Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from November 2007

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from November 2007

Not a matter of choice.(editorial)(Editorial)
November 1, 2007... In January of 1986 the polar explorer Robert Swan reached the South Pole. In 1989 he arrived on the North Pole, making him the first human to walk to both poles. His bountiful stories of leadership and courage are fascinating, and beyond the...

Near the top.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2007... To the Editor: A quick search on the Internet verified that the adiabatic flame temperature of jet fuel burned in air is about 3,140[degrees]F. The adiabatic flame temperature of natural gas burned in air was listed from 3,308 to...

Added credentials.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2007... To the Editor: I found the give-and-take between Septimus van der Linden and Lee Langston interesting (Letters, July). The magazine gave additional credibility to Septimus with an editor's note that credits him with being a past chair of a...

Plots and people.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2007... To the Editor: Just a note to tell you how much I enjoy the new series of articles on mechanical engineering history, complete with equations. They are a refreshing change from all the featherweight press releases. Since undergrad school 30...

Thoughts at hand.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2007... To the Editor: I have to agree with author David McCormick ("Seeing Mechanical," September) about the virtues of hand sketches as a valuable engineering tool. When I attended engineering school back in the late 1950s, sketching was included as...

Warm [and heated] receptions.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2007... To the Editor: I just finished reading the July issue of Mechanical Engineering, and have to say this is one of the best issues I have ever seen of this publication. The periodical is of some interest to me each month, but July's issue is...

Sub text.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2007... To the Editor: I hadn't given a lot of thought about how deadly dull it must be to write and edit a tech magazine. Just facts, numbers, specs, new words that make no sense... you understand. Never a hint of Paris Hilton or equal. So sad. ...

Where (and who) the engineers are.(news & notes)(Population Reference Bureau's engineers and scientists' database)
November 1, 2007... A new database from the nonprofit Population Reference Bureau provides the most detailed state-by-state snapshot yet of U.S. engineers and scientists. Collected from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2005 American Community Survey, the database...

Open water source.(news & notes)
November 1, 2007... The 2007 ASME Student Design Competition, a challenge to devise the best human-powered water purification system, won't end with the finals at the Society's Congress this month. ASME hopes to leverage the theme of the competition into an...

New weld assessment.(news & notes)(ASME International codes)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... When the new edition of ASME's Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code is published, it will recognize a new, alternative method of assessing weld fatigue. Battelle has issued a statement saying that the method, mentioned in Section VIII, Division 2 of...

Algor at the movies.(news & notes)(Inecom Entertainment Co. has introduced digital videodisk of 'Westinghouse')(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Inecom Entertainment Co.--a subsidiary of Algor Inc., the FEA software development company--said it will release it latest film, Westinghouse, on DVD in April. Westinghouse is a feature-length documentary about the life and times of George...

The ASME Innovative Technologies Institute LLC has completed two new sector-specific guidance documents under a contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The ASME Innovative Technologies Institute LLC has completed two new sector-specific guidance documents under a contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The documents apply ASME-ITI's risk analysis methodology RAMCAP (Risk...

Ohio State University.(Briefly Noted)(fuel cell vehicle )(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The Buckeye Bullet 2, a fuel cell-powered car developed by a student team at Ohio State University, has set a land speed racing record for hydrogen-fueled cars by clocking 224 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in October. The original Buckeye...

Affinia Group Inc.(Briefly Noted)(closed its Indiana facility)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Affinia Group Inc. of Ann Arbor, Mich., is closing its chassis products manufacturing and packaging facility in Mishawaka, Ind. Production and packaging will be consolidated into its Oklahoma City facility. The transition will begin immediately...

Limco-Piedmont Inc. of Tulsa, Okla., received a $4.1 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for the overhaul of heat exchange units for F-15 fighter aircraft.(Briefly Noted)
November 1, 2007... Limco-Piedmont Inc. of Tulsa, Okla., received a $4.1 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for the overhaul of heat exchange units for F-15 fighter aircraft. The contract calls for the delivery of 744 units over 36 months.

Peru LNG, one of the largest infrastructure projects in Peru's history, seeking to become a leader in the liquefied natural gas industry.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Peru LNG, one of the largest infrastructure projects in Peru's history, seeking to become a leader in the liquefied natural gas industry, awarded the start of pipeline construction in Lima, Peru, to Techint S.A.C. Construction is expected to...

Power supplier files for 2 new reactors.(news & notes)(NRG Energy Inc.)(Constellation Energy Group Inc.)
November 1, 2007... The nuclear industry in the United States has been gearing up for a new round of plant development, and the first application in almost 30 years to build a new reactor was filed on Sept. 24. NRG Energy, a wholesale energy supplier, and an...

Detecting wounds in composites.(computing)(detection equipment for military missiles)
November 1, 2007... ENGINEERS AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY in West Lafayette, Ind., have designed a system they say can detect flaws hidden inside the composite materials of military missiles. The missiles can be damaged if they're struck by the debris that a...

War games in Omaha.(computing)(Science Applications International Corp's new laboratory )(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... HOW DO CIVILIANS ACT after the detonation of an improvised explosive device? How can a commander react to calm bystanders and defend against further asttacks? To find the best answers, Science Applications International Corp. will soon be...

Cutting RFID design time.(computing)(Sentronik GmbH )(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... ONE ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURER has reduced the time spent developing its radio frequency identification labels from about 10 days to three. It cut down the development time by modeling the labels with electromagnetic simulation software before...

Dashboard tests.(computing)(driver-assistance system)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... THE ENGINEER STARES INTENTLY at a virtual dashboard. He's testing a new driver-assistance system that can play text messages aloud and warn drivers of potential collisions in a heavy fog. Systems like that aren't too far away. They're currently...

Jet material wheelchair.(computing)(Entz Aerodyne )(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... STANDARD-ISSUE WHEELCHAIRS don't need to be standard. Engineers at Entz Aerodyne have applied what they've learned when creating parts for business jets to creating a new style of wheelchair. When an economic downturn had affected Entz of...

The best ball.(computing)(simulation software for sporting goods industry)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... SPORTS EQUIPMENT DESIGNERS will soon be able to call upon a new simulation model that demonstrates how potential products, like a new ball, will behave in real life. The simulation shows exactly what will happen when a ball has a specified...

ITI TranscenData.(Briefly Noted)
November 1, 2007... ITI TranscenData of Milford, Ohio, has upgraded its data interoperability tool to CADfix version 7.1.

Altair Engineering Inc. of Troy, Mich., is shipping HyperCrash/Catia.(Briefly Noted)
November 1, 2007... Altair Engineering Inc. of Troy, Mich., is shipping HyperCrash/Catia, which is crash-modeling software integrated with Catia version five from Dassault Systemes.

ICAM Technologies Corp.(Briefly Noted)
November 1, 2007... ICAM Technologies Corp. of Montreal has released Virtual Machine version 17, the upgrade to the developer's machine tool simulation and numerically controlled post-processing software.

BlueCielo ECM Solutions.(Briefly Noted)(Cyco Software has changed its name)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The company formerly known as Cyco Software, now renamed BlueCielo ECM Solutions of Rijswijk, The Netherlands, has released InnoCielo Publisher 2007 and InnoCielo Publisher Framework 2007. These are upgrades to the developer's add-ons to its...

Noran Engineering Inc.(Briefly Noted)(upgraded its software)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Noran Engineering Inc. of Westminster, Calif., has upgraded its simulation product, NEiFusion, to version 1.2. The new version contains two new tools for use at the CAD stage, Automated Impact Analysis Wizard and Optimization Analysis.

FreeDesign Inc.(Briefly Noted)
November 1, 2007... FreeDesign Inc. of Longmont, Calif., has released FreeDimension 1.2, a freeform 3-D surface modeler.

CAD Schroer Group.(Briefly Noted)
November 1, 2007... CAD Schroer Group of Moers, Germany, is shipping version 3.0 of its Medusa4 Design Automation Suite.

Seemage Inc.(Briefly Noted)(new software)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... A spokesperson for Seemage Inc. of Newton, Mass., said the 4.2.1 release of its software is now compatible with SolidWorks 3-D CAD software. This allows the CAD software's users to create animations, technical illustrations, and service...

CAD into STL or OBJ.(software exchange)
November 1, 2007... Capability: Third-party add-ons for the CAD system Alibre Design include STL Import for Alibre Design and OBJ Import for Alibre Design. The STL add-on gives the CAD system the ability to read stereolithography files, which is helpful for rapid...

CAD dimensions.(software exchange)
November 1, 2007... Capability: AcceliCAD, which is CAD software, has been updated to AcceliCAD 2008. The application is based on the IntelliCAD system and contains all its standard features, including DWG file support, as well as support for industry standard...

View drawings.(software exchange)
November 1, 2007... Capability: The DWG Viewer lets users view AutoCAD DWG, DWF, and DXF formats even without access to those formats. It boasts a simple interface and runs on the Windows desktop or inside Web browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox, and...

Contour and vector plotting.(software exchange)
November 1, 2007... Capability: DF Contour generates publication-ready graphs and contours from numerical and experimental data. The tool can be used to analyze and represent the results of laboratory experiments or computational simulations. It produces color...

Technical analysis minus Fortran.(software exchange)
November 1, 2007... Capability: The mathematical computing software O-Matrix allows scientists and engineers to solve technical analysis and simulation without the use of traditional languages such as C++ or Fortran. It's used to analyze data, create simulations,...

An instrument of automation.(technology focus: POWER TRANSMISSION AND MOTION CONTROL)(Design and Assembly Concepts Inc's contract with National Instruments Corp.)
November 1, 2007... A new tin dipping machine from Design & Assembly Concepts Inc. shows off some of the advantages of prototyping robots and machinery in National Instruments Corp.'s LabView software. And to National Instruments, prototyping is only the...

New SKF bearings save energy.(technology focus: POWER TRANSMISSION AND MOTION CONTROL)(SKF Group)
November 1, 2007... In the larger scheme of things, energy-efficient bearings are probably not going to reverse global warming or save the world. Yet Sweden's SKF Group believes it can make a difference. It has introduced a new line of energy-efficient deep groove...

Clean and efficient.(technology focus: POWER TRANSMISSION AND MOTION CONTROL)(Emotron AB's electric motor)
November 1, 2007... The European Union's voluntary Motor Challenge Program is a leader in encouraging electric motor manufacturers to increase efficiency. Originally formed to address emissions that may be causing climate change, the group picked up momentum with...

Haptics for fun and profit.(technology focus: POWER TRANSMISSION AND MOTION CONTROL)(Novint Technologies Inc's new game controller)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... If you think force feedback is reserved only for jetliner controls, surgical training, and bombsights, think again. The new Falcon from Novint Technologies Inc. of Albuquerque, N.M., lists for $239 and has taken the gaming world by storm. ...

Re-engineering healthcare: the system is in need of repair in the United States, and engineers are uniquely equipped to help fix it.(FEATURE FOCUS: ENGINEERING TOMORROW)(Cover story)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] healthcare is the largest industry in the United States. The national expenditure is estimated to be $2.17 trillion in 2006, about 16.5 percent of gross domestic product, and is expected to exceed $4 trillion, or 20...

Give it time: data acquisition techniques give researchers insights into fields outside the realm of machines.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The methods that mechanical engineers most frequently call upon in their work have never been strictly confined to the province of machinery. Today, perhaps more than ever before, engineers are applying their methods...

Extra credit: thanks to an innovative program, engineering students get a look at state-of-the-art facilities.(Halliburton Co. Halliburton Energy Services Div.)
November 1, 2007... The drilling rig stands tall amid the hills of western Oklahoma. There's serious business going on here: Skilled workers are tending the machinery; pulling up long pipes that are stacked neatly at the base of the rig and threading them deftly...

50 years of nuclear power: in the depths of the Cold War, Atoms for Peace produced landmark results.(Shippingport Nuclear Power Station)(Vallecitos Nuclear Center )
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] the Atomic Age announced itself to the world with the destruction of two Japanese cities in 1945. After the first bomb fell, on Hiroshima in August, mankind suddenly realized that it possessed a new technology of...

Harnessing the job: software tools convey the 2-D world of electrical schematics into the third dimension.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There was a time, farther in the past than any of us can remember, when mechanical systems were largely that. It was a time before anyone put electric generators or radios into vehicles, before diesel-electric...

Infrared cartridge options.(new products)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HONEYWELL ANALYTICS, LINCOLNSHIRE, ILL. The company has added infrared cartridge options to its multigas Lumidor Impact Pro IR portable gas detector. One of three IR sensors can be chosen as one of the four sensors...

Temperature transmitters.(new products)
November 1, 2007... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC., STAMFORD, CONN. The company offers two versatile temperature transmitters. The TX33 (priced at $95) with loop-powered RTD input is analog, non-isolated with a 2-wire head-mount that converts the RTD into a proportional,...

Intelligent motor.(new products)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ANIMATICS CORP., SANTA CLARA. CALIF. The SM2315DT SmartMotor has an eight-pole compact rotor design with more copper filling factor than in conventional designs. According to the company, the new design achieves a...

ASME codes & standards.(American Society Of Mechanical Engineers )
November 1, 2007... 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...

Flying high.(input output)(John Baker of University of Alabama)
November 1, 2007... Edgar Allan Poe wrote an unusually lighthearted short story about a flight to the moon in a balloon. We know now that a balloon can't take you that far, but it can lift a payload--a camera, say--to the edge of space. And ac cording to John...

The 2006-2007 ASME fellows ...(ASME International (New York, New York))(American Society Of Mechanical Engineers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... THE ASME FELLOW A MEMBERSHIP GRADE OF DISTINCTION The ASME Borad of Governors confers the Fellow grade of membership on worthy candidates to recognize their outstanding engineering achievements. Nominated by their peers, these...

The 2006-2007 ASME fellows ...(Memis Acar-Mark A. Kedzierski)
November 1, 2007... Memis Acar [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Memis Acar has been a researcher and faculty member for 30 years. He has written over 120 journal and conference papers. He recieved over two million dollars in grant money from national and...

The 2006-2007 ASME fellows ...(Michael Keefe-David A. Zumbrunnen)
November 1, 2007... Michael Keefe [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Michael Keefe has spent his 20-plus year career mentoring young engineers--primarily undergraduates. While finishing his graduate degree, he worked for Honeywell modeling hypervelocity impacts on...