Itβs always fun to see what new biologically inspired creation the people at Festo Corp. come up with, and the latest incarnation, the BionicOpter, is no letdown. This mechanical dragonfly was unveiled in April and it incorporates flight characteristics from airplanes, helicopters, and glidersβand you can even control it from your phone. After Festo engineers […]
Compressed air gone wrong: Super pressure control is wasted
A recent compressed air audit revealed superior compressed air pressure control at a local fiberglass products manufacturer that had installed a VSD compressor in their plant several years ago. The discharge pressure at the compressor was very nicely maintained at a precise 125 psi by the compressorβs ability use electronic control to speed up or […]
Notes from MD&M East
Day one of MD&M East (and its related packaging/manufacturing/plastics shows) at the Philadelphia Convention Center was a bit sluggish, perhaps due to the occasionally dreary weather outside. But medical issues seemed to be the hot topics, with attendees looking for medical grade materials, solutions for implantable devices and, of course speedβfrom idea to finished product. […]
Are female engineers still getting the short stick?
When I was in college, some twenty years ago, I went to an institute primarily focused on engineering (Georgia Tech). So it wasnβt surprising to hear guys constantly talk about βthe ratio.β That would be the ratio of guys to girls, and it was always in the neighborhood of 4:1βnot a happy statistic for a […]
Registration Opens Soon for 2013 Fluid Power Systems Conference
Registration is opening soonΒ for the 2013 Fluid Power Systems Conference, formerly known as the Energy Efficient Hydraulics and ΊΪΑΟ³ΤΉΟs Conference, scheduled for November 19-21, 2013 at theΒ Doubletree Hotel, Rosemont, Illinois.Β Hosted by the International Fluid Power Society (IFPS), the FPDA Motion and Control Network (FPDA), and the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA), this two day educational […]
Whatβs the best setting for shop air pressure?
The following is a letter received by the Compressed Air Challenge from a concerned individual. Queries such as these are common if someone attends a CAC seminar. Question: We have a new maintenance supervisor that has turned down our shop air pressure to 86 psi, supposedly saving operating cost. My opinion is it should be […]
Finding and fixing compressed air leaks
Imagine your plant as a big ship travelling toward a destination. Waves splash across the bow, rain falls in, and the corroding salt water eats holes in the hull. Leaks start, a trickle at first and then a torrent. What do you do? Some options: β’ Turn on more pumps β’ Buy a really big […]
Manufacturing matters: International update
Hereβs a look at regional manufacturing reports from the past couple of weeks. Singaporeβs Gross domestic product shrank an annualized 1.4%in the three months through March 31 from the previous quarter, when it rose 3.3%, the Trade Ministry said today. Bloomberg reports that the city-state stuck to a policy of allowing gradual gains in its […]
NFPA data shows slight decrease in pneumatic shipments
The National Fluid Power Association’s 12-month graph of moving averages shows that pneumatic shipments, as well as hydraulic shipments, decreased slightly in February 2013. The latest data published by the NFPA shows that industry shipments of fluid β¨power products for February 2013 decreased 11.8% compared to February 2012, and it also decreased 3.5% cβ¨ompared to […]
Manufacturing matters β Leading in clean energy
David Danielson, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, announced a Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative at the ribbon cutting of a new facility, the Carbon Fiber Technology Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Danielson said this represents the type of public-private partnership necessary for the U.S. to lead in clean […]
