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With guidance from a laser-diode-based navigation system housed within its body, a cutting tool on a new line-boring machine can move more than ten times faster than the wings of [...]

Scientists are learning to shoot infrared low-energy beams of laser light for many kilometers through the atmosphere. Since the discovery of such light strings (also called guides) in 1995 by [...]

The heart of a newly developed super-broadband color-center laser that can generate light over both near-infrared and white-light spectral bands is a single lithium fluoride ([MATHEMATICAL EXPRESSION NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN [...]

By applying a contradirectional surface-mode-coupling (SMC) technique, researchers at the Institut fur Festkorperelektronik, the Technische Universitat Wien (Vienna, Austria), and the Physikalisches Institut of the Universitat Stuttgart (Stuttgart, Germany) have [...]

Holey optical fibers are microstructured silica fibers with an array of microscopic air holes that run down the full fiber length. If the size, spacing, and geometric arrangement of holes [...]

To keep up with the rapid influx of telecommunications services, from the Internet to cable television, fiber manufacturers are increasingly boosting the fiber count of optical cables. Although many of [...]

Working with a high-resolution video technique and laboratory rats, neurobiologists at Duke University Medical Center (Durham, NC) have captured the first detailed images of a living brain in the act [...]

Department of Commerce adopts revised laser categories In its new North American Industrial Classification Systems (NAICS) data-gathering systems, the US Department of Commerce has replaced the old Standard Industrial Classification [...]

Few people need to inspect an object in a glass of milk. If, however, an imaging technique can see through milk, it probably can image objects effectively through other diffusing [...]

'Smart' sensing systems are being developed in a collaborative effort between US industry and university-based research. Smart sensing technology will give machines the ability to emulate human sensory response. The market for products that can offer practical sensing solutions will double to $1.1 billion by 1994 from the $513.1 million level in 1987. All sensors will perform one or more of the five sensing functions, including presence-absence detection, positioning, inspection, condition measurement, and condition identification. The systems will soon be able to sense conversion, environmental compensation, diagnostics, and logic-actuation. To use smart sensing technology effectively, the issues of quality, economics, design, and implementation must be considered.

Plant-floor monitoring and control systems (PFM&C) are software tools that support day-to-day execution of the process plan. PFM&C functions can include data collection, plant-floor information management, resource management, and statistical quality analysis and control. Available PFM&C packages are limited in their functionality, however, and it is important to determine prior to purchase that such software fits current business strategies and process needs and can adapt to a changing business environment. An emerging class of PFM&C software, a hybrid system, offers both application software and tool-kit enabling software; STARNET from Denniston & Denniston Inc and CELLworks from FASTech Integration Inc are such products. Subcontractors should consider computerized management planning and control in order to become more responsive to manufacturers' demands.

Enterprise Networking Event '88 included the demonstration of the Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP) and discussions about its implementation. The strong international support for MAP was apparent. More than 40% of the attendees on the first day represented foreign firms. Demonstrations simulating a multi-vendor manufacturing environment also showed the functionality of the Technical and Office Protocol and Open Systems Interconnection. The cost per network mode is decreasing and becoming competitive with proprietary network. Discussions are devoted to planning, cost justification, and network management requirements.

The lack of workholding flexibility is an obstacle to full flexible automation. Modular fixturing and dedicated tombstoning are used by some manufacturers, who watch research and development of set-up technology by several vendors. Modular fixturing allows easy modification in applications of high mix and low volume. Dedicated tombstoning, which allows multiple pieces to be machined in one set, is often found in multi-pallet machining centers, although machine size and weight capacity place limitations on its use. Machine flexibility is also increased by the hydraulic clamping of pellets to machining centers and the use of programmable chucks.

The management of cutting tools should include updates of new grades, an evaluation of the applicability of new technology, and an assessment of inventory consolidation. Developments anticipated in the next five years are: continued chipgroove design along proprietary lines, coated-carbon improvements, and ceramic applications. A choice between sharp-edged physical vapor deposition and cermets should be based on limitation of the workpiece material, cutting-edge requirements, and speed and feed requirements. A trend is noted toward increased machining of difficult materials with SiC-whisker-reinforced aluminum oxides. These whisker-reinforced ceramics increase the predictability of tool life.

Untended machining can produce major productivity gains but it requires technological and organizational changes. Untended machining has not gained wider acceptance because companies that initially experimented with automated machining often mismanaged production timing or failed to utilize the full potential of flexible manufacturing systems. Fritz Warner Machine Tool (Carol Stream, IL) has successfully implemented untended machining and added an extra 4.5 shifts per week of production time. According to Fritz Warner Pres Bob Ellig, successful untended machining involves increased numerical control, programming, fixture design, and machine center flexibility., The Case for Untended Machining Untended machining isn't an easy proposition. Nevertheless, productivity gains in excess of 50 percent may make it worth the effort. LESS THAN 50 PERCENT. THAT'S [...]

Companies need to develop a clear understanding of machine tool and computer control information-management capabilities if they are going to incorporate current machining centers into future cells and systems. Controls in future flexible manufacturing environments will need distributed intelligence and multitasking capability in order to be effective. Kearney & Trecker (Milwaukee, WI) has developed control systems capable of handling flexible manufacturing demands including: programming systems with 'if-then' conditions for automatically identifying problems and solving them; automating on-line machine logs and status reports; and connecting troubleshooting systems through a direct link to the Kearney & Trecker main computer in Milwaukee., From Machining Center to Cell: Resource Management Is Key THINK OF THE POSSIBLE PERMUTATIONS. One machining center offered by Kearney & Trecker Corp. (Milwaukee, WI) is capable of sequencing 150 [...]

Automatic arc welding has been advancing with the introduction of new control systems. The original systems were metal arc welders that monitored two variables; wire feed speed and depth of penetration. Tungsten metal arc welding requires monitoring of several other variables such as deposit rate, bead geometry, and heat input. Advances in artificial intelligence and sensors such as machine vision allow real-time monitoring of the welding process. Off-line programming allows the welding engineer to program the welding machine without taking the robot out of production. New designs in robot arms allow for larger working envelopes. Controllers now feature an industry standard bus architecture and the ability to add power later as needed., Controlling the Arc Automatic arc welding has come many a mile from when automotive was the major customer. As peripheral technologies such as adaptive welding control get sophistication, more applications [...]

General Electric's Aircraft Engines Division is using lasers for accurate, fast, and flexible holemaking. The company uses A Huffmann Corp HP-75L system using Coherent General Nd:YAG lasers to drill venting holes in jet engine airfoils. The laser drilling cell is part of a larger system which includes automated anti-scarfing wax injection; drilling; deburring; and inspection and decapsulation. The entire process is controlled by a Digital Equipment Corp VAX 11-785 computer., Laser Drilling's Everyday Technology at GE What holemaking process is high volume, fast, accurate, flexible, and cost effective? At GE Aircraft Engines Division, the answer's laser drilling, with a little [...]

Automatic factory data collection (FDC) systems are an important technological innovation because the systems can help manufacturers gain control of facility-wide information flow. Automatic FDC systems consist of a combination of automatic identification technology, computer software, computer hardware, and networking technologies. The major automatic identification systems are bar coding, magnetic strip technology, voice data entry, and radio frequency identification. Each identification system has its own benefits and some applications may use more than one system at a time. Software, hardware, and networking systems, as well as tips for devising automatic FDC systems, are also presented., Automate Data Collection Automating data collection is a fundamental first step to streamlining the flow of information throughout your facility and implementing CIM. Nevertheless, the technique used, be it bar-code [...]

Spartanburg Steel Products Inc (Spartanburg, SC) has been able to increase its efficiency and its market share by implementing new manufacturing ideas. The company uses just-in-time inventory systems, statistical process control, electronic data interchange, computer-aided design, and quick die change methods to make sure that they are prepared to adapt to changes in their business environment. A strategy for change should include: analysis of the short-, medium-, and long-term company goals; analysis of the material flows; and analysis of the interaction between employees and machines., Revamp Your Stamping Strategy--Not Just the Line Automation by itself won't breathe new life into your stamping lines. Management must also be willing to embrace change in business strategies and [...]

C.I. Hayes Inc (Cranston, RI) has introduced heat treating systems that fit into continuous on-line procedures. The systems are ideal for just-in-time processes and are designed to fit into both flexible, computerized manufacturing and high production. One system has been tested by a company that builds jet-engine fuel pump components in their just-in-time production system. The manufacturer achieved a 47-day lead time reduction in the heat-treat section of the manufacturing line and a 33 percent reduction in process steps., Get Heat Treating Out of the Back Room Is there really such a thing as just-in-time heat treating? One company claims it's simply a matter of equipment design and the [...]

Several software packages that can help run plant-floor operations are reviewed. These include Optiflex from Optimation Inc, which orchestrates the manufacturing process; Factor from FACTROL Inc, a simulation-based program for interactive scheduling; Monitrol-UX from Hewlett-Packard and Hilco Technologies Inc, a flexible software-design framework for implementing computer-integrated-manufacturing information systems; and MDSS-Metals from Manufacturing Decision Support Systems Inc, a manufacturing planning and control system.

IBM Corp (Boca Baton, FL) has developed a computer system that automates the flow of information from design operations to manufacturing operations. The Product Engineering Support and Computer-Aided-Design Integration software programs are the first in IBM's new Engineering Management for Computer Integrated Manufacturing products. The programs allow engineering staff to create databases for each part including: engineering change histories; drawings and assembly instructions; master data; and material bills. The programs also allow engineers to manage proposed engineering change processes and use existing designs when developing new projects., This Software Accelerates Information Flow * THE APPROVED ENGINEERING change (EC) finally reached manufacturing. Rework of the production part commenced. Four weeks and $120,000 later, another EC obviated the first. [...]

Expert computer systems are becoming more popular on the market as companies customize them for their own needs, according to Arthur D. Little Inc (Cambridge, MA). This is a positive development for firms that produce toolkits that assist companies in creating individualized systems. Some of the companies developing expert systems for gathering advice, troubleshooting equipment, and real time control of processes include: Westinghouse; Digital Equipment Corp; and General Electric Co. Key aspects to all successful expert systems are simplicity and customization., Develop Your Own Expert Help Expert systems will never obsolete your experienced employees. They can, however, become valuable tools for the new guys on the block or strategic planning systems [...]

There are two types of plant-wide networks, proprietary networks and networks based on manufacturing automation protocol and technical and office protocol (MAP-TOP). MAP-TOP systems allow cells of a system to communicate along the Open Systems Interconnection model developed by the International Organization for Standardization, however these systems are new and have not been tested. The proprietary networks have been in use for years. The proprietary systems use baseband cable and Ethernet to pass information, while MAP-TOP systems do not use Ethernet and are designed to use broadband cable., To MAP/TOP or Not? So you want to network your plant? To make an informed networking decision, you'll need to cut through a thick layer of disinformation. QUESTION: MY COMPANY [...]

Need a laser system to help decommission a nuclear reactor or otherwise cut thick work material via fiberoptic beam delivery? The best tool for the job may someday be a [...]

CHICAGO, IL--Although flooding work material with coolant is common practice in conventional metal cutting, industrial-laser users remain a little skeptical about throwing water at their, machining problems. Still, the potential [...]

Sony buys into video-projection-systems firm Sony Electronics Inc. (Itasca, IL) has invested in the Corporation for Laser Optics Research (COLOR; Portsmouth, NH)--which manufactures video-projection systems that produce static or dynamic [...]

When New Zealand scientist David Beach attempted to photograph Halley's Comet from his home in the late 1980s and failed, he inadvertently developed what some call the world's most powerful [...]

Word out of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, TN) is that today's brain food is tomorrow's biomolecular, nanoscale photodiode or solar battery, which should be of interest to both [...]

Deals with the study of researchers on coating the inside of fibers that could allow them to transmit carbon dioxide or excimer-laser beams efficiently. Option considered; Details on an experiment; Methods; Results. INSET: Heating silica-core fibers reduces scattering loss.

Discusses the 1999 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO) on May in Baltimore, Maryland. Topics at the conference; Presenters of the conference.

Reports on the femtosecond laser pulses developed by researchers at Nanonics Lithography Ltd. using the technique of combining scanning near-field optical microscopy with an ultrashort-pulse laser. Applications that could benefit from the technique; Significance of the research; Technique demonstration.

Companies can reduce the complexity of their control systems and increase their effectiveness by 'demassification'. According to Fourth Shift Corp (Minneapolis, MN) vice chmn Jerry Bowman 'demassification' involves breaking large, complex entities into smaller parts that are easier to manage and track. The demassification process involves reducing corporate staffs, decentralizing management information system functions, and creating smaller, more entrepreneurial divisions. Eastman Kodak Co has implemented 'demassification' with the aid of Fourth Shift's MRP II software program and initial results have been encouraging., The `Demassification' Solution According to one software company, networked PCs are putting Manufacturing Resource Planning where it belongs--in the hands of manufacturing personnel. 'Demassification' is key. * 'USING A MAINFRAME-BASED [...]

The Graphics Workstation Div of Tektronix Inc has minimized setup costs and increased profits by implementing manufacturing resource planning and just-in-time production techniques. The system includes: problem solving teams; kanbans for inventory storage; stock rooms located closer to related manufacturing facilities; and daily problem solving evaluations. Tektronix has also increased profits by involving their vendors in the just-in-time system and problem-solving process., Workstation Supplier Reaps Benefits of Just-In-Time True just-in-time manufacturing requires that a company develop a strong relationship with suppliers and build a team-based manufacturing strategy. A computer-hardware manufacturer and one [...]

Reports on an experiment that combines digital analysis of interferometric data with tomographic algorithms to reconstruct three-dimensional (3-D) objects. Background on x-ray tomography; Use of rotational shear interferometer in measuring plans of interference data; Elements in the optical system.

Reports on the microstereophotolitography process of producing micron-sized mechanical parts developed by Chris Chatwin and colleagues at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. How the process works; Comparison with stereolithography processes; Equipment used in the process.

Reports on a dual-bandpass molybdenum/silicon multilayer coatings in high-dispersion diffraction gratings for the observation of spectral line profiles and Doppler shifts. Study on the normal-incidence efficiencies of two replicas of a ruled master grating; Measurement of the normal-incidence efficiencies of the replicas.

Deals with the 14th Laser International Trade Fair and International Congress for Innovative and Applied Laser Technology and Optoelectronics in June 1999. Information on Femtosecond lasers and semiconductor lasers; Focus of the exhibition; Market expansion of optoelectronics industry.

Deals with the advantages of using multimode fibers which can integrate with free-space optics that allow the construction of switching and routing fabrics of land area networks. Consideration when designing a free-space optical system; How to build relay module; Data transmission rate of the multimode fibers.

Focuses on laser surface profiler, an imaging instrument which measure surface roughness developed by Sandia National Laboratories. How the laser surface profiling technique works.

Presents information on a fiberoptic operation method that may expand laser ablation operation for Q-switched pulse Nd: YAG lasers. Problems with conventional silica glass fiber; Factors to consider in reduction loss in the fiber; Discussion on ultrasonic mixing technique into the coating process.

Discusses high-power carbon dioxide laser weldings. Description of the conventional infrared (IR) optics from the Laser Power Optics in San Diego, California; Details of the conventional off-axis parabolic mirrors developed by Fraunhofer Institute in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Reports on the capabilities of adaptive-optics technology to improve the human vision. Original purpose of the technology; Significance; Remarks from David Williams, codeveloper of the adaptive-optics-based system, about the measurement of the system; Information on the system's deformable mirror.

Announces an alternative optical trapping method to exert optical torque on microscopic objects. Goal in developing the method; Opinion on the method; How microscopic objects were fabricated.

Reports on the use of molecular-beam epitaxy to grow a lateral junction vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) to solve the problem on excess energy in carriers. How researchers at the Adaptive Communications Laboratories at the Advance Research Instituted developed the solution; Active layer in the VCSEL structure; Benefits of lateral p-n junctions; Test of the device.