Design News articles from March 2006

Design News archives from March 2006

This year's better mousetraps.(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... THERE ARE A LOT OF REALLY COOL THINGS ABOUT working as an editor at Design News. But putting together our annual show issue is quite possibly the best thing about this job. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This is the time when we announce the...

Stupid little problems: part of engineering is getting around the expected.(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... DID YOU EVER WONDER WHERE THOSE little bits of plastic that are punched out of the hang-up holes go? Packagers don't. They know exactly where they go--into the trash containers of the folks who purchase the packages after they're finished with...

Problem-solvers at heart, design news' readers have plenty of ideas for building a better mousetrap.(MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... Editor's note: In the 01.09.06 issue, I invited readers to share their ideas on how to rid my house of mice http://rbi.ims.ca/4917-535. Apparently, my mice are smarter than I thought, since I haven't actually seen one since I asked readers for...

"Kick the bucket" takes on new meaning.(MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... I enjoyed your view on mousetraps (DN MYVIEW 01.09.06). I wish I had an idea for you, but I only have an amusing story. We had a mouse that was eluding all of our traps. My husband has a habit of throwing the laundry basket down the...

Some humane alternatives.(MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... It was with sadness that I read your column "Wanted: A Better Mousetrap" in the Jan. 9 issue of Design News. It made me heartsick to think of the many lethal devices you have employed in an attempt to rid your home of mice. These cruel poisons,...

Slippery slope.(MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... I have read about your problem about catching the mice. Here is an old trick I used at my summer house and happens to be quite successful: Place a galvanized bucket (deep enough so the mouse will not be able to jump out--about 16 inches or so)...

Bacon works--no kidding!(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... I had a big chuckle after reading your article. Here's a solution that works for me (same piece of bait is good for about three mice): plain spring-loaded mousetrap baited with a small piece of raw bacon. Forget the peanut butter. If you're...

Farm boys know best.(MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... In 1937, I was a young man on a small farm in rural Utah. We had mice both in our farm buildings and in the house (especially the kitchen). I was assigned the job of catching them (among a host of other chores). I was supplied with the basic...

Old "scout's" trick.(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... I learned this tip from the camp ranger up at a Girl Scout camp in the mountains outside San Diego. It won't rid you of the existing ones, but it will help prevent more from coming in. Use real coarse steel wool (like a scrubby pad) to stuff...

Our Mousetrap is best!(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... Your article of Jan. 9, 2006 from the Design News, "Wanted: A Better Mousetrap," was placed on my desk today. We can't submit our nomination for the Design News Golden Mousetrap Readers Choice as the deadline has past, but I would like to...

You gotta outsmart them.(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... I'll give you a golden piece of advice in ridding yourself of the little creatures. What you have to realize is they are smarter than we might think, but not as smart as they think they are. When I experienced a problem in our household I...

Gobs of peanut butter.(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... Just read your Jan. 9, 2006 "Wanted: A Better Mousetrap" piece. As far as I am concerned, you can't improve on the old-fashioned wood and spring-steel snap traps, as long as it's mice you're dealing with. We live in an 18th century post and...

Try an ultrasonic repeller.(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... Having had a similar problem, but with rats in a three-story building, I can sympathize with your problem. A full arsenal was tried and tested to no avail (glue traps, poison, rat spring traps, etc.). Eventually I hit on the idea of putting an...

MMMMM, bacon fat.(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... The world doesn't need a better mousetrap, it needs better bait. Mice enjoy chocolate, peanut butter and cheese. They gather 'round traps baited with those snacks and have a party. In the morning, the traps are bare--of mice and bait. I swear...

Mousetrap and disposer in one.(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... After reading about your mouse problem, I felt I had to inform you of the "best" existing mousetrap available... and there's no patent on it! Three years ago we started seeing the usual telltale indications of unwanted visitors (aside...

Cheerios and peanut butter.(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... I live in an older home in a rural area and have had similar problems in catching small rodents. I found that if I use a standard spring-loaded trap you could get for $0.99 at the hardware store, it works well if you make sure the mouse...

Sticky, stale jelly beans.(MAIL)(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... Just read your editorial in Jan. 9, 2006 issue. A better mousetrap needs better bait. Anything the mouse can lick off without tugging will simply feed them. What works at my house is sticky (stale) jelly beans. The fruit smell draws them in,...

Following the stench.(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... After reading your amusing story about your mouse problems at home, I could not help but think of the problems my dad went through at work. He was working for a company in San Francisco when he was relocated to San Ramon, to a new building....

Mass of decaying flesh.(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... Unless you have really large mice, you shouldn't get much smell if they die in the walls. The smell is proportional to the mass of decaying flesh. I would use the poison to get rid of the infestation. It would probably help if your...

On your hands and knees.(Letter to the editor)
March 20, 2006... When my wife and I first moved into our home in the summer of 1991, we were unaware of a mouse problem until the cold weather arrived and our great cat, Digit, began hunting them. The first cold weather after Digit died, the mice were back....

Safe motion can boost productivity: building safety guidelines into actuators provides benefits.(Control equipment industry safety )(Interview)
March 20, 2006... The European Norm of Standards has defined integrated safety technology at the servo drive level that is scalable from drive interlocks to "safety-on-board" safe motion. Implementing safety standards at the drive provides the shortest reaction...

The importance of quality is there hope for the American auto industry?(Automotive industry is with quality)
March 20, 2006... I'VE NEVER OWNED A LEXUS, BUT I OWN three cars right now, and have owned many over the years. As a serviceability and reliability engineer for GE Healthcare, it should not come as a shock to anyone I am passionate about both. With that in mind,...

National Manufacturing Week: what's hot at National Manufacturing Week.(EVENTS)
March 20, 2006... Every year, National Manufacturing Week connects engineers from around the world to new products and the latest technologies. This year is no exception. The event will be held March 20-23 in Rosemont, Il, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention...

Flash: new and notable product design.(Digital signal processors)
March 20, 2006... Digital imaging, high-performance audio, and calculation-intense control systems all rely on Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology. The combination of performance and features in the latest DSPs enables new end-product functionality. Here...

Surfing on advanced composites: Hydro Epic's surfboards feature aerospace materials and construction methods.(Help aerospace engineers to surf)
March 20, 2006... Surfboard manufacturing may conjure up images of a guy in board shorts and a respirator hand crafting boards in a California garage. In reality, though, surfboards have gone high-tech. Consider, for example, a radical new board design from...

Poster and calendar aid RoHS compliance.(Restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... For those who want a visual reference to help keep track of RoHS changes, two companies have developed free tools--a calendar to track steps in RoHS legislation, and a wall poster that provides advice on lead-free PCB soldering techniques. ...

Daimler Chrysler debuts clean-diesel BLUETEC.(Diesel powered vehicles show)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... DaimlerChrysler unveiled its BLUETEC line of diesel-powered vehicles at a recent Washington, D.C. auto show. The three BLUETEC vehicles were designed utilizing Common Rail Diesel technology, which offers an improved fuel efficiency of 20 to 40...

Tin/silver/copper solder increases voids.(reports on solders)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... According to an extensive solder reliability study conducted by the Solder Products Value Council (SPVC), an IPC group, the tin/silver/copper (SAC) alloy family of lead-free solders is producing greater voids in the solder joint. Voids in...

Annular capacitor shrinks motor: a round motor should have circular controls.(DESIGNER'S CORNER)
March 20, 2006... A new capacitor design may bring smallness to motor users. The design may be especially useful to builders of electric motor drive applications, according to SBE Inc., whose circular Power Ring Film Capacitor fits perfectly around a motor...

Sample stable signals: unbelievably useful info on data measurement, collection, and analysis from the test expert.(TIPS from TITUS)
March 20, 2006... IN THE PREVIOUS COLUMN, I DESCRIBED THE OPERATION of three types of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Each converter takes a specific period to "convert" a voltage into a digital value. If you plan to measure a voltage from a sensor that...

Flash forward: memory usage explodes as capacity soars and pricing drops.(MEMORY)(Intel Corp. teams up with STMicroelectronics N.V.)(SanDisk Corp. acquires Matrix Semiconductor Inc.)
March 20, 2006... As cell phones add more functions and MP3 players hold more songs, the common denominator is Flash memory, which offers soaring capacities and falling prices. That's giving engineers an alternative to larger electromechanical disk drives,...

'SuitSat' broadcasts messages from space: electronics in the space suit's torso sent ham radio messages to school children around the world.(Amateur radio messages from space)
March 20, 2006... A de-commissioned Russian space suit was transformed into a satellite in early February after a team of engineers and radio enthusiasts packed it with electronics, and then prevailed on members of the International Space Station (ISS) to deploy...

Simple robot assembly: despite its name, the VEX robot kit goes together easily.(Innovations of robotics industry)
March 20, 2006... Student robot makers who want to do more than snap together a plastic robot kit have, until recently, had few options that didn't involve lots of money or even some custom parts fabrication. Now, though, they can just pick up the VEX Robotics...

Robotic software simulator: aids robotic development.(Real motion system software)
March 20, 2006... Tokyo-based, Speecys Corp., has developed a simulation software platform designed to aid in robot development. Demonstrated through a prototype of the SPC-003 robot, the software uses a combination of SolidWorks, 3D CAD and COSMOSMotion, and a...

Design goes global: web fuels collaborative product development.(Internet, in global designing)
March 20, 2006... Engineers in many distant Fleetguard facilities contributed during the two-year development of a new line of composite-body filters. It is far from the first global design project for the auto industry supplier, but it marks a major change in...

Exhibitors: national design engineering show March 21-23 Chicago.
March 20, 2006... EXHIBITORS NATIONAL DESIGN ENGINEERING SHOW MARCH 21-23 CHICAGO Company Booth 3D LABS 17029 3D SYSTEMS ...

Power conversion devices step up speed, efficiency: new devices appeal to consumer demand for smaller, faster end products.(Products from power conversion devices)
March 20, 2006... Increasingly, electronics engineers are looking for speed and efficiency in the power conversion devices they buy. With portable electronic products packing more content in less space, and with consumer devices processing more data in less...

Going rodless: rodless cylinders have always specialized in shrinking designs, and they still do.(Ultran band, rodless cylinder reduces leakage)
March 20, 2006... Traditional band-type rodless cylinders carry greater loads than their magnetically-coupled brethren. Manufacturers continue to improve these classic designs by addressing air consumption, space requirements and weight. Where eliminating the...

Rubik's Cube for the computer: this interactive game, developed for MATLAB 7.0, allows you to manipulate and view the classic game in 3D at the click of your mouse.(Usage of computer games)
March 20, 2006... MOST PEOPLE HAVE A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RUBIK'S CUBE. Who hasn't been entertained and frustrated for hours trying to solve it? Without, of course, removing the colored stickers! Now, this tangible classic has moved to the...

Engineer of the Year: Tom Watson, Design News' Engineer of the Year for 2006, is one of a new breed of automotive engineers who know energy management as well as they know engines and transmissions.(Tuning hybrid vehicles)(Cover story)
March 20, 2006... DETROIT'S NEW 'CAR GUY' The mechanical model atop Tom Watson's desk says it all. A 70-lb collection of cranks and gears, the model was built to show how power moves through Ford Motor Co.'s new hybrid vehicles. In truth, though, it's far...

Best products winners: the table consists of winners and all finalists in the Design News 2006 Golden Mousetrap Awards. Winner writeups start on page 92. Finalists writeups start on page 113.(awards)
March 20, 2006... When it comes down to who built the better mousetrap, design engineers who use these products most know them best. This year's Design News Golden Mousetrap Awards drew a record number of entries in four major categories. Here they are with a...

Building a Better Mousetrap.(competitions)(Brief article)
March 20, 2006... Problem-solvers at heart, Design News readers had no shortage of ideas on how Editor Karen Field could catch a mouse. Here are the winners of our "Better Mousetrap" contest. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WINNING...

Readers' choice awards.
March 20, 2006... ELECTRONICS Best Delivery Times Winner--Digi-Key Runners Up--Analog Devices Texas Instruments Best Community/Education Efforts Winner--Texas Instruments Runners Up--National Instruments National Semiconductor ...

Best products finalists.(Golden Mousetrap)
March 20, 2006... GOLDEN MOUSETRAP BEST PRODUCTS FINALISTS 113 Electronics 118 Motion Control 123 Software/Hardware 130 Fastening ELECTRONICS Category: Analog Control NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS SIGNALEXPRESS 1.1 National...

Expo.
March 20, 2006... BEST OF THE ENGINEERING MARKETPLACE 132 Electronics 134 Fluid Power 136 Motion Control/Power Transmission ELECTRONICS MINIATURE SLIDE SWITCH Variety of actuators The 1000 series subminiature slide switch offers...

Literature plus: get the latest in design guides, catalogs and other product information from every part of the OEM.
March 20, 2006... NORTHWIRE ITC/PLTC CABLE FOR EXPOSED-RUN Northwire custom-configured ITC/PLTC cable for exposed-run applications reduces material and installation costs in industrial control and instrumentation circuit applications. We have six platforms...

Slack variable.(Cartoon)
March 20, 2006... THE SERIOUSLY CAFFEINATED ESCAPADES OF A MUTANT ENGINEERING SUPER MONKEY!! SLACK VARIABLE VS. THE SEGWAY SAMURAI... EPISODE VI: "ROTTEN BANANAS" A LAB ESCAPEE HITS THE MEAN STREETS... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BISTRO Cafe CLUB...

The case of the eccentric expander.(cases in turbine industry)
March 20, 2006... MOST OF THE WORLD'S TRILLIONS OF WATTS OF ELECTRICAL POWER IS generated by steam from the burning of coal and the fission of uranium. The steam exiting the turbines contains a large amount of energy from which it is impractical to extract...

Daniel was an extremely calculating individual.(THE GADGET FREAK FILES)
March 20, 2006... Some of us remember the "good old days" when we banged out design calculations on a high-end TI or HP scientific calculator. And how we even wrote code to automate the calculations we repeated often! Thinking how cool it would be to do that...