Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from January 2006

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from January 2006

Only on M.E. magazine online @ www.memagazine.org.
January 1, 2006... Responses to the December Question of the Month: Is there a downside to forming research and education consortiums with groups from other countries who are also competitors in the engineering marketplace? More than half of the...

Clarity from complexity.(Nanotechnology for Dummies)(Book review)
January 1, 2006... There's a book out that I was tempted to buy as a holiday gift last month for some of my more unimaginative, non-technology-minded friends, who wince whenever I try to talk with them about some of the articles we publish in this magazine. There...

Doing the Math.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... To the Editor: I read with great interest the article in Computing in the November 2005 issue of Mechanical Engineering entitled "Don't Trust That Tool." The article indicated that Alan Stevens, a specialist in mathematical modeling at...

Lights off for savings.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... To the Editor: Re: The coming oil shortage and the energy crisis. Not too long ago, someone in the auto industry decided it would be a good idea for all cars and pickup trucks to have their headlights turned on upon turning on the engine....

Engineers rebuild.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... To the Editor: While the news media discusses all too frequently the perceived shortcomings of civic leaders and politicians that exacerbated the effect of Hurricane Katrina, hardly any exposure is given to the engineering profession, which...

Hydrogen bubble.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... To the Editor: The July 2005 letter from Philip Manfredi correctly asks pointed questions about hydrogen-powered transportation. Fundamentally, several units of energy must be consumed at the plant, whether renewable, fossil-fuel, or...

Faded refinery.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... To the Editor: I am a 5th-grade student in Castaic Elementary School in California. I have seen the letters written to the editors in my father's ME magazines. A while ago, I had to do a project regarding a historic landmark in the area. I...

Lose fatigue with this nano mattress.(news & notes)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... Jump up and down on a bed, and the springs in the mattress flex and rebound. Jump up and down on it a thousand times, however, and those springs may begin to give out. But researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University...

Chinese cars for U.S. roads.(North American International Auto Show)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Two Chinese automakers have taken their first steps toward breaking into the U.S. market. They've set their sights on Europe, too. One, Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd., took part in a trade event called the China Brand Show in New York in...

Mature appraisal.(government-funded program)
January 1, 2006... Eight sites operated by Boeing Integrated Defense Systems have received the highest appraisal under a government-funded program intended to improve and rate a company's management processes. The appraisal program deals with something called...

Token fees.(news & notes)(token pricing system )
January 1, 2006... The latest release of NEiNastran, version 9.0, will be available on a flexible-charge system that will let customers take licenses geared to their use of the software. The software developer, Noran Engineering Inc. in Westminster, Calif., said...

New steam.(news & notes)(new book released)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... What difference does a decade make? For Babcock & Wilcox, the engineering company based in Barberton, Ohio, the last 13 years have meant an enormous overhaul in its flagship textbook, Steam: Its Generation and Use. According to Steve...

One more fellow.(news & notes)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... We've learned that one Fellow was omitted from the honors list that was published as a supplement to Mechanical Engineering magazine in November last year. Mohamad S. Qatu, P.E., leads a team that supports advanced product creation at Ford...

Pinion Software Inc.(Briefly Noted)
January 1, 2006... Pinion Software Inc. is offering AutoShred DWF, software designed to protect intellectual property in AutoCAD files, as a free download at www.pinionsoftware.com/ GetAutoShredDWF.

VariCAD.(Briefly Noted)
January 1, 2006... Free trial versions of VariCAD 2005 2.00, a 3-D and 2-D mechanical CAD system, are available at www.varicad.com.

NASA has awarded a contract to CH2M Hill Inc. for environmental engineering Services at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and at other government facilities.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... NASA has awarded a contract to CH2M Hill Inc. for environmental engineering Services at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and at other government facilities. The contract has a two-year base period and a maximum value of $25...

Hayes Lemmerz International Inc. of Northville, Mich., has sold Hayes Lemmerz International-Cadillac Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary that operates its Cadillac, Mich., facility, to a group of private investors.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Hayes Lemmerz International Inc. of Northville, Mich., has sold Hayes Lemmerz International-Cadillac Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary that operates its Cadillac, Mich., facility, to a group of private investors. The company will be renamed...

DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee.(new facility)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee of Maryville, Tenn., has announced the largest single expansion in its 15-year history. The new facility, which will cost approximately $185 million, will produce automotive electronic components. DENSO expects the...

Dynamic Materials Corp.(contract)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Dynamic Materials Corp. of Boulder, Colo., a leading international metalworking company, has received a $7.5 million contract for the production and delivery of clad metal plates for use in a North American refinery project.

Sound dock in a storm.(computing)(Madsen Giersing)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... A SHIP'S DOCK MUST BEAR THE WEAR and tear that huge tankers can inflict over time, and withstand the forces of the sea, as well. Engineering software can reasonably assure engineers that their designs will hold up. A Brisbane, Australia,...

Sweet sounds, cool air.(computing)
January 1, 2006... HOW DO YOU TEST the effectiveness of air circulation when you can't actually see it? That question crossed the minds of engineers at the London consulting firm Arup, which had a large hand in the recent refurbishment of the Sheffield City...

Deep dive.(computing)(Poseidon Diving Systems's breathing regulator )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... ON JUNE 10, 2005, in the Red Sea, South African diver Nuno Gomes became the first person to reach 1,044 feet, a record validated by Guinness World Records. A Swedish equipment manufacturer, Poseidon Diving Systems, designed the Poseidon...

Widening the pool.(computing)(MfgQuote.com provides supplier-dealer information)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... IT TAKES A HOST OF SUPPLIERS to make a space vehicle and finding companies capable of making the specialized devices used on those vehicles can be a headache. Now a Space Shuttle contractor, Payload Systems Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., has...

Nokia research site established at MIT.(computing)(Massachusetts Institute of Technology)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... RESEARCHERS FROM THE Massachusetts Institute of Technology and from mobile phone maker Nokia Corp. of Espoo, Finland, will work together on a vision for mobile computing at a new facility near the MIT campus. MIT's Computer Science and...

Gas-guzzling calculator.(computing)(hybrid electric fleet cost and benefits calculator tool)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... WONDER IF IT'S REALLY CHEAPER to drive a hybrid? They cost more, but they burn less. To compare the costs and emissions of hybrid electric vehicles to conventional vehicles, fleet managers who want to reduce fuel costs and protect air...

Smoother sailing.(computing)(Dixon Yacht Design uses Solidworks)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... YACHT MAKERS GENERALLY PASS drawings back and forth in two dimensions. But that doesn't mean parts need to be designed that way. Dixon Yacht Design of Southampton, England, standardized on 3-D CAD software to avoid shifting designs from...

Cutting the circuit's heat.(engineering software)(Brief article)
January 1, 2006... IT PAYS TO WORK OUT PROBLEMS early rather than wait until later, during the production stage. As a major disk-drive manufacturer rushed to get a new product ready for market, engineers recognized the potential for thermal problems. The...

To the moon.(computing)(software for aerial view of the moon)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... INTERNET USERS CAN NOW TAKE virtual three-dimensional trips to nearly anyplace on the moon, thanks to a NASA program first designed to show aerial views of the Earth. The moon is the newest addition to the software system. "We have just...

VariCAD.(Briefly Noted)(software updated)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... VariCAD 2005 1.15 has been updated so the Linux version can import and export STEP 3-D files, as the Windows version already does. Trial copies of the software are available for download through www.varicad.com.

Libbey Inc., based in Toledo, Ohio, has standardized on SolidWorks with 21 licenses to design molds, tooling, and machinery for its seven plants around the world.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Libbey Inc., based in Toledo, Ohio, has standardized on SolidWorks with 21 licenses to design molds, tooling, and machinery for its seven plants around the world. The company has used the system to create 3-D architectural renderings of an...

UGS Corp. is the software supplier to current champions of three separate racing circuits.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... UGS Corp. is the software supplier to current champions of three separate racing circuits. Joe Gibbs Racing took the NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship in November; KB Racing won the National Hot Rod Association's Pro Stock Championship in October,...

In tolerance?(software exchange)
January 1, 2006... Capability: The ToleranceCalc 4.0 wizard performs in-process linear and angular stack-up and Six Sigma quality analysis on CAD parts or assemblies. The application gives CAD users answers to two questions at any stage of the design process....

Folding and unfolding.(software exchange)
January 1, 2006... Capability: The 3-D modeling program TouchCAD 3.5.0 is used to model parts that unfold, such as blimps, balloons, sails, retractable roofs, or sheet-metal parts. The application links the 3-D model to the unfolded parts, which cuts the time...

Solver spots contact areas.(software exchange)
January 1, 2006... Capability: The NEiNastran V9.0 solver automatically recognizes contact areas and generates surface contact or weld elements, saving significant time during model setup of analytical tools. The program contains a fully automated interface to...

CAD for Mac.(software exchange)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Capability: The computer-aided design program TurboCAD 3D for the Macintosh operating system X combines two-dimensional drafting with 3-D modeling. Features include Boolean functions, shell, fillet, extrude, sweep, and lathe. A symbol library...

Physics in tandem.(software exchange)
January 1, 2006... Capability: The scientific modeling package Comsol Multiphysics version 3.2 now reads geometry files created within all major CAD packages. The application is used to model and simulate any physics-based system. It simultaneously models...

Pretty bonds, even on complex plastics.(technology focus: MATERIALS AND ASSEMBLY)
January 1, 2006... A new infrared radiation bonding technique promises a combination of speed, the reduced likelihood of cosmetic damage, and the ability to join even unusually shaped three-dimensional plastic parts. The process, called P-Wave...

Light trucks slim down.(technology focus: MATERIALS AND ASSEMBLY)(V.N. Automoveis)
January 1, 2006... Every extra pound in the body of a light truck is a pound that must be subtracted from the payload. That makes shaving needless weight from the truck body a priority. To meet that challenge, design company V.N. Automoveis of Portugal made...

Making the connection.
January 1, 2006... A company that focuses on high-density fiber optic connections harsh environments, the kind you might encounter during high-altitude flight, is so specialized that it isn't likely to have abundant manufacturing resources at its command. Such...

Lean manufacturing's manual modulars.(technology focus: MATERIALS AND ASSEMBLY)
January 1, 2006... Lean manufacturing works great when a plant makes just one product, but setting up a system of optimized work cells can get tricky in factories that assemble a diverse and changing slate of goods. Bosch Rexroth hopes to rectify that with...

Staying alive: forget competing with China on price. These U.S. manufacturers have found ways to earn their bread.(United States)
January 1, 2006... LIBERTY BRASS TURNING CO. INC. is exactly the type of company that low-cost Chinese imports should have swept away by now. A small machine shop with 40 employees and sales of $5 million, Liberty is located in Queens, one of New York City's...

Simply complex X: CAM keeps speed and efficiency at their max in today's world of high-speed multitasking machines.(Computer aided manufacturing)
January 1, 2006... five years ago, when the engineers at Smiths Aerospace, in Yakima, Wash., wanted to make a cylinder used on an actuator for landing gear, the production process could take months. With bosses, lugs, bearing holes, and bearing flats, the piece...

Does 4 include 3? The disconnect between word and object becomes a puzzle for the courts.(patent infringement)
January 1, 2006... did you ever take part in an exercise where you have to write instructions for performing some fairly simple task and then someone else has to follow your written instructions? The result is often comical. The obvious lesson of such an...

Water on fire: engineering imagination lights up the fountain.(engineering services)
January 1, 2006... It is impossible to imagine our existence without water and fire. We rely on them to such a degree that in many cultures they are considered sacred elements. They are also like the opposites that attract, because one quenches or evaporates...

Clear and cool: retrofitting a stadium with new escalators led to using a novel material.(escalators)
January 1, 2006... there's an old saying that you can't do only one thing. For the operators of the Amsterdam Arena in the Netherlands, the thing they wanted to do was add an escalator system to help speed spectators from the parking garage to the seating area....

E-Manufacturing: Fundamentals and Applications.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... E-Manufacturing: Fundamentals and Applications. Kai Cheng, Editor. Computational Mechanics Inc., 25 Bridge St., Billerica, MA 01821. Published by WIT Press, Southampton, U.K. 2005. 344 pages. $213. ISBN 1-85312-998-4. With chapters written...

Analytical Dynamics: Theory and Applications.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... Analytical Dynamics: Theory and applications. Mark D. Ardema. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, 233 Spring St., New York, NY 10013. 2005. 340 pages. $99. ISBN 0306-48681-4. In this book, the author takes a classical approach to the...

Micro and Nanotribology.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... Micro and Nanotribology. Nobuo Ohmae, Jean Michel Martin, and Shigeyuki Mori. ASME Press, Three Park Ave., Neu, York, NY 100165990. 2005. 194 pages. Softcover. ASME members, $60; list, $75. ISBN 0-7918-0231-0. This book covers two...

Is There An Engineer Inside You? A Comprehensive Guide to Career Decisions in Engineering.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... Is There an Engineer Inside You? A comprehensive guide to career decisions in engineering. Celeste Baine. Bonamy Publishing, P.O. Box 673, Calhoun, LA 71225. Softcover. 1999. 192pages. $14.95. ISBN09664763-0-1. The author, a biomedical...

Laser Processing of Engineering Materials.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... Laser Processing of Engineering Materials. John C. Ion. Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, 30 Corporate Dr., Burlington, MA 01803. 2005. 556 pp. $59.95. ISBN 0-7506-6079-1. The study of laser material processing is a core element of many...

Patent Law for Scientists and Engineers.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... Patent Law for Scientists and Engineers. Edited by Avery N. Goldstein. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 6000 Broken Sound Pkwy. NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742. 2005. 272 pages. $79.95. ISBN 0-8247-2383-X. The aim of this book...

Suspension Acoustics: An Introduction to the Physics of Suspensions.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... Suspension Acoustics: An introduction to the physics of suspensions. Samuel Temkin. Cambridge University Press, 40 W. 20th St., New York, NY 10011-4211. 2005. 398 pages. $110. ISBN 0-521-84757-5. This book examines, from a fundamental point...

The Design of Things to Come.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... The Design of Things to Come. Craig M. Vogel, Jonathan Cagan, and Peter Boatwright. Wharton School Publishing, whartonsp.com. 2005. 231 pages. $26.95. ISBN 013-186082-8. Being creative requires something more than just leaning back in your...

Smart Technology for Aging, Disability and Independence: The State of the Science.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
January 1, 2006... Smart Technology for Aging. Disability, and Independence: The state of the science. Edited by William C. Mann. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 111 River St., Hoboken, N.J. 07030-5774. 2005. 379pages. $84.95. ISBN 0-471-69694-3. This overview of...

ASME codes & standards.(ASME International)
January 1, 2006... ASME International, Codes & Standards, Three Park Ave., New York, NY 10016-5990 (212) 591-8500 Fax: (212) 591-8501 e-mail: cs@asme.org We invite you to visit our Web site: www.asme.org /codes. If you are looking for information...

Powerful micromotor.(new products)
January 1, 2006... MICROMO ELECTRONICS INC., CLEARWATER, FLA. The newest addition to MicroMo's dc micromotor line is its Series 1024 S. With an external motor diameter of only 10 mm and a length of 24 nun, it has a strong power-to-volume ratio. This is achieved...

Aluminum piping.(new products)
January 1, 2006... KAESER COMPRESSORS INC., FREDERICKSBURG. VA. A modular, aluminum compressed air distribution system, the SmartPipe is made from smooth, calibrated aluminum with a low friction coefficient, According to the company, SmartPipe provides...

Continuous-duty actuator.(new products)
January 1, 2006... DUFF-NORTON CO., CHARLOTTE, N.C. For applications requiring continuous duty cycles, Duff-Norton offers its 7500 Series actuators. They keep performing and don't overheat during continuous cycles. The 7500 actuators have efficiency ratings...

Platform centering device.(new products)
January 1, 2006... ADVANCE LIFTS INC., ST. CHARLES, ILL. The company's patented platform centering device eases problems associated with off-center loading of scissors lifts. This is a major contributor to excess wear on rollers, bearings, platforms, and scissors...

Torque transducers.(new products)
January 1, 2006... PCB PIEZOTRONICS INC., DEPEW, N.Y. Series 4149 flange mount rotating torque transducers from the Force/Torque division of the company use noncontact, rotary transformers for sending excitation voltage to, and receiving measurement signals from,...

Gas leak detector.(new products)
January 1, 2006... E INSTRUMENTS GROUP, LANGHORNE, PA. The Mini Gas Sniffer is a rugged, compact, ergonomic, and highly sensitive natural gas detector, which is widely used throughout the HVAC industry. The Mini Gas Sniffer is designed for simplicity and one-hand...

Flowmeters and controllers.(new products)
January 1, 2006... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC., STAMFORD, CONN. Metering and control of injected, pumped, dosed, or dispensed chemicals can be taken to new levels, according to the company. FLR-2000 flowmeters and FLV-2000 controllers handle flows of 0.03 to 475 gph...

Infrared thermography.(new products)
January 1, 2006... FLUKE CORP. EVERETT, WASH. The Fluke Ti20 thermal imager is the company's latest infrared thermography product. It is designed for use by industrial maintenance technicians in infrared predictive maintenance and troubleshooting applications....

Application modules.(new products)
January 1, 2006... VEECO INSTRUMENTS INC., WOODBURY, N.Y. This supplier of instrumentation to the nanoscience community has two new application modules for its Digital Instruments CP-II scanning probe microscope, which enable advanced electrical characterization....

Breaker monitor.(new products)
January 1, 2006... WAHL INSTRUMENTS INC., ASHEVILLE, N.C. The Wahl Breaker WB140 is designed to warn of possible component failure or overheating of circuit breakers, motors, and electrical equipment. The WB140 shows when a breaker or something else requires...

Sine encoder options.(new products)
January 1, 2006... DANAHER MOTION, WOOD DALE, ILL. Kollmorgen AKM servomotors from Danaher now come with high-resolution Sine-Absolute encoders. They are also available with resolver, encoder, and smart feedback device options to help users meet specific...

System combination.(new products)
January 1, 2006... TRANSDUCER TECHNOLOGIES, TEMECULA, CALIF. This latest system combination comprises the SW0 (universal/tension or compression) and the TM0-2 (stand-alone benchtop amplifier/conditioner). This system is suitable for a variety of industrial and...

Process gauge.(new products)
January 1, 2006... DRESSER INSTRUMENTS, STRATFORD, CONN. The Ashcroft Type 1259 process gauge enables the user to avoid the added expense of purchasing more gauge than is needed, according to the company. With an ASME B40.100 Grade 2A accuracy of [+ or -] 0.5...

Electrostatic dissipation.(new products)
January 1, 2006... MPC, CRANSTON, R.I. Mearthane Products Corp. has improved its formulation for Durethane C. The new material offers an expanded range of electrostatic dissipation properties that eliminate damaging electrostatic discharges in electronic...

Indexing conveyor.(new products)
January 1, 2006... CONVEYOR TECHNOLOGIES LTD., MILFORD, OHIO. The dual track precision indexing conveyor delivers single-track positioning accuracy with dual-track versatility, according to the company. The open-center design permits a variety of inline...

Fused quartz windows.(new products)
January 1, 2006... ROLYN OPTICS CO., TORRANCE, CALIF. Rolyn now offers optical grade, heat-resistant fused quartz windows to protect a carbon dioxide laser from backsplatter while cutting or welding. These items are not stocked, but custom-made to the customer's...

Filter elements.(product information)
January 1, 2006... CLARK-RELIANCE FILTRATION GROUP, STRONGSVILLE, OHIO. A full-color interactive digital catalog showcases the company's selection of replacement filter elements. The company provides replacement cartridges that interchange with more than 80...

Energy solutions.(product information)
January 1, 2006... BALDOR ELECTRIC CO., FORT SMITH, ARK. This manufacturer of energy-saving industrial electric motors, drives, and generators has a new 14-page, four-color brochure describing proven methods of reducing electricity costs and paybacks earned when...

Filtration systems.(product information)
January 1, 2006... PARKER HANNIFIN CORP. FILTRATION GROUP, CLEVELAND, OHIO. A 20-page, full-color brochure covers capabilities, markets, and value-added services. It also highlights Parker's innovations, systems approach, and lean processes. Customer case...

More than 12,000 miles to the gallon.(fuel economy)
January 1, 2006... The next time your friends brag about their hybrid car's fuel mileage, deflate their tires by mentioning the Shell EcoMarathon's top-rated PAC-Car II. It set the world fuel economy record of 5,385 kilometers per liter (which sounds more...