Remember the nursery rhyme about the old lady who swallows a fly? She swallows a spider to catch the fly, a bird to catch the spider, a cat to catch the bird, and so on, until she finally swallows a horse and dies.
Data communications standards can enable appliance manufacturers to achieve robust growth.
March 1, 2019
The smart appliance industry is currently at a crossroads. Analysts expect to see impressive growth for these products. But several challenges threaten to stymie its progression.
ANN ARBOR, MI—Engineers at the University of Michigan have developed a new light-based additive manufacturing process that is up to 100 times faster than conventional 3D printing techniques.
PARMA, Italy—A team of engineers here have harnessed new photonics technology to develop the world's first fluid-repellent, antibacterial, metal surface.
HIROSHIMA, Japan—Engineers at Mazda Motor Corp. here have developed the world's first cold-stamped vehicle body parts made from 1,310-megapascal (MPa) high-strength steel.
AUBURN HILLS, MI—FCA US LLC recently installed intelligent lighting systems at several of its plants in the Detroit area. The smart LEDs are expected to help drive down energy costs by at least 50 percent and improve employee productivity.
Understand key issues in connector and workplace design to improve worker and product performance.
February 15, 2019
Various types of connectors are used in home appliances and air-conditioning systems to create reliable contacts between different parts of electric circuits. In recent years, the number and types of connectors have multiplied as advanced sensors, controls, and communication/networking capabilities are incorporated into more intelligent appliances.
Automotive manufacturers face several ongoing challenges, such as being able to introduce new products onto an assembly line without long retooling times.
Flexibility should be of utmost importance when selecting an assembly joining system.
February 8, 2019
HVAC products and services offered to the consumer come with little to no room for revamping. As the cost of energy continues to rise, manufacturers have come under pressure to meet production goals, such as reducing energy usage, maintaining occupant comfort, and sustaining high levels of energy savings throughout the year.
Several years ago, researchers from QSS Group Inc. and the Ohio Aerospace Institute were interested in finding a commercially available adhesive that bonds titanium pipes to carbon-carbon composite (CCC) sheets. The reason: Doing so would lower the cost of assembling spacecraft heat-rejection systems made of these joined materials.