Phys.org March 4, 2019 Researchers at the University of Chicago levitated particles using sound to study how clusters are formed. They found that at a minimum six particles are needed to change between different shapes. By changing the ultrasound frequency, they could make the particle clusters move about and rearrange. This opens new possibilities for manipulating objects to form complex structures, develop new products and tools in the fields of wearable technology and soft robotics…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Category Archives: Advanced manufacturing
Seeing through walls: Indoor positioning system
Eurekalert December 3, 2018 According to an international team of researchers (Russia, China, India) none of the existing systems is accurate enough: they are unable to track an item inside a place from door to door with a centimeter-level precision. They are developing algorithms and software and hardware systems for high-precision indoor positioning. According to the researchers this type of technology is particularly relevant when it comes to unmanned production settings where precision positioning of components is required…read more
Opto-thermoplasmonic patterning of 2D materials
Nanowerk August 14, 2018 To overcome problems associated with laser processing of high-quality micro- and nanopatterns of diverse two-dimensional (2D) materials, researchers at UT Austin have developed an all-optical lithographic technique called optothermoplasmonic nanolithography (OTNL) to achieve high-throughput, versatile, and maskless patterning of different atomic layers. Taking graphene and molybdenum disulfide they have shown that both thermal oxidation and sublimation in the light-directed temperature field can lead to direct etching of the atomic layers. They demonstrated that by steering the laser beams programmable patterning of 2D materials into complex and large-scale nanostructures is possible. The method can be applied to […]
MIALinx connects machines
Fraunhofer Research April 3, 2018 Researchers in Germany have developed MIALinx, a web-based application that connects machines, sensors and data to an agile network. Building on a previous project called Sense&Act, this latest advance brings a great measure of adaptability to plants and, as an added perk, optimizes machine maintenance. MIALinx even interfaces with old lathes and milling machines. It can respond to events and act on if-then rules. Even older machines can be readily integrated. It can be handled and configured intuitively via a graphical user interface – without a lot of time spent getting acquainted and without programming […]
Charging ahead to higher energy batteries
TechXplore February 26, 2018 The low rate capabilities and low energy densities of the all-solid-state batteries are partly due to a lack of suitable solid-solid heterogeneous interface formation technologies. Researchers in Japan grew garnet-type oxide solid electrolyte crystals in molten LiOH on a substrate that bonded the electrode into a solid state as they grew. They were able to control the thickness and connection area within the cubic layer, which acts as a ceramic separator. Each crystal is connected to neighboring ones. The new technique of stacking solid electrolyte layer could be an ideal ceramic separator with a dense thin-interface […]
Certain bacteria produce tiny gold nuggets by digesting toxic metals
Science Daily January 31, 2018 In nature, C. metallidurans plays a key role in the formation of so-called secondary gold, which emerges following the breakdown of primary, geologically created, ancient gold ores. It transforms the toxic gold particles formed by the weathering process into harmless gold particles, thereby producing gold nuggets only a few nanometers in size. An international team of researchers (Germany, Australia) has discovered the molecular processes that take place inside the bacteria C. metallidurans to extract valuable trace elements, including tiny gold nuggets, without poisoning itself… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
The business of physics
Physics World February 5, 2018 In this new series of columns, the author aims to raise the profile of industrial physics and explore the value and relevance of physicists to industry. According to the author, engineering and physics have similar skill sets, yet it seems that a deeper understanding of the underlying principles, as gained through a physics training, often enables people to come up with more radical solutions to problems – to “think outside the box” in some ways. Physics-based sectors include manufacturing, energy production, the automotive industry and many others – contribute more than £177bn and €23bn to […]
Biomining the elements of the future
The Conversation January 29, 2018 Biomining takes place within large, closed, stirred-tank reactors (bioreactors). These devices generally contain water, microorganisms (bacteria, archaea, or fungi), ore material, and a source of energy for the microbes. The source of energy required depends on the specific microbe necessary for the job. Biomining uses little energy and produces few microbial by-products such as organic acids and gases. Countries such as Finland, Chile, and Uganda are increasingly turning to biomining. Chile has exhausted much of its copper rich ores and now utilizes biomining. Biomining offers a way to obtain the rare earth elements resources, critical […]
Inverse-design approach leads to metadevices
Science Daily January 22, 2018 Researchers in at Northwestern University essentially input the behavior they wanted into a computer and the computer optimized a structure that has the required behavior and then it came out at the other end of a three-dimensional printer. They used computer modeling, optimization software, and complex algorithms to build metadevices that could bend or focus millimeter waves but that avoided problems with conventional approaches, such low efficiency, narrow bandwidth, and the bulkiness of the devices. The research could prove revolutionary for consumer products, defense, and telecommunications… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE […]