IIE Solutions articles from March 2001

IIE Solutions archives from March 2001

Poetic engineering.(poetry contest for industrial engineers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... In January, I invited readers to take a momentary detour from their careers as industrial engineers and imagine themselves poets ("Haiku, do you?"). The response to our inaugural haiku contest was inspiring: Not only did many IEs enter, but the...

Letters to the Editor.
March 1, 2001... Optimal article Dave Piasecki's article "Optimizing economic order quantity" (January) was a good one. I have used the techniques he espouses for some years. I found that the curve is flatter at the "sweet spot" than most people realize....

NAS study enflames ergo rules debate.(National Academy of Sciences)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Both opponents and supporters of new federal workplace ergonomics rules claim the results of a long-awaited study by the National Academy of Sciences reinforces their position. The study, which was two years in the making, found that while some...

No noise is good noise.(work environment)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Low-level noise in open-style offices results in higher levels of stress and lower task motivation, according to a study by a Cornell University environmental psychologist. And, surprisingly workers in these mildly noisy offices make fewer...

Anderson honored for sustainable development.(industrial engineer Ray C. Anderson)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Ray C. Anderson, an industrial engineer who declared war on waste at the world's largest commercial carpet company, was honored with the 2001 George and Cynthia Mitchell International Prize for Sustainable Development. Anderson, the founder and...

Determining the savings of reduced cycle time.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... When John Deere Horicon Works completed a manufacturing cycle-time reduction project with supplier Danfoss Fluid Power, cycle time had been reduced more than 50 percent. But how much money was saved? University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate...

NEWSMAKERS.(industrial engineers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... * Robert M. Littauer joined PlyMedia Inc. as vice president, chief financial officer. Previously, Littauer held the same position at Avenue A Inc. He has more than 20 years' financial experience in technology and health care industries. He...

Computational grid enables remote software access.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... A computational grid in which individual users no longer have to purchase software but are able to run programs remotely across the Internet is under development at Purdue University. The system is called the Purdue University Network...

OR model could reduce death rate among dialysis patients.(operation research model)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... An operations research model for centers that treat kidney dialysis patients could reduce America's high mortality rate for people with the disease while containing budget costs, according to a study published in Management Science, a journal...

Lockheed Martin engineers get an education.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Lockheed Martin and Cornell University's College of Engineering have established a partnership to provide specialized graduate education specifically for Lockheed Martin employees. The arrangement is part of Lockheed Martin's Engineering...

Faster and cheaper products that are better.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... There is growing recognition in industry that poor requirements definition is a big problem. The book Customer-Centered Products shows readers how to eliminate the waste of time, money, and effort that result from poor product development by...

Ireland faces engineer shortage.
March 1, 2001... Engineering jobs in ireland are booming, according to The Irish Times, but a shortage of engineers could have a negative impact on the country's economic growth. The profession's representative body, the Institution of Engineers in Ireland...

Curbing high-tech trash.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... An industrial engineer has developed a computer model to help recyclers more economically process raw materials from the millions of computers and other electronic trash dumped into the waste stream every year. Recycling electronic...

Find it in a flash.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... A very short list of worthwhile URLs is presented this month because when it comes to search engines, one great site is more valuable than a dozen pretty-good ones. * The editorial staff of IIE Solutions relies on Google...

Spherical motor could enhance robots.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Engineers at Johns Hopkins University have invented a globe-shaped motor that is capable of rotating in any direction. The device, which uses electromagnets controlled by a computer, could give robotic arms greater flexibility and precision and...

Battelle and R&D Magazine.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Research and development expenditures in the United States are expected to increase about 5 percent to $277 billion in 2001, according to a forecast by Battelle and R&D Magazine. The increase will be largely driven by industrial support, which...

Lewis N. Payton of Auburn University.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Doctoral candidate Lewis N. Payton of Auburn University, Ala., was awarded a research grant of $8,275 by the American Society of Safety Engineers. Payton is investigating ways to reduce ergonomic and traumatic injuries to workers involved in...

Parkinson's disease.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... A research team led by neurologist Brad A. Racette, M.D., has identified the first clue that welding might trigger the early onset of Parkinson's disease. The study was featured in the January issue of the journal Neurology.

U.S. engineering institutions.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2001... U.S. engineering institutions produced 62,721 graduates in 2000, almost two percent more than in 1999. The number of women engineering graduates increased nearly 7 percent from 1999; minority student graduates increased less than one percent,...

Vienna University of Technology.(award to Felix Breitenecker)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Felix Breitenecker of the Vienna University of Technology received the 2000 INFORMS College on Simulation Distinguished Service Award. Breitenecker was involved in founding the Federation of European Simulation Societies and is editor-in-chief...

The ToyTech Project.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Middle-schoolers, college undergrads, and teachers met at Smith College, Northampton, Mass., in January to dream up new toys. The ToyTech Project brought together some 80 participants for a day of intensive, highly directed brainstorming, from...

General Motors to fund $3 million work systems lab at Stanford.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... General Motors will fund a $3 million research lab in the School of Engineering at Stanford University for three years to study work systems. "People go to work every day and use their know-how, information, and tools to produce products...

Grants fund 'cobot' and optimization research.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Grants from the National Science Foundation totaling nearly $1 million will aid two Northwestern University research teams, one that is designing robots to assist humans in heavy materials handling and another that is developing technology to...

Endowment to fund ethics education.(Harry and Sue Bovay Professorships in the History of Ethics and Professional Engineering at Cornell and Texas A&M)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Gifts by Harry E. Bovay Jr. and his wife, Sue, to Cornell University and Texas A&M University will assist in funding a Harry and Sue Bovay Professorship in the History of Ethics and Professional Engineering at each university. Prior endowments...

Don't overcomplicate quality.(team problem-solving)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... In his book Built to Last, author Jim Collins outlines a trait of Western culture that he calls "the tyranny of the or." He is referring to our penchant for polarizing on any issue -- avoiding the uncertainty of the middle gray for the...

Loopholes to drive a truck through.(OSHA ergonomics standard)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Finally, I got my copy of the OSHA ergonomics standard so I could review the document in detail. Why does anyone in business care whether the standard becomes enforceable law or not? It is a thin, watered-down, toothless, reactive document...

A powerful Story.(Susan Story, executive vice president of engineering and generation services at Southern Co.)
March 1, 2001... Susan Story has more power than a meter reader could possibly measure -- not because she has just become the executive vice president of engineering and generation services at Southern Co., but because she is able to uphold her commitment to...

A Healthy Change.
March 1, 2001... It's time for the health care industry to recognize e-commerce as more Than a novelty The health care industry is vital to the economic productivity of any industrialized nation. The health car industry currently accounts for more than 10...

Collaborating on the supply chain.
March 1, 2001... A Q&A primer on collaborative planning forecasting and replenishment that illustrates the power of shared information Question: What is collaborative planning forecasting and replenishment? A: CPFR started as an information...

There's no business like e-business.(manufacturers)
March 1, 2001... And for manufacturers, there's no time like the present Most business people would agree that e-business is the next evolutionary step for conducting business. And most would also agree that e-business will fundamentally change many...

A note from the president.(Institute of Industrial Engineers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... By Jane M. Algee, RE. IIE President, 2000-01 Lean lessons Are you lean? In Six Sigma control? Staying ahead of the pack? It was my pleasure to address a chapter of the National Management Association in January These folks...

Prominent members pass on.(Obituary)
March 1, 2001... A number of prominent IIE members passed on recently. Don Barnes was one of the founders of H.B. Maynard and Co. and a pioneer of methods time measurement. "[He] was very well connected, very well-respected," said Cory Jines, director of...

Better relationship management.(VendorSite 3.0 from Eventra, supplier relationship management)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... VendorSite 3.0 is the most recent version of Eventra's Internet-based, supplier relationship management solution. New features include tools that allow users to speed the design and delivery of configured systems; the use of Mercator and...

Versatile scissor lifts.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... JLG Industries' Large Electric Series scissor lifts have non-marking tires and zero emissions for indoor use. They feature standard automatic traction control, oscillating axles, and all-terrain treads for outdoor use. The lifts' batteries can...

A series of switches.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Sentrol Industrial's 301BT and 391 BT non-contact safety interlock switches can be used with the company's INT safety monitor relays or on monitored circuits in low-voltage applications. Both are magnetically actuated and feature stainless...

Lift table-pallet truck combo.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... The Thork-Lift is a high-lift pallet truck that allows the operator to pick up a unit load, transport it to the workplace, and lift it to the most convenient height. The truck has a lifting height of 31.5 inches and can carry 2,200 pounds....

Ergonomic lifting and lifting.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... The Portable Bin Tilter features heavy-duty components, hydraulics with the PentaFlow cylinder, a hydraulic velocity fuse, chrome pins with maintenance-free bearings, a self-contained battery and charger, and a three-position control. The Bin...

Combined automation.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... The Universal Workstation from Remstar Systems combines automated storage and retrieval technologies such as horizontal carousels, vertical carousels, vertical lift modules, and manual systems such as pick-to-light flow racks. The type and mix...

Vertical lifting.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... The MegaLift vertical lift module is an enclosed system of vertically arranged trays, an ergonomically designed extraction platform, and computerized controls. Its Flexispace feature allows random storage of products; the module can be...

Netica: a useful tool.
March 1, 2001... Netica is a software package for the analysis of belief networks and influence diagrams in a Windows or Macintosh computing environment. This review refers to the Educational/Personal version of Netica 2.05. The main benefits of the software...

Spying isn't always a good thing.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Turns out that spying on employees doesn't make them more productive. In fact, a Purdue University expert on workplace surveillance says that electronically monitoring work may be counter-productive. "Most companies institute employee...

Taking science textbooks to task.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2001... Is it any wonder that American kids aren't noted for their science prowess? A new examination of some of the widely used middle-school physical science textbooks has found texts that incorrectly state Newton's first law of motion and show the...