The Engineer articles from May 2003

The Engineer archives from May 2003

Good week. (This Week).
May 2, 2003... PHILATELISTS: Stamp nuts will soon be coveting post franked on the International Space Station after the Russians offered to route mail via the orbiter. Each souvenir stamp will cost [pounds sterling]18,000, but any postcard sent will surely...

Bad week. (This Week).
May 2, 2003... E-MAIL: Researchers have decided e-mail causes tension and misunderstanding and even has the power to ruin lives. A survey found that more than half of people struggle to interpret what e-mails really mean, and many admitted that mix-ups led to...

Right about face. (This Week).
May 2, 2003... PASSPORTS containing microchips to identify people by their facial characteristics are to be introduced in the UK by April 2005. The microchips will contain details of the holder's facial measurements, such as the distance between their eyes...

Rocky nuclear show. (This Week).
May 2, 2003... THE US is once again capable of making nuclear weapons, following the assembly of a weapons pit by the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. The nation had been unable to make further. weapons following the closure of the Rocky...

The million dollar quest: to get to space on time. (This Week).
May 2, 2003... THE FIRST private commercial flights into space could take place in the next few years. Burt Rutan, owner of US aerospace firm Scaled Composites, has built a high-altitude launch aircraft, the White Knight. The aircraft will carry a rocket...

Mobile that may accost a bomb. (This Week).
May 2, 2003... A MOBILE that can detect radioactive dirty bombs is under development by the US government's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The device, known as Radnet, can make calls, surf the web, act as a personal digital assistant, pinpoint...

Teaching old dogs' cars new tricks. (This Week).
May 2, 2003... US CARMAKERS have unveiled a concept vehicle designed to make cars easier and safer for the elderly to drive. MIT and US car firm Lear's design includes an obstacle-detection system that removes the need for the driver to twist around and check...

Thousand-mile high club. (This Week).
May 2, 2003... The UK government has challenged the motor industry to design an affordable family car capable of travelling 1,000 miles on a single tank of fuel, The New Vehicle Technology Fund has a budget of [pounds sterling]10m, and will fund construction...

Princely concern over nanotechnology. (This Week).
May 2, 2003... Prince Charles has waded into the controversy surrounding nanotechnology research. The Prince has asked Lord May of Oxford, president of the Royal Society, the UK's national academy of sciences, to suggest a number of experts to advise him on...

Battle for the rebuild. (Comment).
May 2, 2003... Iraq now stands at ground zero. After 12 years of sanctions and a devastating bombing campaign the country is little more than a shell. The infrastructure that is needed to support the establishment of a new society is in ruins. Happily,...

Arresting by numbers: network of cameras in Kent pilot scheme provides automatic number plate recognition. (News).
May 2, 2003... AN AUTOMATIC car number plate recognition system being piloted in the UK has already been used to foil the alleged abduction of a teenager, The Engineer can reveal. The system, which has been on trial in Canterbury since December, consists...

Taking heart: remote monitoring technique could save patients' lives. (News).
May 2, 2003... NEW CARDIAC monitoring technology could save the lives of human drug guinea pigs who develop heart problems during clinical trials, its UK developer has claimed. However, Cardionetics admitted the cost of equipping patients with its...

Flight path for fuel cells: NASA researches technologies needed to develop hydrogen-powered aircraft. (News).
May 2, 2003... NASA'S Revolutionary Aeropropulsion Concepts programme is aiming to produce a fuel cell-powered aircraft the size of a Boeing 737 with zero 002 emissions. While cars and power stations are the world's major greenhouse gas contributors,...

Bread for chips: Sony and Toshiba plan huge investment in high-performance microchips. (News).
May 2, 2003... TWO OF THE world's biggest electronics firms are to stake billions of pounds on the ability of new microchip technology to deliver products that can outperform those of their rivals. Sony and Toshiba will invest [pounds sterling]2.6bn...

Low-cost mobile phone service keeps staff on tracK. (News).
May 2, 2003... A TRACKING service based on mobile phones could allow small businesses to locate their staff, or parents to find their children without using expensive GPS systems. The FleetOnline.net service from Belgian company Teydo uses location...

The flying detectors: US military to use helicopter-mounted technology to sweep Iraq for weapons of mass destruction. (News).
May 2, 2003... THE US MILITARY is to use helicopter-mounted metal detection systems to sweep Iraq in its search for concealed weapons of mass destruction. The newly-developed device from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, uses three separate...

This is Ben Brown in Baghdad, and in focus. (News).
May 2, 2003... SATELLITE IMAGES transmitted from war zones are set to improve dramatically next year with the introduction of Internet-based technology. The pixelated, partially frozen and shaky images transmitted by reporters during the Iraq war will be...

Oil from waste: system could cut reliance on oil from volatile areas. (Post-Conflict News).
May 2, 2003... A processing facility that can turn organic waste into valuable oil without creating hazardous emissions is to be built near Parma, Italy, within the next year. The process mimics the geothermal processes that have created fossil fuels...

Brainwave: UK researchers develop robot system that could help find a treatment for a variety of brain diseases. (News).
May 2, 2003... A ROBOT controlled by a computer model that exactly replicates brain neurone structures could help researchers to find treatments for diseases such as Parkinson's, Huntington's, schizophrenia and Tourette's Syndrome. The...

US army wants the wheel thing for base security. (News).
May 2, 2003... ROBOTS designed to replace soldiers for military base security are to be demonstrated this week by the US government. The US Defence Department hopes to save millions of dollars by replacing patrolling humans in vehicles with wheeled...

In site of a cleaner solution: researchers claim brownfield land can be decontaminated quickly and safely for housebuilding. (News).
May 2, 2003... POLLUTED and brownfield land could be made ready for housebuilding in a matter of minutes according to researchers at the University of Greenwich. With up to half a million homes due to be built on new land in the south-east over the next...

Cleaning up on the network: power supply to the Channel Tunnel Rail Link will reduce electromagnetic interference. (News).
May 2, 2003... A CUSTOM-BUILT power supply system that reduces environmental impact is to be fitted to the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. The new transmission technology, developed by ABB, will enable the rail link to become the first in the UK to use a European...

Good vibes bring in the energy harvest. (News).
May 2, 2003... VIBRATING MACHINERY could be used to supply electricity, following the development of a harvesting system that scavenges power from motion. The vibration can be harnessed to reduce energy consumption by providing fuel for sensors, lights and...

NXT: worldwide standard for information and data exchange set to create ID revolution. (Company Profile: Business).
May 2, 2003... RECENT HISTORY proves that the share price of a technology-based business is often a poor guide to the real value of the systems it is developing, but something interesting is going on at NXT. The UK audio technology company saw its stock...

Asbestos claims move ABB into red, but group remains optimistic. (The Week).
May 2, 2003... Engineering and technology giant ABB slipped into the red in the first quarter of the year, hit by the settlement of asbestos claims and tough conditions in several of its key markets. The group which has set aside about $1bn ([pounds...

Ericsson to cut another 7,000 staff following eight quarterly loss. (The Week).
May 2, 2003... Mobile technology group Ericsson said it would slash a further 7,000 jobs over the next year in a bid to return to profitability. The Swedish company, which employed 85,000 at the start of 2002 said just 47,000 would be on its books by the...

Marconi creditors give nod to refinancing for new company. (The Week).
May 2, 2003... Creditors of debt-laden telecoms equipment giant Marconi have approved a refinancing package that should see a new company rise from the ashes of the old. Subject to approval by courts in the UK and US, about [pounds sterling]4bn in debts...

Aveva expects good progress despite uncertain global trading. (The Week).
May 2, 2003... Engineering data and design specialist Aveva said it enjoyed a strong end to its financial year which finished in march, following a 'quiet' December and January. The Cambridge-based company -- which was formerly known as Cadcentre and has...

Quantumbeam shareholders say no to more funds as firm is wound up. (The Week).
May 2, 2003... Quantumbeam a Cambridge company developing new wireless broadband access systems, is up for sale after being placed in administration. Quantumbeam is using free space optics technology to transmit data signals via light beams rather that...

Putting your money where your ideas are: investment is the key to economic health. The government is offering incentives for R&D, says Fiona Harvey. Why isn't industry spending? (Comment).
May 2, 2003... GORDON BROWN'S seventh budget had its pluses and minuses. A plus was the government's continued backing of industrial growth in the form of an extension of the R&D tax credits he introduced in 2000. This recognition that research is the...

Letters.
May 2, 2003... Lesson for us all Graduate unemployment is on the increase with over six per cent of engineering graduates still out of work six months after leaving university. This suggests that our education system is seriously flawed....

Short-changing Iraq: Iraq will be encumbered by infrastructure technologies that are unsuitable and hard to maintain if the US controls its reconstruction, say European telecoms and engineering specialists. (Post-War Reconstruction).
May 2, 2003... PRECISION BOMBS flattened much of Iraq's infrastructure during the campaign to evict Saddam Hussein's government -- and now engineers have to rebuild it. Fears are growing, however, that the political tensions that characterised the run-up to...

Flight stimulator. (Profile: Mike Howse).
May 2, 2003... Aero-engine makers must cut emissions and reduce noise to remain competitive, says Rolls-Royce's technology director Mike Howse who is leading the drive for new technologies to achieve sustainable development in the aerospace industry. DR...

Splashing out: 'no prototype' approach to deep-sea camera equipment design leaves the competition high and dry. (Design News).
May 2, 2003... DESIGNING AND manufacturing a product without building a prototype is a risky business. But when that product has to cope with extreme pressures, hungry sharks, and other perils of the deep that risk doubles. Yet this was exactly the...

The tank with bottle: combination of design and piezoelectrics claimed to make for greater efficiency. (Design News).
May 2, 2003... A FUEL TANK made entirely of plastic, and thought to be the first of its kind, has been developed jointly by fuel systems expert TI Automotive and French petrochemical company Atofina. The tank, dubbed the Permblok AS6 and due to make its...

Letter from Japan.
May 2, 2003... Fujitsu brings domestic androids a step closer As visitors to Japan's android exhibition Robodex celebrated the 'birthday' of Astroboy -- the country's most famous cartoon robot -- Fujitsu has brought the domestic android one step closer....

Brazing the stakes: Corus to study welding technique that's gaining popularity with car makers. (Design News).
May 2, 2003... LASER BRAZING, a joining technology rapidly gaining popularity in car manufacture has received a boost with the news that Corus is setting up an R&D facility to study the technique. Brazing, which involves melting a 'filler' material...

Longer life LEPs soon, says Cambridge. (Design News).
May 2, 2003... MASSIVE IMPROVEMENTS to the performance of light-emitting polymers could lead to the commercialisation of the technology sooner rather than later, claimed Cambridge Display Technology. The company has announced that advances made at its...

Real time pressure indication in garment test equipment? (Tech Need Challenge).
May 2, 2003... Can you supply a flexible, low-profile sensor for real time pressure indication in garment test equipment? It must able to measure interface pressure at 0-200mm Hg to an accuracy of +/-1 mm Hg. The sensor must achieve good repeatability with...

LCDs. (Tech Need Challenge).
May 2, 2003... An organisation is keen to assemble a portfolio of patents covering all of the technologies associated with LCDs. It is willing to interpret the field broadly and will consider any patent that covers LCD devices and applications, their...

R&D. (Tech Need Challenge).
May 2, 2003... Maintaining the temperature of hot and cold food is a problem in the takeaway industry. Perhaps you have a solution. The standard container is made of styrofoam, which some feel looks cheap and has disposability issues. Technologies to solve...

Bright future for automotive plastics: a luminescent polymer film that can be formed into almost any 3D shape could change the face of in-car lighting. (Materials).
May 2, 2003... WHAT DO a Volkswagen engineer and a male glow worm have in common? The answer is that they're both attracted to the luminous abdomen of the female glow worm. However, at this point the intentions of these unlikely associates part company....

Modelling goes heads up: Pro/Engineer Wildfire is the long-awaited CAD update from PTC that combines advanced techniques with an ease of use normally associated with mid-range products. (Software).
May 2, 2003... THE LATEST CAD package to come from software developer PTC is Pro/Engineer Wildfire. It is the first major revamp of Pro/E since PTC moved to Windows in the late 90s. Any Pro/E user will tell you they've been feeling more than a little...

Fast forward with Ethernet. (Automation).
May 2, 2003... Often heralded as the future of industrial networking, high-speed industrial Ethernet appears to be gaining in popularity. Geoff Lock explains the benefits it brings operators in terms of maintenance and accessibility WITH NETWORKING at...

Investing in technology - Drives & Controls 2003. (Drives & Controls Show Preview).
May 2, 2003... THIS YEAR's Drives and Controls exhibition is taking place from June 3-5 at Birmingham's NEC. Once more, the show is running alongside the Hydraulics and Pneumatics, and Power Electronics shows. This year, engineers have been restricted by...

Apex Dynamics. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Apex Dynamics concentrates on manufacturing high-precision, low-backlash planetary gearboxes. The advantage and benefit of using planetary gearheads are widely accepted by today's industry. The Apex Planetary Gearbox range consists of seven...

AmTechs. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... AmTechs will be showing its range of multi-mount aluminium frame motors up to 132-frame size, These motors have bolt on feet and interchangeable flanges allowing a variety of easily acheivable mounting arrangements. Protection to P55...

Baldor. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Baldor will be launching a low-cost servo drive for implementing precision motion applications, and a new family of programmable AC and DC drives for variable speed control of industrial motors. A new brushless AC servo drive will provide OEMs...

Belt Technologies. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Belt Technologies will be demonstrating a steel belt system based on an aluminium or stainless steel machine frame and complete with motion control, tracking, and tensioning components. This off the shelf solution can be customised to suit...

Chorus Motors. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Chorus Motors will be demonstrating its Chorus Meshcon design. The company claims the new design, when coupled with a Chorus motor, can reduce inverter costs by up to 70%. The Chorus motor uses new controllers and windings to substantially...

Control Techniques. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... The main attraction on Control Techniques' stand will be the Unidrive SP. From the simplest to the most complex applications it is a truly scalable solutions platform. The drive and its option modules can be matched to any application to...

Copper Development Association. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Visitors to this stand will be able to collect a free copy of the latest version of the Power Quality Application Guide. New sections cover hot topics such as reliability, resilience and earthing and are now available from the Power Quality...

Dynatork. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Dynatork will be exhibiting its full range of products as well as introducing its new Dynatork 3A81 acetal air motors that can transmit loads up to 80NM. The air motors will be driving equipment as a live demonstration of their capabilities.

EMS. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... EMS will be exhibiting examples of its range of precision DC ironless rotor motors, gearheads, stepper motors, brushless motors, AC and DC linear actuators, lifting columns, and custom designed mechanisms. Of particular interest will be the new...

FKI Drives. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... The FID 2000 integral motor-inverter range offers a reliable, compact and versatile alternative to separate motors and inverters. This approach is particularly suited to materials handling and HVAC applications. Since its 2002 launch, many...

Goodwin Electronics. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Goodwin Electronics will be launching ZF's new range of PGE planetary gearheads along side their established servomotor partnership with the Yaskawa product range. The PGE provides OEM's with the ideal vehicle to reduce costs in servomotor...

HMK. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... HMK will be launching new ranges in all of its three divisions. These will include performance rack and pinions, a new range of servo worm gearboxes, and a new range of linear actuators, together with updates to the existing range of HMK and...

Huco. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Huco will be demonstrating, for the first time, its series of Flexible Jaw Couplings. The inclusion of a resilient polyurethane element between aluminium hubs allows the couplings to transmit high torque with little or no backlash, even in the...

Hayley. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Hayley Group continues to expand its product range and now supply a full range of linear bearing products, cam followers and rod ends. As newly appointed UK Distributor of FAG products, Hayley also supplies a comprehensive range of bearings and...

Heidenhain. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Being shown for the first time in the UK EnDat 2.2; the latest version of the Heidenhain high-speed serial interface for encoders will be supported by a free CD-ROM containing a product presentation and brochures for both rotary and linear...

Harting. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Harting will be launching a range of IP 67 'plug and play' fast Ethernet switches and inter-connectivity solutions. The range of Ethernet products being offered by HARTING covers all the relevant international standards being developed on both...

Holroyd. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Specialist UK gear manufacturer, Holroyd, has developed a wormgear contact analysis program that revolutionises the production of large centre-distance wormgears. The program both reduces the margin for error in the manufacture of precision,...

Igus. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Igus will be using The exhibition to launch The DryLin linear module. This system uses the DryLin R bearing system combined with the latest Igus leadscrew technology to form a compact linear unit. The bearing liners are manufactured from the...

Ilme. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Ilme will be exhibiting a full range of multipole connectors including housing hoods, manufactured from die cast aluminium, epoxy coated and thermoplastic materials with inserts, offering various methods of conductor connectors (screw, crimp...

IML. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... IML has always responded positively to requests for special torque transducers and load cells and now needs to increase its applications engineering capacity to cope with a significant increase in enquiries for 'specials'. On its stand it will...

Kabelsc. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Kabelschlepp Metool will be showing a comprehensive range of cable carriers. The company was the original inventor of the cable carrier and has produced some of the most revolutionary recent innovations, including Robotrax, the first truly...

KEB. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Among the products on display will be KEB's new Combivert F5 family of sophisticated and user-friendly drives, the range comprising of the Basic, General and Multi. The drives feature a wide range of accessories and easy programming. Of...

LEM. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... LEM Components has unveiled a new family of current transducers, with an innovative mechanical design and the first-ever application of the Prime technology sensing principle for the industrial automation market. The new AP and APR series...

Lemco. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Lemoc will be showing its range of DC motors ranging from 1Kw up to the latest addition that is 22Kw. All models will operate on any voltage up to its rated capacity and are produced by Lemco are high torque; highly efficient and compact...

Linak. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... On show for the first time will be the Techline range of electric linear actuators. Designated the LAl2 PLC actuator, Linkak claims it is ideal for factory automation, ventilation plants and other industrial equipment controlled by Programmable...

MMI. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... MMI Solutions cams its latest touch screen device has the clearest and most stunning graphics yet in an operator panel. Called the Monitouch V7, the panel can play video and data, has Internet connectivity, supports all the appropriate fieldbus...

Motion Control Systems. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... In addition to its range of direct drive brushless DC motors, Motion Control Systems will be showing its new AX series of high performance analogue servo drives. The AX series is available in power ratings from 5 to 200 KW (peak), and...

NEE. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... NEE-Controls has added a part marking inkjet printer interface to its range of machine and motion control systems as supplied to Exact Technologies. Part marking is defined as the principle of applying identification marking to components...

Norwin Electronics. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Norwin Electronics will be introducing a new range of Intelligent Brushless AC Servo Drives from Serad. Operating direct from a 230 volts AC supply, these drives are available in 3 power ratings with 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 amps output. More powerful...

Ondrives. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Ondrives & Rino Industries will be showing their wide range of mechanical components and will be using the exhibition to promote the new Ondrives 2003 edition catalogue that contains information on over 25000 components as well as promoting...

Penny & Giles. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Penny & Giles will be showing its new JC6000 joystick and the Control Plus family of rugged sealed rotary sensors for the first time. The strongest joystick yet from Penny & Giles, JC6000 has been tested to 50Kgf with no lever damage, ensuring...

Pepperl & Fuchs. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... The RK53E-P motion detector is an intelligent microprocessor controlled opening sensor for all automatic door and gate systems used in industrial applications. With a maximum mounting height of 6M, a frontal range of up to 20 M can be achieved....

Phoenix Contact. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Interconnection and control expert, Phoenix Contact, has chosen this year's show to showcase three important new products: the innovative DiagNet diagnostic system, which dramatically reduces downtime due to faults and failures on industrial...

Reliance Gear. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... The accurate ground helicoidal tooth form That has been a feature of Reliance precision measuring and positioning racks for over 30 years is now available on hardened round bearing shafting and 316 stainless steel tube. This development of The...

Pittman & Rose. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... The PittmanExpress programme features versions of Elcom ST brushless DC motors with fully integrated electronics. The N2300 series utilises internal hall sensor feedback for linear speed-torque characteristics, high starting torque, and...

REO. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Over the last year, REO has seen a dramatic rise in the interest shown in accessories and design components for variable speed drives. As a result, at this years show it will display a wide range of sinusoidal filters that reflect the current...

Ringspann. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Ringspann will be exhibiting its extended range of torque limiters and calliper brakes. The range of torque limiters now extends from the simple, low-cost, friction torque limiter through backlash free ratcheting designs to double roller...

Rittal. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Rittal, worldwide supplier of innovative solutions for the Industrial market will use the exhibition to display a combination of three industrial product groups, showing how the perfect solution can be sourced from one supplier. One of These is...

Rockwell. (Exhibitors).
May 2, 2003... Rockwell Automation will show its sixth generation of Reliance V*S (AC drives with The debut of the SF600, featuring the world's first icon-based operator interface module for an AC drive. This revolutionary new drive product is available in an...