The Engineer articles from March 2009

The Engineer archives from March 2009

COMMENT: Automation for the nations.
March 9, 2009... IT IS National Science and Engineering Week (NSEW), and for once those of us who care about engineering, science and technology might find ourselves pushing at an open door when it comes to grabbing the nation's attention. The Engineer...

NEWS: VEP treatment.
March 9, 2009... Technique can handle solid and sludge radioactive waste in one container THE UK could halve the storage space needed for low- or intermediate- level radioactive waste retrieved from decommissioned nuclear power stations using a new...

NEWS: Alternative medicine.
March 9, 2009... External radiofrequencies could target drug delivery RESEARCHERS at Queen Mary, University of London, are investigating an external radiofrequency (RF) drug-delivery technique that could provide a non-toxic alternative to cancer...

NEWS: Metal muscle.
March 9, 2009... Human-like muscle fibres made from alloy wires could enhance the movement of prosthetic limbs AN ARTIFICIAL muscle being developed using shape memory alloy wires that work like natural muscle fibres promises prosthetic limbs that offer...

NEWS: Frequency finder.
March 9, 2009... Portable monitoring equipment will help build a database of RF spectrum use throughout the UK A PORTABLE, low-cost monitoring system will help in the fight against illegal use of the radio spectrum, its UK developer has claimed. The...

NEWS: Car in the community.
March 9, 2009... A new technology will use radar, lasers and camera sensors to help prevent accidents in built-up areas THE NUMBER of pedestrians killed in urban traffic accidents could be reduced with new collision-prevention technology that automatically...

NEWS: Pane for burglars.
March 9, 2009... A special polymer window coating can detect and identify potential building break-ins POTENTIAL BURGLARS will have less chance of breaking into buildings through hi-tech security windows developed by researchers in Germany. The team...

NEWS: Spidrex sense.
March 9, 2009... The science behind spiders' silk could improve the treatment of knee injuries, following a #1.6m funding boost by The Wellcome Trust. The investment will be used to fund the development of Orthox's Spidrex regenerative meniscal (knee...

NEWS: Lighting the way.
March 9, 2009... A solar project team is investigating cost-effective ways to grow nanorods on large substrates COMMERCIAL SOLAR cells could have double the efficiency in five years' time with novel research into nanomaterials. The EU-funded project,...

NEWS: Solar car-parking.
March 9, 2009... A PARKING canopy intended to provide solar power for electric vehicles has been unveiled by glass specialist Romag Holdings. The design features existing PowerGlaz PV solar technology, with electric inverters built into the framework of a...

NEWS: Waterjet set.
March 9, 2009... New engine from Rolls-Royce has been designed with weight and cost management in mind ROLLS-ROYCE has unveiled a new waterjet engine for naval, offshore and leisure markets that it claims offers more power, greater efficiency, reduced...

VIEWPOINT: Intelligence test.
March 9, 2009... Safe interaction with humans means robots will need to have a 'humanised' social intelligence, says Prof Chris Melhuish We are now seeing an ineluctable growth of integration of embedded intelligence within mechatronic systems. Indeed, this...

LETTER: Bogus bailouts.(Letter to the editor)
March 9, 2009... While I am not happy to see anyone lose their job, I am disappointed to see so much public money being piled into a rescue package for the automotive industry. As an engineer, I feel there is a smoke screen projected by marketing and...

LETTER: Plastic fantastic.(Letter to the editor)
March 9, 2009... Jeremy Gadd's letter (23 February-8 March 2009) ended with the sort of throwaway comment about plastics that enrages me. Regardless of his opinions on the merits of classic versus modern cars, his opinion of 'plastics' as 'tosh' has to be...

LETTER: Short barrage.(Letter to the editor)
March 9, 2009... I hope the correspondence about the Severn Barrage is not closed. There must be much that has been learned from the environmental effect of the nearby Cardiff Bay impoundment that is applicable to the Severn schemes; perhaps you could...

LETTER: Planting a seed.(Letter to the editor)
March 9, 2009... Our online leader article 'Industrial action' discussed the government's lacklustre response to the recession that is damaging the UK's manufacturing and technology sectors. It echoed a suggestion by our sister publication MWP that, on a...

EXTREME ROBOTS: Outer limits.
March 9, 2009... Roboticists are increasingly devising ways for machines to operate in situations involving extreme heat, cold, pressure and danger. Stuart Nathan and Jon Excel report When NASA's Spirit rover landed on the surface of Mars very early in...

INSIGHT: Retouching the droid.
March 9, 2009... Researchers working on Europe's most advanced humanoid robot hope to bring its intelligence up to the standard of its Japanese rivals. Jon Excell reports WHILE IT doesn't yet have the dancing skills of its Japanese rivals, iCub - billed...

NANOSURGERY: Micro scope.
March 9, 2009... Medical nanobots have begun to emerge from the realm of science fiction into fact, inspired by lessons learned from the biological sphere. Stuart Nathan reports Stalwart of Sunday afternoon TV schedules, 'Fantastic Voyage' is a...

INTERVIEW: Picks for the future.(Interview)
March 9, 2009... Prof Ken Young of WMG believes robots could transform industries such as food and drink. Jon Excell reports The finely choreographed ballet of a robotic assembly line is a staple of auto industry advertising. And while many...

BIOFUELS: Quality reaction.
March 9, 2009... A small-scale biomass reactor that utilises the Fischer-Tropsch process is said to produce superior-quality diesel and jet fuel. Siobhan Wagner reports A new biomass reactor with a diameter of only 1.5m has the potential to produce...

WIND TURBINES: Polar power.
March 9, 2009... A Scottish company has provided wind turbines to an Antarctic research station that operates on renewable energy. Siobhan Wagner reports Eight wind turbines, manufactured by a Scottish company, are now powering the first zero-emission...

FASTENERS & ADHESIVES: Tight bond.
March 9, 2009... Advanced adhesive dry-film materials will help drive production of the next generation of miniature electronic devices, according to an international consortium of companies developing the technology. The materials are aimed at the...

FLUID POWER & HYDRAULICS: Harvest boon.
March 9, 2009... Linde Hydraulics's CED technology has boosted the tractive performance of Claas Jaguar's harvesters without increasing energy consumption While its road-holding may not be quite up there with its sports-car namesake, the Claas Jaguar,...

CAREERS: The long view.
March 9, 2009... Firms that are involved with the production of oil and gas are continuing to recruit so that long-term plans can be completed DESPITE CURRENT economic woes the UK offshore oil and gas industry remains one of the nation's success stories,...

COMMENT: Pollution solutions.
March 23, 2009... 'It's all very well us sorting out our carbon emissions but China and India will pump more pollution into the atmosphere than 100 cleaner British power stations could ever make up for. It's those two we've got to worry about.' We have...

NEWS: Cast array.
March 23, 2009... The CRIMSON method of casting aluminium improves quality and saves energy A novel method of casting aluminium could save the UK's light-metal foundries up to one third of their energy costs while significantly improving casting quality....

NEWS: Surfing the sky.
March 23, 2009... New network will move aircraft to VoIP PILOTS will move from radio to internet-based data systems if a project aimed at 'networking the sky' is a success. The EC-funded NEWSKY consortium, led by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), is...

NEWS: Joint venture.
March 23, 2009... Researchers hope to increase the lifetime of prosthetic joints by allowing them to form bonds with bone Surgeons often only offer replacement joints such as hips to older patients as the growth of fibrous tissue around them can lead to...

NEWS: Balance of power.
March 23, 2009... Researchers are exploring ways to improve the distribution of electrical power in defence vehicles Qinetiq is working on a project to help armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) cope with the demands being placed on them by increasing numbers...

NEWS: Rotor control.
March 23, 2009... A system that claims to improve the performance and integration of wind farms on the National Grid has been unveiled by GE Energy. The service, known as WindINERTIA, is part of GE's range of grid integration products. According to the...

NEWS: Hot spots.
March 23, 2009... Researchers will assess the performance of fuel cells using a suite of mapping sensors Developing a detailed functional map of the inner workings of a fuel cell could help make future devices more efficient and longer lasting. Dr...

NEWS: Perfect formation.
March 23, 2009... Software that predicts how a material will change during sintering allows manufacturers to define the process Manufacturers could produce ceramics with less time, cost and material waste using a new technique developed by researchers at...

NEWS: Wing tone.
March 23, 2009... RESEARCHERS at Birmingham University are applying pattern recognition techniques to identify the presence of bird species based on their individual song. In collaboration with ecological consultancy Biocensus, the team is hoping to...

NEWS: Sight screen.
March 23, 2009... Retinal scanning software could limit eye disease caused by diabetes Diabetic eye disease could be more effectively treated before it leads to severe loss of vision with a new software program that promises to help doctors detect early...

NEWS: Volumetric advances.
March 23, 2009... A TRANSATLANTIC research team, involving Swansea University academics, has developed a technique to improve the image quality of volumetric 3D displays. The displays involve thousands of 3D pixels - called voxels - that either absorb or...

NEWS: Bullet-proof test.
March 23, 2009... Advanced fibre weaves could improve the protective body armour worn by police The bullet-proof vests used to protect the lives of police officers could be further improved with advanced fibre weaves. Manchester University is leading a...

VIEWPOINT: Smart work.
March 23, 2009... With a UK roll-out of smart metering imminent, Tom Fryers looks at what we can learn from deployments elsewhere Ask a politician about reducing carbon emissions and it is not long before smart meters are mentioned. Even the gloomiest...

LETTER: Political drive.(Letter to the editor)
March 23, 2009... We have a double problem related to the automotive industry that causes a clash between engineering excellence and political concerns in reference to the automotive sector within the UK. This stems from the disappearance of the true...

LETTER: Image problem.(Letter to the editor)
March 23, 2009... I read with incredulity the large amounts of money being spent on image processing for CCTV applications to turn the millions of cameras across the UK into 'intelligent' systems (News, 9 March). The real problem with the vast majority of...

LETTER: Protected status.(Letter to the editor)
March 23, 2009... I have been involved in engineering all my life, starting off as an apprentice toolmaker in 1955, eventually becoming a lecturer in production engineering at a technical college. During my career I have always been passionate about...

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY: Green giants?
March 23, 2009... The UK is working with India and China to develop green technologies, belying the perception of Asia as a runaway threat to the climate. Jon Excell and Stuart Nathan report In the direst predictions of environmental meltdown, the spectres...

INSIGHT: Road sense.
March 23, 2009... An intelligent driving system combining GPS mapping with detailed road information promises to make hybrid vehicles safer and more fuel- efficient. Stuart Nathan reports It's an odd experience, driving without your feet touching the...

INTERVIEW: Hydrogen herald.(Interview)
March 23, 2009... Markus Bachmeier from Linde explains that technology is no longer the obstacle blocking the widespread introduction of hydrogen-powered cars. Jon Excell reports Emitting nothing more offensive than water, the mass-produced hydrogen-...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING: Metal work.
March 23, 2009... The Atom welding machine, which uses friction stir welding, could be used to create aeronautical parts such as wing panels and fuel tanks. Siobhan Wagner reports Metal components for aeroplanes could be produced more quickly and with 70...

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY: Clean cut.
March 23, 2009... Siemens has developed a CO2 scrubbing process that could cut emissions from a coal-fired plant while using less energy. Siobhan Wagner reports A coal-fired power plant near Hanau, Germany will use new CO2 scrubbing technology to reduce...

MOULDING TECHNIQUES: Taking shape.
March 23, 2009... German researchers are developing robots for a procedure designed to speed up the production of large-volume moulds. Siobhan Wagner reports Shipping companies will wait less time for their vessels' propellers with new automated processes...

PROCESS CONTROL: Prescribed process.
March 23, 2009... Honeywell has revised its Experian Process Knowledge System to aid the batch-production processes used in the pharmaceutical industry The pharmaceutical industry represents a different set of challenges for process control than the bulk...

MARKING & TRACEABILITY: Trace track.
March 23, 2009... Suppliers to Formula One are increasingly reliant on specialist software to provide teams with full traceability throughout the lifecycle of a component In Formula One motor racing the margins between success and failure are razor thin....

CAREERS: Positive energy.
March 23, 2009... The renewable energy sector is well placed to attract staff from other engineering sectors where the future is not so well assured At a time when pay freezes and reduced hours appear to be the order of the day, it can be hard to imagine...