Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from June 2005

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from June 2005

Integrating energy options.(editorial)
June 1, 2005... No way do I want to get in the middle of the often-heated national debate over nuclear power. But an interesting, if unabashedly pointed, article written by Romney B. Duffey, principal scientist at Atomic Energy of Canada in Chalk River,...

Props for diesel.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... To the Editor: It was great to see the diesel engine finally getting noticed in what overall was a nice article, "A New Dawn for Diesel," in the January issue, but it cries out for a few comments. First, why the infatuation with low-end...

See a pattern?(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... To the Editor: Re: the January issue. Editorial, page 4: Joseph M. Juran is credited with being the agent of change who helped Japan implement "total quality" into its industry 50 years ago. Letters, page 8: The main reason many enrolled in...

That first break.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... To the Editor: As a recent graduate (B.S., Class of 2004), I chose to go on to graduate school for several reasons. Most of my graduating class had absolutely no desire to do so. They would much rather work. Sadly, due to a severe lack of...

Written to order.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... To the Editor: It's about time. In "No Run of the Mill" (March), you finally profile engineer-to-order companies. I have been receiving Mechanical Engineering magazine for over 10 years. I have come to regard it as a publication for...

Self-destructive by nature.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... To the Editor: It's fun to read your magazine and see the fulminations on the "Letters" page. Last September, Knud Pedersen wrote, "Can't anybody see that humanity is a cancer on the planet, killing off all other life forms..." In the January...

Ocean crossings.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... To the Editor: Your article in the December 2004 issue, "A Model Mission," brings to mind another flying record that ought to be accomplished in the near future. This would involve making a manned solo sailplane flight across the Atlantic...

The next level.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2005... To the Editor: Congratulations on two excellent articles in December 2004 on the personal commitment and engineering success of two individuals. First, in both ASME News and Mechanical Engineering you wrote about member Jon Kuniholm, who...

Cable lite.(news & notes)
June 1, 2005... As electronic devices take up more and more real estate on new vehicles, the amount of wire and cable used on vehicles has grown as well. They bring unwanted weight and make it increasingly difficult to route cables and place wire harnesses...

Only on M.E. Magazine online: @www.memagazine.org.(news & notes)
June 1, 2005... Responses to the May Question of the Month: How have advances in electrical and electronic technology altered the demand for mechanical engineers where you work? The June Question of the Month is: How has the mix of skills required of...

Seven times a charm?(news & notes)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The publisher of the Fundamentals of Engineering examination has won a federal court judgment against a California man who took the exam seven times and was found to have copied questions and answers on at least three of those occasions. ...

A toast to inefficiency.(news & notes)
June 1, 2005... It's not often that highly inefficient machines get their just rewards. But, engineering students at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., triumphed for the third straight time in April at the National Rube Goldberg Machine Contest. ...

Dyncast Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Dyncast Inc. moved its industrial products division from its Spartanburg, S.C., manufacturing facility to its headquarters in Charlotte, N.C.

Battelle of Columbus, Ohio, acquired Bluefin Robotics Corp.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Battelle of Columbus, Ohio, acquired Bluefin Robotics Corp., a Cambridge, Mass., developer of autonomous underwater vehicles.

General Electric.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... General Electric in Fairfield, Conn., announced its new Ecomagination initiative to bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet environmental challenges. As part of the initiative, GE will invest $1.5 billion annually in...

Pointwise Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Pointwise Inc. of Fort Worth, Texas, has updated Gridgen, its computational fluid dynamic meshing software, to version 15.07.

Looking at math.(computing)(PowerWall)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... COMPLEX DATA CAN'T ALWAYS be understood conceptually. You need to see the information, graphically represented, to better understand it. That's why the University of California's Davis campus recently installed a visualization system that...

Get on the grid.(computing)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... IF ONE COMPUTER IS GOOD, many computers--linked--can only be better. That's the concept behind grid computing. Grid computing applies the resources of many computers in a network to a single problem at the same time--usually to a...

Pick a number.(computing)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... IF YOU WANTED A RANDOM NUMBER historically you could do worse than to pick a sequence from the string of digits in pi. But scientists at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., now say other sources might be better. Physicists, like...

Safe in space.(computing)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... GETTING A ROCKET OR SATELLITE into space--and keeping it there--is no easy job. SpaceDev of Poway, Calif., makes micro satellites and hybrid rocket propulsion systems and components, and relies on finite element analysis software many...

Computer danger.(computing)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... NEW RESEARCH BY Scottish scientists could help computer enthusiasts use their mobile devices safely while walking or driving. Walking and typing in tandem is obviously dangerous. While your eyes are glued to the tiny, hard-to-see display...

No moldy oldies.(computing)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... A SHANGHAI-BASED MOLD manufacturer, Lung Kee Group, is using a new CAD system to display its moldbase library. Manufacturers of home appliances, toys, and automotive components can tap into the 3-D library of digitized standard parts and...

Quick custom design.(computing)(Interior Concepts)
June 1, 2005... SURE, NO TWO CUSTOM-MADE designs are exactly alike. But the parts that make them up are a lot alike. One furniture maker is using software to assemble digital files of those parts, so that the quickly compiled CAD piece can be shown to...

A stiff wind.(computing)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... HOW STRONG A WIND COULD your backyard plants withstand? There's a way to find out. Just ship them out to the new wind tunnel at Iowa State University in Ames. The tunnel features a nine-foot fan attached to a 350-horsepower engine, a...

Fast as speeding data.(computing)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... DATA MUST SPEED AROUND even the biggest companies quickly and securely. This can be a big headache in a quickly changing, competitive industry. To keep up with whizzing data, Metz Werke GmbH & Co. KG of Zirndorf, Germany, which makes home...

SensAble Technologies Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... SensAble Technologies Inc. of Woburn, Mass., has released version 8.1 of its FreeForm Modeling Plus software. It is a 3-D touch-enabled computer-aided sculpting system that uses a virtual clay metaphor to help users sculpt models.

Algor Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Algor Inc. of Pittsburgh, a maker of design, analysis, and simulation software, has shipped Algor version 17. The upgrade features American Institute of Steel Construction code checking and tree support for surface and body loads.

Think3.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... A supplier of industrial design and product development software, Think3 of Cincinnati, has upgraded its CAD line to the thinkiD DesignXpressions Series.

Diapsys.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Diapsys, a Paris-based company, has made available about 100 3-D CAD translators. The translators are from major and small CAD vendors and include standard formats.

MSC.Software Corp.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... MSC.Software Corp. of Santa Ana, Calif., which makes virtual product development software, has released MSC.SuperForm and MSC.SuperForge 2005. The manufacturing software allows engineers to evaluate and optimize forming and forging processes.

CADian Canada.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... CADian Canada of Brampton, Ontario, has released a range of CAD software for the mechanical, electrical, architectural, and civil fields.

Flomerics.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Flomerics of Surrey, England, has released FLO/PCB version 2.2. It features improvements that tighten integration between electrical and mechanical design of printed circuit boards.

Simmetrix Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Simmetrix Inc. of Clifton Park, N.Y., a provider of component software for simulation-based design, is shipping version 5.4 of its Simulation Modeling Suite.

Spicer Corp.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Spicer Corp. of Kitchener, Ontario, has released ViewCafe for CAD visualization and markup.

QuadriSpace.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The Document3D line of products from QuadriSpace of Allen, Texas, has been upgraded. The line lets CAD users and downstream users create technical illustrations and interactive Web pages and documents from CAD drawings.

Theorum Solutions.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Theorum Solutions of Staffordshire, England, has launched its Theorum CADverter, a CAD translator that converts design data from the JT format to Catia version four.

CNC Software Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... CNC Software Inc. of Tolland, Conn., maker of Mastercam CAD and CAM software, now has a certification program for programmers, entailing 80 to 100 hours of instruction.

Move up to 3-D.(software exchange)
June 1, 2005... Capability: Solid Edge CAD software has been upgraded to version 17. The software developer takes what it calls an evolve-to-3-D approach by blending 2-D and 3-D capabilities for those users more familiar with 2-D design. Other features include...

CAD plus analysis.(software exchange)
June 1, 2005... Capability: The Pro/Engineer computer-aided design system now includes optional structural and thermal simulation applications. CAD features include solid and surface modeling, assembly performance, and drawing tools. With the structural and...

Problems solved.(software exchange)
June 1, 2005... Capability: The Engineers Toolbox has been upgraded to version 2.5. The graphical software returns solutions to engineering problems through use of first principles, empirical correlation, experimental data, rules of thumb, and numerical...

Making the connection.(software exchange)
June 1, 2005... Capability: The MathinWorks add-on software for SolidWorks integrates the SolidWorks CAD system with Mathcad engineering calculation software. Mathcad is from Mathsoft of Cambridge, Mass. SolidWorks is from SolidWorks Corp. of Concord, Mass....

Graphing and analyzing.(software exchange)
June 1, 2005... Capability: The graphing and analysis software OriginPro 7.5 is available in a student version. The package combines scientific graphing and analysis within a programming environment. Features include presentation-quality graphics, analysis...

Truck stop.(technology focus: INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL)(truck-stopping device)
June 1, 2005... In January 2001, a large semi-truck loaded with evaporated milk deliberately rammed into the California State Capitol building in Sacramento and exploded on impact. The explosion caused extreme damage to the building, but could have been much...

A close watch on vital pressure.(technology focus: INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL)(CardioMems Inc.)
June 1, 2005... An abdominal aortic aneurysm is a dangerous medical condition that, even after it is treated, must be monitored carefully for the rest of a patient's life. The aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge in the lower aorta, caused by a weakening in the...

Hydrocarbons out.(technology focus: INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL)(oil-spill protection systems)
June 1, 2005... Hydrocarbons are a critical threat to clean drinking water in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The emirate's drinking water supply relies on desalination plants that are located near oil tanker routes and the marine operations of local petroleum...

Think it, move it.(technology focus: INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL)
June 1, 2005... For prosthetics makers, a limb that can be controlled through thought is the ultimate goal. Researchers believe they're one step closer to that ideal. Eric Leuthardt, a neurologist from Barnes Jewish Hospital, and Daniel Moran, an...

Subsurface sampling.(technology focus: INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL)(Austin AI LLC launches CP-1000 penetrometer)
June 1, 2005... Civil engineering firms considering a construction site need to know that the area is free of hazardous metals, but taking soil samples to a laboratory for analysis is time-consuming. Austin AI LLC, an Austin, Texas, company that develops X-ray...

Where have all the dollars gone?(washington window)
June 1, 2005... The federal government's commitment to scientific and engineering research in the physical sciences is waning, and has been for more than a decade, according to a report by the National Academy of Engineering. Relative to federal investments in...

Where the engineers are: it may begin with simple services, like CAD conversions, but it's the first step in outsourcing the advanced jobs to Asia.
June 1, 2005... To appreciate the powerful pull of low-cost offshore engineering services, consider Elkay Manufacturing Co. of Oak Brook, Ill. Elkay, a privately held company, employs 3,800 workers at 14 manufacturing sites. For most of its 85-year...

Fast and secure: how much proof is tamperproof?(FEATURE FOCUS: FASTENERS)
June 1, 2005... The restroom partitions on the 22nd floor at ASME's headquarters stay put, thanks to nonremovable sex bolts. One flight down, however, it's the glue of honesty that's keeping a dollar bill changer stuck to the wall. There, only a couple of...

Working backward: reverse engineering gets a role in detecting and preserving.(FEATURE FOCUS: FASTENERS)
June 1, 2005... Many mechanical engineers can recount a youthful story about taking apart a dock, a small engine, or some other mechanism or electrical gadget to figure out how it works and to try to put it back together again--maybe even better than before....

Have duct tape, will travel: one young engineer has turned simple materials into life-changing tools.(FEATURE FOCUS: FASTENERS)
June 1, 2005... Advertisers like to make us think that our possessions tell the story of who we are. In the case of Amy Smith, there might be some truth in that idea. Just take a look at her computer case. Smith, a mechanical engineer at the Massachusetts...

Lighting the countryside: in the dark years of the Great Depression, rural cooperatives brought a new level of power to American agriculture.(ASME: THE FIRST 125 YEARS)(American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
June 1, 2005... Before his days as a mechanical engineer and an ASME Fellow, Conrad Ladd was a farm boy. His family operated a dairy farm in South Duxbury, Vt., in 1932, and Ladd can recall the daily hardship and sweat of producing sufficient good milk to...

Nitrogen generation systems.(new products)
June 1, 2005... PARKER HANNIFIN CORP., HAVERHILL, MASS. Balston HFS Series nitrogen generation systems produce up to 99.5 percent pure, commercially sterile nitrogen at dewpoints to -58[degrees]F from a compressed air supply. The generators include a 0.01...

Lead screw output shafts.(new products)
June 1, 2005... MICROMO ELECTRONICS INC., CLEARWATER, FLA. The company's lead screw output shafts complement the Arsape line of miniature two-phase stepper motors for precise linear actuation. The lead screw shafts are press fitted directly to the motor's...

Circular chart recorder.(new products)
June 1, 2005... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC., STAMFORD, CONN. The CTXL is a microprocessor-based, portable, universal circular chart Superecorder. It is available in computer room white or charcoal gray in ranges of -17 to 49[degrees]C (2 to 120[degrees]F) and 2 to...

Integrated drive.(new products)
June 1, 2005... ABB INC., NEW BERLIN, WIS. An integrated, regenerative ac drive, in a 7.5 to 125 horsepower range, incorporates an active supply unit rather than the passive diode supply. According to ABB, the active front end and a built-in LCL filter reduce...

Stepper motors.(new products)
June 1, 2005... DANAHER MOTION, WOOD DALE, ILL. Portescap Turbo Disc stepper motors have an advanced patented design, and are suitable for applications in the medical, textile, die bonding, and variable optical attenuator industries. According to the company,...

System combination.(new products)
June 1, 2005... TRANSDUCER TECHNIQUES INC., TEMECULA, CALIF. The company's new system combination is made up of its GS0 (precision gram sensor) and its DPM-3 panel mount meter. This system is suitable for a variety of industrial and OEM force measurement and...

Illuminated messaging.(new products)
June 1, 2005... RICE LAKE WEIGHING SYSTEMS, RICE LAKE, WIS. The LaserLight remote display now has messaging capabilities. This display is designed for demanding applications, including truck scales, warehouse scales, landfills, and cattle auction barns. With...

Heat recovery option.(new products)
June 1, 2005... DECTRON INC., ROSWELL, GA. The Smart Saver heat recovery coil is now a standard option on dehumidification equipment for indoor pools, greenhouses, warehouses, libraries, and other general dehumidification applications. The coil extracts heat...

Circular saw.(new products)
June 1, 2005... HILTI, TULSA, OKLA. With the power of a worm drive and a very compact design, the WSWC 267-E circular saw is like no other, according to the manufacturer. Equipped with Smart Power and a two-point cutting angle lock to keep the blade securely...

Dual motion actuator.(new products)
June 1, 2005... HAYDON SWITCH & INSTRUMENT INC., WATERBURY, CONN. HSI's size 14 linear/rotary dual motion actuator is the most recent addition to its hybrid stepper motor product line. The new unit provides linear and rotary motion in a compact package. The...

Keeping cool.(new products)
June 1, 2005... UNIVERSAL AIR FILTER CO., SAUGET, ILL. The ST16 intelligent mobile gateway allows wireless carriers to deliver high-speed data, enhanced voice, and multimedia services to subscribers through high-performance, next-generation networks. The...

Dust filter.(new products)
June 1, 2005... FARR AIR POLLUTION CONTROL, JONESBORO, ARK. The HemiPleat filter has longer service life and lower pressure drop compared to standard dust collector cartridge filters, according to the manufacturer. The HemiPleat line includes filter elements...

Flexible carbon fiber heater.(new products)
June 1, 2005... METHODE DEVELOPMENT CO., CHICAGO, ILL. The flexible carbon fiber heater provides an alternative to traditional flat flex heaters. According to the company, it has greater mechanical reliability and offers the designer a wider range of options...

Maximizing joint strength.(new products)
June 1, 2005... SPS TECHNOLOGIES. JENKINTOWN, PA. Preload indicating washers provide an accurate method of measuring the preload, or clamp force, in a bolted joint. Using these washers in order to achieve maximum preload allows designers to maximize joint...

Thumbscrew fasteners.(new products)
June 1, 2005... SHEAR-LOC PRODUCTS, LAGUNA HILLS. CALIF. The company has a new line of thumbscrews with an internal female thread. The new connector can be used as a stand-alone thumbscrew or in conjunction with the company's established product line. A...

Non-intrusive switch.(new products)
June 1, 2005... MONITOR TECHNOLOGIES LLC, ELBURN, ILL. Binatrol diaphragm switches are used to cost effectively detect the point level of powders and bulk solids in storage bins. They can also be used to detect plugged conveyor chutes. The Binatrol is flush...

Power transmission.(product information)
June 1, 2005... QUALITY TRANSMISSION COMPONENTS, GARDEN CITY PARK. N.Y. The process of selecting timing belt pulleys, belts, belt and roller chain tensioners, and other power transmission components are among the subjects covered in a new 368-page catalog, No....

Chain design.(product information)
June 1, 2005... EMERSON POWER TRANSMISSION, ITHACA, N.Y. The company's 16-page manual covers design for specialty and attachment chains. The publication offers information on chain materials and their operating characteristics. A wide variety of standard...

Molecular spectroscopy.(product information)
June 1, 2005... THERMO ELECTRON CORP., MADISON, WIS. The company's latest catalog contains microscopy and spectroscopy accessories and supplies. This publication is a resource for a laboratory, designed to help scientists find tools to improve the capabilities...

Tube cleaning.(product information)
June 1, 2005... CONCO SYSTEMS INC., VERONA, PA. The new general product catalog provides an overview of the company's range of technologies, equipment, and services for the power generation industry. Equipment and services that are covered include tube...

Control dampers.(product information)
June 1, 2005... GREENHECK. SCHOFIELD. WIS. The company's new catalog provides a single source for control damper information. The publication details Greenheck's damper design and construction features, damper options and accessories, and the range of...

Swagelok double block-and-bleed valves.(Fluid Handling)
June 1, 2005... Kenmac series double block-and-bleed valves provide a smooth transition from process to instrumentation systems in a single, compact valve assembly. Each forged body incorporates a primary isolation valve and a variety of secondary...

Metric gear components.(Power Transmission & Motion Control)
June 1, 2005... NEW 456-page catalog Q410 features technical specs for over 3,400 standardized stock metric gear components, including spur, helical and internal gears, straight and helical racks, straight and spiral bevel gears, worm and worm gears, ratchets...

Actuators for automation.(Power Transmission & Motion Control)
June 1, 2005... 8 Rotary and linear motions Web site aids quick pick Select options with pop-up support Download product CAD files Built to order, quick turnaround www.rotomation.com 386-676 -6377 ROTOMATION Circle 302 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The new Smalley Steel Ring Company Wave Spring Catalog is now available Our new catalog features over 2000 stock size springs, ranging from 3/8" to 16".(Power Transmission & Motion Control)
June 1, 2005... The new Smalley Steel Ring Company Wave Spring Catalog is now available Our new catalog features over 2000 stock size springs, ranging from 3/8" to 16". Special designs range from .200" to 90" and can be ready in 1-4 weeks with No Tooling...

Rotating electrical connectors.(Materials & Assembly)
June 1, 2005... 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...

Plastic fasteners.(Materials & Assembly)
June 1, 2005... This NEW catalog #35 is over 250 pages and details more than 20,000 plastic fasteners to accommodate a wide range of applications. This FREE catalog features 10 NEW product lines with 160 new items. FREE ENGINEERING SAMPLES are available upon...

New Optics catalog.(Materials & Assembly)
June 1, 2005... 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...

DFS Version 4 is here!(Engineering Tools)
June 1, 2005... DFS Version 4 solves problems more quickly, includes both control valves and pressure regulator valves integrated utilities allowing the user to readily view, create, or modify data files directly, improved local area network performance,...

CFD 2000.(Engineering Tools)
June 1, 2005... CFD software for all flow speeds, heat transfer, advanced chemistry, multi-phase, and FSI, Easily customizable BCs and equation source terms. arsales@adaptive-research.com www.adaptive-research.com ADAPTIVE RESEARCH Circle...

Simulate convection with ALGOR for coupled fluid flow and heat transfer.(Engineering Tools)
June 1, 2005... ALGOR's multiphysics software features coupled fluid flow and heat transfer analysis to simulate natural, forced or mixed convection, as shown on this glass globe and light bulb model. Includes full CAD associativity; a suite of modeling tools;...