Design Engineering articles from November 2000

Design Engineering archives from November 2000

3D Emergency Service.(FEGS introduces Bureau Translation service)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... FEGS has launched a Bureau Translation service; an emergency resource for fixing messy or unreadable CAD models. Interoperability problems, common stumbling blocks when dealing with externally created solid modeling data, are FEGS' area of...

Cyan Spin out.(Cambridge Gateway Fund and ET Capital invest in Cyan Technology)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... The Cambridge Gateway Fund and ETCapital have invested [pound]1,500,000 in Cyan Technology, the latest spin-out from Cambridge Consultants. Cyan will exploit 16-bit microcontroller technology, originally developed by CCL, to build a family of...

Railcrack.(Newt International)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Innovative technology from Southsea-based Newt International, has made a breakthrough in examining engineering structures. Electromagnetic array technology (EMA) was developed to detect cracks in oil-rig structures, but its application has been...

Bad news for bridges.(development of amphibious vehicle)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... With the ice-caps melting, water levels rising and floods afflicting more and more of us, London-based Stone Mason David Baker might just be on to a winner. Baker's 'Landshark' concept is an amphibious vehicle for three people, which, he...

A giant leap for robot-kind.(Sandia National Laboratories designs combustion-driven piston robot)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Researchers at the Sandia National Laboratories in Alburquerque, have developed a robot that uses a combustion-driven piston to make leaps as high as 20 feet. Rush Robinett of Sandia's Intelligent Systems and Robotics Center conceived the...

Wave goodbye to smog.(Swinburne University of Technology develops microwave car exhaust treatment system)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Industrial researchers from the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne have invented a microwave system for the treatment of car exhaust gases, which, it is claimed, will enable 90% reductions of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. ...

Smart switch stops flat batteries.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Flat car batteries could soon be a thing of the past thanks to a UK designed automotive innovation. Suffolk-based Smartswitch Ltd has devised a relay system which ensures that the battery voltage is always at a high enough level for the...

Sorry EMS!(Electra Mechanical Systems)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... A recently signed agreement sees Electra Mechanical Systems appointed as an official UK distributor for Japan Servo Co Limited. The appointment enables the Aldermaston based company to promote and distribute Japan Servo's ranges of 2 and...

Ericsson acquisition.(Microwave Power Devices)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Ericsson and Microwave Power Devices have signed an agreement whereby Ericsson will acquire MPD for around $100 million. MPD designs and manufactures radio frequency and microwave linear high power amplifier products. Its strong competence in...

The famous five.(join forces to develop web portal)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... ABB, Alcatel, Legrand, Philips Lighting and Schneider Electric have joined forces to develop a web portal for professionals working in the electrical industry. Providing industry news, guidance on technical matters and product data, the...

Royal Institute of Technology.(develops robot)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Engineers at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, have developed a tinyantlike robot that is able to walk on its eight robust silicon legs. The leg movement is achieved through the thermionic expansion of polyimides in the...

A droid in the family.(ActivMedia Robotics develops AmigoBOT)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Feeling a little guilty about working late? Wish you could spend more time with your kids? Well, now you can be in two places at once, if we're to believe the claims ActivMedia Robotics makes for its latest innovation. The company's...

Spinning around.(Premier Hazard)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... It might look like simple enough, but the flashing blue police light must run smoothly and accurately for a long time; presenting a number of challenges for designers. Premier Hazard, Leeds based manufacturer of these systems enlisted the...

BOSCH Automation.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Q Young Albert, an aspiring schoolboy engineer, is taking his Sunday evening bath. Being an inquisitive type, he takes his toy boat and loads it with nuts, bolts and washers purloined from his dad's toolbox. He notices that as he adds the...

What place has 2D CAD in a 3D world?(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... 3D CAD now costs less than the 2D CAD systems of five years ago. The 'object' of these powerful systems is a 3-dimensional product, so can 2D CAD continue to have a role as a design tool? Graham Lacey - head of technical design at PDD - thinks...

www.zcorp.com.(Z Corp. web sites)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... 3D printing technology is maturing fast, and it's no longer restricted to engineers. With numerous specialised applications cropping up all the time, industry leaders think it won't be long before the technology replaces traditional...

www.toybuilders.com.(Advanced Technology Consultants' ToyBuilders.com)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Every year, in the run up to Christmas, riots break out in the country's toyshops as frantic parents fight it out over the last of the latest toys. Two years ago it was Buzz Lightyear, last year it was furbys, this year some other plastic...

www.wireless.national.com.(National Semiconductor website)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... National Semiconductor has introduced a web-based design tool that it predicts will save customers $50 million within a year. WEBENCH 2.0 is a free, interactive collection of online tools that enable a designer to move from component selection...

Missing out on medical markets.(Medical Device Technology Exhibition survey)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... According to a study carried out on behalf of the Medical Device Technology Exhibition, UK Design Engineering companies are missing out on [pound]millions by overlooking the medical device manufacturing sector. According to the study, 96% of...

The design factory.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... I had an interesting talk with the first man to realise that a six month development delay can cost 33% of life cycle profits. Don Reinertsen is internationally regarded as an expert in product development techniques, and co-author of the...

What if?(finite analysis software)
November 1, 2000... Design engineers are frustrated by traditional analysis products claims GARY CARTER They don't need to learn the entire analysis function. Their main focus is: will my design perform as I intended? A new class of enterprise wide engineering...

Monitoring your cylinder position.(Bimba Manufacturing Co.)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
November 1, 2000... Bimba Manufacturing Company has introduced a new line of repairable Position Feedback Cylinders that meet ISO 6431/VDMA 24562 standards. The metric Position Feedback Cylinder is said to provide continual position sensing and is well suited...

Fit for a tube.(Swagelok Co.new technology)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
November 1, 2000... Swagelok has introduced an advanced tube-fitting technology for leak-tight, high performance tube connections in instrumentation, industrial and hydraulic applications. The Swagelok Tube Fitting, engineered to 'hinge' during operation, is...

Get your fluid lines connected.(CPC's Sixtube coupling)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... CPC's Sixtube coupling for connecting up to six separate fluid lines is now available with an extended range of connection options. Available in the UK from tom Parker the couplings now have a choice of acetal shut off valves on the insert...

Hydraulic cylinders.(Univer)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
November 1, 2000... Univer has begun production on its range of metric tie rod hydraulic cylinders. Fully compliant with ISO 6020/0, the bore sizes range from 25-200mm with a working pressure of up to 2l0bar. Lead times are one to three days for standard...

Filter riffic.(Ingersoll-Rand Co.)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
November 1, 2000... Ingersoll-Rand claims that its new air filters offer filter performance with the lowest pressure drop available for increased energy efficiency and filter lifetime. The low-pressure drop of the filters is said to be due to a patented end cap on...

Room for improvement.(Lamerholm Fleming shock recorders)(Column)
November 1, 2000... MICHAEL KELLETT, technical director of Lammerholm Fleming, explains the development of his company's new hi-performance, low cost shock and vibration recorder. In 1998 Lamerholm Fleming launched the RD298 ShockLog shock and vibration...

C3PO? R2D2? No, it's RS-232!(FF-Automation's AutoLog)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
November 1, 2000... FF-Automation's new AutoLog 14K Embedded Micro PLC has been designed to offer 4-8 digital inputs 4-7 digital outputs an analogue inputs an analogue input as well as Pt100 mV and 4 20mA. The controller also includes an RS-232 port for a...

World's smallest.(Murata)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
November 1, 2000... Murata has begun mass production of what it claims is the world's smallest SMT resonato. The CSTR-MG series has an oscillating frequency of 4 to 7.99 MHZ and a tolerance of [+ or -]0.5% frequency. Drift across the 20 to 80[degrees]C...

Use the gentle touch.(Rockwell Automation touch button, AllenBradley Zero-Force 800Z)(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
November 1, 2000... Rockwell Automation's AllenBradley Zero-Force 800Z series touch button may play an important role in cutting the incidence of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, a common nerve disorder that is estimated to cost the US economy alone up to $15 billion a...

Heat up for cool designs.(thermography tool)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Product designers and research engineers who use thermography tools may want to cast a look at FLIR systems' new ThermaCAM SC3000. According to David Furley, FLIR's UK sales manager, the ThermaCAM, 'enables design engineers to observe the...

Black metal or black art.
November 1, 2000... Composites offer great potential over metals, and they're a financial alternative to conventional materials. But the route to realising these benefits has many pitfalls. Components must be completely redesigned when made from composites, says...

Plastic that breathes.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Stevens Urethane has introduced a breathable grade of thermoplastic polyurethane -- Stevens ST 2546 which allows moisture vapour to escape but excludes all other liquids Moisture vapour transmissions in Stevens ST 2546 are said to be...

New glue gets hot and sticky.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Tracon has introduced a new range of high temperature adhesives including TRA-BOND 2248 High Temperature Epoxy Adhesive Thixotropic 2248 is a NASA outgassing approved material for use in electrical insulation and is said to have low water...

No dust with classy, glassy Novacarbs.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Mast Carbon has unveiled a range of porous, glassy carbons developed using its patented NovaCarb [TM] technology. Designed to suit a wide variety of product and process research, design and engineering applications, MAST's new class of...

Raychem HFT 5000.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Raychem HFT 5000 is a new development in heat shrinkable fabric tubing from the Cable ID & Protection Products Group of Tyco Electronics. Tougher than old boots and as mad as a drunken dog, Raychem HFT 5000 is a flexible, halogen free self...

3D model faxing is here.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... 3D Systems' range of Thermojet printers have been designed to print three-dimensional models directly from 3-D CAD data. The network capabilities of the ThermoJet printer make it possible for anyone to create a 3-D model from their desktop....

Greased lightning bearings.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... FAG/Barden continues to push grease as a primary means of lubrication for super precision bearings with the release of Arcanol L75. Replacing Barium-based L74, L75's run-in time is half that of its predecessor. This, says FAG/Barden, will...

Low cost peace & quiet.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Initiatives to reduce noise in the workplace, even by a fraction, can induce heavy costs. However, Tsubaki says its new Low Noise Drive Chain can directly replace standard roller chains but is between 6-8 dB quieter in operation. Noise...

QuickMount system.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Inmoco has introduced an inline range of NemaTrue gearheads, developed to mount to any stepper or servo motor using the QuickMount system, to offer high output torque and combined efficiency of up to 90% with low inertia and low noise...

Flexible valves.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Airtec's range of mechanical valves only available from specialist suppliers until now - are said to provide a greater degree of flexibility when designing or upgrading pneumatic machinery Most mechanical actuation is possible and the range...

Block on block off.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... A&S has produced a polymer block designed to click on and off conveyor chains for easy maintenance. A&S says that the design allows the polymer blocks to be removed repeatedly in the space of a few minutes throughout the chain's lifetime....

the workstation trap.
November 1, 2000... It's tempting to buy the best hardware you can afford but don't do it. The latest computer technologies will find you. Moore's law, while not particularly robust, dictates that 18 months (now 12 months) will see your CPU halve in speed...

OEM on song.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Control Techniques has produced its MiniAx servo drive to provide OEMs with a way of improving the competitiveness of their machines. The MiniAx has been designed to meet the demand for a powerful, low cost servo drive, and is available in two...

North East Electronics.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... North East Electronics' new Osprey Servo motor driven gantry system is available in a range of table sizes from 2x2 feet to 20x20 feel and comes with a North East Electronics AMC machine controller and Graphical Programming Software. GPS...

Programme using intuition.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... CAL Controls believes that it has developed its most comprehensive product to date. The 9500P is a 48mm x 48mm process controller with programmable functions to allow upto 31 profiles and 126 segments. CAL claims that the user has flexibility...

Natty LAN is wireless.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Buffalo Technology has introduced the portable NAT secure Buffalo AirStation, a wireless LAN networking solution that is said to enable Internet access and on line networking without cabling or additional telephone lines. With an 11Mbps...

Archive help.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Siemens Moore Process Automation has announced the release of version R4 of the APACS+ process automation system. The APACS+ R4 will, says Siemens, enable users to take advantage of integration of communications functions such as Profibus....

LMI Selcom.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... The SPS 2301 from LMI Selcom is a high-speed sweeping beam laser profiling sensor that will, says LMI, enable rubber tyre and other manufacturers to measure parameters for on-and offline quality control and increased productivity. The...

Quick solve.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Flowtherm 3.1, the latest edition of Flomeric's thermal analysis software for electronics, features an Explorer type browser and new solver technology offering faster solution times. There are enhancements onto the MCAD interface;...

Blade runner.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... AEA Technology has improved its blade design software with CFX-BladeGen. This is a specialized 3D software tool for the rapid design of rotating machinery components, designed for ease-of-use. A feature of the software is its 'Plus' module...

Breakthrough CFD meshing.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Computational Dynamics and adapco have released a set of automatic meshing modules for the CFD code STAR-CD . These tools are pre-and post-processing systems. EZAero introduces an easy way for STAR-CD users to generate external aerodynamics...

Low cost stereo view.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Stereographics is offering for the first time stereoscopic viewing glasses for the PC platform using Windows 98 professional applications such as mechanical CAD GIS/mapping, medical imaging support, experimental chemistry and PC-based desktop...

Leatherman.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... In 1975, Tim Leatherman was on a low-budget trip through Europe. Fed up with his pen-knife, which wasn't much help in repairing his unreliable car, Tim got thinking. Very soon a star was born. Today, with its multifarious attachments, the...

Shutting off the cylinders.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... In a drive to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions, General Motors has designed a V8 application that shuts off cylinders when they're not needed by deactivating their valves. However, engine design needs to be carefully evaluated and...

Bringing back the dead.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... A British engine design consultancy has developed a new computer-aided engineering technique that can recreate and even improve the integrity of obsolete engines and components without the need for drawings. "There are many historic...

Safeguarding diesel technology.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Engine parts supplier, Lucas Diesel, designs new projects in SolidWorks whilst work on existing projects is carried out in CADDS5. This creates a requirement for bidirectional CAD data conversion between the two systems, and Lucas switched from...

Let there be CAD.(computer aided design)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... A long sea journey to the Galapagos Islands, plenty of time to ponder on the different wildlife, and the discipline to draw and write about what he saw, led Darwin to propose a theory about the origin of species. What would he make of the...

Downtime eliminated.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2000... Papst has introduced fan trays where the individual fans are mounted in removable cassettes, providing hot-pluggable units that may eliminate maintenance downtime because the fans can be changed without shutting down equipment. The new fan...