The Productivity Master, a modular demonstration system for personalised USB memory sticks from Festo, is showing how automation technology will evolve along the value chain when combined with digitalization.

At the digital HANNOVER MESSE 2021, ifm will be presenting the digital operator as-sistance system “ifm mate”. Based on a 2D/3D camera system for hand recognition, the system eliminates the need for cumbersome wrist accessories common to other systems.

3M and Pegatron have teamed up to develop a new Virtual Reality reference design headset with a folded optics lens. This new curved lens includes 3M's proprietary reflective polarizer for high resolution, high transmission and a wide field of view enabling a thinner, lighter-weight design.

Luban Homopolymer PP added to the most coveted ‘Recommended’ Starlinger list after successful trials

A new range of miniature stepper-gearmotors and a simple dipswitch-configured single-axis stepper drive are the latest new products from Mclennan’s Italian distribution partner Micro Motors s.r.l. The four stepper gearmotors each offer a wide choice of spur-gear reduction ratios for maximum application flexibility and combine with the user programmable drive to provide a competitively priced and compelling solution for basic motion control tasks. The easy-to-use drive features a choice step and direction input control or various emulated ‘brushless’ speed modes and will particularly suit OEMs and end-users that need uncomplicated and affordable position- or speed-based miniature power transmission control.

Offshore applications, such as offshore wind farms with power outputs in the thousands of megawatts, continue to enjoy strong growth. The climatic conditions are extreme and demand high performance from the materials and components put to use. Yet it is not only offshore but also close to the coast where the combination of heat, wind and saltwater causes metal constructions to practically disappear. The protective measures in such highly corrosive environments are correspondingly time-consuming and cost-intensive.

A recent study by the Fraunhofer Institute using Agfa’s ZIRFON separator membranes confirms that the Alkaline ElectroLysis (AEL) technology can be as efficient as the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) technology and is able to operate at high current densities. This presents AEL as the most cost efficient hydrogen production system.

Digital Transformation
In order to remain competitive today, companies must do much more than just deliver their products. To drive increased profitability, they must constantly improve efficiency while also continuing to innovate their offerings. But how?

DEVONtechnologies releases DEVONthink To Go 3.0, the iOS counterpart to its Mac-based document and information management solution DEVONthink. The new version, which is available in the App Store as a new app, brings modern iOS features like multiple windows and pointer support on iPad as well as dark mode and context menus on all devices. Version 3.0 also offers on-device OCR for converting scans to searchable PDFs, and Shortcuts actions for automation. Almost every aspect of the app has been touched for better usability, performance, and reliability.

DEVONtechnologies updates its documentation and information manager DEVONthink to version 3.6.2. New CloudKit support makes synchronizing via iCloud much faster and more reliable. The update also brings extensive support for CriticMarkup and diagrams in Markdown via Mermaid.js. Other improvements include the ability to export documents as Microsoft Word .docx files, new AppleScript properties, and more.

The trend toward developing complex, intricate automotive lighting designs using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has created a need for high-performance thermoplastics with exceptional flow and easy mold release. Design elements such as part and function integration, wider, larger and thinner forward and rear lighting components, and critical aesthetics call for materials that can enable thin walls, aggressive styling with sharp draft angles and an impeccable appearance. SABIC’s portfolio of super high-flow LEXAN™ polycarbonate (PC) resins for automotive lighting bezels enables the industry to create complex geometries and integrate more features never before possible with ease of manufacturing.

Diab Group, a world leader in sandwich composite solutions, chose SABIC’s new LNP COLORCOMP compound using nano technology to reduce weight and improve mechanical properties of sandwich structures with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foams, which are used as the core material of wind turbine blades.