The Engineer articles from December 2003

The Engineer archives from December 2003

Weight is material.(This Week)
December 5, 2003... The automotive industry is in many respects notoriously conservative. Developers of new technologies offering obvious benefits to manufacturers and drivers alike can spend years trying to find a buyer among the big car makers. Even after...

EU gives France the nod for ITER.(This Week)
December 5, 2003... FRANCE HAS been selected as the European candidate site for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project. ITER aims to develop the technology that will be the basis for commercial fusion power. Europe is competing with...

Breezing into our homes.(This Week)
December 5, 2003... A SCOTTISH company, Windsave, has designed and built the first wind generator for domestic use. It is a sealed unit with three blades designed to be mounted on the roof. The device produces around 750W of power and, though that is only...

Seeing the sunny side of flying.(This Week)
December 5, 2003... BERTRAND PICCARD, the first man to pilot a balloon non stop around the world, has announced plans to circumnavigate the earth in a specially built solar-powered aircraft. The aircraft will have a wingspan of 150m and its entire surface...

Skippy, the passport kangaroo.(This Week)
December 5, 2003... AUSTRALIA HAS unveiled its new high-security tamper-resistant passports. Due to be phased in from this week, the documents feature a laminated data page incorporating an image of a 'floating' kangaroo that appears to hop up and down when...

Tilting at broken bolts.(This Week)
December 5, 2003... ALL 78 of Virgin's Voyager tilting trains were withdrawn from service on Wednesday after a fault was discovered during routine maintenance. Engineers found that a bolt in the transmission system of two of the brand-new trains was broken....

Not so energetic white paper.(This Week)
December 5, 2003... THE GOVERNMENT published its energy white paper last Friday, but failed to use it to set out how the looming energy crisis is to be addressed. As The Engineer has reported in the past two issues, increasing energy demand, coupled with the...

Moth's eye view on screens.(This Week)
December 5, 2003... AUTOTYPE HAS developed an anti-reflective anti-glare film inspired by the eyes of night-flying moths. The Oxfordshire-based firm, which collaborated on the project with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy in Germany, says it has been...

Pensioners.(Good Week)
December 5, 2003... * PENSIONERS: Stuck at home senior citizens are getting into computer gaming, the industry has claimed. The 'grey gamer's can now re-fight World War II in safety in new games such as Medal of Honor: Allied Assault.

Germans.(Good Week)
December 5, 2003... * GERMANS: A German scientist may have invented the telephone, according to papers at the Science Museum. The 19th-century scientist, Philipp Reis, wrote his experiments in an unpublished 400-page manuscript. Using sausage skin, the telephon...

The widget.(Good Week)
December 5, 2003... * THE WIDGET: has been named the greatest technological invention of the past 40 years by readers of a consumer electronics magazine. They think it's the device in cans that uses nitrogen to create a 'head' on beer when of course we all know...

Gherkin.(Bad Week)
December 5, 2003... * GHERKIN: The recently built 180m tower in London, officially named 30 St. Mary Ax but known as the Gherkin, is having problems. The giant glass panels that wrap around it are getting cracks.

Snow lovers.(Bad Week)
December 5, 2003... * SNOW LOVERS: A Swiss-made 2,500 [pounds sterling] snow cannon is on offer for those who want a white Christmas in their back yard. Only needing a connection to a water tap, it can produce up to 1.5[m.sup.3] of artificial snow per hour. But...

Birmingham wheel.(Bad Week)
December 5, 2003... * BIRMINGHAM WHEEL: French visitors to the city's answer to London's Millennium Eye will get a rather confusing pre-recorded French commentary. The Wheel, in Centenary Square and open till the end of January, offers a 15 minute ride in 42...

Weighing up the advantages: UK company perfects technique that could make carbon fibre production cars a reality.(News)(Cover Story)
December 5, 2003... A TECHNIQUE for creating carbon fibre body panels at a quarter of the cost, used on the new MG X-Power SV sports car, could lead to the material being used more widely in vehicle production. The recently launched X-Power SV, designed to...

On track for intelligent immobiliser.(News)
December 5, 2003... A TRACKING system fitted to the MG X-Power SV will allow the car to be located and immobilized if it is stolen. The system, developed by UK instrumentation specialist Omitec, is based on GPS and wireless technology, and is embedded within...

New angle on fish data: Oxford University mimics nature to keep tabs on UK stocks.(News)
December 5, 2003... RESEARCHERS at Oxford University have used hooks designed by nature to create super-strong double-sided fastener for military purposes and secure tracking tags to gather data about the UK's fishing stocks. Dr Andrew Parker and Abigail...

Planet suite: Beagle 2 team reveals next space mission--self-organizing sensors to detect life on other planets.(News)
December 5, 2003... THE UK RESEARCHERS responsible for the Beagle 2 lander have revealed their latest project--self-organising sensors designed to detect the conditions for life on other planets. The sensors could detect life-related chemicals in the Martian...

Broadening our horizons: airline satellite links could be slashed by UK-developed antenna technology.(News)
December 5, 2003... ANTENNA TECHNOLOGY being developed in the UK could significantly cut the cost of equipping commercial airliners with broadband satellite data links. A consortium led by R&D specialist ERA and including Thales Avionics and Chelton aims to...

Flame monitor to reduce power station emissions.(News)
December 5, 2003... AN IMAGING SYSTEM that monitors the characteristics of fossil fuel-fired flames could dramatically improve the efficiency and pollution output of power stations, its developers say. The system, developed by a team led by Prof Yong Yan of...

Steaming into space: US tests technology that could mean more frequent launches and less damage to planet.(News)
December 5, 2003... NASA'S LAUNCH VEHICLES could in future travel into space while producing nothing more environmentally damaging than steam, after the successful testing of two key components destined for use in a hydrogen-fuelled staged combustion rocket...

More power to your amp: mobile base-station efficiency could be improved by up to four times with UK-designed amplifier.(News)
December 5, 2003... A POWER AMPLIFIER designed in the UK could save mobile phone operators millions of pounds on the running costs of their networks, claimed its developer. Nujira said its technology can improve the efficiency of power amplifiers used in...

Generator harvests kinetic energy.(News)
December 5, 2003... SENSORS USED to monitor the structural health and temperature of buildings could one day be powered using energy converted from the vibrations of walls and windows. Dr Masayuki Miyazaki of the System LSI Research Division at Hitachi's...

Stacking up card security: Infineon develops 3D chips based on layers of transistors to foil hackers.(News)
December 5, 2003... CREDIT AND smartcards containing microchips could be made more secure with 30 semiconductors being developed in Germany. Smartcards fitted with microchips are increasingly used to store important personal information or monetary values for...

Biochip diagnoses TB strains in 24 hours.(News)
December 5, 2003... A GEL-BASED BIOCHIP developed by scientists at Moscow's Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology will provide doctors in developing nations with a fast, cheap method to test patients for tuberculosis. The disease kills more people worldwide...

First on the grid: world first as grid technology links supercomputers in the US and UK.(News)
December 5, 2003... SUPERCOMPUTERS in the UK and US have been linked for the first time using grid technology, the system that could ultimately allow previously insoluble problems to be resolved. The grid represents a way of combining the world's most...

Synthetic virus '10 years away from battling pollution'.(News)
December 5, 2003... US RESEARCHERS have successfully developed a synthetic virus in only two weeks using a breakthrough technique, encouraging them to believe that within 10 years they may be able to create viruses large enough to eat pollution and even create...

Eastern promise: Antonov plans to sell non-hydraulic transmission system to China and India.(Business)
December 5, 2003... INDIA AND CHINA will be the focus of efforts to commercialise a new automatic transmission system, the company behind the technology has told its shareholders. Antonov said the potential of the two nations as markets for its gearboxes 'had...

BTG plans cost cuts to get back in the black by 2006.(Business)
December 5, 2003... LONDON-BASED technology commercialisation specialist BTG claimed it is beginning to turn the corner after restructuring itself into a leaner, more focused operation. BTG--which has a portfolio of about 250 technologies--increased the...

Sensing the pressure: acoustic technology could help overcome blow-outs.(Business)
December 5, 2003... THE UK COMPANY developing a new tyre pressure sensor has signed a deal to put its technology on an electronic circuit suitable for widespread use by the automotive industry. Transense Technologies, which uses surface acoustic waves (SAWs)...

Invensys: the UK engineering group, currently 1.6bn [pounds sterling] in debt, is busy offloading unprofitable divisions.(Company Profile)
December 5, 2003... IF PUTTING a business together is difficult, Inveys is discovering that taking one to pieces is just as hard and possibly more nerve-wracking. The UK engineering group has spent more than a year engaged in a very public effort to sell off...

Don't let this plane be yet another honourable academic exercise: everyone will benefit from the high-capacity blended wing body aircraft going into production, but will anyone dare foot the bill.(Comment)
December 5, 2003... THE SEASON of goodwill is approaching, but I don't feel much like roasting chestnuts on an open fire. Why? This year we'll have more chance of seeing Santa's sleigh in the sky than any realistic moves towards building the next revolutionary...

UK can ex-cell itself.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 5, 2003... I agree with Max Glaskin's views on the UK not developing the right engines (Comment, 7 November.) The logic of small light efficient cars is indeed backed up by sales figures. It is a pity that hybrid technology has not so far, gone clown...

Lesson in chaos.(Talking Point)(Letter to the Editor)
December 5, 2003... Your article Russian evolution [Cover feature, 7 November] says that the recent arrest of Mikhail Khodorovsky, head of Russian oil giant Yukos, shows that Russia's business environment is still fairly chaotic. If this is true then it must...

Supply and demand.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 5, 2003... Your opinion piece Act new to keep the lights on (Leader, 7 November) points out that there is likely to be a shortage of centrally-generated power in the future. In the same issue Andrew Shaw (Letters) correctly states that hydrogen is...

Safety within reach.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 5, 2003... Despite the European Commission's new registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals (REACH) proposal, designed specifically to test the safety of tens of thousands of chemicals in household goods, products containing...

Passport control: identity fraud costs the UK 1.3bn [pounds sterling] each year, yet the government is disregarding anti-fraud technologies that could save 10bn [pounds sterling] by plugging the gap before a national ID scheme comes into effect.(Anti-Fraud Technology)
December 5, 2003... THE GOVERNMENT is ignoring new anti-counterfeiting technologies that could save the UK billions of pounds lost through fraud involving passports and other official documents, according to researchers working in the sector. Labour is...

Driven by wire: prodrive's chief dynamics engineer is spreading the word about by-wire technology, which is set to replace many conventional mechanical car systems with electronics.(Interview: Damian Harty)
December 5, 2003... DAMIAN HARTY is one of the first of what may turn out to be a new breed of engineer--an expert in and evangelist for the 'drive-by-wire' technology that could soon transform our everyday cars. Chief dynamics engineer for Prodrive, the...

Roller boaster: an amusement park may seem like a world away from the factory floor, but the development of the world's tallest, fastest roller coaster presented its creators with a familiar set of design problems.(Fluid Power)
December 5, 2003... THE TRADITIONAL roller coaster has a simple--yet appealing--formula. The interminable cranking of the chain as it drags the cars to the top of the hill. The simultaneous build-up of potential energy and rider excitement. The moment when time...

Brave new weld: with a worldwide shortage of skilled welders creating problems for manufacturers, engineers have developed the world's first autonomous welding robot.(Robotics)
December 5, 2003... THE ONCE widely-held notion that robots are stealing our jobs is now little more than technophobia. The reality, of course, is that industrial robots are increasingly being used to carry out the dirty, unpleasant and often dangerous jobs that...

War machining: repair, not replacement is the watchword as the US Army turns to rapid manufacturing technology to fix damaged helicopters.(Materials)
December 5, 2003... WHEN THE US began bombing Afghanistan in October 2001 its military planners expected stiff resistance from tough Taliban fighters equipped with shoulder-launched missiles. In the event the resistance quickly crumpled, but US forces still...

Viennese whirl: an innovative marine propulsion system of pensionable age is updated and brought into the 21st century through clever use of design software.(Software)
December 5, 2003... ALMOST 80 years ago Viennese inventor Ernst Schneider had a very good idea; an idea that had the potential to make ships more manoeuvrable than had ever been possible with the conventional screw propeller. Schneider's vision was a weird and...

A drive in troubled waters: following the unveiling of a technologically advanced high-speed amphibious sports car, a national paper ran a story on its 'sinking'. Ben Hargreaves finds out what went wrong.(Mechanical Components)
December 5, 2003... AT THE end of the summer in London's Docklands the press was given the first demonstration of what was widely regarded as one of the most exciting engineering projects in recent history: the unveiling of Gibbs Technologies' highspeed,...

Autosport warms up for the 2004 season: autosport engineering is part of autosport international at the NEC, Birmingham, 8 & 9 January.(Autosport Engineering)
December 5, 2003... A STUNNING selection of Ferraris will form the highlight of this year's Autosport International exhibition at the NEC, Birmingham. The line-up will include the 575M Maranello, alongside the Ferrari Challenge Stradale, the 550 Barchetta, the...

Beru F1 Systems.(Exhibitors Preview)
December 5, 2003... Beru F1 Systems will be demonstrating the latest versions of its Tyre Pressure Monitoring System. This system takes on new variance for each motor sports arena that it appears in to meet the different needs of each customer. In Formula One the...

Brembo.(Exhibitors Preview)
December 5, 2003... Brembo and DaimlerChrysler have signed a contract to establish a joint venture, which will become effective on 22 January, 2004. Each company will hold a 50 per cent share in Brembo Ceramic Brake Systems SpA, which will be located in the new...

Brown and Miller Racing Solutions.(Exhibitors Preview)
December 5, 2003... With facilities in the UK and USA, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions are the sole manufacturer of the ProGold hose system for applications within the racing industry. Lightweight convoluted and smooth bore PTFE hose is produced in sizes from #2...

Brightwater technologies.(Exhibitors Preview)
December 5, 2003... Brightwater Technologies design and manufacture high precision tyre pressure monitoring systems for motor sport and vehicle testing. The company can offer systems for motor sport from Formula One to Rally Cars, and for vehicle R&D testing...

Deutsch.(Exhibitors Preview)
December 5, 2003... Deutsch, the St Leonards-based connector manufacturer, has launched its evolution in motor sport micro connectors, the AS Micro Ultralite HE. Following the success of the original Microlite HE connector, Deutsch have developed what they claim...

Ohlins Racing.(Exhibitors Preview)
December 5, 2003... A unique air spring concept that has been developed by Ohlins Racing will be on display at the show. The air spring can be applied to all kind of vehicles, where advanced suspension is required. So far the concept has been tested on motorcycles...

Rotronics.(Exhibitors Preview)
December 5, 2003... Rotronics specialises in rolling road test beds and dynamometers for the automotive and motorcycle field. Developed for high-level competition, the company's products are available to all professional service engineers at affordable prices. It...

Forklift trucks.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Forklift Baxters Food Group has chosen Toyota TOYOTA Trucks Industrial Equipment to ...

Encoder.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Encoder The DRS60 incremental shaft encoder, ERWIN SICK 202 launced by...

Motor.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTRACT ENQUIRY NO Motor To generate greater torque at low speeds, MAXON 203 without the need...

Materials handling.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Materials Toyota Industial equipment has TOYOTA 204 Handling been ranked as the...

Accelerometer.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Accelerometer Kistler have announced the type KISTLER 205 8764A500...

Anti-vibration mouting.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Anti-vibration Trelleborg Industrial AVS has TRELLEBORG 206 mounting launched a...

Integrators.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Integrators With the innovative Fixcon WEIDMULLER 207 plug-in ...

Temperature controller.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIRTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Temperature A remote self-powered EUROTHERM 208 Controller observatory set up on an ...

Air systems.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Air Systems Decoma Sybex has invested in AIR CONTROL 209 the latest manufacturing ...

Components.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT EQUIRY NO Components OEM Automatic has released OEM 210 its component catalogue for...

Ties.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT EQUIRY NO Ties Panduit has launched a PANDUIT 211 stainless steel tie design...

Lubricants.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT EQUIRY NO Lubricants Entek International has cut ROCOL 212 costs, incurred as a result...

Measurement and test.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT EQUIRY NO Measurement Llyoyd Instruments has LLOYD 213 and test launced a powerful ...

Cable glands.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT EQUIRY NO Cable Glands Lapp is celebrating its 25th LAPP 214 anniversary of its Skintop...

Engineering consultants.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT EQUIRY NO Engineering Completion of the firts full M G BENNETT 215 Consultants set of wing skins, some ...

Surface treatment.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT EQUIRY NO Surface Due to increasing market IMPACT 216 Treatment demand, specialist surface...

Sealing rings.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT EQUIRY NO Sealing James Walker's Supergraf LF JAMES 217 Rings low-friction sealing rings ...

Materials.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT EQUIRY NO Materials The newly installed 12.2m BROOKHOUSE 218 working length autoclave at...

Cable glands.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT EQUIRY NO Cable Glands Hazardous area equipment HAWKE 219 specialist Hawke ...

Enclosure cooling units.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT EQUIRY NO Enclosure Rittal has launched the next RITTAL 220 Cooling generation of enclosure...

Safety.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Safety Towersayf is a revolutionary CAPITAL 221 permanent fall arrest system ...

Enclosures.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Enclosures The new Rittal Electronic Systems RITTAL 222 400-page catalogue...

Annunciators.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Annuciators It is widely acknowledged RTK that traditional, dedicated ...

Lubricants.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Lubricants Rocol Lubricants has unveilled ROCOL 224 new packaging across its...

Sensors.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Sensors The Contrinex 520 series range CONTRINEX 225 of M8 and M12 inductive...

Control.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Control ATF Distributors have developed ATF 226 its product range...

Switches.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Switches Need a switch that is EAO 227 immediately ...

Compressors.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Compressors Providing night shift COMPAIR 228 engineering cover at...

Computing.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Computing Datalux designs and DATALUX 229 manufactures rugged...

Inspection.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Inspection An all-in-one exhaust noise BRUEL & 230 inspector system has...

Fasteners.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Fasteners Now available from Bulte BULTE 231 Plastics is its free ...

Packaging.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Packaging The Tri-Wall design team at DS DS SMITH 232 Smith have...

Inverters.(Update)
December 5, 2003... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Inverters Honeywell's new NXL Series of HONEYWELL 233 compact inverters for...