Design News articles from April 2009

Design News archives from April 2009

They Said What?(engineering)(Survey)
April 1, 2009... By Dr. Geoffrey C. Orsak New survey reveals Americans' view of engineering Here is some happy news. A new national survey shows Americans agree with engineering experts that society's highest priorities include making new green energy...

DN's most popular blog posts.
April 1, 2009... By Design News Staff 1. Obama Girls Swing with Help from SolidWorks If you're wondering about what kind of connection could possibly exist between the White House and 3-D CAD software, here's something to chew on. The much-chronicled...

The Case of the Spurious Spring.
April 1, 2009... By Kenneth Russell, Professor Emeritus, MIT, Cambridge, MA Replacement kickstand part causes scary spill on modified motorcycle A young man took his motorcycle for a spin. He started to navigate a gentle left-hand turn (about a 1,000...

Programmable Logic Controllers, Automation Controllers.
April 1, 2009... By Dick Johnson, Control Engineering Even in a tight economy, PLCs and PACs are hot commodities, a true testament to their control adaptability, flexibility and multi-feature capabilities, as this product research shows With the...

Closed Loop Hydraulics.(hydraulic cylinder)
April 1, 2009... By Al Presher, Contributing Editor High-speed die-casting press uses PID algorithm for fast positioning Position and pressure control of a hydraulic cylinder is a common application, but precise control of these systems has...

Combining Controls.(Fulghum Industries Inc.)
April 1, 2009... By Al Presher, Contributing Editor PAC system integrates with RSLogix control for wood handling Reconciling disparate control systems, each very powerful and having individual strengths, is becoming quite common for systems'...

Best of the Engineering Marketplace.
April 1, 2009... Compiled by Elizabeth M. Taurasi and Sasha Brown-Worsham Omegadyne's Strain Gages Elizabeth M. Taurasi, Sasha Brown-Worsham Line includes linear, shear, double shear, full bridge, linear diaphragm styles Omegadyne's transducer...

The Dawn of Nano-Energy.
April 1, 2009... By Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics Irregular mechanical motions could be converted to usable energy Not long ago, it would have been unthinkable: Creating usable electrical energy through the movement of a...

Get an Edge with Nitrogen Foam.
April 1, 2009... By Doug Smock. Contributing Editor, Materials and Fastening Giant plastics event will showcase the latest in plastics technologies to improve the environment This year's National Plastics Exposition in Chicago (June 22-26) will be a...

Design Engineering Detectives.(Viewpoint essay)
April 1, 2009... By Karen Field, Editor-in-Chief Having cut my teeth on pulp detective fiction, there's nothing I love better than a good mystery. But even Poirot couldn't hold a candle to the sleuthing abilities of engineers, who are frequently confronted...

Helping The Disabled Speak.(Ambient Corp.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor Ambient Corp. has designed a compact system that helps people who can't speak because of neurological disorders, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy or other problems. Its Audeo, a wireless sensor...

Have Lie Detector, will Travel.(Lafayette Instrument Co.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor Speedy rechargers are helping in the search for truth -- honest. Lafayette Instrument Co. has developed the first portable lie detector, employing Bluetooth modules so there's far less bulk to carry....

Racers Borrow Green Techniques from Hybrids.(Magneti Marelli S.p.A.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor Formula One race cars are borrowing a concept used in hybrid vehicles, capturing energy from braking. Magneti Marelli's Formula One Kinetic Energy Recovery System stores energy created during braking...

CASE #138: Monster Power Blender is Sweetly Green.
April 1, 2009... By Design News Staff Rick Crammond created a turbine blender using the principles of Nikola Tesla. The Tesla blender achieves accelerated performance by combining water and air pressure simultaneously to the turbine nozzle. The blender is...

The Epicenter of Automation Control.
April 1, 2009... By Al Presher, Contributing Editor The evolution of multidisciplinary controls puts focus on single hardware/software solutions In the development of new automation controllers, the clear trends are lower costs, smaller controllers and...

Readers Sound Off.
April 1, 2009... By Design News Staff Five Solid Suggestions My hat's off to you sir. Five solid suggestions, "Top 5 Reasons to Stop Whining," (DN 02.09, http://designnews.hotims.com/23101-521 ). But I'm surprised at the whining. I guess it's because...

Flexibility in Focus.
April 1, 2009... By Al Presher, Contributing Editor Integrated control, networking, scalability needs shape controller solutions What is the overriding trend in motion and automation controllers? The trends in controllers are driven by marketplace...

The World Is Flat -- Except in Dynamics!
April 1, 2009... By Kevin Craig 3-D modeling is essential to understanding this branch of mechatronics The innovation in the products we use everyday has been rapidly accelerated by advances in electronic controls. The actuators, sensors and computer...

How GM Made the Chevy Volt Battery Decision.
April 1, 2009... By Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics "Stack-and-fold" shape and better geography were keys General Motors' highly publicized choice of a manganese spinel chemistry for the Chevy Volt's lithium-ion battery pack was...

Converters Could Boost CT Scanner Performance.
April 1, 2009... By Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics Enable machines to image the heart in a single shot A new data acquisition chip may lay the groundwork for faster, higher-quality computed tomography (CT) scanners. Analog...

Co-Molded Ceramics, Metals Boost Part Properties.
April 1, 2009... By Doug Smock, Contributing Editor, Materials And Fastening New spark plugs are cheaper, more corrosion resistant Two-component plastic injection molding is a well-developed process to produce parts that combine properties of two...

Real-Time Controller Boosts Motor Performance.(Texas Instruments Inc.)
April 1, 2009... By Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics Better math performance, PWM modules make performance faster, more precise Texas Instruments (TI) has rolled out a family of floating point controllers aimed at boosting...

SpaceClaim Updates Direct Modeler in First 2009 Release.
April 1, 2009... By Beth Stackpole, Contributing Editor, Design Tools Updated tool includes new model preparation, enhanced analysis features Continuing the industry momentum behind direct modeling, SpaceClaim rolled out the fourth release of its 3-D...

New Generation MEMS Promise Energy Efficiency.(microelectromechanical systems)
April 1, 2009... By Howard Baldwin, Contributing Editor Twenty-one companies are tackling devices that create their own energy Research and development into microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) that harvest and generate their own energy will have...

Sensor Adds Functions While Minimizing Power.
April 1, 2009... By Randy Frank, Contributing Editor Triaxial accelerometer integrates power management to increase battery life in portable products Consumers seem to want more and more from cell phones and other portable devices. Unfortunately, more...

High Lighting Efficiency.
April 1, 2009... By Randy Frank, Contributing Editor Green initiatives drive advancements in lighting technology "Incandescent bulbs aren't cool anymore," quips Stephen Bowling, technical staff engineer with Microchip Technology's Application Segments...

Recession Equals Inspiration.
April 1, 2009... By Jeff Ray, CEO, Concord, MA-Based DS SolidWorks Corp. Economic Crisis has not and will not Stifle Innovation When Barack Obama uttered this line before 1.6 million Americans on the National Mall in January, he was speaking directly to...

The Adventure of the Incredible Sparking Car.
April 1, 2009... By Arthur Sundeen, Contributing Writer Back in the early '80s I was an electrical design engineer for an automobile manufacturer. One day the experimental engineering garage called on me to diagnose and remedy a strange, periodic snapping...

Space-Saving Diverter.
April 1, 2009... By Al Presher, Contributing Editor Rodless cylinder provides compact, integrated solution for conveyor systems Manufacturing and packaging facilities move and sort tons of bulk on conveyors, but the sorters, diverters and pull-offs...

Stabilizing Controls.
April 1, 2009... By Al Presher, Contributing Editor System uses combination of servo and hydraulic motors to position camera mast The design solution for a portable, battery-powered giant mast and camera for aerial coverage of sporting events required...

Precision Stonecutting.
April 1, 2009... By Al Presher, Contributing Editor Integrated controls, CNC boost productivity in cutting saw/waterjet system The "hardest" challenge facing the stonecutting industry isn't cutting through solid marble or granite. It's designing...

New Grades Target Tough Applications.
April 1, 2009... By Doug Smock, Contributing Editor, Materials and Fastening Ultra-high-purity alumina is aimed at extreme-duty semiconductor markets Design engineers can expect increasing opportunities to use ceramics for demanding applications as new...

Maximizing Power.(Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.)
April 1, 2009... By Al Presher, Contributing Editor New designs optimize thermal properties, input voltage, output current, size and cost Optimizing the use of input voltage and maximizing output current are key benchmarks for power management devices...

Interpret Acceleration Data Several Ways.
April 1, 2009... By Jon Titus, Contributing Writer Accelerometers let engineers measure motion when they test or monitor mechanical equipment or measure the effects of traffic on a bridge or seismic disturbances. These sensors have measurement ranges from...

Harnessing Wind Power.
April 1, 2009... By Al Presher, Contributing Editor Power transmission plays critical role in the efficiency and reliability of wind turbines Capturing the power of the wind is pushing industry to develop power transmission technology that can deal...