Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from May 2003

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from May 2003

Terrorism on alert. (Editorial).
May 1, 2003... Abhorrence of death and destruction transcends political ideologies. And, but for a few baneful and nefarious exceptions across the world, humankind is saddened at the witness of harm to innocent human beings. Without doubt, here within...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2003... ENTROPY, DISORDER, AND CREATION To the Editor: In the Letters section of your November 2002 issue, you printed a letter by Noah Manring (who is identified as associate editor of the ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and...

Ready for liftoff, still. (News & Notes).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... His NASA shuttle training class of 1998 was labeled "Penguins," mission specialist and mechanical engineer Garrett Reisman told the 29th Northeast Bioengineering Conference at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, this past March, because...

First, do no harm. (News & Notes).(autoclave developed from University of Sydney wins award)
May 1, 2003... A solar-powered autoclave has won first prize in a global contest seeking innovative technologies to treat medical waste in developing areas. Health Care Without Harm, an international coalition of health and environmental organizations devoted...

Only on M.E. magazine online.(mechanical engineering industry)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... @ www.memagazine.org. Responses to the April Question of the Month: Should federal R&D spending on defense-related technology be increased. WEB EXCLUSIVE IN MAY... A case study of a computer simulation project at Xerox Corp. that...

ASME Fellows get key federal posts. (News & Notes).(John A. Brighton and Nils J. Diaz)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... On consecutive days, ASME Fellows were named to two influential federal jobs. President Bush on March 31 put out word that commissioner Nils J. Diaz would be the new chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The next day, the National...

Inpro/Seal Co. (Briefly Noted).(marketing efforts)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Inpro/Seal Co. of Rock Island, Ill. is offering to give its customers bearing isolators in exchange for a percentage of the maintenance savings that result. The program targets process plants with many pumps and motors.

Baldor Electric Co. (Briefly Noted).(has launched a service called ProSpec)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Baldor Electric Co. of Fort Smith, Ark., launched a service called ProSpec, which provides up-to-date information and education about electric motors, drives, motion control products, and gear products. The Web site can be accessed at...

Bombardier Transportation of Montreal entered into a joint venture company in China for the production, marketing, and maintenance. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Bombardier Transportation of Montreal entered into a joint venture company in China for the production, marketing, and maintenance of propulsion equipment of rail vehicles. The company, Bombardier-CPC Propulsion Systems Co. Ltd., is owned...

The Motor Decisions Matter. (Briefly Noted).(various engineering companies advertising with campaign)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Motor Decisions Matter campaign has added three sponsors: A.O. Smith Electrical Products Co. of Tipp City, Ohio; Siemens Energy & Automation Inc. of Alpharetta, Ga.; and Teco-Westinghouse Motor Co. of Round Rock, Texas. The Boston-based...

LMS International. (Briefly Noted).(introduces second release of LMS Virtual Lab)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... LMS International of Leuven, Belgium, has put out the second release of LMS Virtual Lab, the developer's engineering simulation software.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. (Briefly Noted).(passes Reliable Fuels Act)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works passed the Reliable Fuels Act, which would eliminate the Clean Air Act's oxygenation requirement for reformulated gasoline, replace it with a renewable fuels mandate, and require the use...

UNICEF. (Briefly Noted).(to donate clean water to Iraq)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A lack of clean drinking water in southern Iraq is a major concern, according to assessment missions conducted jointly by U.N. agencies in the port of Umm Qasr. UNICEF reported that it would truck water from Kuwait for Umm Qasr's hospital and...

CAM system at Merck cuts production time. (Computing).(Merck KGaA)
May 1, 2003... Merck KGaA has slashed by 50 percent the time it needs to design, program, and machine parts, and has increased the complexity of the parts the company produces internally. Executives cite the pharmaceutical business s new computer-aided...

CFD helps missile-guiding know-how. (Computing).(developed from Tetra Research Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Tetra Research Corp. of Huntsville, Ala., has developed computational fluid dynamics software called Tetrex, which allows aerospace engineers and other personnel to enter data and determine the jet interaction control of a missile, according to...

Digital guitar goes live. (Computing).(from Floyd Rose Guitar Co.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Floyd Rose invented the whammy bar in the 1970s and helped guitar players produce new sounds from their electric guitars. Rose designed and perfected what he called the double locking tremolo system, which allowed guitarists to radically bend...

Modeling fallout from a potential bomb. (Computing).(Analytical and Computational Engineering Inc.'s products and services)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A small consulting firm in San Antonio is finding itself inundated with requests lately. The company, Analytical and Computational Engineering Inc., uses computer modeling tools to assess potential risks and damage to buildings should...

Installing hardware long distance. (Computing).(Washington University research)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A team of graduate students at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a computer hardware component that lets users deploy new hardware to a computer network via the Internet from a remote location. In other words, the person...

Weighing Shuttle risk as analyzed in 1990. (Computing).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Risk analysis performed on aspects of Space Shuttle tiles by a Stanford University engineering professor more than decade ago is of interest to those investigating the Columbia Space Shuttle crash. After the crash of the Space Shuttle...

Ladder maker goes 3-D. (Computing).(Werner Co moves to 3-D product design)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A manufacturer of extension ladders, Werner Co. of Greenville, Pa., is moving from two-dimensional to three-dimensional product design. The company is moving to the 3-D computer-aided design program SolidWorks, made by the company of that...

Big growth seen for digital prototyping. (Computing).(systems performance modeling software industry to grow 14%/yr)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Market research firm Daratech of am ridge, Mass., expects the systems performance modeling software industry to see 14 percent annual growth over the next five years, to top $1.4 billion in 2007. The systems performance applications sector is a...

Survey says more move to collaborate. (Computing).(demand for design collaboration software to increase)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Demand for design collaboration software will increase over the next year, according to a survey conducted by consulting and research firm CimData Inc. of Ann Arbor, Mich., and by the investment banking firm Friedman, Billings, Ramsey of...

ESI Group. (Briefly Noted).(launches PAMRTM 2002)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... ESI Group of Detroit, a maker of virtual prototyping and manufacturing software, has released PAMRTM 2002, simulation software for liquid composite molding, and PAM-Form 2002, forming simulation software for composites and plastics.

PTC. (Briefly Noted).(launches Granite 2.0)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... CAD maker PTC of Waltham, Mass., has released the newest version of its Granite inter- operability software development platform, Granite 2.0.

Fluent Inc. (Briefly Noted).(launches Fluent 6.1)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Fluent Inc. of Lebanon, N.H., has released version 6.1 of its computational fluid dynamics software Fluent.

Autodesk Inc. (Briefly Noted).(releases customized software release data)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... CAD maker Autodesk Inc. of San Rafael, Calif., said that more than 30 of the company's authorized partners have released 50 customized software applications that run on the Auto CAD 2004 foundation.

Axiom. (Briefly Noted).(launches CAD--to-portable document format implementation package)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Axiom of Clearwater, Fla., a maker of utilities for the CAD application MicroStation, has released a CAD-to-portable document format (PDF) implementation package.

Ansys. (Briefly Noted).(releases Al Environment software)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Computer-aided engineering maker Ansys of Canonsburg, Pa., has released its Al Environment software, which is pre- and post- processing software for the mechanical engineering industry.

Avatech Solutions of Owings Mills, Md., a provider of design automation and quality assurance software applications for the manufacturing and engineering markets. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Avatech Solutions of Owings Mills, Md., a provider of design automation and quality assurance software applications for the manufacturing and engineering markets, has released PrescientQA for the CAD program Catia version five. Catia is a...

A maker of computer numerically controlled software, Delcam of Birmingham, England, has formed a global partnership with SensAble Technologies Inc. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A maker of computer numerically controlled software, Delcam of Birmingham, England, has formed a global partnership with SensAble Technologies Inc. of Woburn, Mass., provider of the touch-based FreeForm modeling system.

IMSI. (Briefly Noted).(upgrades TurboCAD)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... IMSI of Novato, Calif., a maker of CAD software, has upgraded its product, TurboCAD. The improvements and enhancements in the standard and professional versions include more than 40 new features.

Lotus Engineering. (Briefly Noted).(launches Lotus Engineering Software)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Lotus Engineering of Hethel, England, has released the latest versions of its CAB software packages, called Lotus Engineering Software.

MSC.Software of Los Angeles, a maker of simulation software, has purchased the VirtualInsight software suite from SGI. (Briefly Noted).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... MSC.Software of Los Angeles, a maker of simulation software, has purchased the VirtualInsight software suite from SGI (formerly Silicon Graphics) of Mountain View, Calif., a maker of computing, visualization, and data management hardware,...

Parameterized mesh generation. (Software Exchange).
May 1, 2003... Capability: The technology platform Minute Mesh is a collection of both software development tools and of libraries of parameterized geometrical mesh primitives that allow for the creation of parameterized mesh generators. The technology...

CAD model viewing and sharing. (Software Exchange).
May 1, 2003... Capability: A maker of graphics software has released ModelPress 3D Publisher and Viewer, which uses compression technology to reduce 3-D CAD file sizes by 70 to 98 percent in order to speed the sharing of 3-D data online. The software protects...

Downloadable CAD images. (Software Exchange).
May 1, 2003... Capability: 3D ContentCentral is an online directory of downloadable, three-dimensional, computer-aided design parts from leading component manufacturers. Users can search the directory to find and download solid models of parts into their...

Vessel design and stress analysis. (Software Exchange).
May 1, 2003... Capability: The integrated vessel design and stress analysis program PVElite has been upgraded to version 5. The upgrade incorporates the latest ASME 2002 Addenda for pressure vessels and includes revised databases. The upgrade also allows 3-D...

Taking rail loads. (Technology Focus).(railroad tie pad from Leading Edge)
May 1, 2003... Railroad tracks that sit atop concrete ties transfer tremendous impact and compressive loads as the trains pass along the rails. According to John Wagner, president of Leading Edge Enterprises Inc. of Decatur, Ill., oscillations from normal...

Quarter-turn value gets a better ball. (Technology Focus).(from Parker Hannifin Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Parker Hannifin Corp.'s Parflex division in Ravenna, Ohio, was experiencing actuation problems on quarter-turn ball valves it was supplying to customers. The valve is rated for food contact by the National Sanitation Foundation and is used in...

PPS tank saves weight. (Technology Focus).
May 1, 2003... A supplier of automotive engine cooling and air-conditioning systems wanted to replace a die-cast aluminum inlet charge-air cooler used on medium-duty diesel trucks with one of polyphenylene sulfide, or PPS. The substitution resulted in a...

Positive sealing of aggressive fluids. (Technology Focus).(from Dow Chemical Co.)
May 1, 2003... Positive sealing of piping may be difficult on fragile or irregular flanges where bolt torque and gasket compression stress must be limited. For instance, Dow Chemical Co.'s chemical plant in LaPorte, Texas, uses graphite heat exchangers filled...

Changing plastic waste to energy nuggets. (Technology Focus).
May 1, 2003... Agricultural plastics, such as mulch films, greenhouse films, pots, flats, and silage wraps, are not readily recyclable and pose a disposal problem for farmers, landscapers, and nurseries. Used products made from low-density and high-density...

Smart enough to keep a low profile. (Technology Focus).(usage of smart materials)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Engineers have looked to so-called smart materials to do all sorts of clever things: change the pitch of an aircraft wing, say, or flex robotic fingers. But while smart materials are great at bending, researchers have been less successful...

Saving weight on wipers. (Technology Focus).(product from Carlisle Engineered Products)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A thermoplastic windshield wiper bracket nose cone is 10 percent lighter than the thermoset sheet molding compound part it replaced on the 2003 Lincoln Town Car. The part is injection-molded by Carlisle Engineered Products of Belleville, Mich.,...

U.S. aviation R&D under pressure. (Washington Window).(Airbus wins contract orders)
May 1, 2003... For the first time ever, the French company Airbus won 50 percent of new aircraft orders in 2002. The European Union is challenging American leadership in aeronautics and aviation, postulating a $95-billion, 20-year research and technology...

Pancake-style load cell. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... SENSOTEC INC., COLUMBUS, OHIO. Model 48 is an ultra-precision pancake-style load cell with a pull plate and calibration adapter to ensure high repeatability when used in a test frame. The load cell is calibrated and traceable to NIST,...

Water level and temperature datalogger. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC., STAMFORD, CONN. The OM-CP-Level101 water level and temperature datalogger is a battery-powered, stand-alone device used for automatically recording water level from 0 to 70 ft. and temperatures from -40[degrees] to...

System combination. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... TRANSDUCER TECHNIQUES INC., TEMECULA, CALIF. This system combination is made up of the company's SWS (socket wrench torque sensor) and PHM-100 portable handbeld indicator. The system provides accurate measurements of bolt or nut wrenching...

Thermocouple protection tube. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... NANMAC CORP., FRAMINGHAM, MASS. The company's new thermocouple protection tube can operate in oxidizing environments of up to 3,600[degrees]F. The sheath is a hard, high--temperature ceramic with strong thermal shock resistance and...

Two-axis laser microgage. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... PINPOINT LASER SYSTEMS, NEW-BURYPORT, MASS. The two-dimensional laser microgage is for precision measuring and machine alignment. At a precision of 0.001 in., the Microgage 2D can be used for measuring in two axial directions at the same time,...

Polycarbonate sheet. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... SHEFFIELD PLASTICS INC., SHEFFIELD, MASS. The Makrolon machine grade polycarbonate sheet engineering plate is an amorphous plastic that offers high impact strength, high modulus of elasticity, and strong dimensional stability. Made from Bayer's...

Quick disconnects. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... VACCON Co. INC., MEDFIELD, MASS. A new line of micro and nano quick disconnects is for all Vaccon solid state vacuum and pressure switches and sensors. The new disconnects save time and money by eliminating the labor-intensive assembly process...

Terminal block. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, MILWAUKEE, WIS. To meet the needs of wiring speed and efficiency for panel builders, QEMs and end users, the company has expanded its Allen--Bradley terminal block offering with a new line of timesaving terminals and wiring...

Directional control valve. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... DENISON HYDRAULICS, MARYSVILLE, OHIO. The 4DP01 proportional directional valve has compact, top-mounted onboard electronics. Typical applications for the electronically controlled valve include those where downtime is crucial, including plastic...

Mass flow controller. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... SIERRA INSTRUMENTS INC., MONTEREY, CALIF. The Smart-Trak digital mass flow controller offers maximum flexibility, an easy-to-use interface, rugged stainless steel construction, and true digital performance at the price of an analog flow...

Power relay. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... FUJITSU COMPONENTS AMERICA INC., SUNNYVALE, CALIF. A miniature 6A-class device with high-sensitivity properties for industrial and programmable logic controller applications has been added to the company's power relay line. The FTR-LY relay has...

Ergonomic multimeters. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... EXTECH INSTRUMENTS CORP., WALTHAM, MASS. The 400 Series has two new ergonomically designed multimeters, each with a built-in, non-contact infrared thermometer. The IR thermometer provides fast, easy, and safe measurements ranging from...

Rotating shaft guards. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... FALK CORP., MILWAUKEE, WIS. By acquiring Orange Peel Rotating Shaft Guards of Cedarburg, Wis., Falk is now able to supply complete coupling and drive system solutions. The flexible shaft coupling and guard may be acquired from one source,...

Zero clearance air filters. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... UNIVERSAL AIR FILTER CO., SAUGET, ILL. The company says that its zero clearance air filters are the first fully framed, cleanable air filters for large--scale equipment enclosures, such as those used in power generation, industrial machinery,...

Fuse clips. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... KEYSTONE ELECTRONICS CORP., ASTORIA, N.Y. The company has an expanded selection of snap-in or press-in 2AG, 3AG, and 5 mm PCB mounted fuse clips. Rated for 6.3 to 15 amps, the clips are available with or without orientation tabs and end stops...

Carbon analyzer. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... EMERSON PROCESS MANAGEMENT, ORRVILLE, OHIO. The Rosemount Analytical TOC 2100C total organic carbon analyzer has online process functionality. Measurements from the analyzer are used to determine organic contamination in the process that can...

Diaphragm valves. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... XOMOX CORP., CINCINNATI, OHIO. The company's Saunders brand of PFA (Perfluoroalkoxy)-lined, stainless steel A-type diaphragm valves are for ultrapure applications, where exceptional chemical resistance to acids, alkalis, and salts is required....

Magnetic vane sensors. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... CHERRY ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS, PLEASANT PRAIRIE, WIS. VN1015 Series magnetic vane sensors provide robust, high-speed sensing in dirty, dusty environments. They are mechanically interchangeable with typical slotted optical switches, but can...

Handheld dewpoint meter. (New Products).
May 1, 2003... VAISALA INC., WOBURN, MASS. The DM70 handheld dewpoint meter is designed for spot-checking applications, such as compressed air lines and other dry gas applications. It can also be used as a tool for reading the output of the company's other...

Armchair mining: technology is getting miners out of the tunnels and into the control room. (Feature Focus: Automated Controls).
May 1, 2003... UNDERGROUND MINING is dusty, noisy, and dangerous work for those who run the big drills and haulers in the tunnels, and it is costly for the companies that operate the mines. Each day, miners descend thousands of feet into the dark bowels of...

Controlled breathing: better air management improves engine efficiency, but at the cost of elaborate controls. (Feature Focus: Automated Controls).
May 1, 2003... Take a breath. If you are in any reasonable shape, that won't provoke much challenge. But try drawing in the same air while clambering up the side of a high mountain. That's tougher. Thinner air at elevation makes you work harder to get the...

The remarkable Henry Ford: more than a carmaker, more than an innovator, his company's centennial is a reminder of Ford's vast influence.
May 1, 2003... THE YEARS BEFORE DECEMBER 7, 1941, were a period of bitter disagreement in the United States. Nazi Germany under Adolph Hitler had built a massive war machine, to which much of Europe had surrendered. Japan had conquered most of Asia, including...

Catching them younger: high school classes get kids interested in engineering; CAD teaches them problem-solving skills.
May 1, 2003... Stacey Janssen has big plans for a young woman: She wants to design an amusement park thrill ride. She remembers exactly the class that started her down a path toward that thrill-seeking end. Surprisingly, the first time Janssen fired up a...

Penetrating vision: now you see it? X-rays are probing the unknowns of fuel injector sprays.
May 1, 2003... AN INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUE using X-rays is causing engine designers to sit up and take notice. For the first time, they say, it may be possible to understand the structure and dynamics of fuel spray in the near-nozzle region of an injector....

Air passage: with the right pressure and size, taking your medicine could be as easy as inhaling.(Aradigm Corp. developing inhalers)
May 1, 2003... A COMPANY IS DEVELOPING a family of inhalation devices that can do more than treat respiratory ailments. They can deliver medication for diabetes and other conditions by spraying it to reach the bloodstream through the lungs. The company,...

Linear Water Waves: A Mathematical Approach. (Bookshelf).(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Linear Water Waves: A Mathematical Approach. N. Kuznetsov, V. Maz'ya, and B. Vainberg, Cambridge University Press, 40 W. 20th St., New York, NY 10011-4211. 513 Pp. 2002. ISBN 0-521-80853-7. $100. This work provides a self-contained and...

Scattering of Seismic Waves: Applications to the Mexico City Valley. (Bookshelf).(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Scattering of Seismic Waves: Applications to the Mexico City Valley. B. Reinoso. WIT Press, Southampton, U.K., distributed by Computational Mechanics Inc., 25 Bridge St., Billerica, MA 01821. 2O6 pp. 2002. ISBN 1-853 12-833-3. $122. This...

Richard Trevithick: Giant of Steam. (Bookshelf).(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Richard Trevithick: Giant of Steam. Anthony Burton. Trafalgar Square Publishing, P.O. Box 257, Howe I-Iill Rd., North Ponsfret, Vt. 05053. 246 pp. 2003. ISBN 1-85410-878-6. $16.95. In 2001, railway enthusiasts celebrated the bicentenary of...

Essential Communication Strategies for Scientists, Engineers, and Technology Professionals. Second Edition. (Bookshelf).(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Essential Communication Strategies for Scientists, Engineers, and Technology Professionals. Second Edition. Herbert L. Hirsch. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030. 184 pp. 2003. ISBN 0-471-27317-1. $24.95. This...

Applied Elasticity: Matrix and Tensor Analysis of Elastic Continua. Second Edition. (Bookshelf).(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Applied Elasticity: Matrix and Tensor Analysis of Elastic Continua. Second Edition. John D. Renton. Horwood Publishing Limited, Coil House, Westergate, Chichester, West Sussex P020 3QL England. 203 pp. 2002. ISBN 1-898563- 85-3. [pounds...

Elements of Spacecraft Design. (Bookshelf).(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Elements of Spacecraft Design. Charles D. Brown. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Inc., 1801 Alexander Bell Dr., Reston, VA 20191-4344. 610 pp. 2002. ISBN 1-56347-524-3. $104.95. An AIAA Education Series entry, this book...

Heat Exchangers: Selection, Rating, and Thermal Design. Second Edition. (Bookshelf).(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Heat Exchangers: Selection, Rating, and Thermal Design. Second Edition. Sadik Kakac and Hongtan Liu. CRC Press LLC, 2000 N. W Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431. 501 pp. 2002. ISBN 0-8493-0902-6.$99.95. The first edition of this work...

Spacecraft Thermal Control Handbook. Volume I: Fundamental Technologies. (Bookshelf).(Book Review)
May 1, 2003... Spacecraft Thermal Control Handbook. Volume I: Fundamental Technologies. David C. Gilmore, Editor. The Aerospace Press, 2350 E. El Segundo Blvd., El Segundo, CA 90245-4 691. 839 pp. 2002. ISBN 1-884989-11-X (v. 1). $99.95. Here is a...

A chilling sound. (Input/Output).(Penn State Research into usage of sounds waves to keep ice cream cool)
May 1, 2003... The phrase "sounds cool" has taken on a whole new meaning, thanks to researchers at the Penn State Applied Research Laboratory. Acoustics professor Steven Garrett and his team have come up with a way to use sound waves to keep ice cream cold....