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Millimeter-wave imaging inspection in real time

With its new quality and inspection R&S IMAGER millimeter-wave scanner, Rohde & Schwarz aims to simplify the industrial inspection of packaged products. The system sees through common packaging materials at production speed without using X-rays, protecting both products and operators. The high-contrast 3D images are used as digital twins and can be automatically integrated into AI-powered fault-detection systems. Sees through plastics, cardboard, and composites. Applications include food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, logistics.
Learn more.

What are single-loop process controllers?

PLCs are powerful, but complex control isn't always necessary. For standalone processes requiring single-variable monitoring -- like temperature, pressure, or flow -- a single-loop controller is ideal. See how single-loop controllers can streamline your next project.
Read the AutomationDirect tech tip.

Great Resources: Flexible circuit design guide

Tech-Etch uses advanced techniques to manufacture flex and rigid-flex circuits to exacting customer specs. Special processes include selective plating a single circuit with two different finishes, contoured circuits with variable metal thickness, semi-additive and subtractive techniques, open window or cantilevered contact leads, plus SMT for component assembly. Tech-Etch specializes in flexible circuits for medical, telecommunications, aerospace, semiconductor, and other high-reliability electronic applications.
Learn about flex circuits and get the guide (no registration required).

EMI Investigations: New immunity development system

Saelig Company announces the Langer E1 Immunity Development System for EMI investigations. This compact, affordable kit simulates burst and ESD interference to pinpoint layout weak spots down to IC pins. By eliminating "black box" guesswork early in development, engineers can efficiently identify coupling mechanisms, test measures, and resolve immunity issues before compliance failure.
Learn more and see it in action.

Battery packs for unmanned aerial vehicles

Re:Build Manufacturing has launched U.S.-assembled, NDAA-compliant lithium-ion battery packs for commercial, public safety, and defense UAV applications. Available in Core, Power, and Performance series, the packs use non-FEOC cells and are produced at Re:Build's advanced facility in New Kensington, PA. Re:Build also offers custom pack and battery management system development.
Learn more.

Easy-to-use precision measurement system

Optical Gaging Products has announced the StarLite S1, a compact, semi-automatic 3-axis video measurement system. It combines fully automatic video measurements with manual stage motion and features an IntelliCentric-S optical system for high-resolution images. Powered by Measure-X software, this system delivers fast, repeatable, high-accuracy results, making it ideal for both shop-floor and quality-control applications.
Learn more.

Why a soccer kick bends the ball path: SOLIDWORKS simulation

With SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation, you can virtually test a ball's flight path and see the science behind its amazing trajectory. Visualize anything you want to test, including the physics that make a ball curve and dip, to optimize performance and reduce physical testing. See the SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation study setup and learn about the Magnus effect where a spinning object moving through a fluid curves away from its straight path. [Credit: Screenshot courtesy of SOLIDWORKS]
View the video.

Lightning-fast in-line verification, high-performance barcode reading

The Omron VHV5 Barcode Reader now combines high-performance barcode reading and calibrated ISO verification in one device. Replacing offline sample checks, it delivers 100% inline verification at production speeds up to 1,200 parts per minute. With flexible lighting, the VHV5 easily inspects labels and Direct Part Marks, even on challenging curved or irregular surfaces.
Learn more.

How to choose the right industrial Ethernet switch

Antaira Technologies breaks down 10 mission-critical capabilities separating industrial-grade switches from commercial compromises. Even if you aren't in IT engineering, you will find valuable networking knowledge in this guide to protect vital infrastructure.
Read the full article.

New CAM software cuts robotic machining deployment

At Automate (Booth #4476), RoboDK will showcase RoboDK CAM, which generates robotic machining programs directly from CAD files. Designed for easy deployment, it cuts setup time by up to 40%. Live demonstrations will show users how to create collision-free robot motion straight from CAD data, eliminating manual line-by-line coding.
Learn more about RoboDK CAM.

AI Tools You Can Use: What is OpenClaw? How do I get it and use it?

OpenClaw is trending big time right now, but what is it? The YouTubers over at Create a Pro Website run through the basics of what you need to know and how to implement it. Basically, OpenClaw is a next-gen 24/7 AI assistant that lives on your computer and can perform actions for you. You talk to it through a chat app. You can set it up to do real work such as alert you to important emails, answer emails for you, manage your calendar and travel, and so much more. There is a great intro video here and also a longer, very thorough step-by-step video to setting up OpenClaw.
View the OpenClaw intro video.
View the OpenClaw setup video.

New! 6-digit programmable display/controller

Bristol Instruments has released the OM 403UNI Series displays/ controllers, allowing users to monitor two or three simultaneous functions. Configured via OM Link software or front-panel buttons, they feature four- or six-digit displays with +/-0.05% of f.s. range accuracy. They function as numeric/bar-graph displays, controllers, data recorders, or accumulators. Additionally, they detect and alert users to error conditions like broken sensor wires.
Learn more.

Mini edge AI systems for vision, generative AI

As enterprises transition from PoC to real-world edge AI deployment, Aetina has launched its Mini Series Edge AI systems. Powered by NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano and NX modules, these compact, fanless systems deliver high-performance vision and generative AI inference. Engineered for demanding industrial environments, they offer flexible camera connectivity, space-saving designs, and long-term reliability to accelerate smart infrastructure.
Learn more.

Thermal imaging on the quality control line

On a high-speed food and beverage line, what you can see is not always what is happening. Thermal imaging adds a different layer of control. Instead of relying on surface appearance, it measures heat distribution as seals are formed and products move through the line, providing continuous, 100% in-line inspection instead of just sampling.
Read the full article.

Built for the test bench, ready for the field

FUTEK's IDC150 Signal Conditioner packages high-performance signal conditioning in a rugged aluminum enclosure. Built for engineers needing accurate, synchronized data from strain gauge sensors, it fits prototyping and lab environments. The device connects seamlessly to existing setups and pairs with SENSIT software and Python APIs. It is ideal for compact, high-performance digital sensor evaluation.
Learn more.

World's first high-altitude hybrid electric flight takes place: GE Aerospace, NASA, Boeing partnership

GE Aerospace and its development partners conducted the first hybrid electric flight above 30,000 ft recently, reaching the same altitude levels of passenger commercial aircraft. The test aircraft was adapted from a twin-turboprop Saab 340B. [Credit: Image courtesy of GE Aerospace]

For decades, the standard recipe for commercial aviation has remained largely unchanged: burn jet fuel, create thrust, and fly high. High above the clouds, however, where the air thins and temperature management becomes a high-wire act, a quiet revolution has taken flight.

At the Farnborough International Airshow last week in the UK, GE Aerospace -- alongside NASA, BETA Technologies, and Boeing -- announced a watershed moment for aviation: the successful flight demonstration of a fully integrated, megawatt-class hybrid electric propulsion system above 30,000 ft. The historic campaign, which included a single flight in hybrid electric mode lasting more than two hours, marks the first time a megawatt-class, multi-kilovolt system has reached the cruising altitudes typical of commercial passenger jets.

"The aviation industry's first high-altitude hybrid electric flight is one for the history books," said H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., Chairman and CEO of GE Aerospace. "GE Aerospace is grateful to NASA, BETA Technologies, and Boeing for their collaborative partnership to accelerate hybrid electric technology to meet customer needs for greater efficiency, durability, and range."

The anatomy of an electric pioneer
To pull off the historic test, the engineering team transformed a classic workhorse: a twin-turboprop Saab 340B.

While the left side of the aircraft maintained its standard setup, the right side underwent a radical evolution. Inside a custom, upside-down nacelle engineered by Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences -- designed specifically to maximize ventilation -- sat a complex web of cutting-edge flight hardware. The system included GE Aerospace-developed motor/generators, power converters and inverters, controllers, Avio Aero gearboxes, Dowty propellers, Unison heat exchangers, torque sensing, and engine harnesses, and a CT7 engine. BAE Systems provided the batteries used, and Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences supplied the complete nacelle.

During the flight campaign, this integrated system didn't just passively ride along. The electric powertrain actively drove the propeller while simultaneously capturing and generating power back to the battery pack provided by BAE Systems.

Solving the high-altitude puzzle
Transitioning electric power from ground vehicles to commercial aircraft isn't simply a matter of scaling up batteries. As air pressure drops at high altitudes, electrical systems face severe risks of dielectric breakdown and arcing across high-voltage lines. Meanwhile, dissipating heat in thin air presents a massive thermal management challenge.

To conquer these obstacles, the team built flightworthy components capable of managing multi-kilovolt currents under extreme conditions, delivering a system with the power density, safety, and reliability needed for commercial flight.

"This hybrid electric system improved the high-altitude performance and climb capability while creating a flying laboratory to inform all future hybrid designs," said Kyle Clark, founder and CEO of BETA Technologies.

BETA, which acted as the primary systems integrator, proved the system's ruggedness firsthand: BETA pilots ferried the transformed Saab 340B across the North Atlantic to the UK for the Farnborough display, running in hybrid electric mode along every leg of the journey.

A decade in the making
While the Farnborough announcement feels like a sudden leap into the future, it is actually the culmination of a 10-year engineering marathon supported by NASA's Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project.

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HYBRID ELECTRIC DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE
2016: Ground tests for electric motor-driven propellers
2022: Simulated 45k-ft tests at NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed
2025: Strategic partnership/equity investment in BETA Technologies
2025: Narrowbody power-transfer test (NASA HyTEC project)
2026: Megawatt-class ground testing paving way for flight
2026: Historic >30,000 ft flight test campaign
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"Hybrid electric technologies are durable and efficient," said Mohamed Ali, president and CEO of GE Aerospace Commercial Engines & Services. "By flying a hybrid electric engine system at altitudes never achieved before, we're proving to our customers and to the industry the advanced capabilities we can bring to next-generation aircraft with ready technologies."

The path ahead: from testbed to modern fleets
The breakthroughs achieved during the EPFD campaign directly feed into GE Aerospace's broader effort: the CFM RISE (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) program. Conducted alongside Safran Aircraft Engines, the RISE program has already logged over 500 test campaigns and 3,000 endurance cycles.

By marrying hybrid electric architectures with advanced concepts such as Open Fan engines and compact cores, the program aims to slash fuel burn and carbon emissions by more than 20% compared to today's most efficient commercial engines.

For airshow attendees watching the Saab 340B perform its daily flying displays over Farnborough, the message in the sky is clear: Hybrid electric flight is no longer a distant theoretical promise. It has passed a key test, high above the clouds, proving that the future of aviation is already cleared for takeoff.

Source: GE Aerospace

Published July 2026

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