Precise motion control: Shrinking lithography capabilities to 32 nm

Albany, NY, and Jena, Germany – As a boost to advance lithography, Sematech and Carl Zeiss SMT completed the final design for the next-generation Photomask Registration and Overlay Metrology system (PROVE). Precise motion control tolerances could eliminate several barriers to smaller designs with this process, down to 32 nm before 2010. At 32 nm, more than 4 million transistors can fit inside a ...
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Fewer injuries, more productivity: N. Am. robot orders jump 24%

Ann Arbor, MI – Orders to North American manufacturing companies from North American-based robotics companies rose 24% in 2007, reversing declines in 2006, says the Robotic Industries Association (RIA). That totals 15,856 robots with a value of $1.07 billion. What's that mean for safety and efficiency?
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Safer together: Tigher integration for process safety software

Sellersville, PA – A privately held consulting and certification company serving the process safety community purchased a partnering firm, with expectations to deliver end users more tightly integrated software, encompassing two important industrial safety standards....
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Better interoperability: OPC test lab helps vendors behave

Scottsdale, AZ – OPC Foundation is opening its first Independent Certification Test Lab to validate and certify OPC products. Commenting on the need, Weyerhaeuser process control advisor, Bruce Honda, says Weyerhaeuser has spent too much time "playing referee between suppliers who point fingers at each other" instead of providing compatibility.
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Less flight vibration: Better images for world's largest infrared telescope

Hanover/Stuttgart, Germany — Smoother in-air suspension provides a smoother airplane ride for the world's largest infrared telescope. How large is it?
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In print: On-machine controls get rugged

Installing machine controls onboard the machine is not a new idea. Mechanical control systems were on machines. Manual controls for electrically powered machinery continued to be installed on industrial machines to give human operators easy access. With automatic industrial machinery, especially CNC metal-forming equipment, controls moved away from cutting heads and other rapidly moving machine components. Now they're baaaack.
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Online: Why expand, retirement, prevent explosions

• Why Wago expands 15,000 sq ft
• Retired or just tired? Laugh it up with 10 tips
• These enclosures prevent explosions