Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from January 2002

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from January 2002

Auld Lang Syne. (Editorial).(impact of 9/11 on industry and economy)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
January 1, 2002... An old saying among stock market pundits is that "a rising tide lifts all boats." That is, when the overall economy and markets go up, they pull up even marginal companies. As the New Year begins, the world is in the midst of a tidal wave....

Letters.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... NANOTECH AND RADIATION To the Editor: As I approach the end of my engineering career, I read with fascination about the progress in nanotechnology. What I have never seen addressed in these articles are the potential impacts on this...

This virtual lung is a model breather. (News & Notes).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A virtual lung model developed at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash., could help predict the impact of pollutants on respiratory systems and provide insight into conditions such as asthma, which afflicts 15 million...

Keeping close tabs on tire condition. (News & Notes).(Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Siemens VDO Automotive AG will develop a tire pressure warning system)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Akron-based Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and Siemens VDO Automotive AG of Regensburg, Germany, will together develop a tire pressure warning system that alerts drivers to falling tire pressure and rising tire temperatures. The joint effort...

Trial in a computer cuts handling costs. (News & Notes).(GM Powertrain)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... GM Powertrain in Pontiac, Mich., is always on the lookout for ways to improve the productivity of the engines, transmissions, castings, and components it manufactures, largely for General Motors cars and trucks, and for 25 other QEMs, including...

The train returns to maine. (News & Notes).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The state of Maine has brought back passenger rail service after a 30-year absence. Owned by the state and operated by Amtrak, the Downeaster rail service makes stops in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, and will link Portland and...

A sensor to keep the sludge flowing. (News & Notes).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Clogging is the enemy of pressure readings in wastewater, sludge, slurries, and other hard-to-handle fluids. Conventional diaphragm seals, which tap into a pipeline to sense the fluid and send the signal to the gauge, are subject to plugging....

Marathon oil buys African assets. (News & Notes).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Marathon Oil Co. of Houston is paying $993 million for CMS Energy Corp.'s production and refining interests in Equatorial Guinea, a tiny nation on Africa's Atlantic coast. The purchase will give Marathon large stakes in several offshore...

Extra credit option for [CO.sub.2] emissions. (News & Notes).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A ranking senator has introduced a bill that proposes the first step toward trading emissions credits for carbon dioxide and other s suspected greenhouse gases. The bill, introduced by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), doesn't attempt to...

Flexible fuel tanks extend a jet's range. (News & Notes).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica S.A., better known as Embraer, of Sao Jose Dos Campos, Brazil, has grown from its founding 33 years ago into one of the world's most successful manufacturers of commercial and military aircraft. Innovative...

DaimlerChrysler and Millennium Cell, a development company in Eatontown. (Briefly noted).(Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... DaimlerChrysler and Millennium Cell, a development company in Eatontown, N.J., have unveiled a fuel cell vehicle with a hydrogen--on-demand system that produces [H.sub.2] by catalyzing sodium boro-hydride. The entire drive system fits beneath...

Transocean Sedco Forex Inc. (Briefly noted).(Cajun Express and Sedco Express semi--submersible rigs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * The Cajun Express and Sedco Express semi--submersible rigs, made by Transocean Sedco Forex Inc. of Houston, will be fulfilling new exploration contracts in the Gulf of Mexico and Mediterranean. The Cajun Express will drill a single well in...

If sales for its new electronic book soar, Productivity Inc. of Portland, Ore., may have to recalculate the "takt" time. (Briefly noted).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * If sales for its new electronic book soar, Productivity Inc. of Portland, Ore., may have to recalculate the "takt" time. That's the rate at which products must be turned out to satisfy demand. It is one of 500 terms defined in LeanSpeak, the...

NRG Energy Inc. of Minneapolis has agreed to buy four coal-fueled generating stations from First Energy Corp. for $1.3 billion. (Briefly noted).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * NRG Energy Inc. of Minneapolis has agreed to buy four coal--fueled generating stations from First Energy Corp. for $1.3 billion. The plants, located along Lake Erie, near Cleveland and Toledo, Ohio, generate 2,535 megawatts. As part of the...

In pursuit of cleaner-burning jets. (Computing).(NASA improving jet engine combustion)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... NASA is using new scientific engineering software and visualization systems to improve jet engine combustion, which has a direct effect on passenger safety, fuel economy, and pollution. "A key goal is to achieve more efficient combustion,...

Simulation speeds an engine. (Computing).(Coltec Industries Inc. tests engine design using software)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... In designing its rotary engine for military use, aircraft parts manufacturer ColTech Inc. of Phoenix used simulation software to test design concepts and model motion before producing an engine prototype. The Coltech internal combustion...

Headset heard around the world. (Computing).(new headset for DaimlerChrysler AG minivan)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The Aberdeen Group of Boston has named as one of its top 10 customer and vendor pairs two developers of a wireless headset used in 2002 DaimlerChrysler minivans. The pair was named in a recent Abderdeen Group report, called Collaborative...

New, improved nanotubes. (Computing).(high strength carbon tubes research)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A team of researchers at Pennsylvania State University in University Park has used computers to simulate potential carbon tubes with mechanical strength comparable to that of diamond. The team, lead by Vincent Crespi, an associate professor of...

Analyzing blade design. (Computing).(Caterpillar Inc. uses computer simulation to test blades)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar of Peoria, Ill., uses computer simulation to optimize blade design, thereby improving the performance of its torque converters. Blade shapes designed for three components--the impeller, the turbine, and...

Visualizing the weather. (Computing).(computer software research for weather forecasting)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A real-time, three-dimensional Weather visualization system may help severe-weather researchers improve the timeliness and accuracy of forecasting the formation, path, and possible effects of storms, according to a group of researchers at the...

FEA helps modify power presses. (Computing).(Danly Engineering Services division of Enprotech Mechanical Services Inc. makes new press for General Motors)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... To give each car model its own look automotive manufacturers create the curves and angles of car bodies with stampings produced by power presses. These presses form flat pieces of metal into the shapes we think of as distinct automobile...

Oce-USA of Chicago will team with Adobe Systems Inc. (Briefly noted).
January 1, 2002... Oce-USA of Chicago will team with Adobe Systems Inc. of San Jose, Calif., to market the Adobe PostScript and Adobe portable document format, or PDF, to engineering and reprographics customers.

Design simulation software manufacturer Mechanical Dynamics. (Briefly noted).(Mechanical Dynamics Inc. contract manufacturing for Autodesk Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * Design simulation software manufacturer Mechanical Dynamics of Ann Arbor, Mich., has released Dynamic Designer for Autodesk Mechanical Desktop from Autodesk Inc. of San Rafael, Calif.

ESAB Cutting Systems. (Briefly noted).
January 1, 2002... * ESAB Cutting Systems of Florence, S.C., has released Vision Plus, an integrated software package designed specifically for cutting machines.

Ironcad. (Briefly noted).(Ironcad software update)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * Ironcad of Atlanta, maker of computer-aided design software, has released Ironcad 5.0.

Robert McNeel & Associates. (Briefly noted).(Robert McNeel and Associates Inc. software update)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * Robert McNeel & Associates of Seattle has released Rhinoceros 2.0, an upgrade to its design and modeling software for industrial, product, and scene designers.

Dynaflow. (Briefly noted).(Dynaflow Inc. introduces new product)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * Dynaflow of Jessup, Md., a maker of computational fluid dynamics software, has released 3DynaFS, a general-purpose CFD package for simulation of three-dimensional nonlinear large deformation and free surface fluid flows.

Actify Inc. of San Francisco, which makes a Web animation product. (Briefly noted).(Actify Inc. form alliance with Emgineering.com Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * Actify Inc. of San Francisco, which makes a Web animation product, and Engineering.com Inc. of Woodbridge, Ontario, have formed an alliance that will allow Actify's animation software to be sold on the Engineering.com Web site.

Centric Software. (Briefly noted).(software upgrade)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * Centric Software of San Jose, Calif., has released a software upgrade, Centric Innovation 3.0.

Ricoh Corp. (Briefly noted).(introduces online file management software)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * A supplier of computer-connected document systems, Ricoh Corp. of New York, has introduced Document Mall, a Web-based software system that allows corporations to store, manage, and share files through the Internet.

Spatial of Boulder, Colo., and Tech Soft America of Oakland, Calif., have formed the OpenHSF Initiative. (Briefly noted).
January 1, 2002... * Spatial of Boulder, Colo., and Tech Soft America of Oakland, Calif., have formed the OpenHSF Initiative, which includes the companies' publication of the HSF specification, which they say will provide open visualization file format that meets...

Online design provider Alibre of Richardson, Texas, has released a version of Alibre Design that is available for Microsoft's Windows XP operating system. (Briefly noted).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * Online design provider Alibre of Richardson, Texas, has released a version of Alibre Design that is available for Microsoft's Windows XP operating system. The software is an online mechanical design and data-sharing application.

Eysium Inc. of Torrance, Calif., and Maya Metrix of Montreal have entered into a strategic alliance to make and market technology. (Briefly noted).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... * Eysium Inc. of Torrance, Calif., and Maya Metrix of Montreal have entered into a strategic alliance to make and market technology that will use computer-aided design parts and assembly models on the shop floor.

Motion control training. (Software Exchange).(Performance Motion Devices Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Capability: Pro-Motion, designed to reduce the learning curve for users of the developer's motion control boards, is now included with each control board developer's kit. The kit includes a control board, a selected chipset from the developer,...

CFD package has new meshing tools. (Software Exchange).(computational fluid dynamics software)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Capability: CFX-5.5 is a computational fluid dynamics software package that--compared with past versions-- includes a range of new meshing tools and a new postprocessor that enhances application range and usability; according to the developer....

Thermal model creation. (Software Exchange).(Flomerics Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Capability: The updated Flopack Version 2.2 can be used to generate thermal models of integrated circuit packages and associated parts. The software is the latest edition of the developer's Web-based thermal model generator and is designed for...

Entry-level modeling package. (Software Exchange).(Ashlar-Vellum)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Capability: Argon, a three-dimensional modeling package, is for entry-level modelers or for those who need a companion modeling tool to fit with third-party 3-D packages. To is offered include precision input, automatic generation of 2-D...

Uniform CAD package. (Software Exchange).(Sescoi)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Capability: WorkNC-CAD offers mold, tool, and die businesses a uniform computer-aided design package. The software is a CAD application that also offers optional interfaces to any CAD systems on the market. The product is sold as stand-alone...

Factory-floor vision. (Software Exchange).(Cognex Corp. software upgrade)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Capability: Checkpoint II is a factory-floor vision system designed for multi-camera guidance gauging and defect-inspecting applications. It combines point-and-click software with vision processing and camera support capabilities, both of which...

Machine inspection. (Software Exchange).(Coreco Imaging Inc. development software)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Capability: Sherlock 6.1 is a software development environment for machine vision that allows users to develop vision applications. No programming is required. The software can be used for a variety of factory automation, inspection, and...

Hybrid Modeling. (Software Exchange).(Cadkey mechanical design software)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Capability: Design Suite is mechanical design software that the developer calls a freeform hybrid modeling application. It includes 2-D drafting, 3-D wireframe, solid modeling, freeform surface modeling, and photorealistic rendering...

Open-source CAD development. (Software Exchange).(software from Open Cascade)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Capability: Open Cascade is open-source software for three-dimensional modeling. Version four is simpler to install than past versions, according to the developer, because code, binaries, samples, and documentation can be downloaded separately,...

Tiny tubing for stomach. (Materials and Assembly).(Medfab develops cauterizing device)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Acid reflux disease, in which acid backs up from the stomach into the esophagus, is a painful condition that can cause serious health problems. Medfab, a contract manufacturer of medical devices in Jaffrey, N.H., worked with a customer on a new...

Taking the heat. (Materials and Assembly).(Res-Tech Corp., ValleyLab team to develop reusable medical instrument)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Res-Tech Corp., a plastics injection molder in Clinton, Mass., got a request from ValleyLab, a medical equipment supplier in Boulder, Colo., to supply a reusable electrocautery pen. The device had to withstand sterilization at 270[degrees]F...

Combine of beans. (Materials and Assembly).(G.I. Plastek, Deere and Bayer Corp. work to make harvester body panels out of soybeans)
January 1, 2002... John Deere is putting soybeans back to work in the field. The Moline, Ill., manufacturer is using a feedstock resin derived from soybeans to mold exterior body panels for combines. G.I. Plastek, the molder, worked with Deere and Bayer Corp. to...

Keeping it cool. (Materials and Assembly).(Intelligent Motion Systems Inc., high-torque motor and drive)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A manufacturer in Marlborough, Conn., developed a high-torque motor and drive and, by integrating the electronics, eliminated the need to run cabling through the machine, reducing potential problems due to electrical noise. To manage the...

Leaf blower tank. (Materials and Assembly).(Stihl Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Fuel tanks on backpack blowers and sprayers used by professional landscapers need to be lightweight, tough, and resistant to gasoline. Stihl Inc., a manufacturer of outdoor power equipment, decided to make the fuel tank of its BR 420 Series...

Safe deposit boxes use two grades of plastic. (Materials and Assembly).(Diebold Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The LM Series of safe deposit boxes, manufactured by Diebold Inc. of Canton, Ohio, since 1982, has gone through several evolutions, and has been turned out in both plastic and metal. Each substance presented drawbacks, according to marketing...

Hose for a scrape. (Materials and Assembly).(Parker Hannifin Corp. Hose Products Div.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Construction, forestry, agriculture, and mining industries often run hoses through some punishing environments. To cope with the problem, Parker Hannifin Corp.'s hose products division in Wickliffe, Ohio, introduced abrasion-resistant 782TC and...

Cutting the static. (Materials and Assembly).(Stat-Tech)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... The electronics industry risks losing billions of dollars a year from electrostatic discharge. To address the situation, Stat-Tech, a division of Gary Plastic Packaging Corp. in Santa Ana, Calif., manufactures injection molded, rigid plastic...

Sept. 11 renews support for R&D programs. (Washington Window).(funding for energy research and development)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... When President Bush issued his proposed fiscal year 2002 budget to Congress last April, things did not look particularly good for research and development programs in most federal agencies. Compared with previous years, many programs were...

Scanner. (New Products).(Contex Scanning Technology Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... CONTEX SCANNING TECHNOLOGY INC., ONTARIO, CALIF. The new Chameleon 36-in, monochrome/color scanner features 425 dpi optical resolution and patented high-precision color scanners, variable line resolution, and adaptive error diffusion. It also...

Self-calibrating monitor. (New Products).(Sensotec Inc., transducer signal conditioner)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... SENSOTEC INC., COLUMBUS, OHIO. Model SC1000 and SC2000 self-calibrating transducer signal conditioners now include a dual-line 16-character display with 8-mm alphanumeric characters and a new front panel with sealed membrane switches for...

Sensorless brushless servo-amplifier. (New Products).(Maxon Precision Motors Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... MAXON PRECISION MOTORS INC., BURLINGAME, CALIF. The new AECS 35/3 is a sensorless servo-amplifier designed for either closed-loop velocity control of brushless motors via sensing back-EMF of the motor, or for communication only. Designed for...

Autotune temperature/process controllers. (New Products).(Omega Engineering Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... OMEGA ENGINEERING, INC., STAMFORD, CONN. The new CN9600 autotune temperature/process controller includes several new features, the most important being the option of a low-cost serial communicating system with Windows-based software. The CN9-SW...

Safety control relays. (New Products).(from Rockwell Automation)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, MILWAUKEE, Wis. Allen-Bradley Bulletin 700S safety control relays provide mechanically linked (positively guided) contacts, which are required in feedback circuits for safety applications such as e-stops, safety gates,...

High-pressure gate valves. (New Products).(from KSB Armaturen GmbH)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... KSB ARMATUREN GMBH, FRANKENTHAL, GERMANY. Now available are superheated steam gate valves with bodies made of a new material, E 911. Compared with conventional materials, E 911 is said to feature significantly improved long-term,...

Linear actuator. (New Products).(from Amacoil Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... AMACOIL INC., ASTON, PA. A new RS "rolling ring" linear actuator features an integrated linear scale providing both travel direction sensing capability and linear position control accurate to 0.01 mm. The RS/linear scale assembly is designed...

Stepper/servo brakes. (New Products).(from Electroid Co.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... ELECTROID Co., SPRINGFIELD, N.J. The SSB Series of front end brakes are designed for braking applications on stepper and servo motors. Available for NEMA 23, 34, and 42 sizes and designed specifically to plug into a stepper or servo motor, the...

Motion control system. (New Products).(from Giddings and Lewis Control Measurement and Sensing)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... GIDDINGS & LEWIS CONTROLS, MEASUREMENT AND SENSING, FOND DU LAG, WIS. The new Cimrex C1OO industrial PC terminal features a PC and touchscreen display along with this company's MMC for PC motion control package and PicPro programming software...

Operator interfaces. (New Products).(from Exor International)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... EXOR INTERNATIONAL, WELLINGTON, FLA. Nine new models are available in this company's low-cost MD Series of operator interfaces. The Model MDO3R-02/04 is available as either a 2 x 20 or a 4 x 20 backlit LCD with 19 membrane keys and 128...

Anti-creep ball slides. (New Products).(from Del-Tron Precision Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... DEL-TRON PRECISION BETHEL, CONN. A new line of ant-creep ball slide assemblies eliminates misalignment that can sometimes occur in conventional linear motion device when they operate with vertical or uneven loads or offset forces. The new...

Small vibratory feeders. (New Products).(from Eriez Magnetics)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... ERIEz MAGNETICS, ERIE , PA. The HD-26 and HD-36 small, high-deflection vibratory feeders are s id by the manufacturer to be ideal f r moving small volumes of powders and leafy products. The new feeders combine the higher deflection (3/16 in.)...

SCR and diode tester. (New Products).(silicon-controlled rectifier)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... AMPS ABUNDANT, CYPRESS, CALIF. The portable Model M3K silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) and power diode tester weighs 6 lbs. It tests both reverse current leakage and gate triggering on SCRs and it incorporates a phone jack for connection to...

Air gap monitoring system. (New Products).(from Bently Nevada Corp.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... BENTLY NEVADA CORP., REDMOND, WASH. A new 3500/46M Stator Mounted Air Gap monitoring system aimed at the hydroelectric power generation industry measures the distance between the rotating and stationary parts in the generator. This measurement...

Digital telemetry system. (New Products).(from Bindfield Engineering Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... BINSFELD ENGINEERING INC., MAPLE CITY, MICH. The Torque Trak 9000-IP is a permanently powered digital radio telemetry system that is able to convert shafts up to 4 in. in diameter into rotating torque sensor . The system includes a fiberglass...

Stainless steel regulators. (New Products).(from Control Corporation of America)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... CONCOA, VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. The new 493 Series single-stage cylinder gas regulators are recommended by the manufacturer for gauge calibration, airplane strut charging, aerospace hydraulic systems, and high-pressure hydrogenation. The 316L...

Making a clean getaway: Battery-powered electric vehicles are forming a symbiotic relationship with commuter rail. (Feature Focus: Next-Generation Transportation).(Industry Overview)
January 1, 2002... IN 1998 A RULING ON the use of golf carts on public roads was handed down by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Responding to legislation passed in California and Florida that permitted the electric vehicles to ride off the...

Speed for Uncle Sam's Cargo: A spreader bar designed to transfer military cargo directly from railcars to ships also benefits civilian freight handling. (Feature Focus: Next-Generation Transportation).(spreader bars for cranes)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... AS WAS DEMONSTRATED once again in October, the logistical agility of the United States armed forces enables the nation to project its power into countries as remote as Afghanistan. The aircraft, artillery, and vehicles deployed on the...

Technology vs. Terrorism: Some of the best engineering brains offer antidotes in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. (Mechanical Engineering Special Report).
January 1, 2002... REMEMBER TOTAL RECALL? Arnold Schwarzenegger's skeleton packs an automatic through a detection tunnel on his way to Mars. Then there's the chestnut about the kid who has to land the plane while the ground controller talks him down. Those...

Probabilisitc problem solving: Predictive technologies return uncertain answers--and that's the difference.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... PREDICTIVE TECHNOLOGIES based on a probabilistic method of problem solving are gaining a steady foothold as a method of finding answers to engineering and other types of problems. According to the developer of one such technology, these...

A bid to take the lead: Seeking to assure the prosperity of one of its key industries, Korea sees a future measured in nanometers. (Eye on the Future: Nanotechnology).
January 1, 2002... THE KOREAN GOVERNMENT is preparing to support a pillar of its economic strength, electronics. Analysts see demand increasing for ever-faster and smaller devices, which are already bordering the nanometer scale. As a result, Korea has put forth...

Weeding without sensorship: This cutter is taking some of the labor out of caring for delicate grape vines.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... UNTIL MODERN TIMES, vineyards used workers to cut weeds that grew too close to the vines. Chemical defoliants reduced this backbreaking labor, but environmental concerns have precluded their use. Mechanical weeders can do the job, but only if...

A Robot in your tank. (Input Output).(robot inspects bottom of oil storge tanks)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... A robot that could scuttle across the floors of oil storage tanks even when they are full of crude might perform rigorous inspections of the tanks' bottoms. This would relieve the oil handlers of an onerous chore. Every 10 years or so it has...