Universe Today
There is a cost (economic as well as environmental) associated with aviation. Jet fuel is not cheap either, and commercial air travel accounts for 4 to 9% of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (and is on the rise). For this reason, NASA has partnered with the commercial industry to develop electric aircraft, which they hope will provide a fuel- and- cost-efficient alternative to commercial jets by 2035.

Forbes
The U.S. manufacturing sector has taken a hit, and the September ISM report flagged a second consecutive month of contraction. Successive rounds of tariffs have dented export orders, and the ongoing contentious trade discussions between the U.S. and China have eroded confidence. The campaign for next year’s Presidential choice brings an added layer of uncertainty for businesses, as the policy and regulatory outlook might be substantially different depending on the election outcome. The marked deceleration in Europe’s economic activity does not help either.

Volvo press release
Volvo and Geely intend to merge their existing combustion engine operations into a stand-alone business in order to establish a new global supplier that will seek to develop next generation combustion engines and hybrid powertrains. The proposed new business would clear the way for Volvo Cars to focus on the development of its all-electric range of premium cars.

Proterra press release
Proterra, a leading innovator in heavy-duty electric transportation, announced that Miami-Dade has agreed to purchase 33, 40-foot Proterra Catalyst^® E2 electric buses with DuoPower drivetrain technology and up to 75 plug-in Proterra chargers. With 33 electric buses and charging systems, Miami-Dade represents the largest electric bus order on the East Coast.

AGMA
The MPT Conference is October 16-17 in Detroit, MI alongside the Motion + Power Technology Conference. The conference is $395 – and that includes copies of the presentations post-show. We are bringing you top presenters – at the executive level – to provide the most current information on topics like electric drive technology, blockchain, workforce, 3D printing metal, Industrial Iot, cybersecurity, robotics and more.

Machine Design
3D printing is often referred to as one of the most revolutionary technologies of the 21st Century because it has the potential to disrupt nearly every industry. This is especially true for PEEK plastic, also known as polyether either ketone. PEEK is one of the most highly rated polymers due to its mechanical strength and superior resistance to heat, water and chemicals. The material properties make it an ideal choice for products in demanding applications in hot temperatures such as bearings and pumps.

3D Printing Industry
Space Foundry is a Silicon Valley-based startup looking to introduce plasma 3D printing in the space and electronics industries. The brainchild of PhD researcher Ram Prasad Gandhiraman and Stanford University scientist Dennis Norlund, Space Foundry has developed a direct write printing technology allowing for multi-material printing and tailored material characteristics.

3D Printing Industry
In September 2017, a HRL Laboratories team published a paper announcing that they had succeeded in 3D printing a traditionally non-weldable, high-strength aluminum alloy. A feat of ingenuity, the team functionalized an incredibly crack-prone material with average yield strengths up to 580 MPa. Two years later, the material used by HRL in this experiment became the first additive manufacturing aluminum alloy registered with the historic Aluminum Association. 

3D Printing Industry
The 3D printing-focused TCT Show opened this autumn’s expo season. What were the key takeaways and how did the Birmingham event set the stage for the remainder of the year? As expected, TCT produced a professional and well-managed event, with many of the larger additive manufacturing system suppliers present. 

The Robot Report
San Francisco-based OSARO, a machine learning company founded in 2015 that specializes in AI for industrial automation, raised $16 million in Series B funding. OSARO will us the funding to hire employees, enhance it OSARO Pick and PSARO Vision products and deploy them internationally.

3D Print
In ‘Preliminary optimization of a hollow low pressure turbine blade,’ Lorenzo Abrusci presents a thesis paper exploring additive manufacturing processes for creating critical industrial components. As materials science has advanced rapidly, there are many different choices available for creating parts via 3D printing and additive manufacturing. 

AGMA
Explore gear failure analysis in this hands-on seminar where students not only see slides of failed gears but can hold and examine those same field samples close up. Use of a microscope to examine field samples.

Electric Autonomy Canada
Ontario-based company brings specialist battery manufacturing expertise to global EV giant amid talk of “Tesla’s secret battery lab”

Today’s Motor Vehicles
General Motors officials passed a comprehensive proposal to the United Auto Workers, spelling out a new four-year agreement that would end a strike that has entered its third week. UAW officials say the offer was not sufficient to get workers back on the assembly line and countered with its version of a new four-year deal.

PBS
(VIDEO) This 8-minute video is part of a PBS series entitled China: Power and Prosperity and discusses electric vehicles.

Nikkei Asian Review
Swedish-Swiss engineering group ABB has begun construction of a $150 million plant to make automation equipment, eying the sector’s growth potential in China and the rest of Asia.

Click Orlando
A University of Central Florida researcher developed a new method to create cheaper, safer and more efficient fuel cells for electric vehicles. Electric cars currently use lithium-ion batteries but, according to the researcher behind the study, these batteries present several problems to our health and are not perfectly safe.

SME
You don’t have to probe too deeply into good machining results to find how they are being achieved with tried-and-true, as well as innovative new toolholding technology. Chatter and pullout are but two of the enemies of high-speed and heavy-duty machining of the latest difficult-to-machine alloys.