Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from November 2006

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from November 2006

Only on M.E. magazine online @ www.memagazine.org.(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Responses to the October Question of the Month: If you had a serious medical condition, would you let a doctor implant a medical nanodevice inside your body? One reader who responded "absolutely" elaborated, "I'd consider the...

Equal opportunity.(young women should take up engineering courses)(Editorial)
November 1, 2006... There was a time some years ago when people believed that young women didn't have the aptitude to study engineering. An expert panel convened by the National Academies feels that this sentiment is still alive today. What's worse, the panel...

A better way to talk.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... To the Editor: The August '06 "Talking Back" feature (page 30) endorsed using favorite employees of your boss to your advantage. While I am not questioning the effectiveness of the technique, I think the morality and ethics of the method are...

Nuclear debate.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... To the Editor: In a letter to the editor in the August issue, Sidney Goodman stated that the Three Mile Island accident "produced stillborn and deformed farm animals on a scale that farmers had not encountered throughout generations...." I...

Measurable skills.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... To the Editor: Your August issue featured a short article, "Engineers Well Prepared," (News & Notes) by Alan S. Brown, which posed the question, "Are engineers emerging from U.S. colleges better prepared than they were 10 years ago?" The...

Exhaust omission.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... To the Editor: In a generally well-written article entitled "Easy on the Gas" (July), Harry Hutchinson cites "energy independence" and cost savings as reasons to develop more energy-efficient cars. Why does he fail to include global warming (or...

The airplane in the garage.(flying car introduced by Terrafugia Inc.)
November 1, 2006... No one is likely to confuse a home garage with an aircraft carrier, but they may soon share something in common: Both will be able to store airplanes. The airplane in question is the Transition, a "flying car" design from Terrafugia Inc.,...

Capital for tech startups.(news & notes)(Red Planet Capital Inc.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Companies being formed to develop technology, say in the area of human-machine interfaces or environmental systems, may be in line for some backing from NASA. The agency plans to invest as much as $75 million in the private sector over the next...

Another arm for Mars.(news & notes)(Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
November 1, 2006... The engineering company that designed and built the robotic arms in use on the Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity has been hired by NASA to design yet another. This mechanical arm is intended for the Mars Science Laboratory, which will extend...

ASME.(Briefly Noted)(ASME International )(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... ASME has expanded its online e-library of technical texts to 75 titles. Software developed by Knovel Corp. lets engineers calculate data, resolve equations, export tables, and access other knowledge-based resources at that site.

Eclipse Aviation.(Briefly Noted)(gets certification for airplanes)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Eclipse Aviation has received the full type certification and repair station certification for its very light jet, the Eclipse 500, from the Federal Aviation Administration. The company said it has begun to deliver airplanes to customers.

National Academy of Engineering.(Briefly Noted)(recommends Charles M. Vest)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The nominating committee of the National Academy of Engineering has recommended an ASME Fellow, Charles M. Vest, as the sole candidate for the presidency of the NAE. Vest is a mechanical engineering professor at Massachusetts Institute of...

Denso Corp.(Briefly Noted)(plans to double its capacity)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Global automotive supplier Denso Corp. of Tokyo said that its subsidiary in Mt. Sterling, Ky., Kyosan Denso Manufacturing Kentucky, plans to more than double its capacity. It will expand its 80,700-square-foot facility by 84,500 square feet.

Quick reference.(news & notes)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Codes and standards keep everybody on the same page. ASME publishes a lot of them. Its Y14 standards cover geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, a codification of methods for marking up drawings and for checking the accuracy of parts made...

Risk analysis for water resources.(news & notes)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The ASME Innovative Technologies Institute LLC has entered a contract worth $5 million with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for continued work using its risk analysis methodology known as RAMCAP. RAMCAP, or Risk Analysis and...

Power transfer unit to be made in Ohio.(news & notes)(GKN Driveline)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... A new power transfer unit, said to be quieter, lighter, and stronger than previous designs, will be produced for DaimlerChrysler at a plant in Bowling Green, Ohio. The system will be available on three DaimlerChrysler all-wheel-drive...

Plane on the waves.(computing)
November 1, 2006... TO MAKE THEIR MARK ON the sport of surfing, two surfers took to the lab. Dror Kodman and Brian Sweeney, graduate students at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J., are seeking to use fluid flow analysis to match surfer and...

How ice milk gets made.(computing)(H.C. Duke and Son Inc. installs product lifecycle management software to its design process)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... TO GET A FROZEN TREAT, you first need the machinery that makes it. HC Duke & Son Inc. manufactures ice cream-making machinery. The company stays busy as the major equipment supplier to Dairy Queen and also supplies the Sonic chain with the...

Art that emotes with you.(computing)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... COMPUTER SCIENTISTS FROM BATH, England, and Boston are unveiling electronic artwork that changes to match the mood of the person who looks at it. "The program analyzes the viewer for eight facial expressions, such as the position and shape...

Dancing across the miles.(computing)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... A DANCER IN FRONT OF A SCREEN in Maryland dances to music beamed (in a manner of speaking) from a performer in Alaska. Meanwhile, an actor performs in front of a camera in Utah. Her costumes are generated on a computer in Los Angeles and follow...

Clean wipe for computers.(computing)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... DON'T DUMP THAT OLD COMPUTER out on the curb. You could be opening the door to data theft. (Plus, it's probably not yet recyclable in your community.) The proper disposal of surplus computer hardware is often a forgotten component in data...

Art for Engineers' sake.(computing)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... TO THE AVERAGE COLLEGE STUDENT, art and engineering are exact opposite fields of study. But an engineering professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa, who usually teaches classes on differential equations and electromagnetism, has...

Wanna see TV in 3-D?(computing)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... BELIEVE IT OR NOT, at one time all television shows were telecast in black and white. Then came color. High-definition images next promised to revolutionize the viewing experience, but so far, they haven't. What's next? Could images broadcast...

A stack of cars.(computing)(Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Design Laboratory)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... PICTURE HOPPING INTO A SMALL, golf cart-size car to get from your home to the nearest public transit stop. Might make you reconsider your car as commuter tool, right? Researchers at a new Massachusetts Institute of Technology laboratory are...

SmartCAM.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... SmartCAM of Springfield, Ore., has released SmartCAM version 13.5, a computer-aided manufacturing software application for milling, turning, and fabrication. The upgrade gives users the capability to organize job and process data.

Geometric Software Solutions.(Briefly Noted)
November 1, 2006... Geometric Software Solutions of Mumbai, India, released 3DSearchlT for SolidWorks, which lets SolidWorks users locate files based on shape criteria.

Cadig.(Briefly Noted)
November 1, 2006... Cadig of Eden Prairie, Minn., has released AutoTable 3.5 beta for AutoCAD, with which Excel spreadsheets can be imported into AutoCAD and modified.

Fakespece Systems Inc.(Briefly Noted)
November 1, 2006... The Rapidly Operational Virtual Reality visualization system from Fakespece Systems Inc. of Marshalltown, Iowa, now includes Beacon stereoscopic projector technology.

CNC Software.(Briefly Noted)(introduces Mastercam X Art CAD and CAM software)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... CNC Software of Tolland, Conn., has released Mastercam X Art CAD and CAM software. The application is for artistic-relief design, and the upgrade includes new features like wrapping.

Ansys Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Analysis software maker Ansys Inc. of Southpoint, Pa., said the upcoming release of its multiphysics simulation software Ansys 11 and Fluent 6.3 will include support for Microsoft Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003, to enable high-performance...

Simmetrix Inc.(Briefly Noted)
November 1, 2006... Simmetrix Inc. of Clifton Park, N.Y., has released the simulation modeling application Simulation Modeling Suite 6.0.

UGS Corp.(Briefly Noted)(D-Cubed Collision Detection Manager software)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... The maker of product lifecycle management software, UGS Corp. of Piano, Texas, said its D-Cubed Collision Detection Manager software has been integrated into its NX computer-aided manufacturing application for gouge checking during tool path...

DAR-corporation.(Briefly Noted)
November 1, 2006... DAR-corporation of Lawrence, Kan., announced an upgrade to its aircraft design software, Advanced Aircraft Analysis version 3.1.

Bluebeam Software.(Briefly Noted)
November 1, 2006... Bluebeam Software of Pasadena, Calif., has released Bluebeam PDF review version 4.7. With it, users can create PDF files from CAD and Windows applications.

Rensselser Polytechnic Institute.(Briefly Noted)
November 1, 2006... Rensselser Polytechnic Institute of Troy, N.Y., recently announced an in-kind contribution commercially valued at $514 million from the Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education, a joint philanthropic initiative of...

Delcam.(Briefly Noted)
November 1, 2006... Delcam of Birmingham, England, has released FeatureCAM 2007, the latest version of the company's feature-based machining software.

Tire dynamic simulation.(software exchange)
November 1, 2006... Capability: DynaFlexPro/Tire Module models and simulates the dynamics of vehicles as well as their subsystems and electronic controllers. Users can develop high-fidelity models of mechanical systems. The module is an add-on to the developer's...

Design performance test.(software exchange)
November 1, 2006... Capability: A nonprofit group has released performance-evaluation software for systems running the Autodesk 3ds Max 8 design, visualization, and rendering software. That package is used to realistically visualize designs via computer and for...

NURBS creation.(software exchange)
November 1, 2006... Capability: Amapi Pro 7.51 gives engineers and product designers a nonuniform rational B-spline-based environment for conception and creation of highly refined 3-D models. The software offers many advanced design tools to accurately construct,...

PDF of design intent.(software exchange)
November 1, 2006... Capability: With Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional, engineers can share their product designs in portable document format. They can also create searchable PDFs that include computer-aided design drawings, large-format files, specifications, charts,...

Many physical forces.(software exchange)
November 1, 2006... Capability: Engineers use the analysis package Comsol Multiphysics to solve for two or more physical phenomena that work together on a part design. The upgrade offers the capability to solve for more linked physical forces than did past...

Heat exchanger turns more efficient.(POWER TRANSMISSION AND MOTION CONTROL)
November 1, 2006... For a long time, engineers have thought they could improve turbine efficiency by using a rotating heat exchanger. The concept is simple. Start with a circular filter. Expose the top half of the filter to hot exhaust gases. Then spin that hot...

A tiny lock on positioning.(POWER TRANSMISSION AND MOTION CONTROL)(Physik Instrumente GmbH and Co. KG)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... When it comes to precision positioning, piezoelectric motors--which measure steps in micrometers--have taken the world by storm. Now they are getting cheaper, as well. One example of the race to make piezo linear drives more affordable is...

PLC at smart relay price.(Jazz programmable logic controller series from Unitronics)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Engineers often turn to smart relays when they need more function than a relay, timer, or counter can deliver. But why stop there, asks Israel's Unitronics Ltd. The company's new Jazz is a full-function programmable logic controller that lists...

Robot controller in a box.(POWER TRANSMISSION AND MOTION CONTROL)(Epson America Inc.'s Micro PowerDrive RC170)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... Most small robot controllers are roughly the same size as a college dorm refrigerator. The Epson Micro PowerDrive RC170 breaks the rule. It is small enough to fit inside an attache case and weighs in at just under 20 pounds. Although Epson...

Batteries that keep.(mPhase Technologies Inc.'s innovations)(superhydrophobicity)
November 1, 2006... Reserve batteries typically have a lifespan of five years. Now a new nanotechnology-based design promises to extend that to 15 to 20 years, or possibly even longer. A company developing the technology, mPhase Technologies Inc. of Little Falls,...

Understand multidrives.(POWER TRANSMISSION AND MOTION CONTROL)(Brief article)
November 1, 2006... What's the best way to take advantage of multidrives? ABB Inc. has passed along some information that can help engineers take advantage of multidrives to reduce energy use through precision motor control. Actually, any adjustable speed...

Find the right motor fast.(POWER TRANSMISSION AND MOTION CONTROL)(www.motioninfo.com)(Motion Tech Trends)
November 1, 2006... Thanks to the Internet, engineers can get information on just about every motor made in the world. Many Web sites even aggregate the information, so it's all in one place as long as you don't mind sorting through long lists of specifications to...

A step closer to mars: it's tall order, but within a generation, technology will take humankind farther from home than we have ever gone before.(Cover story)
November 1, 2006... The investment in space exploration in the last four decades has helped make life on Earth safer in many ways and richer in all ways. Space age technology has made possible satellite telecommunications and the Global Positioning System, and has...

Virtual OR: engineers are developing systems that enable future healers to practice surgery and other skills on model patients in simulated spaces.(virtual operating room)
November 1, 2006... Cool heads prevail in emergencies, and the coolest heads rest on experienced shoulders. It's the "been there, done that" attitude that comes from time, trial, and error. But when the stakes are life and death, as they often are in...

A fast track: future engineers race through a video game to learn what computers can do.
November 1, 2006... When mechanical engineering students show up for their first college class, they think they know a thing or two about engineering. Often what they really know is a thing or two about how machines work, according to Brianno Coller. ...

Put a nozzle on it: teeth-tike tabs are turning down the volume on jet cacophony.
November 1, 2006... It's world live in. Automobile traffic may be the biggest offender, but if you're tired of listening to the roar of the highway, you can always buy a house with a longer driveway. The second largest contributor to noise pollution is harder...

No Einstein: overshadowed by a legendary mentor, Leo Szitard switched on the Atomic Age.(Biography)
November 1, 2006... Historians trace the birth of the atomic age to a 1939 letter to President Roosevelt signed by Albert Einstein. It was a month after Germany invaded Poland to begin World War II, the largest conflict in human history. The letter informed...

Solenoid valves.(new products)
November 1, 2006... CLIPPARD INSTRUMENT LABORATORY. CINCINNATI. OHIO. The new Maximatic line of solenoid valves is available in three-way, four-way, single, or double solenoid, plus various mounting options, enabling their use on a range of applications, The...

Indexing plungers.(new products)
November 1, 2006... J.W. WINCO INC., NEW BERLIN, WIS. This supplier of standard industrial machine components now has inch and metric size lockout-type steel cam action indexing plungers. With a steel, black oxide finish body, the plunger pin is steel nitride. The...

Mounting brackets.(new products)
November 1, 2006... MICRO PLASTICS INC., FLIPPIN, ARK. The company's new series of wire tie mounting brackets come in four sizes to accommodate ties up to 0.19 in. (4.83 mm) wide and 0.06 in. (1.52 mm) thick. The series covers mounting screw sizes from No. 4...

Washdown speed drives.(new products)
November 1, 2006... BALDOR ELECTRIC CO., FORT SMITH, ARK. Baldor has added washdown adjustable speed drives to its H2 line. These new drives are rated NEMA 4X and have from 1 through 10 horsepower. The new H2 washdown drives come in open-loop, encoderless, and...

Electromagnetic flowmeter.(new products)
November 1, 2006... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC., STAMFORD, CONN. Accurate FMG600 series electromagnetic flowmeters are designed for measurement of conductive liquids with virtually no pressure loss. With no moving parts and a PTFE lining, they can handle applications...

Measuring rotation.(new products)
November 1, 2006... CELESCO TRANSDUCER PRODUCTS INC.. CHATSWORTH. CALIF. Celesco's Model IT9420 inclinometers provide angular measurements that are relative to gravity. An internal pendulum is coupled to the shaft of an advanced, low-friction, very-long-life...

Pressure sensors.(new products)
November 1, 2006... PCB PIEZOTRONICS INC., DEPEW, N.Y. The Series 121A20/30 industrial, dynamic ICP pressure sensors come in full-scale ranges from 100 psi to 5,000 psi for [+ or -] 5 V output and in sensitivities from 1 mV/psi to 50 mV/psi. They feature...

Crankshaft gauge.(new products)
November 1, 2006... ADCOLE CORP., MARLBOROUGH, MASS. The Model 1300 high-speed crankshaft gauge is an in-line instrument capable of measuring diameters, roundness, cylindricity, timing angle, and stroke with submicron accuracy, according to the manufacturer....

Locking cylinders.(new products)
November 1, 2006... SMC CORP. OF AMERICA, INDIANAPOLIS, IND. The CNA Series locking cylinder comes in five bore sizes (40 mm to 100 mm) and uses an integral, compact lock unit that is unaffected by the quality of the supply air. In addition, a manual override lock...

Ball lock pins.(new products)
November 1, 2006... FAIRLANE PRODUCTS INC., FRASER. MICH. This maker of precision work-holding, positioning, and accessory components has a 12-page catalog featuring its quick-release ball lock pin products, along with the complementary flanged receptacles, end...

Life safety systems.(new products)
November 1, 2006... GAMEWELL-FCI, NORTHFORD, CONN. A manufacturer of commercial fire and life safety systems, the company has released an all-new Engineering & Applications Catalog since the unification of Gamewell and FCI last fall. Available in hard copy or CD...

Steam traps.(new products)
November 1, 2006... NICHOLSON STEAM TRAP, WALDEN, N.Y. The company has come out with the third edition of its Steam Trap Designer's Guide handbook, which is for designing, specifying, and purchasing steam traps and steam specialty devices used for industrial, and...

Metals and gratings.(new products)
November 1, 2006... MCNICHOLS CO., TAMPA, FLA. The silver edition of The Hole Catalog is 105 pages long and covers perforated and expanded metals, wire cloth, and a variety of safety gratings and handrail components. The catalog has been updated with new products,...

The Star Wars Enigma: Behind the Scenes of the Cold War Race for Missile Defense.(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2006... The Star Wars Enigma: Behind the Scenes of the Cold War Race for Missile Defense. Nigel Hey. Potomac Books Inc., 22841 Quicksilver Dr., Dulles, VA 20166. 2006. 287 pages. $27.95. ISBN 1-57488-981-8. Nigel Hey is one of the likelier...

Reactor Accidents: Institutional Failure in the Nuclear Industry. 2nd Edition.(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2006... Reactor Accidents: Institutional Failure in the Nuclear Industry. 2nd Edition. David Mosey. Nuclear Engineering International Publications, Wilmington House, Maidstone Rd., Foots Cray, Sidcup, Kent, U.K. DA14 5HZ. 2006. www.neimagazine.com. 128...

Steels: Microstructure and Properties. Third Edition.(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2006... Steels: Microstructure and Properties. Third Edition. H.K.D.H. Bhadeshia and R. W.K. Honeycombe. Butterworth-Heinemann, an Elsevier imprint, 30 Corporate Dr., Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803. 2006. 360 pages. $89.95. ISBN 0-12-370610-2. ...

Silicon Carbide: Recent Major Advances.(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2006... Silicon Carbide: Recent Major Advances. W.J. Choyke, H. Matsunami, and G. Pensl, Editors. Springer-Verlag, 233 Spring St., New York, NY 10013. 2003. 899 pages. $239. ISBN 3-540-40458-9. Since the 1997 publication of Silicon Carbide, edited...

The Entrepreneurial Engineer.(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2006... The Entrepreneurial Engineer. David E. Goldberg. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030. 2006. 200 pages. $39.95. ISBN 0-470-00723-0. This volume is a concise guide to creating a new breed of engineers who integrate...

Nonlinear Structural Engineering.(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2006... Nonlinear Structural Engineering. Demeter G. Fertis. Springer-Verlag, 233 Spring St., New York, NY 10013. 2006. 339 pages. $199. ISBN 3-540-32975-7. This book concentrates on the nonlinear static and dynamic analysis of structures and...

Financial Fundamentals for Engineers.(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2006... Financial Fundamentals for Engineers. George Solt and Richard Hill. Butterworth-Heinemann, an Elsevier imprint, 30 Corporate Dr., Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803. 2006. 200 pages. Softcover. $34.95. ISBN 0-7506-6941-1. In a nutshell, this...

The Handbook of Nanotechnology: Nanometer Structures Theory, Modeling, and Simulation.(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2006... The Handbook of Nanotechnology: Nanometer Structures Theory. Modeling. and Simulation. Akhlesh Lakhtakia, Editor. ASME Press, Three Park Ave., New York, NY 10016-5990. Co-published with SPIE Press and Professional Egineering Publishing, U.K....

ASME codes & standards.(ASME International )
November 1, 2006... 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...

Carbon, sunk.(input output)
November 1, 2006... It's become almost impossible to deny that adding carbon dioxide to the Earth's atmosphere has led to changes in the planet's climate. But it is also increasingly clear that C[O.sub.2] emissions are going to increase dramatically in the coming...

The ASME fellow a membership grade of distinction.
November 1, 2006... 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 2005-2006 Fellows have had 10 or more years of active practice...