Engineers at NASA recently earmarked a couple of emerging technologies that may alter the way aircraft are designed and built in the coming decades. If successful, each could lead to planes that are quieter, more energy efficient and produce fewer emissions.

As a senior research scientist at Sauder Woodworking Co. in Archbold, OH, John Beck has dealt with many surface treatment challenges.

Manufacturers in many industries like to build with composites because they are lightweight and have high strength-to-weight ratios that often exceed steel and aluminum. At the same time, though, these materials can be hard to properly bond to thermoplastic, metal and other composites.

Medical device manufacturers value silicone adhesives for their ability to bond various substrates when assembling devices such as catheters, pacemakers, cochlear implants, aesthetic implants and gastric balloons.

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN—Oysters build extensive reef communities by cementing to one another early in their lives. Scientists have known they secrete an adhesive for this purpose, but new research shows the glue they make as larvae and the glue they make as juveniles are different substances.

When buying a car, consumers place great importance on the aesthetics and quality of its interior. The dashboard, in particular, must have an attractive look and feel. But it's not just the beauty that matters; it's the quality as well.

With the rise in antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" in hospitals and medical centers, cleanliness and sterilization of medical devices have become a top priority. Cleaning products have become stronger and more aggressive to sanitize devices and prevent the spread of illness between patients.

Taken literally, the terms "accurate dispensing" and "dispensing with accuracy" are not interchangeable. In practice, however, manufacturers and their machine operators know that the words describe the same desired result: Dispensing an exact amount of material, at a specified location, on a repeatable basis

A new research tool helps engineers quickly find the right adhesives for their assembly applications. The searchable Gluespec database from Ellsworth Adhesives was designed by engineers and contains curated, quality-checked data on more than 7,000 liquid adhesives, coatings, sealants and specialty chemicals from more than 70 suppliers.