Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from April 2004

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from April 2004

Outsourcing.(editorial)
April 1, 2004... If you live in the United States, and have a pulse on things, you can't help but wonder if your company is plotting to take your job away from you and ship it overseas, where popular assumption has it that it's done cheaper, better, and heck,...

Hydrogen and gasoline.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... To the Editor: In his letter in the June 2003 issue, Al Reisz makes the valid point that fossil fuel reserves are limited. But then he continues with a theme of questionable validity. He states, "Burning hydrogen fuel emits zero pollutants,"...

Employment realities.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... To the Editor: I read in the July News and Notes that salaries are holding steady and only 126 of 6,271 reported losing their jobs. The data presented has a credibility gap. I have a hard time finding anyone actually doing engineering who...

War and prosperity.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... To the Editor: Robert Leibensperger's "The Conquest of Friction" (November 2003) is a fine article. I enjoyed its wide-ranging scope. However, I felt that Mr. Leibensperger ranged too far in the last three paragraphs, into the realm of...

Pedals vs. fuel cells.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... To the Editor: Congratulations to Frank Kreith and R.E. West for their story, "Gauging Efficiency, Well to Wheel" in Mechanical Engineering Power, June 2003. They put a great deal of engineering and economic truth into some well-presented...

Silver strands among the copper.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... To the Editor: In the June 2003 issue, Quentin Hilpert inquired whether anyone had heard of the use of silver for generator windings during wartime. I worked for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. in electric substation construction in the 1960s. Back...

'In fair Verona, where we lay our scene ...'.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... To the Editor: As much as I enjoy reading the magazine, I found it very surprising to read about the La Fenice theater and the Arena di Verona supposedly being in Milan (Computing, February). La Fenice is in Venice (ever heard of it?), and...

Like watt or newton.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... To the Editor: I very much enjoyed the article "To Stand and Protect" by Thomas C. Gruber Jr. in February. What impressed me the most is that you allowed the International System of Units without a hint of U.S. Customary Units. Thank you for...

Wind out of the sails.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... To the Editor: I was shocked by the reader response to the December Question of the Month (News & Notes, January). Sixty-one percent thought solar and wind could greatly reduce dependence on oil imports. On the scale of energy consumption,...

Managing well.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2004... To the Editor: I just read the first issue of Engineering Management (March) and could not be more pleased. As a graduate student in the University of Minnesota's Center for Development of Technological Leadership Management of Technology...

Teething on brick.(news & notes)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Do-it-yourselfers are getting the option of a new construction fastener from New Rochelle, N.Y.-based Powers Fasteners Inc. The Powers Wall Dog bites into any base material, the maker said: wallboard, concrete, hollow block, grout-filled block,...

Aids for the elderly.(news & notes)
April 1, 2004... French companies, taking advantage of recent advances in technology, are getting into the business of offering robotic aids for the elderly and handicapped, according to a French research and development commission. The aids use...

Ford, Toyota swap license agreements.(news & notes)
April 1, 2004... As the Ford Motor Co. moves ahead with its hybrid gasoline-electric Escape compact sport utility vehicle, it has signed licenses for about 20 patents held by Toyota Motor Corp. Toyota holds approximately 350 patents related to its hybrid...

Only on M.E. magazine online.(news & notes)
April 1, 2004... Responses to the March Question of the Month: Do engineers need more management training in "soft," or "people" skills? Yes, and ASME should offer a management certificate program. 35% Yes. 47% No, we're...

Is there a doctor in the house?(news & notes)(science, engineering doctoral degrees)
April 1, 2004... The number of science and engineering doctoral degrees awarded in the United States declined again in 2002, according to new data from the National Science Foundation. In 2001, slightly more than 25,500 science and engineering doctorates...

Crane Co. of Stamford, Conn., purchased P.L Porter Co., of Woodland Hills, Calif.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Crane Co. of Stamford, Conn., purchased P.L Porter Co., of Woodland Hills, Calif., a manufacturer of motion-control products for airline seating.

Cummins Westport Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Cummins Westport Inc. reports that it has received orders from two different cities in China for its natural gas engines. The transit fleets in the cities have ordered a total of 40 B series low-emissions natural gas engines. The order is for a...

CEI.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... CEI of Apex, N.C., has added support for the Macintosh OS X platform to its EnSight, EnSight Gold, EnLiten, EnVideo, and EnVe visualization software products.

Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in St. Louis selected Pratt & Whitney of East Hartford, Conn., as the baseline engine source.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Boeing Integrated Defense Systems in St. Louis selected Pratt & Whitney of East Hartford, Conn., as the baseline engine source for the 767 global tanker transport aircraft programs, making the PW4062 the standard production engine for future...

Detroit-based Modern Engineering Inc., a supplier of design, engineering, and supply chain services to engineering companies in North America, acquired Efficient Engineering Co. Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Detroit-based Modern Engineering Inc., a supplier of design, engineering, and supply chain services to engineering companies in North America, acquired Efficient Engineering Co. Inc., a tool design and engineering services company in Troy,...

Cooper Cameron Corp. of Houston, a manufacturer of oil and gas pressure control equipment, acquired Petreco International.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Cooper Cameron Corp. of Houston, a manufacturer of oil and gas pressure control equipment, acquired Petreco International, a Houston-based supplier of oil and gas separation products.

Emerson Power Transmission Corp.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Power transmission engineers wishing to add to, or refresh, their knowledge of belts, chains, gears, bearings, and couplings can register for interactive training available online from Emerson Power Transmission Corp. of Ithaca, N.Y. The...

Concept model.(computing)(The Roomster)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... A MODEL DOESN'T JUST WAKE up beautiful. The same is true for a model car. Last September, Skoda Auto of Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Republic unveiled a concept car, the Roomster, which the automaker's engineers said they'd developed in...

Cluster approach to complexity.(computing)(complex fluids)(geometric cluster algorithm)
April 1, 2004... RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN say they've developed a geometric cluster algorithm that allows researchers to simulate complex fluids. The method will help to give researchers a better understanding of liquid...

Down with dust mites.(computing)
April 1, 2004... DUST MITES CAN RUN, but a new computer modeling technique aims to ensure that they can't hide. The computer model demonstrates for homeowners how modifying their domestic environment can reduce the number of dust mites in beds, carpets,...

Password protected plus.(computing)
April 1, 2004... PASSWORD PROTECTION isn't good enough, says one Stanford University professor, who calls for a better method of protecting sensitive data stored within computer networks. When you type in your password to access a protected Web site, you...

Analysis for rugged engines and parts.(computing)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... RACE CAR ENGINES HAVE to be tough. With that in mind, an English automobile engine maker has stepped up its technology to include an application that helps engineers design more durable and rugged engines and engine components. Cosworth...

Photos from Mars.(computing)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... IF YOU'VE APPRECIATED the recent images of Mars sent back from the Mars exploration rovers Spirit and Opportunity, you might want to thank the onboard cameras. All on their own, the cameras have been snapping away like a Niagara Falls...

Ammunition center upgrades for safety.(computing)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... A U.S. ARMY AMMUNITION DEPOT is seeking a safer way to carry out its mission through the use of an upgraded computer-aided design system. The Army's Defense Ammunition Center in McAlester, Okla., stores and supplies the loads for the U.S....

Fluent Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Fluent Inc. of Lebanon, N.H., a maker of computational fluid dynamics software, has released Fluent 6.1.

Coade Inc. of Houston has released CADWorx 2004, an upgrade to its plant design software.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Coade Inc. of Houston has released CADWorx 2004, an upgrade to its plant design software. The upgraded application is compatible with AutoCAD 2004 from Autodesk of San Rafael, Calif.

Ansys.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Ansys of Canonsburg, Pa., has launched Ansys 6.0, a software suite for various engineering simulations and analyses.

MTS Systems Corp.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... MTS Systems Corp. of Eden Prairie, Minn., will introduced CAE Calibrate for Nastran in the second quarter of 2004.

EDS.(Briefly Noted)(ELECTRONIC DATA SYSTM CORP.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... EDS of Plano, Texas, has released Parasolid version 15.0, an upgrade to its geometric modeling component software. The upgrade includes new modeling and editing capabilities.

Informatix Software International Ltd.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Version 8.0 of MicroGDS, the 2-D and 3-D CAD system from Informatix Software International Ltd. of Cambridge, England, is now available.

Nika Fluid Solutions of Colfax, Calif., has released EFD version 5.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Nika Fluid Solutions of Colfax, Calif., has released EFD version 5, which is an integration application that works between Catia version 5 from Dassault Systemes of Paris, and the EFD fluid-flow and heat-transfer analysis technology from Nika...

Synergis Technologies Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Synergis Technologies Inc. of Quakertown, Pa., has reorganized to establish three distinct divisions: design and engineering solutions, software, and educational solutions.

Stratasys.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Rapid prototyping system maker Stratasys of Minneapolis has developed a polycarbonate modeling material for food-, pharmaceutical-, and medical-equipment modeling. The material is for use in rapid prototyping applications and for creating...

AMD.(Briefly Noted)(Advanced Micro Solutions Inc.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Microprocessor and system-on-a-chip maker AMD of Sunnyvale, Calif., has expanded its AMD Opteron line of processors, which features low- and mid-power products.

IBM of Armonk, N.Y., and MSC.Software of Santa Ana., Calif., have formed an alliance to provide automotive, aerospace, and defense manufacturers with product development applications.(Briefly Noted)(MacNeal-Schwendler Corp.)(International Business Machines A/S)
April 1, 2004... IBM of Armonk, N.Y., and MSC.Software of Santa Ana., Calif., have formed an alliance to provide automotive, aerospace, and defense manufacturers with product development applications. Services include virtual product development software,...

Informative Graphics Corp.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Informative Graphics Corp. of Phoenix has released Brava! Reader 2.0, which includes TIFF viewing and printing capabilities for the Windows desktop.

Too small to see, too big to ignore.(nanotechnology)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
April 1, 2004... After decades of toiling in back rooms of R&D centers--much like albino rats awaiting their fate inside basement labs of psychology departments--nanotechnology emerged publicly a few years ago. A former associate editor quipped about...

Ball-and-stick method.(models of common molecules)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
April 1, 2004... Most of us probably remember them from elementary school: ball-and-stick models of common molecules. The models promised more than chemists could deliver. After all, a child given enough sticks and red, black, and white balls could quickly...

Nanocaster.(Nano Bits)(musical instruments)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... What can you do with a guitar that's the size of a single blood cell? Jam. That's the word from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., where the 40-micrometer long guitar was fabricated in November 2003. Lidija Sekaric, now a researcher...

Silicon metal.(Nano Bits, research)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Chemistry used to be easy. Iron and cobalt were metals; oxygen and carbon were not. But when researchers start measuring material at the atomic level, all bets are off. The latest finding blurring the distinctions is that at the extremes in...

Flat lens.( flat lens crystal developed )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Researchers at Northeastern University in Boston have developed a flat lens crystal capable of producing a real image. The team, led by physicist Srinivas Sridhar, based their work on recent discoveries of material that can bend light...

Small print: to make more powerful computer chips, researchers are developing nanoscale tools.
April 1, 2004... THE CRAY 1 SUPERCOMPUTER WAS A TECHNOLOGICAL marvel in 1976, when it was first sold, and researchers who worked with complex models of the Earth's atmosphere or the dynamics of a nuclear explosion clamored to get access to one. But that...

Scaling the depths: before we can make nanotechnology a reality, we need a better understanding of fundamental properties at the molecular level.
April 1, 2004... IN THE LATE 1950S, THERE WAS REVOLUTION under way. Vacuum tulles, long the mainstays of the electronic era, were on the verge of being rendered obsolete. The transistor, co-invented less than a decade earlier by John Bardeen, could perform all...

Biological fire alarm: one research team has demonstrated that a cantilever device can pick up the addition of a single virus's worth of mass.
April 1, 2004... NEW YORK'S PENN STATION AT RUSH hour is a logistical marvel. But from the point of view of a bioterrorist, it is heaven on earth. Millions of commuters rub shoulders each day in the warren of passageways and platforms. Add one person infected...

Library of CAD symbols.(software exchange)
April 1, 2004... Capability: Two Web sites from the developer offer users CAD add-ons, CAD symbols, and CAD freeware and shareware. FreeCADapps.com offers a large selection of CAD shareware, freeware, and free trial software. Nearly 6,000 downloads are offered....

Mold, die, and mechanical design.(software exchange)
April 1, 2004... Capability: Alibre Design 7.0 is a parametric, solid-modeling CAD program that includes Boolean operations for the design of molds and dies, access to standard Windows file systems for data storage, and the capability to create lighter-style...

Casting technique analysis.(software exchange)
April 1, 2004... Capability: Adstefan analyzes a range of casting techniques like pressure die-casting, sand-mold, shell-mold, investment casting, and Thixomolding. The software application also features modules for die temperature prediction via a cyclic...

Acoustic simulation.(software exchange)
April 1, 2004... Capability: The low-frequency vibro-acoustic simulation software called Rayon 2003 can be used to predict the acoustic performance of manufactured products. The updated release includes two new advanced solvers and integration with I-deas CAD...

Educational sketching program.(software exchange)
April 1, 2004... Capability: The learning tool called Studio Tools Techniques/Exploring Studio Tools examines the integrated sketching and modeling features as well as other design enhancements found in the developer's latest release of its computer-aided...

[H.sub.2] tank testing.(Fluid Handling And Fluid Power)
April 1, 2004... Engineers from Northrop Grumman and NASA are testing a scaled-down composite storage tank for liquid hydrogen at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Such tanks, if successful, could become key reusable elements of NASA's Next...

Coriolis flowmeter demand grows.(Fluid Handling And Fluid Power)
April 1, 2004... The Coriolis flowmeter market continues to grow, despite the economic woes of the past several years, according to a market study from Flow Research of Wakefield, Mass. According to the study, "The World Market for Coriolis Flowmeters,"...

Mop up.(Fluid Handling And Fluid Power)(JLMD Ecologic Group)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... When an oil tanker springs a leak, or sinks, the key to preventing devastating environmental effects is the quick off-loading of the tanker's cargo. JLMD Ecologic Group of Sophia Antipolis, France, has developed what it describes as a...

In-flight refreshment.(Fluid Handling And Fluid Power)(Adams Rite Aerospace Inc. water systems)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Business jets from Bombardier Aerospace and Embraer have received FAA certification for new lavatory water systems from Adams Rite Aerospace Inc. of Fullerton, Calif. According to Adams Rite's regional sales manager, Dan Scandalito, the sys...

In hot water.(Fluid Handling And Fluid Power)
April 1, 2004... A net zero energy house may not be far off. Oak Ridge National Laboratory has three next-generation houses up and running as part of the Department of Energy's Building America Zero Energy Habitat for Humanity project. And it costs a family of...

Taking the measure of an agency.(Washington window)(American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
April 1, 2004... ASME has supported the mission of the National Institute of Standards and Technology since it was founded in 1901, as the National Bureau of Standards. An agency of the Department of Commerce, NIST has a mission to promote U.S. economic...

Retooling CAFE: corporate average fuel economy standards for light trucks are under the high beams.(Feature focus: auto fuel standards)(Corporate Average Fuel Economy )
April 1, 2004... The fuel economy of light trucks may be in for an overhaul. Born of a single act of Congress in the aftermath of the 1974 oil embargo, the corporate average fuel economy program ordered automakers to increase fuel efficiency of the nation's...

Hooked up: taking a page from dating services, buyer and supplier find each other on the Internet.
April 1, 2004... The online garage sale eBay set the tone, by bringing together the Hummel collector with the Hummel nonenthusiast, the buyer nostalgic for a 1955 Barbie game and the seller cleaning her closet. One man's trash is another man's treasure, after...

Engineering with a conscience: volunteers are using low-tech engineering to have a high impact in developing communities.(Cover Story)
April 1, 2004... High impact doesn't have to mean a high-tech solution. Sometimes all it takes to effect a major change for the better is 3,000 feet of PVC pipe, hard work, and enthusiasm. Such was the case in San Pablo, Belize, where a volunteer team of civil...

Calculating coefficients: a century ago, after the first flight: what had the Wrights really proved? Well, for starters, more accurate math.
April 1, 2004... Amid-December dawn near the North Carolina town of Kitty Hawk. Wilbur and Orville Wright haul an ungainly craft from a shed and ready it for another attempt at powered, manned flight. A north wind blowing 20 to 30 mph makes the...

In a mechanism far, far away: the Webb telescope will go almost a million miles out to see how stars were born, so there's only one chance to make it right.
April 1, 2004... NASA has made many successful attempts to expand the envelope of mankind's knowledge of the universe and its origins. In doing so, it has also pushed the envelope of manufacturing. The latest case in point: the James Webb Space Telescope that...

Every bag in place: the Las Vegas airport bets on radio waves.
April 1, 2004... Passengers check more than 60,000 pieces of luggage at McCarran International, the Las Vegas airport, on an average day. Each airline is responsible for its passengers' baggage, and there are optical system; that read the bar codes on luggage...

Position transducers.(new products)
April 1, 2004... CELESCO TRANSDUCER PRODUCTS INC., CHATSWORTH. CALIF. A series of easy-to-install rotary and linear position transducers is designed to accommodate the SAE J1939-based CAN protocol. Suited to vehicles used in the construction, forestry, and...

Digital pressure gauge.(new products)
April 1, 2004... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC., STAMFORD, CONN. The DPG1100 Series is a versatile industrial pressure/vacuum gauge in a NEMA-4X housing suitable for indoor or outdoor use. All DPG1100 models feature a large (1/2 in./13 mm) LCD digital display with...

Integrated test valve assembly.(new products)
April 1, 2004... SWAGELOK CO., SOLON. OHIO. With the Swagelok integrated test valve assembly, you can visually observe condensate removal and monitor steam trap performance wherever steam heating systems and steam traps are used. Monitoring steam trap...

Portable gas analyzer.(new products)
April 1, 2004... E INSTRUMENTS GROUP, LANGHORNE, PA. The Greenline 4000 is a portable flue gas analyzer suitable for most environmental monitoring purposes. According to the company, this unit is one of the first of its kind on the market capable of monitoring...

System combination.(new products)
April 1, 2004... TRANSDUCER TECHNIQUES INC., TEMECULA, CALIF. This system combination comprises the LBC Series (Low-profile, compression only load button) and the TM0-1 (12v dc powered amplifier/conditioner module). The TM0-1 provides dedicated conditioning and...

Heavy-duty slide.(new products)
April 1, 2004... ACCURIDE INTERNATIONAL INC., SANTA FE SPRINGS, CALIF. Model 9308 is the company's latest heavy duty slide designed for maintenance and vehicle applications. The 9308's sturdy lock-in and lock-out actions keep drawers open for access or closed...

Ribbon and wire filaments.(new products)
April 1, 2004... TELEVBAC/ETI, HUNTINGDON VALLEY, PA. Custom designed ribbon and wire filaments and completed assemblies are fabricated from tungsten, rhenium, or iridium. The filaments are available in straight, hairpin, V-shape, spiral or special...

Absolute encoder.(new products)
April 1, 2004... STEGMANN INC., DAYTON, OHIO. The CoreTech CA6 Series single-turn absolute encoder is available in any resolution from 2 to 32,768 ppr. Alignment of encode zero position to the mechanical zero position is quick and easy with parallel or SSI...

Air filter housings.(new products)
April 1, 2004... CAMFIL FARR, RIVERDALE. N.J. A re-designed line of fluid seal bag-in/bag-out air filter housings contain hazardous airborne contaminants. The FB Series housings use a PVC bag enclosure system to ensure complete capture of airborne contaminants...

Airflow regulator.(new products)
April 1, 2004... DUCTSOX, DUBUQUE, IOWA, The Adjustable Flow Device is the HVAC industry's first in-duct system for regulating fabric duct airflow and static pressure, according to the manufacturer. The AFD is a polyester mesh cone with a factory set or field...

Flow meter.(new products)
April 1, 2004... DYNASONICS, RACINE. WIS. The Series TFXM multipipe, multipath clamp-on flow meter uses time of flight ultrasonic technology to measure virtually all non-aerated homogeneous liquids. This non-invasive unit provides a measurement system with...

Suction diffusers.(new products)
April 1, 2004... SSI EQUIPMENT, BURLINGTON, ONTARIO. The company's line of suction diffusers is now available with one, three, or five pipe diameters of flow straightening. An SSI suction diffuser installed in front of a fluid pump in place of a strainer...

Pneumatic grippers.(new products)
April 1, 2004... IMI NORGREN INC., LITTLETON, COLO. Designed for applications that require the fast, accurate handling of objects, the Norgren M/160300 Series of grippers is useful for the electronics, packaging, and medical industries. With high gripping...

Cable reel.(new products)
April 1, 2004... HANNAY REELS, WESTERLO, N.Y. The NSCR700 cable reel has a compact design with a sturdy, narrow frame for use with live electrical cable. It can be mounted in confined spaces and is suitable for use with power tools, lights, machinery, and...

Rigid couplings.(new products)
April 1, 2004... STAFFORD MANUFACTURING CORP., WOBURN, MASS. The company's line of rigid couplings is said to be useful for unsupported shafts, shafts running at high speeds, and vertical shafts with suspended loads. The maker says that PowerRing rigid...

Grease-fitting caps.(new products)
April 1, 2004... NIAGARA CAPS & PLUGS, ERIE, PA. GF Series grease-fitting caps are designed to prevent contaminants and moisture from entering grease fittings. According to the company, the caps will resist weak acids and various solvents. A retaining ring...

Submersible transmitters.(new products)
April 1, 2004... SENSORTECHNICS INC., DUBLIN, CALIF. New submersible transmitters, Series CTU8000CS, offers low cost level measurement for ranges from 0-5 to 0-30 psi, or from 0-10 to 0-70 feet of water. These hydrostatic pressure transmitters consist of...

Adjustable linear drive assemblies.(new products)
April 1, 2004... AMACOIL INC., ASTON PA. The drive head stroke on Amacoil/Uhing Model RG linear drive assemblies may now be adjusted using optional remote control knobs located outside of the pillow block end supports, at the end of the stop rods. Turning the...