News Archive - Page 12 of 13

As the gaming industry powers up, thermal management becomes critical

sbondadmin September 20, 2012

In the last 30-plus years, video games have come a long way. We went from Pac-Man to Super Mario Brothers to Resident Evil. Graphics went from 8 bits to 16 and on to full 1080p high definition. Content formats transitioned from cartridges to CDs to DVDs and now Blu-ray discs and digital downloads.

Block-style visuals gave way to the stunning imagery of games like the Uncharted series – a franchise that rivals the cinematic environment of an Indiana Jones film. Just ask Harrison Ford, who was featured in commercials advertising Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, marveling at the realism and immersive storytelling of the game.

Year after year, there are innovations in technology that bring visceral experiences to consoles and mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. The equipment continues to get more powerful, and subsequently generates considerable amounts of heat. Historically, consumers have run into problems with consoles overheating and breaking down.

But, companies like Sony and Microsoft that make the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, respectively, are relying on the latest in thermal management technologies to control the heat generated by these increasingly powerful systems. Combined with material bonding techniques that help to reduce the overall size of gaming machines, companies are able to reduce manufacturing costs while delivering the most powerful equipment the industry has ever seen.

According to a study released by Parks Associates earlier this year, the number of individuals playing video games in the United states has skyrocketed by 241 percent since 2008. The popularity of consumer electronics is creating growing demand for manufacturing technologies that can deliver on user expectations.

"Today's games drive technological and societal advancements that serve gamers and non-gamers alike," Richard Taylor, senior vice president for communications and industry affairs at the Entertainment Software Association, told Mashable.

Innovative thermal management of electronics is going to be in high demand for a long time to come because, without it, lucrative sectors like the gaming industry wouldn't be nearly as profitable as they are today.

Medical equipment industry thrives behind technology innovations

sbondadmin September 18, 2012

The medical technology industry has advanced by leaps and bounds in the last century, due in large part to innovative manufacturing methods. Cutting-edge approaches to joining dissimilar metals have led to improvements in instrument flexibility, while decreasing overall weight.

This has impacted the industry in several significant ways. For starters, these bonding techniques have reduced the amount of materials necessary to build a range of tools, thereby cutting manufacturing costs.

By increasing ease of use and efficiency, medical procedures have become less invasive and less costly to both patients and healthcare providers. With the addition of millions of individuals who will now have health insurance as a result of healthcare reform legislation, combined with the aging generation of baby boomers, advancing technologies will play an even greater role in making treatments more affordable.

"It is no secret that the medical industry remains one of the most stable industries when it comes to growth. Even during the Great Recession, medical sales in companies like Ulbrich Stainless Steels and Special Metals, Inc. dropped 5 percent in 2009, only to come back with an astonishing 43 percent increase by the end of 2010," according to a TechBriefs whitepaper released earlier this summer.

The source goes on to point out that innovative American manufacturing technologies can open up markets in other parts of the world that have yet to mature to the same level as the United States. A large portion of the booming population in China is getting older and subsequently requiring more and more medical care.

This presents a wealth of opportunities for American medical equipment manufacturers and design process innovators developing high strength solder solutions.

Mars rover Curiosity exemplifies human innovation

sbondadmin September 14, 2012

On Monday, August 6, 2012, history was made as the Mars rover Curiosity touched down on the surface of the Red Planet. While Curiosity is not the first to journey to Mars, it is the tip of the most advanced scientific spear in mankind's modern day arsenal.

The data that will be collected in the next few years is expected to shed light on mysteries that have thus far only been explained in tales of science fiction and fantasy. And when this data comes back, the knowledge it holds for us will only have been obtainable because of true human innovation and manufacturing ingenuity.

A myriad of technological advancements in the last decade have found their way onto Curiosity. No human being has ever set foot on the surface of Mars, so the imagination and innovation required to put such a rover in that environment and effectively collect all manner of scientific data is astounding.

Take, for example, the Power Acquisition Drill System (PADS). This rotary percussive device allows Curiosity to drill two inches into the Martian surface and analyze rock samples. If the drill bit gets stuck at any point, the PADS device can disengage it and replace it with a spare. Only the most advanced metal joining methods allow the drill to move with such precision and dexterity.

In the classic TV series "The West Wing," a character played by Rob Lowe is asked why we should go to Mars when we've already been to the moon.

"Because it's next," he said. "Because we came out of the cave, and we looked over the hill and we saw fire, and we crossed the ocean and we pioneered the west, and we took to the sky. The history of man is hung on a timeline of exploration and this is what's next."

And none of it would be possible were it not for the constant drive to innovate that countless industries have been built on and revolutionized by.

Department of Energy invests heavily in renewable resources

sbondadmin September 13, 2012

For years, the research and development wing of the Pentagon known as DARPA has employed some of the greatest minds in the world to push science fiction closer to science fact. So it makes sense to learn that the U.S. Department of Energy is looking to capitalize on this model by creating its own version – ARPA-E.

ARPA-E essentially acts as a sort of venture capital firm, investing in cutting-edge, innovative research and development related to renewable energy technologies. While it has been proven that alternatives to fossil fuels like wind and solar power do indeed work, developing cost-effective ways of harnessing these resources has been the ultimate challenge.

Michael Grunwald, a veteran reporter for TIME Magazine and author of the book "The New New Deal," chronicling the history and impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – or the stimulus package, as it has come to be known – recently sat down for an interview with The Atlantic. Grunwald examines alternative energy research today, noting that roughly $90 billion of federal stimulus money flowed into this sector, revitalizing it at a time when it was near collapse.

"That money has really launched a silent green revolution," he said. "For example, the renewable electricity industry was on the brink of death after the 2008 financial meltdown; the Spanish wind developer Abengoa had shut down its U.S. projects, and turbines were literally rusting in the fields. The day the stimulus passed, Abengoa announced it was investing $6 billion in U.S. wind farms."

Alternative energy technologies are becoming more affordable as innovative American companies push forward, developing manufacturing methods that improve efficiency while reducing cost.

As methods of soldering solar cells advance, solar energy becomes a more viable option in reducing dependency on foreign oil. The same goes for bonding dissimilar metals on wind turbines.

There are countless renewable energy projects funded through ARPA-E that could change the American landscape forever. This blog will explore several of them in the coming weeks and months.

New underwater generator could power 1,000 homes via ocean waves

sbondadmin September 12, 2012

In light of an ever-expanding global population and fluctuating petroleum prices, research into clean, renewable energy sources is perhaps more important now than ever. Politicians and environmental analysts alike expect a reduction in dependency on foreign oil to help improve air, soil and water quality while simultaneously strengthening the American economy.

In order for this research to pay off, however, there is a need for innovative and cost-effective approaches to harnessing alternative energy. Enter companies like Ocean Power Technologies. This New Jersey-based company is preparing to launch the first commercially licensed grid-connected wave-energy generator in the country sometime in early October.

According to The New York Times, the 260-ton device will be positioned more than two miles offshore of Reedsport, Oregon – and underwater. The goal is to siphon power generated by ocean waves and transmit it back to land via underwater cables, providing electricity to roughly 1,000 homes.

Jason Busch, the executive director of the nonprofit Oregon Wave Energy Trust, told the Times of the launch's importance. The organization alone has contributed upward of $430,000 in grant money to the project.

"All eyes are on the O.P.T. buoy," he said. "It has to survive."

Parts of the generator and other equipment operating at depths of 100 feet or more below the ocean's surface need to be hermetically sealed to avoid damage. They also need to be able to withstand extreme sea conditions generated by severe weather. Reliable metal joining methods are essential in making sure that devices can hold up under pressure and maintain high levels of productivity.

While the importance of renewable energy is clear, it cannot be harnessed without forward-thinkers who make such equipment not only possible, but affordable.

State-of-the-art sensors and SSDs are what make lightweight electronic devices possible

sbondadmin September 10, 2012

As consumer priorities in recent years began to shift toward lightweight, portable electronic devices, manufacturers were tasked with ways to accommodate such desires. The popularity of tablet computers and ultra-thin laptops gave birth to growing demand for solid state drives (SSDs).

SSDs replace their often noisy and slower counterparts that come with a series of spinning parts. The result: faster boot-up times, quicker and easier access to stored information and fewer moving parts to generate unwanted sound. They also take up less physical real estate within a device, reducing overall product size and weight.

According to a report from iSuppli earlier this year, the number of SSD units shipping in North America in 2012 is expected to reach 45.9 million, up from just 17.3 million units in 2011. That number is expected to double again next year and see continued double-digit growth for several years to come.

In a video for NASA Tech Briefs, John Hull, technical marketing manager for NXP Semiconductors, discusses the importance of sensors and thermal management technologies in today's most popular electronic devices.

As Hull explains, an essential part of the design and manufacturing process for these products is "aggressive thermal management to increase the reliability of the overall system."

Advanced soldering solutions allow the internal architecture of computers, tablets and smartphones to be housed in tight spaces while controlling the generation of heat. Combined with the latest manufacturing methods used to build sensors and bond them to sensor housing, devices that use SSDs will continue to make life more productive for consumers and businesses alike in the coming years.

The products that we see available through companies like Apple, Sony and Microsoft are only possible because of innovative manufacturing technologies that continue to move forward.

Unraveling the Mystery of Amelia Earhart

sbondadmin September 6, 2012

Amelia Earhart was the first woman and only the second person in history to fly solo across the Atlantic. Inspiring generations of women to break through gender barriers, her final attempt at the annals of history was by being the first woman to successfully fly around the world.

On July 2, 1937, however, Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared over the Pacific Ocean. They were just 7,000 miles from completing their circuit of the globe, but were never seen or heard from again. Their fates remain a mystery to this day.

Researchers from The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) announced last month that they may have found evidence of wreckage from the ill-fated flight not far from Howland Island in the mid-Pacific, where Earhart and Noonan were trying to land.

According to a report from technology blog Mashable, the researchers used an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) designed by Bluefin Robotics and a Submersible Systems, Inc. remote-controlled TRV 005 to capture images of what appear to be consistent with landing gear from Earhart's twin engine Lockheed Electra.

Technology used in bonding dissimilar metals as well as the assembly of sensor housing makes submersible robotic devices like these possible. Such innovations may one day soon lead to the uncovering of one of the greatest mysteries of the last century.

Ric Gillespie, TIGHAR's executive director, told The Los Angeles Times that he dreams of one day being able to recover the remnants of Earhart's plane and corroborate the belief that man-made objects found on Howland Island in fact belonged to her and Noonan. The items found on the island, according to Gillespie, show "their attempts to boil water … to make a spear, the evidence of a castaway trying to survive."

Whether or not Gillespie has found the actual wreckage, fans of the famous JJ Abrams TV series "Lost" are likely to draw some comparisons between the eerie fictional island and the mystery that shrouds Earhart's disappearance. But, perhaps modern science is poised to finally offer some answers.

Thermal management a priority as popularity of mobile electronics rises

sbondadmin August 16, 2012

In the last five years, the popularity of personal electronic devices has skyrocketed among consumers. People are flocking to retailers in droves to purchase the latest smartphones and tablet computers – like Apple’s iconic iPhone and iPad.

The technology used to make these devices continues to improve, making them faster, sleeker and more powerful. As a result, they generate considerably higher levels of heat than the products of old, which places a premium on more efficient thermal management technologies.

Earlier this year, Global Industry Analysts, Inc. (GIA) released “Electronic Thermal Management: A Global Strategic Business Report,” stating that the global market for electronic thermal management will hit $8.6 billion by the year 2015. According to the GIA study, market growth came to a virtual standstill when the recession struck in 2008. However, as the economy recovers and the mobile electronics sector continues to manufacture miniaturized processors at such a rapid pace, thermal management is expected to enjoy a significant resurgence.

“In the wake of growing sophistication and functionality of a variety of electronics systems, thermal management has assumed an important role in the management of costs associated with product development and time required for market release,” said the GIA press release. “Hardware products such as heat sinks and thermoelectric coolers, and software for designing these products would be the key beneficiaries.”

Countless industries rely on innovative techniques for thermal management of electronics in order to deliver the best products and services to consumers. Without them, great ideas remain ideas and never become actual products.

The trend of smaller, lightweight devices that are increasingly more powerful could not happen without these innovations, which directly influence the design phase of the end product itself. Take that away, and modern smartphones would look very different than they do today.

Innovative metal joining methods improve oil industry operations

sbondadmin August 15, 2012

As the public debate about drilling in Arctic waters continues, and in light of incidents such as Shell’s Noble Discoverer losing its mooring and drifting uncontrolled toward an Alaskan shore late last month, the petroleum industry can use all the positive innovations it can get.

“Innovation in any industry should result in being able to do something more efficiently, less costly, with increased performance, or, ideally, all three,” writes Jerry Greenberg, contributing editor at World Oil Online. “In the offshore industry, as operators wade into ever-increasing water depths accompanied by ever-increasing costs, drilling contractors, rig designers and equipment manufacturers assist in that effort by developing bigger, or sometimes smaller, but efficient equipment for deep and ultra-deepwater regions.”

By reducing the size of drilling equipment, companies like Shell are presented with a few game-changing options. They can enjoy the benefit of increased deck space on active rigs, or they can reduce overall vessel size while still maintaining functional equipment, thus allowing easier passage through narrow waterways like the Panama Canal.

Through new and innovative metal joining methods, these are all becoming viable options for operators in the oil and natural gas industry. The size of drilling towers and other rig-based equipment can be reduced by eliminating the need for cantilevers to be transversely skidded into place, according to Greenberg. Sensors and other instrumentation that improves on rig analysis of the drilling process also improves the performance of drilling operations.

“No flexible connections are required, due to less-complicated interface between the cantilever and the drill floor,” he explains.

The added benefit of cost reduction frees up money for additional safety measures, oil spill response plans, new job creation and more. The ripple effect is significant, to say the least.

Also of significant value is the efficiency of equipment built using these metal soldering techniques when operating in extreme temperatures and sea conditions, like those found in Arctic waters. With environmental activist groups and the media closely watching drilling activity in that area, every opportunity to increase equipment efficiency and reduce the risk of accidents is an invaluable one.

Military, commercial technology share common goals

sbondadmin August 14, 2012

In the field, the military uses heavy glass screens for everything from communications equipment to devices meant to detect bombs, chemical and biological weapons.

Obviously there are mobility issues with such cumbersome screens, but there are also other dangers. A thick and sharp shard of glass broken off when impacted during an attack could present a significant threat to armed forces personnel.

According to an article in Chemical and Engineering News, scientists at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory spent $4 million dollars to develop a glue that could survive acids, etching and other harsh conditions of semiconductor manufacturing. This allowed them to design lightweight, flexible screens that could be used on various pieces of equipment, replacing their heavier and more dangerous predecessors.

"The Army recognized that flexible displays were a useful technology, so we wanted to speed their development,” said David C. Morton, who manages the Flexible Display Center at the Army’s lab outside Washington, D.C. "We are successful in the sense that there will be commercial technology this year that the Army will be able to buy."

Efficiently joining dissimilar metals and other materials is leading to staggering breakthroughs in developing equipment used for industrial, military and even space exploration applications. Innovation in just one area can open the floodgates of advancement in countless others.

Solder-based bonding technologies – like those provided by S-Bond – can also effectively bond dissimilar materials and are leading to revolutionary leaps forward in several industries. Windows of opportunity are being opened that were previously glued shut – though clearly they weren't sealed with the same quality we now have the ability to produce.

215.631.7111

S-BOND NEWS