Best Metrology Podcasts (2024)

1
Hyemin Yoo on the Sine Condition Test, Deflectometry, and Optical Alignment 1:39:12

12d ago1:39:12

1:39:12

I spoke with Hyemin Yoo, who recently completed her dissertation on a combined Sine Condition/Deflectometry test method for optical alignment. Hyemin discusses the methodology in detail, starting with an introduction to the background of optical alignment, the sine condition test, and deflectometry. She then explores how to define a robust test app…

1
Boeing addresses quality control allegations, buys back Spirit AeroSystems 3:29

14d ago3:29

3:29

Boeing has reacquired their former subsidiary, Spirit AeroSystems, in any $8.3 billion debt plus equity deal. Spirit, maker of 737 fuselage assemblies for the 737 Max program, has been implicated in the Alaska Airlines door plug blowout incidents that caused an emergency depressurization at altitude. The repurchase of some 737 manufacturing assets …

1
Why the Future of Gas Turbines Lies in 3D Printing 10:49

27d ago10:49

10:49

Additive manufacturing has been the hottest topic in part making for years, offering unprecedented design flexibility for engineers. Hollow parts, parts with complex internal support structures, and three-dimensional compound curvature that would be impossible to machine are all available with 3D printing, and the aerospace industry is all in with …

1
Eric Goodwin on Interferometry, Optics, and Metrology 51:15

1M ago51:15

51:15

Eric Goodwin wrote the Field Guide to Interferometric Testing, and now is the Director of Optical Sciences at Nikon Research Corporation of America. In his work, he has undoubtedly worked on cutting edge optical systems and products, providing him a unique insight into delivering reliable solutions at the forefront of optical products. Eric discuss…

1
EV sales growth flattens. Time for hybrids to shine? 3:54

2M ago3:54

3:54

Sales growth in electric vehicles, led by Tesla and BYD has long suggested the end of gasoline and diesel fuel in the transportation sector. While fuel cells are a viable clean option, lower costs in battery production have made pure electric vehicles the sales leader in green transportation. But can the momentum of early adopters be maintained? Ma…

1
Touchless scanning for metrology is easier to use than ever 7:04

2M ago7:04

7:04

There are significant changes in how quality control is conducted, especially in the automotive sector. Traditional touch-probing methods have evolved into the use of handheld scanners, which allow for faster, more accurate and more efficient measurement of complex geometries directly on the shop floor. * * * Want to watch this podcast as a video? …

1
Japanese automakers caught in safety certification scandal 4:27

2M ago4:27

4:27

In a shocking and wide-ranging scandal, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha have been implicated in the falsification of crashworthiness data and engine power testing by the Japanese government. * * * Want to watch this podcast as a video? This Week in Engineering is available on engineering.com TV along with all of our other shows such as End …

1
Human spaceflight: Boeing in orbit, Sierra Space moves forward 3:54

2M ago3:54

3:54

Boeing’s entry into NASA’s commercial crew program for the International Space Station, has suffered multiple technical delays, but has launched with two astronauts soon. The test flight is critical both for Boeing and for NASA, who need a backup system to guarantee crew access to orbit with two redundant systems. The fourth system besides NASA, Bo…

1
Volvo’s Autonomous, Production Ready Class 8 Truck Rolls Out 3:37

3M ago3:37

3:37

Volvo Autonomous Solutions has unveiled Volvo’s first-ever production ready autonomous truck at the recent ACT Expo in Las Vegas. The Volvo VNL Autonomous combines Volvo’s commercial vehicle expertise with autonomous driving technology from Aurora to create a purpose-designed and purpose-built autonomous truck that will be able to operate on line h…

1
A new, massive V-16 for possibly the world’s most exotic sports car 4:16

3M ago4:16

4:16

Bugatti, the maker of ultra high-performance cars is making what may be the last hypercar internal combustion engine: a monstrous V16 that is expected to generate over thousand horsepower. The car it will power may challenge the current hypercar speed record, which is over 300 mph. * * * Want to watch this podcast as a video? This Week in Engineeri…

1
Joel Berkson on Fringe Metrology and Starting an Optical Metrology Company 1:20:52

3M ago1:20:52

1:20:52

Joel Berkson sat down to discuss forming his optical metrology company, Fringe Metrology. Joel discusses the ups and downs of creating a startup, why more people should try it, and how to evaluate a product market fit before diving in head first. Joel expands on how they have refined Fringe Metrology's product fit and offerings to meet market needs…

1
An Aviation First as AI-Powered F-16 Dogfights Human Pilots 4:03

3M ago4:03

4:03

AI may finally replace pilots in combat aircraft. * * * Want to watch this podcast as a video? This Week in Engineering is available on engineering.com TV along with all of our other shows such as End of the Line, Designing the Future, Manufacturing the Future, and the Engineering Roundtable.By Engineering.com

1
How AI Can Solve the Green Energy Challenge 4:11

3M ago4:11

4:11

Argonne National Laboratory has a plan for big data teamed with artificial intelligence. * * * Want to watch this podcast as a video? This Week in Engineering is available on engineering.com TV along with all of our other shows such as End of the Line, Designing the Future, Manufacturing the Future, and the Engineering Roundtable.…

1
Nuclear Fusion Moves Closer to Commercial Power Production 3:57

4M ago3:57

3:57

Longview Fusion Energy Systems Inc., has signed a memorandum of understanding with civil engineering giant Fluor to build a commercial pilot plant for grid electricity generation, using Longview’s solid-state laser driven, inertial confinement technology. * * * Want to watch this podcast as a video? This Week in Engineering is available on engineer…

1
Pearl John on Utilizing Holography for Art and Outreach 1:13:04

4M ago1:13:04

1:13:04

Dr. Pearl John sat down to discuss her work in art, holography, and optics outreach. Pearl discusses her artwork, which touches upon both the very human side of time, memories, and relationships, as well as pieces that help to promote and explain complex science topics. Throughout her work, a common feature is the use of art, and holograms, to conv…

1
Fuel Agnostic Engines: The Death of Diesel Fuel? 3:59

4M ago3:59

3:59

Venerable diesel engine builder Cummins has introduced a fuel agnostic heavy truck engine that uses an interesting modular design to create a single internal combustion powerplant capable of operating on diesel fuel, biodiesel, and gaseous fuels such as hydrogen, biogas or natural gas. Nonetheless, the fuel infrastructure will be dominated by keros…

1
Turning Waste CO2 into Low Carbon Methanol for Industry 3:06

5M ago3:06

3:06

Reducing the carbon footprint of the chemical industry requires a two-pronged strategy: reduction of fossil fuel use as an energy input, and capture and reuse of carbon dioxide generated by chemical processes themselves. * * * Want to watch this podcast as a video? This Week in Engineering is available on engineering.com TV along with all of our ot…

1
Wayne Geerling on Using Pop Culture and Chat GPT In Teaching Economics 1:07:12

5M ago1:07:12

1:07:12

Wayne Geerling discusses his research and work in utilizing pop culture to engage students in introductory Economics courses. Pop culture, from Squid Game to Taylor Swift, can tell us quite a lot about various core economics concepts, and Dr. Geerling has leveraged the accessiblity and appeal of pop culture to engage early students, providing them …

1
Stratolaunch tests hypersonic uncrewed vehicle 3:29

5M ago3:29

3:29

Mojave, California-based Stratolaunch has announced the successful test of an air-launched, hypersonic uncrewed test vehicle, the Talon TA-1. As a private company, Stratolaunch can be contracted to gather specific data in hypersonic flight in support of customer-specific aircraft and missile programs. This proprietary data can form an important and…

1
Wind power returns to ocean shipping 3:23

5M ago3:23

3:23

Ocean shipping under sail may be making a comeback. Cargill, a very large global producer of bulk agricultural commodities, has partnered with BAR Technologies and MC shipping to retrofit a large cargo vessel with vertical airfoils to augment propeller propulsion. The ship, Pyxis Ocean, has been retrofitted with what BAR Technologies calls WindWing…

1
New Satellite to Measure the Other Greenhouse Gas: Methane 3:53

5M ago3:53

3:53

With over 150 countries signing a Global Methane Pledge to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030, tracking will be essential worldwide. A purpose-built satellite, MethaneSAT, has been launched to do just that, with the satellite a project of the Environmental Defense Fund. Data will be available, to everyone, worldwide. * * * Want to watch this p…

1
US EV sales slow, and Apple abandons its EV ambitions 4:38

5M ago4:38

4:38

According to Kelly Blue Book, 2023 was a record year for U.S. electric vehicle sales, with 1.2 million vehicles delivered, resulting in a 7.6% total U.S. market share, up from 5.9% in 2022. Fourth-quarter EV sales were up year-over-year by 40% — big numbers, but lower than the 49% year-over-year gain in the third quarter. Cox automotive predicts th…

1
Bill Green on Looking Up, Street Astronomy, and Light Pollution 53:21

6M ago53:21

53:21

NOTE: If you or someone you know has achromatic doublets they would donate to Bill for his street astronomy, reach out! Bill is looking for doublets and his contact info can be found at philly moon men, or you can comment below.This time we are joined by Bill Green, who was a founder of Philly Moon Men. Bill brought street astronomy to Philadelphia…

1
Two important developments in Chinese aerospace 3:17

6M ago3:17

3:17

Two major developments in the Chinese aerospace industry were revealed at the recent Singapore airshow. United Aircraft Group announced a tilt rotor UAV in the six-ton class, capable of carrying cargo and passengers for both civilian and military applications, and the COMAC C919 airliner received another order for 40 aircraft for Tibet Airlines, in…

1
How Taylor Swift flew Tokyo to Las Vegas, without a carbon footprint 4:11

6M ago4:11

4:11

Carbon capture technology company Spiritus used a novel adsorbent-based direct air capture technology for CO2 in a unique way: to offset the carbon footprint of Taylor Swift’s recent transpacific jet flight from Tokyo to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl. Can it be scaled to keep the internal combustion engine relevant? * * * Want to watch this podcast …

1
18. NN1000 Mori Scribing machine, History of Citizen, Erowa and guilloche 43:31

6M ago43:31

43:31

In this episode, Adam and Josh discuss an obscure 2010's Mori Seiki Diamond scribing machine, The industrialization of early 1900's Japan through Citizen, and their precision problems involving Erowa-based solutions and C axis guilloche.

1
USAF and Xwing demonstrate fully autonomous cargo aircraft 3:36

6M ago3:36

3:36

A joint program by the U.S. Air Force and Xwing Corporation has demonstrated fixed wing cargo carrying capability in a point-to-point flight between two airbases using a specially modified Cessna 208B Grand Caravan. * * * Want to watch this podcast as a video? This Week in Engineering is available on engineering.com TV along with all of our other s…

1
Donn Silberman on a Career in Optics, Education, and Outreach 1:19:42

6M ago1:19:42

1:19:42

This week I spoke with Donn Silberman, who first entered optics in 1976 as a high school student, getting involved in astronomy. Donn shared his insights from his career in optics, in not only engineering but also sales and management. Additionally, he discussed founding the Optics Institute of Southern California and his outreach work. We talked a…

1
A nuclear battery for your cell phone? 3:49

6M ago3:49

3:49

Beijing-based Betavolt New Energy Technology Company has developed an atomic energy source, miniaturized into a form factor approximately ½ inch square and less than ¼ inch thick. The first production batteries, called BV 100, are expected to have a lifetime of 50 years, delivering 1/10 of a milliwatt of power at 3 Volts. * * * Want to watch this p…

1
Ford is slashing production of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup. Why is demand down? 3:43

7M ago3:43

3:43

In a significant and unexpected move, Ford Motor Company has announced production cuts of the all-electric F150 Lightning, assembled at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Michigan. Light trucks and sport utility vehicles are the most sold, highest margin vehicles in America, and industry analysts attribute slow EV adoption in this segment to seve…

1
NASA'S X-59 May Be the Key to Supersonic Air Travel 4:32

7M ago4:32

4:32

NASA’s new X-59 supersonic research aircraft is poised to crack the most vexing problem of commercial faster-than-sound travel: Sonic boom. The unique shape of the aircraft manages shockwave formation and is anticipated to reduce the window-rattling noise of sonic booms to a thump no louder than the slamming of a car door. If it works, a new genera…

1
China Readies Commercial VTOL Air Taxi Services 4:04

7M ago4:04

4:04

For a decade after the Wright Brothers’ 1903 flight, inventors, dreamers and entrepreneurs operating out of barns and sheds all over the world built radical prototypes to turn aviation from a dangerous hobby into a practical proposition. Today, there’s a modern equivalent of that excitement in the electric vertical takeoff and landing space. The eV…

1
U.S. Steel’s New Japanese Ownership 4:04

7M ago4:04

4:04

In a blockbuster takeover, Nippon Steel has bought the iconic American producer United States Steel in a $14 billion deal. The combined company will have a global steel output of 86 million tons and is part of Nippon Steel’s program to achieve 100 million tons of global annual production. * * * Want to watch this podcast as a video? This Week in En…

1
New Tech Harnesses Energy from Ocean Waves 3:15

8M ago3:15

3:15

*This is our last episode of 2023! We'll be back again the week of January 8th.* Stockholm, Sweden based Corpower Ocean has developed a standalone generation source the company calls a Wave Energy Converter, a floating generator unit tethered to a seabed anchor. The converter is essentially a floating bouy, resembling a giant sport fishing float or…

1
Dr. Eva Acosta on Visual Optics, Wavefront Coding, and Imaging through Cataracts 1:10:10

8M ago1:10:10

1:10:10

Dr. Eva Acosta sat down to share her research in the area of visual optics. She discussed how she entered the field of optics and specific visual optics, her work on wavefront coding, cataract imaging, and intraocular lenses. It was a pleasure to speak with Dr. Acosta and her work is not only incredibly interesting, but stands in that unique realm …

1
Battery Makers Face Tough New Rules for Foreign Materials and Parts Supply 4:21

8M ago4:21

4:21

A new set of Biden administration restrictions on foreign sourced EV raw materials and components may constrain production growth just as the need for zero emission vehicles to meet EPA requirements increases. With China controlling several key minerals, the race is on to develop alternate sources, but current tax credit regimes have MSRP restricti…

1
eVTOL Maker Partners with Medevac Operator for Emergency Rescue Aircraft 3:31

8M ago3:31

3:31

Two Québec, Canada-based companies, Limosa and Airmedic, have announced a partnership to develop an electric VTOL medevac aircraft that combines the benefits of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft for this time critical mission profile. The aircraft, made by Limosa, is called Limomedic and will be operated by medevac service provider Airmedic for e…

1
Self-Driving Goes Off Road for Mining 2:52

9M ago2:52

2:52

The rapid, global push toward electric vehicles has put a premium on extraction of several critical minerals. Lithium is the most important, but others such as copper, cobalt, nickel and other metals will be needed in large quantities to facilitate large-scale battery production. Caterpillar and Freeport McMorRan have announced a project to automat…

1
A New Chinese Competitor to SpaceX 3:18

9M ago3:18

3:18

Numerous government-supported and private launch providers are in the market today, and from a cost perspective, the current leader is SpaceX. But, on November 2nd, China’s iSpace launched and landed their Hyperbola-2 test stage in a successful hop that demonstrated the company’s throttleable engine technology and precision landing capability. * * …

1
NASA Testing Dream Chaser Spaceplane for ISS Shuttle Missions 3:06

9M ago3:06

3:06

NASA is adding a fourth crewed spacecraft for ISS transportation with Sierra Space's Dream Chaser. Why? It’s part of a long-range NASA goal to increase competition in the commercial space industry and to provide redundancy to ensure uninterrupted station resupply and operations. * * * Want to watch this podcast as a video? This Week in Engineering …

1
Porsche Design and ABB Robotics Collaborate for Robot-Built Housing 3:39

9M ago3:39

3:39

Robotics maker ABB has announced a collaboration with Porsche Consulting to create a pilot project to develop new techniques for modular housing manufacturing. The market is wide open, with construction lagging other engineering sectors in the use of automation. * * * Want to watch this podcast as a video? This Week in Engineering is available on e…

1
Blended Wing Body Aircraft: The Future of Air Transport? 3:27

10M ago3:27

3:27

Blended wing body airframe design has long been known to be a high-performance solution to the traditional limits on payload, range and endurance in large aircraft. The USAF ordered flying wing bombers just after World War II, and while performance benefits were demonstrated, blended wing body designs have not been applied to large transport aircra…

1
OpenAI May Design Their Own Chips 3:15

10M ago3:15

3:15

Artificial intelligence algorithms are incredibly complex, needing the enormous power of supercomputers to operate. OpenAI’s ChatGPT runs on a Microsoft-built supercomputer powered by 10,000 Nvidia GPU’s. It’s expensive, and power-hungry, and the company is aiming to improve performance and reduce reliance on a single chip supplier. The result may …

1
In This Aerospace Market, Electric Is Really Taking Off 4:27

10M ago4:27

4:27

The electrification of aviation is a difficult challenge. The high weight of batteries, and the resulting short range and limited payload that results, have limited applications of electric drive to smaller, propeller-driven general aviation aircraft. But flight training, which typically uses smaller, short range piston powered aircraft, is ideal f…

1
Where Will EV Lithium Come From? In the Future, North Carolina 3:20

10M ago3:20

3:20

Critics of the transition from the internal combustion engine to electric vehicles point out that many obstacles remain to full adoption. These include high costs, unknown electrical grid capacity and, importantly, access to the critical minerals necessary to create the all-important battery packs. With car battery technology, lithium is the key me…

1
Why is LEGO Abandonning the Recycled Plastic Project? 3:46

11M ago3:46

3:46

This summer, the legendary Danish toy manufacturer LEGO announced a breakthrough: lasting bricks made from recycled PET, derived from soda bottles. The research project was considerable, requiring a staff of 150 working through 250 different plastic compositions to create a recycled plastic brick that met LEGO’s tough quality standards. Although an…

1
DARPA To Develop Wireless Power Beaming Technology 2:52

11M ago2:52

2:52

Wireless optical power relays may revolutionize energy distribution. * * * Want to watch this podcast as a video? This Week in Engineering is available on engineering.com TV along with all of our other shows such as End of the Line, Designing the Future, Manufacturing the Future, and the Engineering Roundtable.…

1
An Opposed Piston Engine with No Crankshaft 3:15

11M ago3:15

3:15

The perfection of the internal combustion engine has been sought for almost 150 years. In the process, some innovative and downright odd designs have emerged. Granada, Spain-based INNengine has developed an innovative opposed piston design that does away with crankshafts, replacing them with rotary cam tracks, the pistons functioning in a way simil…

1
Space-Based 5G Networks: The End of Cellular? 3:37

12M ago3:37

3:37

Space-based Internet connectivity as a retail product was pioneered by Elon Musk’s Starlink and players such as Amazon, as well as dedicated space data startups, are clamoring to fill the skies with small sat networks to provide direct-to-home data. Barcelona-based Satelliot plans to take this concept to the next level, with 5G connectivity from or…

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