R & D articles from December 2004

R & D archives from December 2004

Sandia National Laboratories.(Corporate Profile)(Company Profile)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Sandia National Laboratories is a national security lab with the core purpose of "Helping Our Nation Secure a Peaceful and Free World Through Technology." We provide technology solutions to challenging problems that threaten peace and freedom....

The rules of change.(Editorial)(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... R&D is about change. Researchers always have to be aware that change does not follow rules and that any number of external effects can cause you to alter the way that you design a device. These changes can be the result of economic,...

TEAM consortium strengthens.(Microscopy)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The U.S. Dept. of Energy's (DOE) $100 million Transmission Electron Aberration-Corrected Microscope--or TEAM--project continues to gain momentum, with FEI Co., Hillsboro, Ore., recently being recruited to serve as an R&D partner. Working...

"Cell" chip specs revealed.(Bulletin)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Industry giants IBM, Armonk, N.Y., Sony, and Toshiba, both of Tokyo, Japan, have offered a further glimpse into the architecture behind their highly secretive, next-generation microprocessor--"Cell." Since the project's birth in 2001,...

Glacial ice charges forward.(Life Science)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Images provided by the NASA-funded Landsat satellite have recorded a surprising and somewhat unnerving discovery concerning one of the world's fastest moving glaciers, Jakobshavn Isbrae, located in Greenland. Based on the images, researchers...

Creating biodegradable cell phones.(Environment)
December 1, 2004... Some estimates suggest that in Europe alone over 100 million mobile phones are discarded each year, with the majority ending up strewing landfills. Now a partnership with PVAXX Research & Development, Ciencester, UK, the Univ. of Warwick's...

Ciphergen chromatography takes on new leadership.(Analytical Instruments)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Filtration and separation technologies provider, Pall Corp., East Hills, N.Y., has acquired the BioSepra Process Division from Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc., Fremont, Calif., for $32 million. The BioSepra Process Division develops, manufactures,...

FDA reaffirms support for RFID.(Pharmaceutical)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Continuing its support for radio frequency identification technology (RFID), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently published the Compliance Policy Guide (CPG) for implementing RFID feasibility studies and pilot programs. This...

Focus on Photonics.(Conferences & Events)(Calendar)
December 1, 2004... The International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) will be hosting Photonics West 2005, Jan. 22-27 at the San Jose Convention Center, Calif. This year's symposia will include Biomedical Optics (BiOS), Integrated Optoelectronic Devices...

Quantum Internet.(Lasers & Optics)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The data that bounces between computers across vast networks like the Internet is delivered in a series of electronic pulses that degrade as the network handles larger amounts of information. The future of these systems may lie in generating...

Optimizing lighting schemes.(Laboratory Design)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Southern California Edison (SCE) electric utility company, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., has opened the doors to its new lighting technology center. The new facility will offer architects and builders the use of application test laboratories,...

Infineon reports on smallest transistor.(Micro/Nano Technology)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Researchers from Infineon's Munich, Germany, laboratories have recently announced the creation of the world's smallest nanotube-based transistor. According to Infineon, the transistor features a channel length of only 18 nm--the most advanced...

Predicting transistor reliability.(Test & Measurement)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Understanding the degradation in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chips continues to be a costly, yet essential, endeavor for the integrated circuit industry. Offering a new solution, Ashraf Alam, professor of electrical and...

Albany NanoTech partners with industry.(Vacuum & Thin Films)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... X-ray diffraction supplier Bruker AXS, Madison, Wisc., and officials at Albany NanoTech, N.Y., have joined in a cooperative agreement for atomic-level x-ray characterization and metrology. Under this agreement, Bruker AXS will provide the...

GE creates new rail-based composite.(Materials)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Researchers at GE Advanced Materials & Plastics, Pittsfield, Mass., and AZDEL, Inc., Lynchburg, Virg., have formulated a new type of thermoplastic composite to address safety and performance issues in the passenger rail industry. The new...

Reinventing product discovery.(Data Management & Analysis)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Conducting faster product discovery cycles is the foundation for a new technique, dubbed discovery informatics, developed by a research team led by James Caruthers at Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, Ind. It is a model-based method that uses...

A new breed of supercomputers.(Data Management & Analysis)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A collaborative effort between NASA, Washington, D.C., Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, Calif., and Intel, Santa Clara, Calif., has resulted in the recent installation of the world's second most powerful supercomputer at NASA's Ames...

Hard drive shipments boom.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The number of consumer electronics with integrated hard disk drives is expected to grow from 5% of the total hard drive market in 2003 to 33% by 2008. The increase is being fueled by the continuing miniaturization of hard drives and the need to...

E-Chemicals market soars.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The growth of low-k dielectric materials and high-performance devices, such as advanced photoresists, is expected to lead to a rise in the demand for U.S. electronic chemicals (e-chemicals). A projected 11% yearly increase will expand the U.S....

China leads liver proteome effort.(R&D[TM] Asia)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Beijing, China was host to the recently concluded Human Proteome Organization's (HUPO) Third Annual World Congress, which attracted more than 2,000 international proteome scientists. The Human Proteome Project was launched two years ago with...

NASA and CNSA hold talks.(R&D[TM] Asia)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... NASA and the China National Space Administration (CNSA) have recently held talks in Washington, D.C., to explore the possibilities of cooperating on the use of space, geoscience, and space science. Sun Laiyan, head of the CNSA, met with his...

Microsoft joins the crowd.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Microsoft Research will open a new campus in Bangalore, India, in January 2005.The company already has research campuses in Beijing, Cambridge, England, Redmond, Wash., San Francisco, and Silicon Valley. The researchers in India will focus on...

Philips to double China R&D.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Dutch electronics firm Philips plans to double its R&D staff in China over the next two years to 1,300. The company already employs 700 people at 13 China R&D centers. Almost all of the new jobs would be created in Shanghai. The new jobs will...

Purdue-Japan create human robots.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Researchers at Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, Ind., and the Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Ishikawa, Japan, are collaborating in a four-year program to create humanoid robots to move more like people and adapt quickly to new...

CEOs see a bright future with positive growth: the top executive officers of the leading independent R&D organizations in the U.S. discuss the impact of the past few years and what the future portends.(IRDO CEO Review)
December 1, 2004... Independent research and development organizations (IRDOs) provide a strong service to industry and government research agencies with their cadre of experienced technical professionals, specialized research facilities, and broad depth of...

Battelle.(Corporate Profile)(Company Profile)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Battelle is a global leader in technology development, laboratory management, and technology commercialization. With the national labs it manages or co-manages, Battelle oversees 16,000 staff and conducts $3 billion in R&D at more than 100...

Battelle on track to win safety race.(Case Study)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Bad things happen when 3,500 pounds of race car meet unprotected concrete at speeds reaching 200 mph. But Battelle is working to change that. Collision control Since autumn 2002, Battelle has been designing and developing a safety...

New avenues in automotive design.(Case Study)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... RAPTOR[R], a modular software program developed by Southwest Research Institute[R] (SwRI[R]), San Antonio, Texas, allows engineers to model and simulate virtual vehicle powertrains, and more. Co-developed with Daimler-Chrysler and a...

Southwest Research Institute[R] (SwRI[R]).(Corporate Profile)(Company Profile)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is an independent, nonprofit, applied engineering and physical sciences research and development organization devoted to technology development and transfer. The Institute also funds internal research...

Leading the way in biological detection technology.(Case Study)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Speed, accuracy, and cost effectiveness are three of the objectives scientists at Midwest Research Institute (MRI) had in mind when developing a new technology that will transform the way biological organisms are detected. The...

Midwest Research Institute: new management team leading charge for growth.(Corporate Profile)(Company Profile)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... At 60 years old, Midwest Research Institute (MRI) is entering a new phase of youth and vitality. A senior management team assembled over the past five years is leading the not-for-profit research institute into new ventures and a stronger role...

R&D's hot technologies for 2005: the readers and editors of R&D Magazine identify technologies that are expected to see rapid growth and high investments in 2005.(Cover Story)
December 1, 2004... Technology is the driver that powers growth in most of today's global economies. In that global marketplace, the players are changing rapidly as former third world countries assume leadership roles in manufacturing and technology. The...

RNAi revolutionizes research: the main hurdle to interfering RNA-based therapeutics remains the in vivo delivery of short interfering RNAs.
December 1, 2004... Interfering RNA (RNAi) is a hot technology that continues to transform various research fields. This impact is reflected in market research studies, which project increasing applications and user base as scientists come to fully understand the...

Moving toward a hydrogen economy: as researchers make progress in the field of fuel cell research, developing safe ways to produce hydrogen becomes their next challenge.
December 1, 2004... The race is on to find the most efficient means for supplying electricity to the upcoming lines of new fuel cell vehicles, which are anticipated to only gain in popularity. According to a report published by the Business Communications Co.,...

Realizing immersion lithography's promise: the semiconductor community eagerly awaits results on the first wave of pre-production immersion lithography-based.
December 1, 2004... Within the past two years, immersion lithography (IML) has shot to the forefront of lithography-based solutions for manufacturing the next-generation of integrated circuits (IC). Its rapid ascent among the ranks of strategies has been somewhat...

Revamping the standard benchtop viscometer: a software upgrade closes the performance gap between research grade rheometers and standard benchtop viscometers.(Rheology * Lab Equipment * Viscosity)
December 1, 2004... Many development projects focused on formulation of new or improved materials need to qualify flow behavior for proper performance of the product. Examples include greases used in bearings, lubricants in engines, and thickening agents in foods....

Nitpicking your vacuum system: detailed system analysis is a painful process that can make all the difference between a successful design or a total failure. It's all a question of mindset.(Vacuum Science * Quality Assurance * Pumps)
December 1, 2004... It comes as no surprise to vacuum practitioners that vacuum technology is a difficult and unforgiving discipline. Although there are often hundreds of small decisions to make in designing a system, each and every one has to be either the right...

Emerging technologies impact confocal microscopes: easier-to-use, affordable confocal microscopes are hitting the market, providing scientists with complete research workstations.(Microscopy * Resolution * Imaging)(Interview)(Panel Discussion)
December 1, 2004... The advantages of confocal microscopes are well known. Allowing scanning in 3-D, these instruments offer an enhanced resolution that yields a better image and a controllable depth of field. Additional benefits, as well as current limitations,...

Evaluating nanomaterials safety.(Regulatory Update)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Washington, D.C., has taken new measures to address the potential environmental and public health risks posed by the growing number of nanomaterials being manufactured in the U.S. These materials...

Sandia takes on water contamination.(Regulatory Update)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, N.M., will begin testing innovative ways to treat arsenic-contaminated water in an effort to reduce costs to N.M. municipalities of meeting the new arsenic standard issued by the U.S. Environmental...

New nanotech alliance.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Accelrys, Inc. San Diego, Calif., has recently launched its new Accelrys Nanotechnology Consortium. The goal of the Consortium is to accelerate the development of software tools that enable the design of nanomaterials and nanodevices....

Polyethylene standards.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Netherlands-based PANalytical, Almelo, and DSM Resolve, Geleen, have launched the first set of standards for analyzing toxic elements in polyethylene. Available under the name TOXEL, the set of standards has been developed in response to the...

OSHA-industry partnership.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has launched a new web page--Chemical Reactivity Hazards--targeting workers and employers involved in chemical storage, handling, and distribution. Detailed sections describe hazard...

Braille pins control fluid's flow.(Emerging Technologies)
December 1, 2004... While most undergraduate students in their senior year focus their skills to create a resume, Wei Gu at the Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, has used this time to create an innovative software routine to direct cells and fluids through a microchip...

Single-atom-thick material.(Emerging Technologies)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... In their pursuit of faster, more powerful computer chips, engineers strive to produce smaller transistors, where the electrons' path is minimized.The quest is expected to ultimately translate into transistors composed of a single molecule; a...

Flash welding.(Emerging Technologies)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Recent work by chemists at the Univ. of California, Los Angeles, has revealed that an ordinary 35-mm camera flash causes thermally absorbent polyaniline nanofibers to immediately weld together. In "flash welding," the camera flash initiates a...

All-electric warship.(Emerging Technologies)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The U.S. Navy's use of manpower and weaponry stands to be impacted by research at the Univ. at Buffalo, N.Y., that is helping in the development of a next-generation, all-electric warship. Using nano- and micro-electronics, scientists plan to...

PARSTAT 2273 from Princeton Applied Research.(Manufacturer's Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... The new PARSTAT 2273 potentiostat/ galvanostat/FRA from Princeton Applied Research is designed to be the most comprehensive potentiostat/galvanostat/FRA in the laboratory. Its hardware is capable of [+ or -]10 V scan ranges, 2 A current...

Keithley's 2005 catalog.(Manufacturer's Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Keithley Instruments' 2005 catalog offers details and specifications on the company's general-purpose and sensitive sourcing and measurement products, DC switching, RF switching and measurement, data acquisition solutions, semiconductor test...

IEEE Enterprise.(Manufacturer's Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... IEEE Enterprise provides desktop access to IEEE periodicals and conferences at prices any organization can afford. Search the IEEE Xplore[R] delivery system until your downloads run out. Papers are available online instantly, and are stored in...

X64-AN Quad.(Manufacturer's Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... The X64-AN Quad is a new PCI-X bus compatible frame grabber from Coreco Imaging. Designed to deliver concurrent image acquisition from multiple independent standard and progressive scan analog cameras, the X64-AN Quad acquires from four...

Limited time SINGULA price promotion!(Manufacturer's Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... SINGULA, Integrated Engineering Software's 3-D full-wave electromagnetic simulator, reduces design time/costs while improving product performance. Handle open regions, generate a surface mesh, and couple with other numerical techniques to...

CARVER automatic laboratory presses.(Manufacturer's Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Auto "C" automatic hydraulic laboratory presses from CARVER, Inc. provide operating ease, speed, convenience. Features: digital display of clamp force and user selected, automatic time and pressure cycles, two-post presses deliver 15 tons of...

Brookfield's top of the line Rheometer ... now with Yield stress capability!(Manufacturer's Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Brookfield Engineering Laboratories, Inc. offers the new DV-III Ultra, which combines sophisticated, comprehensive viscosity testing with the yield stress measurement capability of the YR-1 Yield Test Rheometer. This combination makes the...

Laboratory Automation Solutions.(Manufacturer's Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Applied Robotics, a global end-of-arm tooling supplier, offers a customizable suite of products including servo and pneumatic grippers, microplate handling fingers, microplate hotels, tool changers, and collision sensors for the life sciences...

New vacuum and pressure products catalog.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... The BOC Edwards 2005 vacuum and pressure products catalog is now available. It's by far one of the most comprehensive catalogs in the industry, complete with technical data, product dimensions, and market and application information! To receive...

New General Catalog from The Baker Co.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... The Baker Co. has published a new hardcover General Catalog offering detailed information on the company's complete line of containment technologies for pharmaceutical, biotech, clinical, industrial, and environmental applications. The catalog...

AC Power distribution & control systems.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Piulizzi Engineering, Inc. offers AU power distribution and control systems for mainframe computer systems. Product is rack-mounted and provides: circuit breaker protection, EMI and RFI filtering, spike/ surge protection, remote power on/off,...

CD Catalog of Metals & Materials.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... The new Goodfellow 2004-2005 CD Catalog of Metals and Materials contains over 48,000 items, including a comprehensive selection of pure metals, alloys, polymers, ceramics, and composites in a wide range of forms and sizes. The new CD also...

Supelco's new Ascentis[TM] HPLC columns.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... The Ascentis family of HPLC columns is the fourth and newest generation of HPLC columns from Supelco. Our scientists have combined proprietary advances in bonding chemistry, a unique revolutionary approach to endcapping, and ultra high purity...

Optical radiation measurement products and services guide.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... A four page, full color brochure outlines the extensive range of products and services offered by SphereOptics-Hoffman, including integrating spheres, luminance/radiance sources, laser, LED, and lamp measurement systems. The brochure also gives...

Floyd Bell launches revolutionary piezo alarm.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Floyd Bell's new Turbo series alarms are twice as loud and half the size of industry counterparts. A revolutionary rear mount, push-on, quick-lock attachment ring creates a tamper-proof alarm that assembles five times faster than threaded...

General Ruby--Since 1853!(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... We offer service, quality, and competitive pricing. We specialize in oft-the-shelf delivery for sapphire windows and substrates, ruby and sapphire balls, and jewel bearings and orifices. Custom orders normally run three days to five weeks per...

Measure surface contact pressure.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Pressurex[R] pressure indicating sensor film quickly, accurately, and inexpensively measures pressure distribution and magnitude between any two contacting or impacting surfaces. Common applications include bolted joints/gasketed interfaces,...

Tubing, hose, and fittings.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Plastic and rubber tubing and hose are highlighted in NewAge[R] Industries' latest catalog. Materials include PVC, TPR, silicone, polyurethane, PTFE, FEE PFA, polyethylene, polypropylene, Viton[R], more. Fittings and clamps in plastic and metal...

New Super-Size ergonomic tile.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... ErgoDeck[TM] is Wearwell[R]s' new "Super-Size" ergonomic tile. These 18" x 18" professional-grade tiles are incredibly substantial. Designed with an optimal durometer to prevent worker fatigue, ErgoDeckTM will also withstand heavy use and cart...

2005 NI measurement and automation catalog.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... The National Instruments catalog is the leading virtual instrumentation resource for engineers and scientists seeking the most productive customer-defined software and hardware tools. You will find everything you need from new product...

Laser beam safety (Interlock) shutter (SH-10 & SH-20).(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... - Integrated return spring returns to "OFF" position with a power failure - 0.5" (13 mm) & 1" (25 mm) aperture - High reliability, long life, low cost - Standard or custom blade - 5 V, 12 V, or 24 V DC operation - Simple...

Highest sensitivity headspace analyzer.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... The Entech Model 7500 introduces large headspace volumes into a GCMS for high-sensitivity analysis of outgassing volatile chemicals. The 470mL vials accommodate larger samples than other headspace autosamplers, providing better statistical...

Electrical/optic seals.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Standard and custom hermetic designs. Low or high pressures or vacuums. Any cable type or pin connector may be specified. Circular or rectangular seals including micro D-sub. Design flexibility, low cost, compact sizes, high corrosion...

VAT, Inc. product line brochure.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... VAT's product line brochure profiles the most extensive line of vacuum valves manufactured today. VAT offers 1,000+ standard valves for a wide variety of applications. VAT combines innovation, state-of-the-art manufacturing, quality process...

Discover the definitive source for all your research needs.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... The new Roche Applied Science 2005 Instruments and Biochemicals Catalog details our vast product line that includes instrumentation and reagents for various applications: genomics and proteomics, molecular biology, gene expression and...

Visit Del-Tron Precision online!(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Website offers complete product specs for linear bearings, ball and crossed roller slides, multi-axis positioners, lead screw driven positioning tables, downloadable 2-D/3-D CAD drawings, and life and moment load calculators. Visit...

High performance plastic connectors.(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... Fischer Connector's 4032 Series miniature plastic connector is available with up to 19 gold-plated contacts in a 0.5" diameter housing. The patented SureGrip plug body can be securely gripped, even with wet hands or gloves. This competitively...

Fall 2004 Reid Tool Supply catalog now available--free!(Product/Literature Showcase)(Advertisement)
December 1, 2004... The new catalog contains over 45,000 industrial tooling components with over one thousand new items added. The new products include an initial offering of industrial switches, stainless steel drawer slides, rare earth magnets, an expanded line...