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Articles

Defense

Using Forensic Lasers in Modern Warfare

In the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the enemy’s guerilla tactics have muddled the distinction between terrorism and warfare. To deal with the challenges of this new type of combat, the military...

Articles

Defense

Open Generic Avionics Architectures and Distributed Processing Using Ethernet and VPX

The backplane and hardware module standards help to increase part commonality and the reuse of components in different system architectures and...

Articles

Defense

Comparing Blade-Element Momentum Modeling to 3-D CFD

Many small unmanned aerial vehicles (SUAVs) are driven by small-scale fixed-blade propellers, and the flow produced by the propeller can have a significant impact on the aerodynamics of the...

Articles

Aerospace

Europe's Aerospace Industry Looking Confident

Talk of further consolidation within Europe’s dynamic aerospace sector has been on the lips of industry watchers for several years, but although the major European-based global players have not...

Articles

Aerospace

Advances and Challenges in Developing Radar Applications

Radar is used to detect and/or track target objects and their attributes, such as range, speed, and other information obtained through signals at RF and microwave frequencies. The...

Global Vehicles

Propulsion

VW’s New E-Golf May Lead the Way to Lithium-Air Power

Herbert Ruholl, Volkswagen’s Head of Technical Projects Management, e-Vehicles, has an answer for critics of the hitherto slow progress of battery...

Briefs

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Manufacturing Robotic Tools for Piping Inspection and Repair

Fleet piping systems are complex, space-constrained systems that are difficult to inspect using standard external inspection techniques. Pipe lagging, as well as limited space,...

Briefs

Materials

Fabricating Porous Systems for Super-Dense Memories and Sensors

This project was dedicated to solving basic scientific issues and developing the scientific basis that underlies the improvement of super-dense memories, towards the terabit-per-square-inch goal and the engineering of chemical and biological sensors. Both applications rely on porous...

Briefs

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Design and Fabrication of a Radio Frequency Grin Lens Using 3D Printing

Engineered electromagnetic materials and meta-materials have been researched to explore devices that enable access to electromagnetic properties that are not available in nature. This new class of devices can not only open the door to new functionality, but also be...

Briefs

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Preparing Carbon-Coated Current Collectors for High-Power Lithium-Ion Secondary Batteries

Achieving high-power capability of a battery requires minimizing the overall resistance of the electrochemical system. For lithium-ion batteries, much...

Articles

Aerospace

Hybrid-electric distributed propulsion explored

A turboelectric distributed propulsion (TeDP) system is a powertrain consisting of a turboshaft engine used solely to provide electrical power through a generator to electric motors driving...

Technology Update

Defense

Enabling high-strength composites to reach their full potential

The use of composite materials for construction of aerospace components began in the early 1980s and is now the material of choice for commercial and military airframe...

Technology Update

Defense

Designing quieter aircraft via acoustic simulation

Greater fuel efficiency and low emission requirements have grown into such an urgent imperative in aircraft design that it often overshadows an equally significant factor in air...

Application Briefs

Defense

Transparent Display Technology

Edgewood Chemical Biological Center
Aberdeen, MD
410-436-7118
www.ecbc.army.mil

The U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) has partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of...

Application Briefs

Defense

Spatial Disorientation Flight Simulator

Environmental Tectonics Corporation (ETC)
Southampton, PA
215-355-9100
www.etcusa.com

Aircrew Training Systems (ATS), a division of Environmental Tectonics Corporation, has been...

Application Briefs

Aerospace

Multi-Role Close Air Support Weapon

MBDA Arlington, VA
703-387-7136
www.mbda-systems.com

MBDA recently demonstrated its Dual Mode Brimstone (DMB) missile on an MQ-9 Reaper Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), scoring nine direct...

Products

Rackmount Computer

The Trenton TMS4703 4U rackmount MIL-STD military computer from Trenton Systems (Gainesville, GA) is designed for mounting in a 19" component rack or a transit case. The TMS4703 has flexible MIL-DTL-38999 and MIL-STD-1553...

Products

Laser Encoders

HS10/HS20 laser encoders from Renishaw (Hoffman Estates, IL) allow Flow International Corporation’s Composite Machining Center (CMC) to machine 40-meter-long composite parts. With the precision of a laser interferometer, the...

Products

Power Amplifiers

The Airborne Pulse HPA from Empower RF Systems (Inglewood, CA) features UHF and LBand pulse amplifiers tied to a shared power supply and delivering 1 kW and 3 kW pulse power, respectively. Each amplifier is housed in a 3U...

Products

Tube Heaters

Birk Manufacturing (East Lyme, CT) has announced RAPT°R (Rigid and Pliable Tube of Resistance), a heated delivery system that ensures that any liquids or gases transported will remain at the same temperature or arrive at an...

Products

Avionics Digital Panel Meter

Specifically designed to replace “needle” meters in military aircraft, the new APM model from OTEK Corp. (Tucson, AZ) conforms to military and commercial 1"-diameter standards, as well as a variety of...

Products

Integrated Circuits Support

Rochester Electronics (Newburyport, MA) has expanded manufacturing and support services of obsolete and active MIL-STD-883 and MIL-PRF-38535 integrated circuits. Through its Extension-of-Life® products, Rochester...

Products

Aerospace

Integrated Servo Motor

Designed for battery-powered and low-voltage applications, the MAC402 from JVL is the VDC version of the MAC400 400-W integrated servo motor. The supply range for the MAC402 is 12 to 48 VDC, and full power of 400W...

Products

Defense

Nano Circular Connector

TE Connectivity’s CeeLok FAS-T nano circular connector is a nano-miniature, rugged I/O connector capable of meeting 10 gigabit Ethernet performance. The proven, noise-canceling contact configuration minimizes crosstalk, making it suitable for a variety of markets and applications, including missiles, UAVs, soldier...

Products

Defense

PEEK Wear Compounds

The LUVOCOM 8000 series of PEEK wear compounds from Lehvoss North America incorporates proprietary additives that further elevate the wear resistance of PEEK compounds. Through research and testing, Lehvoss designed the LUVOCOM 8000 product line to have a tribological profile significantly surpassing previously known...

Products

Defense

Wire Grid Polarizers

High-contrast IR wire grid polarizers from Edmund Optics are suited for broadband IR applications that require high transmission and contrast, including spectroscopy and thermal imaging. The polarizers are made by applying a thin layer of aluminum microwires to a glass window. They are designed using a lightweight, thin...

Products

Defense

Voltage Controlled Oscillator

Crystek’s CVCO25CL-0902-0928 VCO operates from 902 to 928 MHz, with a control voltage range of 0.5 to ~3.5V. It features a typical phase noise of -108 dBc/Hz @ 10 kHz offset and has excellent linearity. Output power is typically +3 dBm. The model is packaged in the industry-standard 0.5- × 0.5-in SMD. Input...

News

Aerospace

Dassault Magnifies Focus on Its 5X

In the latest iteration of the EASy flight deck on Dassault Aviation's new 5X business jet, the immediate priorities are separated out from follow-up actions required later during the flight when...

News

Aerospace

Boeing Advances Automation with Smart and Portable Orbital Drilling Tools for 787

Boeing makes a leap forward in manufacturing automation with a portable orbital drilling tool that is, at its core, indistinguishable from a fully autonomous robotic system. Read more at http://articles.sae.org/12811.

News

Aerospace

Government-Sanctioned Test Site Opens Up Airspace for MIT Researchers

MIT classes and researchers developing unmanned aerial vehicles and their associated systems will be able to take advantage of a new FAA-designated facility located at Joint Base Cape Cod. Read more at http://articles.sae.org/12993.

News

Defense

Architecture Developed for Monitoring and Anomaly Detection of Space Systems

Researchers at the University of Central Florida have found that by incorporating analysis and monitoring algorithms, such as Inductive Monitoring System, neural networks, and recent advances in deep learning within the architecture’s signal processing system,...

News

Transportation

Creating Chrysler 200's Interior Identity

The 2015 Chrysler 200 midsize sedan’s floating center console design with a pass-through storage area may have staying power beyond this Chrysler Group-first application.

News

Defense

Maintenance Tools for Improved Engine Bearing

A number of advanced bearing maintenance products, such as customized induction heaters and sophisticated thermal cameras, can help aircraft engine OEMs and maintenance providers meet such exacting standards. Read more at http://articles.sae.org/12864.

Articles

Aerospace

Simulation Tools Prevent Signal Interference on Spacecraft

Launching a satellite into space requires painstaking preparation, not only to make sure that a multitude of technologies are functioning, but also to ensure that critical components...

INSIDER

Defense

Insect-Inspired Technology Could Extend Situational Awareness

Soldiers' missions frequently lead them to locations where they must assess the status of structures, and where the presence of threats is not immediately known or easily...

INSIDER

Materials

Researchers Develop Harder Ceramic for Armor Windows

The Department of Defense needs materials for armor windows that provide essential protection for personnel and equipment while still having a high degree of transparency. To meet that...

INSIDER

Defense

Computer Program Analyzes Intelligence Data

Every day U.S. military and security units receive vast amounts of data collected by intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) sensors. Human analysts constantly review this data,...

Technical Innovation

Power

Cummins Has a V8 for Commercial Applications

After some self-described “false starts,” Cummins has officially launched its ISV5.0, a new commercial 5-L V8 diesel engine designed for North America to power pickup and delivery...

Technical Innovation

Defense

Igus Develops 3D-Printable Bearing Material with Low-Friction Properties

igus has developed what it claims is the world’s first tribologically enhanced plastic filament for 3D printers, which are used to print full-size,...

News

Green Design & Manufacturing

Vehicles Nab Ultra-High Mpg at 35th Annual SAE Supermileage

U.S. consumers were still reeling from the 1970s oil embargo that caused gasoline prices to soar when the top SAE Supermileage team fielded a car that snared 558 mpg at the...

Technology Report

Automotive

Honda, Peugeot Stylists Make Digital Renderings a Focal Point of Design

As stylists transition to digital designs with fewer physical prototypes, they are seeking more realistic real-time graphics. Honda and PSA Peugeot Citroën have...

News

Power

Meeting the Need for Engineering Talent

Perhaps no one knows the realities of the U.S. engineering job market more than Laura Kurtz, Manager, U.S. Recruiting at Ford Motor Co. The shortage of engineers and the increased competition among...

Original Equipment

Power

Caterpillar's 990K Wheel Loader Offers More Power, Increased Payload

Designed as an optimum loading tool for Caterpillar construction and mining trucks, specifically the 773, 775, and 777 ranging from about 60 to 100 ton (54 to 91 t)...

News

Power

Hatz's Next-Generation Industrial Compact Engine

This past January, Hatz Diesel began series production and sales of its brand new four-cylinder 4H50TIC diesel engine. Hatz announced at ConExpo that during the development of the 2-L...

News

Automotive

Hyundai, Ford Pursue Structural Composites Despite Challenges

The lightweighting potential of composite materials is undeniable. But harnessing that potential in a reasonably economic way is the crux to widespread composites use in...

News

RF & Microwave Electronics

TI Predicts That Low Energy Bluetooth Will Displace Cables

Texas Instruments hopes to extend the role of Bluetooth with one of the first devices that use Bluetooth Smart, a low-power version of the standard that’s already a mainstay in...

News

Energy

New Power Steering Concept Uses Variable Displacement Pump

Modern on-highway vehicles have been making steady strides when it comes to employing technological advances featuring active safety systems. However, off-highway machines are...

Original Equipment

RF & Microwave Electronics

The Drive for Driverless Vehicles

Autonomous vehicles are a hot topic, most noticeably in the automotive world where high-profile projects such as the Google Self-Driving Car receive plenty of press. But automated driving/operation is...

News

Green Design & Manufacturing

Improving Lignocellulosic Biofuel Biorefining

When making cellulosic ethanol from plants, one problem is what to do with a woody agricultural waste product called lignin. New research from scientists at Georgia Institute of Technology,...

Technical Innovation

Power

Dana Brings CVP Technology to Lighter-Duty Equipment

Dana Holding Corp. took advantage of the venue of CeMAT to announce progress with its VariGlide technology, a new transmission design that incorporates continuously variable planetary...

INSIDER

Aerospace

New Displays Could Lower Risk of Small Aircraft Midair Collisions

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed new modifications for technology that helps pilots of small aircraft avoid midair collisions. The modified tools...

INSIDER

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Mobile Robots Help Technicians Manufacture Airplanes

A new mobile assistant is being developed to support technicians in the airplane manufacturing industry when applying sealant, measuring, and testing — without putting them at risk. In...

INSIDER

Aerospace

NASA Tests New Rocket Booster Connection to its Limits

A critical connection between NASA's new rocket and its twin solid rocket boosters that will help it get to space proved it could withstand millions of pounds of launch stress during a...

Articles

Energy

EPA-OTAQ Chief on GHG Mandate: ‘Things Look Really Good’

The most encouraging aspect of the U.S. federal government’s mandates on fuel economy and greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions is that “customers are buying more fuel efficiency...

News

Electronics & Computers

Hardware Variation Remains a Challenge for Modular Platform Solutions

Despite the burgeoning success of highly effective single platform modular solutions that can span sports car to SUV applications, and the...