• Can be used freely in horizontal, inverted and wall-mounted orientations
Gladiator GR Series DIN Rail Quad Receptacles
• GR-REC4 has two NEMA 5-15R duplex receptacles
• GR-REC4-GFCI uses one GFCI duplex receptacle that protects all four circuits.
Starting at $48.00 (GR-REC4)
Murelektronik
Modlink Modular Panel Interfaces
New Gladiator GR series DIN rail or panel mounted quad-port power receptacles provide convenient outlets used in electrical enclosures to temporarily power laptop computers and test equipment.
Penn Union Power Distribution and Splicer/Reducer Blocks
These versatile modular panel interface inserts can be mixed and matched to build a customized panel interface with connectors that best fit your application.
Penn Union power distribution blocks feature a modular design that allows for various multi-pole block configurations, providing distribution of power from a single source to various loads. The splicer/reducer blocks allow for in-line splices or conductor size reductions.
• Rugged aluminum construction
Murrplastik Cable/Hose Drag Chains
• Dual copper/aluminum conductor ratings
• DIN rail or panel mounting
Starting at $17.00 (ASRB-11-2/0-1)
Murrplastik MP18 series cable / hose drag chains route cables / hoses to moving components while keeping them organized and protected.
• Rugged polyamide (PA) construction
• Support cables/hoses up to 15mm in diameter
• Extend and protect cable/hose life
• Single/double frames with transparent, metallic, or gray covers
• Insert options include blanks and a model with a 3A circuit breaker
• Connector types available include:
• Protects personnel, and reduces downtime and repair costs
• Hinge and latch design allows quick and easy access with disassembling cables
• Pre-configured data and/or power combinations
• Easily adapts to various configurations including parallel, overlap, circular, and many more
Starting at $38.00 (CDC-0.7X0.7R1.1T)
- RJ45 Cat5e - Female/male 15-pin D-sub HD15
- Female/female USB-A - Female/female 9-pin D-sub
- RJ12 - Single 120 VAC outlet
Components starting at $8.00 (4000-68000-8900000)
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• and more
It’s that season when we recognize and celebrate engineering innovations through our annual LEAP (Leadership in Engineering Achievement Program) Awards. Each year, we receive a sample of the outstanding contributions engineers make to industries worldwide. Our esteemed judging panel, which includes experts from various fields in academia and industry, selects revolutionary products and those that move the needle for technological advancement.
This year’s winning products include materials, components, and software that enable more sustainable manufacturing. Efficiency, simplification, cost-effectiveness, and the end-user experience are common themes. Smart devices armed with artificial intelligence, machine learning, and sophisticated architectures sharpen capabilities and optimize energy consumption.
Some engineering teams revamped previous designs to meet today’s challenges.
Others uncovered new problems and went back to the drawing board to develop new solutions. In either case, we’re delighted to acknowledge their ingenuity and contributions.
Now in its seventh year, the LEAP Awards is a collaborative effort across our flagship brands: Design World, Fluid Power World, EE World, and Engineering.com. Be on the lookout for announcements as our editorial team posts the gold, silver, and bronze winners, as well as honorable mentions, for each category.
On behalf of our editors and judging panel, congratulations!
Shocks, Jamming, Tearing and Static Cling!
• Materials tear, jam or curl
• Webs and films cling to themselves
• Electronic sensors fail, making false readings
• Hazardous sparks or shocks occur
• Product clings to itself, rollers and machine beds
• Dust attraction ruins surface finishes
MOTION CONTROL
A practical guide to selecting the right pallet conveyor
Efficient material handling is crucial in optimizing factory automation. Choosing the right pallet conveyor can maximize productivity, maintainability, and overall ROI.
LINEAR MOTION
Why operating environment matters
To make the right selection when specifying actuators, it’s important to consider the operating environment.
3D CAD
The fastest 3D CAD modelers in the world
On TooTallToby.com, a passionate community of CAD enthusiasts are pushing themselves to be better modelers — and having fun along the way.
MECHANICAL
Air bearings vs. mechanical bearings in motion systems
In applications where high performance is essential, air-bearing guided mechanics might deserve a closer look.
Using mechanisms inspired by nature to create new technological innovations is a signature of one Virginia Tech research team. Here’s what they’ve been working on.
Are solid-state batteries better than Li-ion for EVs?
Despite manufacturing challenges, such as high material costs, sensitivity to moisture, and lower ionic conductivity at room temperature, the automotive industry presses on for the benefits.
DESIGN WORLD
FOLLOW THE WHOLE TEAM @DESIGNWORLD
EDITORIAL
VP, Editorial Director
Paul J. Heney pheney@wtwhmedia.com @wtwh_paulheney
Digital Production Specialist Elise Ondak eondak@wtwhmedia.com
HUMAN RESOURCES
Vice President of Human Resources Edith Tarter etarter@wtwhmedia.com
THIN ENOUGH?
BXR Brakes
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Hydraulic load-holding or counterbalance valves are installed to prevent sudden load drops and control descent speed. Such valves ensure smooth, stable operation and provide a safety mechanism in mobile and industrial machinery. The downside is that they can fail due to wear, incorrect positioning, or failures in the hydraulic system. Drilling rigs, for example, need reliable lockout capabilities to protect workers and equipment during emergencies and routine maintenance. Pennsylvania-based York Precision Machining and Hydraulics thought outside the box and developed the Bear-Loc fail-safe locking device as an alternative solution to prevent catastrophes.
The Bear-Loc mechanism comprises a rod and a sleeve. When hydraulic pressure is applied, the sleeve expands around the rod, allowing the rod to move freely. When hydraulic pressure is removed — intentionally or accidentally — the sleeve immediately forms an interference fit around the rod, locking it into place. It can run in parallel or series with existing hydraulic actuators when space constraints pose a challenge,
especially in retrofit applications. This negates the need to change the hydraulic cylinders while locking at any position.
Unlocking the Bear-Loc requires little fluid displacement — a mere few cubic inches. The device requires an independent hydraulic line and can integrate into a centralized system or use a separate supply.
The technology has been used in various industries for more than 50 years, holding up to four million pounds without failure. The current design has been proven in defense applications focused on performance and reliability. Offshore applications are also gaining traction, especially in fully submerged environments and those without frequent human intervention. DW
York Precision www.yorkpmh.com
Design For Industry
Integrating safety without the bulk
Common Industrial Protocol (CIP) Safety is used in industrial automation to ensure safe data exchange between devices and to support functional safety, such as preventing hazards and ensuring reliable operation in case of faults. It allows safety-related and non-safety devices to coexist on the same network without a separate system, which reduces complexity and costs.
ABB’s CIP Safety FSCS-21 Function Module is a compact plug-in safety module that integrates drives into a CIP Safety network with any CIP Safety PLC. It is TÜVcertified and compatible with ABB drive series ACS380 (Machinery), ACS580 (General Purpose), and ACS880 (Industrial).
The module includes two built-in safety functions: Safety Torque Off (STO) and Safe Stop 1, time controlled (SS1-t), which meet machinery safety requirements up to SIL3/Ple. These ready-made safety functions require no particular parameterization, software, or password. Users define the safety network number and EtherNet/IP communication settings and run the application. Additional features include support for DLR ring networks and predefined safety and non-safety add-on instructions for advanced PLC integration. DW
ABB www.abb.com
POWER TRANSMISSION RETAINING DEVICES & maintenance &
WHITTET-HIGGINS manufactures quality oriented, stocks abundantly and delivers quickly the best quality and largest array of adjustable, heavy thrust bearing, and torque load carrying retaining devices for bearing, power transmission and other industrial assemblies; and specialized tools for their careful assembly.
Visit our website–whittet-higgins.com–to peruse the many possibilities to improve your assemblies. Much technical detail delineated as well as 2D and 3D CAD models for engineering assistance. Call your local or a good distributor.
Founded in 2017, Quasi Robotics develops autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and accompanying software for materials handling and intralogistics transport. The company offers two robots: the Model C2, an autonomous delivery robot, and the Model R2, an autonomous mobile manipulator. The C2 features three tiers of shelving that can hold a total of 175 lb (79.3 kg) and has a 16-hour battery life. The R2 has a pick-and-place robotic arm with eight degrees of freedom and a 3.2-ft (0.9-m) reach. Its proprietary Q.AI software provides dynamic route planning, navigation, and obstacle avoidance.
The company recently announced a major update to its Quasi Cloud Connect and Q.AI robot management software. These updates will give users of Quasi Robotics’ flagship Model C2 AMR more control and flexibility over the material transport process. Cloud Connect 2.0 includes new capabilities such as Multi-Stop Routes to create complex, workflow-driven delivery paths and No-Go Zones to restrict navigation through user-designated map areas.
The new Q.AI also includes path-smoothing algorithms for sway prevention at high speeds. In addition, the company said it has improved connectivity features to boost the safety and overall performance of the Model C2 during delivery.
Quasi has also redesigned the Cloud Connect user portal and added the Waypoints mobile app for simplified control. It has improved WiFi and mapping abilities, active international time zones, visual LED cues, and customizable voice announcements. DW
Quasi Robotics
www.quasi.ai
Design For Industry
AEROSPACE
Testing satellites with friction-free spherical air bearings
In July 2024, Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the HarvardSmithsonian Center for Astrophysics, estimated that more than 10,000 active satellites orbit our planet already. Different estimations expect that number to grow to 100,000 by the decade’s end. With the advent of compact CubeSats and commercial spaceflight, the cost of building and transporting a satellite into space has dropped significantly, which makes using a global network of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites for free space optical communication via laser beams more feasible, promising affordable high-speed internet anywhere on the planet. This emerging technology has a potential for rapid growth, and the increased demand for satellites drives the need for new test systems and methodologies to validate hardware before launch.
Spherical air bearings are extensively used for testing satellites’ attitude control systems. They provide a zero-gravity environment by allowing frictionless motion in three degrees of freedom (DOF) to simulate pitch, roll, and yaw movements. This capability is vital for testing how satellites will behave in the weightlessness of space without expensive and complex simulations, such as drop tests or parabolic flights.
PI’s A-651 through A-657 series offer frictionless motion in three rotary degrees of freedom with unrestrained rotation about the vertical Z-axis and ±45° tilt motion about the horizontal X and Y axes. They are available with diameters from 50 to 300 mm and can carry payloads from less than 20 lb to up to 1,400 lb with compressed air at 80 psi.
This variety in size provides solutions for nearly any small satellite, from 1U picosatellites to half-ton minisatellites. The moving element of the PIglide HB spherical air bearing is lightweight to reduce moving mass and moment of inertia, ensuring the test system closely simulates actual satellite behavior.
In addition to its spherical air bearings, PI provides other solutions for space applications, such as 6-DOF hexapod positioning systems that can be used to validate optical terminals, such as the OTVT at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and fast steering mirrors for free-space optical communication in LEO satellites. DW
PI www.pi-usa.us
1U to 6U
Modern and highly versatile rack mount enclosures in aluminum. Standard sizes from 1U to 6U, with or without ventilation slots and painted in light gray or black. Supplied fully assembled and fitted with two ergonomic handles on the front panel.
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EDITED BY MIKE SANTORA
All smiles for this dental implant OEM
Dental drill manufacturing has taken off in Asia. Jake Farragher, general manager for CNC grinding machine maker ANCA, recently said of the region, “Almost all of it is for export, including destinations far beyond Asia.”
ENG-K is just one example.
Established in Korea in 2014, it partnered with dental implant OEMs and began producing dental drills on CNC lathes. It soon added its first grinding machine, an ANCA FX7 Linear, in the second half of 2015. Since then, it’s installed 14 more ANCA FX5 linear machines to satisfy an annual growth rate of 30%. In fact, President DaeSeong Kwak credits ANCA’s ability to deliver machines quickly as a key factor in their success.
ENG-K actively participates with its client’s research and development of
new instruments, thereby “satisfying the customer’s needs as much as possible by reflecting the function and structure in the production,” as Kwak put it. ANCA also plays a role, he added.
“During the product development of our specialty tools and the R&D of our deburring tools and circular surgical tools, ANCA helped us a lot to improve our processes and quality. ANCA Korea supported our development of small diameter ball nose end mills, and we developed surgical cutting tools together with the help of ANCA’s headquarters in Australia.”
Multi-faceted automation
Profitably meeting customer demand for products like dental drills requires automation. Dental drills use a standard 2.35 mm shank size, said Farragher,
but the material is soft, so auto-loading risks marking the tool. “We integrated a pressure-reducing valve to grip dental drills a little softer than normal, and that opened up the market in grinding these products.” Kwak said that ANCA’s drill loading system made them more efficient by increasing productivity and significantly reducing operator fatigue.
“ANCA's robot loader can be set up for more than 500 products in one batch,” enabling 24-hour “lights out” manufacturing, he said.
But truly automating production takes more than simply robot-loading the grinder. For example, Kwak points to ANCA’s internal wheel dressing feature. It adds to the overall cycle time, but “has the advantage of maintaining tool specifications” over a long production run, without the need
ENG-K’s production of dental drills, micro end mills, and other tools is largely automated.
for human intervention or an external wheel dresser.
Kwak also lauds ANCA’s automatic runout compensation. This system uses the standard Renishaw probe to check the tool blank in 3 planes, digitizes the actual centerline of the tool, and then compensates the entire kinematic to grind relative to that center, rather than the centerline of the work head. The resulting grind is nearly flawless, so no wonder Kwak says it’s been “very helpful” in the mass production of micro end mills.
Fast, secure setups
Kwak says ENG-K uses “both automatic and manual modes to produce customized products. ANCA machines have the advantage in either approach because the operability of both automatic and manual modes is convenient and safe.” He credits ANCA’s latest software release with producing a high-quality tool radius and profile, making them “more competitive in the market.” He applauds ANCA’s automatic warm-up routine, which he said has resulted in much less variability in grinding parameters.
“Size deviations are smaller, so the defect rate is reduced, and process reliability is assured.”
iBalance function has also proven to be another critical setup feature. This option spins the wheel set at operating speeds and identifies any imbalance. If needed, the software tells the operator where to place threaded weights in the clamping nut to eliminate the imbalance. The process takes just 5 to 6 minutes per wheel set. Kwak reports that “iBalance is helpful in producing tight tolerance implant drills. Wheel life has also been increased by using this option.”
Kwak also praised the inspection panel in the software, saying it reduced measuring time during mass production and increased production volume.
“It’s really good to be able to do inprocess quality checks through the setup without the main door open. It has advantages for temperature changes and production.” DW
Interpower® Accessory Power Strips (APS) are perfect for multiple IEC 60320 jumper cords for smooth integration. Country-specific cords can be terminated with an IEC 60320 connector such as a C13 or C19 to mate with a C14 or C20 inlet in the APS. Now you can plug IEC 60320 jumper cord sets into the APS to power multiple devices— the jumper cord sets contain IEC 60320 plug connectors on one end and IEC 60320 connectors on the other.
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ANCA’s
An ANCA FX7 Linear producing hundreds of dental drills in one run.
Partners in success: ENG-K President Dae-Seong Kwak, ANCA’s Jake Farragher, and ENG-K GM In-Jung Kim.
EDITED BY MIKE SANTORA
How do smart bearings fit into the Industry 5.0 future?
The concept of Industry 5.0 emphasizes a sustainable, human-centric, and resilient approach to industrial innovation. The idea is to better integrate social and environmental European priorities into technological innovation and to shift the focus from individual technologies to a systemic approach.
The EC’s report outlines six categories for Industry 5.0. They include individualized human-machineinteraction, bio-inspired technologies and smart materials, digital twins and simulation, and data transmission, storage, and analysis technologies. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another category, as are technologies for energy efficiency, renewables, storage, and autonomy.
Predictive maintenance will be integral to these initiatives, helping determine the condition of equipment and to estimate when maintenance should be performed. Importantly, this occurs while the machine is in operation, which limits any unnecessary
As industries align with the European Commission (EC)’s report “Industry 5.0: Towards a Sustainable, HumanCentric and Resilient European Industry,” predictive maintenance will be integral to Industry 5.0’s more sustainable, human-centric ethos. Here, Chris Johnson, managing director at SMB Bearings explains how, by preventing failures, reducing maintenance costs, and extending component lifespan, sensor-equipped bearings will be at the forefront of smart maintenance and supporting Industry 5.0 goals.
downtime and reduces the probability of unexpected failures.
Smart maintenance
The idea of predictive maintenance has existed formally in industry since the 1990s. However, approaches are becoming more sophisticated, with generative AI offering a way forward due to its powers of advanced analytics. One example is offered by McKinsey in its report, The generative AI opportunity in airline maintenance: “On the shop floor, in hangars, and at line maintenance stations, aircraft technicians spend a substantial amount of time researching and troubleshooting problems.”
The report continues, “Gen AI could streamline this significantly by allowing workers to have a “conversation” with their data.” In other words, the operator could interact with their “digital assistant” — for instance, “A compressor is leaking. What might be the issue?” The Generative AI could then offer a solution based on a variety of information
sources, including maintenance manuals or data from previous repairs. McKinsey reports that a similar system is already in use by one major airline.
Meanwhile, more manufacturers are making use of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies like sensors to remotely monitor their processes and translate physical actions from machines into digital signals. These technologies are becoming increasingly affordable and offer extensive possibilities, whether for monitoring larger processes or smaller components — like bearings.
Modern manufacturing relies heavily on bearings. They are used extensively in almost every type of rotating equipment. The type of bearing should be carefully matched to the application requirements and operating conditions. For example, deep groove ball bearings may be used in high-speed machinery or in electric motors, whereas thrust ball bearings may be more suited to turbines and heavy machinery.
IIoT-based smart bearings can
self-diagnose impending faults and failures, based on data from sensors integrated into the housing of the bearing itself. These advanced bearings provide real-time data on temperature, vibration, and load, enabling predictive maintenance and enhancing energy efficiency across various sectors.
Bearings with smart sensor technology can also help drive industries towards more resilient operations and are now being increasingly adopted by industry. Smart bearings can be affixed to technologies to gather various data points.
Imagine a scenario where deep groove ball bearings with integrated sensors are employed in an automated manufacturing facility. In this setting, these intelligent bearings are installed within the machinery responsible for precise movements and control. As the equipment operates, the bearings continuously monitor factors such as speed, acceleration, and direction of rotation.
Through real-time data acquisition facilitated by the integrated sensors, the machinery can detect any deviations from the norm, allowing
for immediate adjustments or alerts for preventive maintenance. This application ensures smooth operation, optimises performance, and minimizes downtime, ultimately enhancing productivity and reliability in the manufacturing process.
Applications for smart bearings
Smart bearings with built-in sensors have gained popularity by being widely used in automotive anti-lock braking systems (ABS) for years. In early systems, the sensors were mounted near the tires, exposing them to contamination such as water, dirt, and grit. However, modern systems have integrated the sensor into the bearing housing which protects it from the elements.
For example, SKF manufactures groove ball bearings with integrated sensors that can measure various factors such as speed, acceleration, number of revolutions, and direction of rotation. These bearings are utilized in applications including electric motors, gearboxes, linear actuators, and shafts, where precise control and monitoring are essential.
The bearings can be integrated with a second sensor to determine
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Going forward, and in tandem with the increased use of IIoT sensors and evolving technologies like generative AI, industrial bearings will remain essential to the effective performance of plant machinery. Toll-Free Phone: (800) 662-2290
E-mail: info@interpower.com
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Design
the direction of rotation, allowing for comprehensive monitoring of machinery movements. Furthermore, the bearings are designed to withstand a wide temperature range (-40 to 120° Celsius), making them suitable for industrial environments. This data aligns with the scenario described, showcasing the practical application of smart bearings in an automated manufacturing facility for continuous supervision and optimized equipment operation.
Smart bearings with built-in technology also have potential uses in motors, pumps, and fans, which are essential parts of many machines. For example, if dirt contaminates a fan's blades, it causes vibration. Detecting these vibrations early can help adjust the system quickly, reducing the risk of equipment failure and costly repairs. In industries like mining, if a fan supplying fresh air breaks down and air quality suffers, all work stops immediately.
Furthermore, smart bearings can be part of the "data transmission, storage, and analysis technologies" outlined in the EC’s report. Bearings with integrated sensors can send signals to an external monitoring unit. This unit records performance data and predicts how much longer the component will last. Operators can then receive alerts in real-time wirelessly, removing the need to be on the shop floor constantly as information can be accessed remotely.
Going forward, and in tandem with the increased use of IIoT sensors and evolving technologies like generative AI, industrial bearings will remain essential to the effective performance of plant machinery. As the EC’s vision for Industry 5.0 takes shape, integrating sustainability, human-centric values, and resilience into industrial practices, sensor-equipped smart bearings will emerge
technology
Build your own Cartesian System with GAM Linear Mount Products
EPL-U
Inline gearbox with hollow or shaft output and custom adapter for easy mounting to linear actuators
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Bellows and elastomer style distance couplings, up to 6 m long, connect actuators without additional shafts
Parallel mounting kits save space by mounting the motor parallel to the ballscrew actuator
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Theta axis with zero-backlash strain wave gearbox includes output flange or thru-hole for tooling and integrated motor mount
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Everything Between the Motor and the Actuator
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How to Rapidly Develop Edge Vision Solutions for Object Recognition and Tracking
Machine vision (MV) for object recognition and tracking solutions can be an important part of smart agriculture, industrial automation, environmental monitoring, robotics, logistics, and similar applications. However, developing object recognition and tracking applications takes much more than a camera and some artificial intelligence (AI) software. A multi-sensor platform and comprehensive data fusion are needed.
The starting point is a color camera with a resolution of at least 2 megapixels (MP) plus the software to extract and analyze information from the images. Other hardware can include a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor for distance measurements, a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) with a 3D accelerometer and 3D gyroscope for monitoring speed and motion, and an integrated microphone.
The system can be trained to recognize important details with those hardware tools and the proper AI and machine learning (ML) software. That frees designers to focus on the big picture when developing systems for applications like object recognition, asset tracking, and predictive maintenance that must fuse the data on distance, sound, movement, and vibration.
This article focuses on the capabilities of the Arduino Nicla Vision platform with secondary discussions of the Nicla Sense ME (motion and environment) and Nicla Voice platforms.
It also reviews the benefits of the Arduino Desktop integrated development environment (IDE) for local development work, the Arduino Web Editor for working online, and how the finished design can be integrated with the Arduino Cloud for logging, graphing, and analyzing sensor data, trigger events, and supporting general automation processes.
The compact 22.86 mm x 22.86 mm format of Arduino's Nicla boards enables designers to easily integrate low-power AI and ML into existing systems. The three boards are rated for operation from -20 to +70 °C and use industrial-grade sensors.
The micro-USB connector makes the Nicla boards capable of working as peripheral devices. The same microUSB connector can interface with a PC for program development and debugging. The boards are designed to operate on battery power or can be powered through the USB connector.
They also include a five-pin Eslov connector, named after Eslöv, a small town in Sweden. Eslov is a modified I2C interface, sometimes called the
Figure 1: Nicla boards showing the silver-color micro-USB connector and the cream-color Eslov connector on the bottoms of each board. (Image source: DigiKey)
Eslov self-identification port. The Eslov connector includes the standard I2C pins for the serial data line (SDA), serial clock line (SCL), ground (GND), power (+5V), and an extra digital pin (Figure 1).
Nicla Vision
The Nicla Vision ABX00051 board is designed to process and analyze images on the edge in real-time. It includes a 2 MP color camera that features:
The camera is supported by an STMicroelectronics’ STM32H747AII6 Dual Arm Cortex processor, combining an M7 core of up to 480 MHz, with double-precision FPU and L1 cache and an M4 core of up to 240 MHz and an FPU. The MCU also includes 2 MB of Flash and 1 MB of RAM, plus a memory protection unit (MPU) and a full digital signal processing (DSP) instruction set.
The MCU is powerful enough to support data fusion and the complete sensor suite on the Nicla Vision that includes a smart six-axis motion sensor, integrated microphone, and ToF distance sensor, making it useful for asset tracking, image detection, object recognition, predictive maintenance scenarios, and more.
The Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module provides the connectivity needed for IoT
functionality and cloud connectivity. Finally, security is supported by the integrated EdgeLock SE050 secure element (SE) crypto IC with enhanced Common Criteria EAL 6+ and FIPS 140-2 certified security. The SE includes an extended feature set for numerous IoT use cases and provides a root of trust at the IC level (Figure 2).
Leveraging EdgeML and OpenMV
Nicla Vision is compatible with EdgeML (edge machine learning) and OpenMV (open machine vision). EdgeML and OpenMV can be used to rapidly develop edge sensing
solutions for object recognition and tracking in a wide range of IoT MV use cases, including industrial automation, smart home, and health and safety.
EdgeML is optimized to run on resource-constrained devices like wireless IoT nodes. EdgeML applications have low latencies since inference is performed on the device, and no connection is needed to a server or the cloud. That limited need for communication also means less bandwidth is required for devices using EdgeML. Finally, EdgeML is designed to be implemented on battery-powered MCUs using only a few milliwatts of power.
Figure 2: Locations of the main components on the Nicla Vision board. (Image source: Arduino)
Nicla Vision can be included into almost any project. It can be fully integrated with OpenMV and is compatible with all Arduino Portenta and MRK devices. It supports MicroPython and includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connectivity. The OpenMV Cam is a general-purpose MicroPythonpowered MCU platform for computer vision processing.
Despite its powerful MV capabilities and extensive sensor suite, the Nicla Vision has a power consumption low enough to support compact battery-powered solutions (Figure 3). It features an average current consumption in deep sleep mode of only 374 µA and an average current consumption during image capture of 105 mA.
Motion and environment sensors
When additional environmental information is needed to provide context for a vision application, designers can turn to the Nicla Sense ME (Figure 3). The low-power Sense
ME ABX00050 board can measure rotation, acceleration, pressure, humidity, temperature, air quality, and CO2 levels using four sensors from Bosch Sensortec:
• BHI260AP 6-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) with integrated AI
• BMM150 magnetometer for gyroscope calibration in 9 DoF applications
• BMP390 pressure sensor
• BME688 gas sensor with AI and pressure, humidity, and temperature sensors
Listening with a neural processor
Applications that need to listen and implement noise and vibration detection or low-power speech recognition can use the ABX00061 Nicla Voice board for always-on operation. It includes a specialpurpose neural processor IC optimized for audio processing in battery-powered systems. The neural
chip can run multiple deep neural networks (DNNs) using a variety of architectures like convoluted neural networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), and fully connected networks.
Like the other Nicla boards, Nicla Voice is equipped with multiple sensors in addition to its highperformance MEMS microphone with an omnidirectional pickup pattern. Additional sensors on the Nicla Voice board include a six-axis IMU and a three-axis magnetometer.
Arduino IDE
The Arduino integrated development environment (IDE) is available on Windows, Linux, and macOS platforms. It includes a text console and text editor for writing code, a message area, a toolbar with buttons for common functions, and a series of menus for efficient navigation. It connects to the Arduino hardware to upload programs called sketches.
This IDE supports compiling and uploading sketches, file management, installing dependencies, etc. New features in the latest version include autocompletion, a built-in debugger, and syncing sketches with Arduino Cloud. Arduino also offers a cloudbased IDE called the web editor.
Arduino web editor
The Arduino Web Editor offers users several benefits compared with traditional IDEs, including:
1. Accessibility. Being cloud-based, users can access this IDE from any device with an internet connection. Users are not tied to a single location.
Figure 3: Nicla Vision with battery attached for wireless vision application. (Image source: Arduino)
2. Collaboration. The IDE can be accessed from multiple locations to enable collaboration across geographically dispersed development teams.
3. Scalability. Cloud-based IDEs are scalable and can support large development teams almost without limitation. All development team members have complete access to the project.
4. Security. Arduino Web Editor is more secure than a desktop IDE. With the data stored in the cloud, it’s less likely to be lost or damaged because of a hardware failure. The data is encrypted, securing it from unauthorized access or interference.
5. Automatic updates. The cloud environment ensures that the newest version of the IDE is being used, including all the latest tools and features, and eliminates the need for manual updates.
Arduino
In addition to supporting the Web Editor, the Arduino Cloud can provide secure wireless connectivity for boards. Features of the Arduino Cloud platform include:
• A backend service for synchronizing data from various Arduino boards and from Python and JavaScript clients
• A graphical dashboard and a mobile app for controlling and monitoring boards; for example, the mobile app can be used to read sensor data from remote boards, or the data can be pushed to a mobile device whenever a change in value exceeds a predetermined threshold (Figure 4)
• Tools to support large-scale automation installations
Conclusion
Arduino’s Nicle Vision can be the centerpiece for developing object recognition and tracking applications on the edge. Its sensor suite, which includes an IMU, ToF sensor, and microphone, enhances the utility of its MV capabilities. Compatibility with EdgeML, OpenMV, and MicroPython increases its utility and speeds development activities. Finally, it’s supported by the Arduino IDE and Web Developer platforms and can be easily integrated into the Arduino Cloud for secure connectivity. DW
Scan the QR code to learn more about Arduino ABX00051
Figure 4: The Arduino Cloud can be used to connect mobile devices with remotely located sensor boards. (Image source: Arduino)
A practical guide to selecting the right
pallet conveyor
Efficient material handling is crucial in optimizing factory automation. Choosing the right pallet conveyor can maximize productivity, maintainability, and overall ROI.
Becauseconveyor types abound — especially small asynchronous conveyors— choosing the optimal solution for a specific application can be challenging. Informed decisions depend on well-defined design requirements and evaluation of different conveyor types.
In fact, a wide range of factoryautomation applications can benefit from the use of pallet conveyors, and the pallets of such systems can be modified to fit application needs. The general purpose of such pallet conveyors is to safely and securely transport assemblies or end products to designated positions. Many end products are manufactured in stages and move from station to station as assembly and inspection progress.
Accurate product positioning at workstations is vital, and all conveyor styles to be discussed in this article can accurately lift and locate products to manufacturer specifications. However, certain pallet styles may be more advantageous than others depending on the product type and complexity. So to begin, determine the pallet conveyor’s intended purpose.
Dan Toynton Motion Automation Intelligence
Dual Timing Belt Flexible Chain
Dual Slip Roller
Pallet up to 200 mm
Pallet 160–320 mm
lbs.
Dual Flexible Chain Long accumulation
Pallet over 320 mm
lbs.
Table 1. Shown here are the capabilities of different pallet conveyors. Motion
Technical factors when selecting pallet conveyors
After identifying a conveyor’s main purpose, consider operations attributes such as zoning, speed, position repeatability, pallet size, load limits, and the ability to create low back pressure. Zoning is an essential consideration for conveyors. Independently controlled zones (each with its own drive motor) enable smooth stops and starts for queued products to the next station without physical stopping mechanisms. Accumulation, the grouping of products or pallets, benefits from zoning. With smooth stops and starts, zoning helps relieve back pressure (when pallets stack up behind a stopped lead pallet) in turn reducing wear and damage.
Sometimes applications need sections with curves or the ability to change direction in a small radius or at a right angle. Fortunately, there’s likely a conveyor and pallet style that can help meet these specific needs.
Some systems can benefit from access to the assembly’s bottom for inspection. To facilitate this, the pallet can be modified to allow for the inspection from beneath using automated vision inspection equipment. This requires an open-center-style conveyor.
Another factor is system preference. For example, conveyors increasingly use low-voltage drive motors and networked control modules for simple setup and reduced wiring. These features may be advantageous for integration with existing systems. Additional items to consider regarding the application include:
• Any pallet leading-edge requirements.
• Elevation changes.
• Cleanroom requirements.
• Ease of maintenance and reliability factors.
• Jam prevention — for example, ensure the design accommodates small assembly parts.
• Environmental health and safety (EHS) guidelines.
Pallet conveyor type one:
Flexible plastic chain
This pallet conveyor type uses a modular flexible chain (tabletop) system. Pallets travel along the top of a single chain and are typically halted by a pneumatic pallet stop, held in position while the conveyor continues to run beneath the pallet.
Lift-and-locate modules along the conveyor path lift the pallet into an accurate and repeatable position for the assembly process to occur.
Advantages: Sweeping turns or tight wheel turns allow uninterrupted flow of the pallets during transit. This conveyor type accommodates elevation changes where necessary, using inclines and declines. Generally, the flexible chain can be a standard low-friction material or electrostatic discharge (ESD) rated where needed. Various modules include lift-and-locate or lift-and-rotate, plus merge-and-divert for creating parallel transit paths. Typically, flexible chain pallet conveyors are the least expensive option.
Disadvantages: Due to the frame design, the bottom of the pallet is unexposed, preventing access for inspection or other processes. There are also width restrictions because of the relatively narrow span of the conveyor typically being used. The
general load limit of about 20 pounds per pallet may be an issue for certain applications. This conveyor style is generally not cleanroom-rated due to the shedding that occurs when its specific chain wears. However, wet and drycleaning modules are available to help reduce contamination from normal chain material wear.
Typical applications include those in automotive components assembly, medicaldevice manufacture, life science, health and beauty products, consumer goods manufacture, and manufacturing and assembly.
Pallet conveyor type two: Dual
timing belt
This type of pallet conveyor features two parallel timing belts exposed along rails on which the pallets ride.
Advantages: This conveyor style is typically easy to maintain, although ease of main belt replacement varies by brand. Another key feature is the relatively low cost point, which is slightly more than the flexible chain style while still below the other styles we will discuss. The opencenter design allows access to the bottom of the pallet for inspection or other tasks. Finally, a larger range of pallet sizes is available (typically up to 320 mm) plus a higher load rating for both individual pallets and overall conveyor load.
Disadvantages: Dual timing belt conveyors are not suitable for pallet accumulation, especially with heavier pallet loads exceeding 50% of the rated capacity. This conveyor style is generally unsuitable for high-level cleanroom use due to dust caused by the pallets riding on the belt surface, particularly in accumulating applications. This weakness can be reduced by creating zoning sections.
Zoning can be set up for dual timing belt conveyors when initially designed and installed. This involves using multiple conveyors positioned end-to-end, creating a completed system that allows for the starting and stopping of each section. Some might argue that this isn’t technically zoning, but from a practical standpoint, it causes a similar result: The pallet doesn’t need to stand still on the conveyor as the belts run beneath it, so wear and shedding belt debris is reduced. However, costs rise with each added section, so considering roller-style conveyors for accumulation may be warranted.
Typical applications include those in automotive assembly, appliance manufacturing, medical products, electronics, and consumer goods.
Pallet conveyor type three: Dual slip roller
Two distinct styles of slip roller conveyors are manufactured today: small timing belt-driven and gear train-driven. Both have rollers on each side of the conveyor on which the pallets run.
The drive motors turn a series of smooth drive axles, equipped with slip-fit wheels.
Advantages: When a pallet applies a load to the top of the rollers, slight pressure is put on each wheel. The resulting friction causes the wheels to exert gentle forward pressure on the pallet. This relatively low force allows for excellent accumulation conditions. The surface finish and materials in the axle and wheel contact areas
Figure 3: Dual slip roller pallet conveyors feature drive motors that turn a series of smooth drive axles with slip-fit wheels. Dorner
Figure 4. The ability to support higher loads and larger pallet size ranges helps make the dual chain-driven pallet conveyor costeffective. Dorner
Figure 2. The opencenter design is a main feature of the dual timing belt pallet conveyor, allowing access to the pallet’s bottom. Dorner
environmental contamination, making this conveyor type suitable for cleanroom applications. Like the dual timing belt style, the dual slip roller type features an open-center design.
These conveyors come in multiple sizes and are typically driven by timing belts, which are easy to maintain and work extremely well in some applications. Certain manufacturers use a small timing belt to drive each row of rollers.
Also available in the market is a patented design driven by an enclosed gear train that allows zoning — in other words, running only target sections of the conveyor. The zones or activated sections are changeable by removing or replacing gears in the drive train. This innovative feature is significant for those wanting extremely long drive train life, flexibility in design and potential redeployment. Gear train-driven models’ low-voltage design and the typically networkable drives improve safety and need less wiring.
Disadvantages: The single disadvantage of the dual slip roller conveyor is a higher cost compared to the other types.
Applications for this conveyor type generally have cleanroom requirements and include those related to medical devices, life sciences, consumer electronics, and assembly — especially where open-center access to allow for bottom inspection or marking is required.
Pallet conveyor type four:
Dual flexible or modular chain-driven
Using two parallel modular chains, this conveyor style features an open-center design and supports various pallet sizes and loads.
Advantages: This conveyor style is typically cost-effective given the higher loads and larger pallet size ranges supported. The open-center design allows for inspecting or marking the underside or the pallet where access is available. In addition, some larger assemblies need physical access for testing or hand tools to access the product being built.
Disadvantages: This product type isn’t typically cleanroom rated; it isn’t suitable
for those applications due to dual modular chains that shed debris in the form of dust, especially following initial startup. The speed rating is more limited than the timing belt style mentioned above.
This conveyor style is typically engineered to order and may be costlier than predesigned product solutions. Designers should be aware that small parts, such as screws, can cause chain damage when dropped into dual plastic chain conveyors used in small-part assembly.
Applications include the manufacture of larger automotive products and appliance assembly.
Final pallet conveyor considerations
Various choices are tied to the features and benefits of each conveyor choice discussed, as summarized in Table 1. As pallet conveyor selection is a critical and potentially difficult decision, collaborating with a qualified partner may help sort out the best solution rather than trying to make a given style work for a given application. When choosing an expert partner, consider their ability to provide installation or field service on conveyors on a local, regional, national, or even international level. Ask about configuration tools that provide quick access to CAD drawings to streamline the process and expedite design revisions.
Design teams familiar with the features and limitations of various pallet conveyor types are more likely to find good solutions and avoid pitfalls.
When searching for the suitable pallet conveyor solution, remember that a single manufacturer may have a limited selection of pallet conveyor styles and may not offer the optimal choice for the specific application. Keep options open and explore solutions from different manufacturers for the best fit.
Most of all, include the appropriate safety specialists to meet all safety guidelines.
Selecting the right pallet conveyor for specific needs requires some important considerations, but it’s well worth the cost-effectiveness. DW
Motion Automation Intelligence ai.motion.com
Actuators like the Parker ETH can be customized to ATEX standards to function around combustible vapors.
To make the right selection when specifying actuators, it’s important to consider the operating environment.
OPERATING WHY ENVIRONMENT MATTERS
ACTUATORS
are required
for a variety of operations throughout a multitude of different industries. With so many different potential applications, one would correctly assume that the options can often be overwhelming. Many of these actuators only require a base-level of sizing that is mostly driven by the load (for the bearings)
and the desired motion profile (for the drivetrain). However, once the intended use is outside the realm of the basic 80 % or so of applications, it’s not uncommon to run across specialized requirements. Because these requirements may dictate higher costs, it doesn’t always make sense to implement them into standard “off-theshelf” models for economic reasons.
Furthermore, different industries may tend towards their own sets of specific needs.
Industry variety
Whether discussing aerospace and defense, semiconductor, food and beverage, oil and gas, entertainment, or biomedical/pharmaceutical, each industry has unique requirements for
Parker Hannifin
BRUCE NG • VALIN CORPORATION
actuators. In terms of the different options and specifications available, material composition tends to be one of the main changes from industry to industry. For example, if one needs an actuator in an aircraft, overall weight may be a critical requirement, but if it’s also going to outer space, we also need to reconsider materials that outgas, how its affected by dramatic swings in temperature, and possibly radiation. In food and beverage, there are specific considerations for heat, corrosion resistance, and the ease of cleaning. In the semiconductor industry, not only does heat resistance need to be considered, but many processes may need to be cleanroom-rated to minimize contamination of valuable silicon wafers.
Specific environments are typically categorized according to a number of factors including extreme temperatures, high or low pressure (vacuum), cleanroom, corrosive, and explosion proof areas. Each of these types of environments require specific design considerations. Many of these design considerations revolve around material choice. This is where having a knowledge of what is available and what will work best in given conditions is critical.
Extreme temperatures
One of the first conditions to consider when determining the proper material for an actuator is the temperature of the environment where it will be operating. One of the materials that is first considered is the lubricant. The right lubricant minimizes wear and improves the overall life of the actuator. If the selected lubricant is not used at the correct operating temperature, it may be less effective and reduce the life of the actuator. As temperatures become more extreme, more and more components are affected. This can include seals, polymers, composites, and even metals. In high temperaturecycling applications, overall design choices may require unique seals or
risk mitigation for ingress protection. On the other side of the spectrum with low temperatures, lubricants can become overly viscous, and a wide range of materials can become brittle. This reduces their effectiveness and can generally reduce the effective life of a normal actuator. In high-precision applications, temperature swings can also affect the overall precision of an actuator.
Cleanroom
As mentioned previously, cleanroom environments are often encountered in the semiconductor industry. Anytime that materials physically move over other surfaces, there will be some particulate from the wear. Certain processes require a high level of purity and this particulate can affect that purity. The most susceptible materials are polymers, but lubricants can also generate large amounts of particulate
Primary design objectives in radioactive environments include employing material modifications and lubrication methods that reduce the physical effects of radiation damage and help promote increased product life.
in certain processes at certain speeds. In cleanroom environments, manufacturers may swap out the normal oil or grease for one that is heavier to minimize any unwanted “shed” once the equipment is in operation. Many manufacturers will remove polymers that are on wearing surfaces depending on what level cleanroom rating is needed. For example, a Class 1000 cleanroom allows for up to 1,000 particles greater than 0.5 microns in size per cubic foot. It’s much easier to meet this requirement compared to a cleanroom class 10 requirement. That requirement drops to 10 particles per cubic foot greater than 0.5 microns but also has thresholds for 0.3, 0.2, and 0.1 micron sized particulate.
High and low pressure
Extreme pressures will also affect the materials being used. This typically comes with temperature considerations
Parker Hannifin
as well. Certain materials will outgas in a vacuum, which could affect the life of the actuator, or even the process itself. In these cases, it’s important to select materials that are stable at these extremely low pressures to ensure performance. Less air in a vacuum environment also reduces normal cooling methods. Components that require passive air cooling may need to be redesigned to ensure they don’t overheat. Higher pressure applications generally come with additional environmental requirements like ingress protection or corrosion resistance as well. Each one will dictate materials, designs, and tolerances that are needed over the intended use conditions depending on the magnitude of the pressure.
Corrosive environments
Corrosion challenges are common across many industries and often come with additional special environments requiring things like ingress protection to protect sensitive components. Stainless steel is common in these applications as opposed to a harder carbon-steel alloy. Any material that is more prone to corrosion may need to be swapped out or otherwise protected. It’s a best practice to minimize or eliminate any material or design which contains exposed crevices where corrosive fluids/ materials could potentially get trapped. In food and beverage applications, these hard to clean areas could lead to hazardous microbial growth. To mitigate this risk, the equipment typically needs to be easily cleaned with high pressure washdown with caustic solvents. If there is direct risk of contamination from leaks, food grade lubricants can also be used.
Explosion-proof environments
In highly combustible environments like oil and gas applications, the overall design may be more of a focus than the individual materials. In fact, many automated processes create
It’s always best to at least consult with those in the field that have experience and expertise in the industry so they know all the factors that may affect the decision and can help select the best fitting solutions.
the potential for a buildup in electrical charges. Not having a safe, insulated path to ground for this charge can eventually lead to tiny arcs which can be an ignition source when there are combustible gases, vapors, or fibers in the environment. All components for explosion proof ratings should have proper grounding and bonding between metal components to prevent static discharge. Electronics may have conformal coatings or some other encapsulation to contain or prevent potential ignition sources. IEC/ATEX classifications designate explosion proof components.
Price vs. performance
After the load and performance requirements are known, and after the intended operating environment is properly understood, then the discussion of price versus performance begins. In budget constrained projects, sometimes it’s best to get this out of the way first to avoid unnecessary work.
Everybody wants to get the highest performance possible at the lowest price, naturally. However, not every manufacturer necessarily uses the same standard for how they rate the life of their products, and certain environments may lead to de-rated performance specifications. Typically, an actuator has a rated life using a certain speed and thrust for a predetermined amount of travel. Where one manufacturer may use 100 km as the rated life, another may use 2,540
km, so these ratings aren’t always apples to apples either. If your actuator needs to work once after it’s pulled off the shelf, its margin of safety may be dramatically smaller than if it needs to work 16 hours a day 365 days a year for at least 20 years. If an actuator failure just means you must start a small process over again, your margin of safety may be dramatically smaller than if it could hurt or kill someone. It is always best to get an understanding of what is behind the various performance ratings and understanding what the product’s expected lifespan will look like and how its environment may affect the overall lifespan or performance.
Like many instances where industrial equipment and supplies are specified and purchased, selecting the proper actuator for a given environment can be a high-stakes exercise. Operators don’t want to make a purchase only to find out (sometimes the hard way) that it isn’t compatible with what they are specifically trying to accomplish. It’s always best to at least consult with those in the field that have experience and expertise in the industry so they know all the factors that may affect the decision and can help select the best fitting solutions. DW Valin Corporation www.valin.com
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MICHAEL ALBA • TITLE
MODELERS IN THE WORLD THE FASTEST 3D CAD
3…
2… 1… CAD battle!
An engineering drawing is revealed on screen. It shows several views of a simple connector arm, dotted with dimensions and a few helpful annotations known as “Toby notes.” The drawing has a Tier 3 complexity rating.
On opposite sides of the planet, two CAD modelers instantly start making a 3D model of the part. One is using Alibre, the other Solidworks. For these seasoned experts, the modeling is easy. It’s the pressure that’s hard. They’re live on stream before an audience of CAD enthusiasts, trying to tune out their host’s play-by-play commentary and finish the 3D model as fast as they can.
Not even two and a half minutes later, one of them is done.
“ChrisBCo coming in with an answer… 0.654…” The voice belongs to Toby Schnaars, known to his audience as Too Tall Toby. A charismatic CAD expert, he’ll determine who wins the battle by correctly providing the model’s mass. The model, like the competition itself, is his creation.
A dramatic pause, and then, “That is not correct!”
The Australian Solidworks user named ChrisBCo gets only one more chance to answer. He can see that his opponent, an Alibre user from Greece named ExMachina, is nearly finished the part. One way or another, this will be over soon.
Suddenly, ChrisBCo spots the mistake in his model — one wrong dimension. He
makes the change and stabs 0.687 into the chat just seconds before ExMachina enters his guess.
“And that is correct!” Schnaars announces to the sound effects of a cheering crowd. With this win, ChrisBCo takes the set of three CAD battles and secures his spot in the quarterfinals. He’s one step closer to winning the 2024 World Championship of 3D CAD Speed Modeling.
How fast can you CAD?
Maybe you’ve never thought of it, or cared. Perhaps the idea of speed modeling seems silly for a professional 3D modeler. Or worse — perhaps you think focusing on CAD speed would promote bad habits and sloppy design.
You wouldn’t be alone in thinking those things, but you wouldn’t be right, either. The truth is that speed modeling can greatly benefit your 3D design skills, even if you’re already an experienced modeler.
To see how, look no further than TooTallToby.com. Founded by Toby Schnaars in 2022, the site unites CAD modelers from around the world, using dozens of different CAD systems, around an intriguing premise: the gamification of 3D CAD.
There are challenges, livestreams and competitions. There are points, leaderboards and prizes. But even though it looks like a game of speed, TooTallToby.com isn’t really about being fast. By turning CAD into a game, Schnaars aims to make the players better designers. And you’d be surprised how well it’s working.
The gamification of 3D CAD Schnaars has deep CAD experience. He’s a Solidworks master, certified at the highest level with both a CSWE and Elite AE. Before founding TooTallToby. com, Schnaars supported Solidworks users both for reseller Prism Engineering and developer Dassault Systèmes. In those roles he resolved over 10,000 support cases and taught more than 200 classes.
As an instructor, there was one question Schnaars heard over and over. Which CAD system was the best? 3D modelers certainly have a long list of options. Was Solidworks more efficient than Inventor? Did Catia have an edge over Solid Edge? Was Fusion or NX the key to success?
The question, Schnaars felt, was misguided. He believes the CAD program is much less important than the person using it. Being a master modeler is about honing the fundamentals, such as building a robust feature tree and effectively navigating a user interface.
“The users who are able to really master those workflows are going to be able to go from a napkin sketch to a 3D model faster than anybody else,” Schnaars said. “Regardless of what CAD system they’re using.”
Schnaars envisioned a “Royal Rumble” of CAD, a race among a group
of designers to make the same 3D model at the same time using whatever CAD system they preferred. Not only would this showcase that the designer, not the CAD program, was the important variable — it also sounded like good fun.
That vision meshed with another problem Schnaars had noticed with CAD education. If you want to develop CAD skills, you have a few options. You could take a structured training class, such as the kind Schnaars himself had taught. Or you could take a DIY approach, sifting through YouTube videos piecemeal to build up a repertoire of skills.
Schnaars felt there was a missing piece in CAD pedagogy. He discussed his ideas with Guy Rotheram, a colleague and fellow CAD expert who shared Schnaars’ passion for gaming and technology.
“Toby and I… thought that if we could introduce the concept of gamification into the education process for CAD, then we probably had something that would really spark an interest and provide a valuable service to the broader community… all the way from hobbyists to professional engineers,” Rotheram said.
In 2022, Schnaars, Rotheram, and Schnaars’ wife Vicki Chong launched TooTallToby.com. It would test their ideas for gamifying CAD education while building on Schnaars’ existing online presence as a CAD instructor. They didn’t have to wait long for interest to be sparked.
Screenshot of the live CAD battle between ExMachina and ChrisBCo during the 2024 World Championship of 3D CAD Speed Modeling. Too Tall Toby via YouTube
3D CAD
The game of speed modeling
So how does it work? TooTallToby’s system-agnostic approach turns CAD into a game of speed, rewarding users based on how quickly they can create 3D models from 2D drawings.
This idea manifests in different ways on TooTallToby.com. One way — gamers might think of it as the solo campaign — is a set of exercises called practice models. Users are given a 2D drawing to turn into a 3D model, with a complexity rating based on the number of features involved (Tier 1 is the simplest, and it goes up from there).
It’s easy to play. Just pick a practice model—there are 78 and counting— and hit the start button. The drawing is revealed and the clock starts ticking. Make the 3D model in whatever CAD system you like, and when you think you’ve got it, enter the mass of your part (each drawing specifies a unit system and material density). If the mass is correct, you’ve won the game and the timer stops. You’re then shown some
stats to see how your time compares to other users, and how your speed is (hopefully) improving over time.
The average solve time for this model is just over 15 minutes. Can you beat it? Try it and check your answer at TooTallToby.com.
Practice models have only been on TooTallToby.com since the start of the year, and they were launched without fanfare. “We just wanted to beta it with whoever would show up,” Rotheram explained. “And it’s taken off like a rocket ship.” Over 15,000 practice models have been successfully completed so far, Rotheram said.
Online CAD competitions
If practice models are a solo campaign, then online competition is represented by Too Tall Toby’s Model Monday Live. Every Monday at 1:00 PM Eastern Schnaars hosts an hour-long livestream in which viewers compete to solve two new models. Whoever types the correct mass first wins a point. Enough points
will get you a spot on the leaderboard at TooTallToby.com.
And if you really crave the thrill of competition, you can try your mouse at Toby’s flagship tournament: the World Championship of 3D CAD Speed Modeling.
The 2024 tournament is already well underway, pitting 16 pre-qualified modelers one-on-one in a livestreamed competition taking place over six weeks. The finals are scheduled for October 18, 2024 at 6:00 PM Eastern, with Schnaars providing play-by-play commentary. The winner will walk away with a 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse Enterprise Kit, a 3Dconnexion Keyboard Pro and, of course, ultimate bragging rights.
The TooTallToby community may get a kick out of quick CAD, but it’s more than just a game — it’s a path to being a better modeler.
The fun path to CAD mastery Schnaars likens the exercise of speed modeling to a musician practicing scales.
No one turns on the radio to hear their favorite band play an A major scale, and no designer prioritizes CAD speed over quality. But musical scales, like speedy 3D models, aren’t the destination — they’re the steps on the path.
“Practicing the fundamentals and learning the fundamentals is always valuable if you’re learning a skilled trade,” Schnaars said. “We’re giving people a platform where they can practice repetition.”
You don’t have to take Schnaars’ word for it. The most ardent users of TooTallToby.com are emphatic about how much the site has helped them advance their CAD skills.
ChrisBCo, known in the real world as Chris Buerckner, was initially a skeptic of TooTallToby.com. Speed modelers, he thought, were “using all kinds of techniques that would never work in a real project setting.” But after months of Schnaars’ YouTube videos popping up in his feed, the Australian product design engineer said he eventually came around.
“If you take a step back and consider what you are seeing… there is actually some world-class decision-making and efficiency taking place,” Buerckner said. “All that has to be done for this knowledge to be implemented in real projects is for the user to remove the speed element and add in the detail and organizational considerations (how is the model being used, manufacturing processes, etc.).”
Buerckner is now a devoted user of the site and a current quarter finalist in the 2024 World Championship of 3D CAD Speed Modeling.
Has TooTallToby.com improved his CAD skills? “100% yes,” Buerckner said. He’s not alone in that feeling.
“I think that this site is a gold mine,” said Aleksandar Mihajlovski, who goes by the username acesvaba.
A Solidworks user from North Macedonia, Mihajlovski has been hooked on TooTallToby.com since he stumbled upon it in May 2024. He’s completed almost all of the practice models, regularly tunes into Model Monday Live and will soon compete in the quarter finals of this year’s World Championship.
“It’s fun,” Mihajlovski said, needing no other reason to explain his dedication to the site. But there is another reason: TooTallToby.com has helped him become a better CAD modeler.
“I think I doubled my speed,” Mihajlovski said.
It’s a similar story for TooTallToby user MrAlex, aka Aleksejs Babkins. An engineering unit manager at Kronus, in Latvia, Babkins has been using TooTallToby.com since January 2024 and says it has “definitely” improved his CAD skills.
“It’s a pity that in the late 90s, when I began to design in Solidworks, there were no such sites. Then my development would have been much faster,” Babkins said. DW
Toby Schnaars demonstrating his approach to a model in Onshape during a Model Monday Live stream. Too Tall Toby via YouTube
The A-322 planar XY air bearing stage, from PI, provides 1 degree of Theta-Z motion, suitable for small corrections. For example, when a workpiece and a camera or laser system needs to be aligned.
While traditional mechanical bearings and guidance systems are suitable for most motion applications, they have many drawbacks, especially when it comes to highperformance motion control. In applications where lifetime, minimal vibrations, optimal precision, repeatability, or geometric performance are essential, air-bearing guided mechanics can provide superior performance and deserve a closer look.
AIR BEARINGS IN MOTION SYSTEMS MECHANICAL BEARINGS
STEFAN VORNDRAN VP MARKETING
PHYSIK INSTRUMENTE L.P. (PI)
AIRbearings and air bearing motion stages use a cushion of air to eliminate mechanical contact, thereby effectively mitigating common problems associated with traditional bearings such as friction, wear, vibration, hysteresis effects, and particle generation. These factors indicate that air-bearing stages may be the best choice for high precision, 24/7 test automation, and metrology applications.
Air bearing surfaces are usually hard coated and meticulously ground to achieve exceptional tolerances. High bearing stiffness is achieved by frictionless magnetic or vacuum preloading. The surface averaging effect helps provide better geometric performance, such as straightness and flatness because the large area of the bearing, together with the precision ground surfaces, can deal much better with small imperfections than ball bearings or roller bearings.
The effect can be compared to the difference between a hovercraft and a conventional truck riding over a pot-hole-covered highway. That averaging effect is also comparable to the smoothness of a magnetic levitation train versus a conventional train running on steel wheels. With the absence of wear, and no need for lubrication and maintenance, air bearings offer considerable benefits in high-speed motion applications and precise positioning, particularly in high throughput 24/7 automation scenarios that demand high uptime and reliability.
Air bearing advantages for precision motion and positioning applications
1. Unlimited lifetime, maintenancefree, clean room compatible: Since air bearings work without mechanical contact between components, they do not deteriorate and thus do not require periodic inspections, maintenance, or relubrication cycles. Also, unlike cross-roller bearings, there is no risk of cage migration, especially when small repetitive motion cycles are executed. Due to the absence of friction and lubricants, these systems also fulfill the requirements for clean room applications.
2. Motion with excellent geometric performance and extremely small straightness, flatness and eccentricity errors: Air bearings provide high accuracy because of the highprecision manufacturing process of their components. Due to the surface averaging effect, linear air bearings feature flat and straight travel (0.75μm over 500mm) with minimal roll, pitch, and yaw errors (10μrad), and rotary air bearings are also superior in terms of eccentricity, wobble, and tip/tilt. This makes them highly suitable for manufacturing and measurement processes such as optical inspection, providing excellent repeatability of the same procedure.
3. True-planar multi-axis motion:
Planar XY stages and XY-theta stages cannot be designed with traditional mechanical bearings. Here, individual axes are usually stacked on top of one another. In some instances, XY stages are combined into a single assembly and falsely called planar stages. However, the X and Y axis do not use the same reference plane. The approach of building a multi-axis motion system by stacking individual axes is simple but has several drawbacks. As the upper axis moves to the extremes, it will generate torque loads on the lower axis, leading to geometric errors.
In air-bearing designs, fully planar XY and XY-Theta positioning systems are feasible, where all degrees of freedom reference to the same base
plane and are fully supported over the full travel range.
4. Motion with constant velocity, vibration-free, and high dynamic range: The fluid film in air bearings can readily accommodate high velocity, and some air bearings can even improve efficiency at high speed, due to aerodynamic lift effects. Certain processes and experiments, such as semiconductor wafer scanning, 3D tomography, and inertial sensor testing, demand constant motion at precisely controlled speeds, where mechanical bearing rumble would introduce unwanted errors.
5. Long travel ranges of 1m and more feasible: Air bearings are not limited to short travel ranges, in contrast to another well-known frictionless positioning technology, often used in nanopositioning applications — piezo flexure-guided mechanisms can provide sub-nanometer precision, high scanning speeds and share many of the advantages of air bearings, however their travel ranges are limited to micrometer and the lower millimeter range.
6. High accuracy, frictionless motion: In linear motion applications, precise positioning of a moving carriage within a few nanometers is achievable by using a non-contact, direct-drive motor and highresolution optical encoder combined with an air bearing. For rotational applications, angular resolutions to tenths of arc-seconds are achievable. Here, slotless torque motors are used as the driving force.
Air bearings are often preferred in many inspection, metrology, and manufacturing applications due to their minimal hysteresis effect or reversal error, resulting from a lack of mechanical contact and friction. Eliminating friction makes it possible to minimize hysteresis and improve repeatability and accuracy significantly.
Another technology to be considered in precision positioning, with similar performance to air bearings, is called magnetic levitation. Here, magnetic fields replace the function
of air as a supporting medium, but control electronics are significantly more complex because all 6 degrees of freedom must be monitored and controlled all the time.
7. Rotary motion with minimal eccentricity and wobble: Rotary air bearings are highly effective in providing precise rotary motion due to their high stiffness and surface averaging effect. In air bearing rotary stages, wobble or tilt errors typically occur within the range of 0.1 to 1 arc-second — significantly smaller than with mechanical bearing-based rotary stages.
8. Cost-efficiency. Air bearing mechanisms can also use air pressure to provide actuation in addition to guidance. This design eliminates additional electric motors, reducing complexity, size, and cost. In general, absence of wear and tear and the need for maintenance is a great advantage reducing operating cost and improving ROI. This may be the most important factor when designing highthroughput automation equipment with 24/7 operation and stringent uptime requirements for years to come. DW
PI pi-usa.us
The F-142 compact photonics alignment system provides multi-axis motion with high speed and nanometer resolution. It is based on miniaturized air bearing stages with direct drive motors and automatic gravity force compensation on the Z-axis. PI
Using mechanisms inspired by nature to create new technological innovations is a signature of one Virginia Tech research team. Led by Associate Professor Michael Bartlett, the group has developed an octopusinspired adhesive, inspired by the shape of octopus suckers, that can quickly grab and controllably release challenging underwater objects. The Virginia Tech team’s findings have also been published in Advanced Science.
Grabbing and releasing underwater objects like heavy rocks, small shells, soft beads, and other debris could be a
powerful tool for underwater salvage and even rescue operations.
This work was performed with undergraduate researchers Austin Via, Aldo Heredia, and Daniel Adjei from Virginia Tech. Graduate Research Assistant Chanhong Lee was the first author of the paper, reporting research supported by the National Science Foundation through the Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future program.
“I am fascinated with how an octopus can, in one moment, hold something strongly, then release it instantly. It does
this underwater, on objects that are rough, curved, and irregular — that is quite a feat,” Bartlett said.
Getting a grip underwater
To overcome this longstanding challenge, Bartlett and his team looked to the shape of the octopus. Specifically, they looked at the outer structure of the octopus's sucker, called the infundibulum. This inspired the researchers to create an adhesive that uses an elastic, curved stalk with an active, deformable membrane that changes shape for multi-surface adhesion.
(From left) Michael Bartlett and Chanhong Lee observe an octopus-inspired sucker as it holds a shell in a tank of water. Alex Parrish for Virginia Tech.
The curved stalk attaches to largescale curvatures while increasing adaptability to small-scale roughness. These mechanisms work collaboratively to improve adhesion across multiple length scales.
This resulted in octopus-inspired adhesives that are 1,000 times stronger when activated than in the easy-release state. Importantly, this switch occurs within a fraction of a second, about 30 milliseconds. The octopus-inspired adhesives now achieve high attachment strength on diverse surfaces, including rough, curved, and irregular objects as well as in different fluids. With this new tool, a diver can hold a slippery object without applying excessive squeezing force and can also snatch it quickly with rapid switching.
Grip and release of challenging underwater objects
Because octopus suckers are made of living tissue, they warp, expand and contract to match the job they are approaching. This gives the animal a stronger grip and the versatility to adapt its hold as it finds objects that are smooth or rough, angular, or flat.
With the new octopus-inspired adhesive, research team members can pick up, hold, and release a wide range of challenging underwater objects, including soft and rigid materials that are flat, rough, and even curved.
This capability was demonstrated by constructing an underwater cairn, a carefully constructed pile of underwater rocks. Here, the rocks have various sizes, shapes, and surface roughness and must be picked up but also precisely released to keep the structure balanced. At the same time, they can also grab and release soft, jelly-like beads with ease.
“These types of manipulations are performed by an octopus as they arrange objects around their den,” said Lee. “This demonstration highlights the ability of the octopus-inspired adhesive to precisely manipulate difficult underwater objects.”
The materials also show reliable attachment over multiple cycles and over an extended period. In one experiment, the attachment force stayed constant over 100 cycles. In another test, the team held a rough, curved rock underwater for more than seven days, then released it on demand. This could be critical in salvage applications where holding an object for long periods would be necessary.
Gripping like an octopus
Bartlett previously created Octa-Glove, published in Science Advances. OctaGlove has octopus-inspired adhesives equipped with LIDAR sensors that detect objects nearby, attaching to the object
Graduate student Chanhong Lee tests the octopus-inspired sucker in the lab. Alex Parrish for Virginia Tech.
with a strong but gentle bond without applying excessive force. After capture, the suckers can be disengaged on demand, releasing the captured object.
The glove could be a valuable tool for rescue divers, underwater archaeologists, user-assisted technologies, and in health care or other similar work that requires a firm grip on wet or underwater objects. This recently published research could increase the capacity of the glove, making the grip even stronger.
“We hope to utilize our new adhesive design to further improve Octa-Glove," Bartlett said. "Underwater environments present a long list of challenges, and this advance gets us over another hurdle. We’re now closer than ever to replicating the incredible ability of an octopus to grip and manipulate objects with precision, opening up new possibilities for exploration and manipulation of wet or underwater environments.” DW
The octopus-inspired sucker in action.
Are solid-state batteries better than Li-ion for EVs?
Despite manufacturing challenges, such as high material costs, sensitivity to moisture, and lower ionic conductivity at room temperature, the automotive industry presses on for the benefits.
Aharon Etengoff • Contributor
Lithium-ion
(Li-ion) battery
traction packs power most electric vehicles (EVs) on the road today. These batteries enable electric motors to efficiently generate the high torque required for rapid acceleration and consistent speeds. Although Li-ion batteries offer high energy density and a relatively long lifespan, many automotive companies are actively researching and developing solid-state battery technology. With solid rather than liquid electrolytes, these new batteries promise increased energy storage capacity, faster charging times, and improved safety.
Comparing conventional Li-ion and solid-state batteries
Conventional Li-ion batteries (Figure 1) are equipped with a cathode typically made of a lithium metal oxide, such as lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LiNiMnCoO2), or lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4). The cathode stores and releases lithium ions, while the graphite anode intercalates lithium ions during charging and discharging. A separator, usually made of a microporous polymer membrane, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, prevents the anode and cathode from contacting each other while allowing
ions to flow between them. Liquid electrolytes, composed of lithium salts dissolved in a mixture of carbonates, such as ethylene carbonate or dimethyl carbonate, facilitate the movement of ions between the anode and cathode. Enclosed in a protective casing, Li-ion batteries use current collectors to transfer electrons to and from external circuits.
Most solid-state battery prototypes (Figure 1) consist of a cathode, an anode, and solid electrolytes that also function as separators. Like their conventional Li-ion counterparts, these cathodes are typically made of lithium metal oxides, such as LiCoO2, LiNiMnCoO2, or LiFePO4. In contrast to traditional Li-ion batteries, many solid-state anode designs incorporate lithium metal for its higher energy density potential. Solid-state batteries often rely on ceramic-based electrolytes, though polymer-based and sulfide-based electrolytes are also used. Enclosed in a protective casing, solid-state batteries use current collectors to transfer electrons to and from external circuits.
Advantages of solid-state battery designs
New solid-state designs (Figure 2) offer many potential advantages over conventional Li-ion batteries.
Figure 1. Comparison of conventional lithium-ion and solid-state batteries, highlighting key differences, including the solid electrolyte that functions as a separator. muRata
For example, combining lithium metal anodes with solid electrolytes increases energy density, significantly increasing energy storage capacity and extending EV range.
Additional potential benefits include:
• Faster charging speeds: Many solid-state battery designs promise fast, safe charging capabilities. Solid electrolytes can reduce the risk of heat-related physical degradation and thermal runaway during rapid charging, improving safety and extending battery lifespan.
• High-temperature stability: Future solid-state batteries may operate more reliably across a broader range of higher external temperatures without significant loss of capacity or discharge limitations.
• Compact footprint: Solid electrolytes eliminate the need for liquid containment, potentially allowing automotive manufacturers to implement more lightweight designs with smaller batteries.
• Improved safety: Solid-state batteries may eventually offer enhanced safety features compared to conventional Li-ion batteries. Non-flammable solid electrolytes, for example, are likely to reduce the risk of fire or explosion in the event of a crash, battery failure, or short circuit.
Limitations and challenges
Automotive companies must overcome significant manufacturing, technical, and economic challenges before solidstate batteries can safely and efficiently power EVs. Without advanced mass production techniques and efficient scaling methods, solid-state batteries will remain more complex and costly to manufacture than conventional Li-ion batteries.
Notably, the sulfide-based solid electrolytes in some solid-state batteries are highly sensitive to moisture and may require dry rooms (Figure 3) during production to prevent degeneration. Moreover, while solid
2. Illustration of a solid-state EV battery showcasing key components such as the lithium anode, solid electrolytes, and cathode. The image highlights the potential for fast charging, with future solid-state battery packs that could achieve full charge in less than 10 minutes. American Chemical Society
electrolytes can offer advantages such as faster charging, their ionic conductivity at room temperature is generally lower than that of the liquid electrolytes used in Li-ion batteries. The high cost of materials, such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium — especially in their metal form for solid-state anodes — further complicates the widespread adoption of solid-state battery technology. Additionally, the rigid physical characteristics of solid electrolytes, which lack the self-healing properties of liquid electrolytes in conventional Li-ion batteries, increase the susceptibility of solid-state batteries to certain types of degradation. This
Figure
Figure 3. A dry room environment specifically designed for battery manufacturing, implementing controlled humidity levels to prevent moisture from affecting production. Munter
Electronic Engineering
can lead to dendrite formation, interfacial delamination, lithium creep, and dead lithium, resulting in short circuits, reduced battery capacity, and premature failure.
While some solid-state battery designs are better at resisting physical degradation from high heat, others are more vulnerable to low-temperature extremes. Additionally, they may be less capable of absorbing mechanical stress than the flexible liquid electrolytes used in conventional Li-ion batteries.
Breakthroughs in solid-state battery development
Despite the challenges, many automotive companies are accelerating their development of solid-state batteries. For example, Samsung recently debuted a solidstate EV battery with a 600-mi range and an energy density of 500 W⋅h/kg, roughly double that of a typical EV battery. Honda is
designing a solid-state battery that weighs 50% less than conventional Li-ion batteries, while Nissan plans to launch an EV with solid-state batteries by 2028.
In partnership with Solid Power, BMW expects to have solid-state battery technology ready for prototype vehicle integration by 2025. Similarly, Ford and Solid Power are testing 100 Ah solid-state battery cells. Through its battery subsidiary Powerco, Volkswagen is working with QuantumScape to industrialize and mass-produce EV solid-state batteries. MercedesBenz and Hydro-Québec are also jointly developing and testing solidstate batteries.
Lastly, Toyota’s solid-state batteries (Figure 4) are expected to deliver significant improvements over current lithium-ion batteries, such as a 745-mi range (1,200 km), 10-min fast charging, and reduced production costs. DW
REFERENCES
• 6 Ways Solid-State Batteries Are Better Than Lithium-Ion Alternatives in Electric Vehicles, CPI
• What Are Solid-State Batteries?, Murata
• Solid-State Batteries: Benefits and Drawbacks, Econopolis
• Explained: Solid-state Batteries vs Lithium-ion Batteries, TopSpeed
• Navigating the Future: A Guide to Solid State Batteries for Electric Cars, Midtronics
• Electric Vehicle Future Depends On Solid-State Battery Technology, Academy for Technical Training & Career Development
• The Real Story Behind Samsung’s 600Mile Solid-State Battery, TopSpeed
SCAN THE QR CODE FOR AN INTERACTIVE LIST OF REFERENCES
Figure 4. Toyota’s all-solid-state battery prototype for EVs. Toyota
The democratization of automation takes center stage at IMTS
STEPHANIE NEIL • EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Artificial intelligence, together with the adaptive data cloud, has profoundly changed operations in the warehouse and on the factory floor.
The ability to analyze data across the entire value chain is improving productivity, aiding maintenance operations, and creating new serviceoriented business opportunities. That was the message Microsoft’s Kathleen Mitford delivered in her opening keynote at the International Manufacturing
Technology Show (IMTS) 2024 in Chicago this past September.
From combing through CAD libraries to applying natural language models to maintenance records for delivering stepby-step instructions on how to fix a robot or even a jet engine, manufacturers have undergone an AI transformation. Everyone — from the CIO to the engineer to the operators — can access programs like Microsoft’s Copilot to act as a generative AI assistant.
The democratization of AI is an inevitable part of the factory floor going forward. “Basically, if [manufacturers] have not started on their AI journey, they’re late,” said Mitford, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of global industry marketing, in an interview with Automated Warehouse.
And if organizations are late with AI, they will miss out on the next evolution of AI, which is the democratization of automation
Photo courtesy of IMTS
Automation democratization
During IMTS, there were examples of new products and services that unite AI and automation via programming, remote diagnostics, workcell workflows, and even self-service marketplaces to design and buy a machine online.
Here are just a few examples on display at IMTS that showcase these emerging areas of innovation:
Osaro: The Osaro Robotic Bagging System is an e-commerce robotic setup that can accurately scan and identify disparate items in a tote, effortlessly handle new SKUs, and quickly adapt to changing inventory. This allows the robot to pick and place multiple items into the auto-bagging machine and then to the conveyor to go out for delivery.
What’s different here is the company’s AutoModel. It allows AI to learn on the fly versus having to be trained, which is time-consuming, according to Brent Barcey, Osaro’s senior vice president of corporate development. Its rapid AI system allows for dynamic changes in the inbound and outbound flow of goods and the
integration of new peripherals, enabling the order-fulfillment line to adapt and evolve in real-time, ensuring continuous efficiency and productivity.
Olis Robotics: The company’s videobased remote diagnostic system watches a robot 24/7 on the packaging line or warehouse. Power over Ethernet cameras are set up around a cell, and when the visual system detects an issue, it saves the video files to allow an engineer to see what happened and even remotely take action.
Working with Universal Robots (UR), FANUC, and Kawasaki robots, the diagnostic system can connect to multiple robots through the robot controller. It also connects to the PLC that provides stats on what’s been going on for the past minute or past 24 hours.
“This is a pretty comprehensive diagnostic suite for automation,” said Olis CEO Fredrik Rydén, noting that the data allows for predictive maintenance as well. “When you have facilities that have a lot of volume of products going out the door, you want to keep them
Osaro’s Robotic Bagging System uses AI to learn on the fly. Stephanie Neil
running. This is a tool to ensure you can do that.”
In addition, by partnering with collaborative robot providers like UR, the goal is to make the robot experts more efficient, especially in the face of a labor shortage.
“What UR has been spearheading is the ability for anyone to adopt automation by making it easy to program the robots. Now it is easy to keep them running as well,” Rydén said.
Tulip Interfaces: This no-code system offers an almost effortless way to build applications, which could be workflows, traceability, dashboards, or machine monitoring, for example. The common data model includes templates for different applications that are available for download and includes application program interfaces (APIs) to connect other applications.
As part of the system, the operator is provided instructions, as well as
continuous feedback to show errors that may have occurred during a repeatable process. In addition, the Tulip starter kit provides pre-built applications that can be implemented in multiple ways. This allows small and large manufacturers alike to adapt the system to their processes.
“The goal is to democratize this so you don’t need to be an engineer to do it,” said Natalia Gutierrez, product marketing manager at Tulip.
Vention: When it comes to designing a machine, Vention is incorporating AI into the process to make suggestions on the next component – which is added automatically to expedite the design process.
On the automation side, Vention released a machine motion AI controller with NVIDIA Jetson. The low-power system is designed for accelerating machine learning applications and enables robots to learn in the cloud.
Stephanie Neil
“We’ll have a robotics model in the cloud that will learn from the operation that is running to give you a better program for your robot for more efficient operation.” said Carl Hajal, Vention’s senior software and robotics segment manager.
He noted that Vention differentiated its AI offering by applying it both on the controller and in the cloud. When programming a robot, Vention has also added a co-pilot that can write a program for the engineer and push it into an existing script to update it.
Hajal claimed that this should accelerate programming by about 50% for engineers.
Welcome to the automation marketplace
Vention is known for its self-serve platform, which allows OEMs to design automated equipment, robot cells, and tooling online, while providing real-time bill of materials and pricing information before the equipment is shipped out for assembly on site.
Now, with the proliferation of tools and cloud-based services that make automation accessible and easy to use,
self-serve marketplaces are popping up from different technology providers. igus: The motion plastics company makes flexible cables, chains, linear bearings, slides, actuators, motors, and more. The differentiator for igus products is its self-lubricating material, a proprietary blend, said Felix Brockmeyer, igus CEO.
Over the years, customers have asked igus to assemble its parts into entire systems. Now, the company has an internal startup, called RBTX by igus, which is an online marketplace that connects users with suppliers of compatible, cost-effective robotic components using simple tools.
“It started with small and midsized manufacturers and OEMs in mind, but now everybody is our customer base,” Brockmeyer told Automated Warehouse. “There is a need in the market to offer simple automation instead of what normally is overkill.”
To that end, pricing for specialized robot applications such as pick and place, material handling, machine loading and unloading can be offered at lower price than a traditional feature-rich system.
“There wasn’t an offering in the market to address people that just want to do simple automation tasks,” said Brockmeyer. The igus robot control includes the company’s own open-source software, which can be downloaded for free to start writing programs before buying a robot. There are also application-specific overviews including videos showing how it works.
“It’s automation for anybody,” Brockmeyer said.
Universal Robots: The UR Marketplace was also a talking point at IMTS. It is a one-stop shop to choose and purchase cobots, components, and services. The platform offers a range of equipment from the UR ecosystem and a quoting and ordering management process and 24/7 call support. AW
For more news on AI and digital transformation in the warehouse, visit Design World’s sibling site Automated Warehouse at: automatedwarehouseonline.com
The digital transformation of ABB’s instrumentation warehouse
STEPHANIE NEIL • EXECUTIVE EDITOR
AThe addition of robots, motion control, and digital twin tools leads to a 90% improvement in overall logistics efficiency.
BB’s Measurements & Analytics factory in the Italian village of Ossuccio — situated on the shores of Lake Como — produces pressure transmitters that enable industrial companies around the world to measure, monitor, and control applied force. This technology is key for both safety and efficiency and is a fundamental component in industrial digital transformation.
Today, the Ossuccio factory exports the majority of its components to other ABB factories around the world through its logistics center. It’s a midsize operation that has relied on warehouse workers to prepare products for shipment.
But ABB, like its industrial customers, continues to strive for efficiency through innovation — regardless of the size of the operation. So, the company used its own in-house automation, robotics technology and simulation capabilities to modernize the historic facility, which has been on Lake Como since World War II.
The modernization effort included the addition of ABB’s OmniVance FlexBuffer robot system, an advanced automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) that manages all of the warehouse loading and offloading activities. According to the company, the robot not only transformed the warehouse into a fully
ABB’s OmniVance FlexBuffer automated storage and retrieval system can handle a variety of box sizes with the same robot gripper.
Autonomously transport materials up to 4,200 lb with the industry’s most comprehensive autonomous mobile robots and fleet management software.
$1.5M
Adoption of the AS/RS has alleviated the physical strain associated with manually handling heavy boxes.
automated operation, but it has also led to 90% improvement in overall logistics efficiency.
“We wanted to improve logistics at the Ossuccio site while also enhancing the entire manufacturing process,” said Mariafrancesca Madrigrano, general manager of the ABB Measurement & Analytics factory. “Upgrading the existing warehouse was an important project that we did together with our colleagues in robotics in order to align with the current state-of-the-art automation.”
ABB configures its own robots
The solution consists of two FlexBuffer systems connected by a conveyor, each one equipped with ABB robots. The control architecture includes ABB Group’s B&R Industrial Automation PLCs and HMIs to drive the conveyor system and robot control from ABB’s OmniCore control platform.
“These are palletizing/depalletizing robots handling a combination of either boxes or totes within a combined
application,” said Craig McDonnell, business-line managing director of ABB Robotics. “In this application, the FlexBuffer system is managing the inbound or outbound location of the totes, balancing of the tote or boxes between two separate buffering systems, and the complete software architecture to manage that.”
To that end, FlexBuffer allows for easy transitions between buffering,
storing, and sequencing tasks. It combines temporary storage and sequencing functions to provide additional functionality over traditional ASRS.
The mixed-item variant of the FlexBuffer enables the user to store a wide variety of box sizes, all being handled with the same robot gripper. And the dynamic racking positions all boxes with minimal loss of space.
The ABB Ossuccio factory specializes in the production of pressure transmitters.
The application at the ABB warehouse is an example of the scalability of the system, as ABB robotics are typically found in larger e-commerce sites, McDonnell said.
“Over recent years, we've found there's a big need for manufacturing processes to drive greater efficiency,” he explained. “Like in this plant, they were using a lot of robots in the end processes, be it welding or whatever it might be that you need for that specific process.”
“But the intralogistics feeding typically was the last part to be automated in many of these smaller factories. And the trouble was, it just ends up being too custom,” added McDonnell. “So, we've spent quite a bit of time coming up with a standardized modular system that you can use in small to medium-size facilities.”
Digital twins and digital transformation
The system was designed in ABB’s RobotStudio, a simulation tool for robot applications, which created a complete digital twin architecture. This reduces commissioning time as well as enables remote access after the installation.
“In the digital twin, we build a complete duplicate all the way down to the deep robot motion in the actual runtime engines. Then you have much quicker commissioning times and troubleshooting assistance,” McDonnell explained.
While the decision to deploy the ASRS in the warehouse was driven by customer needs, the digital transformation aspect was an extra benefit.
“The reason digital transformation is important is because the goal of ABB
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is to serve the customer better,” said Madrigrano. “The big advantages have been that we’ve reduced the possibility of human error, and we’ve reduced throughput time.”
And the entire workforce benefits. Adoption of the system has enhanced working conditions for operators, alleviating the physical strain associated with manually handling heavy boxes.
In addition, many people were reallocated to other manufacturing areas that required additional manpower, giving the factory a greater flexibility during peak production times. AW
Scan the QR code to see ABB’s newly automated Ossuccio site
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxc8-o8-WAA
The Data Driven Warehouse
How real-time data collected at every touch point smooths out operations
Emerging technologies are revolutionizing supply planning, enhancing supply chain efficiency, agility, and resiliency. Real-time data and advanced analytics driven by connected assets and systems help identify potential disruptions, mitigate risks and make informed decisions. We will discuss key insights into today's supply chain challenges.
What are today’s supply chain challenges?
The constantly evolving global supply chain landscape poses a range of challenges for businesses today that can impact their operational efficiency and effectiveness. Here are the biggest challenges:
• Business disruptions and market volatility: Over the past five years, supply chain operations in various industries faced unexpected events, which resulted in reactive responses. This can impede the ability to meet demand, leading to lost revenue, increased costs, and a decline in overall profit margins.
• Demand predictability: Social media, COVID driven direct-to-consumer (DTC) models, market volatility, and now inflation have made traditional demand forecasting insufficient. Operations are leaning on outdated forecast approaches that also lag and fail to respond adequately to current market dynamics.
• Holistic inventory visibility and optimization: Inventory management is complex and dynamic. The end of 2022-2023 saw excess inventory across many organizations due to COVIDrelated supply chain constraints. This led to higher costs, lower margins, and waste. The long term impact will lead to lost sales, and loss of differentiation, loyalty, and market positioning. Adopting an integrated approach and leveraging advanced technology and best practices, businesses can overcome these challenges - improving supply chain efficiency and resilience.
What is lacking in today’s supply chain strategies?
Supply planning today involves technology, data analysis and stakeholder collaboration. While technical and data analytic advancements have been made, there are still several areas that need improvements in the industry:
• Accurate transparency of data
• Dynamic supply planning and execution based on integrated intelligence and automated decision-making
• Convergence of network modeling, scenario and traditional planning and planning
Businesses want to improve supply chain visibility, predict, and mitigate risks, and optimize performance. Incorporating advanced concepts can enhance agility and resilience, meet customers’ evolving needs, and optimize performance. Below are a few advanced technologies and characteristics that must be included in an organization’s growth plans for supply chain optimization.
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) can help businesses analyze data, find patterns, and make proactive decisions to mitigate risk. Many planning solutions have already integrated AI/ML into their core plans, but further integration of this can enhance algorithms. This could include detecting shifts and anomalies -- optimizing execution, automating operations such as key planning processes and real time decisions, and more.
• Digital twins and advanced simulation: Digital twins and simulation create virtual versions of physical assets, processes, and systems. These outputs can be used to evaluate scenarios and risk, identify key constraints, optimize, and evaluate alternative configurations.
With data and AI/ML, digital twins can continuously evaluate supply chains and networks, informing businesses in an unprecedented way.
• Automation and autonomous systems: The targeted deployment of automated storage retrieval systems (ASRS), autonomous mobile robots (AMR) and other assets with IoT connectivity, RFID asset tracking and machine vision can mitigate risks ranging from labor shortages to inventory loss. Working in tandem with digital twin and AI/ML, these assets comprise self-optimizing systems that drive higher output and efficiency by learning from both physical and simulated scenarios in the connected warehouse.
The future of supply chain planning requires digitization, automation, connectivity, and data-driven decision-making. Organizations that embrace these technologies create agile, transparent and efficient supply chains that are resilient to market changes and disruptions. AW
You can read more in our recent whitepaper, Synchronizing Supply & Demand in 2023 and Beyond.
How Orthobond’s antimicrobial coating prevents contamination of medical devices
JIM HAMMERAND MANAGING EDITOR
This scanning electron microscope image shows Orthobond’s Ostaguard antimicrobial coating killing methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteria.
Image courtesy of Orthobond
Anew antimicrobial coating could go a long way in keeping medical devices free of infection-causing microbes after winning FDA de novo approval for its first indication.
Device developer Orthobond says its proprietary Ostaguard antimicrobial coating offers a new defense against bacteria, viruses and fungi that could contaminate the surface of an implantable device before it’s placed inside a patient.
The initial FDA approval is for Ostaguard-coated pedicle screws used in spinal fusions, but Orthobond said it has other devices treated with the technology in various stages of the regulatory
process. An Ostaguard-coated oncology device from Onkos Surgical has also won FDA de novo approval.
Orthobond CEO David Nichols said the technology could eventually be used on a much wider range of orthopedic, oncology, neurovascular, plastic surgery and cardiac devices, or anywhere else infections are a concern.
In an exclusive interview with Medical Design & Outsourcing, Nichols — a former Zimmer Biomet executive — explained how Orthobond’s Ostaguard antimicrobial coating works and how other device developers might be able to take advantage.
OSTAGUARDTM Achieves Rapid, Broad-spectrum Antimicrobial Activity Through a High Density of Positive Surface Charge
Orthobond says Ostaguard achieves rapid, broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity through a high density of positive surface charge:
➢ Patented (through 2037) process enables the installation of greater than 1x1016 Quat molecules per square centimeter of surface
➢ Surface initiator ensures that antimicrobial molecules are bound to the surface preventing elution of the antimicrobial in the body
➢ Patented linker technology enables functionalization of nearly all metal and polymer surfaces .
Now that it has FDA approval, Orthobond plans to scale up manufacturing to meet demand and to submit a master file with the FDA to accelerate regulatory review for other device developers who want to use the technology on their products.
How Orthobond’s Ostaguard antimicrobial coating prevents contamination
Orthobond was founded by Princeton University Chemistry Professor Emeritus Jeffrey Schwartz and the late Dr. Gregory Lutz. Schwartz was trying to use the ability to bond to the oxide layer for automotive tires and saw an opportunity for osteoconductivity.
Orthobond explains how Ostaguard kills microorganisms with multiple mechanisms of action:
OSTAGUARDTM Kills Microorganisms with Multiple Mechanisms of Action
1. Bacterial cell walls are coordinated structures with a net negative charge
2. Quat surfaces attack bacteria through multiple mechanisms allowing for broad-spectrum activity without the emergence of resistance.
While that application didn’t outperform existing options, their research yielded an incredibly strong covalent bond that could prevent quaternary ammonium molecules (also called quats) from eluting into a patient’s body.
Orthobond covalently bonds its antimicrobial, polycationic molecules to the surface of an implant before packaging and sterilization.
It’s a wet chemistry process in which a medical device such as a hip, knee or screw is dunked in a chemical bath and then heated in an oven. That bonds a phosphonic acid layer only 4 or 5 nanometers thick to the oxide on the surface of the implant. Then an approximately four-hour polymerization process attaches quaternary ammonium molecules with densely packed, positively charged nitrogen at the end of the chain.
The resulting layer of positively charged, quaternary ammonium molecules on an implant’s surface measures only one-millionth of an inch and immobilizes, perforates and destablizes microbes.
“It’s like flypaper because bacteria is negatively charged and our surface is positively charged,” Nichols said. “It actually draws them to our surface, puts little pin pricks in the bacteria and starts the death process. As they try to move around, it breaks them apart and kills them.”
FDA records describe the coating as a 12-methacryloyloxydodecyl pyridinium bromide (C21H34BrNO2) compound.
Because the technology neutralizes microbes mechanically, it even works on antibiotic-resistant bacteria like the Mu50 strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which has evolved efflux pumps to remove antibiotics from its cells and render them ineffective.
“Our surface will kill that,” Nichols said.
The Ostaguard antimicrobial coating kills common infection-causing microbes such as Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. coli, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), E. cloacae and C. acnes.
The coating technology has not been evaluated in human clinical trials, but Orthobond said it found no evidence of local or systemic toxicity in sheep, guinea pig and canine testing.
Illustration courtesy of Orthobond
Illustration courtesy of Orthobond
Antimicrobial coating know-how for device designer and engineers
The company plans to keep the technology inside its facility to maintain proprietary control instead of licensing it for device manufacturers to use on their own production lines. The process currently takes two or three days before the treated products are packed, sterilized and sent back to the manufacturer (or shipped directly to the manufacturer’s packaging and sterilization provider).
“It adds a step in the supply chain, but most of that’s outsourced anyway,” Nichols said. “You can imagine a major medical devicemaker would manufacture it, clean it, ship it to be treated, and then it goes to sterile packaging from there.”
Applications for the antimicrobial coating permanent include all sorts of implants, but also catheters, surgical instruments, and dialysis machines.
The coating is compatible with all medtech metals, including cobalt chrome, stainless steel, titanium. Orthobond has also experimented with the coating process for different materials, such as a product with silicone epoxy that required a lower temperature, and a spray method for electronics that can’t be dipped in a fluid bath.
“Anything with an oxide layer’s easy: titanium oxide, chromium oxide,” Nichols said. “For the epoxy, we had to put an oxide layer on, so we put a layer of zirconium oxide on and then we put our chemistry on. We’ve figured out the epoxy and the silicone.”
won FDA de novo approval for its Ostaguard antimicrobial coating on SeaSpine Mariner pedicle screws. Image courtesy of
Teflon — like you’d find on some heart valves, for instance — is still a challenge, “but my chemists love that,” he said. “They say they can do it, but we have not done that yet.”
Nichols said the Ostaguard antimicrobial coating “holds up really well to gamma” sterilization, but applying the coating to devices sterilized with ethylene oxide or steam requires some fine-tuning.
Regulatory strategy is probably the biggest consideration for device engineers and designers who might want to use the antimicrobial coating, Nichols said. Using breast implants as an example, he said a devicemaker might want to start with a Class II breast tissue expander because the regulatory pathway would be easier than Class III breast implants.
Nichols said one area for improvement is application efficiency. Coating permanent implantables with a fluid bath results in a lot of waste, but the cost is insignificant if you’re using it for an artificial hip or knee joint. Orthobond will work to reduce the cost of application to make it a better fit for temporarily placed devices like catheters or reusable instruments.
“We’ve got to bring the price down probably tenfold, but it will work,” Nichols said.
Pedicle screws before (left) and after (right) being coated with Orthobond’s Ostaguard antimicrobial technology
Photo courtesy of Orthobond
How Abbott created its next-gen RF ablation system
For Abbott, combining two innovations into one AFib-treating system required manufacturing fine-tuning. The project’s R&D director explains.
Chris Newmarker Editor in Chief
ulsed field ablation (PFA) has generated a great deal of buzz for its potential to reduce complications in procedures for treating atrial fibrillation (AFib). But even as Abbott is developing its Volt PFA system — announcing in January that it kicked off a CE mark clinical trial of Volt — the medtech giant is betting that tried-and-true radiofrequency (RF) ablation can still make a big difference with the right innovations.
Abbott last year won FDA approval for its next-gen TactiFlex Ablation Catheter, Sensor Enabled. The company described it as the world’s first ablation catheter with a flexible tip and contact force technology.
“Launching TactiFlex — which is the flexible tip combined with the contact force — we’ve seen great results, great outcomes, whether it’s outcomes for the patient or time of procedure. We’ve seen that consistently around the world,” Abbott CEO Robert Ford said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call in January.
Erich Stoermer became director of R&D for electrophysiology (EP) catheters at Abbott in mid-2019, about a year after formal TactiFlex product development started. During an interview late last year with Medical Design & Outsourcing, he explained how the company already had contact force sensing in its TactiCath Sensor Enabled ablation catheter and a flexible tip in its FlexAbility Sensor Enabled catheter.
Each had benefits. Contact force sensing enables electrophysiologists to ensure the tip has the appropriate force (measured in grams) against the cardiac tissue being ablated. Meanwhile, the flexible tip provided better maneuverability, more grip against the tissue because of its latticelike structure, and more efficient saline irrigation at the ablation site.
“Physician feedback was, ‘We think it’d be really powerful from a safety and effectiveness standpoint to really combine these technologies into one catheter,’” Stoermer said. >>
Abbott’s TactiFlex ablation catheter Image courtesy of Abbott
Abbott Director of R&D for EP Catheters
Erich Stoermer
Integrated with 3D heart modeling and electrical mapping from Abbott’s EnSite X EP system, the next-gen system could reduce procedure times and boost safety compared with previous generations of RF ablation tech.
A top challenge to get there involved fine-tuning and tighter tolerances in the manufacturing process.
“Anything that goes into this is in the millimeter or sub-millimeter range/ tolerance. … There are parts of our manufacturing process where we’re controlling things to the nanometer,” Stoermer said.
The reason why the force-sensing/ flexible-tip combination required tighter tolerances became apparent as Stoermer described how the tri-axial optical force sensor system in TactiFlex works.
He gestured to a diagram of the system outside the Minneapolis-area cleanroom where workers in cleanroom garb were assembling the TactiFlex system under microscopes:
“You can see the tip electrode being fixtured, and it’s been set very carefully into the distal end of the catheter. … Those three shaft electrodes we talked about at the distal end of the catheter [for ECG readings], those are being brought up, and then we bond the shaft to the tip electrode. You can see this is what we call the deformable body, so as forces are applied to the tip, the force is transmitted. This … body deforms, and it deforms by nanometers. You’ve got three fiber optics being set into a deformable body. Those three optical fibers are reflecting light, back and forth. And then as forces are applied, the reflection of that light is transmitted differently. That’s what tells the computer how much force is being applied in one direction. And that goes into our TactiSys box, which then tells
Abbott Electrophysiology Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Christopher Piorkowski
EnSite how much force is being applied to the catheter. So this is the heart of the force sensing technology right here.”
The handle — which has some new design features to let a surgeon maneuver the catheter without having to look down from the EnSite screen — gets assembled on the proximal end. Electrical wires, shaft deflection wires, thermocouple wires, fiber
optics and the irrigation lumen all route back from the tip through the catheter’s 8 Fr distal section and 7.5 Fr shaft with steel braiding and a polymer jacket.
Stoermer declined to go into much detail about what kind of tweaking was needed to ensure the sensing system worked with a flexible tip, citing proprietary information. But he said getting the design and manufacturing process right involved computer modeling of how the contact force sensing system and flexible tip would work together in RF ablation procedures, and then experiment-based adjustments.
“It took some fine-tuning of our design and manufacturing process controls to ensure that we got the same level of consistency and accuracy as we had on the TactiCath,” he said.
Tighter tolerances were crucial for the undisclosed contract manufacturer that laser cuts the TactiFlex’s platinum iridium flexible tip.
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“It’s largely automated, and that really takes care of providing a consistent high-quality component. … The stock of material is placed into the spindle, it’s grabbed onto by a robot, it’s held there, and then it’s computer controlled,” Stoermer said.
The result is a next-gen RF ablation system with combined stability and safety to improve physician experience and patient outcomes, according to Dr. Christopher Piorkowski, chief medical officer and divisional VP of medical affairs for Abbott’s electrophysiology business.
“TactiFlex provides double the amount of stability at the moving heart wall, which can give physicians more peace of mind to make a good lesion in the moving heart of a breathing patient,” Piorkowski said. “The stability of the catheter plus the confidence in the position of the ablation work together to shorten the procedure time, reducing the risk of complications.”
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Design World
By Mark Jones
The surprising GHG emissions from flying
I’m sure detailed questions about fuel consumption from a passenger aren’t common, but the pilots on flights 2030 and 1114 humored me. My ticket showed the emissions allotted to my seat, something I noticed for the first time. The numbers were lower than I anticipated, so I wanted to check the math. Once I had the exact amount of fuel the A319 burned from Michigan to Denver and back, some simple math would provide the direct CO2 emissions.
According to the ticket, 174 kg of CO2 equivalent emissions was my allotment for the Michigan to Denver trip — and for the trip back — only 154 kg. Air travel is a carbon-inefficient way to travel, or at least that is what I thought. As the figures seemed small, I figured the airlines were greenwashing to make air travel more palatable. It’s easy to be suspicious of airline math. There are 22 actual rows of seats on the A319, yet the last row is numbered row 35. An inability to consecutively number rows is the culprit. It is hard to be confident in more complex math when the airline can’t count.
I believed air travel would be much worse than driving. I know my typical 11-gallon fill-up is 210 lb of direct CO2 emission, 96 kg. That’s good for 420 or so miles of highway driving. Driving the 1,292 miles to Denver requires more than 3 tanks of gas — emitting almost 300 kg of direct CO2 emissions. 174 kg sounded like an emissions bargain.
Looking for corroboration, I was reminded of the adage, “A man with a watch knows what time it is. A man with
two watches is never sure.” There were many calculators available to estimate the carbon emissions associated with my travel, but they varied widely in the answers given. Most didn’t fully disclose all assumptions, but some did. All included indirect emissions, something my comparison to driving ignores. Many of the calculators didn’t differentiate direction, using flight distance rather than duration in the estimates. The airline estimates varied with direction. The flight time was shorter going east due to the prevailing winds. Less flight time, less fuel, less emissions. One estimated 365 kg each way, with others estimating 255, 250, 220, and 177, and 162 kg each way. The IATA estimator did differentiate by direction and gave the same estimates as the airline. None simply divided the actual emissions by the number of passengers to get the per passenger emissions. They all corrected for seating class with bigger seats being allotted bigger emissions. Two otherwise equivalent passengers on the same plane are allotted different emissions based on seat size. That both makes sense and is nonsensical. Accepting an upgrade to first class doesn’t change the plane’s emissions but would alter the fraction allotted to me. First class comes with 1.5 times the emissions of economy in most estimators.
Thanks to the friendly pilots, I know the actual fuel used — 13,500 lb to Denver and only 12,400 lb back. Each flight was full, so that’s 126 seats. The flights were responsible for an average of 153 kg and 141 kg per passenger of direct CO2 emissions, respectively, not accounting for seat class. More refinement is possible. My flight to Denver had several full-throated babies-in-arms near my seat. I didn’t add them as passengers. Doing so would reduce my part of the flight’s total emissions. I also didn’t account for seating class. That could, depending on assumptions, reduce my direct emissions footprint to 123 kg and 113 kg depending on flight direction. Flying, no matter how I calculate it, is better than driving.
Complaining about passenger air travel is easy. Erosion in the customer experience hides the advances in aviation efficiency that make air travel surprisingly environmentally friendly. Flights today, on a per passenger-basis, create 77% fewer emissions than those fondly remembered flights in the 1970s. Thanks to technological advances, my recent journey through the friendly skies wasn’t as bad as I feared. DW
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