Process Engineering

In what promises to be an important advance, researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara have developed a novel laser by bonding optical gain layers directly to a silicon laser cavity. This hybrid laser offers an alternative to silicon Raman lasers and is an order of magnitude shorter. The laser is optically pumped, operates in continuous wave mode, and only needs 30 mW of input pump power.

This evanescent silicon laser demonstration is the first step toward an electrica

Surface alignment of liquid crystal multilayers evaporated on a photoaligned polyimide film observed by surface profiler

In order to successfully fabricate a commercial Liquid Crystal Display, uniform orientation of the liquid crystal (LC) molecules is required. Traditionally this molecular alignment of liquid crystal is achieved by physically or chemically treating the surface. A simple method used to achieve preferred orientation is rubbing but this may produce dust, static chargi

Orelis of France is launching a new individual filtration module, the Pleiade® MP4, for the ultrafiltration of electrophoretic paint. The competitively priced module is available in two versions – MP450 and MP470 – and is easy to use and clean (both plates and frame), while offering the compactness of spiral modules.

Based on the tried and tested Pleiade® technology, the filtering surface of the Pleiade® MP4 is a stack of separate membranes. A unique feature is that users can

A paper published in Nature, by scientists at the Universities of Sheffield and Warwick and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, describes how experts have used X-rays to see structures in unprecedented detail at the atomic scale. The technique is 100 times more sensitive than any other method, and has the potential to allow scientists to improve things like data storage, healthcare sensors and security systems.

Prof Mike Gibbs, of the Department of Engineering Materials at the

University of California scientists working at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a novel machining technique that uses a jet of solid carbon dioxide (CO2) to cool/lubricate the surface of metal parts and remove the cut material during machining. Called Snow-Machining, the process could someday eliminate the use of oil-based or synthetic chemical fluids for metal cutting and metal parts cleaning in industry.

The Snow-Machining technology creates a high velocity stream

An artificial eye developed for Earth observation is now being employed to recognise colour variations in dyed fabrics: a critical element of textile production. This could significantly reduce the 160 million metres of dyed fabrics discarded annually in Europe with high environmental costs.

“Today most of Europe’s more than 40,000 textile companies rely on human quality control. Specialised personnel monitor fabrics as they are produced, but this is an expensive and techn