S-BOND NEWS

Scientists plan to drill nearly 4 miles below the Earth’s surface

When it comes to the Earth, we've only just scratched the surface – in more ways than one. But, a new project and a mere $1 billion could change all that.

According to a recent CNN article, scientists are planning to drill nearly four miles through the planet's crust and into its mantle – a roughly 2,000-mile-thick layer of rock that makes up most of the Earth's mass. Up until now, the only samples from this layer have come to the surface via volcanic eruptions.

If researchers are able to get their hands on rock from this "undiscovered country," mysteries about the formation and evolution of the planet we call home could be unraveled. So what's the holdup? Drilling technology isn't quite ready for such a massive undertaking. The news source reports that current drill bits only have a life of about 50 to 60 hours. After that, they must be replaced before drilling can continue.

With today's technology, it could take several years to reach the mantle once drilling were to begin. As this blog has discussed on more than one occasion, the key to unlocking mysteries of the universe – including our own planet – is often manufacturing ingenuity.

Not only do scientists need longer-lasting drill bits, but the equipment used to reach deeper into the earth must be able to handle increasingly hot temperatures. Innovative methods of joining dissimilar metals that allow equipment to handle the physical strain and heat associated with drilling four miles deep into the Earth are critical.

Techniques for ceramic to metal bonding are also aiding in the construction of sensor housings for gamma ray detectors. While those sound like something that helped turn Bruce Banner into the Incredible Hulk, they actually assist in steering drill heads through rock using the earth's natural radiation.

Geologist and co-leader of the project Damon Teagle told CNN this is "the most challenging endeavor in the history of Earth science."

Raising the funds for the project will be no small feat either, which gives Teagle a bit of a cushion, during which he hopes drilling technology will advance to the point needed for success. If all goes to plan, he expects humans to reach the Earth's mantle in the next decade.

Manufacturing innovations improve space exploration

Space travel can be exciting, inspirational and lead to untold discoveries about the universe and our own planet. It can also be extremely dangerous.

A routine medical issue on Earth could be a serious emergency aboard a shuttle or station orbiting the planet. In zero gravity, blood cannot be contained the way it can in a hospital operating room. So a moderate wound down here would pose a serious threat to one's life up there. The same thing could be said of a hull breach on a sailboat versus a space shuttle. Down here, you might get wet. In space, lives are constantly at risk.

According to an article in NewScientist, researchers may be making some progress toward mitigating medical risks in space. They are in the process of developing a surgical tool – the Aqueous Immersion Surgical System – that would make performing procedures in space far less dangerous. The device creates a seal around a wound or incision to contain blood and other bodily fluids, while airtight holes allow access to the area via orthoscopic instruments.

But, this is just the beginning. When we also look at the equipment used on the Mars rover Curiosity, like the Power Acquisition Drill System, or PADS, it is clear we are making significant strides. With PADS, Curiosity can drill two inches into the Martian surface and analyze rock samples. Technologies are advancing to the point where they can be deployed in environments so harsh that many thought it never possible.

The soldering solutions and techniques used in joining dissimilar metals that we develop here will allow the most advanced scientific equipment the world has ever seen to reveal mysteries about other planets and beyond. They will also make emergency repairs to shuttles easier and help safeguard the lives of all onboard.

One day, a human being will set foot on the Red Planet because these essential "building block" technologies made it possible.

DARPA builds robotic mule to help military in the field

U.S. military personnel can be expected to carry up to 100 pounds of equipment when in the field. This places a considerable amount of physical strain on individuals already in stressful situations, compounded by extreme weather conditions and other threats to their safety.

Researchers hope to change all that by using a "robotic mule" to lighten the load carried by servicemen and women. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is working closely with Boston Dynamics to build an autonomous machine that can quite literally take that weight off their shoulders.

The mule is part of the Legged Squad Support System, or L3, that shares its origins with Boston Dynamics' Big Dog program. The current prototype, according to an article on the U.S. Army website, can support up to 400 pounds of gear, travel up to 20 miles an hour and has a series of sensors that allow it to track its human leaders.

"So not only can it perceive the world around it better, it can interact with the Marines better," said Brigadier General Mark Wise of the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab during a demonstration last month. "Right now it sees a bush and thinks it's an object it can't go through. In the next 24 months, the initiatives will look at other ways for the sensors already on board to see these obstacles and go through [them]."

The four hydraulic-powered legs also enable the mule to traverse rocky terrain and even move through water and snow where wheeled devices encounter a great amount of difficulty. A fast-reacting balance system also helps to prevent it from being pushed over. If, however, the mule is knocked onto its side, it is capable of standing back up on its own.

Throughout the next two years DARPA's L3 program, innovative sensor technologies will allow the mule to move through increasingly difficult paths, aided by the flexibility achieved with new ways of seamlessly joining dissimilar metals. Advances in American manufacturing will literally help save lives around the world.

Robotic snakes could soon be performing repairs on jet engines

When a car has engine trouble, it's inconvenient. When a commercial airplane has a similar problem, it could have million-dollar implications. Most troubleshooting jobs require the plane to be taken out of commission and the engine to be disassembled in order to gain access to the necessary sections and perform repairs.

According to a recent NewScientist article, engineers at Rolls-Royce, a leading jet engine manufacturer, may have found a solution to that problem. They are working on developing "snake robots" that will hopefully be able to repair damage and keep planes safely in the air.

As the article points out, roughly 100 sensors measuring things like temperature, vibration and air pressure are onboard these aircraft and are monitored from the ground. When a sensor signals a potential problem, a check must be performed using a specialized fiber optic device. But, with the number of planes in operation today, there aren't enough individuals skilled in the device's use to manage entire fleets.

An engineer would be able to bolt the snake onto the engine, at which point it would slither its way inside and handle the bulk of the work with a bevy of attached devices, including a grinding tool used to sand down blades damaged by errant birds and other debris. What's more, it will be able to withstand the approximately 3,000 degree temperatures inside an engine's core, reports the news source.

Today, state-of-the-art sensors detect the slightest of problems and protect the safety of everyone flying the blue skies. Tomorrow, innovative methods of joining dissimilar metals may enable agile, flexible robotic snakes and similar tools to conduct repairs that airlines simply don't have the manpower to deal with otherwise. The combination of the two has the potential to save literally millions of dollars that are lost whenever an aircraft is sidelined because of lengthy diagnostics and troubleshooting.

Jimmy Carter’s place in alternative energy history

On this day 88 years ago in a small Georgia farming town, James Earl Carter Jr. was born. He would later be known as Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States of America.

Carter would serve only one term in the White House and his effectiveness as commander in chief would be the subject of criticism and debate for years to come. But, whether one is a supporter or detractor of the former president, his legacy will be defined in large part by the creation of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Much of the 1970s was plagued by what would be referred to as the "Energy Crisis." Fuel prices soared, trade-in values on cars dropped and, for the first time, people really started to get concerned about the effects of the world's energy sources on the environment.

In a televised speech on April 18, 1977, Carter outlined several principles that American energy policy should be built on. Among those tenets were:

    •  Healthy economic and jobs growth must be spurred by the energy industry
    •  It must protect the environment
    •  It must work to conserve resources that are scarcest
    •  It must help develop new, unconventional sources of energy.

Jimmy Carter was the first president to emphasize the importance of innovation and devising new alternative energy technologies. This was the genesis for wind, solar and wave power programs that are now poised to make game-changing breakthroughs.

From making our cars more efficient and environmentally friendly with new methods for the bonding of battery terminals to metal soldering techniques that reduce the cost of solar power equipment, we are making real strides forward. For that, Mr. President, we wish you a Happy Birthday.

Innovative battery technology powers industry

This blog has previously discussed the evolution of mobile electronic devices and the need for innovative thermal management technologies. Simply put, as products like smartphones and tablets become more powerful, they generate more heat that needs to be controlled in order for them to operate efficiently.

What is just as important, although typically gets less attention from the average consumer, is battery technology. When someone buys a new Android phone or Windows tablet, one of the first things they want to know is what kind of battery life they will get out of it. How long can they play Angry Birds before it's time for a charge? What they don't often realize is the cutting-edge nature of the techniques used to build these power sources.

Sony recently announced that it will launch a new line of thin, external batteries later this fall that will be able to provide additional power to portable electronic devices. According to an IDG News Service report, one of the new Sony battery models has a capacity of 7,000 mAh. By comparison, the iPhone battery has a 1,440 mAh capacity.

"The smartphone market is growing, so the battery market is also growing accordingly," said Sony spokesman Jin Tomihari.

Whether internal or external, the emphasis in today's markets is on small, lightweight and thin batteries. In order to accomplish this, manufacturers have to approach joining dissimilar metals and the bonding of battery terminals from unique perspectives. The goal is to work as efficiently as possible with a very small amount of real estate.

Without the leaps forward in their design over the last decade, mobile phones would do little more than perform the function they are probably least used for today – making calls.

‘Star Trek’ tech closer to becoming reality

"I'm a doctor, not an engineer!"

This was a line spoken by Dr. Leonard McCoy in the original 1960s "Star Trek" series. During the show's run on the air, there would be many variations of that line. It became a staple of the sci-fi series and loved by its fans.

McCoy was also known for using a nifty little device called a tricorder. This handheld system could be waved over a patient's body to quickly and painlessly diagnose a range of medical conditions – a device that would surely revolutionize today's medical industry.

The Qualcomm Foundation – a non-profit offshoot of the chip manufacturer of the same name – is sponsoring a contest that brings the engineer and the physician one step closer to each other, and brings the healthcare industry closer to having an actual tricorder.

The contest runs through the summer of 2015 and will challenge teams to build a handheld machine with highly advanced sensors that can diagnose 15 medical conditions and monitor 5 human vital signs. A partner program, co-sponsored by mobile phone manufacturer Nokia, asks participants to build similar sensors that could perhaps one day be used in tricorder devices, or even smartphones.

Mark Winters, the senior director of the Qualcomm Tricorder X PRIZE and Nokia Sensing X Challenge, spoke with GigaOM at their Mobilize 2012 show in San Francisco last week.

Winters told GigaOM that "we have more and more powerful handheld platforms and embedded systems that can handle complex analytical tasks like never before. And finally, there has been a remarkable revolution in powerful sensor technologies that have come to market or that are being developed by universities all around the world that can capture levels of information about human physiology that we've never seen before."

The pairing of such advanced sensors with state-of-the-art thermal management technologies could one day very soon take the tricorder out of "Star Trek" lore and put it in the hands of physicians – and even consumers with medical sensor-equipped smartphones.

Former Twitter CEO dedicated to green technology

In recent years there have been a number of hurdles environmentally friendly technology innovators have had to overcome. From the much publicized and politicized collapse of Solyndra to the Great Recession, the flow of money into this sector lost a lot of momentum post-2008.

A GigaOM article points out that there have even been debates over whether the industry should be referred to as "cleantech" or "greentech." This may seem trivial, yet when facing a myriad of other obstacles, branding is important. A biofuel entrepreneur may not want to be lumped into the same category with a solar or wind energy company that has run into some difficulties, leading to a fragmented industry whose members share similar visions with different approaches.

As these groups do their best to set themselves apart from one another, we may see a new paradigm where there are more individualized and vertical industries, rather than one large umbrella that encompasses them all.

What matters most, however, is that the innovation never stops. Creative individuals pushing technology forward will help to unclog those cash flow streams and bring back the interest investors had prior to the economic crisis that began in the latter half of 2008.

Speaking at the opening of Climate Week in New York City last Monday, Evan Williams, CEO of the Obvious Corporation and former CEO of Twitter, said green technology is both "technologically possible and economically superior."

Williams went on to stress the importance of finding ways to speed up development and then scale up these technologies. In so doing, greentech or cleantech, whichever moniker you prefer, will be affordable and efficient on massive scales.

It starts with something as simple as a car battery. Innovative methods used in the bonding of battery terminals can drastically improve efficiency while making automobiles more eco-friendly. No matter which type of alternative energy or technology the discussion is about, it is always forward-thinking manufacturing methodologies that serve as the catalyst for the next big breakthrough

New scanners could improve airport security without hurting efficiency, privacy

In the 12 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 toppled the Twin Towers in New York City, airport security has become a top priority in the United States. While the need to prevent another catastrophic incident is understood by all, there has been much debate and disagreement over how that security should be realized.

The Transportation Security Administration has been publicly decried by countless American citizens for invading their privacy and making air travel an arduous and unpleasant task without dramatically improving overall security. New manufacturing technologies, however, may have led to a way that will allow TSA officials to safeguard passengers while proving less invasive.

According to tech and business blog Mashable, the TSA has invested $490 million in new compact body scanners. These devices are meant to increase efficiency and reduce the amount of time individuals spend waiting in security check lines.

These next-generation body scanners can detect both metal and non-metal materials, and "hide a passenger’s nude body from TSA officers by displaying generic representations of appendages with suspect items flagged," the article says.

While there is likely to remain some level of friction between individuals clamoring for heightened safety and security and those unhappy with perceived invasions of privacy, perhaps innovative manufacturing techniques will help to bridge that gap.

Through methods of bonding dissimilar metals and constructing state-of-the-art sensors, companies can now create more compact and efficient machines to detect combustible materials without adding frustrating hours to one's travel plans.

Security, convenience and privacy are three sides of a triangle that have historically had much difficulty coming together. Manufacturing ingenuity, however, is finding effective ways to bond these dissimilar notions.

Computer diagnostics and more efficient automobiles

Computers seem to run just about everything in modern society, don't they? When the first gasoline-powered cars were built in the waning years of the 19th century, computers didn't even exist yet. Now, more than one hundred years later, they govern critical automobile functions. The evolution of technology truly never ceases to amaze.

Today, when car owners take newer vehicles into dealerships or repair shops, computers are used to run diagnostics and identify problems in cars that are controlled by microprocessors. This sounds like some futuristic movie where cars don't have tires, but rather hover above the ground. But, the truth is that virtually every car manufactured today includes a computer system that controls several key operations.

According to a AAA press release, onboard car computers record Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) that indicate specific issues requiring further attention. Technicians can then use a combination of computer tests and traditional inspection methods to determine if the DTC was generated by a mechanical or electrical system problem.

"The ability of technicians to determine what additional tests are needed, and to accurately interpret both test results and computer network data, comes from extensive training and experience," the statement reads. "Today's technicians use vehicle computer diagnosis in much the same way surgeons employ medical testing. In both cases, combining test results with expert knowledge and skilled hands can lead to an accurate diagnosis and an ultimate cure."

Cars that come off the factory lines today and find their way into showrooms and the driveways of consumers tomorrow are more advanced than many people realize. Sophisticated sensors and thermal management technologies are used not only in these onboard computer systems, but countless other components they interact with, including batteries.

These are the technologies that lead to improved efficiency and driver experiences. Without them, GPS, Powertrain Control Modules and other modern bells and whistles would not be possible.