Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from January 2007

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from January 2007

By the numbers.(number of high school students enrolling for universities in United States, forecasted)(Editorial)(Statistical data)
January 1, 2007... From the year 2000 to 2005, manufacturing jobs declined by about 18 percent in the United States. Nearly every job category saw a drop, except for pharmaceuticals. Jobs in textile mills were among the biggest losers--registering a 42 percent...

Less enthusiasm for [H.sub.2].(letters)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... To the Editor: Engineering design projects such as the one described by Benjamin R. Johnson in Letters in the September 2006 issue are excellent for teaching young engineers how to do good engineering design. I congratulate Mr. Johnson on...

Nuclear reaction.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... To the Editor: Jessica Sarver's September letter claims that energy and economic growth leads to environmental disaster and human welfare must be based on the energy obtained from "renewable," meaning "limited," energy sources. This view...

Within the law.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... To the Editor: The fifth paragraph of Michael Abrams' article "The Teardown Artist" (August 2006, page 38) quotes Dave Meeker as saying that reverse engineering is usually against the law. Quite the opposite. If the product design you are...

The robot that knew just enough.(news & notes)(The Cornell robot)
January 1, 2007... The four-legged robot in the engineering lab at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., looks a bit like something out of a nightmare: a mechanical spider or a crawling hand. But the robot can do something that mechanical engineers have only...

Asian solar power in Canada.(news & notes)(MSK Corp. signs a distribution agreement with ARISE Technologies Corp.)
January 1, 2007... The Japanese unit of a Chinese manufacturer has struck a distribution deal to market solar power equipment in Canada. Suntech Power Holdings of Wuxi, China, a manufacturer of photovoltaic cells and modules, said that its subsidiary, MSK...

Antenna solutions firm makes two purchases.(news & notes)(Laird Technologies PLC acquires Coollab AB and Steward Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... A manufacturer of antenna solutions, electromagnetic interference shielding products, telematics, and thermal management solutions, Laird Technologies, is branching out. The St. Louis-based company last month made a pair of acquisitions:...

Museum honors black designers.(news & notes)(Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago, Illinois))
January 1, 2007... Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry will honor African-American industrial designers with a six-week interactive exhibit, Designs for Life, will start later this month. The exhibit, part of the Museum's annual Black Creativity program,...

Clear the runway.(news & notes)(runways to be managed to avoid aircraft accidents)
January 1, 2007... Runway debris, known in the airport industry as foreign object debris, or FOD, can be as small and seemingly innocuous as a broken suitcase wheel, a bolt, or a discarded plastic bag. But small, lost parts have the potential to do serious,...

Contract anticipates new aircraft rules.(news & notes)
January 1, 2007... In anticipation of forthcoming U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency rules, Airbus has awarded Parker Hannifin Corp. of Cleveland the fuel tank inerting system contracts for the Airbus A400M military transport...

BorgWarner Inc.(Briefly Noted)
January 1, 2007... BorgWarner Inc. of Auburn Hills, Mich., has nearly doubled the size of its engine group manufacturing facility in Pyongtaek, South Korea. The 90,000-square-foot plant, which opened in 2003, will manufacture engine timing systems for Hyundai and...

Noble International Ltd. of Warren, Mich., has signed a long-term joint venture agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of Wuhen Iron end Steel Co. to enter the Chinese automotive market for laser-welded blanks.(Briefly Noted)
January 1, 2007... Noble International Ltd. of Warren, Mich., has signed a long-term joint venture agreement with a wholly owned subsidiary of Wuhen Iron end Steel Co. to enter the Chinese automotive market for laser-welded blanks. The new company will operate...

The U.S. Army has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems of Sterling Heights, Mich., a $305 million contract to reset and upgrade 312 M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom.(Briefly Noted)
January 1, 2007... The U.S. Army has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems of Sterling Heights, Mich., a $305 million contract to reset and upgrade 312 M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom. The upgrade is being carried out under a...

Blue Ridge Numerics.(Briefly Noted)(computational fluid dynamics software introduced)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Newly released CF design version 9 computational fluid flow software from Blue Ridge Numerics of Charlottesville, Va., enables engineers to set up and view first-pass fluid flow and heat transfer simulations.

Victrex plc.(Briefly Noted)(Food and Drug Administration approves food processing coatings)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Victrex plc has received U.S. FDA approval of two high-temperature coatings, Vicote 708 and 709, for use in food processing and related industrial application. The coatings, made with a high-temperature version of the company's PEEK polymer,...

Robot swarm.(computing)(minirobots designed using wi fi technology)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... JUST KEEP THEM AWAY FROM the potato salad. Researchers from a European research agency, Information Society Technologies, have developed minirobots that act in a swarm, much like ants. Although these robots' cooperative behavior was...

Navigating wider.(computing)(3Dconnexion)
January 1, 2007... WHEN IT COMES TO COMPUTER peripherals, $500 is a tough nut to make. Most people wouldn't expect to pay that much for a mouse, for instance. So it's hard to compete with a mouse, even if you tell people that your piece of hardware manipulates...

Post-party cleanup.(computing)(household robots, technological innovations in near future)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... YES, THIS ROBOT COULD ONE DAY unload your dishwasher. But would it wash your windows? By programming a robot with software that enables it to pick up objects it has never seen before, scientists at Stanford University in California say...

One big grid.(computing)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS involved in the TeraGrid project met face-to-face, many for the first time, at an Indianapolis conference late last year devoted to the grid. The TeraGrid marries the supercomputing power of eight institutions:...

Now that's different.(computing)(brudeli 625l by Geir Brudeli of Brudeli Tech AS )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... ALTHOUGH THIS VEHICLE HAS three wheels, that's about the only way it resembles a tricycle. With two wheels in front and one in the back, the Brudeli 625L combines features of a four-wheeled vehicle and a motorcycle, according to its...

Non-human brain.(computing)(Jose Manuel Benitez Sanchez's new website to learn algorithm theory)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... MAN IS NOT A MACHINE, thank goodness. Machines, like robots and computers, can only carry out tasks or solve problems that are rooted in algorithms--a mathematical set of rules the robot follows. But because humans aren't powered by...

Robotic unloading.(computing)(National Institute of Standards and Technology and Transbotics Corp. are working on robot forklifts )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... ROBOTS RUNNING AMOK and destroying property may be a staple of science fiction films, but they aren't welcome in factories, warehouses, or any other places where automatic guided vehicle forklifts--essentially, robot forklifts--are used. ...

Forming Technologies Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Masco Industries Inc. Forming Technology Div.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Catform and Catstamp, a suite of software for design, simulation, and costing of sheet-metal components, is now compatible with Catia version five release 17. The suite is from Forming Technologies Inc. of Oakville, Ontario.

Ansys Inc.(Briefly Noted)
January 1, 2007... A maker of engineering analysis software, Ansys Inc. of Southpointe, Pa., has released version 1.1 of its Icewave electromagnetic compatibility and interference analysis software.

PTC.(Briefly Noted)(PTC Technology's enhancement to windchill pdmlink 8.0)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... PTC of Needham, Mass., has released a version of its PDM software, Windchill PDMLink 8.0, which can run on HP Integrity servers powered by Intel titanium 64-bit processor architecture.

Geometric Software Solutions.(Briefly Noted)(Geometric Software Solutions Company Ltd.'s geomcaliper )(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Geometric Software Solutions of Research Triangle Park, N.C., has released GeomCaliper for Pro/Engineer version 2.0. It measures and checks the wall thickness of Pro/Engineer Wildfire 3-D models.

Altair Engineering Inc.(Briefly Noted)
January 1, 2007... Altair Engineering Inc. of Troy, Mich., has released its RADIOSS transient, nonlinear computer-aided engineering software for the Windows Server 2003 platform.

Comsol.(Briefly Noted)
January 1, 2007... Comsol of Burlington, Mass., has introduced a new acoustics module in the Comsol multiphysics analysis product line.

MSC.Software of Santa Ana, Calif., has formed a partnership with Incat of Novi, Mich., a product lifecycle management maker.(Briefly Noted)(INCAT Systems Inc.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... MSC.Software of Santa Ana, Calif., has formed a partnership with Incat of Novi, Mich., a product lifecycle management maker. Incat will now support and provide MSC.Software's applications.

Protected files.(software exchange)
January 1, 2007... Capability: Pinion Desktop protects information shared in the normal course of business by imposing permissions on Autodesk drawing, SolidWorks eDrawing, portable-document format, tagged-image file format, and Word files. The permissions...

Scripting, plotting, programming.(software exchange)
January 1, 2007... Capability: Ch is a cross platform C and C++ interpreter for scripting, 2-D and 3-D graphical plotting, numerical computing, shell programming, and embedded scripting. The application supports 1999 ISO C Standard complex numbers, variable...

Non-techie QC.(software exchange)
January 1, 2007... Capability: Avance 3.0 acquires data and calculates statistical control of processes in real time. The software was developed specifically for non-technical manufacturers and engineers who need quality control tools. Avance manages, in real...

Publish 3-D pages.(software exchange)
January 1, 2007... Capability: Pages3D gives you a way to create documents that include 3-D content, such as 3-D Web pages, CDs, and portable-document files. These documents can include instructions or demonstrate how a part would operate. This desktop publishing...

Calculation automation.(software exchange)
January 1, 2007... Capability: InventBetter Suite 2007 automates engineering calculation. It's composed of three separate software applications: GrafiCalc 2007, a geometrical spreadsheet for solving geometry-dependent engineering problems; ToleranceCalc 4.0, a...

What's new in X2.(technology focus: MATERIALS AND ASSEMBLY)(CNC Software Inc. introduces computer aided design and manufacturing systems)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The CAD/CAM software known as Mastercam, from CNC Software Inc., has been updated as X2. Based on Mastercam X, X2 will look largely familiar to its users, but the things that have changed are intended to make machining easier. More...

New polymer designed to take the heat.(technology focus: MATERIALS AND ASSEMBLY)(GE Plastics)
January 1, 2007... GE Plastics has launched a new family of high-temperature engineering resins. The new polymers, branded Extem, combine outstanding heat resistance with very good processability, the company says. Potential applications range from semiconductor...

Eye on the size.(technology focus: MATERIALS AND ASSEMBLY)(National Instruments Corp.)
January 1, 2007... When it goes to trade shows, National Instruments Corp. of Austin, Texas, can draw a crowd with its machine vision demonstrator. Why? After all, the device does exactly the type of simple, repetitive jobs usually reserved for trade show...

Radar controls pneumatics.(technology focus: MATERIALS AND ASSEMBLY)(information on Microwave sensors of Festo AG und Co.)
January 1, 2007... Looking for a faster, more accurate way to position pneumatic linear drives? Germany's Festo AG & Co. KG says its new microwave sensors not only deliver 0.02 millimeter resolution, but also improve equipment flexibility, run in hostile...

Cold casings.(technology focus: MATERIALS AND ASSEMBLY)(use of CPM Fastools by Chesapeake Plastic Manufacturing for production management)
January 1, 2007... A little more than a year ago, a string of companies approached Steven Moore, co-owner of Chesapeake Plastic Manufacturing in Lusby, Md., all with a similar proposition-produce molds with a lead time of just two to three weeks. Unfortunately,...

Economy CNC.(technology focus: MATERIALS AND ASSEMBLY)(computer numerically controlled)(Tormach LLC)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Wisconsin company has decided that if there is a personal computer, there should be a personal computer numerically controlled milling machine, too. The company, Tormach LLC in Waunakee, Wis., has come out with one that it calls the PCNC 1100...

Very light and fast: developments in materials, production methods, and turbine design have spawned a new class of business jet.(FEATURE FOCUS: MANUFACTURING)(Cover story)
January 1, 2007... at least one aircraft maker had a lot to be thankful for this past Thanksgiving. The day before the holiday, the Federal Aviation Administration awarded Cessna Aircraft Co. a certificate to begin production of the new Citation Mustang jet. When...

Where does CAM stand? Researchers are pushing to get more manufacturing assistance from the computer.(FEATURE FOCUS: MANUFACTURING)
January 1, 2007... You've just wrapped up your part design and you've certainly earned a break. But don't shut down your computer just yet. You may not through. Depending on which computer-aided design system you use, you might need to translate your design...

The rebirth of cool: the Montreal Protocol dictates that in four years new equipment cannot use the refrigerant R-22. Meeting that deadline is one thing: finding ways to keep us--and the planet--cool in a century is another.
January 1, 2007... by international agreement, industry around the globe is preparing to stop using the last refrigerants that threaten Earth's protective ozone layer. But the question of what to replace them with turns out to be a bit more complicated than it...

The injunction factor: a power that patent holders once held over infringers isn't as certain these days.
January 1, 2007... Sometimes a patent case rips through the news like a tsunami--you can't avoid it if you want to. Other times, far-reaching patent cases make a splash minded only by patent attorneys and a handful of others, but otherwise go largely unnoticed....

The Consumer Guide to Industrial pH and ORP Instrumentation.(ME bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2007... The Consumer Guide to Industrial pH and ORP Instrumentation. David B. Mills. Copperhill and Pointer Inc., 8 Perth Ave., Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977. 2006. 107 pages. Softcover. $250. ISBN 978-1-932095-09-8. This book is the latest in a series...

Functional Reynolds Stress Modeling.(ME bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2007... Functional Reynolds Stress Modeling. Joan G. Moore and John Moore. Pocahontas Press Inc., P.O. Drawer F, Blacksburg, VA 24063-1020. 408 pages. $90. ISBN 0-926487-21-3. According to the authors, there is finally enough data to study the...

Mechanics of Solids and Materials.(ME bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2007... Mechanics of Solids and Materials. Robert J. Asaro and Vlado A. Lubarda. Cambridge University Press, 40 W. 20th St., New York, NY 10011-4211. 2006. 860 pages. $125. ISBN 0-521-85979-4. In this book, the authors seek to provide a modern and...

Transport Phenomena in Multiphase Systems.(ME bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2007... Transport Phenomena in Multiphase Systems. Amir Faghri and Yulven Zhang. Academic Press, an Elsevier imprint, 30 Corporate Dr., Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803. 2006. 1,030 pages. $89.95. ISBN 0-12-370610-2. Transport phenomena are the...

Welding Metallurgy and Weldability of Stainless Steels.(ME bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2007... Welding Metallurgy and Weldability of Stainless Steels. John C. Lippold and Damian J. Kotecki. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030. 2005. 362 pages. $115. ISBN 0-471-47379-0. This book is, according to the publisher,...

Introduction to Asymptotic Methods.(ME bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2007... Introduction to Asymptotic Methods. Jan Awrejcewicz and Vadim A. Krysko. Chapman & Hall/CRC, Taylor & Francis Group, 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742. 2006. 256 pages. $89.95. ISBN 1-58488-677-3. Among the...

Engineering Acoustics.(ME bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2007... Engineering Acoustics. Michael Moser. Springer-Verlag, 233 Spring St., New York, NY 10013. 2003. 294 pages. $89.95. ISBN 3-540-20236-6. This book presents the foundations of what nowadays seems necessary to make our environment quieter--in...

Design of Hazardous Mechanical Structures. Systems and Components for Extreme Loads.(ME bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2007... Design of Hazardous Mechanical Structures. Systems and Components for Extreme Loads. John D. Stevenson and Ovidiu Coman. ASME Press, Three Park Ave., New York, NY 10016-5990. 2006. 300 pages. ASME members, $99; retail, $125. ISBN 0-7918-0242-6....

Short-stroke thruster.(new products)
January 1, 2007... PARKER HANNIFIN CORP.. WADSWORTH. OHIO. The Actuator Division's P5T2 short-stroke thruster features heavy-duty performance in a smaller footprint than conventional thrusters that use external cylinders, according to the company. The design...

Environment controller.(new products)
January 1, 2007... DIVELBISS CORP., FREDERICKTOWN. OHIO. The HEC-1000 harsh environment controller is based on PLC-on-a-chip technology. This controller allows for programmable intelligence under less than ideal conditions. It has a sealed, watertight enclosure...

Flow controls.(new products)
January 1, 2007... HOFFER FLOW CONTROLS INC., ELIZABETH CITY. N.C. The Hoffer CAT Series of flow electronics is a compact design of flow conditioners, amplifiers, and transmitters for use in combination with Hoffer turbine flowmeters. This trio of...

Lubricators.(new products)
January 1, 2007... CLIPPARD INSTRUMENT LABORATORY INC., CINCINNATI, OHIO. Maximatic filter-regulator-lubricators are available in sizes ranging from 10-32 to 1-in. NPT with interchangeability. Their modular design and interconnecting brackets provide flexibility...

Oil coolers.(new products)
January 1, 2007... UNIFIN INTERNATIONAL, LONDON, ONTARIO. Flexible ForZair transformer oil coolers are said to perform well in the most demanding applications in the power generation and power transmission industries. These coolers are designed for new...

ASME codes & standards.(American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
January 1, 2007... 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...

Machine safety.(product information)
January 1, 2007... BANNER ENGINEERING CORP., MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. The company's 2006-07 machine safety products catalog has more than 300 full-color pages, organized into seven main sections: safety light screens, two-hand control modules, safety modules, safety...

Safety networking.(product information)
January 1, 2007... IFM EFECTOR INC., EXTON, PA. The company's AS-interface and Safety at Work free catalog offers more than 175 product solutions for actuator sensor interface and safety networking. The 120-page publication covers basic system structures,...

Lifting and positioning.(product information)
January 1, 2007... SOUTHWORTH PRODUCTS CORP., PORTLAND, MAINE. A 16-page brochure describes this company's lifting and positioning equipment for materials handling. It covers such items as work positioning tables, special use lift tables, container tilters,...

Film technology.(product information)
January 1, 2007... BAYER FILM AMERICAS. BERLIN. CONN. This division of Sheffield Plastics Inc. has a 10-page brochure describing its Makrofol and Bayfol polycarbonate film technology, Makrofol and Bayfol provide stability and durability with lot-to-lot...

Mechanical components.(product information)
January 1, 2007... MISUMI USA, SCHAUMBURG, ILL. The company has metric and inch versions of its new free catalogs, for machine builders, fabricators, job shops, system integrators, and end users. More than 200,000 mechanical and structural components are shown...

No life on Mars.(Input Output)
January 1, 2007... Hydrogen peroxide can bleach hair, propel rockets, and wipe out microbes. And that's why a University of Michigan professor of atmospheric and space science believes that we shouldn't expect to meet a Martian anytime soon. Mars is thought...