Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from March 2004

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from March 2004

Executive ambitions.(editorial)
March 1, 2004... Women are becoming ever more numerous inside the traditionally male-dominated boardrooms across the country, even in professions such as engineering, accounting, law, and medicine. Heck, even ASME had its second woman president, Susan H. Skemp,...

Strong drink.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... To the Editor: In the July letters, Alexander R. Kovnat touts the benefits of methanol as a fuel in internal combustion engines. He does not mention that the higher heating value of methanol is not even half that of gasoline. Larger fuel tanks...

Hydrogen considerations.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... To the Editor: I turned to your article on fuel cells, "Stacking Up," (June 2003) with the hope that Mechanical Engineering magazine would address some of the widespread misconceptions associated with the current administration's "hydrogen...

Electrostatically cleaned.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... To the Editor: I found Jeffrey Winters's article, "Twice Cleaned," in the July 2003 edition very interesting. A professor here at the University of Southern California has done a lot of work in a related area and just received a patent on...

Ford's blemished founder.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... To the Editor: Your article on Henry Ford in the May 2003 issue was interesting and balanced in that it described some of the despicable business tactics practiced by Ford on his original stockholders. However, completely ignored were his nasty...

Thanks for the thought.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... To the Editor: I applaud your magazine for publishing articles and responsive letters that drive us as engineers to communicate thoughts and ideas. Where did it ever come from that everyone had to agree with everyone else? Where else would...

Running uphill.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... To the Editor: In a letter in the October 2003 issue, James O. Frisz suggests feeding water from south of New Orleans (elevation 5 feet) through natural or man-made waterways to south western states, including Arizona. Does Frisz have any...

Fusion search.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... To the Editor: More than 30 years ago, the December 1971 issue of Mechanical Engineering contained an article titled "Power in the Year 2001," which discussed the future of fusion power and the promise it holds for an abundance of relatively...

Gap in the road.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... To the Editor: I read with interest the article written by Gayle Ehrenmann concerning the reconstruction efforts planned for postwar Iraq (June 2003). It is evident that our government has expended considerable effort in planning, and tax...

Hot water cleanup.(news & notes)(liquid high level radioactive waste)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... A hazardous-materials handler from Atlanta has been awarded the contract to process treatment wastewater at the Department of Energy's West Valley Demonstration Project Site. The goal of the project is to create a waste suitable for shipping to...

As good as new.(news & notes)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... A trade association has published a study on how rewinding affects efficiency of electric motors. The study's conclusion: Motors that are rewound according to best practices see almost no drop from their original efficiencies. The new...

Two-handed designing wins hands down.(news & notes)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Two hands are better--or, at least, better for you--when it comes to CAD design, according to an ergonomics study. The consulting firm Ergonomic Technologies Corp. of Syosset, N.Y., compared two-handed and one-handed CAD working styles in a...

Choked off.(news & notes)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Speaking of efficiency, ABB Inc. in New Berlin, Wis., has built a "swinging choke" for its ACS550 variable-speed drive to combat the harmonics that such drives produce in line-side, upstream circuits. Mark Kenyon, ABB's product manager, said...

TTL.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... United Kingdom-based TTL has developed an add-on module for its adaptive machining system that replicates hand polishing of high-pressure compressor blades. Machine polishing can take place immediately after a piece has been milled to near net...

Hydraulics Ltd. of Greensboro, N.C., which provides water and wastewater service to more than 25,000 residents in North Carolina, has changed its name to Aqua North Carolina Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Aqua America Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Hydraulics Ltd. of Greensboro, N.C., which provides water and wastewater service to more than 25,000 residents in North Carolina, has changed its name to Aqua North Carolina Inc. Its parent company, Philadelphia Suburban Corp., is now Aqua...

Pentair Inc. of Golden Valley, Minn., has entered into an agreement to acquire water system company WICOR Industries.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Pentair Inc. of Golden Valley, Minn., has entered into an agreement to acquire water system company WICOR Industries, a unit of Wisconsin Energy Corp. of Milwaukee.

Engineous Software.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Engineous Software of Cary, N.C., which makes integration and automation software, has released iSight 8.0, which includes a new engineering data mining application.

EDS.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Managers at computer-aided engineering software maker EDS of Plano, Texas, have outlined to industry analysts a streamlined strategy for company operations. The new structure is aimed at reducing the company's sagging fortunes.

Curtiss-Wright Corp. of Roseland, N.J., acquired Dy 4 Systems Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Curtiss-Wright Corp. of Roseland, N.J., acquired Dy 4 Systems Inc., a supplier of embedded computing systems for the defense and aerospace industries, from Solectron Corp. of Milpitas, Calif.

Thule Group of Seymour, Conn., acquired recreational trailer manufacturer C&C Distributors.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Thule Group of Seymour, Conn., acquired recreational trailer manufacturer C&C Distributors of Winslow, Maine. C&C will operate as Thule Trailers Inc.

Navigating a model like peeling an orange.(computing)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... WELDING MACHINE MAKER ESAB of London recently brought out a new generation of welding machines. One happy byproduct of that new market: increased sales. Although the company streamlined its organization to keep up, designers were still...

Heavy-duty trucks made on schedule.(computing)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... A HEAVY-DUTY TRUCK MAKER based to Portland, Ore., has installed technology in all its manufacturing plants nationwide to cut the time it takes for daily production planning. The company, Freightliner, is using a scheduling program to make...

3-D photos for everyone.(computing)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... WITHOUT EVER SETTING EYES on each other, engineers and manufacturers around the world designed and manufactured a new device for three-dimensional photography. The device, called Photo3-D allows users to take 3-D photographs with their own...

Bigger-bore diameters needed in manifolds.(computing)(Productive Design Services Inc)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... TO HELP SOLVE A TRICKY PROBLEM, the engineering consulting firm Productive Design Services Inc. of Windsor, Ontario, recently used a software application that gives insight into the plastics injection molding process. The software simulates...

Pinning a pet's broken leg.(computing)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... EVER NOTICE HOW YOU DON'T often see a dog or a cat to a cast? When a pet breaks a bone, veterinarians usually mend the fracture with a combination of stabilization devices called intramedullary pins and external skeletal fixators. Now,...

Integrated technology links pipeline projects.(computing)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... THE OFFSHORE AND ENGINEERING division of Hyundai Heavy Industry is using design and collaboration software to share data and drawings internally and with outside engineering companies. The division makes and lays gas pipelines, among other...

Assembling a car before it's manufactured.(computing)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md., is creating software to help engineers virtually build an automobile body to study how to best build the real thing. The program, called the Digital Body Development...

Automatic fixes for line problems.(computing)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... A RESIN MANUFACTURER in the Netherlands reduced maintenance costs by 10 to 20 percent throughout its plant after installing a plant-automation system that ferrets out and helps fix problems on the lines. Eka Chamicals of Maastricht makes...

Making a missile simulator.(computing)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... BY ANY MEASURE, the five-axis missile flight motion simulator developed by Carco Electronics of Pittsburgh is impressive. It weighs 68,000 pounds and has a peak power consumption of 450 kilowatts. Just one of its five motors provides 16,000...

Coade Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Coade Inc. of Houston has released PVElite version 2004, an updated edition of the company's integrated vessel design and stress analysis software.

PTC.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The maker of computer-aided engineering software, PTC of Needham, Mass., has released Windchill 7.0, an updated version of its product lifecycle management software.

UGS PLM Solutions.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... UGS PLM Solutions, the PLM subsidiary of EDS Corp. of Piano, Texas, will standardize its product lines on Macrovision FLEXnet, the universal licensing platform provided by Macrovision of Santa Clara, Calif.

Product Sight.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Product Sight; of Bellevue, Wash., a maker of PLM technology, has integrated its PLM technologies. The Product Sight Lifecycle Environment, or PLSE, now combines the company's SyncroSpec and FindView products to create a PLM system for both...

ESI Group.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... The maker of digital simulation software for prototyping and manufacturing processes, ESI Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., has purchased the intellectual property rights to EASi-Crash from EASi of Paris. The acquisition will allow ESI Group to...

Elysium Inc. of Southfield, Mich., which makes digital design data exchange software, has released its Catia-to-Rhinoceros translator.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Elysium Inc. of Southfield, Mich., which makes digital design data exchange software, has released its Catia-to-Rhinoceros translator. This translator runs as a plug-in application in Rhino 3D, and reads and writes Catia version 4 files...

MSC.Software Corp.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... MSC.Software Corp. of Los Angeles, which makes simulation software for engineers, has released MSC.Simulation Data Management, or SDM, 2004.

CNC Software Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... CNC Software Inc. of Tolland, Conn., has released its Mastercam Direct for SolidWorks add-in, which gives machining options to users of the SolidWorks CAD program. Mastercam is a computer-aided manufacturing software application.

Turbo Squid.(Briefly Noted)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... Turbo Squid of New Orleans, which sells 3-D images, will also now offer custom 3-D modeling service.

Customized data acquisition.(software exchange)
March 1, 2004... Capability: LabView 7 Express is a graphical development environment for engineers and scientists whose measurement applications require an open programming language. Users don't need programming experience to use the configuration-based...

Technical drawing and editing.(software exchange)
March 1, 2004... Capability: The professional edition of Canvas 9 is a technical illustration program that combines a drawing engine with image editing, presentations, print, and Web publishing features. Another version, called the scientific imaging edition,...

2-D CAD.(software exchange)
March 1, 2004... Capability: Version 5.5, the latest upgrade to Microspot's 2-D CAD software, MacDraft, lets users import pictures and use the resize palette for pixel maps and paragraph text. Users can undo up to the past 100 changes. The application is...

Multiphase flow interface.(software exchange)
March 1, 2004... Capability: PetraSim is a graphical interface for the Tough2 family of simulators. The simulators were developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and are used to model multiphase fluid flow and heat transfer in porous and fractured...

Collaboration, 3-D viewing.(software exchange)
March 1, 2004... Capability: This collaboration software, called OneSpace.net, serves as a means for engineering teams to collaborate and to share engineering data. It includes a secure project workspace, a meeting center for Web-based meetings, instant...

Switched-on torque.(Power Transmission And Motion Control)(DynaMotors variable-speed motor)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... A brushless, variable-speed motor that uses electronic switches in the armature to control speed and torque has been created by Cleveland-based DynaMotors Inc. The company's vice president, Doug Toman, said that the motor, unlike an ac...

Give 'em a better brake.(Power Transmission And Motion Control)
March 1, 2004... Service equipment maker Hunter Engineering Co. of St. Louis selected a variable-speed drive from South Beloit, Ill.-based Minarik Drives for controlling the ac motor of its new on-car brake rotor lathe. According to Hunter's mechanical...

Sub systems engineering.(Power Transmission And Motion Control)(Ultra Motion Co)
March 1, 2004... A submersible actuator from Ultra Motion Co. of Mattituck, N.Y., eliminated through hull sealing concerns for a maker of underwater remotely operated vehicles. According to Ultra Motion's owner, Erwin Roger, the actuator holds oil inside...

Rewind just in time.(Power Transmission And Motion Control)
March 1, 2004... By adding two sensors, a pulley, and a pair of air cylinders to a stock traverse assembly, Alternate Mechanical Drives Inc. shortens the time it takes to set up a winder. The wedding of electrics and pneumatics to a purely mechanical device...

THD Equals B.A.D.(Power Transmission And Motion Control)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... They earn praise for saving energy. They're lauded for the way that they cushion starting and stopping shocks on rotating mechanical equipment. Yet, variable frequency drives may soon end up penalizing their owners through higher rates by not...

Press train.(Power Transmission And Motion Control)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... A destacker that is scheduled for delivery this spring to a North American DaimlerChrysler plant will be using linear motors that resemble those found on the Chinese Transrapid maglev as well as on the latest coaster rides. Just about all...

Large pulp refiner motor.(Power Transmission And Motion Control)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2004... According to ABB, it has delivered the largest pulp refiner motor the company has ever built. Rated at 38 megawatts, or 51,000 horsepower, the four-pole synchronous motor was delivered with its starting equipment late last year to Stora Enso's...

The 2005 budget: flat-funding R&D.(washington window)
March 1, 2004... President Bush on February 2 submitted to Congress a $2.4 trillion budget that would pare some programs in fiscal year 2005, hold the line in most others, and provide carefully targeted increases, mostly in the areas of defense and homeland...

The trail to the leading edge: Detective work in San Antonio led to understanding the loss of Columbia.(Failure Analysis)
March 1, 2004... Mere days after the world watched the orbiter Columbia disintegrate on reentry with the loss of all aboard, NASA enlisted the Southwest Research Institute to join the investigation into the causes of the accident. The institute, in San...

The breaks of progress: finding out what went wrong is the first step in getting to the next level.(Failure Analysis)
March 1, 2004... When a switch is pulled and nothing happens, the company gets the blame. Then the company may turn around and blame the engineer. But nothing really constructive happens until engineers start to analyze the causes of a failure. Their...

A catch in time: systems give warning before they break up. The trick is to listen--and learn.(Failure Analysis)
March 1, 2004... One principle that holds true across two centuries of human experience on the machine frontier is that technological disasters usually don't come like bolts from the blue. Instead, little malfunctions and errors link up beforehand. over weeks...

Taming the technological frontier: a student of disaster recommends teamwork and openness as a recipe to avoid serious breakdown.(Failure Analysis)(Interview)
March 1, 2004... Technology has been a boon to everyone. But as news of tragedies like the Columbia disaster constantly reminds us, the complicated systems that drive an advanced society can malfunction dramatically and tragically in seconds. It doesn't...

Simplifying complexity--again: no matter how many hands are on the job, technology aims to keep the work flowing.
March 1, 2004... as a major manufacturer of industrial valves, Swagelok Co. of Solon, Ohio, is used to change orders. While it stocks 8,000 of its most popular valves, its complete product line spans more than 100,000 unique configurations. Products are made to...

Vibration monitor.(new products)
March 1, 2004... BALMAC INC., HILLIARD. OHIO. The Model 2024 vibration switch works directly with building automation control systems for fans, motors, pumps, and variable frequency drives. It features a user-adjustable alarm and shutdown for setting vibration...

Air handler.(new products)
March 1, 2004... MCQUAY INTERNATIONAL. MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. The Destiny air handler provides a single solution for low-cost blower coil and low-pressure air handler applications (600 to 15,000 cfm) in offices, schools, hotels, government buildings, stores, and...

Chemical metering pumps.(new products)
March 1, 2004... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC., STAMFORD, CONN. The PHP-300 Series of programmable, solenoid-driven diaphragm liquid chemical metering pumps can be operated manually or automatically, utilizing a 4-20 mA input of pulse input. PHP--400 and PHP--500...

Weights and measures.(new products)
March 1, 2004... TRANSDUCER TECHNIQUES INC., TEMECULA, CALIF. This economically priced system combination is made up of Transducer's GSO (precision gram sensor) and its DPM-3 panel mount meter. The system is suitable for a variety of industrial and OEM force...

High-purity fittings and valves.(new products)
March 1, 2004... DIXON VALVE AND COUPLIN6 CO., CHESTERTOWN, MD. Bradford, a subsidiary of Dixon Valve, has a new line of 1/2- and 3/4-in. micro fittings and valves. Made of 316L stainless steel, these fittings and valves are for use in high-purity industries,...

Self-cleaning strainers.(new products)
March 1, 2004... SSI EQUIPMENT INC., BURLINGTON, ONTARIO. Automatic Backwash Strainers have virtually maintenance-free operation. They are useful where regular maintenance is not available or manual maintenance costs are excessive. These strainers feature a...

Vacuum pump.(new products)
March 1, 2004... PIAB VACUUM PRODUCTS. HINGHAM. MASS. PIAB's P2010 ejector vacuum pump is designed for pick-and-place applications in various fields, including semiconductor and auto manufacturing. The multistage pump, which is activated by compressed air, is...

Position transducer.(new products)
March 1, 2004... CELESCO TRANSDUCER PRODUCTS INC., CHATSWORTH. CALIF. The MT2A is a miniature cable-extension position transducer qualified for use in aerospace applications. It is currently being used to monitor stage separation in the European Rocket Program....

Gripper.(new products)
March 1, 2004... PHD INC., FORT WAYNE, IND. The Series GRF gripper has a fully enclosed, self-lubricating cam driver and jaw covers to prevent contamination and maintain optimum lubrication. The unit's low-profile design makes it suitable for limited space...

Success and luck.(editorial)(Editorial)
March 1, 2004... A recent column in Fast Company magazine discussed "The L Factor," L as in luck. The author, Seth Godin, remarked that sometimes, products and services succeed simply because of dumb luck! Godin's argument was that an entrepreneur's chances...

Expressly for managers.(editorial)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
March 1, 2004... You're holding the first issue of Engineering Management. We'll do two more this year, in July and in November. We've talked to engineers, university administrators, business consultants, and people in many roles to prepare this supplement...

Going soft: good engineers don't necessarily make good managers. But fear not--you can learn to lead.
March 1, 2004... No doubt, at some point in your engineering career you've received the e-mail that purports to spell out the difference between engineers and so-called normal people. When they get together, normal people seek stimulating conversation,...

A decade down the line: ASME plans a major organizational makeover to face the world 10 years from now.
March 1, 2004... It's a speedily changing world out there. To paraphrase a business mantra, companies need to continually reinvent themselves in the face of change or watch profits dwindle away. The same is true for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers....

A certifiable manager: an ASME program, expected to begin next year, addresses the particular needs of engineers in the management seat.
March 1, 2004... Engineers become managers to broaden their horizons, to learn new job skills, and to reap increased rewards that go along with management jobs. Many have no specific training in management skills. And unless they have an MBA, they have few...

Cell manufacturing: the hard part is to get people in step with the program.
March 1, 2004... After reviewing benchmarking data and plant performance, management at a company that manufactures electronic test equipment had decided new ways of operating were needed. To stay competitive, the plant had to produce products more quickly, at...

Tools for all jobs: technology must suit the business, especially if you have to be light on your feet.
March 1, 2004... Leading a manufacturing concern requires two skills: recognizing what every role in the organization contributes to achieving profitable business, and making sure people have the right tools to get the job done. Design engineers are...

The biggest customer: a standing contract can set up an engineering firm as a supplier to the federal government.
March 1, 2004... In an uncertain economy, the federal government can be a reliable source of revenues--often with good margins. Many savvy engineering firms enter the federal market through the General Services Administration's roster of approved contractors....

O-ring compounds.(new products)
March 1, 2004... PARKER HANNIFIN CORP., FRAMINGHAM, MASS. The company's O-ring seals now come in 24 specially formulated elastomer materials that comply with Food and Drug Administration standards for rubber compounding with non-toxic and non-carcinogenic...

Drive system.(new products)
March 1, 2004... FAULHABER GROUP, MICROMO ELECTRONICS INC., CLEARWATER. FLA. The powerful miniature de micromotors with an outside diameter of 32 mm and lengths of 42 mm and 57 mm supplement the proven series of graphite-commutation motors. The ironless rotor...

Fluid system components.(product information)
March 1, 2004... SWAGELOK CO., SOLON, OHIO. The company's new brochure covers its range of fluid system components, including tube fittings and quick connects; weld, pipe, and sanitary fittings; instrumentation, process, and high-purity valves, and tools and...

Magnetic separators.(product information)
March 1, 2004... ERIEZ MAGNETICS, ERIE. PA. A 16-page "how-to" manual, How to Choose & Use Magnetic Separators, covers magnetic materials, differences in dry, moist, and liquid process applications, and a complete overview of magnetic separation equipment. It...

Precision gantry systems.(product information)
March 1, 2004... ANORAD CORP., SHIRLEY. N.Y. Anorad, the precision motion division of Rockwell Automation, has released a 28-page catalog. It highlights the three distinct families of high-performance gantry products and the many custom engineering capabilities...

Sign industry products.(product information)
March 1, 2004... SHEFFIELD PLASTICS INC., SHEFFIELD, MASS. The Makrolon polycarbonate sign products brochure provides a guide to Sheffield's line of polycarbonate sheet products for the sign industry, Short descriptions of product qualities such as impact...

Statics and Dynamics With Background Mathematics.(Book Review)
March 1, 2004... Adrian Roberts, Cambridge University Press, 40 1/17. 20th St,, New, York, NY 10011-4211. 369 pages. 2003. ISBN 0-521-52087-8 (paperback). $50. Statics and dynamics are covered together, with a section on back ground mathematics, providing...

Integrated Visual Servoing and Force Control; The Task Frame Approach.(Book Review)
March 1, 2004... Joris DeSchutter and Johan Baeten. Springer-Verlag N.Y. Inc., 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010. 179 pages. 2004. ISBN 3-540-40475-9. $89.95. Sight and touch are two elementary, but highly complementary, senses--for humans as well as for...

An Introductory Guide to Flow Measurement, ASME Edition.(Book Review)
March 1, 2004... Roger C. Baker. ASME Press, Three Park Ave., New York, NY 10016-5990. 180 pages. 2003. ISBN 0-7918 0198-5. $47, ASME members; $59, list. This book is aimed at the busy practitioner, who is faced with a flow measurement problem and requires...

Pipeline Engineering.(Book Review)
March 1, 2004... Henry Liu. CRC Press Inc., 2000 N. W. Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431. 448 pages. 2003. ISBN 1-5871-6140-0. $129.95. The author, a member of ASME's Pipeline Division, explains that pipeline engineering has straggled to develop as a...

Giant Molecules: Essential Materials for Everyday Living and Problem Solving. Second Edition.(Book Review)
March 1, 2004... Charles E. Carraher, Jr. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030. 483 pages. 2003. ISBN 0-471-27399-6. $115. Giant molecules are the fundamental budding blocks of our entire world, according to the publisher, and this book...