Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from April 2006

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from April 2006

Too small ... for now.(research in aerospace)(Editorial)
April 1, 2006... It's a provocative question we ask on the cover: How Small Is Its Brain? Ask that question of you or me, and we would think the query was bordering on rude. But in the world of microsystems, which is the focus of this month's issue, the smaller...

One for the Lights.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... To the Editor: In his letter in the January issue, "Lights Off for Savings," Bill Robba questioned the auto industry's idea of cars and trucks turning on their headlights when their engines turn on. The auto industry suggested it would be worth...

Fundamental skills.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... To the Editor: Mark S. Hutchenreuther (Letters, December 2005) wondered if current students appreciate CAD programs and have used pencil and paper in drafting class. All of the University of Texas engineering students are required to take...

To defuse a bomb.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... To the Editor: Although alternative fuels and fuel-efficient vehicles are conventional wisdom, they likely will always be one step short of being measurable factors in the international pricing of oil. It is unfortunate that "The Petroleum...

Stamp of authenticity.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... To the Editor: Knowing my passion for thermodynamics, my wife, Wiebke, got me the American Scientists stamps, which the United States Postal Service released in May 2005. The stamps celebrate thermodynamicist Josiah Willard Gibbs,...

Green coal.(news & notes)
April 1, 2006... A market research company predicts that sales of coal equipment are going to get a big boost from an unlikely source--green energy. Ethanol is seen as a promising fuel made from renewable sources. It comes from grain, and that grows in a field....

Better biodiesel.(research on biodiesel fuels)
April 1, 2006... In some circles, the word "biodiesel" conjures up images of powering cars and trucks with a green, environmentally benign fuel. But while biodiesel may well be made from plant oils, there are some unsavory aspects to its production. For...

UGS ends MSC agreement.(UGS Inc contracts with MSC.Software Corp)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... UGS won't be renewing its contract with MSC Software that bundled Femap simulation software with the MSC.Nastran analysis program. Instead, UGS Corp. of Plano, Texas, has announced a free offer to move MSC.Nastran for Windows users to the...

Engineer as nation builder.(engineering research)
April 1, 2006... Is a French engineer cooler than an English engineer? Not necessarily. But the way a nation perceives its engineers definitely differs from country to country, said Gary Downey, a professor at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State...

Dassault beefs up PLM with MatrixOne.(Dassault Systemes purchased MatrixOne Inc)
April 1, 2006... The deal announced last month for Dassault Systemes to purchase MatrixOne Inc. brings together two well-known names in computer-aided design and product lifecycle management. Dassault is best known for its SolidWorks 3-D CAD and Catia...

Insulation for MEs.(Mechanical Engineers)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... A trade association representing companies in the insulation business is trying to bring its message to mechanical engineers, so the group has prepared presentations that it's offering as programs for meetings of ASME sections and a few other...

WSF Industries Inc.(licensing approval )(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... A company in Buffalo, N.Y., WSF Industries Inc., has received certification from China as an approved manufacturer of pressure vessels for use as components of equipment shipped into China. WSF is a manufacturer of ASME Code-approved...

Delphi Corp.(Briefly Noted)
April 1, 2006... Delphi Corp. of Troy, Mich., has announced a new line of remanufactured engine control modules and powertrain control modules for the independent automotive aftermarket.

Fastener China 2006.(exhibitions)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... More than 100 suppliers from the fastener industry are expected to demonstrate their latest technologies and services to 20,000 buyers at the 2006 International Fastener Technology Exhibition for China (Fastener China 2006)in Shanghai from...

Flomerics Inc. of Marlborough, Mass., will sell the T3Ster and other thermal testing products.(Briefly Noted)
April 1, 2006... Flomerics Inc. of Marlborough, Mass., will sell the T3Ster and other thermal testing products gained through its acquisition of Mic-ReD Ltd. of Budapest, Hungary.

CD-adapco of New York has released Star-Cat5, a flow and simulation tool for Catia version five from Dassault Systemes of Paris.(Catia tool)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... CD-adapco of New York has released Star-Cat5, a flow and simulation tool for Catia version five from Dassault Systemes of Paris. The software includes product-lifecycle-management capabilities.

Control the rolling snow.(software usage in Avalanches production)
April 1, 2006... THE INVENTOR OF AVALANCHE BLAST, a device that makes controlled avalanches safer, says that CAD software played a big role in helping him turn his idea into commercial reality. Controlled avalanches--traditionally started with explosives...

Space robots like us.(robotics services)
April 1, 2006... WILL THE FUTURE ROBOTS that help astronauts in space be as friendly and likeable as the ones in Star Wars? NASA scientists are now at work on robots that will behave more like humans, even if they won't exactly look like them, said Illah...

The power of sun.(solar energy)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... ENGINEERS CALLED UPON design analysis software to help perfect key systems on a Canadian solar car that passed a recent round of track tests. Called "The Power of One," the solar car whizzed through a battery of speed, brake, and stability...

Wacky chip.(research on Quantum Computing)
April 1, 2006... QUANTUM COMPUTERS CONTINUE to be the next big thing. Now, researchers at the University of Michigan have produced what they say is the first scalable quantum computer chip, which could lead to big gains in the quest to develop a quantum...

A game for future engineers.(engineering research)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... HOW DO YOU GET middle school students interested in future science and engineering careers? Maybe through computer games. Researchers at North Carolina State University in Raleigh expect to funnel children's love of computer games into a...

No more roaming.(research in wireless communications)
April 1, 2006... IF YOU HAVE A CELL PHONE, you'll soon have a hard time getting lost in Bath. The city in England is set to host a citywide wireless computing network as part of a research project that aims to influence the future of mobile technology. ...

DotSoft.(Briefly Noted)
April 1, 2006... DotSoft of Ewing, Ky., is offering the fourth release of its Excel to CAD application, XL2CAD.

Aceri.(Briefly Noted)
April 1, 2006... A maker of electrical design software, Aceri of Barcelona, Spain, has upgraded its electrical design program, Electrical Designer 2006.

Omnify Software of Andover, Mass., which makes product lifecycle management software for original equipment manufacturers in the electrical, mechanical, medical, and defense industries, is now a SolidWorks partner.(usage of CAD software)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Omnify Software of Andover, Mass., which makes product lifecycle management software for original equipment manufacturers in the electrical, mechanical, medical, and defense industries, is now a SolidWorks partner. Omnify software now...

AutoDWG.(autocad software)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... AutoDWG of Hangzhou, China, is shipping AutoDWG, an AutoCAD drawing-format to portable-document format conversion tool. Users don't need AutoCAD installed to run the program, which supports AutoCAD 2006.

Flomerics.(simulation software)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Flomerics of Marlborough, Mass., is shipping an upgrade to its Flo/PCB thermal simulation software. The upgrade helps engineers solve thermal problems in solder reflow processing associated with the use of lead-free solders, says the developer....

Stratasys Inc.(Briefly Noted)
April 1, 2006... Stratasys Inc. of Minneapolis says a new version of its Vantage rapid prototyping systems, called the Vantage X, offers three more modeling material options and higher resolution than the company's previous base model.

Sepialine.(software suites)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Sepialine of San Francisco now offers its Sepialine Cost Recovery Suite 6.2.5, an upgraded software that analyzes and reports office activity, including print, copy, scan, and fax use.

Materialise.(Briefly Noted)
April 1, 2006... A maker of rapid prototyping software, Materialise of Leuven, Belgium, has released Rapid Shell Modeling software for the automated design of hearing aid shells.

SoftInWay Inc.(Briefly Noted)
April 1, 2006... SoftInWay Inc. of Burlington, Mass., has released version 1.7.05 of AxStream for rapid turbomachinery flowpath design and optimization.

Dosch 3D.(Briefly Noted)
April 1, 2006... Dosch 3D of Marktheinfeld, Germany, now offers textured 3-D models of well-known airplanes, including the Bell 222 helicopter, the Airbus 330, and the Boeing 747. The models can be used for visualizations, animations, or technical...

From DOS to Windows.(software exchange)
April 1, 2006... Capability: The two-dimensional CAD and drafting program General CADD Pro, version 4.1, makes the features of the developer's DOS-based CAD program available for Windows. Many users of this program still maintain an older DOS-based computer...

Analysis to suppliers.(software exchange)
April 1, 2006... Capability: This developer has combined its Solid Edge CAD program with its Teamcenter Express product data management system to target the mid-level market. The integrated system--composed of product design, analysis, and data management...

Making tables.(software exchange)
April 1, 2006... Capability: TableBar 2.4 for AutoCAD Table integrates in one toolbar all of the table commands in AutoCAD 2005/2006. This toolbar looks similar to the table toolbar in Microsoft Word. The application streamlines table creation and editing,...

Combined 2-D and 3-D.(software exchange)
April 1, 2006... Capability: Both TurboCAD 2-D for the Macintosh and TurboCAD 2-D and 3-D for the Macintosh have been updated. These upgrades include 11 new tutorials that cover 2-D and 3-D design and drafting. The 2-D and 3-D version can import 15 and export...

Seeing engineering equations.(software exchange)
April 1, 2006... Capability: The 3-D graphics add-on for Mathematica, MathGL3d, is now available in version 4.0. Mathematica is a technical computing program, while MathGL3d is an OpenGL-based package for scientific visualization and real-time interaction with...

Thinning the waste.(waste management)
April 1, 2006... How do you clean the hardened crud at the bottom of one of the most caustic and radioactive enclosures imaginable? And remember, that's after you first have to fit through a pipe with a mere 12-inch diameter to do it. This was the...

Balancing the scale.(product development)
April 1, 2006... If you make something and it breaks down, that s bad for business. A customer doesn't want to hear that the water was too hard. Chromalox Inc., a Pittsburgh manufacturer of electric industrial heaters, says companies that make machinery for...

Lube job for the thermosphere.(lubricants)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... On Earth, oil makes an excellent lubricant. Off Earth, where gravity no longer plays its convenient circulatory role, the tried and true fluid is less than ideal. In an effort to stop using the stuff in a refrigeration compressor on the...

Wet jet for the jet set.(composite materials)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... For years, aerospace vehicles have been built with composites, while their close cousins, passenger jets, have continued to be made with more traditional materials. But now, with fuel prices soaring, the switch to the lighter and more efficient...

Michigan manufacturer goes against a trend.(technology focus)(Stelmi America)
April 1, 2006... A manufacturer of hard chrome-plated steel bars for hydraulic systems seems to be bucking a trend: Its factory is in Michigan and it's expanding. The company, Stelmi America, based in Marshall, Mich., uses a proprietary closed-chamber...

MEMS across the Valley of Death: microelectromechanical systems are taking the world by storm, but only a handful of aerospace applications are now flying. That may be about to change.(Microelectromechanical systems)
April 1, 2006... Milind Pimprikar calls it the "Valley of Death." It is the place between proof of concept and implementation where MEMS go to die. At least, many of the ones designed for aerospace systems. MEMS, or microelectromechanical systems, are...

More than a feeling: the atomic force microscope is enabling engineers to understand mechanical systems at the most basic level.(research on atomic force microscopy)
April 1, 2006... The 19th-century German chemist Friedrich August Kekule had spent years studying carbon compounds, trying to deduce their molecular shape. Then one night, he later claimed, the shape of the molecule benzene came to him in a dream of atoms...

Wonder cloth: a film made from carbon nanotubes may finally live up to the nanotech hype. But first, it has to get out of the lab.(nanotubes)
April 1, 2006... Stronger than steel, able to glow incandescently, able to support many thousand times its own weight, the ribbons created in Ray Baughman's lab sound less like industrial material than like the stuff of Superman's cape. Developed at the...

Ask the supercomputer: many complex fluid flows still can't be analyzed today. Maybe tomorrow.(heat transfer fluids)
April 1, 2006... Comparing blood to water is the mechanical engineering equivalent of comparing apples and oranges. The apple and the orange are both fruit. Beyond that, they don't have much in common. Same way with blood and water: They're both liquid,...

To get to the other side: sometimes you have to plan how to cross your bridges before you come to them.
April 1, 2006... There's a song, "Sur le Pont d'Avignon," about people--from dames and messieurs to gardeners, laundresses, and vine trimmers--all dancing on the bridge at Avignon. It's an old song with a catchy melody. It probably refers to a one-time landmark...

Process sample filtration.(new products)
April 1, 2006... PARKER HANNIFIN CORP., HAVERHILL, MASS. Fast loop Balston sample filters offer real-time sampling with high-efficiency filtration. The unique flow pattern continuously flushes the filter cartridge carrying the contaminants back out to the...

Sensor system.(new products)
April 1, 2006... PCB PIEZOTRONICS INC., DEPEW, N.Y. The Torkdisc rotary torque sensor system is a compact, inline unit, especially designed for automotive powertrain dynamometers and other torque measurement applications that require a robust torque transducer...

Exhaust valve.(new products)
April 1, 2006... CLIPPARD INSTRUMENT LABORATORY INC., CINCINNATI, OHIO. The J-Series inline exhaust valve offers fast response time and high flow rates with its 1/8-and 1/4-in. ports. The all-brass construction and 100 percent testing assure a high level of...

Portable analysis.(new products)
April 1, 2006... CARLTEX INC., GREENLAWN, N.Y. The DaqPro is a compact, portable eight-channel data acquisition and logging system. This unit features a large graphic display and powerful analysis functions. Every channel can be independently programmed for use...

Thermometer/data logger.(new products)
April 1, 2006... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC., STAMFORD, CONN. The new handheld HH147 is a thermometer/data logger with four standard miniature connector inputs. It can display four inputs simultaneously and accepts seven types of thermocouples. The integrated data...

Force gauge.(new products)
April 1, 2006... TRANSDUCER TECHNIQUES INC., TEMECULA, CALIF. The HFG-45 is a pocket-size, handheld digital force gauge. It is useful for handheld applications via strap or hard-mounted via four threaded holes on the back. A user can select engineering units of...

Dynamometer tables.(new products)
April 1, 2006... MAGTROL INC., BUFFALO, N.Y. The company is now offering eight standard dynamometer tables. Each has been specifically designed to accommodate one of Magtrol's hysteresis/ engine or eddy-current/powder brake dynamometers, and can be customized...

Pneumatic grippers.(new products)
April 1, 2006... IMI NORGREN, LITTLETON, COLO. Norgren's grippers are well-suited for use in automated solutions in a variety of industry segments, such as electronics, packaging, and medicine. They have accurate movement and feature long, uninterrupted service...

Stainless couplings.(new products)
April 1, 2006... HELICAL PRODUCTS CO., SANTA MARIA, CALIF. Helical's 17-4PH stainless steel couplings are useful when strength, strong fatigue resistance, and high torsional stiffness are required in an application. The 17-4PH doubles the torque when compared...

Utility board.(new products)
April 1, 2006... ACCES I/O PRODUCTS INC., SAN DIEGO, CALIF. The company's newest PC/104 board is Model 104-II32-4RO. This is a 36-channel PC/104 utility board featuring 32 optically isolated digital inputs with change-of-state interrupt generation and four...

Production vises.(new products)
April 1, 2006... JERGENS INC., CLEVELAND, OHIO. BallLock base production vises are intended to provide quick-change fixturing solutions in two ways: Jaw changeovers take less than a minute and the BallLock mounting system built in the vise's base permits...

Vibration recorder.(new products)
April 1, 2006... MADGETECH INC., WARNER, N.H. A low-cost, battery-powered FFT (fast Fourier transform) recorder will record and time tag three-axis vibrations and peaks, and temperature, in real time. The SVR spectral vibration recorder is a self-contained...

Valve actuators.(new products)
April 1, 2006... FLOWSERVE CORP., DALLAS, TEXAS. The Limitorque Actuation Systems L75 Series of electric valve actuators uses state-of-the-art technology to provide remote control actuation of quarter-turn valves and other rotary devices, including on/off and...

Sight feed valves.(new products)
April 1, 2006... OIL-RITE CORP., MANITOWOC, WIS. These sight feed valves are suitable for pressure or gravity lubricating systems, where small quantifies of liquid are to be drop fed. The sight feed valves are applicable to a variety of industries, such as...

Linearity check.(new products)
April 1, 2006... THE MODAL SHOP INC., CINCINNATI, OHIO. The company has added sensor linearity check capabilities to its Model 9155C accelerometer calibration workstation. The 9155C-501 linearity option allows users to perform multipoint sensor linearity checks...

Circulation heater.(new products)
April 1, 2006... WATLOW, ST. LOUIS, MO. The Cast-X Series 2000 circulation heater provides fluid heating in a compact package where cleanliness, temperature accuracy, and high pressure are needed. Applications include solvent heating, heat transfer systems,...

Threaded elbow.(new products)
April 1, 2006... BESWICK ENGINEERING, GREENLAND, N.H. A 10-32 threaded elbow and straight compression fittings for use with 1/4-in. outside diameter tubing are the world's smallest, according to the company. It claims that the extra small size and light weight...

Force sensors.(new products)
April 1, 2006... PCB PIEZOTRONICS INC., DEPEW, N.Y. High-sensitivity miniature Series 209C quartz piezoelectric force sensors from the force/torque division of the company measure dynamic compression and tensile forces in a variety of biomedical tissue product...

Monitoring over the Web.(new products)
April 1, 2006... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC.. STAMFORD. CONN. The iBTHX transmitter lets you monitor and record barometric pressure, temperature, relative humidity, and dew point over an Ethernet network or the Internet by using a Web browser. No special software is...

Low-emissions burner.(new products)
April 1, 2006... JOHN ZINK CO. LLC, TULSA, OKLA. The Gordon-Piatt FRMB burner is an ultra-low emissions rapid mix burner for gas and gas/oil firing boilers. John Zink adapted its proven RMB technology to its Gordon-Piatt brand P burner housing. The patented...

Shrink film wrap.(new products)
April 1, 2006... PROTECTIVE PACKAGING CORP., CARROLLTON. TEXAS. A new outdoor-grade shrink film product contains corrosion inhibitors as well as UV protection. Called Protect Wrap, it was conceived for applications requiring outdoor storage or transit of very...

Relay products.(new products)
April 1, 2006... AUTOMATION DIRECT. CUMMING, GA. The AD-70-STM-1 socket timing module works with voltages from 24 to 240 V ac/dc and converts either the 783 or 784 Series relays to time delay relays. For simple timing applications, using the new timing module...

Air filtration.(product information)
April 1, 2006... CAMFIL FARR. RIVERDALE, N.J. This expanded general products catalog provides an overview of the company's air filter systems, equipment, and capabilities. The 32-page, full-color catalog discusses three primary application areas: comfort air...

Ball screw overhaul.(product information)
April 1, 2006... DANAHER MOTION, WOOD DALE, ILL. The new aerospace ball screw overhaul services brochure outlines the features of the company's ball screw overhaul and repair capabilities, performed at an FAA-approved repair center, for ball screws of any make,...

Valves and injectors.(product information)
April 1, 2006... VALC0 INSTRUMENTS CO. INC., HOUSTON, TEXAS. A 250-page catalog includes Valco and Cheminert valves, as well as products from the VICI family, ranging from GC capillary columns to the new 40,000 psi UPLC injector and the line of positive...

Dimensional metrology.(product information)
April 1, 2006... MAHR FEDERAL INC.. PROVIDENCE. R.I. Mahr's new catalog covers dimensional metrology products and systems. At over 490 pages and printed in full color, the catalog provides specification and ordering information on precision gauges; metrology...

Shot peening.(product information)
April 1, 2006... METAL IMPROVEMENT CO., PARAMUS. N.J. The ninth edition of the Shot Peening Applications Guide is a comprehensive resource on shot peening and covers the process's theory, response to metals, and effectiveness in various applications. It also...

Rotary sensors.(product information)
April 1, 2006... NOVOTECHNIK U.S. INC., SOUTHBOROUGH, MASS. The company's 96-page catalog provides detailed electrical, mechanical, and environmental specifications on its line of precision non-contacting angle sensors, multi- and single-turn potentiometers,...

Film products.(product information)
April 1, 2006... BAYER FILMS AMERICAS, BERLIN, CONN. This 12-page brochure describes the full line of the company's Makrofol and Bayfol polycarbonate film products. It discusses these products, including their graphic arts quality, chemical resistance, flame...

Technical Writing A-Z: A commonsense guide to engineering reports and theses. U.S. Edition.(Technical Writing A-Z: A Commonsense Guide to Engineering Reports and Theses )(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2006... Technical Writing A-Z: A commonsense guide to engineering reports and theses. U.S. Edition. Trevor M. Young. ASME Press, Three Park Ave., New York, NY 10016-5990. 2005. 225 pages. ASME members, $23; list, $29. ISBN 0-79180236-1. Not...

Mechanical Engineer's Pocket Book. Third Edition.(Mechanical Engineer's Pocket Book, 3d ed.)(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2006... Mechanical Engineer's Pocket Book. Third Edition. Roger Timings. Newnes, an imprint of Elsevier. 30 Corporate Dr., Burlington, MA 01803. 2006. 739 pages. Softcover. $39.95. ISBN 0-7506-6508-4. Mechanical Engineer's Pocket Book, which was...

Patent Fundamentals for Scientists and Engineers. Second Edition.(Patent Fundamentals for Scientists and Engineers, 2d ed. )(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2006... Patent Fundamentals for Scientists and Engineers. Second Edition. Thomas T. Gordon and Arthur S. Cookfair. CRC Press, 2000 N.W. Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431. 2000. 159 pages. Softcover. $54.95. ISBN 1-56670-517-7. The authors,...

Measurement in Fluid Mechanics.(Measurement in Fluid Mechanics)(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2006... Measurement in Fluid Mechanics. Stavros Tavoularis. Cambridge University Press, 40 W. 20th St., New York, NY 10011-4211. 2005. 354 pages. $85. ISBN 0-521-81518-5. This introductory reference in experimental fluid mechanics describes both...

Dynamics for Engineers.(Dynamics for Engineers)(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2006... Dynamics for Engineers. Soumitro Banerjee. John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030. 2005. 279 pages. Softcover. $65. ISBN 0-470-86844-9. In this book, author Soumitro Banerjee provides a systematic introduction to the...

Advances in Fatigue. Fracture and Damage Assessment of Materials.(Advances in Fatigue, Fracture and Damage Assessment of Materials)(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2006... Advances in Fatigue. Fracture and Damage Assessment of Materials. A. Varvani-Farahani, Editor. Computational Mechanics Inc., 25 Bridge St., Billerica, MA 01821. Published by WIT Press, Southampton, U.K. 2005. 502 pages. $290. ISBN 185312-836-8....

Liquid Pipeline Hydraulics.(Liquid Pipeline Hydraulics )(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2006... Liquid Pipeline Hydraulics. E. Shashi Menon. Marcel Dekker Inc., 270 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016-0602. 2004. 274 pages. $165. ISBN 0-8247-5317-8. Avoiding lengthy mathematical discussions, this reference specifically addresses issues...

Spray Simulation: Modeling and numerical simulation of sprayforming metals.(Spray Simulation : Modeling and Numerical Simulation of Sprayforming metals )(Brief article)(Book review)
April 1, 2006... Spray Simulation: Modeling and numerical simulation of sprayforming metals. Udo Fritsching. Cambridge University Press, 40 W. 20th St., New York, NY 10011-4211. 2004. 272 pages. $90. ISBN 0521- 82098-7. Sprayforming combines the...