Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from November 2005

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from November 2005

Only on M.E. magazine online @ www.memagazine.org.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Responses to the October Question of the Month: Is dependence on imported oil a threat to the United State's national security? No more than others. 31% No, the market can deal with disruptions. 9% Perhaps. 15% No, the supply...

Soarin' over the virtual landscape.(French Aerospace Industries Association)(Editorial)
November 1, 2005... I can still remember once or twice seeing--and hearing--the majesty of the Concorde, when as a youngster I lived on the big bird's foul-weather flight path. So I took notice last month when it became public that a next-generation supersonic...

Not just anybody.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... To the Editor: I take exception to Mauricio Bazan's comment, "Anybody can be a manager, but not everybody can be a mechanical engineer," in his letter in the August issue. Of course, not everybody can be a mechanical engineer. However,...

Work options.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... To the Editor: I felt compelled to write after reading some recent letters from engineers who cannot find good employment. While my experience is limited to around seven years, I have had no trouble finding work in the greater Philadelphia...

Gear engaged.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... To the Editor: Peter Huber and Mark P. Mills ("The End of the ME?" May) have fallen for their own hype in writing a premature epitaph for the mechanical engineer. The article is a combination of interesting information and overstatement. ...

Ike at his word.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... To the Editor: Your article "Plowshares to Swords and Back" (July's "ASME: the first 125 years") opened by noting Dwight Eisenhower's first use of the term "military-industrial complex," and his concern regarding the creation of a "permanent...

Outsourcing inefficiency.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... To the Editor: After I read your article "Where the Engineers Are" (June), I immediately advised my technically savvy 15-year-old to stay away from engineering. When I first stepped into the engineering arena, 20 years ago, my immediate...

Sunshine in a lamp.(news & notes)(Sunlight Direct of Oak Ridge)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The Tennessee Valley Authority has demonstrated a hybrid lighting system that, according to Bill Baxter, TVA's chairman, can deliver energy savings and a better quality of light to commercial buildings. The solar lighting system brings...

UAV gets flying papers.(news & notes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has issued the first air-worthiness certificate for a commercial unpiloted aerial vehicle. The certificate, in the experimental category, will expand the aircraft's operational limits, although it still...

Quashing Quicksilver.(news & notes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Last March, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued its first-ever restrictions on mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. The new regulations, long opposed by the power industry, which feared the expense of control devices,...

Small risk from nanotech.(news & notes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Optimists like to dream about the unlimited potential of nanotechnology: It will make us rich. It will keep us young. In fact, the only thing that nanotech doesn't seem to promise is a pony for everyone. Others have been concerned,...

The sun mirrors the atom.(news & notes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... In recent years, mathematicians have discovered an almost perfect parallel between the motion of spacecraft through the solar system and the motion of atoms in a chemical reaction--a hidden unity that has led to new ways of designing space...

Zeus Inc.(Briefly Noted)(new facility)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Zeus Inc., a manufacturer of precision fluoropolymer extrusions, is planning a 28,000-square-foot plant in Letterkenny, Ireland, the company's first in Europe. The company, based in Orangeburg, S.C., expects the plant to open during the coming...

Autodesk Inc.(Briefly Noted)(acquisition)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... * Autodesk Inc. of San Rafael, Calif., which makes engineering and architectural design software, is set to pay $182 million in cash for Alias of Toronto, a privately held developer of three-dimensional graphics technology.

IBM.(Briefly Noted)(sale agreements)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... * IBM has entered a series of agreements to sell PBS Professional workload management solution, a grid-computing system, from Altair Engineering Inc, of Troy, Mich.

The Timken Co.(Briefly Noted)(acquisition)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... * The Timken Co. has acquired Bearing Inspection Inc., a company in Los Alamitos, Calif., that specializes in inspection and reconditioning of aerospace bearings. Terms were not disclosed.

Complex terrain made manifest, not mapped.(computing)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... MILITARY TACTICIANS HAVE TO GET the lay of the land before moving into any unknown area. That's why the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers literally does plot the lay of the land. For background and strategic planning, it creates...

That file you requested.(computing)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... IN TODAY'S DIGITAL AGE, pen is rarely put to paper. Because they realize that most records and files exist only electronically and need to be specially maintained, officials in Washington at the National Archives and Records Administration are...

This tent in a storm.(computing)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... YOU'VE SEEN ITS TENTS AT CIRCUSES and amusement parks, but one tentmaker recently discovered that extending its product line into military matters made necessary a new round of finite element analysis. Anchor Industries Inc. of Evansville,...

Steady as she goes.(laser light)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... A NEW DESIGN REDUCES a laser's sensitivity to vibration and gravity by a factor of 100, according to researchers at the University of Colorado in Boulder. The design stabilizes laser light to a single frequency so it can be used as a...

Mining information.(Marco Mining Services Ltda investigates accident cause)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... WHEN A TRUCK WITH A PAYLOAD capacity of 260 metric tons loses part of its suspension, there's trouble. The copper mining company that owns the truck can call on Marco Mining Services Ltda. of Iquique, Chile, to determine the cause. In one...

What do you mean?(computing)(software use)
November 1, 2005... SOMETIMES, A LITTLE COMMUNICATION is the best cure for problems. The same could be said for computer woes. Mold maker H.S. Die and Engineering of Grand Rapids, Mich., recently implemented new CAD and computer-aided manufacturing soft ware...

Don't trust that tool.(spreadsheet software for engineers)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... WHAT WOULD REMBRANDT'S PAINTING "The Night Watch" look like if his brushes kept breaking in mid-stroke? The question is analogous to a problem engineers face when using spreadsheet programs not explicitly designed for engineering...

Lean, mean, and electric.(computing)(product life cycle management software used)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... EVEN PLANTS THAT OPERATE like finely tuned watches can wrest more efficiencies from their systems. That's why nuclear power plant operator Forsmarks Kraftgrupp AB of Stockholm, Sweden, has plans to introduce product life cycle management...

ESI Group.(Briefly Noted)(new products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... ESI Group of Chicago has released PAM-VA One, a software application that simulates the response of vibro-acoustic systems across the frequency spectrum.

Delcam.(Briefly Noted)(CAM software uograde released)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... * Delcam of Birmingham, England, has released a CAM software upgrade, PowerMill 6.

Pointwise Inc.(Briefly Noted)(new products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... * Pointwise Inc, of Fort Worth, Texas, has released Gridgen version 15.08, a CFD meshing software.

Moldflow Corp.(Briefly Noted)(new products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... * Moldflow Corp. of Framingham, Mass., has released Moldflow CAD Doctor 2.0 and Moldflow Design Link 5.2.

Radan Computational Ltd.(Briefly Noted)(new products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... * Radan 05, the latest release of the CAD and CAM software for sheet metal applications, is now available from Radan Computational Ltd. of Bath, England.

Nemetschek North America.(Briefly Noted)(training provided)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... * Nemetschek North America of Columbia, Md., says that online and onsite training is now available for its VectorWorks CAD application.

Roland DGA Corp.(Briefly Noted)(new products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... * Roland DGA Corp. of Chicago has introduced the Packaging Prototyping System, an in-house application that makes prototypes of packaging in less than one day.

NavisWorks Ltd.(Briefly Noted)(new products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... * NavisWorks Ltd. of Sheffield, England, has. released NavisWorks JetStream version 4.2 for design review with AutoCAD 2006, Solid Edge 17, and SolidWorks 2006 support.

IntelliCAD Technology Consortium.(Briefly Noted)(upgraded version in use)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... * The IntelliCAD Technology consortium of Portland, Ore., has upgraded its CAD application to IntelliCAD 6.1.

Cadig.(Briefly Noted)(new products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... * Cadig of Eden Prairie, Minn., is now shipping AutoTable 3.2 for AutoCAD LT. The application imports Excel spread sheets into AutoCAD LT.

Living with uncertainty.(software exchange)
November 1, 2005... Capability: You don't have to know statistics inside out in order to use Uncertainty Sidekick, a software application that analyzes for measurement uncertainty. The package includes a structured analysis path with access to drill-down screens...

More analysis built in.(software exchange)
November 1, 2005... Capability: NX combines computer-assisted design, analysis, and manufacturing with data management and several other options. Version 4 continues the migration of functionality from I-deas into NX with the addition of integrated CFD and thermal...

Save the math.(software exchange)
November 1, 2005... Capability: Mathcad calculation software enables one to capture and reuse knowledge contained within engineering calculations. With the new offering, Mathcad 13, engineers can document and capture their calculations, analyses, and...

Learn CAD online.(software exchange)
November 1, 2005... Capability: The online training system CADLearning.com, operates much like an Internet-based university. It's a membership-based learning center where professional computer-aided design users can pick up additional skills pertinent to the...

Dip, turn, and dive.(technology focus: POWER TRANSMISSION AND MOTION CONTROL)(aircraft design)
November 1, 2005... TOSS a scrap of food toward a flock of seagulls and they will spin, wheel, and dive after it. At the University of Florida in Gainesville, researcher Rick Lind seeks to emulate this spectacular display of aerobatics by building small military...

Giving it another push.(technology focus)
November 1, 2005... A maker of packaging machinery in Exton, Pa., wanted to improve the way little packages are bundled for easier handling. The company, Omega Design Corp., wound up taking the air out of the system that puts products in their place. Omega...

Disruptions of progress: there's no slowing the pace of technological change: engineering practice will have to adapt to keep up.(FEATURE FOCUS: ENGINEERING'S NEXT FRONTIER)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2005... The engineering profession is currently facing an unprecedented array of pressures to change. Economic and environmental problems facing industry and society are increasingly global and intractable. The skills that must be brought to bear on...

A short stroll: Boeing makes a big investment to get engineers and manufacturers speaking face-to-face.(engineering management)
November 1, 2005... You don't know if you're truly compatible with someone until you live together. At Boeing's Commercial Airplanes 737 Program in Renton, Wash.--which makes 737-model airplanes for business travelers--mechanics, manufacturers, and engineers...

Invention on demand: a system lays down tools for creative problem-solving and product design.(engineering management)(theory of solving inventive problems)
November 1, 2005... Consider the humble toothbrush. Its engineering has, really changed the last 50 years. There use to be simple type--a rigid handle with bristles exactly the same length and stiffness. It was easy to make. Then along came brushes with...

Virtual engineering: in powerful new workspaces, the next-generation power plant is only the beginning.
November 1, 2005... The U.S. Department of Energy has big plans for the future of coal-based power production. Advanced power plants will have higher efficiencies and dramatically lower emissions, so low that some people are referring to them as "near-zero...

We're engineering an even brighter future.
November 1, 2005... 2005 marks the centennial of engineering at the University of Southern California (USC), and the next step in accelerating the momentum that has propelled the USC Viterbi School of Engineering into the upper echelon. To help achieve this goal,...

Sustaining the good life: once seen as the problem, engineers devise solutions for coexistence with the environment.(ASME: THE FIRST 125 YEARS)
November 1, 2005... The first human being to plant seeds was wrestling with the natural environment. It was progress. More people, with more to eat, would live longer and better. The population would increase, eventually to stress available resources by...

Gradient upload capability.(new products)
November 1, 2005... MTS SENSORS CORP., CARY, N.C. By adding a gradient upload capability to its digital pulse output model EP2, MTS is enhancing its E-Series of Temposonics magnetostrictive position sensors. Because it allows for automatic upload of the...

Tiny load cell.(new products)
November 1, 2005... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC., STAMFORD, CONN. The company's LCKD Series compression load cells measure load ranges from 1 kg to 1,000 lbs., in diameters ranging from 0.38 to 0.75 in. and heights from 0.125 to 0.25 in. Rugged stainless steel...

Same-day prototyping.(new products)
November 1, 2005... ABS3D. WILKES-BARRE, PA. The company can "print" three-dimensional prototypes in durable ABS plastic directly from customer-supplied files such as CAD models. In a matter of hours, engineers can have a fully functional, three-dimensional...

Rotary encoder collars.(new products)
November 1, 2005... STAFFORD MANUFACTURING CORP., WOBURN, MASS. Rotary encoder collars that can add speed sensing capability to shafts are offered with a compatible sensor mount assembly. These collars are machined from aluminum and feature metallic targets that...

Universal vessel seal.(new products)
November 1, 2005... JOHN CRANE, MORTON GROVE, ILL. A newly developed universal vessel seal has a modular cartridge design. The heavy-duty gas-lubricated universal seal (7800 Series) is useful for a variety of mixing and agitating equipment, as well as other top...

Multifunction calibrator.(new products)
November 1, 2005... E INSTRUMENTS GROUP LLC. LANGHORNE. PA. The new MicroCal 2000+ multifunction calibrator has been developed to meet the needs of instrumentation engineers and quality control managers, both in laboratory and fieldwork. The unit measures 14...

Flow switch.(new products)
November 1, 2005... SIERRA INSTRUMENTS INC.. MONTEREY. CALIF. The Innova-Switch flow and level switch is the latest entry to the company's line of industrial mass flow measurement devices. Flow and level detection is accomplished by using a high-resolution thermal...

System combination.(new products)
November 1, 2005... TRANSDUCER TECHNIQUES INC., TEMECULA, CALIF. This system combination comprises a tension load cell and the PHM-100 portable handheld transducer indicator. The system is suitable for a variety of industrial and OEM force measurement and weighing...

Needle valves.(new products)
November 1, 2005... SWAGELOK CO., SOLON. OHIO. Available in stainless and carbon steel, Swagelok GU Series needle valves isolate and vent system media in instrument air, nitrogen header, lube oil, and general utility service applications in the oil and gas,...

Marine actuators.(new products)
November 1, 2005... DANAHER MOTION. WOOD DALE. ILL. Thomson Electrak marine actuators provide boat and other marine manufacturers with a source of push-pull power on watercraft. They offer compact size, board load capabilities, and 12 or 24 v dc operation, drawing...

ASME code s&standards.
November 1, 2005... ASME International, Codes & Standards, Three Park Ave., New York, NY 10016-5990 (212) 591-8500 Fax: (212) 591-8501 e-mail: cs@asme.org We invite you to visit our Web site: www.asme.org/codes. If you are looking for...

Servo systems.(new products)
November 1, 2005... AUTOMATIONDIRECT, CUMMING, GA. SureServo digital ac brushless servo systems include eight standard servo motors, in both brake and non-brake models, that can be operated in combination with one of three standard servo drives. The SureServo ac...

Sanitary gearmotor.(new products)
November 1, 2005... FALK CORP., MILWAUKEE. WIS. A new line of stainless steel helical bevel gear drives is available for food industry sanitary requirements. These drives feature smooth housing and C-face mounting surfaces made of corrosion-resistant 316 stainless...

Fluid power.(product information)
November 1, 2005... CLIPPARD INSTRUMENT LABORATORY INC., CINCINNATI. OHIO. This manufacturer of pneumatic and electronic control devices, which has an extensive line of miniature fluid power products, has just issued an all-new 336-page catalog (CIL-CAT0605). It...

Safety systems.(product information)
November 1, 2005... PILZ AUTOMATION SAFETY LP, CANTON. MICH. New literature emphasizes the flexibility, functionality, and wide application options for the company's PSS/Safety Bus p-range of products. Pilz programmable safety systems and the SafetyBus p open bus...

Turnkey assemblies.(product information)
November 1, 2005... A&A MANUFACTURING CO., NEW BERLIN, WIS. A new four-page brochure describes the company's capabilities to provide complete turnkey assemblies that incorporate its Gortite metal and fabric protective covers and Gortrac cable and hose carriers....

Index drives.(product information)
November 1, 2005... INDUSTRIAL MOTION CONTROL LLC, WHEELING. ILL. Also known as IMC, the company has just issued a 260-page, four-color catalog for users of index drives and related products. The publication has more than 1,000 leading products under the Camco and...

Direct current drives.(product information)
November 1, 2005... DANAHER MOTION, WOOD DALE. ILL. A 40-page guide includes complete product features, options, benefits, and specifications, as well as application example selection charts for the company's Seco-branded dc drive technologies. Featured products...

Welding and cutting.(product information)
November 1, 2005... LINCOLN ELECTRIC CO., CLEVELAND. OHIO. In its new catalog, the company has created what it feels is an easier way to select the right options and accessories for a particular welding machine. Once a machine is chosen, recommended options are...

Vibration mounts.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... ADVANCED ANTIVIBRATION COMPONENTS. NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y. AAC's new 240-page catalog contains 1,270 components, including base mounts, suspension mounts, bushings, channel mounts, pads, and bumpers in a range of materials, such as stainless steel...

Blimps in space.(input output)
November 1, 2005... It's neither bird nor plane nor even frog. This may sound strange, but it's a flying blob. Or, rather, blimp. Three Johns Hopkins undergraduates designed a 17-foot-long, helium-filled blimp that carries sophisticated electronics. The...

The ASME fellow a membership grade of distinction.(American Society of Mechanical Engineers)
November 1, 2005... The ASME Board of Governors confers the Fellow grade of membership on worthy candidates to recognize their outstanding engineering achievements. Nominated by their peers, these 2004-2005 Fellows have had 10 or more years of active practice and...