Project Mechatronics

Big Wind and the Absolute Cost of Technology

The American Wind Energy Association published results for last year's spending on wind energy. The US spent $16.4B on new wind tubines and installed 8500 megawatts of generating capacity. That's $1.93 million dollars per megawatt of capacity. That's a lot of money. Especially when a megawatt of capacity of wind ...

Accuriss™ Series Step Motors

LAGUNA HILLS, CA -- USAutomation introduces the Accuriss™ Series of fully integrated and packaged intelligent step motors. Accuriss motors combine a 1.8° hybrid step motor with a microstep drive and an intelligent controller in one easy-to-mount package. Measuring only 1.1 inches across, the Accuriss 28 is capable of microstepping at up ...

Program Practices for Packaging Robots

By Tom Jensen ELAU Packaging Solutions Schneider Electric Packaging robots execute tasks not found in other applications, so it would not suit to use program practices geared for an automotive or welding robot. Here’s a look at control strategies specific to packaging. [caption id="attachment_1602" align="alignnone" width="495" caption="XPAK USA, LLC has designed a Schneider Electric-enabled ...

Rescuing Auto Makers

Sandeep Kumar, Chief Executive Officer Microstaq Let’s face it; the auto industry has fallen behind the curve. Older mechanical systems that could have been converted to next-generation mechatronics still populate even the most technologically advanced vehicles. Why? Because older mechanical systems are safe (as in: low job risk), thoroughly engineered, completely market accepted, ...

Consider 3D Microstructures for Mechatronics Technology

By Luke Volpe Director of Engineering Metrigraphics Precision Components Dynamics Research Corporation Wilmington, Mass. 3D microstructures are electro-mechanical devices that bridge the gap between conventional manufacturing techniques and MEMS technology. As the drive to build smaller and more complex electro-mechanical devices or microdevices continues, design engineers struggle to bridge the gap between conventional micromachining techniques such ...

Digital Prototyping in Mechatronic Design

By Keith Perrin AUTODESK Today’s manufacturers are using a mechatronics-based approach to integrate the electronic, mechanical, and software components of their increasingly complex products. Digital prototyping allows disparate engineering teams to work from a single digital model, saving time and reducing errors throughout the design process. The Autodesk solution for digital prototyping ...

Car Wars?

For seventy years what was good for Detroit was good for America. The major auto makers could sell as many cars as they could make. And Americans were enthusiastic about the freedom offered by relatively inexpensive personal transportation. Since Henry Ford's introduction of the mass produced Model T and John ...

Yaskawa Releases MotionWorks IEC Pro and MP2310iec

Waukegan, IL – Yaskawa Electric America, Inc. announces the release of MotionWorks IEC Pro and MP2310iec, important additions to the MotionWorks IEC / MP2000iec Product Series. MotionWorks IEC Pro MotionWorks IEC Pro is a new Integrated Development environment based on the IEC61131-3 international programming standard. MotionWorks IEC Pro is built upon the ...

Energy Density and the Real Cost of Driving

Energy density by itself is not a sufficient measure of anything. It is only useful in a specific context. For example, one can refer to the energy density of battery technology. And that is an extremely useful comparison because the weight of the battery in an electric car is critical ...

Top Ten Challenges – Energy Storage

Thinking about the top challenges we face in mechatronics there is one that's connected and not really obvious. It's energy storage. Our tendency is think in terms of batteries because that's most likely the form of energy storage that we are most familiar with. Cell phones, laptop computers and many ...