Manufacturing Technology
Kimberly-Clark Professional | January 16, 2024
Kimberly-Clark Professional™ announced the availability of new Kimtech™ Polaris™ Nitrile Exam Gloves for use in laboratory settings that afford users the highest level of protection, durability and comfort from a glove in the Kimtech portfolio.
Featuring a new dark magenta color unique to Kimberly-Clark Professional and a proprietary high-quality nitrile formulation, Kimtech Polaris Nitrile Exam Gloves have one of the lowest acceptable quality levels (AQL) for pinholes at 0.65, when compared to leading competitors. The average tensile strength is 31 megapascal (MPa) after aging, more than double the strength of the industry standard. The gloves also have been tested against some of the harshest chemicals used in labs and industrial work environments,1 meeting and exceeding the industry standards for exam gloves.
"Kimtech Polaris Nitrile Exam Gloves were created with the end-user in mind and represent a new chapter in innovation for Kimberly-Clark Professional," said Anuj Sinha, General Manager, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Partnership Products, Kimberly-Clark Professional North America. "Our goal was to elevate the glove – making it more durable than our other gloves without sacrificing comfort."
Certified by U.S. Ergonomics, Kimtech Polaris Nitrile Exam Gloves provide measurable ergonomic benefits to the user by improving comfort and fit and minimizing the risk factors that may cause injuries. The gloves are specifically designed to protect professionals in laboratory settings, and they are also suitable for industrial work environments, pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical device manufacturing and biotechnology.
"These exam gloves are typically worn for long periods, so comfort was top of mind when designing Polaris," said Sinha. "Beyond the fit of the glove, we gave it breathability and thermal comfort resulting in a glove 80% of daily glove users found favorable versus their current glove, according to a recent study.2"
In addition to delivering greater comfort and superior barrier protection, Kimtech Polaris Nitrile Exam Gloves will also help in advancing customers' sustainability goals, as it is recyclable through The RightCycle™ Program by Kimberly-Clark Professional. Through The RightCycle Program, eligible non-hazardous Kimberly-Clark Professional PPE waste, such as Kimtech Polaris Nitrile Exam Gloves, are collected at the end user's facility and taken to a recycling partner where they are turned into plastic pellets used to make durable consumer goods.
Kimtech Polaris Nitrile Exam Gloves do not contain silicone,3 are food contact safe4 and meet United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) <800> guidelines.5 The gloves are available for purchase as of Jan. 2, 2024, and are being stocked by a large number of scientific and industrial distributors.
About Kimberly-Clark Professional™
Kimberly-Clark Professional™ partners with businesses to create Exceptional Workplaces, helping to make them healthier, safer and more productive. Key brands in this segment include Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, KleenGuard and Kimtech. To see how Kimberly-Clark Professional is helping people around the world to work better
About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of people's most essential needs, we create products that help individuals experience more of what is important to them. Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Neve, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and WypAll, hold No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in approximately 80 countries. We use sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, build strong communities, and ensure our business thrives for decades to come. We are proud to be recognized as one of the world's most ethical companies by Ethisphere for the fifth year in a row.
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Robotics and Automation
Epson America, Inc. | January 10, 2024
The new Epson Robots GX-B Series SCARA robots models engineered to help users develop powerful automation solutions easily, are now available. The GX-B Series delivers optimal performance and is equipped with industrial-rated safety features, taking SCARA robot performance to the next level with ultra-high performance and flexibility for today's medical device, electronics and consumer electronics markets.
"The latest GX-B Series is our most advanced lineup to date, enabling integrators to meet a wider range of customer needs with high-performing, reliable solutions that fit seamlessly into workflows for a range of industries," said Scott Marsic, group product manager, Epson America, Inc. "These new SCARA robots are powerful, automation solutions with a low total cost of ownership, expanding opportunities for our partners."
Leveraging four decades of expertise, the GX-B Series robots are built to meet precise automation demands that help manufacturers tackle the most demanding tasks. Offering multiple arm configurations, handle payloads up to 10 and 20 kg, high throughput and high payloads, the GX10B and GX20B's versatile features empower machine builders to conquer challenging applications with leading-edge precision.
Making the robots even simpler to program, the GX-B Series robots seamlessly integrate with the Epson RC+® industrial Automation Development Software, use advanced GYROPLUS® vibration reduction technology to provide fast production speeds, smooth motion control and fast settling times and are powered by the RC700E next-generation controller with powerful motion control to enhance productivity.
Additional features include
Ultra-high performance and flexibility — high throughput with heavy payloads and multiple arm configurations for the most demanding tasks with leading-edge precision
Fast cycle times — high acceleration, smooth motion and fast settling times to maximize throughput with proprietary GYROPLUS vibration reduction system, plus no ringing or overshoot1
Ultimate ease of use — intuitive and feature-packed Epson RC+ development software helps create powerful solutions with a simple user interface, integrated debugger and advanced 3D simulator
Low total cost of ownership — includes battery-less encoders and Epson RC+ software with no recurring license fee; rich suite of safety features with RC700E controller
SafeSense™ technology — standard and advanced safety features can allow for increased productivity and worker protection while potentially minimizing machine footprint due to the reduction of physical barriers
Optimized footprint — table, wall- and ceiling-mount options; GX10B has 650 and 850 mm reaches available; the GX20B has 850 and 1,000 mm reaches available; longer Z axis available on both models
Built for demanding environments — Standard, Cleanroom (ISO3)2 and ESD, and Protected IP65 models available
Advanced integrated options — Vision Guidance, Parts Feeding, Force Guidance, Conveyor Tracking, Fieldbus and API.NET
Industry 4.0 ready — advanced OPC UA for robotics connectivity provides next-level integration and monitoring
About Epson Robots
Epson Robots is a global leader in PC-controlled precision factory automation, with well over 150,000 units sold worldwide1 and a product line of hundreds of models of easy-to-use SCARA and 6-Axis robots based on a common PC-based platform. Building on four decades of experience, Epson Robots delivers robots for precision assembly and material handling applications in the aerospace, appliance, automotive, biotechnology, consumer product, electronics, food processing, medical device, pharmaceutical, plastics, semiconductor, and telecommunication industries.
About Epson
Epson is a global technology leader whose philosophy of efficient, compact and precise innovation enriches lives and helps create a better world. The company is focused on solving societal issues through innovations in home and office printing, commercial and industrial printing, manufacturing, visual and lifestyle. Epson's goal is to become carbon negative and eliminate use of exhaustible underground resources such as oil and metal by 2050.
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Manufacturing Technology
MaxLinear | February 02, 2024
MaxLinear, Inc. a leading provider of high-speed interconnect ICs enabling data center, metro, and wireless transport networks, announced the availability of a comprehensive product design kit (PDK) to optimize performance and accelerate the time to market for high-speed Active Electrical Cables (AEC) using MaxLinear’s 5nm PAM4 DSP, Keystone. The PDK is a cost-cutting and time-saving tool for cable manufacturers who want to quickly integrate Keystone into their active electrical cables.
MaxLinear’s Keystone PAM4 DSP offers a significant power advantage in AEC applications, which is increasingly becoming a critical factor for hyperscale data centers. The use of 5nm CMOS technology enables designers and manufacturers to build high-speed cables that meet the need for low power, highly integrated, high performance interconnect solutions that will drive the next generation of hyperscale cloud networks.
Manufacturers taking advantage of MaxLinear’s PDK to optimize cable designs using Keystone PAM4 DSP will gain a distinct advantage over competitor solutions when trying to maximize reach and minimize power consumption. The PDK makes Keystone easy to integrate with strong applications support, multiple tools to optimize and monitor performance, and reference designs (SW and HW) to accelerate integration. Sophisticated software allows for quick design optimization for the lowest possible power consumption and maximizing cable reach. Cable designers can constantly monitor performance, route signals from any port to any port, and take advantage of hitless firmware upgrades.
“MaxLinear is focused on providing not only industry-leading interconnect technologies but also a comprehensive suite of tools to support our manufacturing and design partners,” said Drew Guckenberger, Vice President of High Speed Interconnect at MaxLinear. “Our development kit for our Keystone products provides them with a path to take products to market more quickly and more cost-effectively.”
Active electrical cables (AECs) are revolutionizing data center connections. Unlike passive cables, they actively boost signals, allowing for longer distances (up to 7 meters for 400G), higher bandwidth, and thinner, lighter cables. This makes them ideal for high-speed applications like top-of-rack connections (connecting switches to servers within the same rack); direct digital control (enabling flexible interconnectivity within racks and across rows); and breakout solutions (splitting high-speed connections into multiple lower-speed channels). The high-speed interconnect market – which includes active optical cables, active electrical cables, direct attach copper cables, and others – is expected to grow to $17.1B by 2028, up from $10.7B in 2021 according to a market forecast report from The Insight Partners.
The Keystone Family
The Keystone 5nm DSP family caters to 400G and 800G applications, featuring a groundbreaking 106.25Gbps host side electrical I/O, aligning with the line side interface rate. Available variants support single-mode optics (EML and SiPh), multimode optics and Active Electrical Cables (AECs), offering comprehensive solutions with companion TIAs.
Host side interfaces cover ethernet rates of 25G, 50G, and 100G per lane over C2M, MR, and LR host channels. The line side interfaces, tailored for 100G/λ DR, FR, and LR applications, also support these rates. These devices boast extensive DSP functionality, encompassing line-side transmitter DPD, TX FIR, receiver FFE, and DFE.
With exceptional performance and signal integrity, these DSPs occupy a compact footprint (12mm x 13mm), ideal for next-gen module form-factors like QSFP-DD800 and OSFP800. Additionally, they are available as Known Good Die (KGD) for denser applications, such as OSFP-XD.
About MaxLinear, Inc.
MaxLinear, Inc. is a leading provider of radio frequency (RF), analog, digital, and mixed-signal integrated circuits for access and connectivity, wired and wireless infrastructure, and industrial and multimarket applications. MaxLinear is headquartered in Carlsbad, California.
MaxLinear, the MaxLinear logo, any other MaxLinear trademarks are all property of MaxLinear, Inc. or one of MaxLinear's subsidiaries in the U.S.A. and other countries. All rights reserved.
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