The Engineer articles from July 2003

The Engineer archives from July 2003

BA should call Branson's bluff.(This Week)
July 11, 2003... CONCORDE HAS always been a symbol of UK engineering prowess. How unfortunate then that it should end its active service as a byword for spite, bitterness and public relations stunts in the airline industry. Many will be deeply saddened that...

Camels.(Good Week)
July 11, 2003... CAMELS After a number of fatal crashes, camels in Israel's Negev desert are to be fitted with luminous safety strips to make them more visible to motorists. There's a place where humps don't make the roads safer.

Pizza.(Good Week)
July 11, 2003... PIZZA Food science students have developed pizza for astronauts after noticing a lack of 'comfort foods' in their space diet. It has a shelf life of a year, as delivery may take a while.

Frogs.(Bad Week)
July 11, 2003... FROGS A Brazilian university has come up with a new way to treat burns--using frog skin. Strangely, the wounds heal faster while the patient is less likely to crock.

Philanderers.(Bad Week)
July 11, 2003... PHILANDERERS Voice-altering machines, which make a woman sound like a man and vice versa, are catching on in China. Traders say people buy them to check if their partner is having an affair.

Robo-cam sprints into action for exterior inspection of shuttles.(This Week)
July 11, 2003... AN AUTONOMOUS robotic camera may be used on future shuttle flights to inspect the outer surface for damage. This follows the recommendation from accident investigators into the Columbia disaster that, before further missions, NASA should find a...

Japanese test shuttle does a high-mire act.(This Week)
July 11, 2003... AN UNMANNED Japanese test vehicle, a model for future space shuttles has crashed in a Swedish swamp. The 4m-long shuttle was lifted to a height of 31km by a stratospheric balloon over the European Space Range on 1 July and released to...

Hyper-jets extend USAF reach.(This Week)
July 11, 2003... THE US AIR FORCE will be able to strike anywhere in the world within two hours by 2025, according to plans unveiled this week. An unmanned hypersonic weapons system was outlined by the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency. The...

In New Delhi, sun light it hot.(This Week)
July 11, 2003... IN A BID to conserve energy, traffic lights in New Delhi are to operate using solar power. Initially only 50 out of 600 signals will be converted, but the Delhi administration, which has declared 2003 the year of water and power conservation,...

Engineers in dock over Hatfield.(This Week)
July 11, 2003... FOUR senior managers and two engineers have been charged following the Hatfield rail crash. Four were employed by Railtrack and two by contractors Balfour Beatty. They will face charges of gross negligence, manslaughter and offences under the...

UAV that just drones on and on.(This Week)
July 11, 2003... AN UNMANNED Dragon Eye drone has flown for the first time powered by a prototype lightweight zinc-air battery for UAVs. The high-power cell was developed by Electric Fuel, an Israel-based subsidiary of Arotech Corporation, with the aim of...

Dial M for marketing info.(This Week)
July 11, 2003... MOBILE phones can now 'talk' to film ads thanks to technology from Hypertag. The firm has signed a deal with outdoor advertisers, Primesight and the system will be launched in 20 London cinemas this month. Film buffs will be able to go to...

Dabs keep tabs on your mobile.(This Week)
July 11, 2003... THE LATEST mobile handset from Japanese firm NTT DoCoMo will feature fingerprint recognition technology to prevent unauthorised use. Up to 10 different fingerprints can be registered on the Mova F5051 which can then be locked or unlocked...

Staying airborne: Virgin engineers say they can overcome the practical problems involved in maintaining Concorde as a going concern.(News)
July 11, 2003... CONCORDE could be made a commercial success despite its age and rising maintenance costs, Virgin Atlantic's most senior engineer insisted this week. The company also claimed to have held positive discussions with Rolls-Royce and the Civil...

Double torque: braking system based on twin floating discs claimed to improve performance and reduce wear.(News)
July 11, 2003... A BRAKING SYSTEM that will be fitted to new cars by 2006 will offer better performance and eliminate some of the wear problems associated with conventional designs, its developer Delphi claimed this week. The automotive systems specialist...

Driven to digital: in-car TV system which eliminates distortion to be launched in UK this year.(News)
July 11, 2003... HIGH-QUALITY television will soon join the radio and DVD as an in-car entertainment option thanks to advances in digital broadcast technology, according to automotive systems specialist Delphi. The company said it had successfully tested a...

Dial-a-map.(News)
July 11, 2003... DRIVERS of mass-market cars will soon be able to download satellite navigation services on a 'pay-per-use' basis. Delphi has developed an off-board navigation service for its Communiport Radio multimedia system. This stores the data needed...

The big picture: flat panel displays could be made larger, better and cheaper following carbon nanotube breakthrough.(News)
July 11, 2003... A BREAKTHROUGH in carbon nanotube research could allow the creation of large flat panel displays with better picture quality than plasma and LCD screens but at a much lower cost. The technology may have applications in many other areas...

Heart watch: cardiac imaging breakthrough uses digital detectors to improve diagnosis.(News)
July 11, 2003... A SYSTEM that converts X-rays of the heart into high-quality digital pictures marks a breakthrough in cardiac imaging technology, German engineers have claimed. Siemens Medical said its new biplane X-ray system will give doctors highly...

NASA's down-to-Earth approach to balance.(News)
July 11, 2003... NASA IS developing a training device to help astronauts readjust to the Earth's gravity after completing long missions, as well as keeping them fit while in space. Travel to other planets or manning the International Space Station involves...

Charge to the stars: super-efficient ion drive could make space flight cheaper and more efficient.(News)
July 11, 2003... AUSTRALIAN researchers claim to have developed a super-efficient ion drive which could make space exploration cheaper and reduce the cost of running the International Space Station as well as maintaining satellites in position. According...

Sulphur saver: molecular sieves may be the answer to significant reduction in car and aircraft sulphur emissions.(News)
July 11, 2003... SULPHUR EMISSIONS from cars and aircraft could be virtually eliminated using low-cost materials. Researchers at the University of Michigan are investigating 'molecular sieves'--adsorbent materials that they claim will significantly reduce...

Catalyst for hydrogen fuel cell economy.(News)
July 11, 2003... A HYDROGEN-PRODUCING catalyst that uses cheaper materials and yields less pollution will make the production of non-fossil fuels from waste more viable, its developers say. Current hydrogen-producing catalysts use expensive platinum, but...

Xaar: using piezoelectric technology allowed digital printhead developer to claim place among the world's top players.(Company Profile)
July 11, 2003... IN LITTLE more than a decade Xaar has emerged from nowhere to claim a strong position in the ferociously competitive world of digital printing. The company engineers printheads that use piezoelectric technology to deliver ink precisely and...

Ricardo strengthens position in Germany with 24m [pounds sterling] IFT purchase.(The Week)
July 11, 2003... UK automotive engineering group Ricardo has significantly boosted its presence in the heartland of Germany's car industry with the 24m [pounds sterling] purchase of the IFT Group. The addition of IFT. which provides engineering and engine...

BAE and Italy's Finmeccanica join forces for major defense venture.(The Week)
July 11, 2003... BAE Systems has unveiled plans for a major defence joint venture with Italian aerospace giant Finmeccanica. The two companies plan to bundle their European defence electronics activities into a new combined operation called Eurosystems, BAE...

Ultra moves in quickly to acquire SML Technologies for 6.5m [pounds sterling].(The Week)
July 11, 2003... Ultra Electronics has snapped up navigation systems specialist SML Technologies for 6.5m [pounds sterling]. Ultra said the purchase of Southampton-based SML would give it new capabilities in areas such as surveillance, collision avoidance and...

NXT boost as NEC develops laptop using its flat panel audio technology.(The Week)
July 11, 2003... NXT has been boosted by the release by consumer electronics giant NEC of more products incorporating its flat panel audio technology. NEC, one of NXT's major licensees, has developed a laptop with a screen that doubles as a speaker by using...

UK firm commercialising Hardide technology gets 1.6m [pounds sterling] more funding.(The Week)
July 11, 2003... The UK company commercialising Hardide, a Russian-developed technology for strengthening steel, has secured a further 1.6m [pounds sterling] in funding. Hardide Ltd will use the cash to more into new premises in Bicester, Oxfordshire, and...

ABB to use 140m [pounds sterling] from sale of building systems arm to cut debt.(The Week)
July 11, 2003... ABB has offloaded its Scandinavian building systems interests for 140m [pounds sterling]. The Swiss multinational. which has endured a turbulent few years on the financial front, said the proceeds of the sale to a Finnish corporation would be...

Nanotech's hype buster: while no expert on the subject, the chairwoman of the government's nanotech inquiry says her fresh eye will help separate media hype from reality.(Profile Ann Dowling)
July 11, 2003... ANN DOWLING, an eminent professor of mechanical engineering at Cambridge University, this week emphatically announced that she did not know much about nanotechnology. This admission may seem surprising considering that she is about to chair a...

Air industry drags its wings on fatigue: aircraft manufacturers must do more to develop sensors that will pick up wear and tear in composite structures.(Comment)
July 11, 2003... IT TAKES so little for people to lose confidence in air travel. Airlines know that more than anything their reputation rests on safety. Though everyday activities such as driving are much more dangerous, our perception of risk is such that most...

Designer values.(Letters)
July 11, 2003... I am very pleased that Brian Hammond welcomes the Institution of Engineering Designers' appointment of Claire Curtis-Thomas as our honorary president (Letters, 27 June). Claire's appointment is a first for the institution and reflects the...

Getting up to speed.(Letter Of The Week)
July 11, 2003... Regarding Trevor Clay's comments (Letters, 27 June), speeding drivers are not the problem but the solution to the congestion on our motorways. Using the analogy of water through a pipe, increased pressure (mph) equals increased flow (vehicles...

Flights of fancy.(Letters)
July 11, 2003... I was much amused by your article on the fate of Concorde (This Week, 27 June). How ironic it is that one of the last resting places that is under consideration for the aircraft is in the US--the very country that, faced with a...

New cosmetics line.(Letters)
July 11, 2003... With regard to the combined mobile phone and shaver (Patent of the Week, 13 June) and whether this 'tele-shaver' will ever catch on, we are all looking down the wrong end of the telescope at this. Forget the obvious--think outside the...

Going underground: to conclude our series of special features on nuclear power we reveal that scientific and nuclear industry opinion is coming to accept that deep burial, and as soon as possible, is the only way to treat nuclear waste. The real battle will be to convince a deeply sceptical public.(Nuclear Waste)
July 11, 2003... THE NEED FOR the UK to establish a national repository for its nuclear waste has become even more pressing since September 11, industry experts said this week. Fear of vulnerability to terrorist attack could be the factor that finally ends...

Ground control: as director of the first Defence Technology Research Centre Prof Chris Harris's remit is improving military logistics--not least the problem of friendly fire.(Interview Chris Harris)
July 11, 2003... HOW DO YOU weigh up the amount of trust you should place in a piece of intelligence before deciding whether to send soldiers on to the battlefield? It's a difficult question at the best of times, but is made even tougher when governments...

On the Mars path: this summer's hot destination is Mars, and few people know more about the logistics of getting there than Brian Muirhead, flight system designer for the Pathfinder and chief engineer at NASA's Mars Science lab.(Design News)
July 11, 2003... IF THE WORLD'S design engineers were to get together to choose a figurehead, someone who embodies the finest qualities of their profession, then Brian Muirhead would be an ideal candidate. A creative maverick who began his career repairing...

Slick sensors lick oil trouble: car manufacturers are turning to oil monitoring technology in the drive to improve engine efficiency.(Design News)
July 11, 2003... CARS AND TRUCKS could soon be equipped with advanced sensor systems that determine the quality of the engine oil and tell the driver when an oil change is necessary. The decision on when to change the oil, which is usually based purely on...

Joining forces.(Japanese Breakthroughs)
July 11, 2003... Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co (IHI) and Mitsubishi Electric have announced that they will join forces to develop a method to smoothly join metal parts for aerospace products without requiring skilled workers. The two companies plan to...

Fashion police.(Japanese Breakthroughs)
July 11, 2003... Textile maker Shikibo has developed a textile on to which characters invisible to the naked eye can be etched with a laser, in a bid to help police authorities crack down on the forgery of brand-name clothing.

Chips and genes.(Japanese Breakthroughs)
July 11, 2003... Toshiba has announced the development of a portable, easy-to-use DNA detection system. The Genelyzer is said to be a low-cost alternative to fluorescence-based DNA detection. Toshiba said that the system is based on an electrochemical DNA chip...

Motorcycle fuel cell.(Japanese Breakthroughs)
July 11, 2003... Yamaha has developed a fuel cell for motorcycles, becoming the world's first major motorcycle maker to create such a device. The fuel cell, which is about 40[cm.sup.2], is powered by methanol. Yamaha claimed that the bike's performance will be...

Friendly fork-lift.(Japanese Breakthroughs)
July 11, 2003... Mitsubishi and Nissan have jointly developed an environmentally friendly fork-lift truck that clears the emission standards in place in Japan, the US and Europe. Mitsubishi also claims that the fork-lift is the world's first to be equipped...

Bedtime reading.(Japanese Breakthroughs)
July 11, 2003... Matsushita has unveiled an electronic book that stores text and images from printed books and shows them in black and white on two built-in LCDs. The book, which will be in Japanese shops this autumn, will cost about 30,000 yen (150 [pounds...

Just how tight is that bolt?(Tech Need Challenge)
July 11, 2003... When a bolt clamps in place axial tension is generated along its axis. Do you know of a way that this can be measured? The application is on an assembly line, so measurement must take place in a maximum of one minute. An ultrasonic bolt...

Sintering solution needs moulding.(Tech Need Challenge)
July 11, 2003... Green-compact is powdered metal that has been pressure formed in preparation for sintering--in this case, a titanium/aluminum mixture. This company seeks a simple, commercially applicable moulding technique to produce thin-walled cylinders (3mm...

Generation gap to fill.(Tech Need Challenge)
July 11, 2003... A reliable small power generation system without a gearbox would be the end result of answering this need for a high-speed permanent-magnet generator for use with a micro-gas turbine. The generator would have to handle 82,000rpm and produce...

Oil sampling is no gas.(Tech Need Challenge)
July 11, 2003... This automotive company seeks an in-line tool to measure the volume fractions of gases entrained in liquid--specifically oil in a lubricating system. Sampling with burettes has only been accurate to about 10 per cent before the gas in the...

Board talk: hi-tech display takes principles of the whiteboard several steps further.(Design News)
July 11, 2003... AN INGENIOUSLY simple visual collaboration tool developed by Bristol technology company Appliance Studio has received the thumbs-up from high-profile guinea pigs Airbus and Arup. The Meeting Wizard system, which is the product of three...

Material benefits: a DTI report shows that the UK is keeping up with Japan in one area of cutting-edge technology: functional ceramics. These flexible materials are fast becoming the preferred alternatives to traditional sensors and actuators in a range of industries from defence to personal computing.(Sensing & Actuation)
July 11, 2003... A CASUAL observer of UK industry might expect a benchmarking mission to Japan to be a depressing experience--fascinating, yes, but also a stark reminder of the UK's technological shortcomings. Fortunately, casual observers are often wrong. ...

Reinventing the propeller: an innovative marine propulsion concept--as old as the invention of the propeller itself--will finally make its commercial debut next year in Japan. Jon Excell discusses the CRP Azipod.(Power Transmission)
July 11, 2003... ACCORDING to E L Wisty, Peter Cook's hilarious park-bench philosopher, the wheel was invented by a caveman called Drodbar. Unfortunately he called his invention the bandanbldderstiddle while his commercially minded friend, Gorbly, copied his...

CATIA-ing for an easier life: IBM/Dassault's latest version of CATIA, a full PLM upgrade, takes a vast number of mouse clicks out of the design process, with more than seven new products and 100 enhancements. Having put the software through its paces, Charles Clarke believes this is the way all CAD systems should be heading.(Software)
July 11, 2003... THE MOST STRIKING aspect of CATIA Version 5 is that the whole is much more than the sum of its parts. The software's major focus seems to be on saving the user tedious work and irritation. There are sexy marketing terms like 'knowledge capture'...

Brain teaser.(Problem Page)
July 11, 2003... A company needs to choose a new security system for controlling entry to its building. System one produces false 'accepts' and false 'rejects' at the rate of 1 in 100. For system two, the equivalent figures are 1 in 1,000. To provide extra...

Win tickets to 'Driven by Design' exhibition.(Problem Page)
July 11, 2003... The UK motor industry has produced many exceptional designs whose influence continues to this day--from the silhouette of the Jaguar E-Type to the Land Rover's utilitarian look. 'Driven by Design', at the Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon,...

Power of the sole.(Patent of the week)
July 11, 2003... Melvyn Cheskin of Boca Roton, Florida, has come up with footwear designed to make you run faster--by providing an electrical connection between the wearer and the ground, writes Julia Brown. He has performed experiments with subjects...

Sale of the 21st century.(This Week)
July 25, 2003... The people who made tea-drinking chimps a national institution and ensured that you will always--whether you like it or not--associate Dvorak'a New World Symphony with brawn bread are about to get their hands on a lot of new toys. The...

European moon-shot motor is a gas.(This Week)
July 25, 2003... A LAUNCH date of 28 August has been set for Smart-1, the first European mission to the Moon. After successfully completing flight-readiness tests earlier this month, the craft will be sent to the ESA launch site at Kourou in French Guiana to be...

Cats.(Good Week)
July 25, 2003... CATS Misunderstood moggies undoubtedly rejoiced with the launch of the Meow-lingual translator. Alas it offers no translation for 'I like torturing songbirds to death'.

Mice.(Good Week)
July 25, 2003... MICE Tests found rodents prefer sweeter fare man cheese. Mice are now to be enticed into traps with chocolate essence 'Death by chocolate', indeed.

Troops.(Bad Week)
July 25, 2003... TROOPS: Danish soldiers awaiting equipment to help them deal with life in Iraq were astonished to find the latest delivery contained snow ploughs and lawnmowers. Stand by for the fake tan, lads

Robots.(Bad Week)
July 25, 2003... ROBOTS: A robot head has been deemed too scary for under-18s by the University of Reading. Similar heads, attached to mass-murdering robots can currently be seen by 12 year side in Terminator 3.

Drive-by data collection on track.(This Week)
July 25, 2003... A TRAIN designed to boost track inspections on the rail network has been launched by Network Rail. The first of its kind in Europe, the train is part of a programme to replace manual inspection with mechanised measurement. Travelling at...

US super-snoop programme gets the boot.(This Week)
July 25, 2003... THE US SENATE has voted to cut funding for the controversial Total information Awareness programme that would collect detailed and personal information about everyone in the country. Despite assurances from the Pentagon that TIA would protect...

Hi-tech swimming cossie that is less of a drag.(This Week)
July 25, 2003... A SWIMSUIT called Jetconcept, which influences the way that water moves over a swimmer's body, has been launched by Adidas. Small 'riblets' built in to the fabric channel the water over the suit, reducing turbulence and drag. The technology was...

Concorde makes slow progress to place of rest.(This Week)
July 25, 2003... AN AIR FRANCE Concorde has made its final journey--by truck and boat. Though it had had its wing tips removed, trees and street signs had to be dismantled to allow the jet to pass. For part of the journey, the Concorde was floated down the...

NASA wants orbital space plane ready by 2008.(This Week)
July 25, 2003... IN THE WAKE of the Columbia disaster, NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe has requested that the Orbital Space Plane programme be brought forward by two years. The plane is to be used as a crew rescue vehicle servicing the International Space...

Radar takes the hiss out of water detection.(This Week)
July 25, 2003... A METHOD of detecting water leaks using radar is under development by Cambridge-based Structural Testing Technology. At present the only way of discovering a fault, is by acoustic detection of the hiss produced by the leak. However, this...

Well-come development: Shell to test UK firm's deep sea oil processing module that could cut costs and offer major operational benefits.(News)
July 25, 2003... DEEP SEA processing technology that could cut the cost of oil production is to be tested by energy giant Shell. UK engineering firm Alpha Thames has developed a system module designed to sit on the seabed and separate oil from water and...

Oil magnet: UK firm awarded 1m [pounds sterling] to market filter system claimed to improve fluid life.(News)
July 25, 2003... A UK COMPANY has secured 1.4m [pounds sterling] to market a novel magnetic oil filter for car transmissions and other applications. Conventional gauze filters capture contamination in the lubricant as it flows through the gauze, but this...

Mind's eye view: airport security scanners could identify suspect items more efficiently using 3D X-ray technique.(News)
July 25, 2003... A UK UNIVERSITY is developing 3D X-ray scanning techniques based on the way the human brain processes visual images. Royal Holloway, University of London, believes the technology, called HolViz, could greatly increase the efficiency of...

City lite: urban delivery vehicles could be made more efficient with cleaner, hybrid powertrain.(News)
July 25, 2003... A HYBRID electric and diesel truck engine designed by Imperial College with the aid of IVECO Ford could reduce vehicle pollution during urban deliveries, university researchers say. While the amount of freight carried by road vehicles...

Lotus in US deal to develop AVT engine for mass market.(News)
July 25, 2003... LOTUS ENGINEERING is to adapt its active valve train engine technology for the mass market. The UK company has signed a licensing agreement with US automotive supplier Eaton to develop AVT for production. The technology is expected to...

Material evidence: government backs UK neutron facility to map the action of atoms in composites and fuel cells.(News)
July 25, 2003... A WORLD-leading 1bn [pounds sterling] European neutron facility could be built in the north of England, following a pledge of support from the government. The European Spallation Source (ESS), a type of matterscope, will allow researchers...

Pay as you go: M-commerce system could make mobile phone transactions as secure as smartcards.(News)
July 25, 2003... A UK START-UP venture is poised to unveil technology designed to make the mobile phone a safe and convenient method of paying for products and services. Surrey-based Telsecure claimed its m-commerce system would bring the additional security of...

Filters ... all the better to hear you with.(News)
July 25, 2003... MOBILE PHONE RECEPTION and coverage in the UK could be substantially improved without the need to litter the country with more and more unpopular masts, using receivers built from superconducting material. Birmingham University spin-out...

Power to your elbow: Japanese device could 'harvest' human blood glucose to run electrical devices.(News)
July 25, 2003... HUMANS could be 'harvested' for energy to power electrical equipment, using a battery capable of generating electricity from blood. Researchers at Panasonic's Nanotechnology Research Laboratory near Kyoto in Japan are developing a device...

The bosses' PAL: US researchers to develop artificial intelligence machines to free staff from laborious jobs.(News)
July 25, 2003... COMPUTERS that write reports, automatically update websites and selectively record spoken information during meetings are being developed in the US as part of a five-year defence research programme. The artificial intelligence (AI) machines...

Thermal paste with a cool solution for PCs.(News)
July 25, 2003... A US MATERIALS ENGINEER has developed a thermal paste that could help solve the problem of overheating in high-performance PCs and other electronic devices. According to Prof Deborah Chung, materials researcher at the University of...

White angle: nanotechnology helps create true white light cheaply enough to use in low-cost lighting.(News)
July 25, 2003... RESEARCHERS at the US Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories have developed a commercially viable white light-emitting device using quantum dots. The increased efficiency of the nanotechnology-based device could help to speed...

Nano limbs shape up to performing medical procedures.(News)
July 25, 2003... A TITANIUM NICKEL alloy that changes shape when struck by a beam of energy is being used to create nanorobot arms and legs. These could allow nano-sized robots to manipulate molecules and materials as small as 100 atoms across, leading to the...

Smiths Group: UK engineering group targets three key areas for growth to ride out slump in civil aviation sector.(Company Profile)
July 25, 2003... SINCE ITS origins as a London watchmaker in the 1850s, Smiths Group has been all about timely transactions. This week the company--these days one of the UK's premier engineering groups--was open for business again when it sold its polymer seals...

General Motors and Ford announce massive Q2 profits slump.(The Week)
July 25, 2003... General Motors and Ford, the world's two biggest car companies, unveiled sharp falls in profits within days of each other" Market leader GM's second quarter profits came in at $900m (563m [pounds sterling]), down by almost one third...