Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from December 2005

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from December 2005

Only on M.E. magazine.
December 1, 2005... Responses to the November Question of the Month: Is remote design information hampered without fact-to-face interaction? Yes, nothing beats working with a colleague 46% No, due to new design tools. 24% ...

Unruly advances.(editorial)
December 1, 2005... ASME's celebrated anniversary year comes to a close this month. Looking back through the series of articles we've written commemorating each decade of ASME's history--in this issue of Mechanical Engineering magazine and in the past 11--it's...

Background checks.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... To the Editor: I read with great interest the two articles "The Computer Assist" and "First in Mass Production" in the October issue. I saw a common element in both--the loss of context. Years ago, I attended a computer users' group...

India ink.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... To the Editor: I read the article "Where the Engineers Are" in the June issue with a sense of trepidation and firsthand experience. I work for a global manufacturing company that is headquartered in Europe. The engineers from my group here...

Alternative efforts.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... To the Editor: In "The Petroleum Bomb," (October 2005) George Schultz and James Woolsey put forth indisputable arguments for policies that would reduce reliance on oil imports, and would secure energy production and transmission facilities. The...

Metrically correct.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... To the Editor: When I read Mechanical Engineering magazine, I normally look for stylistic errors in the use of the International System of units. I use IEEE/ASTM SI 10-2002 as my primary reference, and I've written several letters to you in the...

Gear hero.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... To the Editor: I was delighted to read of the ASME honor bestowed upon the "Whitworth of America." In my research for writing a history of gears, I learned that no one had a greater influence on American machine tools than William Sellers....

Correcting the rocket.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2005... To the Editor: I am writing regarding three statements made in the September issue. I read with interest John Varrasi's article regarding our space industry. I, too, worked in that industry during its heyday and enjoyed the challenges that were...

It's true: they do die hard.(habits )
December 1, 2005... Obsessing about having a quick smoke, although you recently quit? Take consolation from a recent study that may show why habits are so hard to break. Important neural activity patterns in a specific region of the brain change when habits...

Codes for hotter nukes.(Department of Energy contracts with ASME Standards Technology LLC )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Department of Energy has enlisted ASME Standards Technology LLC to develop technical basis documents necessary to write new code rules for the very high temperature nuclear reactor, which is now in development as part of the next generation...

Drag erasers.(news & notes)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The back end of a tractor-trailer is as aerodynamic as a brick. Although it isn't pushing into the wind, the flat back of the typical cargo-hauling truck creates a large drag force that drops fuel efficiency and raises costs. To cut down...

Do you hear what I hear?(University of Michigan developing a new type microphone which works like a human ear)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... It's hard to find a room--or even a pocket--that doesn't have a microphone of some sort in it. But for all their success in the marketplace, microphones aren't perfect sensors. Their moving parts can wear out, and each one is sensitive over a...

I spy, you type.(news & notes)
December 1, 2005... Thought they couldn't pin that pesky murder on you because you left no handwritten note for analysis? Think again. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have demonstrated that an audio recording of the keyboard clicks made...

Bearing responsibility.(SKF Condition Monitoring Inc. want to produce more reliable bearings)
December 1, 2005... One of the world's leading bearing manufacturers has a subsidiary, SKF Condition Monitoring Inc., that would like to sell customers something more than just bearings. It would like to sell better bearing reliability. Bearing wear is a...

UGS Corp. of Plano, Texas, which makes product lifecycle management software, and Adobe Systems Inc. of San Jose, Calif., have formed a technology partnership.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... UGS Corp. of Plano, Texas, which makes product lifecycle management software, and Adobe Systems Inc. of San Jose, Calif., have formed a technology partnership that lets organizations publish digital models as Adobe portable document format...

DARPA.(Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contracts with University of Delaware )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... DARPA has awarded a consortium of institutions led by the University of Delaware a grant for up to $33 million to study how to double the efficiency of photovoltaic cells. The consortium's goal is to create solar cells within five years that...

Peabody Energy of St. Louis and Boston-based ArcLight Capital Partners have entered into a memorandum of understanding to develop a commercial-scale coal gasification project.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Peabody Energy Of St. Louis and Boston-based ArcLight Capital Partners have entered into a memorandum of understanding to develop a commercial-scale coal gasification project. The plant, to be located in Illinois, would be one of the largest...

Alias.(upgraded its Studio Tools software)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Alias of Toronto has upgraded its Studio Tools industrial design software to version 13.

Smooth handoff.(computing)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... ONE AVIATION COMPANY recently sought to bring its jet design time up to jet speed. To get there, Aviation Technology Group Inc. brought in product lifecycle management software. The company, in Englewood, Colo., is set to begin production...

Pinning down turbulent flow via new formula.(computing)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... TO MOST PEOPLE, turbulence is the rolling and jolting that airplane passengers sit through as their jet moves through a rough pocket of air. But to engineers and scientists, turbulence is the chaotic flow of a gas or liquid in which parts...

Perfectly molded.(computing)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... A MANUFACTURER OF AUTOMOTIVE door panels, quarter panels, lift gates, and instrument panels finds injection molding a tricky process so it has brought in a consultant to get things right. Intier Automotive does injection molding at its...

Speeding to the farm.(computing)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... HIGH-SPEED WIRELESS INTERNET connections are now commonplace in U.S. cities and suburbs. Yet that kind of access still isn't available in most rural areas. However, engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology's research institute in...

Silly enough walk.(computing)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... DESPITE HAVING THE bones and muscles to perform a variety of gaits, human beings have developed an overwhelming preference for just two: walking and running. Why? Now, computer analyses that simulate the infinite styles of two-legged...

One step ahead.(computing)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... ONE TAIWANESE COMPANY has introduced PLM software intended to help assure that the company meets current environmental regulations. The European Union, China, and various U.S. states have announced new environmental protection laws...

Driverless Stanley finishes first.(computing)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... AND THE WINNER IS... a Volkswagen named Stanley. In October, a driverless Volkswagen Touareg, modified by Stanford University engineering students, won a $2 million Pentagon-sponsored race across the Mojave Desert. All the participating...

Another kind of smart.(emotional intelligence affects students studying information technology)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... STUDENTS' ABILITY TO MANAGE emotions contributes to their academic success, at least when it comes to studying information technology, according to researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Va. The...

Ansys Inc.(introduced ASAS 14.0 and AQWA 5.6 )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Ansys Inc. of Canonsburg, Pa., is offering new versions of two applications. ASAS 14 is structural finite element software for the offshore industry, and AQWA 5.6 is a hydrodynamic assessment software suite.

Archway Systems Inc.(introducing VersaCAD for Macintosh X Tiger )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Archway Systems Inc. of Huntington Beach, Calif., has released VersaCAD 2005 for the Macintosh X Tiger operating system.

Kubotek USA.(inroduces KeyCreator 5.0)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Kubotek USA of Marlborough, Mass., has updated its KeyCreator design and manufacturing software to version 5.

Machine toolmaker Emco Maier GMBH of Salzburg, Austria, and DP Technology, a CAD and CAM company in Camarillo, Calif., have agreed to cooperatively market DP's Esprit programming system.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Machine toolmaker Emco Maier GMBH of Salzburg, Austria, and DP Technology, a CAD and CAM company in Camarillo, Calif., have agreed to cooperatively market DP's Esprit programming system, specifically adapted to Emco's products.

Empresa Solutions Inc. of Phoenix, which makes collaborative data and process management software, has released version 2.0 of Kinnosa Workflow for PDMWorks.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Empresa Solutions Inc. of Phoenix, which makes collaborative data and process management software, has released version 2.0 of Kinnosa Workflow for PDMWorks. The software adds engineering change management capabilities to PDMWorks, which is...

RuleStream Corp.(introduces RuleStream 6.0)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... RuleStream Corp. of Wakefield, Mass., has issued RuleStream 6.0, a Microsoft.Net-based version of the company's rules-driven product management software.

Autodesk Inc. of San Rafael, Calif., has acquired certain assets of Engineering Intent Corp., a Waltham, Mass.(Briefly Noted)
December 1, 2005... Autodesk Inc. of San Rafael, Calif., has acquired certain assets of Engineering Intent Corp., a Waltham, Mass., provider of engineer-to-order software and services.

CAE Systems.(introduced Virtual Studio Software )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... CAE Systems of Witten, Germany, has launched Virtual Studio Software for 3-D CAD presentations.

Geomagic Inc.(introducing digital shape sampling and processing software)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Geomagic Inc. of Research Triangle Park, N.C., says its line of software for digital shape sampling and processing now supports Microsoft Windows XP Professional, 64 Edition.

Ashlar-Vellum.(developed Graphite into japanese)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... The Ashlar-Vellum development team has translated Graphite, its Macintosh and Windows CAD application, into Japanese. The company is located in Austin, Texas.

Maplesoft.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Maplesoft of Waterloo, Ontario, says its CCA Engineering Simulation Software will be distributed in China.

Aveva.(introduces Vnet 3.3)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Aveva of Houston has released Vnet version 3.3. The software allows information compiled by experts in one business area to be used by non-experts in other parts of the business or in different organizations.

Tech Soft America.(now offering custom development services)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Tech Soft America of Oakland, Calif., which provides graphics components for the CAD, CAM, and computer-aided engineering industry, now offers custom development services to assist with applications development.

Circuit board analysis.(software exchange)
December 1, 2005... Capability: Printed circuit board designers can carry out their own board-level thermal analyses with CoolitPCB. The software helps engineers predict the thermal behavior of their designs and find optimum component placement on their boards....

Fast, flowing models.(software exchange)
December 1, 2005... Capability: Its developer says that FloWizard version 2 performs rapid-flow modeling, which offers a flexible approach to computational fluid dynamics simulation. With the software, engineers can model flow during all stages of the design...

Animated models.(software exchange)
December 1, 2005... Capability: The 3-D animation program Maya Complete 7 includes modeling, rendering, and animation capabilities. It also includes a paint-effects feature and an open interface for programming and scripting. The application is useful to engineers...

Compatible viewing.(software exchange)
December 1, 2005... Capability: Brava Desktop version 1.2 view and markup software is for opening and looking at many types of files, even if those files are created in applications that don't reside on the computer. Files that can be viewed include those saved in...

Seals in the North Sea.(FLUID HANDLING AND FLUID POWER)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... With oil production disrupted this past summer in the Gulf of Mexico because of two hurricanes, it can't be anything but good news that oil is expected to be brought up in the southern part of the North Sea next summer. Recently, KSB...

Highly selective protein filter has broader scope.(FLUID HANDLING AND FLUID POWER)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... Researchers at the Pennsylvania State University have demonstrated a protein purification process that they say offers both high throughput and high selectivity. The throughput is achieved via ultrafiltration, the high specificity via...

It's curtains.(FLUID HANDLING AND FLUID POWER)
December 1, 2005... We've all walked through an air curtain at one time or another. It's that stream of air that blows down on you when you leave a public building. It keeps conditioned interior air from escaping out of doors. The curtain can also control dust and...

Treating the waters.(FLUID HANDLING AND FLUID POWER)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... World sales of water and wastewater treatment chemicals were over $17 billion last year, and almost a fifth of the money, 18 percent, was spent on corrosion inhibitors, a market research company says. According to the research firm,...

Smoke signals.(Computational Fluid Dynamics )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... A British government laboratory has published a study that provides recommendations to engineers for using CFD in fire-safety models, specifically in predicting the movement of smoke in complex spaces. CFD is increasingly being used in fire...

Foul-weather fabric.(FLUID HANDLING AND FLUID POWER)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... There are fabrics designed for what the clothing trade sometimes calls "activewear." A jacket made of this stuff will keep out the wind and rain, but will vent the heat you build up as you work or play. It will even release humidity when you...

Getting a new life: bioprocessing has opened a world of its own, and a standards committee is going after it.(FEATURE FOCUS: BIOPROCESSING)(Cover Story)
December 1, 2005... IT isn't easy becoming a global standard. You have to work to get there. International standards, those accepted by industry or governments in numerous countries, are issued by various organizations, from ASME to the International...

A milk derivative.
December 1, 2005... IT sounds funny at first, but then it makes sense. Bioprocessing equipment grew out of the milk business. "If you were an engineer and developed sanitary vessel specifications prior to the '90s, you probably bought your products from a...

Design with depth: traditional computer monitors haven't kept up with today's 3-D design software, say some display makers who intend to change that.
December 1, 2005... It won't happen today; it won't happen tomorrow. But within the next two decades, mechanical engineers will pair their already-familiar computer-aided design software with not-so-familiar three-dimensional displays for true 3-D design, say a...

Joining the pieces: engineers are choreographing the assembly of the Joint Strike Fighter.
December 1, 2005... From its inception, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was to be a single aircraft platform for deployment by the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. But the services' different missions required variants of the F-35 airframe and structure. ...

Culture clash: globalization is creating new industrial powerhouses--but where does that leave the old ones?(ASME: THE FIRST 125 YEARS)
December 1, 2005... We live in an age when a car designed and assembled in the United States can contain parts made in Spain, South Africa, China, and Brazil, and many people are thinking about that. Depending on whom you ask, we're building a future in which...

Slides rule: before the calculator, before the computer, a simple tool that worked remains far from forgotten.(Purdue University)
December 1, 2005... At Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., a permanent display on the first floor of the university's Potter Engineering Center showcases pre-digital analytical marvels. In all, the display includes about 200 slide rules from Purdue alumni,...

Integrated servo motor.
December 1, 2005... EXLAR CORP., CHANHASSEN, MINN. The company's Explorer Series of electric actuators now includes an integrated brushless servo-amplifier and position controller in one package. This allows the user to achieve servo performance in both linear and...

Recorder/transmitter.
December 1, 2005... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC., STAMFORD, CONN. This battery-powered precision temperature recorder and wireless transmitter is designated the OM-CP-RFRTDTEMP101A. It is an all-in-one compact, portable, easy-to-use device that will measure and record...

Optical profilers.
December 1, 2005... VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC., WOODBURY, N.Y. The company has introduced an extension of its Wyko NT Series optical profilers, developed to measure through glass and other transmissive media. The new Through Transmissive Media module enables...

Flange sensing.
December 1, 2005... AMACOIL INC., ASTON, PA. The company has two styles of an optical flanging system to enhance winding accuracy when used with Uhing traverse winding drives. One system relies on the reflective properties of the spool flanges, while the other...

Rodless cylinders.
December 1, 2005... IMI NORGREN INC., LITTLETON, COLO. Specifically designed for applications where space is at a premium, Norgren offers rodless cylinders. The Lintra Lite series is for those who want to save space on machine designs. Available in diameters of...

Instrumentation ball valves.
December 1, 2005... SWAGELOK CO., SOLON, OHIO. To deal with a wider range of operating temperatures, Swagelok has introduced 40G Series one-piece instrumentation ball valves. They are for use in environmental applications where outdoor ambient temperatures...

Bevel gear operators.
December 1, 2005... FLOWSERVE CORP., DALLAS, TEXAS. The company's Limitorque Actuation Systems MT Series of bevel gear operators is meant to deliver reliable performance in power industry valve applications. Designed as a combination of a bevel gear operator...

Universal press.
December 1, 2005... MOLEX INCORPORATED, LISLE, ILL. The TM-3000 universal press offers contract manufacturers, assembly houses, and design engineers an affordable solution to apply a range of side and rear feed terminals to pre-stripped discrete wire and cable....

Stationary clamping vise.
December 1, 2005... SCHUNK INC., MORRISVILLE, N.C. Cubic workpieces can be clamped onto universal vertical machining centers or any four- or five-axis table with the Kontec KSL clamping vise, according to the company. The vise has low maintenance, high flexibility...

String-pot transducer.
December 1, 2005... CELESCO TRANSDUCER PRODUCTS INC.. CHATSWORTH, CALIF. The SP2 string-pot transducer is a sound solution for linear measurements in environmentally challenging OEM and testing applications where a compact, simple voltage divider device is...

Compact Cabinet Coolers[TM].
December 1, 2005... Protect against expensive shutdowns caused by overheated electronics in sealed indoor and outdoor enclosures and panels. Compact Cabinet Coolers keep electronic components cool, clean and isolated from contaminants. They last thirty years,...

Volume MMV 5th Edition of the FLOW, LEVEL AND ENVIRONMENTAL GREENBOOK[R].
December 1, 2005... Volume MMV 5th Edition of the FLOW, LEVEL AND ENVIRONMENTAL GREENBOOK[R] has over 1500 pages of the latest flow, level, and environmental products to meet your every need, including a comprehensive product selection of industrial, field and...

MEGASCOPE[TM] OS533RS-DM handheld infrared thermometer.
December 1, 2005... Upgrade your OMEGA[R] IR gun with the new field installable distance measuring option. The new, upgraded, portable and rugged OS530 series infrared thermometers offer solutions for many non-contact temperature measurement applications. The...

Miniature turntable bearings save weight and space.
December 1, 2005... Unique, miniature Reali-Slim[R] TT Series turntable bearings from Kaydon save weight, reduce product envelope size and increase design flexibility for turntable applications, including robotics radar antennae, and factory positioning and...

Temperature Handbook and Encyclopedia Volume MMV[TM] 5th Edition.
December 1, 2005... Omega is pleased to announce the release of Volume MMV[TM] Temperature Handbook 5th Edition. It offers detailed information and specifications on over 40,000 products for process measurement and control featured on over 1,800 pages. The new 5th...

Metric gear components.
December 1, 2005... NEW 456-page catalog Q410 features technical specs for over 3,400 standardized stock metric gear components, including spur, helical and internal gears, straight and helical racks, straight and spiral bevel gears, worm and worm gears, ratchets...

DFS Version 4 is here!
December 1, 2005... DFS Version 4 solves problems more quickly, includes both control valves and pressure regulator valves integrated utilities allowing the user to readily view, create, or modify data files directly, improved local area network performance,...

Design products faster with FEA and multiphysics.
December 1, 2005... ALGOR provides a wide range of FEA-based simulation capabilities, including full multiphysics and Mechanical Event Simulation for combined motion and stress analysis within an easy-to-use, single-user interface that is fully associative with...

Rotating electrical connectors.
December 1, 2005... Liquid metal wetted connectors are superior to conventional slip rings and feature sealed ball bearing construction. Durable, compact connectors offer increased reliability, low electrical noise and less than 1 milliohm resistance Ideal for...

ANSYS[R] 10.0 features superior technology.(Engineering Tools)
December 1, 2005... Taking full advantage of the ANSYS Workbench[TM] infrastructure for integrated CAE, ANSYS 10.0 features a more seamless approach for meshing and modeling, simulation and analysis, and post-processing. The latest release builds upon and is...

New Optics catalog.(Materials & Assembly)
December 1, 2005... Rolyn Optics announces its new catalog, "Optics for Industry." 140 pages of product data, photos, performance graphs, and ordering information. Simple and compound lenses, prisms, optical flats/flat glass, flat and concave mirrors, absorption...

Simulate convection with ALGOR for coupled fluid flow and heat transfer.(Engineering Tools)
December 1, 2005... ALGOR's multiphysics software features coupled fluid flow and heat transfer analysis to simulate natural, forced or mixed convection, as shown on this glass globe and light bulb model. Includes full CAD associativity; a suite of modeling tools;...

Can your CFD provider meet your needs at all levels?(Engineering Tools)
December 1, 2005... ANSYS delivers scalable CFD. ANSYS is committed to helping companies constantly push the limb by supplying a full spectrum of superior computational fluid dynamics capabilities through ANSYS[R] CFX[R]. Advanced models, proven solver...

AFT Fathom 60 adds new capabilities and available add-on modules.(Engineering Tools)
December 1, 2005... * XTS -- Extended Time Simulation * GSC -- Goal Seek & Control * CST -- system CoST calculations to analyze first and life cycle costs AFT Fathom is one of a suite of solutions including AFT Arrow for compressible flow systems, AFT...

Piping system design & analysis.(Engineering Tools)
December 1, 2005... Brochure describes COADE's CAESAR II program for evaluating piping systems. CAESAR II applies rules of all major piping safety codes. Along with piping analysis you receive related NEMA, API and WRC assessments; buried pipe analysis; structural...

Fundamentals of Rotating Machinery Diagnostics, by Donald E. Bently with Charles T. Hatch.(Engineering Tools)
December 1, 2005... A practical text covering the fundamentals of machinery diagnostics for anyone who works with rotating machinery. Written for operators managers design engineers and machinery diagnosticians. This comprehensive book thoroughly explains and...

New! Clippard pneumatic control devices catalog.(Engineering Tools)
December 1, 2005... Clippard recently released their all-new full-line catalog with new products technical information, product applications and more. It includes features specifications color photographs and technical drawings for over 5,000 standard products....

Pressure vessel and heat exchanger software.(Engineering Tools)
December 1, 2005... COMPRESS and Exchanger design and mechanically rerate pressure vessels and TEMA/ ASME-UHX heat exchangers, Exchanger now exports exchanger drawings and interacts bidirectionally with HTRI software. Free fully active trial versions. ...

Optimize flow and thermal performance.(Engineering Tools)
December 1, 2005... Developed for design engineers and our MCAD-centric process, CFdesign tackles every sort of flow and thermal challenge inclucling hydraulics pneumatics pumps valves, fans, compressors, manifolds heat exchangers, power generation, electronics,...