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Faster nylon parts: A new age for 3-D printing
Renee Eaton ManufacturingGetting parts on demand has been a manufacturer's dream for many years. Since 2005, there have been cries from the 3-D printing industry that additive technology would replace the need for injection mold tooling, that it would eliminate the need for machining, that casting would become obsolete. Finally, that dream is becoming a reality.
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Sky’s the limit: Just who controls drones?
Ryan Clark Transportation Technology & AutomotiveOn May 25, a bipartisan group of senators introduced the Drone Federalism Act of 2017. The bill would, if passed, protect states' rights to control the movement of drones over state airspace at certain heights. This is just one of many recent rounds in the war for control of the skies being waged between governments and drone users.
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Preparing surveyors for the future
Lee Lovell Science & TechnologyThe decline in the number of individuals seeking licensure has raised concerns about the future of the surveyor profession. A logical solution to this problem is to find ways to make more surveyors. Some say the requirement for a BS in surveying should be dropped. After all, there are few colleges offering this degree.
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As F-Gas gathers pace, something must be done
Andrew Gaved Waste Management & EnvironmentalPresident Donald Trump today announced his decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate change agreement — thus aligning the U.S. for probably the only time ever with Syria and Nicaragua as the only major nations opposed to the 195-nation international commitment to cutting greenhouse gases.
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Co-building the city: The draw of participative planning
Lucy Wallwork Civil & GovernmentThe dominant role once occupied by the city planner is under threat. A new paradigm of participative planning is challenging the "business as usual" top-down process for shaping our urban spaces. Participative planning — whereby members of the community work with designers, architects and planners to decide on the future of cities — is fast becoming the norm.
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Pressure set IAQ standards increases
Andrew Gaved Facilities & GroundsThe subject of air pollution has been all over the news in the U.K. in recent weeks, driven by the campaigning law group Client Earth's quest to hold the Westminster government accountable for its failure to meet air quality targets.
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Is AI the secret to manufacturing efficiency?
Delany Martinez ManufacturingRobots are taking our jobs. It sounds terrifying, doesn't it? The specter of automation has reared up with a vengeance as overworked production facilities struggle to keep up with demand on several fronts: overall volume, specialty orders and particularly customer-facing customization options.
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Printed electronics allow technological leap in wearable devices
Adolfo Benedito EngineeringPrinted electronics use traditional 3-D printing technologies for the deposition of conductive, semi-conductive and dielectric materials. This eases the development of new flexible electronic components, such as organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cells, light-emitting devices (OLED), flexible screens and RFID antennas. These are examples of the numerous developments in organic electronics, which will be able to be printed partially or totally in the coming years.
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The sky’s the limit: Learning from Tesla’s roofing innovation
Delany Martinez MarketingThe latest darling of the eco-innovation trend, Tesla's new solar panel/roof tile hybrid product has continued the consumer inroads that their well-liked electric vehicles have already been cruising. In fact, Forbes pulled no punches discussing the concerns as well as the potential of the Tesla tiles — a balanced, authoritative nod that speaks volumes.
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Work begins on Boeing’s first overseas production plant
Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & AutomotiveA strategic plan by Boeing to streamline output of its most popular airplane has taken a step closer to reality this week as work commenced on a new completion and delivery plant in China. The facility is located at Zhoushan Airport in eastern China, some 175 miles by road from Shanghai on an island in the East China Sea.
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