The Engineer articles from April 2007

The Engineer archives from April 2007

COMMENT: Mini-celebration is called for.
April 9, 2007... Everyone likes a good milestone and companies are always quick to remind us when their product reaches one. You know the type of thing: 'If you laid end-to-end all the KitKats ever made they would reach to the Moon... You could fill the...

THE BIG PICTURE: The sky's the limit.
April 9, 2007... World first as Atkins installs wind turbine blades on Bahrain World Trade Centre Atkins, Europe's largest multidisciplinary consultant, recently celebrated a world first with the installation of wind turbine blades on the Bahrain World...

THE BIG PICTURE: Eyes on the universe.
April 9, 2007... An instrument developed in the UK to study an unexplored part of the universe has left for installation on the European Space Agency's (ESA) Herschel spacecraft in Germany. The Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (Spire) was...

THE BIG PICTURE: Software for stress-free scans.
April 9, 2007... Two new technologies to enhance MRI could help make scans less stressful and provide sharper images. Both techniques - one from Siemens, the other from the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics - reduce the need for the patient to remain...

IN BRIEF: First step to optical 'cloak'.(Brief article)
April 9, 2007... Researchers at Purdue University, Indiana, have taken a step towards creating an optical cloaking device that could render objects invisible by guiding light around anything placed inside the 'cloak'. engineers have created a theoretical...

IN BRIEF: Filter helps telescopes tune in.(Brief article)
April 9, 2007... Prof Mike Lancaster and his team at Birmingham University are using superconductors to build filters for radio telescopes to make them more sensitive to distant objects such as remote, evolving galaxies. With astronomers at the Jodrell Bank...

IN BRIEF: Eco-friendly building blocks.(Brief article)
April 9, 2007... Dr John Forth from Leeds University has invented a building block made mainly of recycled glass, metal slag, sewage sludge, incinerator ash and pulverised fuel ash from power stations. He believes the 'Bitublock' has the potential to change...

NEWS: Sharper focus.
April 9, 2007... Leading optical firms collaborate on more accurate endoscopic diagnosis without biopsies Equipment that displays sharp-focus, high-resolution images during endoscopies has been shown to provide diagnostics so accurate it reduces the need...

NEWS: Flight plan.
April 9, 2007... Military successfully trials technology which enables one pilot to control UAVs A system which allows a single pilot to fly his or her own aircraft while simultaneously directing up to four further unmanned planes has been successfully...

NEWS: Sound solution.
April 9, 2007... Windows framed in piezoelectric crystals could be the ultimate in soundproofing THE WORLD is getting noisier. Aircraft and traffic din, burglar and car alarms and loud music are all intrusive and impossible to block out completely. Even...

NEWS: Shining example.
April 9, 2007... Hella's new car lighting system may help cut accidents by protecting drivers from glare Automotive lighting specialist Hella is teaming up with leading European car manufacturers to bring its intelligent headlight system into full series...

NEWS: All systems go.
April 9, 2007... European-funded project aims to increase the reliability of autonomous underwater vehicles Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are essential to deep-water oil exploration, military reconnaissance and scientific expeditions, exploring...

NEWS: Danger flocks get the bird.
April 9, 2007... Airport bird dispersal technology uses GPS satellite navigation for more accurate tracking A BIRD DISPERSAL system using GPS technology has been designed to more accurately track local bird activity around airports and on aircraft...

VIEWPOINT: Who wants to know?
April 9, 2007... Innovative engineering is needed if privacy is to survive the information revolution, says Nigel Gilbert Increasing amounts of electronic data about us are being collected as we go about our daily lives. This has some advantages - it makes...

LETTER: Limit engine power.(Letter to the editor)
April 9, 2007... In the wake of continually improving engine design, car manufacturers have opted to increase the power output of a set engine size rather than maintaining a set power output using a smaller engine. This decision manifests itself in two...

LETTER: Facts of energy life.(Letter to the editor)
April 9, 2007... I don't usually comment on letters about energy issues, but Robert Palgrave's comments (Letters, 12 March) were based on incorrect facts. First, the main supplies of uranium come from Canada and Australia and not unstable countries as...

LETTER: Real cost of green.(Letter to the editor)
April 9, 2007... In describing the attempts to make fossil fuel technology greener (Interview,12 March) mention of the falling off in the efficiency of pure combustion of pulverised fuel (PF) being reduced by a further 10 per cent using CO2 scrubbing does not...

DEEP-SEA ROBOTICS: Dive for the stars.
April 9, 2007... How an autonomous submersible with a difference could pave the way for a future mission to seek out life in lakes beneath the ice on one of Jupiter's moons. Niall Firth reports The robot was jammed 25m down, just under the roof of one of...

INSIGHT: Overseas call.
April 9, 2007... Motorola is offering rural users in developing countries a specially designed mobile phone that it hopes will win it an extra billion customers. Niall Firth reports Motofone, Motorola's newest handset, was conceived amid the colourful...

MANAGING TECHNOLOGY: Designs on the market.
April 9, 2007... Spotting future trends and tailoring products to customers' needs makes designers essential, says Mike Cane Smart companies do not just monitor change - they consider its implications and respond to the cultural, lifestyle, demographic,...

MANAGING TECHNOLOGY: A move in the right direction.
April 9, 2007... James Dyson offers some pointers on how to manage a successful offshore manufacturing operation Manufacturing goes beyond making things in a factory. For us, assembly comes at the very end of a long period of research, design and...

INTERVIEW: Wave master.(Interview)
April 9, 2007... Stephen Salter, the father of wave power, has seen his technology fall from favour only to come back into fashion. His new device aims to tackle global warming. Stuart Nathan reports Wave power is on the rise. As concerns grow over the...

DESIGN ENGINEERING: Copper change.
April 9, 2007... NHS to begin clinical trials of copper surfaces in a bid to combat MRSA and other hospital-acquired infections. Siobhan Wagner reports Stainless steel hospital surfaces might look spotlessly clean, but the reported 300,000 patients who...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - FUEL CELLS: On demand.
April 9, 2007... Canadian team develops hydrogen generator with a view to powering take- anywhere chargers and battery replacements for mobiles, PDAs and laptops. Siobhan Wagner reports A Canadian research group has developed a hydrogen generator that can...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - MATERIALS: Mixed double.
April 9, 2007... All-in-one bone cement mixing device is claimed to speed up bone surgery and help make theatres more sterile. Siobhan Wagner reports It might look like a simple glue gun, but a bone cement mixing device made from a plastic metal...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - DRIVES: A turn of speed.
April 9, 2007... The global application of drives is spreading as they come down in price, become easier to integrate and, more importantly, save money. Colin Carter reports The surge in the use of drives is now a worldwide phenomenon - in the consumer...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - FLUID POWER: Less hot air.
April 9, 2007... Understanding how electrical and hydraulic devices work and reducing the amount of energy they use will have more impact than changing lightbulbs, report Julia Pierce Steady progression rather than shattering innovation has always been...

COMMENT: F1 cleans up its act.
April 23, 2007... Formula One. The speed, the excitement, the glamour, the money, the environmental friendliness. Admittedly, the last bit doesn't sound quite right. The fact is, however, that international motorsport, though not renowned for its green...

THE BIG PICTURE: A star is born.
April 23, 2007... Global collaboration results in most detailed picture yet of giant stellar nursery An international team of astronomers has collaborated to create the most detailed image ever produced of the Rosette Nebula - a giant stellar nursery. ...

THE BIG PICTURE: BAE sets sights on US army contract.
April 23, 2007... BAE Systems has successfully tested 20 rounds of a new form of GPS- guided cannon ammunition for the US Army. The company fired the 155mm projectiles equipped with its Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) test modules at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona....

THE BIG PICTURE: Rocket-powered aircraft on the runway.
April 23, 2007... Californian-based space company XCOR Aerospace has won a US Air Force contract to design a rocket-powered vehicle capable of reaching 200,000ft altitude and supersonic speeds. Using government and private funding, XCOR plans to develop a...

IN BRIEF: Mobiles to help cut road deaths.(Brief article)
April 23, 2007... Nissan is working with Japanese mobile phone group NTT DoCoMo to develop an advanced Intelligent Transportation System that uses GPS- enabled mobile phones to help reduce pedestrian road accidents at blind spots. The system will use location...

IN BRIEF: Bath's light-bulb moment.(Brief article)
April 23, 2007... An international research project led by Bath University aims to bring the unique properties of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) to the mass market to revolutionise how we light our homes and even design clothes. The Modecom consortium...

IN BRIEF: Packaging from natural fibres.(Brief article)
April 23, 2007... Sainsbury's and Sheffield Hallam University are combining to develop modified natural fibre-based packaging that could help reduce carbon emissions. The #23m EU project, SustainPack, will produce easily degradable, renewable and recyclable...

NEWS: Good looker.
April 23, 2007... Project sets out to better understand radar and improve identification of small or slow-moving targets Radar technology is constantly evolving, but systems still struggle to identify exactly what a target is, spot small targets or see...

NEWS: Sunshine dream.
April 23, 2007... UK project uses bioscience breakthrough to harvest solar energy for use as hydrogen fuel Researchers at Imperial College London aim to develop a renewable, cost- effective method for harvesting solar energy to produce hydrogen fuel. ...

NEWS: On the right wavelength.
April 23, 2007... Precise control of billions of individual electrons at high speed is now possible claim scientists A newly-discovered method to precisely control the movements of billions of individual electrons within a material could have applications...

NEWS: Clean machine.
April 23, 2007... The Eco-Log emissions tracker may help cut pollutants and encourage fleet managers to save money on fuel A black box that calculates the true emissions of a moving vehicle, reporting the level and composition of its pollutants, could slash...

NEWS: Sporting challenge.
April 23, 2007... Goal of 'digital stadium' is to give match fans the same hi-tech add- ons as those watching at home A stadium linking the physical and digital worlds so that spectators at a game or event can enjoy the same technical benefits as those...

NEWS: The glittering prize.
April 23, 2007... Diamond-lined fusion reactors could eradicate wall erosion and lead to reliable energy source Nuclear fusion could one day provide a reliable source of energy thanks in part to researchers from two UK universities who aim to use a...

VIEWPOINT: Model behaviour.
April 23, 2007... Robotics is rapidly becoming one of the leading fields of science and technology. Soon humanity will coexist with a new class of technological artefacts. Robots can help humans with several activities and solve many problems, from...

LETTER: Too much hot air.(Letter to the editor)
April 23, 2007... Many of the arguments surrounding efficient and environmentally- friendly energy generation seem a little less than rational. The primary issue is to cut back fast on the use of carbon-based fuels. putting down nuclear-based and solar-cell...

LETTER: The big divide.(Letter to the editor)
April 23, 2007... I was disappointed that the ICE Council rejected a full merger with the IMechE, and is only likely to progress with alliances and links in areas such as policy formation. I believe it is vital for the main institutions to converge and...

LETTER: Taking Mini issue.(Letter to the editor)
April 23, 2007... Regarding your 'Mini celebration' article (Comment, 9 April) BMW did not 'rescue' Mini from MG Rover, they kept the asset that was new Mini when they decided to offload the rest of the Rover Group. In doing so they almost certainly...

LETTER: Beginning of the end?(Letter to the editor)
April 23, 2007... The engineering of solutions is easier if we know the reasons why. So I would like to add to the comments of Messrs Rivers, Porter and Wright (Letters, 26 March) and many previous correspondents. Global energy demand vastly exceeds our...

LETTER: Sine of the times.(Letter to the editor)
April 23, 2007... I was incensed by a radio presenter, recently returned from a French holiday, who asked: 'Who needs algebra and all the other stuff they make you learn at school like sines, cosines, graphs etc which is never any use to anybody.' I sent...

F1 TECHNOLOGY: Survival race.
April 23, 2007... Formula One fans can look forward to more cut and thrust on the track as new rules turn the sport into a laboratory for hybrid vehicles and help protect it from green critics. Dan Thisdell reports Formula One motor racing boils with an...

INSIGHT: Magic monitor.
April 23, 2007... Siemens' latest box of tricks is a portable alert that can be programmed as a security device to protect possessions or a personal alarm to help look after children or elderly people. Jon Excell reports Like many good ideas, it began in a...

TECHNOLOGY: Back the start-ups.
April 23, 2007... The UK must improve its poor record of support for small entrepreneurs who are vital to a strong economy, says John Millar Traditional methods for supporting UK entrepreneurs are not producing enough successful innovation-based...

TECHNOLOGY: Collaborate to compete.
April 23, 2007... The shift in market forces has led to major organisations looking at the benefits of working with clusters of small and medium sized companies, says Fiona Tatton The way organisations are doing business is changing. Leading companies...

INTERVIEW: Mover and shaker.(Interview)
April 23, 2007... For over 80 years Bell Labs has been at the heart of the world's communications developments. Now its president Jeong Kim is heading the challenge to add some commercial steel. Niall Firth reports Bill Gates must shudder at the very...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - WASTE TREATMENT: Burning desire.
April 23, 2007... UK-developed clean waste incineration process combining gasification and plasma arc melting could solve landfill site problem and provide electricity. Stuart Nathan reports We have a problem with rubbish. Constant exhortations to recycle...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - MICRO MILLING: Away with the sway.
April 23, 2007... Milling device aims to put a stop to unwanted movements and allow small metal components to be produced more quickly. Siobhan Wagner reports A milling device that compensates for the rocking and swaying generated by machine vibrations...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - TOOLING: Cut and dried.
April 23, 2007... Improved techniques for high-performance tooling manufacture are expanding the range of materials that can be cut with a single product. Martin Oakham reports For as long as cutting tools have existed, we have been faced with the problem...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - PROCESS CONTROL: Shared logic.
April 23, 2007... Improved automation infrastructures and a greater exchange of information between business and technology systems is the way to improve cost efficiency and safety. Colin Carter explains The manufacturing constraints used in the production...

SPECIAL REPORT: An all-in-one package.
April 23, 2007... Next month's Total Processing and Packaging exhibition at the NEC has a totally new look and promises something for everyone. Julia Pierce reports Whatever your processing and packaging needs - whether it is raw materials storage and...

CAREERS: Revved up for jobs.
April 23, 2007... Contrary to the dismal picture painted by recent plant closures, the automotive industry is actively recruiting in the UK, writes Julia Pierce Ask the average person about the current state of recruitment in the automotive sector and you...