Design News articles from November 2004

Design News archives from November 2004

Baseball physics.(FACT)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Speaking of stocking stuffers, Robert Adair's "The Physics of Baseball," would make a fabulous gift for budding and seasoned engineers alike. You're likely to want to pick up a copy for yourself. This baseball classic is available at...

Not so remote.(FACT)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... According to the website www.inventors.about.com, Zenith Radio Corp. pioneered the TV remote control. In 1950 the company introduced a device called "Lazy Bone," that was tethered to the TV by a cable. An engineer at Zenith designed the first...

Guys rule the remote.(FACT)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Elizabeth Thoman writes in a column on www.medialit.org about a new book, "World Families Watch Television," which includes results of a study on how families interact around technologically sophisticated equipment. She quotes this from the...

Red sox, TiVO, and a remote.(MY VIEW)
November 8, 2004... WITH THE RED SOX ON THEIR WAY TO THE World Series as I write this, it should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone that Bostonians like me have spent the last week completely glued to our television sets. So I thought it would be a good...

One-minute searches: In praise of those who make product searches easy.(WEB LOG)
November 8, 2004... THE INTERNET IS SUPPOSED TO MAKE IT easy to get information, right? Right. And actually, it does that nicely--as long as you go to a website that's well organized so you can easily find the information you want. But what if the site you access...

An unholy alliance.(Readers Sound Off)
November 8, 2004... I thoroughly enjoyed your editorial on "Billable Hours for Engineers." (DN MYVIEW 10.11.04, http://rbi.ims.ca/3858-537) I'm not a bit surprised at this new "innovation" in engineering that is the next natural evolution of our current theory of...

Knowledge is power.(Readers Sound Off)
November 8, 2004... Regarding your editorial on activity-based costing for engineers, I would send the sympathy card to the company that did NOT do any tracking of hours and remained largely in the dark about their true engineering costs. A competitor that manages...

Bring suppliers into the game early: they can ask 'dumb' questions that can lead to breakthroughs.(Insight from Insiders)
November 8, 2004... Vendors of everything from fasteners to software frequently complain that their customers bring them in late on projects, missing opportunities to provide solutions that save money and improve designs. Humphrey's McDonnell explains the problem....

Bells and whistles: The endless stream of product upgrades benefits who?(Really Opinionated People)
November 8, 2004... TOO MANY VENDORS OF SOFTWARE AND other products are making it harder on their customers by generating a flood of features that are unnecessary for most of their users. They need to step back and consider the true needs of their customers,...

Able scholars: A founding member of Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, now operating in its third year, Sherra Kerns helped develop an engineering school that prepares its students to work with "the naturally messy state of real-life problems.".(RESEARCH FOR THE REAL WORLD)
November 8, 2004... PRESENT POSITION: VP for Innovation and Research, and F.W. Olin Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Olin College of Engineering (Needham, MA) DEGREES: A.B. in physics, Mount Holyoke College; M.A. in physics, University of WI;...

Racer's edge.(HEARD ON THE STREET)
November 8, 2004... This show model of the NASCAR racer sponsored by DVT has a retired chassis that once rated the circuit, though the body hasn't been through that grueling cycle. The vehicle, owned by Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, is now driven by Mike...

Lightweight tire pressure sensor withstands heavy spinloads: polymer contains 13 percent to 15 percent glass fiber by weight.(TECHNOLOGY YOU CAN USE)
November 8, 2004... Relax and drive. You no longer have to step out of the car to check if your tires are properly inflated. SmarTire has just introduced a new low-cost tire sensor weighing only 30 gm. Being lightweight is an asset to parts inside a tire that have...

Put trust on paper: Makers of electronic voting systems hope voter-verified paper audit trails will boost user confidence.(PRODUCT DESIGN)
November 8, 2004... The 2004 presidential campaign may be over, but the rallying cry for electronic voting continues. Manufacturers of direct-recording electronic (DRE) voting machines are working harder than ever to promote voter-verified paper audit trails...

Zener arrays.(ELECTRONICS)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... California Micro Devices Corp. (www.calmicro.com) has introduced the CM1218 and CM1219, reportedly the industry's lowest capacitance Zener arrays. With simplified layout and smaller footprint, the CM1218 and CM1219 Zener diodes require only the...

High-density rectifier.(ELECTRONICS)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Cherokee International (www.cherokeepwr.com) has unveiled the 1,200W CAR1248 front-end rectifier that can pack 19 W/inch[.sup.3]. Designed for low to mid servers, enterprise networking, power over Ethernet (POE), and automatic test equipment...

Bluetooth single-chip solution.(ELECTRONICS)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Broadcom Corp. (www.broadcom.com) has rolled out BCM2045, reportedly the industry's first 0.13-micron single-chip Bluetooth transceiver. With 3 Mbps enhanced data rate (EDR) addemdum, it is designed to provide power savings and multimedia...

Data.(NEWS)
November 8, 2004... 35 Percent of respondents who say on-time delivery is a top factor in their choice of sensor supplier Source: Design News

Smooth sailing: body and vehicle control benefit from declining chip prices.(SEMICONDUCTORS)
November 8, 2004... Semiconductors continue to provide much of the product differentiation for cars and trucks, a factor that's sparking increased development by IC companies. This year, one of many focus areas is on body and vehicle control. [ILLUSTRATION...

Saving private data: beefed-up external drives store more data and faster.(DISK DRIVES)
November 8, 2004... The insatiable demand for storage, reliability, and portability is prompting disk drive manufacturers to beef up their portable products, increasing capacity while using faster versions of popular interfaces. Leading storage vendors recently...

Trade reports.(FLUID POWER)(www.nfpa.com)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... The 2004 (6-Month) U.S. Foreign Trade Data is now available on the NFPA website (www.nfpa.com). Also available are historical reports on fluid power products. The study highlights Canada's lead over all other countries in importing U.S. bulk...

Industry alliance.(FLUID POWER)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Honeywell and the Instrumentation Products Division of Parker Hannifin Corp. have teamed up to offer a single-system solution for process sampling, sensing, and analysis. The alliance combines Honeywell's temperature, pressure, and flow...

Data at your fingertips.(FLUID POWER)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... New data sheets from Lake Monitors Inc. offer application information and specifications on the company's line of flow transmitters, flow meters, flow alarms, and test analyzers. Other data available include flow measuring ranges, measuring...

Data.(NEWS)
November 8, 2004... 42.8 Percent of increased mobile hydraulic orders for January through July, 2004 Source: NFPA

Valve module controls conveyors without a central computer: each zone gets sensor, air supply line, and pneumatic actuator.(PNEUMATICS)
November 8, 2004... Engineers searching for a simple means of controlling miles of pneumatically actuated conveyor lines may now have a way. A new valve module from Humphrey Products Co. (Kalamazoo, MI) eliminates that need for programmable logic controllers...

Pretty parts.(MATERIALS + JOINING)(Kolorfusion International Inc)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... DuPont Engineering Polymers and Kolorfusion International Inc. have formed an alliance to promote the benefits of dye sublimation printing on molded plastics. Kolorfusion has developed patented technology for dye sublimation decoration of 3D...

Industry special effects group.(MATERIALS + JOINING)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Industry leaders in the lenticular plastics market have formed Lenstar.org, an industry group that will provide product designers with an interactive resource for information on the lenticular process. Lenticular technology creates the illusion...

Custom enclosures.(MATERIALS + JOINING)(Fibox Enclosures )(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Fibox Enclosures has expanded its in-house capabilities to supply customized plastic and aluminum enclosures. New assets include a CNC machining center for milling, engraving, cutting, and embossing. Customers can receive fast turnaround on...

Wood: Newest electronic-enclosure material; Innovations in overmolding are the key.(ENCLOSURE DESIGN)
November 8, 2004... Mass-produced electronics enclosures rarely incorporate any wood. And if they do, that wood usually falls into one of two categories--faux or imitation. But real wood, as well as a wide variety of other decorative materials, could soon become a...

Good vibrations.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)(Vibration Institute )(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... The Vibration Institute is offering two courses for novice and experienced managers and technicians. The first course, Basic Machine Vibrations, is geared toward those with less than one year of experience in measuring and analyzing machine...

Conveyor catalog.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Dorner Manufacturing Corp. has come out with a Special Capabilities catalog, which highlights the company's specially modified conveyors--conveyors with unique dimensions and characteristics that differ from the standard conveyor platforms....

Automation services up.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... What's one of the fastest growing industry areas today? According to an ARC Advisory Group study, it's the supplier-provided automation services market. The $9.2 billion market in 2003 is expected to jump to $15 billion by 2008, a 9.1-percent...

Micro Motor locks up reliability: applications range from residential to robotics.(MOTORS)
November 8, 2004... When solenoids failed to meet the durability needs of an automated lockbox for real estate agents, designers found the solution in a new dc micro motor. Measuring just 12 mm in diameter and 29 mm in length, Sanyo's new 12 GN series dc...

A hotbed of activity in standard linear: TI keeps working to introduce even more products.(SAFE BET SERIES: A SPECIAL SERIES FROM TI STANDARD LINEAR AND LOGIC)(Advertisement)
November 8, 2004... Though Texas Instruments is the top dog among analog suppliers, the company still takes a workhorse approach to the market. TI is focused on introducing high-performance analog technology as well as staying committed to supporting customers...

Be all you can be.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... The U.S. Army's Future Combat System (FCS) Program has won an Army Knowledge Award for its Advanced Collaborative Environment (ACE), in which PTC was a partner. The award recognizes successful examples of enterprise knowledge management...

Get certified.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... National Instruments is offering entry-level certification and an online preparation tool for LabVIEW users. The exam and certification is to help employers and students alike become Certified LabVIEW Associate Developers (CLAD). An online...

Optimizing as one.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Two heads are better than one, according to FE-Design and Noesis Solutions, two European optimization solution providers who have joined forces in creating the "Optimization Alliance." Both companies offer solutions for mechanical design and...

3D grows; Here's why: Lifelike representations, downstream use bolster design process.(DESIGN)
November 8, 2004... The rapid growth of so-called value-priced CAD--software that sells for approximately $5,000 per seat--shows the trend toward the use of 3D solid modeling for design. Cambridge, MA-based research firm Daratech asserts that sales of the...

A vote for software-based design: CAD, CAE enable design of voting machine for handicapped.(ANALYSIS)
November 8, 2004... Engineers at the Aurora, IL-based DiMonte Group overcame a series of interferences in their quest to enable handicapped voters to cast their ballots in last week's presidential election. But these interferences were not of the political kind:...

This tool is good for manufacturing, too: New FEA product has fast solver, among other features.(ENGINEERING REVIEW)(Fast Ethernet Alliance )
November 8, 2004... With its framework product 3G.author, Plassotech is among the newest players in the finite element analysis world. Based on my test drive with the package, I think easy-to-learn-and-use tree-structured interface will be very familiar to users...

PVC bonding ... transparent conductors ... linear actuators ... the Search Engineer finds solutions to all your questions, problems, and dilemmas. Occasionally, he could be wrong. But he doubts it.(Ask THE SEARCH ENGINEER)
November 8, 2004... Dear Search Engineer: I need to bond a PVC extruded ring of 5-mm diameter. I tried adhesives, but I need some other method of joining. Adhesives leave the residue and it is very difficult to remove it. I tried ultrasonics but only lap joint, no...

Will packagers line up for motors? Some new motor designs could bring flexibility and speed to packaging machines given half a chance. First, there's convincing to do.(LINEAR MOTORS)
November 8, 2004... Rotary servo drive and its first cousins, linear motors, may be coming to packaging--or maybe not, depending on whom you talk to. A few packaging machine builders are looking at the super flexibility linear motors can give to an industry where...

Academia slams visa policies: tighter government controls are blocking out more students and scholars.(EDUCATION)
November 8, 2004... U.S. engineering schools, which have become increasingly dependent on foreign students for educational programs and vital research, are growing concerned that they could lose out in terms of global competition for talent. Behind their...

Reference this! High-density electronics with the right amount of integration can create products with new price points. A versatile FPGA evaluation kit can help you get your idea into production before the competition--and keep cost down.
November 8, 2004... Adept's i600 Robot System Armed With Intelligence! Why do it yourself when the task is repetitive and requires the kind of precision that would make any job boring? Through cost-effective embedded processing with motion control...

Shooting stars: Design team optimizes valve response time for paintball gun.(Cover Story)
November 8, 2004... IN A MODIFIED VERSION OF THE FOOTBALL TEAM HUDDLE, ENGINEERS FROM SMART PARTS INC. and Humphrey Products Company convened in a conference room in Loyalhanna, PA, last year to draw up a game plan for dominating the competition in a vastly...

Ac drives stay vital for the 21st century: The heritage of smaller, smarter, more efficient, and cost-effective variable-frequency drives (VFDs) spans more than 50 years. Coupled with ever-higher drive performance, the evolution is still going strong.
November 8, 2004... PHYSICAL SIZE AND WEIGHT PROVIDE THE MOST VISIBLE EVIDENCE of the evolution of ac variable-frequency drives (VFDs) in the past 50 years. But, what's under the skin is even more dramatic for the performance, efficiency, and reliability now...

Best products 2004.(design news)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... ENTER YOUR HOTTEST NEW DESIGN IN THE ALL NEW AND EXPANDED DESIGN NEWS BEST PRODUCTS OF THE YEAR CONTEST AND RECEIVE THE ACCOLADES THAT YOU DESERVE! Tell us about the most useful, innovative, or just outright cool product that you and your...

Automation adapts to change: programmable automation controllers offer flexibility many PLCs lack.(INNOVATIVE IDEAS FROM THE TEST EXPERTS)
November 8, 2004... Engineers routinely specify programmable logic controllers (PLCs) as the "brains" needed to control industrial equipment. These controllers measure analog and digital signals, make decisions, and ensure process parameters remain within preset...

NI LabVIEW, PACs deliver advanced machine control, reliability.(TEST EXPERTS ADVERTORIAL SERIES)
November 8, 2004... When selecting a platform for embedded machine control, the most important decision users make often is not hardware--it is software. With a productive software package, users can quickly build the first prototype and iterate on future design...

Compact module links older equipment to wireless networks: Translator handles many protocols, with custom versions available.(COMMUNICATIONS)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Molex Inc. is entering the data translation market with a fax/data card that lets legacy equipment communicate over a number of new communication protocols. The TelEnable Fax/Data Card is the first of a standard products line that will also...

Single board computer: Pentium-based.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... The F9 Pentium-based single board computer is designed to provide high performance and an operational range suitable for harsh industrial conditions. It is a one-slot, 32-bit compactPCI system controller based on the Pentium M(LV) with...

User interface: for beginners and experts.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... Designed for use by both the NC beginner and expert, the smart. NC is a user interface for TNCs that reportedly allows users to create executable NC programs faster, more safely, more simply, and more conveniently. According to the company, it...

Brush dc motors: minimizes magnetic cogging.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Featuring 11-slot skewed armatures, the PITTMAN[R] Series 1400[TM] brush-commutated dc motors and gearmotors can be customized for each user with brush materials, encoders, timing belt pulleys, brakes, cables, connectors, modified shafts, and...

Single board computers: high performance.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... The PENTXM range of PC-compatible VMEbus single board computers use the Intel[R] Pentium[R] M processor running at 1.6 GHz and above. It reportedly draws 30W of power for the entire board running at 1.6 GHz, and allows the user to optimize...

Panel PCs: optional touch screen.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... The STE 15 and STE 17 panel PCs are engineered to make industrial computing and control as easy as possible. The 15-inch and 17-inch panel PCs feature Pentium[R] 4 power, a PCI expansion slot, two 2.5-inch drive bays, network-ready I/O ports,...

Steppers: NEMA 14.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... Engineered to be a low-cost series of custom 0.9-degree NEMA 14 steppers for OEMs, they reportedly assure smooth operation even at low speed, and are available with four or six leads to meet torque and performance requirements. Applications...

Motion controller: continuous cycling option.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... Geared for testing-related applications, the RMC 100 motion controller features the Sinusoidal Move command that reportedly eliminates the need for an externally generated sine wave while adding position, velocity, and acceleration feedforward...

Air cylinders: compact configuration.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... The company's line of low-profile, spring-return air cylinders are designed for use in modern production applications. A choice of seven sizes are available from 3- to 6-inch outside diameter with force output of 300 lbs to 1 ton with plant air...

Commutation encoder: 500 kHz output frequency response.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... The R35i small encoder reportedly incorporates a custom ASIC that includes fewer components, increased performance, and high product quality in a smaller package. According to the company, it offers both brushless motor commutation and high...

Goniometer: assured calibration.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... The PGX goniometer is described as a compact instrument that measures wetting and absorption as a function of time on any surface size. It features assured calibration in the static mode that is quick, simple, and accurate. It also features...

Hydraulic brake line: new model sizes.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... Additional model sizes are added to the PROFORM hydraulic break line, which reportedly features a powerful control that combines 3D graphics interface with touchscreen operation. This is designed to reduce setup and programming times for...

USB controller: single-chip.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... The TD1120 is hailed as the first single-chip USB on-the-go controller that supports full-speed USB host control and high-speed USB peripheral control. It is designed for several applications, including mobile applications and printer...

Industrial panel computers: fanless, no moving parts.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... Engineered as a fanless, rugged, industrial panel computer with a 15-inch LCD, the ARP-2115 has no moving parts, making it possible for higher reliability with less system failures. It features VIA low-power Eden 667MHz CPU that is expandable...

Toolkit: free motion control solutions.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... MotionCode[TM] is a free toolkit that reportedly consists of several motion control solutions that provide step-by-step procedures for guiding engineers in the design, development, and integration of their motion applications. According to the...

Motion control cards: high performance.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... The company's series of four- and six-axis servo and stepper motion control cards can be combined with I/O cards for more I/O points. Cards in the series include the PCI-1241, PCI-1242, and PCI-1261. 2D and 3D interpolation for linear,...

PWM controller and driver IC: for POL buck converters.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)(integrated circuits)(point-of-load buck converters)(pulse width modulated)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... The IRU3146 pulse width modulated (PWM) dual synchronous buck controller and driver IC for point-of-load buck converters are intended for such applications as dual-phase ASIC and DDR memory power management circuits, and datacom and...

Stepper motors: smooth operation.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... The MAE[TM] S Series hybrid stepper motors are engineered for maximum torque to promote smooth operation. They are designed for applications requiring fine positioning. Offered in standard NEMA23 frame size, and in three models with step...

Java software components: enable versatile motion sequencing.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... The company's new sequencing software is reportedly an intuitive configuration of basic indexing sequences that is complemented by ease of developing custom Java components for complex applications. In addition to indexer applications, program...

Motion controller: high performance, flexibility.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... Engineered to provide machine builders with high-performance motion control, the 64-bit ZMP controllers are designed to use a 466 MHz Motorola PowerPC processor for optimum flexibility. They provide a 100 Mbps synchronous real-time connection...

Cables: fully molded, serial operation.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Add-A-Motor cables are designed to be an entire "off the shelf" servo system solution that is ready to plug and play when used with the company's SmartMotors. The full-molded cable connects SmartMotor to SmartMotor in a daisy-chain...

Roller bearings: for industrial fan applications.(MOTION CONTROL + POWER TRANSMISSION)
November 8, 2004... Designed to perform as non-locating bearings in self-aligning bearing systems for industrial fans, CARB[R] toroidal roller bearings reportedly enhance fan reliability, productivity, and life by providing solutions to problems associated with...

3D CAD software: enhanced features.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)
November 8, 2004... The company's Version 8 of its 3D CAD application for mechanical design and manufacturing is reportedly the first to fully integrate and use collaborative capabilities to deliver support to all customers. It provides 3D parametric solid...

CAD software: seamless integration.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... CADpdm is designed to provide the necessary integration for CAD data management in multi-CAD environments and the SMARTEAM PDM system. It reportedly allows seamless integration of 3D data into SMARTEAM environments, allowing users to manage all...

Software: polygonal pad support.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)
November 8, 2004... The AnsoftLinks[TM] v3 software is designed to streamline data flow from popular electronic design automation (EDA) vendor software into the company's products. Users can reportedly seamlessly transfer their integrated circuit, printed circuit...

Software: saves state information.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Engineered to allow users to access data using browsers for Windows, Macs, and UNIX, the Client-Server Edition of AutoVue is now available for versions 8 and 9 of Sun Solaris servers. Features include precise part alignment and constraint...

CAD software: data easily accessible.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)
November 8, 2004... SpinFire Professional 2004 Version 2 is designed to be the most advanced digital design communication tool available. It reportedly makes CAD data more easily accessible to technical and nontechnical users. It also reportedly adds 2D CAD...

CFD software: for Mac OS X.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... The two companies have made available their CFD pre- and post-processing software, Gridgen and FIELDVIEW, for Mac OS X. The ports are reportedly strongly motivated by their common customers at NASA. The Mac OS X and Xserve provide powerful...

Simulation software: new scripting interface.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)
November 8, 2004... SIMPLORER[R] simulation software is engineered for the design of large-scale, multi-domain systems. It reportedly features a powerful new scripting interface, increased optimization and statistical analysis tools, extended VHDL-AMS...

Virtual tool shop: for machinery components.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)(Misumi USA Inc)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... A "virtual tool shop" for machinery components with SolidWorks, 3D PartStream. NET reportedly enables users to quickly get the components they need. Users can configure and download 3D models of customized bushings, locating pins, linear...

Simulation software: for oil reservoir modeling.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)
November 8, 2004... Version 5.0 of the company's RS (reservoir simulation) software is designed to allow data from multiple sources to be loaded and displayed in plots ranging from X-Y graphs to 3D renderings. According to the company, the software manages data...

Data management solution: provides efficient data organization.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Rev 5 of Tec. Manager is a Web-based and ASAMODS compatible solution for efficient data organization, retrieval, and reporting, according to the company. It is designed to allow engineering departments to leverage the information value of large...

3D designs: new modeling tools.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Version 2.0 of the FreeForm[R] Concept[TM] software is designed as a touch-enabled system that provides users with a fast and intuitive way to create realistic 3D conceptual designs. The product accelerates the transition from sketches to 3D...

3D software: flexible.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)(Kubotek USA Inc.)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... The KeyCreator is an integration of Spatial's 3D ACIS Modeler and 3D InterOp Translators. The new product reportedly combines both the latest in geometry-based design and modeling technology, as well as helping customers in the design of...

Mathcad version 12: with XML capabilities.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... Featuring an open data model, scalability, new flexibility to document engineering-critical values, greatly expanded units and dimensions handling, and new 2D plotting capabilities, Mathcad version 12 includes an open standard for document...

Data sharing: extremely small files.(SOFTWARE + HARDWARE)(Centrio)(Brief Article)
November 8, 2004... The company's Simultaneous Product Development (SPD) software is paired with Intel[R] Centrio[TM] mobile technology, and is designed to allow users to transmit design changes from more places. The IX SPeeD[R] V5 Suite ensures that only the...