The Engineer articles from October 2006

The Engineer archives from October 2006

COMMENT: Engineers should be at the top table.
October 2, 2006... If you covet a place among the business elite there is some bad news from a new survey of the nation's board directors - they think a background in engineering and technology means you will not be joining the club. A poll of directors...

THE BIG PICTURE: Browsing in the rain.
October 2, 2006... Japanese design students create an umbrella that takes and displays pictures It is hard to make someone smile when they are standing in a rain shower, but three Japanese design students are taking a crack at it. Takashi Matsumoto, a...

THE BIG PICTURE: Arriving at an airdrop zone near you.
October 2, 2006... The US Air Force is using satellite navigation technology to resupply troops in Afghanistan from high altitudes with nearly pinpoint accuracy. Precision Airdrop System (PADS), which uses GPS technology, is helping aircrews steer freight...

THE BIG PICTURE: Honda adds flexibility to fuel mix.
October 2, 2006... Honda has developed a flexible fuel vehicle (FFV) system so that petrol- engine cars can run on 100 per cent ethanol or a range of ethanol- petrol mixtures. It plans to market a new line of these vehicles this year in Brazil, where...

IN BRIEF: Roll up, roll up for a change.(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Cambridge University scientists have developed shape-changing structures for use as roll-up laptop screens and keyboards and re- usable packaging. By using a sheet of ordinary metal, Dr Keith Seffen can produce structures with no moving...

IN BRIEF: Electron beams get faster.(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... In a demonstration of the potential of laser-wake field acceleration, scientists at the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Oxford University have accelerated electron beams to energies exceeding 1bn electron...

IN BRIEF: Austrian sensor breakthrough.(Brief article)
October 2, 2006... Austrian physicists have developed ultra-thin pressure sensors that can also be processed into sensitive textiles. The breakthrough came with the arrival of technology for building up a sufficiently large electrical field in polymer foams....

NEWS: Brain power.
October 2, 2006... A #4m project aims to make the UK power network smarter at handling alternative energy sources Imperial College is leading a project to make the electricity distribution system more intelligent, so alternative sources of power, such as...

NEWS: Seeing action.
October 2, 2006... EYCIN system allows remote devices to be operated at a glance via standard Windows interface A German research project has developed a system that could allow hands- free devices to be controlled more accurately by users' eye movements....

NEWS: Grain of truth.
October 2, 2006... Mini wireless 'spies' in industrial hoppers aim to keep an electronic eye on the state of granular materials Miniature spies the size of fists that can reveal the state of granular materials stored in industrial hoppers are planned by a...

NEWS: Vision for a brighter future.
October 2, 2006... Oxford team focuses on technique to improve picture quality in digital cameras Researchers at Oxford University are developing technologies that could improve the dynamic range and colour of images produced by digital cameras - without...

NEWS: The light brigade.
October 2, 2006... Breakthroughs in LED research are aiding the development of flexible screens and light sources Companies specialising in LED technologies are stepping up their research and development operations to meet demand for the next generation of...

NEWS: The twilight zone.
October 2, 2006... NPL aids road safety effort by testing how motorists' eyes react to low- light conditions Research into how the eye behaves during twilight could lead to the development of improved car headlights for safer driving and better, more...

LETTER: Engineers do count.(Letter to the editor)
October 2, 2006... One year on from Pakistan's devastating earthquake that left 80,000 dead and nearly four million without shelter, international aid and development agency, GOAL UK, has finally wrapped up operations there. In its emergency relief...

LETTER: Trouble at mill.(Letter to the editor)
October 2, 2006... I read Melanie Watson's comments regarding windmills in Scotland (Letters, 4 September) with absolute amazement. Ms Watson - of Cheshire, England - observes that our landscape is 'bleak and empty and useless for agriculture'. This...

LETTER: Body of cynicism.(Letter to the editor)
October 2, 2006... I, too, am a touch cynical about the new Energy Institute featured in your editorial (Comment, 18 September). It is not hard to deduce from the pages of your own magazine that many millions of pounds of public money already go into...

LETTER: Light delight.(Letter to the editor)
October 2, 2006... Interesting though the next-generation light source is (Feature, 18 September) I wonder whether it will ultimately have the many applications promised. These types of projects are a scientists' delight and they need to talk about the...

LETTER: Decline and fall.(Letter to the editor)
October 2, 2006... Regarding your editorial on why the numbers of young people studying sciences and technology is declining (Comment, 21 August) the reason may be very simple. Like me, many of their parents will be in their 40s and 50s, and many will...

OIL SPILL CLEARANCE: Slick technology.
October 2, 2006... Current systems to clean up oil spillages at sea are just 10 per cent effective. But two EU research projects could bring a new level of sophistication to clearance and dispersal to vastly improve this figure. Niall Firth reports Although...

INSIGHT: Gearing up.
October 2, 2006... The #4,000 iT-1 is the world's first production bike with an internal transmission. But will the concept catch on? Dan Thisdell investigates The bicycle as a design was essentially perfected more than a century ago. Despite myriad...

MANAGING TECHNOLOGY: Taking AIM for growth.
October 2, 2006... A stock exchange listing could be the key to expansion for many fast- growing technology firms, writes Andrew Lee The stock market of the popular imagination is full of flashing screens and young men in expensive clothes playing for high...

INTERVIEW: Wing commander.(Interview)
October 2, 2006... Cranfield University's Dr Rafal Zbikowski aims to emulate the flapping flight of insects to develop a micro air vehicle which he believes could lead to a new generation of surveillance drones. Jon Excell reports THE Defence College of...

DESIGN ENGINEERING: Towering achievement.
October 2, 2006... German turbine manufacturer calls on bearings specialist to develop what it claims is the world's smallest and lightest 5MW offshore turbine. Stuart Nathan reports While controversy continues to rage over the siting of wind turbines,...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - NANOTECH: Sensing the vibes.
October 2, 2006... US researchers attempt to make highly-sensitive 'vibrating plank' sensors for micro-organisms which are ideal for use in environmental monitoring, in hospitals and for security purposes. Stuart Nathan reports One of the odd things about...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - MECHANICAL DESIGN: Shape of things to come.
October 2, 2006... Component design all too often relies on individual intuition. Now a UK team is developing a computer tool for finding the most efficient shapes while avoiding costly calculations. Stuart Nathan reports For most engineering designers, the...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - POWER TRANSMISSION: Gearing up for change.
October 2, 2006... With European manufacturers facing stiff pricing pressure from Asia and eastern Europe, technology is available to help with the choice of more efficient power transmission systems. Colin Carter reports Power transmission in transport -...

DESIGN ENGINEERING - PROTOTYPING: Rapid developments.
October 2, 2006... Prototype and low-volume design and production of injection-moulded parts has undergone radical changes, offering improved cost efficiency and faster lead times. Charles Clarke explains In this 3D enlightened age, at the first mention of...

CAREERS: Powering the future, today.
October 2, 2006... As international pressure mounts to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the major power providers are seeking experienced engineers to develop inexpensive renewable energy. Julia Pierce reports The need to cut carbon emissions and reduce their...

COMMENT: Energetic moves in the right direction.
October 16, 2006... The Insight section in this issue of The Engineer (page 24) features the Stealth rollercoaster, Europe's tallest white-knuckle ride and a remarkable feat of engineering. Rollercoaster and white-knuckle ride are terms that could equally...

THE BIG PICTURE: Exploring Virgin space.
October 16, 2006... Concept for world's first passenger spacecraft combines comfort and stylish looks Designing the interior of the world's first passenger spacecraft is a challenge. With technical demands unlike any other vehicle, it must also look sharp...

THE BIG PICTURE: Super sonic boom suppressor.
October 16, 2006... Gulfstream Aerospace and NASA's Dryden Flight Research Centre have teamed up in the Quiet Spike project to study the suppression of sonic booms. The project centres around a retractable, 24ft-long spike mounted on the nose of NASA...

THE BIG PICTURE: Volvo's truck-load of hi-tech safety.
October 16, 2006... VOLVO HAS unveiled a prototype truck showcasing some of the world's most advanced active safety technologies. Packed with sensors, radars, laser scanners and an assortment of cameras, the Integrated Safety Truck has been created to...

IN BRIEF: Smart fabric for patients.(Brief article)
October 16, 2006... Doctors can now monitor patients' heart activity, breathing and temperature simply by asking them to wear a specially-designed shirt. Researchers working on the EU-funded WEALTHY project made the shirt using a smart fabric with built-in...

IN BRIEF: Holography 'makes data secure'.(Brief article)
October 16, 2006... Bayer Innovation recently exhibited PhenoStor, the world's first security pass based on holographic data storage, at the Security 2006 exhibition in Essen, Germany. The company claims it has succeeded in writing data holographically into...

IN BRIEF: Biochips come one step closer.(Brief article)
October 16, 2006... Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, have developed a digital memory device by incorporating platinum nanoparticles into the tobacco mosaic virus. They claim the result could be used to develop bio-compatible electronic...

NEWS: More go with the flow.
October 16, 2006... Qinetiq is developing two fibre-optic sensor techniques designed to improve traffic monitoring Qinetiq is working with the Highways Agency to develop two new fibre- optic sensor systems to better measure road usage and improve traffic...

NEWS: Harnessing the tides.
October 16, 2006... Simpler sub-sea turbine system could minimise difficulty of tidal mill maintenance Lunar power could play a significant part in the UK's energy mix. The Moon's gravitational pull on our oceans means the British Isles are surrounded by...

NEWS: On the road to intelligence.
October 16, 2006... Self-configuring automotive systems could integrate a car's software and upgrade it automatically Volvo and DaimlerChrysler are part of a nine-member consortium that has received E22.9m (#15.5m) from the European Commission to give cars...

NEWS: Lines of communication.
October 16, 2006... Sweden trials Computer Aided Train Operation that could improve energy consumption and time keeping A RAIL traffic management system tested in Sweden could cut a train's energy consumption by up to half while boosting its operational...

NEWS: Joint solution.
October 16, 2006... German biotech company and research institute produce quick arthritis diagnostic device A 'lab in a shoebox' that quickly diagnoses the cause of arthritis in each sufferer will allow treatment of the condition to be targeted more...

NEWS: Making waves.
October 16, 2006... MRI combines with focused ultrasound to treat benign uterine tumours in a non-invasive way Magnetic resonance guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) ablation procedures have provided relief for thousands of women with uncomfortable uterine...

NEWS: Heart of the matter.
October 16, 2006... A cardiovascular treatment based on stem cell technology could encourage arteries to repair themselves An implant coated with stem cell-produced cells that encourage the body to heal itself could dramatically reduce the number of heart...

VIEWPOINT: Magnetic attraction.
October 16, 2006... Despite last month's fatal crash in Germany, the prospects for a UK maglev line remain encouraging argues, Alan James For people, like myself, with professional and personal connections to Transrapid's test track in north-western Germany,...

LETTER: Elementary solution.(Letter to the editor)
October 16, 2006... With reference to the decline in the number of young people studying engineering, as noted by Bob Elliott (Letters, 2 October) there are a number of contributory elements to this problem. These include the perceived lack of reward for...

LETTER: Room at the top.(Letter to the editor)
October 16, 2006... Could it be that more UK engineers don't make it to board level because we don't study engineering in the same way they do on the continent, where the courses tend to have an MBA-style business management content? Maybe UK engineering...

LETTER: More grist to mills row.(Letter to the editor)
October 16, 2006... Continuing the dialogue on Scottish wind power (Letters, passim), some food for thought. One of the limiting factors in Scottish wind power is that the existing power lines to England have little spare capacity, so in addition to the...

LETTER: Simplistic line.(Letter to the editor)
October 16, 2006... given that there was a fire on a Transrapid train in Shanghai in August, and 23 died in a Transrapid accident in Germany last month is it cheeky to suggest that the statement made by Ultraspeed's Alan James (Feature, 24 April) that the maglev...

AIRCRAFT SECURITY: Safe on a plane?
October 16, 2006... Hijack-proof airliners may be taking to the skies in a few years time, thanks to a European aerospace industry project that combines computer- aided cabin monitoring and highly secure flight controls. Jon Excell reports Following 9/11,...

INSIGHT: High-tech thriller.
October 16, 2006... Stealth is Europe's tallest and fastest rollercoaster, with acceleration to beat an F1 racing car. Niall Firth reports on the wealth of engineering knowledge behind the white-knuckle ride Drivers passing junction 12 on the M25 might be...

MANAGING TECHNOLOGY: Active approach.
October 16, 2006... UK orthopaedic technology group tailors its distribution strategy to its various target markets. Andrew Lee reports Like the actor performing to an empty theatre, the development of a technology can hardly be counted a success unless it...

INTERVIEW: Hard cell.(Interview)
October 16, 2006... UTC Power boss Jan Van Dokkum is a passionate advocate of the fuel cell, pioneered by his company everywhere from space to the US highways. Niall Firth reports From buildings and cars to buses and submarines, UTC Power, the fuel cell arm...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING: Roll up for lighter parts.
October 16, 2006... The steel tubes used to assemble car bodies could be made much lighter, boosting fuel efficiency, thanks to a new process from ThyssenKrupp steel, reports Stuart Nathan A new system for making tubular steel components could help reduce...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - RFID TAGGING: Finding the target.
October 16, 2006... A radio-frequency tagging system at RAF Cottesmore is enabling Harrier squadrons to quickly get their hands on the kit they need for rapid deployment, writes Siobhan Wagner When the UK government ordered a force of Harrier jump jets to...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - DIAMONDS: Gem of a solution.
October 16, 2006... UK coatings specialist Hardide has overcome the problem of gripping diamonds in cutting tools by devising a glue that holds the gems in place, writes Stuart Nathan Diamonds aren't forever. Known as the hardest material in existence,...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - MACHINE VISION: Seeing is believing.
October 16, 2006... Cheaper components are allowing image processing technology to make the leap into both mass market products and specialist instruments. Colin Carter reports Image processing has made significant strides over the past few years, as...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - HANDLING: Packed with innovations.
October 16, 2006... New handling systems featuring robots that can manipulate a wide variety of objects are automating previously labour-intensive packaging lines, reports Mark Venables Automated handling has been used for several decades in the food and...

COMMENT: Armed response.
October 30, 2006... Of all our major industries, the defence sector seems the most impenetrable to engineers and technologists working beyond its boundaries. To those on the outside, the defence industry is all about closely- guarded facilities, classified...

THE BIG PICTURE: Sun storms in stereo.
October 30, 2006... Twin spacecraft are set to take world's first 3D images of coronal mass ejections Launched on 25 October, NASA's two-year STEREO mission aims to capture 3D images of massive eruptions from the Sun, known as coronal mass ejections...

THE BIG PICTURE: Now racing cyclists can keep their cool.
October 30, 2006... Professional racing cyclists often lose out in the compromise between aerodynamics and comfort, sacrificing ventilation and neck comfort in favour of faster times. Their aerodynamic helmets have a pointed rear tip that rests on their...

THE BIG PICTURE: Easing the pain of medication.
October 30, 2006... Cambridge Consultants has developed an inexpensive one-time use inhaler that is expected to bring ease and convenience to mass medication and vaccination. The product, called Conix One, is based around a 'reverse flow cyclone' and...

IN BRIEF: Car safety with a KISS.(Brief article)
October 30, 2006... The EUREKA E! 3079 KISS project has developed a child safety seat that its creators claim is cheaper, lighter, easier to install and easily adaptable to any car. 'The Klippan Isofix Safety System (KISS) is a user-friendly rear-facing seat...

IN BRIEF: Thinking thin.(Brief article)
October 30, 2006... An team of international scientists has used a novel technique to measure the precise conditions at which certain ultra-thin materials spontaneously become electrically polarised. The research provides the fundamental scientific basis for...

IN BRIEF: Chips on the brain.(Brief article)
October 30, 2006... Researchers at Washington University are working on an implantable electronic chip that may help establish new nerve connections in the part of the brain that controls movement. Their most recent study showed such a device can induce brain...

NEWS: Making strides.
October 30, 2006... Augmented reality spectacles can help some sufferers of Parkinson's disease to walk more steadily Researchers have developed a pair of glasses which could help some people with Parkinson's disease to walk more normally by giving visual...

NEWS: Extra sensory perception.
October 30, 2006... Southampton University research into high-performance sensors seeks to improve car safety A range of high-performance sensors under development by Southampton University could detect potential car accidents more accurately than any...

NEWS: Combined harvester.
October 30, 2006... UK spin-out goes into production with microgenerating unit that does away with conventional power sources A new era for monitoring machinery is possible with the production of microgenerators that harvest energy from the vibrations of...

NEWS: The science of cool.
October 30, 2006... Academia/industry project researches cooling stages of fires in buildings in aim to make firefighting safer Researchers at Manchester and Edinburgh Universities will begin studying the cooling stage of building fires early next year to...

NEWS: Soothing a saw point.
October 30, 2006... High-power ultrasound, common in industrial processes, could modernise surgical tools In the 19th century surgeons were known as 'sawbones' because that's exactly what they did - and they still do. The tools have improved, some are...

NEWS: A weight off their shoulders.
October 30, 2006... As packages become heavier, European postal companies look to electric transport for help A team of European postal companies, including the Royal Mail, is developing electric mobility devices to help urban postmen with their rounds. ...

VIEWPOINT: Time for a sea change.
October 30, 2006... A giant sub-sea supergrid to link offshore wind farms across the whole of Europe is a necessity, argues Eddie O'Connor Europe has 25 different countries and 25 different energy policies - there is no co-ordination among them. Even if we...

LETTER: Coloured to confuse.(Letter to the editor)
October 30, 2006... With reference to your leader on the UK rail system 'Let's get this show back on the rails' (Comment, 4 September) there are a number of issues that add to the confusion and problems. While members of the present government turn pale, as...

LETTER: Gloomy prospects.(Letter to the editor)
October 30, 2006... I firmly agree with Andrew Porter (Letters 16 October) that engineers are undervalued in the UK. I am due to graduate in June next year with a BEng in Mechanical and Marine Engineering. With 80 per cent of the UK's economy dedicated to...

LETTER: Praying for a solution.(Letter to the editor)
October 30, 2006... Among all the encouraging articles and no doubt highly-paid departments and organisations urging renewable energy, I have looked in vain for a solution for renewing the heating in a medium-sized church. The retail beginnings by Currys and...

SUPERCOMPUTING: Billion dollar brains.
October 30, 2006... IBM's Roadrunner at Los Alamos is set to win the race to be the world's first computer to break the petaflop barrier, but it may not stay the fastest for long. Niall Firth and Jon Excell explain Once known only as 'Site Y', Los Alamos...

INSIGHT: Doctoring the mouse.
October 30, 2006... High-performance wireless mouse incorporates a wealth of new technologies designed to create smoother scrolling and take the strain out of computer work. Niall Firth takes it for a spin Amid the blizzard of statistics and market research...

MANAGING TECHNOLOGY: Conventional wisdom.
October 30, 2006... Safeguarding IP beyond the UK has been streamlined, thanks to agreements and treaties covering much of the industrial world. David Copp explains Engineers always seek to break new ground in their work. Once they have overcome the...

MANAGING TECHNOLOGY: Creative licence.
October 30, 2006... Whether to license a product or to market it directly will depend on a company's resources and the product itself, says Alan Richardson To license or not to license? You might like to believe this is a simple question. You have developed...

INTERVIEW: Mapping the future.(Interview)
October 30, 2006... Innovation is at the centre of Chris Parker's work for Ordnance Survey. He tells Stuart Nathan how he is exploring our ever-increasing technological advances to exploit the uses of geographical data For most of us, Ordnance Survey is not...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING: Fast work.
October 30, 2006... US/UK research collaboration could hold the key to making the next generation of high-speed microprocessors. Stuart Nathan reports A collaboration between researchers in Florida and a UK supplier of high-powered lasers could be the key to...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - COMPOSITES: Cracking idea.
October 30, 2006... US researchers discover a way to help early fault monitoring in composite structures such as aircraft by embedding carbon nanotubes. Siobhan Wagner reports When the Boeing 787 Dreamliner enters service in 2008 it will be lighter and more...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - SURFACE TREATMENT: A leaf from nature.
October 30, 2006... Biomimetics could provide self-cleaning solution to the problem of dirt and dust accumulation on high-voltage power lines. Siobhan Wagner reports High-voltage power lines often risk short-circuiting and damage because of dirt and dust...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - INSPECTION: Measuring up.
October 30, 2006... Colin Carter looks at measurement and inspection applications, from machining to space exploration The rapid advance in technologies to measure and inspect finished products has led to a manufacturing quality undreamt of a decade or two...

PRODUCTION ENGINEERING - LUBRICANTS: Fluid situations.
October 30, 2006... The car industry's lead in managing, reprocessing and reducing liquid contaminants from machining and process operations has led to some surprising results. Mark Venables explains Cutting fluid is an often-neglected component of a...