Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from March 2006

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from March 2006

Responses to the February question of the month: does the Internet fundamentally level the playing field between large and small companies?(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The new Question of the Month will be posted on March 1. A reader who answered "Sometimes" elaborated: "It also depends on the type of products/business the companies operate in. Nevertheless, opportunities hove been greatly increased for...

Open integration.(product's development cycle)(Editorial)
March 1, 2006... During a product's development cycle, nobody believes an analyst's results more than the analyst; and nobody believes test results more than the test engineer. But there is growing support for physical testing ever earlier in the product...

The move to computers.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... To the Editor: I enjoyed John Varrasi's article, "The Computer Assist," in the October 2005 issue. He points out, correctly, that the full impact of computers in engineering did not take place until the introduction of the PC in the 1980s. ...

Will train for work.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... To the Editor: I would like to take exception to a letter in the November 2005 issue about engineers who are trying to find work and those lucky enough to have jobs. I have been in mechanical engineering for almost 10 years and I was just...

Issues beyond gender.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... To the Editor: I respect the concerned reader's response to the picture of the woman posing in front of the car at the beginning of the June 2005 article, "Where the Engineers Are." Women are clearly demeaned in countless insensitive ways all...

Seeing scary images.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... To the Editor: The cover on the October issue is kind of scary and based on my experience in the oil and gas business neither of the people shown would be working in this industry very long. One has his sleeves rolled up, no eyewear, no...

Keeping current.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... To the Editor: For an ME who was technologically obsolescent within six months of graduation, your magazine has been, over the years, a welcome fount of currency and updating. I thank you. Jean Thilmany's extraordinary "Ephemeral Warehouse"...

Staying power.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2006... To the Editor: After receiving the January issue, I wish to extend my best wishes to Mohamad S. Qatu, ASME Fellow. His accomplishments and degrees are without question very impressive. What stands out is that he has continued to teach and...

Power cable to the people's republic.(news & notes)
March 1, 2006... An Irvine, Calif., company marketing a high-capacity electricity cable has been trying to break into the transmission and distribution field for some time. It reports that lately it has been making some headway, including an order for about 40...

This standard makes its key points first.(American Society Of Mechanical Engineer)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... THE ASME B46 Surface Metrology Committee is developing a new feature to be added to its published standard, an executive summary. According to the committee's chairman, Don Cohen, who is also the principal of Michigan Metrology in Livonia,...

Just take a micro cube or two and call me in the morning.(engineering research)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... It's a trick straight out of elementary school: make cube from six linked squares. But if it's hard to get the sides lined up when working with scissors and a two-inch square of paper, imagine the difficulty in making cube that's a mere 100...

Long-distance doctor.(usage of robotics)
March 1, 2006... Women in remote areas don't usually have the greatest health-care options. But even if the doctor is located across the globe, they may someday get potentially lifesaving breast exams with help from robotic technology being developed at...

U.S. debut in '08 for Chinese car.(Geely Automobile Co.'s new car)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... An automaker from Hangzhou, China, which took part in the Detroit Auto Show for the first time this year, says it can introduce a car to the U.S. market in 2008. Geely Automobile Co.'s chairman, Shufu Li, said that the company intends "to...

Power tubes.(news & notes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... It's been a staple of future babble for more than a decade: Nanotubes will someday revolutionize the materials industry, thanks to their great strength and light weight. But two recent reports suggest that nanotubes might well make great...

Sandia National Laboratories and Sharp Corp. have signed a cooperative research and development agreement to work together on renewable and alternative energy technologies.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Sandia National Laboratories and Sharp Corp. have signed a cooperative research and development agreement to work together on renewable and alternative energy technologies, including advanced fuel cells.

Sarnatech BNL Ltd., a manufacturer of plastic bearings, has been acquired by Plastics Capital Ltd. of the U.K.
March 1, 2006... Sarnatech BNL Ltd., a manufacturer of plastic bearings, has been acquired by Plastics Capital Ltd. of the U.K. Formerly owned by the Swiss Sarna Group, the company will now be known as BNL (UK) Ltd. Its U.S. subsidiary, in Foxboro, Mass., will...

InnovMetric Software.(Briefly Noted)
March 1, 2006... InnovMetric Software of Quebec City, Canada, has released PolyWorks 9.1. for reverse engineering, virtual assembly, pilot assembly, and first-article inspection applications.

CIRCOR International Inc. of Burlington, Mass., a leading provider of valves and other fluid control devices for the instrumentation, aerospace, thermal fluid, and energy markets, has acquired Sagebrush Pipeline Equipment Co. for approximately $12 million in cash and assumption of debt.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... CIRCOR International Inc. of Burlington, Mass., a leading provider of valves and other fluid control devices for the instrumentation, aerospace, thermal fluid, and energy markets, has acquired Sagebrush Pipeline Equipment Co. for approximately...

General Dynamics Land Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics in Sterling Heights, Mich., has been awarded a $257 million contract for 130 new eightwheeled light armored vehicles in various configurations for the U,S. Marine Corps.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... General Dynamics Land Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics in Sterling Heights, Mich., has been awarded a $257 million contract for 130 new eightwheeled light armored vehicles in various configurations for the U,S. Marine Corps. The...

Math translated.(computing)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... EVER THINK CIVIL ENGINEERS SPEAK a foreign language? It might be the math they use. Now a mechanical engineer at Purdue University in Indiana and a civil engineer at Tel Aviv University in Israel have developed mathematical theorems that...

Seeing more CAE.(computer-aided engineering )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... THIS YEAR SHOULD BRING a steady rise in computer-aided engineering purchases by engineering companies, according to an analysis firm. In January, Daratech of Cambridge, Mass., which tracks the CAE software sector, surveyed companies with...

Into the third dimension.(computing)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A 25-YEAR-OLD COMPANY that primarily serves the automotive industry says it has found a number of advantages in switching to a 3-D CAD system from a 2-D system about a year ago. The company, Burloak Tool and Die Ltd. in Burlington, Ontario,...

No need for quiet.(software for mechanical engineers )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... THE DESIGN SOFTWARE that mechanical engineers rely on every day also plays a key role in other--don't take this the wrong way--perhaps more glamorous industries. Take Hollywood, for example. Set designers often mock up an entire movie set...

No unneeded whistles.( ShinSung Information Technology Co.'s software usage)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... EXECUTIVES AT A KOREAN automotive supplier know something about engineering software: Don't buy more than you need. To that end, ShinSung Information Technology Co. Ltd. of Seoul, Korea, an automotive parts supplier, recently installed...

No paper in this printer.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A HEALING CUT AND AN EMBRYO slowly developing into a fetus are both examples of what a researcher at the University of Missouri in Columbia calls biological self-assembly: the tendency of living systems to make themselves whole. Gabor...

Decision guidance.(Robust Decisions Inc. uses Accord)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... A DEVELOPER OF decision-management products, Robust Decisions Inc. in Corvallis, Ore., has adapted its team-decision software to run on a central server. The original software, called Accord, guides teams to reach decisions and has been...

Close to the fold.(technology in diagnosis)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... WHEN IT COMES TO DEADLY DISEASES, a simple change in the fold of a protein makes the difference between life and death. But it's often hard for researchers to visualize and thus study these complexly folded proteins. A Michigan...

TekSoft.(Briefly Noted)
March 1, 2006... TekSoft of Scottsdale, Ariz., which makes manufacturing software, has released CAMWorks 2006EX with a new module for multi-axis machining.

Algor Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Algor Inc. of Pittsburgh says its upgraded finite element analysis program, Algor version 19, features expanded support for 64-bit Windows and 32- and 64-bit Red Hat Linux operating systems.

Collaborative data and process management software maker Empresa Solutions Inc. of Phoenix has upgraded its Kinnosa Workflow program.(Briefly Noted)
March 1, 2006... Collaborative data and process management software maker Empresa Solutions Inc. of Phoenix has upgraded its Kinnosa Workflow program for PDMWorks from SolidWorks.

Dynamic Design Solutions.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Dynamic Design Solutions of Leuven, Belgium, has released FEMtools 3.1.1, a maintenance release that provides several improvements and corrections to the CAE analysis and scripting software program.

DotSoft.(Briefly Noted)
March 1, 2006... Office2DWG, newly available from DotSoft of Ewing, Ky., lets users place Microsoft Office documents in designs. It's a self-contained server designed for workgroups.

PartMaker Software/IMCS Inc.(Briefly Noted)
March 1, 2006... PartMaker Software/IMCS Inc. of Fort Washington, Pa., has released version 7.8 of its PartMaker CAD and CAM software for CNC machining.

Coade Inc.(Briefly Noted)
March 1, 2006... Coade Inc. of Houston has released Caesar II version five; an updated edition of the company's pipe-stress analysis software.

Spirax Sarco Inc.(Briefly Noted)
March 1, 2006... Spirax Sarco Inc. of Blythewood, S.C., has expanded its CAD Center drawing library of steam system components and applications for steam system engineers.

CoCreate Software Inc.(Briefly Noted)
March 1, 2006... CoCreate Software Inc. of Fort Collins, Colo., has released its OneSpace 2006 PLM application.

Moldflow Corp.(Briefly Noted)
March 1, 2006... A company that makes plastics injection molding software, Moldflow Corp. of Framingham, Mass., has released version six of its Moldflow Plastics Insight design analysis software.

CAD-scale humans.(software exchange)
March 1, 2006... Capability: Anybody CAD allows users to configure and position three-dimensional human models for simple ergonomic analysis within a computer-aided design environment, rather than in a separate application. This ability streamlines ergonomic...

CAD and CAM combined.(software exchange)
March 1, 2006... Capability: KeyCreator--formerly called Cadkey--combines CAD and CAM functions for design, drafting, and NC programming. The combined capabilities support rapid manufacturing. The package can translate to and from most CAD/CAM programs. It...

Electromagnetic field analyzer.(software exchange)
March 1, 2006... Capability: FLO/EMC is 3-D simulation software for analyzing electromagnetic fields in and around electronics enclosures. The application helps improve the design of electronic equipment for electromagnetic compatibility prior to the...

Freeform machining.(software exchange)
March 1, 2006... Capability: The milling software SmartCAM FreeForm Machining, version 12, lets you machine directly from either surface or solid computer-aided design software or from a wireframe program. This application includes nonuniform rational B-spline...

Design on latest Mac.(software exchange)
March 1, 2006... Capability: The design and drafting program VersaCAD 2006 for Macintosh has been updated for use with the new double-core, Intel-based Macintosh computers. The upgrade runs on an iMac or a MacBook Pro and provides a large viewing area that...

Distributed drives sing together.(Maestro network)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The new Maestro network-based multi-axis supervisor from Elmo Motion Control Inc. of Westford, Mass., is a good example of how much intelligence companies are now packing into their devices. Equally important, Maestro is designed to supervise...

Motors without magnets.(technology focus: POWER TRANSMISSION AND MOTION CONTROL)
March 1, 2006... Imagine a solid-state motor, one that has no conventional moving parts and generates no magnetic fields. Running virtually silently, it can vary its speed from less than 1 micrometer to nearly 250 millimeters per second and achieve resolutions...

Battery drain stopper.(Battery Brain)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... When you try to start your car and find the battery dead, there appears to be a better solution than just swearing and pulling out your hair. Called Battery Brain, it is a small device that connects to a car's battery. Battery Brain uses...

Plant growth in France.(technology focus: POWER TRANSMISSION AND MOTION CONTROL)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... BorgWarner Transmission Systems of Auburn Hills, Mich., has broken ground for a new, 160,000-square-foot plant in France. The company said the new plan is a response to increasing demand for BorgWarner DualTronic transmission technology in...

Serving servoed steppers.(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2006... At first glance, the SilverDust IGB servo controller/driver from QuickSilver Controls Inc. looks like many similar devices. The Modbus-compatible controller provides 16 input/output and four analog input connections and plugs easily into PC and...

The free range: idealists or realists? Some big guns are taking a shot at open-source product development.(Sun Microsystems product introduction)(company management)(product development)
March 1, 2006... Sometime around now, Sun Microsystems will release the designs of its latest microprocessor in the Sparc family, the Ultrasparc T1. A product of billions of dollars of R&D spending, it will be available to the public free of charge. It's...

Streamlined from the start: we've all heard that manufacturing can go lean, but what about product development?
March 1, 2006... In the past 30 years, the idea of lean manufacturing has transformed the way many companies do business. The practice has had such wide influence that it seems most manufacturers have jumped onto the bandwagon. That means they are committed to...

Efficiency is its own reward: building a green factory was intended to be a neighborly gesture, but it wound up making fundamental business sense.(Editorial)
March 1, 2006... it isn't difficult to focus on the dark clouds hovering over the American manufacturing sector. The United States has lost millions of manufacturing jobs in the past five years, and its trade deficit in manufactured goods runs into the billions...

Lies your ERP system tells you: enterprise resource planning has always had a hard time bridging the gap between corporate offices and the factory floor. Here's why.(enterprise resource planning software)
March 1, 2006... tens of thousands of large and medium-size companies have installed enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to harmonize business, manufacturing, and supply chain operations. Many have achieved outstanding returns. Others, however, found...

Burning questions: combustion research prepares for the more complex fuel supply of the near future.(energy research)
March 1, 2006... the United States has grown accustomed to a reliable and fairly consistent portfolio of fossil energy sources. Over the past decades, transportation, for instance, has relied on domestic and imported crude oil; domestic coal and natural gas...

NaCl of the earth: salt deposits complicate the picture in the search for undersea oil; high-power imaging helps sort things out.(research )
March 1, 2006... the value of oil in terms of personal freedom and comfort is almost incalculable. People will certainly pay plenty to get it. As demand and prices continue to rise, it has become necessary, and profitable, to look for deposits in increasingly...

Vehicle Accident Analysis and Reconstruction Methods.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... Vehicle Accident Analysis and Reconstruction Methods. Raymond M. Brach and R. Matthew Brach. SAE International, 400 Commonwealth Dr., Warrendale, PA 15096-0001. 2005. 275 pages. SAE members, $95.96; list, $119.95. ISBN 0-7680-0776-3. The...

Combustion Instabilities in Gas Turbine Engines: Operational experience, fundamental mechanisms, and modeling.(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... Combustion Instabilities in Gas Turbine Engines: Operational experience. fundamental mechanisms. and modeling. Edited by Timothy C. Lieuwen and Vigor Yang. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1801 Alexander Bell Dr., Suite 500,...

Handbook of Acrylics for Submersibles. Hyperbaric Chambers and Aquaria.(ME bookshelf)(Book Review)
March 1, 2006... Handbook of Acrylics for Submersibies. Hyperbaric Chambers and Aquaria. Jerry D. Stachiw. Best Publishing Co., 2355 N. Steves Blvd., Flagstaff,, AZ 86003. 2003. 1,066 pages. $195. ISBN 1930536-15-1. This fully illustrated and highly...

Filing Patents Online: A professional guide.(ME bookshelf)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
March 1, 2006... Filing Patents Online: A professional guide. Sarfaraz K. Niazi. CRC Press, 2000 N.W. Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431. 2003. 433 pages. Softcover. $74.95. ISBN 08493-1624-3. Securing a patent through the traditional process is slow and...

Hydraulics, Pipe Flow. Industrial HVAC & Utility Systems: Mister Mech Mentor. Vol. 1.(ME bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... Hydraulics, Pipe Flow. Industrial HVAC & Utility Systems: Mister Mech Mentor. Vol. 1. James A. Wingate. ASME Press, Three Park Ave., New York, NY 10016-5990. 2005. 160 pages. Softcover. ASME members, $36; list, $45. ISBN 07918-0235-3. ...

Dictionary of Energy.(ME bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... Dictionary of Energy. Cutler J. Cleveland and Christopher Morris. Elsevier Limited, The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford 0X5 1GB, U.K. 2006. 502pages. $85. ISBN 0-080-44578-0. With definitions compiled by researchers and experts...

Newton-Euler Dynamics.(ME bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... Newton-Euler Dynamics. Mark D. Ardema. Springer-Verlag New York Inc., 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010. 2005. 316pages. $129. ISBN 0-387-23275-3. Dynamics continues to be one of the cornerstones of mechanical engineering. Whereas in the...

Analytical Troubleshooting of Process Machinery and Pressure Vessels.(ME bookshelf)(Brief article)(Book review)
March 1, 2006... Analytical Troubleshooting of Process Machinery and Pressure Vessels. Anthony Sofronas.John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030. 2006. 352 pages. $84.95. ISBN 0-471-73211-7. Evolving industrial technology-driven by the need...

Ring index drives.(new products)
March 1, 2006... INDUSTRIAL MOTION CONTROL LLC. WHEELING. ILL. The company, also known as IMC, has engineered a new family of ring index drives that feature larger through-holes than the component had previously. This way, the drives can accommodate a variety...

Free sample kits.(new products)
March 1, 2006... MULTI-SEALS INC., MANCHESTER, CONN. The company is offering a free engineering sample kit of Uni-form epoxy preforms. The kit includes a variety of epoxy preform configurations along with an information pack. Free evaluation samples in...

Proof stem.(new products)
March 1, 2006... BRAY CONTROLS. HOUSTON, TEXAS. The company has designed a blow-out proof stem for its high-performance Series 40 butterfly valves. The new stem will become the standard on all Series 40 valves, replacing the old stem design. With the new stem...

Enhancement filters.(new products)
March 1, 2006... SILVER CLOUD MANUFACTURING CO.. MILLVILLE. N.J. Duralan II enhancement filters provide engineers with design flexibility for a range of applications. Conductive and nonconductive gaskets and adhesives are available in many sizes, thicknesses,...

Locking pins.(new products)
March 1, 2006... JERGENS INC.. CLEVELAND. OHIO. The Quest Series of Kwik-Lok positive locking pins is designed for commercial use in OEM and consumer products. According to the manufacturer, the design permits construction economies that make them attractive to...

Magnetic encoder.(new products)
March 1, 2006... SIKO PRODUCTS INC.. DEXTER. MICH. The MSK5000 is the latest readhead development for linear and rotary applications. Using a low-profile, 5 mm wide magnetic band, programmable resolutions to 1 micrometer direct from the readhead are obtainable....

Alignment problems.(new products)
March 1, 2006... PINPOINT LASER SYSTEMS INC., NEWBURYPORT, MASS. The new Right Angle Alignment Kit, for use in factories and manufacturing facilities, combines the company's Laser Microgage with a new 90-Line Optical Squaring attachment for checking the...

Magnetic flow meter.(new products)
March 1, 2006... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC.. STAMFORD. CONN. The company says its new FMG3000 and FMG3100 Series flow meters offer precision measurements and high reliability. They do not require field programming, and their insertion-style magnetic sensors have no...

Force gauge.(new products)
March 1, 2006... TRANSDUCER TECHNIQUES INC., TEMECULA, CALIF. The HFG-45 is a pocket-size, handheld, high-quality digital force gauge. According to the manufacturer, this force gauge is a versatile force-measuring instrument, for either handheld applications...

Temperature/humidity monitoring.(new products)
March 1, 2006... DICKSON CO.. ADDISON. ILL. The instrument manufacturer says it has enhanced the chart recorders it markets to engineers and scientists for use in monitoring temperature and humidity in test environments. The 8-in. recorders are in two series,...

Fuel purifier for diesels.(new products)
March 1, 2006... DIESELCRAFT FLUID ENGINEERING. AUBURN, CALIF. The company says its new compact fuel purifier removes more than 99 percent of the water and over 95 percent of the natural contaminates found in diesel fuel. This is all done without the use of...

Reducer couplings.(new products)
March 1, 2006... STAFFORD MANUFACTURING CORP., NORTH READING, MASS. Stepped bore couplings solve the problem of mating different-size shafts and are machined from steel or stainless steel. Suitable for connecting shafts from 1/4- to 2-in. bore, including...

Rotary union.(new products)
March 1, 2006... DUFF-NORTON CO., CHARLOTTE, N.C. The 1900 Series has the highest psi ratings of any Duff-Norton rotary union. These rotating joints are designed to provide a rotating seal between fluids and a revolving roll or drum. Commonly conducted media...

Vaporizers.(new products)
March 1, 2006... GAUMER PROCESS HEATERS, SYSTEMS & CONTROLS, HOUSTON, TEXAS. Gaumer's vaporizers are designed for use in process industries, such as chemical, petrochemical, textile, and others requiring large amounts of accurately controlled heat at high...

Sensor signal conditioner.(new products)
March 1, 2006... PCB PIEZOTRONICS INC.. DEPEW, N.Y. The Model 410A01 signal conditioner produced by the company's force/torque division is designed for operation with integrated circuit piezoelectric, or ICR force or strain sensors. It is suitable for...

Measuring flow rates.(new products)
March 1, 2006... MCMILLAN CO., GEORGETOWN, TEXAS. McMillan's Models 104 and 107 Liquid Flo-Sensors precisely measure the flow rates of liquids as low as 13 mL/minute, and are designed as an electronic alternative to ball-and-tube rotameters. Stainless steel...

Sensor variety.(new products)
March 1, 2006... AUTOMATIONDIRECT. CUMMING, GA. expands its sensor line with a number of new series. The UHZ ultrasonic series comes with an 18-30 V dc input supply range and PNP or NPN transistor outputs. The UHZ series has a maximum sensing distance of 300...

Rotary switches.(new products)
March 1, 2006... ELECTROSWITCH. WEYMOUTH. MASS. The Series 101 Snap-Action Rotary Switch provides a durable solution for a variety of industrial applications. It is available with four-hole or single-hole mounting, depending on the application. Both models have...

Gearmotors.(new products)
March 1, 2006... LEESON ELECTRIC, GRAFTON, WIS. Leeson claims to be the first manufacturer of subfractional motors and gearmotors to introduce dc Washguard products. These new units are designed to provide enhance performance in wet and humid areas. This...

Adapter system.(new products)
March 1, 2006... CONVERTECH INC., WHARTON, N.J. A core chuck and adapter system reduces the number and cost of chucks required for many operations. At one-quarter the cost and weight of a chuck, each adapter can expand the usability of your current chucks...

Coalescing filters.(new products)
March 1, 2006... PARKER HANNIFIN CORP.. HAVERHILL. MASS. The company has redesigned its coalescing Balston filters, providing two differential pressure indicators built right into the head of the filter; this allows for full 360-degree viewing. A quick-release,...

Electro-polished surface finish.(new products)
March 1, 2006... EMERSON PROCESS MANAGEMENT, AUSTIN, TEXAS. The company has extended its selection of the Micro Motion H-Series hygienic meter line by offering the 15 Ra electro-polished surface finish on its 2-inch line size hygienic Coriolis meter. For users...

Diagnostic cart system.(new products)
March 1, 2006... LENOX INSTRUMENT CO., DOYLESTOWN, PA. The portable FireSight diagnostic cart system is an easy and economical means to achieve color video monitoring of combustion and process control in boilers, furnaces, kilns, and incinerators, according to...