A comprehensive report from KEYENCE describes 23 successful machine vision applications in seven industries. Technological advancements in the CV-5000 High-speed Vision System are overcoming detection obstacles in applications that were previously difficult or impossible to perform.

Included in the report are semiconductor wafer surface analysis, solar battery substrate assessment, characterization of aluminum, inspection of paper, glass and PET containers, surface inspection of CDs, and in-line checking of automotive bearings, springs, and forged assemblies. The report includes a range of pharmaceutical, food, and household product applications. Download the report here.

Stäubli Corporation is pleased to announce that our new magnetic clamping system, the QMC 122, is produced in South Carolina in our brand new facility. Even in these tough economic times, Stäubli dedicated 25,000 sq ft to produce this highly-advanced system here in North America. Now is the right time to invest in automating your process for increased productivity.

Stäubli is fully committed to support you, our valued customers, with the entire product range of Quick Disconnects and Multicoupling Systems, as well as the full range of Quick Mold Change Systems. Our dedicated sales force will gladly assist in determining your needs.

Apex's next-gen Connect n' Go™ technology provides breakthrough technology, enables very low lease or purchase options, and leads to a very fast time-to-benefit. No complicated start up. No expensive implementation costs. Our Industrial Vending Systems provide immediate savings:

• Eliminate stock outs
• Reduce usage by 15-30% or more; reduce inventory
  levels by 50%
• Reduce walking and waiting time for tools/supplies
• Streamline and automate reordering

To learn how Quaker Oats saves thousands on gloves and safety glasses, look at our case studies.

The TURBO-DRYER® line from Wyssmont is a proprietary, continuous-tray dryer design consisting of a stack of rotating circular trays in a sealed enclosure. Recent increases in capacity requirements resulted in the addition of the L-size TURBO-DRYER® to heat-treat a fine (70 µ) metal oxide powder. This design is capable of operating at temperatures up to 650° C to calcine or sinter metal powders.

The unit includes an internal electrical heating system to provide the heat to remove the residual moisture. A small purge of dry air or nitrogen is used to purge water vapor from the system, keeping fines carryover to a minimum.

A sign of things to come? Massachusetts-based Terrafugia has created a vehicle called the Transition that can operate as a car and airplane. Fueled with standard unleaded gasoline, as opposed to aviation fuel, the "flying car" transforms from plane to car and back in about one minute.

The company relied heavily on 3D CAD to model the Transition and to make the precise calculations needed to meet both aircraft and road vehicle safety as well as performance standards. Of particular importance: use of simulation to reduce the weight of materials for key assemblies. These videos confirm a recent test flight.

More from Aerospace Technology…

Del-Tron's Ball Slides and Crossed Roller Slides and Tables offer:

• Friction-free linear motion
• High accuracies and excellent load carrying capabilities
• Lightweight aluminum construction
• Anti-creep technology available for vertical and high-speed applications

Del-Tron's Slides and Tables are easily modified to meet your applications needs, including stainless steel internal components where corrosion resistance is needed. Solid model drawings are available for the entire product line. Read more about Del-Tron Precision's Slides and Tables.

The porous carbon component of the STAIR (St Andrews Air) battery is cheaper than the lithium cobalt oxide it replaces. Physorg explains that oxygen drawn from air during discharge interacts with carbon to release electrical charge. This air-fueled battery can enable constant power output from intermittent energy sources and yield 10x the energy storage of available systems.

Learn more about industrial batteries…

Can researchers develop a way to "grow" the building blocks for plastics and even crude oil, HMF (5-hydroxymethylfurfural) from plants? They already have. Previous research at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory was able to produce HMF from simple sugars derived from plant cellulose, but the process has been much improved. Adding two catalysts and the right temperature combination, 57% of the sugar content was converted to HMF in one step, with 90% of the HMF recovered at 96% purity.

Learn more about specialty polymers and resins…

General Digital's™ Barracuda™ Series LCD monitors (6.4 in. - 24 in.) are sealed to IP67 and NEMA4X standards. The rugged, aluminum enclosures (standalone, rack mount, or panel mount) provide protection against various environmental elements: water immersion (submersion) from 15 cm - 1 m depth, splashing or hose-directed water, falling debris, dust, ice, snow, and more. Available with sunlight-readable displays.

RDI is offering an ultra-low profile, sub-miniature SMT tact switch with an insulated plastic cover. This switch is available in 160 gf ±50 gf or 250 gf ±50 gf. The switch is rated DC 12 V 50 mA; its contact resistance is 100 mOHM MAX. A series drawing is available here.

Home Depot's 10-minute video sings the benefits of using recyclable plastic slip sheets instead of wooden pallets. Besides weight and cost savings, additional space created on distribution trucks by removing pallets reduces the number of trips and fuel.

Learn more about pallets…

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) and manufacturing execution systems (MES) are joined by a new software acronym, enterprise manufacturing intelligence (EMI). EMI sits above MES but below ERP, serving real-time production data that is understandable to a plant manager or a machine operator. It changes the information and its presentation based on job responsibilities. It displays technical device information to operators, engineers, and maintenance professionals, and high-level operation data to supervisors and plant managers. Analysts say EMI software brings the 'automation team' together, allowing all to see the impact their work has on others.

Learn more about EMI software…