Montana State University offers a new technology for licensing to entrepreneurs. "The Fractor"

Bozeman Montana State University faculty have developed a prototype device that could make everything from robotic arms, to computer hard drives to heating and ventilation systems operate more efficiently and with less wear.

The technology, known as the Fractor, is the latest available for licensing at MSU. Interested companies and entrepreneurs should contact Nick Zelver with the MSU Technology Transfer Office at (406) 994-7868, http://tto.montana.edu/technologies or by e-mail at [email protected]. MSU requests that interest be expressed in writing Nov. 8, 2006.

Robotic arms, computer hard drives and heating ventilation systems all involve something known as "process control."

Set a thermostat for 70 degrees and the temperature may rise to 72, then drop to 69, then rise to 71 before settling on the desired setting. Ask a robotic arm to find a point to weld and it may swing back and forth over the target a few times before finding the exact location, same with an arm that recovers data from a spinning hard-drive disc. All of these are examples of process control and how current process control is inefficient.

The Fractor holds the possibility of eliminating that inefficiency by directing the robotic arm to the correct location the first time or by having the temperature rise to exactly the correct setting and then maintaining it. The Fractor holds potential for a wide range of industries where materials are mixed or heated.

To date, MSU has 110 active licenses for technologies developed by faculty. Sixty-seven of those licenses are with Montana companies.

This article is available on the Web at:
http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=4181