R & D articles from October 2007

R & D archives from October 2007

Energy days.(EDITORIAL)
October 1, 2007... Through 2006, energy research at the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) languished. It actually decreased each year from 1992 to 1997, and again from 2004 to 2006, ending at levels seen seven years earlier (1999). The turnaround started in 2006 with...

World's best R&D companies: R&D's readers select their favorite companies based on the R&D performance, reputation, growth, and service of these technology leaders to the community.(Cover story)
October 1, 2007... Corporate research and development has become a global opera research operation with most large, and even small, companies maintaining and building R&D operations in far-flung offices. U.S.-based IBM, for example, is now said to have more...

Improving bridge performance with finite element analysis: finite element analysis enables better bridge performance from the ground up.(SOFTWARE)
October 1, 2007... Historically, most large bridges are "overdesigned" with substantial margins of safety built in to compensate for unknown forces that could affect their integrity over time. For the reliability, maintenance, and economic viability of the...

IDL release 6.4 announced by ITT Visual Information Solutions.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... ITT Visual Information Solutions announces the release of IDL 6.4 software. With the new IDL 6.4, users can receive data from remote servers and write data files to a disk at a remote location using the most common protocols, such as HI-FP and...

PIPE-FLO Compressible 2007 upgrade available.(Tools of the Trade)
October 1, 2007... Engineered Software, Inc. announces the release of PIPE-FLO Compressible 2007 software, an upgrade to the desktop application for designing and simulating the operation of steam and gas piping systems. PIPE-FLO Compressible 2007 integrates the...

ArcGIS 9.2 extension available free.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Applied Science Associates, Inc. (ASA) announces the next releases of its extension tool for ESRI's ArcGIS industry standard GIS software. ASA's TimeSlider Extension for ArcGIS 9.2 provides improved functionality to...

$eeing green: two leaders in separation science are developing technologies that will save big pharma time and money. The environment should benefit, too.(ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTS)
October 1, 2007... Large-volume chromatography is poised for change. Prevailing methods are causing unwanted side effects and forcing both small contract laboratories and large pharmaceutical companies to look at new ways to run separation routines safely and...

Nitrogen detector for UV-fluorescence petroleum analyzer.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nitrogen analysis has been made possible with the chemiluminescence nitrogen detector, used with a UV-fluorescence analyzer. Suited for high throughput needs, the detector features a 42-position autosampler to...

Mass comparators have fully automated weighing procedures.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Mettler Toledo's new a107 and AX107H mass comparators have fully automated weighing procedures to ensure the fastest handling and productivity. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The robotic a107 comparator and the automated AX107H comparator...

High-temperature GPC system from Viscotek.(Tools of the Trade)( Model 350 HTGPC )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Viscotek's Model 350 HTGPC is a high-temperature GPC system that represents a breakthrough in characterization technology. Applications include characterization of natural and synthetic polymers, copolymers, and proteins. Designed in a modular...

Multiple biodiesel samples at 100 scans/sec.(Tools of the Trade)(MultiComponent 2750 EP-NIR )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The MultiComponent 2750 EP-NIR analyzer monitors methanol, water, and total glycerin in biodiesel; measures water content in ethanol; determines biodiesel blends; and analyzes ethanol/gasoline blends. The highly...

The importance of load in maintaining seal: low compressive loads present challenges for gasket seals, but newly designed gaskets can solve these problems.(LABORATORY EQUIPMENT/DESIGN)
October 1, 2007... Many factors affect the performance of the ubiquitous gaskets that provide critical seals between pipe segments and ensure satisfactory operation of a broad range of industrial equipment. But no factor is more important than compressive load....

High resolution force transducers.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Harvard Apparatus F-Series isometric force transducers approach the ideal for measurement of force in small contractile tissues. The F30 and F10 are based on the magneto-resistive field plate principle. Their low seismic activity minimizes...

Modular generator.(Tools of the Trade)(491M/B/SD Modular Gas Standards Generator )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The 491M/B/SD Modular Gas Standards Generator blends VOC/TOC gas standards with ppb and ppt analyte concentrations. Two modules provide two sequential stages of dilution. Trace Source permeation tubes are now available for 500 analyte...

High efficiency L[N.sub.2] lab dewars.(Tools of the Trade)(TLN Series)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Technifab TLN Series liquid nitrogen dewars are designed to safely and conveniently transport and store liquid nitrogen in your laboratory or workplace. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The low evaporation rate results in reduced operating costs...

One click titration: a new line of automatic titrators makes titration as simple as pushing a button.(LABORATORY EQUIPMENT/DESIGN)(Titration Excellence )
October 1, 2007... Titration Excellence is a new line of automatic titrators from Mettler-Toledo, Columbus, Ohio, for general titration purposes, featuring advances in simplicity, modularity, security, and efficiency. The Titration Excellence AutomaticTitrators...

Click it, hang it, and forget it.(Tools of the Trade)(SmartPipe )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... SmartPipe is a new modular, aluminum compressed air distribution system. Made from smooth, calibrated aluminum with a low friction coefficient, SmartPipe will not rust or corrode. Full bore fittings minimize pressure drop, and leak-free...

Valves offer reliable performance.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Key High Vacuum Products, Inc.'s ISO-MF quarter swing butterfly valves offer reliable performance, are versatile, and are economic. The valves have a new compact straight-through design to maximize available pumping...

Environmental isolation system.(Tools of the Trade)(Isochamber)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Ambios now offers an environmental chamber for isolating high resolution metrology instrumentation from building vibrations, interior acoustic noise, and thermally induced drift. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new Isochamber provides 30 dB...

Going with the grain: market demands are giving impetus to a broad palette of applications for UNCD films.(Process Technology)(ultra-nanocrystalline diamond)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Advances in materials deposition processes have given rise to a hierarchy of carbon films ranging from diamond-like carbon (DLC) to vapor-deposited diamond coatings. The best performer, in theory, is the purest form of diamond film possible,...

Nanowire generates power by harvesting energy from the environment.(Process Technology)
October 1, 2007... As the sizes of sensor networks and mobile devices shrink toward the microscale and even nanoscale, there is a growing need for suitable power sources. Because even the tiniest battery is too big to be used in nanoscale devices, scientists are...

Nanofabrication method paves the way for new optical devices.(Process Technology)
October 1, 2007... An innovative and inexpensive way of making nanomaterials on a large scale has resulted in novel forms of advanced materials that pave the way for exceptional and unexpected optical properties. The new fabrication technique, known as soft...

Using nanotechnology to fight E. coli.(Bionanotechnology)(Escherichia coli)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can kill bacteria like the common pathogen E. coli by severely damaging their cell walls, according to a recent report from researchers at Yale Univ., New Haven, Conn. Using the simple E. coli as test...

Thumb-size microsystem enables cell culture and incubation.(Bionanotechnology)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Integrating silicon microchip technology with a network of tiny fluid channels, researchers at The Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, Md., have developed a thumb-size micro-incubator to culture living cells for lab tests. The researchers...

Penn engineers design electronic computer memory in nanoscale form that retrieves data.(Nanotechnology)
October 1, 2007... Scientists from the Univ. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, have developed nanowires capable of storing computer data for 100,000 years and retrieving that data a thousand times faster than existing portable memory devices such as Flash memory and...

Researchers develop nanoblade.(Nanotechnology)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y., have created a razor-like material called a nanoblade. These first-of-their-kind magnesium nanomaterials challenge conventional wisdom about nanostructure growth. To create the...

Nanomaterials to treat disease.(Nanotechnology)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Using nanotechnology, engineering researchers at the Univ. of Missouri-Columbia have developed a small but powerful device capable of enhancing the delivery of drugs to treat life-threatening illnesses. By incorporating microchip-based...

MEMS is key to addressing numerous markets.(INDUSTRY REPORT)(Microelectromechanical systems)
October 1, 2007... The increasing need to observe and control our environment and the instruments we use in our daily lives are currently the most important trends influencing the MEMS market. This trend will undoubtedly lead to more sensors in cars and...

A biased view of the nanoworld: electromechanical imaging by SPM: piezoresponse force microscopy has matured as a technique for probing electromechanical coupling.(MICROSCOPY/IMAGE ANALYSIS)(scanning probe microscopy)
October 1, 2007... Coupling between electrical and mechanical is one of the fundamental natural mechanisms manifested in materials and systems ranging from ferroelectrics and multiferroics to electroactive polymers and biological systems. Electromechanics refers...

Ultrafast Confocal Raman Imaging Option.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... WITec introduces the "Ultrafast Raman Imaging Option" for the alpha300 R Confocal Raman Microscope. With this option the acquisition time for a single Raman spectrum can be as low as 1.7 ms. As a Confocal Raman image typically consists of tens...

Breakthrough in digital video-microscope systems.(Tools of the Trade)(Hirox 3-D )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The Hirox 3-D digital microscope and video microscope systems offer an inspection power of 7,000x along with a variety of options and adapters, including the 3-D rotary head adapter. The 3-D rotary head adapter performs 360[degrees]...

New capabilities may pave the way to greater atomic resolution imaging.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The HF-3300 microscope, from Hitachi High Technologies America, Inc., is a powerful analytical tool with high electron beam coherence. The high brightness cold field emission electron source and 300 kV accelerating voltage are combined to...

New high sensitivity, cyber-enabled FT-NMR.(Tools of the Trade)(fourier transform, nuclear magnetic spectrometers)( ECS series )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... JEOL has unveiled the ECS series of nuclear magnetic spectrometers (NMS), featuring the new Jastec 400 MHz Super Self-Shielded SCM superconducting magnet, which greatly reduces stray fields. The fully-digital ECS console and a flexible, compact...

Riding the waveguide: a planned approach to photonics design is accelerating network development.(PHOTONICS/OPTICS)
October 1, 2007... Long hailed as the key to unlimited bandwidth, fiber optics has taken some heat for a perceived inability to keep up with demand. Fiber can cost as much as $50,000 per mile, and the explosion in usage has made keeping up a chore. To avoid steep...

Next generation MQO.(Tools of the Trade)(miniature q-switched oscillator)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The next generation MQO (miniature q-switched oscillator) has been released by Arctic Photonics and offered by RPMC Lasers Inc. The laser head and diode are now packaged together in a high heat load diode package. MQOs are ultra-compact,...

New fiber optic laser interferometer encoder.(Tools of the Trade)(RLE20)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... RLE20 fiber optic laser interferometer encoder from Renishaw provides picometer resolution, differential measurement, and ppb laser frequency stability. Key to this transformation is the use of fiber optics to deliver the laser light...

New tactile switch has LED illumination in a right angle design.(Tools of the Trade)(light emitting diode)(TL1260 Right Angle Illuminated)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new TL1260 Right Angle Illuminated tact switch from E-Switch has a contact rating of 50 mA @ 12VDC. The TL1260 comes in multiple LED colors and has a life expectancy of 50,000 cycles. * E-Switch,...

Modulated laser systems.(Tools of the Trade)(WhisperIT)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Pavilion Integration Corp. has added modulated versions to its WhisperIT product line. WhisperIT modulated versions are available in wavelengths from the ultraviolet (370 nm) through the visible and into the near-infrared (1064 nm). They are...

The expanding environment of USB data acquisition: the Universal Serial Bus has become the standard connection specification for most current electronic products, with FireWire and wireless still real competitors.(TEST, MEASUREMENT & ANALYSIS)
October 1, 2007... Designed more than 10 years ago as a common interface for personal computers, the Universal Serial Bus (USB) has become the de facto standard for many consumer electronics devices (except for Apple components, which use the FireWire version of...

Interposers enable use of lead-free BGA devices.(Tools of the Trade)(ball grid array)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New BGA Interposers from Advanced Interconnections are a cost-effective method for converting lead-free BGA device packages for use on boards processed with lower temperature tin/lead solder profiles. Designed for...

Sakor unveils MicroDyne series of small motoring dynamometers.(Tools of the Trade)(Sakor Technologies, Inc.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Sakor Technologies, Inc. introduces the MicroDyne series of small motoring dynamometers. Ideal for s wide range of automotive, military, and aerospace testing applications, this innovation is capable of testing all types of small rotary devices...

Trenton Technology introduces new PICMG 1.3 products.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Trenton Technology announces the addition of five more SHB Express or PICMG 1.3 back, planes to its growing portfolio of PCI Express-enabled embedded computing products. Trenton's PICMG 1.3 back-planes blend the need to support the latest PCI...

Clock, sync, and gate distribution board synchronizes with zero risk.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Pentek, Inc. released its model 6890, a 2.2 GHz clock, synch, and gate distribution board for synchronizing multiple Pentek I/O modules. The Model 6890 facilitates sampling and timing for a wide range of multichannel, high-speed...

New non-contacting rotary position sensor.(Tools of the Trade)(RSC 2800)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Novotechnik introduces the RSC 2800 series of non-contacting rotary sensors. Measurement angle is determined by detecting variation in the orientation of a magnetic field due to a magnet attached to the shaft. Custom circuitry performs field...