The Engineer articles from January 2004

The Engineer archives from January 2004

Man with a (second) mission.(This Week)
January 9, 2004... CAN IT BE TRUE that Beagle 2 is now in pieces, strewn across the arid surface of Mars end slowly disappearing beneath the planet's endlessly shifting sands? All the signs are that this inspirational project has come to a rude and undeserved and...

Sur-prize, sur-Prius.(This Week)
January 9, 2004... A HYBRID VEHICLE, the Toyota Prius, was the surprise Car of the Year on Monday at the opening of the Detroit Motor Show, beating competition from the gas-guzzling Cadillac XLR roadster and the Mazda RX-8 sports car. The hybrid Prius has...

BAE aims to foil air attacks.(This Week)
January 9, 2004... BAE Systems is one of three firms selected by the US government to investigate the development of equipment to protect passenger aircraft from surface-to-air missile attacks. United Airlines and Northrop Grumman will also help determine...

ITER indecision is final.(This Week)
January 9, 2004... A DECISION on the location of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project has been deferred until next month. The ITER partners failed to reach agreement at a meeting on 20 December, declaring the two sites under...

Phone crackle told to buzz off.(This Week)
January 9, 2004... RESEARCHERS at the University of Michigan College of Engineering have found a simple way to dramatically cut the interference microwave ovens create in telephones and wireless computer networks. Microwave ovens often cause little more than...

Simulator with shock effects.(This Week)
January 9, 2004... THE WORLD'S first bomb blast simulator Is being built at the University of California, San Diego. It will be the first facility designed to study structural damage without creating actual explosions. The shockwaves from explosions can...

Premature babies get a breath of fresh air.(This Week)
January 9, 2004... TWO AUSTRALIAN companies have found a way to ensure premature babies suffering from respiratory difficulties in developing countries receive adequate oxygen. Most hospitals in developed countries have access to compressed oxygen and air....

Robot translator answers back.(This Week)
January 9, 2004... NEC HAS DEVELOPED the first robot capable of speech translation. Papero (Partner-type personal robot) is able to listen and see and is intended as a robotic home assistant. High-speed speech recognition software allows the robot to...

Cats.(Good Week)
January 9, 2004... * CATS: An American Who became fed up with cleaning litter trays has designed a feline toilet seat. Customers have reported that it is easy to train cats to use it and the designer is flushed with success.

UFO spotters.(Good Week)
January 9, 2004... * UFO SPOTTERS: The Russians are developing a drone that looks exactly like a flying saucer Test flights of the device are due to take place in the US--and will probably cause mass hysteria as Americans think they are coming under alien attack....

Shrimps.(Bad Week)
January 9, 2004... * SHRIMPS: Scientist at line Medical Research Council are developing a nasal spray made from ground shrimp shells, which will be used to treat allergies in humans. Hay fever sufferers say they feel prawn again.

Hand creams.(Bad Week)
January 9, 2004... * HAND CREAMS: Qantas confirmed that creams have been activating an airport security device that is supposed to detect explosives Passengers who moisturise are being advised to ovoid naked flames.

Civil servant: Australians launch low-cost UAV to carry out dangerous and difficult tasks.(News)
January 9, 2004... AUSTRALIAN RESEARCHERS have designed an unmanned aerial vehicle using low-cost systems, making it affordable for civil as well as military use. The helicopter-like Mantis, designed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research...

On the right wavelength: wave prediction system helps helicopters land safely on vessels in rough seas.(News)
January 9, 2004... A SYSTEM designed to predict the size of waves heading for offshore vessels, improving safety and efficiency in the oil and gas industry and naval operations, is being developed in the UK with support from Shell. Offshore oil and gas...

Nanotubes complete the circuit.(News)
January 9, 2004... RESEARCHERS AT the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University have created a working integrated silicon circuit that incorporates carbon nanotubes in its design--an important step towards building advanced nanoelectrie...

View to a kill: targeting system based on insect eyes will improve the accuracy of missiles and allow them to avoid decoys.(News)
January 9, 2004... A TARGETING SYSTEM based on the eye of an insect could improve the accuracy of future weapons, allowing them to avoid flares and other counter measures designed to throw them off course. The DARPA-funded project, led by materials science...

Spark of inspiration: beetle-inspired combustion unit could reignite failed jet engines.(News)
January 9, 2004... A DEFENCE MECHANISM of the bombardier beetle could be used to reignite jet engines that have failed in mid-air. The bombardier beetle defends itself by squirting a boiling liquid at its predators. Andy McIntosh, professor of thermodynamics...

France on the road to a quieter life.(News)
January 9, 2004... A NOISE BARRIER for roads developed in France is at least 30 per cent more effective than existing technology, its inventors claim. Developed jointly by researchers from the French engineering school Ecole Polytechnique and road safety...

Network supersaver: Network Rail tests train warning technology for rural unmanned level crossings.(News)
January 9, 2004... NETWORK RAIL is to test radio-based train warning technology in a bid to improve safety at level crossings in remote rural locations. The railway infrastructure operator will trial a system developed by Swedish rail safety specialist Track...

Decontaminating blood in minutes, not hours.(News)
January 9, 2004... RESEARCHERS at the US Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory are developing magnetic nanoparticles that can cleanse the blood of biological and radioactive contaminants. The technique, which could eventually be used to treat...

Full steam ahead: waste-to-energy firm gets major push with Qinetiq deal for shipboard recycling units.(Business)
January 9, 2004... COMPACT POWER, the company developing waste-to-steam systems, has signed a deal to develop shipboard recycling units for technology giant Qinetiq. The development agreement is potentially a big step forward for Bristol-based Compact Power...

Restructuring set to pay off for engineering group.(Business)
January 9, 2004... IN A RECENT trading update to its shareholders West Midlands-based global engineering group IMI was cautiously upbeat over its prospects for 2004 after several years of intensive restructuring. The company said there were signs of a modest...

Warding off airborne germs: hospital to test ultraviolet air cleansing technique.(Business)
January 9, 2004... A UK HOSPITAL is to test ultraviolet air-cleansing technology following a deal between the NHS and the Surrey company that developed the system and is now attempting to commercialise it. Energy Technique said the unnamed hospital would fit...

Innovision: getting the world's biggest retailer onside confirms that RFID tagging is a technology with big prospects.(Company Profile)
January 9, 2004... IT HELPS to have powerful allies when attempting to break a technology into the mass market. For Innovision and others working in the radio frequency identification (RFID) sector, friends don't come with much mere muscle than US retailer...

Time to turn the tide.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 9, 2004... Loan Richard mentions the difference in energy density between moving water and moving air, and the problems associated with wind turbines (Letters, 21 November). But what about energy from the tides? As a scuba diver in Scottish waters, I...

Playing a big part in the future.(Talking Point)(Letter to the Editor)
January 9, 2004... I was very interested in your report 'Speed Metal' (Design Engineering, 7 November). These processes for manufacturing metal parts will have a significant role in the future. Building real functional pares using an additive process has become...

More lines on lanes.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 9, 2004... Darren Beaumont (Letters, 21 November) criticises drivers who, by refusing to use nearside motorway lanes, get in the way and slow down traffic travelling over 70mph. But has he given consideration to others who obey the speed limit and...

Power and insecurity.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 9, 2004... Following Russia's recent withdrawal from the Kyoto agreement, the treaty is surely a dead letter. The energy-hungry US, the world's biggest emitter, pulled out in March 2001; China and India don't have to take part; Australia has no intention...

Two cheers for Hoon as he signals the return of the light brigade: the defence review will modernise our armed forces, but depending on the US for new technology could mean a fall-out with Europe and a less rosy future for the UK defence industry.(Comment)
January 9, 2004... FASTER, LIGHTER, SMALLER. These are to be the key characteristics of the UK's armed forces in future, as set out in the government's new defence review. One of the implications is that the forces should also be cheaper, but the government has...

Deep thinking: the legal barriers have gone. Now experts are working on the technology that will make deep-seabed mining a reality.(Marine Mining)(Cover Story)
January 9, 2004... THE SEA COVERS 70 per cent of the world's surface, and its marine life provides food for much of the planet's populations. Until now exploiting its vast mineral resources has only been the stuff of fiction by Jules Verne, but that could change...

Blue's man: the technical director of Cambridge Silicon Radio is a pioneer of Bluetooth, the wireless technology now bringing us a range of cable-free devices.(Interview: James Collier)
January 9, 2004... IF YOU WANT to bump into James Collier, get yourself along to an Unplug Fest, where you will find him connecting with like-minded souls. Collier's attendance at the thrice-yearly Unplug Fests--one each in Europe, the US and Asia--is not, as...

Valves in a spin: developments in cylinder valve technology suggest there could be life left in the old combustion engine yet.(Power Transmission)
January 9, 2004... SINCE THE AGE OF 12 Kingsley Wright has been fine-tuning an idea that has the potential to make the internal combustion engine more efficient, more powerful and more environmentally friendly. Now, 18 years on, the final pieces of the jigsaw...

The wrong stuff: modern simulation techniques have revealed that one of Man's greatest achievements very nearly failed to get off the ground.(Software)
January 9, 2004... ON 17 DECEMBER 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright successfully flew their aircraft, The Wright Flyer, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, ushering in the era of powered flight. However, a study by software company Fluent has revealed that despite...

SOS for sensors: pressure-sensor technology derived from the NASA space programme holds great promise in a range of applications.(Machine Building)
January 9, 2004... A WELSH ELECTRONICS company has drawn on space technology to develop sensors capable of operating for long periods of time at extremely high temperatures. The firm said that the technology could be used to enhance the safety of planes, cars and...

The end of the tube: UK engineers are developing a new generation of air-speed sensors that use the latest laser technology to improve on traditional methods.(Sensors)
January 9, 2004... THE PACE of technological change--from passenger jets to helicopters--has been staggering over the past 100 years, yet there are still a few critical components that have remained unchanged. One is the Pitot tube--a simple mechanical device...

Hub dreams: an electric motor mounted in a wheel hub could be the way forward for hybrid vehicles.(Electric Motors)
January 9, 2004... CLAIMS ABOUT STARTLING innovations that will 'forever change the way we get from A to B' are pretty common in the automotive industry, and most can be taken with a pinch of salt. But when the person making these claims is the former...

HMI.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO HMI EAO, the experts in Human EAO 201 Machine Interfaces, have an answer for anyone searching ...

Lasers.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Lasers The brittleness and low LASER LINES 202 thermal expansion of ceramics make them difficult to process ...

Waterjet cutting.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Waterjet Metal Spinners Group have made INGERSOLL- 203 Cutting great cost savings and can RAND guarantee consistent quality ...

Heat treatment.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Heat Recent expansions in the MANNINGS 204 Treatment aircraft industry have led THERMAL & to new projects for Mannings...

Safety systems.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Safety JR Freeman, the Cardiff-based SCHMERSAL 205 Systems cigar manufacturing division of Gallaher Tobacco, operates ...

Welding systems.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Welding Offering the optimum welding ESAB 206 Systems solution for many wide ranging applications, the new ESAB ...

Project management.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Project Projen, the project management PROJEN 207 Management and professional engineering design company based in ...

Power equipment.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Power PoweRent, the specialist power LONGVILLE 208 Equipment equipment rental provider recently supplied and project ...

Gears.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Gears Frenco, the master gear and TEXTRON POWER 209 spline gauges specialist, is TRANSMISSION expanding its manufacturing...

Flowmeter.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Flowmeter For several years Labcell has LABCELL 210 offered a family of three ECM engine blow-by flowmeters with ...

Electronic components.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Electronic Finder, the leading FINDER 211 Components manufacturer of relays and timers, has expanded its ...

Blades.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Blades Brass, stainless steel, LS STARRETT 212 aluminium, mild steel in round, flat, square or section ...

Antennas.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Antennas Surrey Satellite Technology EUROPEAN 213 has chosen European Antennas ANTENNAS to design a nadir antenna for...

Electronic components: Rohm has expanded its family of integrated LED driver ICs with a new low-power device that offers a space-efficient and reduced component count solution for driving up to four white LEDs in a serial configuration.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Electronic Rohm has expanded its family ROHM 214 Components of integrated LED driver ICs ELECTRONICS with a new low-power device...

Matting.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Matting Flexigrid 2002 is a new PLASTIC 215 harwearing matting for use EXTRUDERS in production and engineering...

Machine safety.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Machine Schmersal Safety Systems has SCHMERSAL 216 Safety published a safety manual titled 'Machine Safety in the ...

Fans.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Fans Rittal has launched the next RITTAL 217 generation of enclosure fan and filter units that are ...

Power distribution.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Power Rittal's new 4-pole Maxi-PLS RITTAL 218 Distribution that utilises the popular TS8 enclosure range is a fully ...

Lubricants.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Lubricants A food processing equipment RW GREEFF 219 manufacturer using expensive ester-containing extreme ...

Lubricants: R W Greeff, Dow Corning's UK and Ireland Channel Partner, has announced the addition of six high-performance Molykote bearing greases to its line-up, giving it one of the most complete ranges of lubrication products in the industry.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Lubricants R W Greeff, Dow Corning's UK RW GREEFF 220 and Ireland Channel Partner, has announced the addition of ...

Cable handling systems.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Cable Kabelschlepp Metcol, the UK METOOL 221 Handling manufacturer of flexible cable PRODUCTS Systems handling systems, will display...

Electromechanical components.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Electro- Electromechanical specialist ACAL 222 mechanical Radiatron is being re-named RADIATION Components ACAL Radiatron, announcing ...

Drives & control.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Drives & This year, Rexroth celebrates BOSCH REXROTH 223 Control 40 years of business in the UK and marked the occasion with ...

Materials.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Materials Santoprene thermoplastic ADVANCED 224 vulcanisate (TVP) forms an ELASTOMER integral part of a unique ...

Modelling paste.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Modelling RenPaste seamless modelling RENSHAPE 225 Paste paste (SMP) is now being used SOLUTIONS to produce the patterns ...

Compressed air.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Compressed Superglass Insulation AIR CONTROL 226 Air manufactures mineral wood INDUSTRIES insulation products iron, ...

Heat exchangers.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Heat West Midlands-based suppliers WELLMAN 227 Exchangers of heat transfer equipment, GRAHAM Wellman Graham, are supplying ...

Load cell.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Load Cell Even though the new DBCL load APPLIED 228 cell from Applied Measurements MEASUREMENT is a compact design, it has...

Adhesives.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Adhesives Any more which reduces the HENKEL 229 weight of the toolbox carried LOCTITE around by maintenance ...

Fluid control.(Update)
January 9, 2004... SUBJECT DESCRIPTION CONTACT ENQUIRY NO Fluid A technical handbook is the LEE 230 Control latest publication by Lee PRODUCTS Products the miniature ...

Brain teaser.(Problem Page)
January 9, 2004... I booked a return flight from the UK to a Greek island. I was told that the flight out would be direct, but that on the return journey it would be necessary to refuel in mainland Greece, despite identical aircraft being used for both flights....

Win a trip of discovery for four to Thinktank.(Problem Page)
January 9, 2004... Next issue's published Brain Teaser wins a family ticket (admitting up to four people) to Thinktank, Birmingham's museum of science and discovery, chosen by The Good Britain Guide 2003 as Discovery Centre of the Year. And it's not...

Material advantage.(tech need challenge)
January 9, 2004... This organisation seeks a material for new product development of disposable tools such as razors. ideally, the material will provide unique value-enhancing properties, and be compatible with production using conventional injection-moulding...

Art of discretion.(tech need challenge)
January 9, 2004... Technique to manufacture ceramic foam are available, but conventional technologies don't allow for forming the foam rote discrete pieces of various shapes (roughly 10-50mm] This need is for the petrochemicals end oil refining industries. ...

Steel resolve.(tech need challenge)
January 9, 2004... Can high-heat-treat; 4340 steel be a suitable spring for aircraft; landing gear under normal environmental conditions? The ability to make spring from common steel material (rather than 6150M or 5160) would be highly advantageous. ...

In suspense.(tech need challenge)
January 9, 2004... This organisation is seeking a water suspension of magnetic nanoparticles. It should be stable at room temperature and normal atmospheric pressure, end at pH6-8. It must: not agglomerate in water or in mild salt solutions containing divalent...

Spray away.(tech need challenge)
January 9, 2004... This automotive application requires a non-stick coating for stainless steel panels to prevent the adhesion of sprayed, water-cased adhesive and make any overspray easy to clean up. www.yet2.com/demag/179

Flexible friend.(tech need challenge)
January 9, 2004... This organisation seeks a processing technology that can produce a thin, flexible, wireless device with a communication range of 500m or more. The device would be 0.5mm thick, and should work from a 1.5V thin battery. Any solution must comply...

Soul contact.(Patent Of The Week)
January 9, 2004... For people committed to a more fulfilling life in 2004 this invention is a good place to start, for it offers nothing less than the immortality of the soul, writes Julia Brown. Yes, Victor Rohde of Cologne is entirely serious in his bid to...

Maglev: arrival or departure?(This Week)
January 23, 2004... This is the year of the maglev. The next 12 months will determine whether magnatically levitated trains are ever likely to arrive et a station near you; or it will signal the end of the line for a technology that was never going to get off the...

London buses step on the gas.(This Week)
January 23, 2004... THREE HYDROGEN-FUELLED BUSES began running between Ilford and Oxford Circus this month as part of a two-year project to reduce air and noise pollution in London. Similar trials are being held in nine other European cities. The DaimlerChrysler...

Making a spectacle of the truth.(This Week)
January 23, 2004... A LIE DETECTOR small enough to fit in a pair of glasses was unveiled by US company V Entertainment in Las Vegas this month. The technology, developed by Israeli firm Nemesysco, is based on an advanced signal processor that uses over 8,000...

Di-Spirited bid to find water.(This Week)
January 23, 2004... NASA'S MARS Spirit rover may have travelled nearly 500 million kilometres, only to touch down out of range of a favourable search site, say scientists. The probe, which has an operational life or three months, may not have enough time to reach...

Sub-stantial benefits for navy.(This Week)
January 23, 2004... A ROYAL NAVY hunter-killer submarine is to have a dry hangar fitted to its deck to allow special forces to operate more effectively. HMS Spartan will be trialled with the non-detachable hangar, which could also be fitted to its replacement, the...

Robot that has a mind of its own.(This Week)
January 23, 2004... UK ENGINEERS have created a robot capable of conducting experiments and analysing the results--possibly as well as humans. Its designers, from the University of Wales in Aberystwyth, say it can devise, plan and run experiments as well as...

Waxing hotly about 3D printing.(This Week)
January 23, 2004... 3D PRINTER modelling has taken a step forward with a new combination of production techniques that creates high-definition finishes, said its designers 3D Systems. The si2 printer creates models from acrylic photopolymer by first spraying...

The life-on-Mars theory holds water.(This Week)
January 23, 2004... ACCORDING to European Space Agency scientists this first stereoscopic colour picture of Mars (left) shows a landscape eroded by water, which means life may once have existed there. Taken on 14 January by the Mars Express orbiter's...

Razor.(Good Week)
January 23, 2004... * RAZOR: Wet shaving may become easier using a razor that, emits pulses to make hairs stand on end Manufacturers Gillette appear to have passed up the chance to release a high-powered Van der Graaf Rod Stewart version.