May Hardware Roundup: Special Hardware News Edition

Our roundup video this month is hosted by Andy, Fictiv’s Director of Supply! We’ll be diving into butterfly mechanisms, digital circuit breakers, and the latest in sanctions. We’ve also included a special section dedicated to the most compelling findings from our State of Hardware report.

Hardware Knowledge

• Apple is tweaking the design of its butterfly keyboard with new materials in the switch mechanism. + iFixit took a look.
• Designing for Super Duty trucks in an age where engines are shrinking and losing cylinders. + Evolution of racing tires.
• Bosch adapted autonomous driving technology to develop a sensor box for flying taxis.
• The world’s first digital circuit breaker was certified for commercial use.
• NASA and Virgin Orbit 3D-printed a rocket combustion chamber from multiple metals.
• May Measurement Update: The kilogram was redefined for precise measurement.

Fictiv’s 2019 State of Hardware Results

• Agile Manufacturing: Teams are staying agile as they avoid tariffs, increase speed, and control quality. 51% are using local manufacturers for prototyping needs, while 48% are using them for production.
• Scaling Into Production: 2 of 3 were either dissatisfied or somewhat satisfied with their manufacturer’s ability to ramp production volumes up or down.
• Costs & Capital: 43% of respondents didn’t feel that they had enough resources to manage their supply chain.
• Quiz Question: Which CAD software was the most popular among hardware developers? Read the report to find out.

Industry News

• Reviewing Huawei’s options, now that it’s blocked from accessing U.S. technology. The tech world may start to get carved up along national boundaries. + Footwear’s open letter on sanctions.
• A faulty aluminum scam caused two NASA failures by critically affecting the rocket’s aluminum extrusions.
• How smaller companies are developing their products to compete with home security giants like Amazon and Google.

Events + Community

• Fictiv’s State of Hardware roadshow will be coming to NYC on June 4 and Pittsburgh on June 5. Be sure to RSVP!
• We’ll also be at MT360 on June 18, leading a discussion on accelerating design cycles with intelligent manufacturing technology.

For the Love of Delivery Robots

Digit the two-legged robot has been designed to execute the final step in the delivery process.

See you next month!