Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from July 2009

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from July 2009

Stimulate manufacturing.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2009... To the Editor: The extra cash pumped into the economy, thanks to Congress, will give a much needed short-term boost to the economy. Yet, the plan does not solve the underlying long-term economic problems that we are still facing. What is...

Offshore conferences in Rio and Galveston.(NEWS & NOTES)(Quest Offshore Resources' partnership with ASME International Petroleum Technology Institute)(Conference news)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... The ASME International Petroleum Technology Institute has entered a partnership with Quest Offshore Resources involving two technical conferences that focus on offshore energy exploration and production. The first, Subsea Rio 2009, will be...

Green investments plummet.(NEWS & NOTES)
July 1, 2009... The global recession has apparently taken a toll on green technology investments. According to a survey by business consultant Ernst & Young, venture funding for "clean-tech" companies dropped sharply in the first quarter of 2009, to 23 deals...

Lattice Technology.(briefly noted)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... Lattice Technology of San Francisco, which develops digital manufacturing applications using the XVL format, has released XVL Studio 8.1, an upgrade to its core 3-D digital manufacturing application.

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has ruled that Duke Energy must shut down units 2, 3, and 5 at the company's West Terre Haute Wabash River Station no Later than Sept. 30, 2009.(briefly noted)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana has ruled that Duke Energy must shut down units 2, 3, and 5 at the company's West Torte Haute Wabash River Station no Later than Sept. 30, 2009. Duke had proposed that the three units,...

Aras Corp.(briefly noted)
July 1, 2009... Aras Corp. of Andover, Mass., which produces open-source product lifecycle management software, has upgraded its Aras Innovator suite of PLM software solutions.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has signed a memorandum of understanding to mark the acceptance of the American National Standards Institute as an accreditation body to participate in the EPA WaterSense Program.(briefly noted)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has signed a memorandum of understanding to mark the acceptance of the American National Standards Institute as an accreditation body to participate in the EPA WaterSense Program. The WaterSense program...

Spatial Corp.(briefly noted)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... Spatial Corp. of Broomfield, Colo., has released its Rapid Application Development Framework to accelerate 3-D application development. This section was written by Associate Editor Jean Thilmany.

Excitech of Enfield, England, has launched its Autodesk Videos on Demand CDs and videos.(briefly noted)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... Excitech of Enfield, England, has launched its Autodesk Videos on Demand CDs and videos, which cover upgrades and new features in the recently released 2010 portfolio of CAD products from Autodesk of San Rafael, Calif. This section was...

Autodsys Inc.(briefly noted)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... Autodsys Inc. of Portland, Ore., has released AcceliCAD 2010, an upgrade to its general purpose CAD program, which also serves as a platform for vertical applications. This section was written by Associate Editor Jean Thilmany.

SpaceClaim.(briefly noted)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... The recently released SpaceClaim 2009 Service Pack 1 from SpaceClaim of Concord, Mass., includes a number of enhancements, including new tools, interface options, and translators. This section was written by Associate Editor Jean Thilmany.

NVIDIA.(briefly noted)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... NVIDIA of Santa Clara, Calif., has released version 2.2 of the CUDA Toolkit and SDK for GPU computing. This section was written by Associate Editor Jean Thilmany.

Centric Software Inc., of Campbell, Calif., has launched the Centric Connector for Adobe Creative Suite, part of the Centric 8 product lifecycle management and sourcing suite.(briefly noted)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... Centric Software Inc., of Campbell, Calif., has launched the Centric Connector for Adobe Creative Suite, part of the Centric 8 product lifecycle management and sourcing suite. It integrates design sketches and files with product design,...

PDF viewer.(SOFTWARE EXCHANGE)
July 1, 2009... Capability: Bluebeam PDF Revu Standard Edition is a portable document viewer for unlimited viewing and printing of PDF files. The developer said it released the viewer for users who may be concerned about security attacks on the more commonly...

Making mechatronics.(SOFTWARE EXCHANGE)
July 1, 2009... Capability: Simplorer is used to help design mechatronic and other multidomain systems found in the automotive, aerospace and defense, and industrial automation industries. Engineers use the application to construct virtual prototypes of all...

CAD inspection.(SOFTWARE EXCHANGE)
July 1, 2009... Capability: The reverse engineering and inspection software product ReSpect imports raw, digitized data from portable manual coordinate measuring machines and 3-D scanners into the SolidWorks CAD program. The data is then viewable in SolidWorks...

At-home analysis.(SOFTWARE EXCHANGE)
July 1, 2009... Capability: Mathematica Home Edition offers computational, visualization, and development capabilities. With it, users can make interactive models and simulations, and analyze real-time data. The home edition contains all the functionality of...

Import/export.(SOFTWARE EXCHANGE)
July 1, 2009... Capability: Alibre Translate add-on is integrated with the Alibre Design CAD program for quick importing and exporting of files. It enables Alibre users who collaborate with those using other popular CAD programs to share design files with...

Small actuator packs punch.(TECH FOCUS: Power Transmission & Motion Control)
July 1, 2009... The new MLA Series mini-actuator from PBC Linear of Rockford, Ill., brings greater load capacity and lots of installation options to small, screw-driven linear actuators used in laboratory and small-scale automation. The actuator housing...

+ Harvest those good vibrations.(TECH FOCUS: Power Transmission & Motion Control)(AdaptivEnergy LLC)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... ENERGY HARVESTING HAS BECOME THE TALK OF THE MANUFACTURING WORLD, AND NO WONDER. It's like getting something for nothing. Using small devices to convert heat or vibration into electrical energy lets engineers install wireless sensors without...

Integration reduces carriage costs.(TECH FOCUS)(Brief article)
July 1, 2009... The current recession has turned the normal focus on efficiency into an obsession. Engineers are being asked to deliver more value while reducing costs, and often that involves redesigning traditional products to work more efficiently. One...

Magnetic compressor cuts energy uses.(TECH FOCUS)
July 1, 2009... When vendors talk about oil-free compressors, they usually mean systems that segregate motors and gears (which use lubricants) from air-moving equipment such as rotary screw and centrifugal compressor assemblies. CompAir UK Ltd., of Redditch,...

Drives integrate control and energy savings.(TECH FOCUS)
July 1, 2009... When German industrial giant Siemens AG introduced its Sinamics motor drive/motion controllers, it wanted to create cost-effective modular products that engineers could mix and match for both the simplest and the most complicated machines. It...

From simple rules, complex behavior: by layering simple behaviors, engineers are creating autonomous robots that can interact with the world around them.(FOCUS ON INTELLIGENT CONTROLS)(Cover story)
July 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Robots have overrun Hanover Fair. Exhibitors at this, the world's largest industrial exposition, held each year in Germany, display hundreds of robotic arms, actuators, sensor systems, and feedback mechanisms. The...

"The most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked." John F. Kennedy's description of the moon race, quoted above, inspired a generation. Forty years ago this month, when men first walked on the lunar surface, it was, as much as anything else, a triumph of engineering, and of engineers.
July 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When President John F. Kennedy announced in May 1961 his goal to send a man to the moon, the United States had accomplished exactly 15 minutes of human spaceflight time, Alan Shepard's suborbital flight in the...

Nuclear's model T: the future of nuclear energy could lie in plants that can be factory built, shipped to a site, and operated 30 years without refueling.(Viewpoint essay)
July 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It has become commonplace to say that we are at the beginning of a global revitalization of the nuclear energy enterprise. The scope and timing of this "nuclear renaissance," however, remain somewhat uncertain. What...

Self-help: it's the mechanical, sort, not the psychological, and engineers can really use it.
July 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As a child you probably learned, to your astonishment, that you could carry two heavy pails of water, one on either side, more easily than one. Or you might have delighted in those Chinese finger traps that...

An engineering perspective: ASME general position statement on technology and policy recommendations and goals for reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the energy sector.
July 1, 2009... Atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) have increased steadily since the beginning of the industrial revolution and these levels are projected t-o increase even more rapidly as the global economy grows. Significant climate changes are very...

Metalworking Sink or Swim.(Book review)
July 1, 2009... METALWORKING SINK OR SWIM. Tom Lipton. Industrial Press Inc., 989 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10018. Softcover. 314 pages. $44.95. ISBN 978-0-8311-3362-7. The subtitle to Tom Lipton's Metalworking Sink or Swim is "Tips and Tricks...

Handbook of Fourier Analysis and Its Applications.(Book review)
July 1, 2009... HANDBOOK OF FOURIER ANALYSIS AND ITS APPLICATIONS. Robert J. Marks II. Oxford University Press, 198 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016-4308. 2009. 808 pages. $150. ISBN: 978-0-19-533592-7. Robert Marks, Distinguished Professor of Engineering...

A Compendium of Partial Differential Equation Models: Method of Lines Analysis with Matlab.(Book review)
July 1, 2009... A COMPENDIUM OF PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION MODELS: METHOD OF LINES ANALYSIS WITH MATLAB. William E. Schiesser and Graham W. Griffiths. Cambridge University Press, 32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013. 2009. 490 pages. $99. ISBN...

ASME codes & standards.(ASME International)
July 1, 2009... 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...

Vibration isolator.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] NEWPORT CORP., IRVINE, CALIF. The new S-2000 Stabilizer series of pneumatic vibration isolators incorporates many of the features found on other products offered by Newport, including a patented self-centering...

Metric leveling mounts.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... ALL METRIC SMALL COMPONENTS, NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y. As an addition to its selection of standard machine components such as locks, screws and washers, All Metric Small Components recently introduced the MVAYNAM and MVAYNFM series of metric leveling...

Digital pressure gauge.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... AUTOMATION PRODUCTS GROUP, LOGAN, UTAH Featuring a full five-digit display with large and easily readable 0.4 in. characters, the PG5 digital pressure gauge incorporates as standard a number of user-select able setup features (such as automatic...

Camera controls.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... TOSHIBA IMAGING SYSTEMS, IRVINE, CALIF. The company has increased the versatility of its IK-HD1 high definition camera with the introduction of two new camera control units. The IK-HD1D features the same 1080I video output as the IK-HD1, but it...

Cable-extension transducer.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... CELESCO TRANSDUCER PRODUCTS, CHATSWORTH, CALIF. The SRIM is a rugged, low-cost, high performance string pot designed to offer a 4-20 mA signal that provides a position feedback signal directly proportional to the length of its spring-loaded,...

Piezoelectric pressure sensor.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... PCB AEROSPACE & DEFENSE, DEPEW, N.Y. Designed for measuring blast over-pressure and explosion pressure in free-field or closed arenas, new frequency tailored ICP and charge output piezoelectric pressure sensors have been introduced by PCB...

Thread sensor.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... KAMAN AEROSPACE CORP., COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. Universal ThreadChecker is a sensor system designed to discriminate between a threaded and an unthreaded hole or stud. Offering reliable and repeatable, high-speed thread detection for nearly all...

Ruggedized pressure transducers.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... OMEGADYNE INC., SUNBURY, OHIO. A new hermetically sealed version of the company's MM Series pressure transducers features all welded stainless steel construction, 316 wetted parts, and glass-to-metal seal at the electrical outlets. Omegadyne...

Electronic indexer.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... DANAHER MOTION, WOOD DALE, ILL. The Rotary Indexer Product Set is a fully programmable direct drive solution. The company says it provides precise, repeatable, and flexible electronic indexing in a compact, affordable package that delivers the...

Thermal imaging.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... LONGWATCH, NORWOOD, MASS. The video surveillance system offered by Longwatch now has the capability to incorporate FLIR thermal imaging cameras. The real-time thermal images from these cameras will appear on standard HMI/SCADA screens and can...

Add RFID to PLC.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... TURCK INC., MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. The new RFID-S contains two RFID channels and is designed for integration with Turck's BL20 modular I/O system for PLCs. Users can install RFID as well as conventional discrete and analog I/O cards on the same...

Shock data logger.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC., STAMFORD, CONN. The 3-axis transient shock data logger is a battery powered logger that features built-in accelerometers, programmable start time, and optional password protection. The OM-CP-TSR101 measures and records...

Outdoor AC drives.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] VACON, INC, CHAMBERSBURG, PA. Underwriters Laboratories has certified Vacon's X4 and X5 variable speed AC drives for outdoor use. According to Vacon, a sunlight-resistant polycarbonate housing enables the drives to...

Image without PC.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... BANNER ENGINEERING, MINNEAPOLIS, MINN, Banner Engineering has introduced a photoelectric image sensor, iVu Series TG, that supports factory inspections without relying on a PC for image processing. Banner claims a user can configure, initiate,...

Submersible accelerometer.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... PCB PIEZOTRONICS, DEPEW, N.Y. PCB Piezotronics has introduced a sealed, watertight, integral cable assembly that prevents liquids from compromising signals sent from its accelerometers. The cable withstands submersion in water, oil, and other...

Oil well pump motor.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... TOOLMEX, NATICK, MASS. Following on the heels of its Elektrim motor line, Toolmex has introduced the Elektrimax Design "D" oil well pump motors. Available from 3 to 100 hp in 1,200 rpm motor speeds, Elektrimax Design "D" motors feature epoxy...

Fan heater.(NEW PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2009... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC., STAMFORD, CONN. The Series CR030/130 has double insulated plastic housing and can come as a DIN rail, panel, or foot mountable fan heater with integrated adjustable thermostat or fixed hygrostat. It comes equipped with a...

Learning from nature.(INPUT OUTPUT)
July 1, 2009... Much of what we see in the constructed world is drawn from geometric forms--the cylindrical soda can, the plane of a touch screen, the sharp line of a window ledge. Designers have found such precise shapes easy to specify, and industrial...