits offer many attractive benefits for companies, including flexibility, online scheduling, digital paperwork, and perhaps most appealing, reduced travel expenses. ...
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ISO 45001: What Is It and Why Should You Transition?
Description: An occupational health & safety system allows a company to undeniably reduce the number of accidents through a systematic approach to aspects of health & safety. ...
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Validation In Accordance With ISO 13849-2
From: Schmersal Inc.Description: An important standard which gets too little attention is ISO 13849 part 2, which defines the validation process for the safety functions incorporated into the machine. This article summarizes the ...
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Supply Chain Education Teaches Tech
From: BinMaster, Inc.Description: The University of Nebraska at Omaha operates one of the state's few programs dedicated to supply chain. Steve Schulz, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Logistics & Supply Chain Management, said the ...
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Five Steps to Digital Transformation
From: SICKDescription: So you’re ready to tackle a digital transformation project in your facility, but what’s the best way to start? Well, look no further: SICK has your back from beginning to end as a single ...
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With an Eye on the Future
Description: Mobile computing, IoT, 5G, Industry 4.0 and many other digital areas will be a part of us for a long time to come. ...
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RoHS and REACH Compliances
From: Lapp TannehillDescription: Learn more about U.S. and European Union restrictions and regulations on hazardous substances with RoHS, REACH, and other approvals and compliances. ...
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Sensors and Software Unite to Streamline the Supply Chain
From: BinMaster, Inc.Description: Truck driver shortages have been in the international spotlight since the pandemic began. The costs, and societal and supply impact have been widely publicised with examples including the United ...
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Climate Pledge Arena Combines Tech-Forward Sports & Sustainability
From: Belden Inc.Description: It may be home to the Seattle Kraken (NHL’s newest franchise) and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, but Climate Pledge Arena also represents something much bigger within the world of sports and ...
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A Bit of Silicon Valley History
From: Critical Link, LLCDescription: In late 1971, Intel brought out the first microprocessor. A few months later, EE Times - long a go-to for news and insights on the semi-conductor world, embedded systems, AI, and other trends - ...
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Sustainability & Global Warming Potential
Description: Whether it's manufacturing industrial equipment or miniature electric devices, customers want the products they buy to function reliably. Premature failure can lead to costly recalls and loss in ...
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Mass Flow versus Volumetric Flow - Everything you need to know
From: ES Systems S.A.Description: What is mass flow and what is volumetric flow? What are their differences? Learn how to calculate volumetric flow rate to mass flow rate and vice versa. ...
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Get Started with Python: Why and How Mechanical Engineers Should Make the Switch
Description: Any engineer will have heard of Python by this stage. But if you are a typical mechanical engineer, it's unlikely you and your team will be using Python for your data analysis ...
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Gartner's Latest Emerging Technologies Hype Cycle
From: Critical Link, LLCDescription: Gartner has an interesting way of looking at emerging technologies. In their Hype Cycle, they place new technologies along a somewhat amusing continuum that extends from the inception of a technology ...
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What is Vertical Integration?
Description: In recent times, supply chain issues have hit many industries, leading to long lead times and unsatisfied customers. One way of combatting this is through vertical integration. Vertical integration is ...
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Lean Lab Optimizes Flow in Pharma Production
From: Mettler-Toledo GmbHDescription: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is a preeminent player among pharmaceutical companies, and maintains a significant presence in more than 93 countries worldwide. A leader in the discovery of therapeutic ...
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The Top Emerging Technologies of the Past Decade - Part Two
From: Critical Link, LLCDescription: In my last post, I covered the first four items on the World Economics Forum's list of major technological trends of the past decade - technologies that have "changed the world." Here I'll summarize ...
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5 Ways to Improve the Sustainability of Your Next Data Center Project
From: Belden Inc.Description: We’ve asked this question before: What does “sustainability” mean when it comes to data centers? The industry has different definitions—and every organization has its own ...
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Critical Link Customer Story: Teletronics Technology Corporation
From: Critical Link, LLCDescription: To be successful in increasingly competitive markets, companies must be ready and able to seize opportunities when they arise. That’s exactly what Teletronics Technology Corporation of Newton, ...
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Manufacturing in Space
From: Technetics GroupDescription: Manufacturing in Space - It's a thing and there are several companies now working to figure out the complexities and solve the challenges of manufacturing and assembling products in low-earth orbit ...
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Mayne Pharma, Metrics Contract Services, Designate their new Stability Storage Facility a Center of Excellence
Description: The Stability Center of Excellence, which is 17,000 square feet in size, triples the company’s previous stability storage capacity. The center is fully validated and operational. When designing ...
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Optimum Product Quality - Trust Weiss Technik
Description: Engineering large CFRP components requires high precision in the heat treatment temperature controls to ensure the finished parts have the correct material properties ...
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Weiss Technik and W.L. Gore Unveils World Class Fabric Testing Facility
Description: W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. (Gore), known for its scientific approach to product development and ensuring products perform as promised in the intended end use, advanced its product testing ...
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Sanitary and Hygienic Design Standards
From: Schmersal Inc.Description: An overview of US and Canadian standards for food industry ...
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"The Science Behind the Boom"
From: Critical Link, LLCDescription: I posted about celebrating the Fourth a few years back, but I thought it was a topic that's worth revisiting. So - thanks to an article by Kevin Clemens I found on DesignNews - here goes with Kevin's ...
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Technology That's Strictly for the Birds
From: Critical Link, LLCDescription: When I think of birding, I picture someone with binoculars around their neck, a field guide to birds in their hand, and a birdcall in their pocket. As with so many aspects of life, technology now ...