Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from February 2004

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from February 2004

Space odyssey.(editorial)
February 1, 2004... Last month, I visited Mars, albeit virtually. I'm not talking about watching Internet video from the Mars exploration rover Spirit's trip to the Red Planet. I'm talking about boarding a spacecraft and zooming around Mars like a real space...

Hitting the throttle.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... To the Editor: I agree with Paul Sharke in his "Controlled Breathing" article (May 2003) that increased internal combustion engine efficiency should be possible with the additional degrees of freedom electronic valve actuation promises....

Splitting seams.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... To the Editor: I told my boss that the next time I read an article about the seamless use of software between groups in the development of a new product, I would write a letter. Well, yours was the next magazine ("Shaking Hands Again," April...

Time on a Harley.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... To the Editor: I enjoyed the article in the July 2003 issue, "Between the Horse and Car," by Frank Wicks, as I have been riding Harleys for 34 years and have studied the company's history. However, I take exception to some of the dates cited by...

Channel surfing.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... To the Editor: I also have not returned to reading The New York Times Magazine. I've noticed that I've grown a bit sinister with age. While reading your editorial ("Keeping all Open Mind," January), the thought of being the first to cross the...

UAVs in the Solomons.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... To the Editor: Your very interesting article in the November 2003 issue ("Look, Ma, No Pilot!") brought back memories of seeing Navy radio-controlled small planes operating out of an airport on Banika Island of the Russell Group in the Solomon...

'Unmanned' leaves women out.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... To the Editor: I would like to point out that there is a better term for robotic aircraft: "uncrewed aerial vehicle." The term "uncrewed" is far more accurate than "unmanned," as I know many women pilots who also wouldn't fit within the...

Dredge righted.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... To the Editor: As a member of ASME and the project manager for the construction of the dredge New York back in 1999, I was elated to see the article "Digging Deeper in New York" (November 2003). I was, however, disappointed to see that you...

Facts on Iraq.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
February 1, 2004... To the Editor: Your June 2003 "Rebuilding Iraq" article did a disservice by speaking of "... horrifying stories of how Saddam Hussein let the water and sanitation infrastructure run down as a means of controlling the Iraqi people." Had the...

Bechtel at phase two in Iraq.(news & notes)
February 1, 2004... The U.S. Agency for International Development has awarded a second phase contract for infrastructure repair and rehabilitation in Iraq to Bechtel National Inc. The contract, worth $1.8 billion over 24 months, is subject to congressional...

New ASME standard nears a vote.(news & notes)
February 1, 2004... The draft of a new ASME standard, concerning qualification of key pipeline personnel, could be issued for review this spring. According to Daron K. Moore, the project team leader, work on the standard began last August and a draft is nearly...

Only on M.E. magazine online: @ www.memagazine.org.(news & notes)
February 1, 2004... Responses to the January Question of the Month: Does your company use enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to manage its business operations? No 38% What's ERP? 46% Yes 11% Not yet 5% Note:...

Teaching bio-sense.(news & notes)
February 1, 2004... With its eye on opportunities in bio-sensing and bio-analytics, the University of Houston's Cullen College of. Engineering has launched an undergraduate program in biomedical engineering. Matthew Franchek, director of the new program and...

De-CAFE.(news & notes)
February 1, 2004... Sport utility vehicles come in for all manner of abuse--from their handling and their safety to the emotional state of their drivers. In one crucial area, however, the critics may have it all wrong: SUVs may be flouting fuel economy standards,...

Updating turbulence.(news & notes)
February 1, 2004... Researchers have developed a new means of depicting fluid turbulence and calculating its effects. Conventional methods of calculating turbulence treat fluids not as molecular assemblages, but as continuous substances. The new approach...

Premix Thermoplastics Inc.(Briefly Noted)
February 1, 2004... Premix Thermoplastics Inc., a subsidiary of Premix Oy of Rajamaki, Finland, opened a 25,000-square-foot compounding facility in Milton, Wis., to supply electrically conductive thermoplastics.

Saint-Gobain High-Performance Materials.(Briefly Noted)
February 1, 2004... Saint,-Gobain High-Performance Materials has expanded its research and development center in Northboro, Mass., to expand research into polymers and abrasives.

Roush Industries, the Livonia, Mich., automotive engineering company, has acquired British engine manufacturer Mountune Racing Ltd.(Briefly Noted)
February 1, 2004... Roush Industries, the Livonia, Mich., automotive engineering company, has acquired British engine manufacturer Mountune Racing Ltd., which will be moved to Roush's Brentwood, England, facility.

Rasterex Software.(Briefly Noted)
February 1, 2004... Rasterex Software of Oslo, Norway, has released an upgrade to its Windows-based software for raster editing and raster-to-vector-conversion. RxSpotlight release 7 offers an environment for raster, vector and hybrid editing, and raster-to-vector...

Amtec Engineering Inc., the data visualization software developer of Bellevue, Wash., changed its corporate name to Tecplot Inc.(Briefly Noted)
February 1, 2004... Amtec Engineering Inc., the data visualization software developer of Bellevue, Wash., changed its corporate name to Tecplot Inc., effective Dec. 1, 2003.

Future army trucks simulated first.(computing)
February 1, 2004... ONE OF THE VISIONS FOR THE U.S. armed forces of the future sees them operating modular cargo vehicles that will use new hybrid propulsion technologies. The National Automotive Center has undertaken a program to develop a vehicle of that...

A standard of tolerances.(computing)
February 1, 2004... A NEW AMERICAN SOCIETY of Mechanical Engineers standard, ASME Y14.41-200.3, lays out the requirements for technology users to follow when annotating model tolerances on 3-D solid models. The standard can also guide CAD software developers...

Boot up the set.(computing)
February 1, 2004... DESIGNERS AT THE LA FENICE and the Arena di Verona theaters in Milan, Italy, use CAD software to design, build, and alter numerous stage sets that must be moved frequently. Each theater may feature 20 different performances each month. ...

Set pen to monitor.(computing)
February 1, 2004... SMART GMBH, DAIMLERCHRYSLER'S little-car thinktank in Boblingen, Germany, has designed a number of two-seaters with European city driving in mind. Now it is working on the For-four, a four seat car, using a combination of industrial design...

Honoring a princess.(computing)
February 1, 2004... DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES, is about to get a permanent monument in London's Hyde Park, which puts her in the company of such historical figures as the Duke of Wellington and Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert. Gustafson Porter, the London...

Old lab ties.(computing)
February 1, 2004... THE ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE de Montreal, the Canadian engineering school, is testing software intended to promote collaboration between design and manufacturing engineers. The manufacturing software has been installed in the Ecole's Virtual...

How fit are the models?(computing)
February 1, 2004... THE AEROSPACE DIVISION of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. in Tokyo has installed technology that checks the quality and integrity of the geometric elements in all its CAD models. The technology ensures that corporate design and manufacturing...

Flying chips equal the sound of money.(computing)
February 1, 2004... CUSTOMERS OF TOOL-AND-DIE maker KHP Prototyping Inc. expect the company to handle either an entire product development cycle or to manufacture components from a customer-supplied CAD model. KHP of Moenchweiler, Germany, makes prototypes for the...

Clutch faster.(computing)
February 1, 2004... A BRITISH SUPPLIER IS USING A CAD pro gram to cut weeks from its product development time for precision clutches used in automotive, industrial, and marine products. Since the 1930s, the company, Automotive Products Driveline Technology of...

Moldflow Corp.(Briefly Noted)
February 1, 2004... The maker of automation and optimization software solutions for the plastics injection molding industry, Moldflow Corp. of Wayland, Mass., has released MMS/Production Monitoring 1.0, a plantwide manufacturing execution system for discrete...

Algor.(Briefly Noted)
February 1, 2004... Algor of Pittsburgh has released Algor version 14.2, an upgraded version of its finite element analysis software that introduces coupled multiphysics capabilities for simulating natural, forced, or mixed convection.

Dynamic Design.(Briefly Noted)
February 1, 2004... Dynamic Design of Leuven, Belgium, has upgraded its FEM-tools software, which is a multifunctional, computer-aided engineering software program that provides analysis and scripting solutions for different applications.

Delcam.(Briefly Noted)
February 1, 2004... The latest release of Delcam's PowerMill computer-aided manufacturing software from Delcam of Birmingham, England, offers easier programming than past versions, according to the developer.

Abaqus and AVL have signed an agreement intended to deepen the integration between the companies' software products.(Briefly Noted)
February 1, 2004... Abaqus and AVL have signed an agreement intended to deepen the integration between the companies' software products. Abaqus of Pawtucket, R.I., makes FEA software; AVL of Graz, Austria, makes mathematical simulation software, specifically for...

Noran Engineering Inc.(Briefly Noted)
February 1, 2004... Noran Engineering Inc. of Westminster, Calif., a provider of finite element analysis solver software, has released NE/Nastran version 8.3, the latest version of NE/Nastran.

Autodesk Inc.(Briefly Noted)
February 1, 2004... Autodesk Inc. of San Rafael, Calif., has made its Autodesk Streamline 5 manufacturing collaboration service available through resellers. The service allows customers to share digital design data across their extended manufacturing chain.

Sharing design data.(software exchange)
February 1, 2004... Capability: Using the Net-it CAD plug in for the Inventor CAD, engineers can share visual design data via a controlled environment. The CAD plug-in offers engineers an alternative to publishing design files for viewing. The plug-in converts...

Technical drawing tool.(software exchange)
February 1, 2004... Capability: SmartDraw is a technical drawing tool that includes more than 50,000 symbols, images, and templates. The mechanical engineering collection includes symbol libraries for acoustical elements; fluid power; heat power; heating,...

Analysis and visualization.(software exchange)
February 1, 2004... Capability: The EngineersToolbox can be used for engineering design, analysis, and reference. It combines analysis with visualization capabilities. The software features integrated computational modules that help the engineer during the...

Faster CAD modeling.(software exchange)
February 1, 2004... Capability: With the upgraded design program TurboCAD professional version 9.5, engineers can produce complex three-dimensional models more than 25 percent faster than with past versions, according to the software's developer. In the new...

Managing CAD documents.(software exchange)
February 1, 2004... Capability: Synergis Adept 5.1 is a document-management system for users of the SolidWorks computer-aided design program. Users can manage, view, redline, and track re visions of their CAD parts and assemblies in a central data repository....

Testing waste tank integrity.(Instrumentation And Control)
February 1, 2004... Ensuring the integrity of radioactive waste storage tanks is a top priority at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Richland, Wash. Located within Hanford's tank farms are 28 double shell tanks holding 22 million gallons of highly radioactive...

Evaluating airbags.(Instrumentation And Control)
February 1, 2004... Airbags have saved lives in traffic accidents. They have also taken some. Automakers try to minimize the chance of injury from the airbag deployment and their standard practice is to use high-speed cameras to record what happens when the bags...

Nice buns.(Instrumentation And Control)
February 1, 2004... In the baked goods business, looks count almost as much as taste. So ill order to further the accomplishments of the sweet-tooth trade, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are working with a large commercial bakery and a baking...

Listening for flow.(Instrumentation And Control)
February 1, 2004... One tried-and-true way of measuring the viscosity of fluids is with a Zahn cup, a small container with a hole on the bottom. A technician times the sample with a stopwatch as it drains through the hole. Or viscosity can be measured with a...

Scoping out DNA.(Instrumentation And Control)
February 1, 2004... In genetics research, the sampling rate of lab analysis equipment can influence how fast researchers reach an understanding of diseases and how they operate. And the more tests a technician can run in a day, the cheaper each test becomes. ...

A good year for public policy.(Washington window)
February 1, 2004... As Ol' Blue Eyes used to croon, "It was a very good year. For engineering-related public policy, that is. The past year saw ASME public affairs programs leap forward into national defense and the heretofore-uncharted territory of homeland...

Flowing into the future: where does virtual reality meet CAD, CFD, and FEA? In a futuristic technology poised to accelerate mechanical engineering.
February 1, 2004... Remember those white, paper glasses, a blue piece of cellophane as one lens, a red piece for the other? They were intended to give the perception of depth to the limited number of three-dimensional movies out there. Apart from that, however,...

The machinery of life: between physics and biology lies a rift in language that doctors and engineers must cross before they heal the sick.(Feature focus: biotechnology-MEs and MDs)(Cover Story)
February 1, 2004... A 13-year old girl from Wimbledon and another, 10 years old, from Tooting are among an exclusive group of young bone cancer patients in England who will be skipping painful leg lengthening procedures these next few years because of a new device...

A practical hero: or, how an obscure New York mechanic got a steam-powered toy to drive sawmills.
February 1, 2004... Perhaps in the first of the century of the current era, Hero of Alexandria described in his Pneumatica a rotary machine driven by steam. A hollow sphere was connected to a cauldron by a tube that also served as the axle. Jets of steam from two...

To stand and protect: an infrared spectrometer sees harmful vapors at a distance.
February 1, 2004... When the World Trade Organization met in 1999, the host city, Seattle, was tense. There would be political demonstrations that could turn violent. There would be a response to enforce order. No one could foresee everything. Someone might even...

Silent running: there are rewards for being quiet.
February 1, 2004... We may have found what's golden about silence. People are willing to pay a handsome premium for it. Noise, after all, can be damaging both to the state of mind and to the sense of hearing. And, as Dan Snyder and Elizabeth Smith of SKF USA...

Level winding system.(new products)
February 1, 2004... ALTERNATE MECHANICAL DRIVES, ATLANTA, GA. The company has introduced a level winder that improves winding accuracy by integrating inexpensive sensor technology with a Uhing rolling ring traverse assembly. The resulting level winding system...

Integrated test valve assembly.(new products)
February 1, 2004... SWAGELOK CO., SOLON, OHIO. With the company's 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...

Compact design valves.(new products)
February 1, 2004... IMI NORGREN INC., LITTLETON, COLO. Combining a compact design with high performance, the Super X valve Series is for use in projects where space and envelope size are limited. Featuring high flow capacities, these valves are suitable for...

Regulator system.(new products)
February 1, 2004... SCOTT SPECIALTY GASES, PLUMSTEADVILLE. PA. The Model 804 Automatic ChangeOver Regulator System eliminates costly downtime by providing constant uninterrupted flow of specialty gases. The new system reduces operating costs by permitting...

Carbon monoxide meter.(new products)
February 1, 2004... AEMC INSTRUMENTS, FOXBOROUGH, MASS. The Model CA895 carbon monoxide meter measures the level of carbon monoxide present in the surrounding atmosphere from 0 to 1,000 ppm. It uses a catalytic sensor, which doesn't consume any chemical substance....

Check valves.(new products)
February 1, 2004... ARK-PLAS PRODUCTS INC., FLIPPIN, ARK. Barbed check valves aid fluid control in applications up to 150 psi. They are made with a highly polished barb, molded without a parting line to ensure a leakproof seal. Threaded check valves replace one of...

Industrial pumps.(new products)
February 1, 2004... WANNER ENGINEERING INC., MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. The Vector Series sanitary grade industrial pumps feature FDA-approved Varprene or PharMed hoses for trouble-free operation in food and pharmaceutical applications. These peristaltic pumps provide...

Rotary joints.(new products)
February 1, 2004... STRATOS LIGHTWAVE INC., CHICA60, ILL. Rotary joints for fiber optic systems are the optical equivalent of the electrical slip ring, allowing uninterrupted transmission of data in applications that require a full 360 degrees rotation of the...

Flow meter.(new products)
February 1, 2004... HEDLAND FLOW METERS, RACINE, WIS. The company has expanded its EZ-View variable area flow meter line. EZ-View is now available to measure air and other compressed gases in addition to the traditional line of oil and water flow meters. The newly...

Fan and pump drive.(new products)
February 1, 2004... YASKAWA ELECTRIC AMERICA INC., NEW BERLIN. WIS. The new P7 drive for fans and pumps in industrial applications provides V/f control, 110 percent overload capability, and a selection of network communication and input/output options. The P7 is...

Control valve positioners.(new products)
February 1, 2004... SPIRAX SARCO INC., BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. The SP2 loop-powered Smart Positioner provides a smart approach to pneumatic control for improved valve performance and efficiency in fluid processing. It offers precise valve positioning, critical to...

Fuel water separator brackets.(new products)
February 1, 2004... SIERRA, LITCHFIELD, ILL. Water or contaminants in fuel can ruin a boat, so Sierra, a business unit of Teleflex Marine, has introduced new fuel water separator brackets that accommodate fuel/water separators. These brackets are designed for...

Port ball valves.(new products)
February 1, 2004... INSERTA PRODUCTS INC., BLUE BELL, PA. Flange-type two-port ball valves provide a straightforward means of installing a ball valve in a circuit that uses any of the offered four-bolt flange mounting patterns. These ball valves can be installed...

Mixer drives.(new products)
February 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA MIXERS. PALMYRA. PA. The company's Series 3800M mixer drives are for specialty and basic chemical, water, and wastewater treatment applications. Engineered to provide optimal operating efficiency and low cost, these drives feature...

Two-way drum pump.(new products)
February 1, 2004... EXAIR CORP., CINCINNATI, OHIO. The Reversible Drum Vac quickly converts an ordinary 30-gallon closed-head drum into a powerful liquid vacuum, capable of filling the drum in one minute. With the turn of a knob, the same pump empties the drum. It...

Clamping jaw.(new products)
February 1, 2004... PHD INC. FORT WAYNE, IND. Series PFC clamps featuring the company's "W" jaw design are particularly suited for clamping short, wide parts closer to the tooling surface. The "W" jaw produces 7,200 lbs. of total clamp force 2.187 in. above the...

Watertight coils.(new products)
February 1, 2004... PARKER HANNIFIN CORP., FLUID CONTROL DIV., NEW BRITAIN. CONN. Parker now has improved, watertight coils for its Skinner 7000 Series and Gold Ring valves. These encapsulated coils, which totally enclose and protect the electrical components of...

Bolted joint evaluation software.(Instrumentation & Control)
February 1, 2004... BoltFAST consists of three distinct components: Joint Analysis, Torque Analysis and Thread Analysis, By combining a large database of fastener and interface materials and their physical characteristics, BoltFAST allows the engineer to quickly...

Wave Springs.(Power Transmission & Motion Control)
February 1, 2004... The new Smalley Steel Ring Company Wave Spring Catalog is now available. Smalley has over 1800 springs in stock with sizes from 3/8," to 16". Special designs range from 9/32" to 84", carbon and stainless steel are available. Smalley offers a...

Custom pressure systems, manifolds and assemblies!(Instrumentation & Control)
February 1, 2004... Tescom Corporation, Elk River, Minnesota has released a new 6 page brochure highlighting their capability of providing custom manifolds, systems and assemblies for test and measurement applications. Tescom has designed and manufactured custom...

Raymond[R] Mechanical Spring Struts.(Power Transmission & Motion Control)
February 1, 2004... New Raymond[R] Mechanical Spring Struts, in standard and high-load options, provide better durability and reliability than conventional gas or pneumatic springs. Made of stainless steel and with no internal gases or seals that leak, they meet...

Film indicates stress distribution.(Instrumentation & Control)
February 1, 2004... Pressurex[R] enables you to quickly and inexpensively determine force distribution and magnitude between contacting surfaces. Microcapsules within the film burst at specific pressure levels and cause an instantaneous color change, producing a...

Centralized lubrication systems.(Power Transmission & Motion Control)
February 1, 2004... A new color catalog is available on Oil-Rite's PurgeX[R] centralized lubrication systems. With explicit detail on dimensions, specifications and engineering data. Liquid or Grease delivery. Air or Electric Motor operated. Also available: Air...

New Optics catalog.(Materials & Assembly)
February 1, 2004... 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...

ALGOR & Alibre offer complete CAD/CAE solution for $4,950.(Engineering Tools)
February 1, 2004... ALGOR has set a new price point of $4,950 for a complete CAD/CAE solution that provides parametric, feature-based solid modeling; real-time collaboration; and stress analysis with extensibility to a wide range of FEA capabilities, including...

Fundamentals of Rotating Machinery Diagnostics, by Donald E. Bently with Charles T. Hatch.(Engineering Tools)
February 1, 2004... 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...

Rotating electrical connectors.(Materials & Assembly)
February 1, 2004... 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...

Free seminars and webcasts to advance your FEA knowledge.(Engineering Tools)
February 1, 2004... Go beyond the realm of basic FEA and explore the world of what's possible with ABAQUS. Whether you need to understand the detailed behavior of a complex assembly, explore some concepts for a new design, or simulate a manufacturing process,...

Introducing ANSYS FEMXplorer.(Engineering Tools)
February 1, 2004... The ANSYS FEMXplorer module computes data vital to the improvement of product design performance. When combined with ANSYS, this powerful application allows analysts to make intelligent design directives given multiple competing objectives....

Welding software.(Engineering Tools)
February 1, 2004... Fast, Flexible and Friendly, Welding Pro-Write makes maintaining welder continuity, WPQs, PQRs, and WPSs a quick and painless process. With built-in Code checking, you'll never question the accuracy of your ASME documents. Our new report...

OMEGA[R] made in the USA Edition Handbook[TM].(Engineering Tools)
February 1, 2004... The Made In USA Handbook[TM] is a 3,000-page hardbound color handbook with over 100,000 products, all made in the U.S.A. This edition features many Temperature, Pressure, Force, Flow, Level, pH, Conductivity, Humidity and Data Acquisition...

CAEPIPE--the new standard piping stress analysis software.(Engineering Tools)
February 1, 2004... Once again, CAEPIPE pushes the limits. The new Windows program is comprehensive, usable and efficient. View data simultaneously through multiple windows for input, details, graphics, and results, Unmatched rendering for graphics visualization...