Tag: manufacturing
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Inkjet Printing Process Devised for Graphene Circuits
Materials scientists at Northwestern University in Illinois developed an ink made of a graphene solution that can print patterns for electronic circuits and maintain their conductivity even after folding. The team led by engineering professor Mark Hersam published its findings online in a recent issue of the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters (paid subscription required).…
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Quality Check Technique Devised for Lithium-Ion Batteries
Engineers at Purdue University in Indiana developed a method that can detect flaws in lithium-ion battery electrodes during their manufacture. The team led by mechanical engineering professor Douglas Adams and chemical engineering faculty James Caruthers will discuss its technique next month at the annual meeting of the Society for Experimental Mechanics near Chicago. Arrays of…
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Tiny, Winged Manueverable Robotic Insects Created, Tested
Engineers at Harvard University in Massachusetts developed robotic insects with flapping wings, using a microfabrication process that makes it possible to produce these devices in large numbers. The team from Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, led by engineering professor Robert Wood, published its findings in this…
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Synthetic Biology Census Shows Company Growth, Consolidation
A census of organizations, agencies, and companies involved in synthetic biology shows rapid growth of the field in the past four years, but also some retrenchment, particularly in the private sector. The study was conducted by the Synthetic Biology Project, an initiative of Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. The Wilson Center…
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Optical Circuits Developed with Semiconductor Diamonds
Engineers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and colleagues in Germany developed an economical method to harness polycrystalline diamonds for optical circuits. The team led by nanotechnology lab director Wolfram Pernice published its findings earlier this week in the journal Nature Communications (paid subscription required). Optical circuits work like integrated electronic circuits, but instead of transmiting…
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GE to Crowdsource Product Development from Patent Portfolio
General Electric Company and Quirky, a product development company using social media, are collaborating on developing GE patents into consumer products. The two companies also are partnering on smartphone-enabled apps connecting to useful or important systems in people’s day-to-day lives. Quirky is a social network where inventors and product developers can submit ideas and have…
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UConn, Pratt & Whitney Open Additive Manufacturing Lab
Aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney and University of Connecticut are collaborating on a laboratory to research 3-D printing as a manufacturing technique at the university’s Storrs campus. The company, a division of United Technologies, is expected to spend $8 million over the next five years on the university’s Pratt & Whitney Additive Manufacturing Center.…
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Challenge Seeks Answers for Recycling Cathode Ray Tubes
A new challenge on InnoCentive seeks proposals for recycling the lead in glass found in old cathode ray tubes (CRTs) into new products. The competition, sponsored by Consumer Electronics Association and Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, has a prize of $10,000 and a deadline of 1 July 2013. InnoCentive in Waltham, Massachusetts conducts open-innovation, crowd-sourcing…
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ARPA-E to Fund Vehicle Metals, Bio Gas Conversion Research
The Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) in the U.S. Department of Energy is making $40 million available for two new research programs involving transportation. Half of the $40 million will go for research to make lighter metals in cars and trucks more feasible, while the remaining $20 million will support biological conversion of…
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New International Food Allergy Management Study Underway
An international study of food allergy is underway, headed by University of Manchester in the U.K., that aims to develop an evidence-based management process for food manufacturers, as well as guidelines for pregnant women, infants, and allergy sufferers. The four-year €9 million ($US 11.6 million) Integrated Approaches to Food Allergen and Allergy Risk Management or…