As insulation for very small wire is made more environmentally friendly, automotive manufacturers need more precise stripping form geometries in their stripping blades so they never make contact with the wire conductor.
In late 2008, Delphi began producing 26 AWG wire to help their automotive OEM customers save weight and space. Now the company is researching the development of 28 and 30 AWG wire.
While A3 reports should follow a basic template, the exact format and wording are flexible,to meet unique requirements. The type of information contained in an A3 often depends upon the purpose of the report and the audience. Here are some tips on what you should include.
The sudden popularity of A3 reporting has led to numerous mistakes in the engineering community. As a result, the A3 process is often misunderstood and misused.
Engineers at North Carolina State University have created shape-shifting antennas that open the door to many new applications in fields ranging from public safety to military deployment. The antennas are made from an alloy that can be bent, stretched, cut and twisted, but will return to its original shape. The antennas can be deformed (twisted and bent), because the mechanical properties are dictated by the elastomer and not the metal.
Engineers have to address numerous challenges before smart materials go mainstream. For example, the use of shape-memory alloys is different than traditional actuation technologies used in mechanisms, due to their unique characteristics and behavior.
Boeing has begun to assemble an unmanned, liquid-hydrogen powered, high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) aircraft. The twin-engine Phantom Eye will have a 150-foot wingspan and be capable of flying for more than four days at altitudes up to 65,000 feet while carrying a payload of up to 450 pounds. In addition, the Boeing Phantom Works is working on Phantom Ray, a fighter-sized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that will serve as a flying test bed for advanced technologies.
The U.S. Air Force is examining how wing warping technology can be applied to improve the efficiency of future fighter jets. Ironically, Wilbur and Orville Wright developed the concept more than 100 years ago while they were tinkering in the back of their little bicycle shop in Dayton, OH. In fact, wing warping is what allowed them to achieve their historic flight on Dec. 17, 1903.
Traditionally, composite wind turbine rotors are manually assembled. But, manufacturers are eager to automate the process to cut costs, boost productivity and improve quality. Robotics will play an increasingly important role in wind turbine blade manufacturing in the future.
A technology originally developed to increase lift in aircraft wings and simplify helicopter rotors can reduce the cost of manufacturing and operating wind turbines. Circulation control aerodynamic technology would allow wind turbines to produce significantly more power than current devices at the same wind speed.
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