Techno Station looks at the robotics very keenly. This let us present to our readers some of the newer trends and also allow us to predict what is coming in future. No, this is not a crystal ball gaze, rather our empirical observations.

Like any other invention, concept of automated guided vehicles have grown out of sheer necessity. Ask the warehouse workers and thy will tell you how they need lift trucks to do their work effectively. Read the rest of this article »

The push for speed in appliance manufacturing processes helps set new records; even in processes like drilling, where high-end industrial motors operate near 250,000 rpm. A drive system just out of research labs in Zurich beat the world record by a wide margin. Relying on components like a titanium rotor shell, clean-room made ball bearings, ultra-thin copper wire for windings, and an especially low-loss stator. The drive system attains an incredible world record of one million rpm — in a system slightly larger than a matchbox. The device will come in handy drilling holes for electronics in cell phones and electronic appliances.

Full Story @ ScienceDaily

INFRARED THERMOMETER: Allows temperature readings at a distance without the need for direct contact with the surface.
PRECISE READINGS: Provides temperature readings from -58° to 752°F (or -50° to 400°C).
LASER ACCURACY: Built-in laser provides increased accuracy of measurement - where you place the dot is where you are reading the temperature.
POINT, CLICK AND READ: Squeeze the trigger, align the laser dot on the area you need to measure, and read the display.
LARGE LCD SCREEN WITH BACKLIGHT Large screen provides easy reading and automatic backlight assures readability in light or dark conditions.
COMFORTABLE GRIP Easy to hold, pistol-grip design.
AUTOMATIC POWER OFF Automatically shuts off after 15 seconds to conserve battery life & prevent dead batteries.

APPLICATIONS: Checking engine and cylinder temperatures, bearings, HVAC systems, checking for hot or cold air leaks, equipment overheating, furnace and oven exteriors, electrical panels, fuses, wiring, ballasts, heat exchangers, and just about any surface in a hard to get at area where reading a temperature can indicate a problem. Read the rest of this article »

The world of microscopy just changed. The Carl Zeiss SMT ORION® PLUS Helium-ion-microscope just broke the world record for resolution. The ORION® PLUS microscope now delivers TEM-like resolution, on bulk samples, with SEM-like ease-of-use. This breakthrough in resolution truly puts the ORION® PLUS in a class of its own, providing an opportunity to see things you’ve never before seen.

The Orion helium-ion microscope has repeatedly achieved a surface resolution of 0.24 nanometer, approaching the diameter of an atom. This performance is 3x better than that delivered by sophisticated scanning electron microscopes with the same surface sensitivity. Read the rest of this article »

The Coldstream Air Gun from Meech International is an ideal solution for companies looking to replace liquid coolants in machining operations. Not only do these air guns provide a cold airflow for cooling but they also serve to prolong the life of cutting tools.

The air guns themselves are powered solely by compressed air and can reduce outlet temperature by as much as 34° C below inlet temperature. When running at 80psi inlet air pressure they will consume 10, 15, 25 or 35 cfm.  Manufactured from stainless steel, the guns contain no moving parts and are, therefore, maintenance free. Each gun is supplied with two silencers for operator comfort, a magnetic base for ease of mounting and adjustable temperature control for optimum performance.

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Developers believe a new generation of tracking devices will overcome some limitations of RFID. The new system will be capable of tracing containers globally in real-time by hooking up to GPS or mobile phone GPRS. The devices will also monitor temperature conditions inside containers, and alert of damage.

SaviNetworks, the world's largest provider of active RFID tags, is close to launching a new generation container tracking solution that it believes will revolutionise the industry, by allowing containers to be located real-time anywhere in the world. Read the rest of this article »

Passengers check in their suitcases, which are automatically transported away by conveyer belts; moving walkways and escalators run for hours without a break – thousands of gear units rattle away at the major airports. The power consumption is tremendous, in the range of several gigawatt hours per annum. A substantial amount of this is lost through friction. In wind turbines and in cars, too, a percentage of the energy is spent on friction – reducing the efficiency factor accordingly. Novel lubricants that almost eliminate the effect of friction could be the answer. Once they have been set in motion, the bearings run and run and run. Read the rest of this article »

Ergo-Master positioners are an economical solution to create a safe, comfortable workplace while reducing the potential for expensive work injuries.

The Ergo-Master manual positioners enables the operator to position the work to positions that are suitable for his/her needs. By allowing full flexibility to easily adjust to any comfortable work height, tilt angle and rotation, the Ergo-Master helps provide a safer and more productive work place.

The unique lock mechanism provides and assures the operator a safe movement to any desired position under desired movement friction, without having to hold or balance the work against personal strength or endurance. Read the rest of this article »

The CatsEye Videoscope System integrates high-end features in a low-cost instrument. A small waterproof 5.5mm OD probe houses a miniature high resolution CMOS camera and LED light sources in its tip. Realtime images are displayed on a light handheld 3.5" TFT color display. Digital photos and video clips are stored on a removeable SD memory card and can be digitally transfered via USB for post-inspection reporting. Highly affordable, the CatsEye™ Videoscope is a natural choice for every maintenance or reliability specialist. Read the rest of this article »

The VisionGauge® high resolution, wide-field-of-view measurement systems use specialized long-working-distance telecentric optics to produce extremely crisp & clear imagery with extremely low distortion. Different configurations are available with field-of-views as wide as 4.5" (approx. 115 mm). These systems also include a high-resolution digital color camera and are capable of resolutions as fine as 0.001" (approx. 25 um).

VisionGauge® high-resolution, wide-field-of-view measurement systems come with both transmitted & reflected illumination and, as an option, can also include an adapted X-Y-Theta positioning mechanisms for quick & easy part alignment.

These inspection and measurement systems are built around the industry-standard VisionGauge® software package. As such, they support all of the tools and functionality of the Standard Edition of the VisionGauge® software package and provide all of the benefits, power and ease-of-use of VisionGauge®.

VISIONx high-accuracy inspection and measurement systems are ideal for low volume inspection, measurement and documentation of parts measuring a few inches.

Laser – a very useful technology - is a device that emits electromagnetic radiation through stimulated emission. As per the popular literature laser light is usually spatially coherent, which means that the light either is emitted in a narrow, low-divergence beam, or can be converted into one with the help of optical components such as lenses. Typically, lasers are thought of as emitting light with a narrow wavelength spectrum. This is not true of all lasers, however: some emit light with a broad spectrum, while others emit light at multiple distinct wavelengths simultaneously. The coherence of typical laser emission is distinctive. Most other light sources emit incoherent light, which has a phase that varies randomly with time and position. Read the rest of this article »

In the age of increased automation, some of the hardest jobs have been taken up by machines. Results: convenience, better human resources utilization and increased productivity.

The Modular Drive Programmable Shape Machine is a case in point here. It is one of the only few product in the industry that allows the user to configure one machine for various automated applications, now and in the future.

The Modular Drive Programmable Shape Machine is an easy to use 2-axis machine which you can program to run any contour or pattern for both welding or cutting applications. A handheld terminal supplied with the machine is used to program the required shape and operation sequence. Other functions besides moves can be programmed, such as repeats, starts, stops, delays, and rapid traverse. Twenty programs can be stored in machine memory at any one time. Read the rest of this article »

Environmental walk in rooms are scientific and industrial applications that provide controlled environment for various complex scientific processes. Walk in rooms come is different sizes, with standard and custom specifications for the precise control of temperature and humidity controlled rooms.

Techno Station presents feature packed walk-in rooms by Associated Environmental Systems (AES) – a leader in providing a range of prefabricated, tight-tolerance environmental walk-in rooms that are easy to ship and install anywhere around the globe. Read the rest of this article »

Laser has added industrial processes since they came into service. Photonic - a leading laser products’ manufacturer – is now offering the best (and the toughest) industrial laser that can withstand any industry conditions.

Photonic’s new laser modules are encapsulated in an anodized case with a scratch resistant sapphire window to protect the lens and offer rugged, durable performance at an extremely affordable cost. They are designed and built for ease of use in tough industrial environments: any time the laser needs to be changed, the industrial connectors; either 2.5mm DC jack or industrial screw-on, easy to install and replace, and their compact size allows for even easier integration into existing production systems. Read the rest of this article »

The ThermaCAM® T400 is the most innovative, feature rich infrared camera available! The T400 now has FUSION! FLIR's new FUSION fuctionality allows for easier indentification and interpretation of infrared images. This advanced technology enhances the value of an infrared image by allowing you to overlay it directly over the corresponding visible image. The functionality combines the benefits of both the infrared image and visual picture at the push of a button. The T400 camera does this in real-time and the overlay function can be easily adjusted to suit any application such as electrical surveys, building diagnostics, and mechanical inspections. Read the rest of this article »