Design News articles from February 2008

Design News archives from February 2008

The Case of the Torrid Turbocharger.
February 4, 2008... By Kenneth Russell, Professor Emeritus, MIT, Cambridge, MA A group of seven American men enjoyed some of the excellent hunting available on Anticosti Island in Northeastern Quebec, then chartered a twin-engine airplane to fly them to...

Honda, Toyota Are Where the Rest Are Headed.(Column)
February 4, 2008... By John Dodge, Editor-in-Chief Who has it right in the auto industry? After three days at the Detroit Auto Show (http://rbi.ims.ca/5698-506 ), I'm convinced companies stressing fuel efficient and practical vehicles like Toyota and Honda...

Best of the Engineering Marketplace.
February 4, 2008... Compiled by Elizabeth M. Taurasi and Sasha Brown-Worsham Dytran's Mini Triaxial Accelerometer Elizabeth M. Taurasi, Sasha Brown-Worsham High temperature, miniature size Mini triaxial accelerometer with 10 mV/g, 4 gm, titanium...

Farming's 'Killer App'.
February 4, 2008... By Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics Operatorless tractors aren't here yet, but a new breed of automated steering systems is bringing ag manufacturers closer to the driverless dream In the labs of the world's...

Yacht Makers Get to Cruising Speed with 3-D CAD.(computer aided design)
February 4, 2008... By Beth Stackpole, Contributing Editor, Design Tools 3-D technology enables high-end boat builders to retain their craftsmanship while moving to production-style environments Who's in the market for a $35 million, 164-ft super yacht? It...

Auto Breakthroughs.
February 4, 2008... By Doug Smock, Contributing Editor, Materials and Fastening Cool new developments range from color-converting plastics to new assembly technology for complex parts The automotive industry historically drives materials' innovation,...

GPS Gets Even Easier to Use.
February 4, 2008... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor The GPS system is so widely known, it's an acronym that doesn't need to be spelled out, but that doesn't mean products aren't advancing. Garmin International Inc.'s handheld Colorado devices employ the...

Bluetooth Headset Goes Solar.
February 4, 2008... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor Wearing Bluetooth headsets has become a fashion statement, but for people wearing them over the course of a long day, phones can fade like ice sculptures on a sunny afternoon. Adding solar receivers...

High Definition Systems Remove Wiring Challenge.
February 4, 2008... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor Wiring a home entertainment system can be frustrating enough to prompt thoughts of using wires to strangle someone. That gruesome possibility is eliminated with the Wireless High-Definition Audiovisual...

Installing Home Security Systems Gets Simpler.(Ember Corp.)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor Home security is going wireless. Alertme.com has unveiled a ZigBee-based system that lets consumers install home security systems without figuring out where to run wires. The direct alert system...

Satellite Radio Helps Guide Drivers.(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor What started out as a satellite music network is now opening the door for telematics. Ford Motor Co. is extending its Sirius offerings to include the Sirius Travel Link navigation system. It gives...

New and Notable Product Design.(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor Mention networks today and only TV executives will first think of ABC or FOX. A growing number of people think of wireless communications or a constellation of satellites, which have become as much a...

CASE #115: Remote Telephone Indicator Lights up the Ringing Cubicle.(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... By Design News Staff You leave your cubicle to get a cup of coffee. You get a few feet and hear a phone ring. Is it yours? You dash back and nope, not yours. You head back for the coffee and hear a phone ring again. Alan Vogel has a gadget...

Actel Corp.'s Low-Power FPGA Board.(field-programmable gate array)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... By Rob Spiegel, Contributing Editor Actel Corp. has produced an ultra low-power field-programmable gate array (FPGA) for portable solutions. The company's 5-microwatt Icicle Kit was created to help designers rapidly program, evaluate and...

Pratt & Whitney Teams with MTU on Efficient Jet Engine.(MTU Aero Engines GmbH)(Pratt and Whitney)(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... By Rob Spiegel, Contributing Editor Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp., is collaborating with MTU Aero Engines to build a new generation 23,000 lb thrust Geared Turbofan engine for the Bombardier CSeries aircraft that...

SolarCity Delivers Group Solar Power in Clovis, CA.(Brief article)
February 4, 2008... By Rob Spiegel, Contributing Editor Thirty-six Clovis, CA families joined together in a group-based purchase of solar power for their homes. By joining together to hire SolarCity, the group saved 20 percent of the cost of converting a...

Flying Heads: A Mechatronics Marvel.(Column)
February 4, 2008... By Kevin Craig As a mechanical engineering graduate student at Columbia University in the early 1980s, I would often hear my fellow students talk about 'flying heads' and wondered what exotic application they were working on. Later, I...

Hard Disk Drives Gaining Momentum.
February 4, 2008... By Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics Toshiba, Seagate roll out 80-GByte hard drives for cars Seven years after debuting exclusively as a luxury feature in high-end cars, the hard disk drive is gaining traction in a...

Army Using Sensors to Build Better Helmets.
February 4, 2008... By Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics Accelerometers and pressure transducers will be used in Advanced Combat Helmets to aid in understanding brain trauma Sensor makers are working with the U.S. Army to develop a...

Copper Hybrid Eliminates Soldering in LED Process.(Light-emitting diode)
February 4, 2008... By Doug Smock, Contributing Editor, Materials and Fastening All functions are integrated in a fully automated, new process demonstrated in an Arburg production cell Oechsler AG, a German moldmaker and molder, is developing a unique...

Better Motion Means Better Parts for Stratasys.
February 4, 2008... By Joseph Ogando, Senior Editor, Motion Control Company has been upgrading the motion control systems on its fused deposition modeling machines Additive fabrication machines have already started down the evolutionary path from...

Autodesk Serves up DWF Files to Search Engines.
February 4, 2008... By Beth Stackpole, Contributing Editor, Design Tools Users can search for and retrieve 3-D data stored in DWF files using familiar Google and Microsoft Live Search terms Users of Autodesk Inc.'s popular DWF 3-D file format can now...

Embedded RFID: 'RFID as a Feature'.(radio frequency identification)
February 4, 2008... By Martin Payne, VP of Marketing & Strategy, Skyetek Technology enhances product by allowing interaction It's likely that in the near future, most products we buy will include RFID. RFID has grown beyond the mere tracking of...

Capacitive Sensors: Rugged Enough for the Real World?
February 4, 2008... By John Ardizzoni Q. I've seen cap sensors used in consumer electronics, but are they rugged enough to function in a harsh industrial environment? A. The answer is an emphatic yes! Capacitive sensors are already used for industrial...

Designing for Robotics.(Interview)
February 4, 2008... By Kamran Shah, Labview Product Manager, National Instruments Engineers need to interface with the right sensors, actuators Ni's Kamran Shah explains why the right development platform is essential for using the right sensors and...

Hold It Right There!
February 4, 2008... By Deb Kling, Contributing Writer Product spacing concerns solved by a variable frequency drive When it comes to shrink-wrapping, space, cutting processes and speed are crucial concerns. A sudden change in load can cause a conveyer...

Robotics Impacts Packaging.(Interview)
February 4, 2008... By Al Presher, Contributing Editor Customization and flexibility drive new designs What are the key trends affecting robotic applications in packaging machines? Key trends in packaging include machines that perform more operations...

Robotics in Packaging.
February 4, 2008... By Al Presher, Contributing Editor Flexibility and changeover time is key goal of new robotic systems A new breed of robotic solutions, emphasizing high speed operation and tight integration with general purpose motion/machine control,...

The Science of Motion.
February 4, 2008... By Sue DalPonte, Contributing Writer Fusing art and technology at the Ontario Science Centre The Ontario Science Centre first opened its doors to the public in 1969 when it was heralded for its innovative hands-on approach to science,...

Suppress Those Surges.(Editorial)
February 4, 2008... By Jon Titus, Contributing Editor In addition to protecting exterior sensor and communication lines from transient pulses caused by nearby lightning strikes, you should protect inside equipment from transients or surges that can travel...

Today, It's All about the Algorithms.
February 4, 2008... By Joseph Ogando, Senior Editor, Motion Control A new automated coffee store in New York highlightswhy engineers increasingly need software skills A few weeks ago, I went to visit Roasting Plant Coffee (http://rbi.ims.ca/5698-513 ), a...

Storing More Safely.(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By Randy Frank, Contributing Editor Conference addresses the needs of a variety of users for storing information Some estimates project the total annual digital storage shipped into the consumer industry to exceed 1 zetabyte (1,021...

The Case of the Lethargic Linkage.
February 25, 2008... By Myron J. Boyajian, President, Engineering Consultants Operator misuse or carelessness does indeed cause many industrial accidents, but even the best trained and motivated operator may not be able to avoid an accident when operating badly...

A New Approach to a Continuously Variable Transmission.(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By Randy Frank, Contributing Editor Totally mechanical design holds promise for improved performance Dating back to the late 19th century, continuously variable transmissions have started to appear on several recent vehicles. Most...

Matching Patients with Meds avoids mistakes.(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By Randy Frank, Contributing Editor Software improves the dispensing of patient-specific medications The process of delivering the right medications to patients in a hospital environment has been consistently improving. However, there...

Down on the Canal.(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By John Dodge, Editor-in-Chief One of the great things about my job as editor-in-chiefis the cool things I get to do. Given my abiding love of big machines and structures, a favorite visit of mine was the day at the Welland Canal...

Best of the Engineering Marketplace.
February 25, 2008... Compiled by Elizabeth M. Taurasi and Sasha Brown-Worsham American Sensor's Steel Mill Pressure Sensor Elizabeth M. Taurasi, Sasha Brown-Worsham Operates in rugged environs of steel and aluminum industry The AST47SM steel mill...

Repowering the Welland Canal.(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By John Dodge, Editor-in-Chief What weighs 500 tons and gets pushed around by two 30-horsepower electric motors? The answer is each of the 75-year-old double plate steel mitre gates enclosing the 11 locks comprising the Welland Canal...

Harnessing HPC's Horsepower.(high performance computing )(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By Beth Stackpole, Contributing Editor, Design Tools Mid-sized companies are tapping high-performance computing platforms to do more sophisticated simulation studies The barriers to entry for high performance computing (HPC) continue...

Knees That <EMPHASIS TYPE="ITALIC">Really</EMPHASIS> Last.(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By Doug Smock, Contributing Editor, Materials and fastening Booming demand for better-performing implantable devices is triggering a rush of new materials and process technology Look for major advances in orthopedic and other medical...

Gibson's Robot Guitar Tunes Itself.(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By Joseph Ogando, Senior Editor, Motion Control Servo mechanisms, efficient tuning algorithms and clever engineering allow this new guitar to tune itself with just a flick of a switch and a strum Not so long ago, a self-tuning guitar...

TV Service Can't Be Eclipsed.(Editorial)(Brief article)
February 25, 2008... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor Broadcasters who use satellites can't accept shutdowns, even when they happen only twice a year during eclipses. The Optus D3 satellite made by Orbital Sciences Corp. will use rechargeable lithium-ion...

Soaring to Longer Lifetimes.
February 25, 2008... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor Blending long lifetimes and low weight are key goals for batteries. QinetiQ turned to lithium sulfur batteries from Sion Power in its Zephyr 6.1 High Altitude, Long Endurance unmanned aerial vehicle,...

Hybrids Speed into New Era.
February 25, 2008... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor The 2007 Saturn Vue Greenline SUV helps build a case for plug-in hybrid vehicles. The hybrids were upgraded with AFS Trinity Power Corp.'s Extreme Hybrid technology. AFS Trinity teamed with Ricardo...

Long Lifetimes for Martians.
February 25, 2008... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor Mars is becoming a proving ground for the lifetimes of lithium-ion batteries. The Phoenix Mars Lander is carrying Lithion modules from Yardney Technical Products Inc. When it lands on May 25, after a...

Case #116: Security System Calls Your Cell.(Brief article)
February 25, 2008... By Design News Staff Gadget Freak Bill Bowden has created a security system that calls you when an alarm is triggered. You can set it up to indicate intrusion into a door, window, office or pool. It can also connect to a panic button. The...

Toyota Returns to Its Roots: Pickups.(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By Rob Spiegel, Contributing Editor Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A. Inc. has returned to its roots with its latest concept vehicle: a compact pickup truck. The environmentally advanced A-BAT was developed by the TMS Advanced Product...

Iqua's Solar-Powered Bluetooth Headset.(Bluetooth wireless headset )(Editorial)(Brief article)
February 25, 2008... By Rob Spiegel, Contributing Editor Iqua Ltd. of Oak Park, CA has produced a solar-powered Bluetooth wireless headset for the U.S. market following its launch of the Iqua Vogue in Europe last year. The Iqua Sun uses the Vogue technology,...

Green Textiles See Double-Digit Growth.(Editorial)(Brief article)
February 25, 2008... By Rob Spiegel, Contributing Editor Sales in the organic and environmentally friendly textiles market experienced year-over-year double-digit growth in 2007. Market research publisher SBI forecasts continued strong growth patterns for home...

Fueling Cell Phone Lifetimes.(Angstrom Power Inc.)(EverOn)(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By Terry Costlow, Contributing Editor Fuel cells continue to inch forward. Angstrom Power Inc. integrated its hydrogen-based EverOn technology into an unaltered Motorola Motoslvr L7 phone, proving its role in products used almost...

Readers Sound Off.(Letter to the editor)
February 25, 2008... By Design News Staff In praise of 'October Sky' I just read your article in the Jan. 7 issue of Design News magazine concerning the best and worst science movies ('The Best and Worst Science Movies,' DN 01.07.08,...

Medication That Sticks.(Isis Biopolymer Inc.)
February 25, 2008... By Jennifer Roy, Contributing Editor 'Band-Aid[R] like,' medicated skin patch works like a wireless IV for up to seven days Gone are the days of pesky IVs or trying to choke down an oversized pill. No longer will you have to remember...

Sensor Provides Better Depth Perception for Robots.
February 25, 2008... By Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics 3-D Flash Ladar provides 'movie-like' images and possible autonomy for PackBots iRobot Corp. says it has found a new solid-state sensor that will help make military robots...

High Prices Push Engineers toward Stainless Alternates.(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By Doug Smock, Contributing Editor, Materials and Fastening New production-ready welding packages offer speed, less distortion and high quality for low-nickel steel alloys Advances in arc and laser welding, as well as new solid-state...

Safety over Ethernet.(SERCOS International )(Brief article)
February 25, 2008... By Joseph Ogando, Senior Editor, Motion Control CIP Safety on SERCOS will get a portable software stack that will make this protocol easier to implement With the idea of using a shared real-time Ethernet network for machine control and...

NVIDIA Bolsters 3-D CAD Performance.(Quadro FX 3700 )
February 25, 2008... By Beth Stackpole, Contributing Editor, Design Tools Quadro FX 3700 graphics board delivers performance boost of up to 2X NVIDIA is taking aim at 3-D CAD users looking for a performance boost with the introduction of its new high-end...

Chinese Automakers Ready Plans to Invade Market.(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By John Dodge, Editor-in-Chief Two companies are expected to manufacture entry-level SUVs, shown at the Detroit Auto Show, in the U.S. by 2009 China makes just about everything we use, but cars have not been on the list given the high...

Get Past Going It Alone.
February 25, 2008... By Dan Gilman, OEM Engineering Sales Manager, Littelfuse Inc. Just because you can do it yourself, doesn't mean you should We engineers are a clever lot. After all, consider what we do. We give shape to the complex products that make...

A Renaissance in Fluid Power.
February 25, 2008... By Al Presher, Contributing Editor Research initiatives explore ideas for revitalizing fluid power technology The prospect of a brighter future for fluid power technology may rest on new industry-driven research initiatives and...

Early Honing Experience Pays Big Dividend for Hydraulic Valve Leader.
February 25, 2008... By Rich Moellenberg, Contributing Writer Precision and geometry fine-tune valve performance HydraForce Inc. President and CEO Jim Brizzolara credits lessons learned on a Sunnen hone at his first job in 1966 in a hydraulic valve factory...

High Performance Transformer Oil Pumps: Worth the Investment.
February 25, 2008... By Greg Stem, Contributing Writer Cardinal rugged pumps perform in extreme temperatures Transformer oil pumps have evolved dramatically over the past several decades. Once considered to be merely a replaceable routine maintenance item,...

In the Marketplace.(Kurt Hydraulics)(Brief article)
February 25, 2008... By Design News Staff Sauer-Danfoss' Proportional Flow Control Cartridge Valves Design News Staff Precise control, smooth manipulation The valves work in conjunction with hydraulic integrated circuits (HICs) to regulate the...

3-D Coupling Downloads.(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By Al Presher, Contributing Editor Website tools and 3-D CAD downloads simplify specification process More and more engineers are utilizing CAD design tools earlier in the design process to develop exact system drawings. Now, engineers...

Simple, Accurate Motor Testing.(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By Al Presher, Contributing Editor High-speed rotary motor testing achieved using hysteresis brake Testing motor-driven consumer hand tools doesn't have to be complicated or expensive and low cost doesn't mean low accuracy. Wagner...

Getting Started in Medical Design.
February 25, 2008... By Ted Kucklick, Chief Technical Officer, Cannuflow Inc. Essential steps in developing products for a growing market Veteran medical designer Ted Kucklick of Cannuflow gives his views on the essential steps in developing products for...

High Precision for a Bargain.
February 25, 2008... By Alexander Bromme and George Jaffe, Contributing Writers An innovative decoupling arrangement for ball screw drives achieves highest precision Measurement applications in bio-medical, semiconductor and optical industries demand...

Tools for Simulating Mechatronics.
February 25, 2008... By Nipun Mathur, Contributing Writer Design tools unite to solve mechatronics' challenge Though mechatronics promises more efficient machines at a lower cost, following the mechatronics' approach of integrated design has been...

Getting a Head Start on Mechatronics.(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By Lawrence D. Maloney, Contributing Editor A Canadian company is providing the tools to help engineering students and researchers get a leg up on rapid mechatronic design Increasingly, engineering educators see the value of teaching...

Get in Sync with Mechatronics.(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By Lawrence D. Maloney, Contributing Editor Electronics and software development are driving innovation in countless products, but it's good mechatronics design that provides the framework Mechatronics seems to have become a buzzword...

No Limits to Mechatronics.
February 25, 2008... By Lawrence D. Maloney, Contributing Editor From disk drives to jetfighters, wise deployment of mechatronics' systems helps engineers cope with the design challenges of the 21st century Some observers claim there's 'nothing new' about...

Proud Bird of the Deep.(Hawkes Oceanic Technologies)
February 25, 2008... By Lawrence D. Maloney, Contributing Editor Hawkes Ocean Technologies, a world leader in designing manned submersibles, gives Design News a sneak preview of its latest creation - the Super Falcon Looking for adventure? How about a...

Micro Motion Systems on the Rise.(briefs)
February 25, 2008... By Joseph Ogando, Senior Editor, Motion Control Designers in search of tiny motion control systems have more choices than ever When it comes to motion systems, small is bigger than ever. 'Many things that were once fixed are becoming...

Awesome and Bizarre.(Editorial)
February 25, 2008... By Charles J. Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics CES highlights Refrigerators with iPods; Tasers with MP3 players I was interviewing the CEO of a $100 million company recently when a nearby man got zapped with a Taser. The...