Design Engineering articles from February 2001

Design Engineering archives from February 2001

Stench Warfare.(territorial water protection)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... From Japan this month comes an innovative, humanitarian approach to territorial water protection. An unmanned aircraft carries a missile with rope for wrapping around the enemy boat's propellers and arresting it's progress. The invention...

Fragrance dispersion system.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... And on a sweeter smelling theme - coming to a TV near you (maybe) - scented adverts! The fragrance dispersion system (US6136277) has a multi scent cassette which releases scents in response to a signal from a TV or radio, making advertising a...

Car door lock controller.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... In the fight against car crime, an alternative to traditional keys, immobilisers and transmitting devices has been found. This door lock controller (CA2262830) has a control box with a microphone, connected to the vehicle power supply, door...

Banishing the banshee.(brake disk noise)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Few things are more irritating on a wet winter morning than the banshee-like screech of motorists' brakes. This horrible noise occurs when the brake linings come into contact with the disks (rather like running a moist finger around the...

An Anthropomorphic Head Robot.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... In recent years, huge advances have been made in the design of androids. Most research has been directed at movement, specifically, walking using two legs. However, as we all know, there's a lot more to humans than our ability to walk...

Flying bugs in space.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... The mission to mars that last century's science fiction writers so eagerly anticipated has still failed to materialise, but this doesn't mean that today's scientists have completely abandoned the quest for this new frontier. One of the...

Putting a spring in your step.(Powerskip boots)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... From petrol-powered boots for Russian police to mechatronic exoskeletons for the US army, man-amplifiers have been in the news quite a lot recently. However, although impressive, it's unlikely that these innovations will ever enter the public...

Building turntable.(room dividers)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... If you're fed up with your office or home surroundings - change them whenever you like! This building turntable (US614568) can be incorporated into an existing building and is light enough not to need floor reinforcements - previously they...

Robotic farmer.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... This state of the art 'robotic farmer' (WO200070941) not only mucks out a cowshed, but can also be a farmer's eyes, acting independently. The robotic vehicle is equipped with a radar, which reflects off uniquely coded reflective tags on each...

Sports multifunction headgear.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... This one had to come from the US! The cap (US6115846) solves the problem that every sports fan has when attending a match - too few hands. What do you do when you want to carry binoculars and a radio, whilst eating and clapping. And it's such...

Waterproof coat.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... North Carolina State University chemical engineers have discovered a way to make flexible coating materials more durable and water-resistant, without the use of environmentally harmful solvents. It is believed that the process will be ideal...

Hot noise makes it safe.(aircraft inspection)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Two techniques that detect damage to aircraft materials have been announced in the Institute of Physics journal, Measurement Science and Technology. Researchers at the University of Bath have developed a method using sound waves to examine...

Spherical motor gives robots helping hand.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Engineers at The Johns Hop-kins University have invented a globe-shaped motor that is capable of rotating in any direction. Whereas a conventional motor turns on an axis, moving in one direction, the spherical motor developed by Gregory...

Fixing a hole.(skull repair)
February 1, 2001... According to the British Journal of Neurosurgery, traditional methods of designing titanium plates for the repair of skull defects lead to a poor fit. However, a joint venture between Belfast's Royal Hospital and rapid prototyping company,...

Fending off the emp.(electro-magnetic radiation detectors)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Micro Circuit Engineering (MCE) and Matra BAE Dynamics are collaborating in the promotion of a family of nuclear event detectors which will protect electronic systems from one of the effects of a nuclear incident. A pulse of...

Go Loopy.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Q: We've all seen fast cars looping the loop in action movies and adverts, but can you work out at what speed a car must travel to sustain such a gravity-defying feat? A: There is no simple answer, as the minimum speed a car must travel to...

A stimulating feat of soles.(re-engineering aircraft seats)
February 1, 2001... Commenting on the centre's raison detre, founder Joss Newbury says: 'You have an airline, and the business is shipping people in metal tubes around the world. It's a very fixed parameter design problem. The refresh of cabin interiors happens...

What is IT?(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... IT has grabbed the headlines, can be assembled in 10 minutes, and will, we are told, change the world, but only a handful of people actually know what IT is. What we do know is that IT, code-named Ginger, is the brainchild of US scientist...

Snowbound technology.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... That this article is rather different from the one I had in mind is due to the snow outside, stopping me travelling to work. I was going to extol the virtues of technology and computing and how it has enhanced PDD's ability to deliver products...

www.efunda.com.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Most engineers would agree that most of the knowledge needed for their daily jobs is university/college level material. How many times have you found yourself looking for information that you vaguely remember or have simply forgotten? The...

http://axiom.iop.org/.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Set up by the Institute of Physics, axiom is a user-friendly front end, which, once you've subscribed, allows you to search a number of the largest databases in physics, engineering, science and technology. The INSPEC Database from the...

No more surly youths.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... What have stroppy teenage shop assistants and endless web-based feed back forms got in common? If Valenthiran Subramaniam and Stanley Quek have their way then they'd be made redundant and replaced with BOTizen, a virtual personality able to...

Gizza job.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... A couple of surveys have been published recently that should raise an eyebrow. Apparently engineering sector employers will be taking on more staff this quarter, and graduates are being paid more - 35% more than in 1998. This is according to...

Electronics with power.
February 1, 2001... Power electronics using innovative semiconductor technologies are replacing traditional transmission and distribution systems. And ABB is leading the way Still developing at an extraordinary rate, the IT industry has become one of the...

Small beginings.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2001... Cutler-Hammer has launched what it believes is the industry's smallest fully integrated Intelligent Soft Starter, a product that is between 30 to 80% smaller than current industry offerings. The range, developed specifically to give OEMs...

LED keeps a low profile.(Lumex Inc.'s 7-segment numeric SMT LED display)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2001... Lumex Inc. believes it has introduced the world's first surface mountable 7-segment numeric LED display. Lumex claims the device makes possible, for the first time, the design and construction of equipment and instrumentation with numeric...

Inertial Aerosystems.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Inertial Aerosystems has introduced the HMC 1023, a three-axis magnetoresistive sensor for applications that require orthogonal three-axis sensing. Manufactured by Honeywell SSEC, it is designed to be affordable for high volume OEM...

Bearing up under pressure.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Accurate three dimensional simulation is possible for a range of bearing applications, ensuring that a rolling bearing has reliable performance in actual operation Supplying bearings with optimal tolerances for specific needs requires an...

Titan adds flowmeters.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Titan enterprises Limited has extended its metering range by developing two Oval Gear flowmeters. The flowmeters are priced at [pound]220 and are said to have excellent chemical resistance as they are manufactured in AISI316 type stainless...

Bond with BigHead.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... BigHead metal to plastic bonding fastening systems, used recently in Carbospar's industry acknowledged composite booms, are said to bond readily into most plastics. The use of bigHead avoids the need to drill unsightly fixing holes in otherwise...

Rexroth creates a new star.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Rexroth Star has launched the Generation 2000 Ball Rail System, said to show high load capacity, longer service life and extended service intervals. A key development has been the intensive surface finishing of the ball track surface, to...

Magnet that edges ahead.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Anchor Magnets, the UK subsidiary of Kane Magnetics International, has released Mag-Edge, a magnet that likes to think of itself as a reclining Buddha in a state of nirvana. This is because the Mag-Edge has been designed to work on its...

SKF.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... SKF has developed a new kind of high precision cylindrical roller bearing, said to enable high-speed spindles to achieve high rigidity without design compromise. New features of this bearing include a large number of small ceramic rolling...

A hip replacement.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Time spent in hospital beds is premium and in North American private healthcare it drives innovation. Since hip re placement operations began in the 1960s, doctors have narrowed the time patients spend in bed from weeks to days. ...

Open car surgery pinpoints problems.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Engineers from Daimler Chrysler are borrowing from the medical world to develop technology that detects faults in vehicle components. Computer Tomography (CT), a routine method of medical diagnosis, is being used by DaimlerChrysler to...

The IT plastics.(Dow Plastics launches new line of resins for information technology equipment)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Dow plastics has announced the launch of a new line of advanced resins aimed at IT equipment a market which Dow claims accounts for 13% of the global engineering thermoplastics market. Amongst the products scheduled for launch this year are two...

Ultra cool tough guy.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2001... A Constant Velocity Joint (CVJ) is a universal joint used especially in front-wheel drive cars that allows power to be transmitted from a transaxle to an axle or from an axle to a wheel, even at sharp angles. Now, Advanced Elastomer...

Vantico and Boeing's.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Vantico and Boeing's Rotorcraft Division have developed a new modelling material and process that they claim enables mouldmakers to build lay-up tools rapidly and at up to 70% less cost than for conventional tooling techniques. These...

You can't scratch this.(BASF Coatings to develop scratch resistant automobile coatings)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... A horrible scratch down the side of your new car.Very annoying. And, beyond the aesthetic irritation, without its protective skin, your car is now prey to the elements. Researchers at BASF Coatings in Germany are therefore working on...

Feel the force of a fundamental element.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Those of you familiar with Lothar G Buchheim's 'Das Boot' may recall 'a jet of water only finger thin, but capable of sawing a man if half.' Proof indeed that water forced through a small aperture at extremely high pressure can be highly...

Banishing corrosion.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Rexroth Mecman has developed a specialist range of pneumatic products for use in corrosion-proof applications. The range covers everything from simple washdown equipment through to demanding acid-proof products and includes valves cylinders and...

Pump is big and friendly.(Fenner Fluid Power launches F180 fluid power pump)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2001... Fenner Fluid Power has announced a new addition to its SPX range of axial piston water motors that it claims will be a valuable tool in the battle against water pollution. Believed to be the larges in the marketplace the F180 is lubricated...

An easy slider.(Festo launches HMPL linear actuator)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2001... Automation specialist Festo has unleashed a new range of pneumatically driven, small dimension linear axes for handling and assembly functions. The HMPL linear actuator is slender and robust, making it, says Festo, perfect as a highly...

Pump up your savings.(BOC Edwards launches GV260M and GV410M dry industrial vacuum pumps)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2001... BOC Edwards has added two new models to its GV Drystar range of dry industrial vacuum pumps. GV260M and GV410M complete a series which the company says offers high capacity, 'fit-and-forget' vacuum pumping with none of the process contamination...

Reservoir clogs.(Parker UCC launches TriCeptor series of disposable reservoir breathers)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
February 1, 2001... Parker UCC has extended its range of hydraulic reservoir products with the introduction of the TriCeptor series of disposable reservoir breathers, a design which Parker says eliminates solid particulate, water and odour from air before it...

Anytime, any place.
February 1, 2001... There's more than one way to skin a cat, and the same goes for collaborating design. KEITH HUBBLE of Service Point UK outlines an alternative to web-based viewers While much of the business world sends A4 documents around the world in...

The times are a'changing.
February 1, 2001... ELIZA RAWLINGS of Baldor UK looks at the past, present and future of the motion control market In the last year, the precision motion control market has undergone a technology shift. Machine builders and OEMs are refurbishing or upgrading...

New gearbox range.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Two new gearbox ranges and a new set of servo insert couplings appear on the Tandler stand. These include in-line planetary gearboxes in four sizes, single-stage models up to 10:1, two-stage up to 100:1, and right-angle combinations up to...

A Japanese flavour at EMS.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Electro Mechanical Systems (EMS) is showing several new products at the show. Amongst others EMS is displaying its new range of 12mm motors and gearheads, including a planetary gearhead capable of 450nNm. Last year's agreement with Japan...

Hollow shaft encoder.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... At stand D19 CTL Components is launching what it believes is the first multiturn absolute encoder to feature a 2inch diameter hollow shaft. The G2PIH programmable encoder is designed to be compatible with industry-standard servo-motor shafts,...

Science of the Lamda.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... PI is displaying its positioning systems for precision automation applications at stand F21, including two products based on hexapod designs. The M-850 six axis robot provides up to 100mm of linear travel with a step resolution of 1? and up to...

Attractive system for industry.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... BEI Kimco Magnetics is demonstrating an example of a two-axis, precision positioning system using a direct linear magnetic drive base doon voice coil actuators. It achieves sub micron positioning with acceleration rates of 50g or more,...

The virtues of good belts.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Belt Technologies Europe is extolling the technical virtues of its steel belts and tapes to the automation and machine building sectors on stand G24. The extremely high strength to weight ratio of belt products, together with their durability...

Friendly sensor debut.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Penny & Giles, on stand A12, is displaying the new SLS 130 sealed linear sensor. The sensor features an extended stroke range from 25 to 200mm and a choice of sealing to IP50 or IP66, will be available for around 80% of the cost of the popular...

Optimised DADS.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... LMS International has released LMS DADS 9.6, a package said to provide enhancements to Dynamic and Static Solvers, resulting in solution speed improvements of 10 to 100 times for certain applications. Another key improvement is the Optimisation...

Rockwell freebie.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Rockwell Automation has released Motion Book 3.1, the latest version of its interactive multi-media sizing and selection software. Motion Book 3.1 features a number of enhancements including the addition of 'Chain and Sprocket' and 'Rack...

Solid mechanics.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... SolidWorks Corporation has introduced SolidWorks 2001; the latest version of its Windows based 3D mechanical design software. Over 50 enhancements have been made to the assembly creation capabilities, enabling users to reference surrounding...

Making life easy.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... think 3Dimension believes that its latest release, thinkdesign 6.0, will revolutionise the way industrial designers and engineers interface with software, right from conceptual design through to manufacture of the finished product. Priced...

Reverse in CopyCAD.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Delcam has released a spanking new version of its CopyCAD reverse engineering software. One key addition to CopyCAD is the ability to create construction lines from the horizon line of a CopyCAD model, making it easier to generate the...

Get a bigger picture with ANSYS.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2001... Ansys has launched ANSYS 5.7, a package said to represent significant, non-linear technical break throughs in advanced simulation. ANSYS 5.7 has been designed to allow users to create products more efficiently, with the Proba-bilistic...