Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from October 2006

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from October 2006

Only on M.E. magazine online: @www.memagazine.org.
October 1, 2006... A long with last month's survey questions, we asked you to tell us what you liked and didn't like about the Web. We received some interesting answers. One respondent said, "The most amazing thing is that you can look for almost any bit of...

Sci-fi meets reality.(trends in biomedical engineering)(Editorial)
October 1, 2006... I can't help but mention an indelible childhood memory that surfaced while reading Paolo Decuzzi and Mauro Ferrari's article, "Fantastic Voyages," on page 24 of this issue. It was 40 years ago, in 1966, and I was glued to my seat watching...

The issue of integrity.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... To the Editor: An article appeared on the front page of the August 15 edition of The Wall Street Journal under the headline "Student Plagiarism Stirs Controversy at Ohio University." This was not the typical article about plagiarism involving...

Light math.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... To the Editor: The letters concerning daytime running lights by Bill Robba (January) and Matt L. Davis (April) both use misleading mathematics. Robba inflates the apparent cost of daytime running lights by assuming that every vehicle has...

Schooled by experience.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... To the Editor: Thanks for your editorial comments regarding Bill Begell in the June issue. Having had the pleasure of working with Bill as a member of ASME's Publications Committee, I came to realize that he is indeed an outstanding...

Calling for a recount.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... To the Editor: Current FAA regulations do not require two pilots on all civilian jet aircraft. The aircraft and pilot do need a special certification to be flown with a single pilot. The Cessna Citation, mentioned in the article "Jets Go Light...

Here and now.(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... To the Editor: I only skimmed Ahmed Noor's article "Disruptions of Progress" in the November 2005 issue. I much prefer to read about real achievements that offer practical lessons to help me now. So I was pleased by the next article, Jean...

Accent on levitation.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... To the Editor: As usual, I found ME magazine's June '06 article on magnetic levitation inspiring. What seemed to be missing in regard to the mixer device discussion seems somewhat fundamental to why it is such a novel concept. Many moons...

Batteries not included.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2006... To the Editor: I see that Gayle Ehrenman's nostalgic article about slide rules ("Slides Rule," December 2005) is still reverberating in the Letters column. I can't resist adding a comment or two. It was a poignant indicator of our time...

Engineers focus on education.(National Instruments Corp.'s meeting)(Discussion)
October 1, 2006... Perhaps Outsourced manufacturing and services have spooked engineers. Maybe they worry about the dearth of American students in U.S. engineering graduate programs. Possibly the warnings about competitiveness in the National Academies' report,...

The diesel does it.(JCB Dieselmax)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... A British racing team has followed through on its effort to set a new bar for diesel cars. The JCB Dieselmax has been officially clocked at an average of just over 350 mph in two passes of a measured mile on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The...

$80 million deal for tire fabric unit.(news & notes)(Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co.)(Hyosung Corp)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has agreed to sell its global tire fabric operations to Hyosung Corp., pending government and regulatory approvals. Goodyear and its affiliates will receive approximately $80 million for their tire fabric...

Carbon fibers get bent.(news & notes)(Cornell University )(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Try bending a sliver of silicon and before long you 11 have two shards. That s a problem for researchers trying to make microelectromechanical-based displays: The material of choice for MEMS just isn't flexible enough to do the job adequately....

New transmission lines for Kansas.(news & notes)
October 1, 2006... Westar Energy Inc. of Topeka, Kan., said it plans to build a new 345-kilovolt high-capacity transmission line from northwest of Wichita, near its Gordon Evans Energy Center, to the Hutchinson, Kan., area. Westar also plans to build additional...

Nevada company to provide more power.(Sierra Pacific Resources, Nevada Power Co.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Sierra Pacific Resources has signed a power purchase agreement with Nevada Geothermal Power Inc., to provide up to 35 megawatts of new renewable generating capacity for its utility subsidiaries, Nevada Power Co. and Sierra Pacific Power Co. ...

Getting the word.(news & notes)(Knovel Corp.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... When Knovel Corp. told us that the latest additions to its online technical library service included the United States Air Force Dictionary, they told us that the language is English, but a highly specialized English, and it might be a good...

Air France.(Briefly Noted)(Boeing to install Electronic Flight Bag )(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Air France has placed orders that will let it install the Boeing Class 3 Electronic Flight Bag for its entire fleet of 777 airplanes, including 42 currently in service and 13 to be delivered. The Boeing Class 3 EFB is a computer integrated into...

Curtiss-Wright Corp. of Roseland, N.J., has acquired TechSwan Inc. (also known as Swantech) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for $3.6 million.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Curtiss-Wright Corp. of Roseland, N.J., has acquired TechSwan Inc. (also known as Swantech) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for $3.6 million. Swantech has developed advanced software to monitor, predict, and evaluate the operating condition of...

Sermatech.(Briefly Noted)
October 1, 2006... Sermatech has completed a science and technology center in Limerick, Pa., where it will conduct advanced aerospace and industrial coatings research and development.

Saturn is equipping versions of its latest sedan, the Aura, with StabiliTrak electronic stability control by Delphi Corp.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Saturn is equipping versions of its latest sedan, the Aura, with StabiliTrak electronic stability control by Delphi Corp. of Troy, Mich. (For more on electronic stability control, see Technology Focus, page 22.)

Boeing has selected Goodrich Corp. to provide landing gear maintenance for the U.S. Air Force's fleet of C-17 aircraft.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Boeing has selected Goodrich Corp. to provide landing gear maintenance for the U.S. Air Force's fleet of C-17 aircraft. The contract is expected to generate up to $38 million in sales over the next three years.

Thermal and more.(computing)(Comsol Inc.'s Multiphysics software)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... INTERDISCIPLINARY FIELDS--like biomedical engineering--require students to become familiar with basic principles in a wide range of topics, according to Richard Hart, chairman of the department of biomedical engineering at Tulane University in...

Interfering with pacemakers.(computing)
October 1, 2006... IN OUR INCREASINGLY WIRELESS WORLD, the air is full of electromagnetic signals that carry data from one place to another. While wireless technology is a boon for the security, commerce, and entertainment industries--not to mention for the...

Composites With CAD.(computing)(AleniaAermacchi)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... AN ITALIAN AEROSPACE COMPANY recently sought software for designing parts of composite materials, although engineers there were loath to give up the CAD system they'd been using for years for noncomposite design. The company found a way to...

Keeping in close touch.(computing)(Aberdeen Group's Product Lifecycle Collaboration Benchmark Report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... MANUFACTURERS WHO TURN TO collaborative technologies like product lifecycle management do so to improve their product development processes, according to a recent study done by the Aberdeen Group, a research firm in Boston. And, according to...

A single standard of communication.(computing)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... IT'S A BIG STANDARDIZATION project, but the aircraft company is up to the task. Boeing plans to standardize product lifecycle management software for all of its commercial and defense airplanes. One standard PLM platform across most...

Students' good deed.(computing)(portable Braille writing device)
October 1, 2006... FOR THEIR ENGINEERING DESIGN CLASS at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, four mechanical engineering majors were assigned to devise a portable Braille writing device that required no electronic components and cost less than $50. In the...

Organizing tons of test data.(computing)(Lockheed Martin Corp. to install tracking software in its aircrafts)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... YOU CAN IMAGINE THE REAMS of data generated on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter project. Lockheed Martin is designing the F-35 to replace many defense aircraft, including the F-16 and the Harrier. To find the best airframe, Lockheed Martin...

Laptops mandatory for this class.(computing)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... WHEN SCHOOL STARTED THIS YEAR for Wayne State University engineering student Melissa LaBell, she fired up her laptop in class. Her professor not only encouraged laptop use, he required it. LaBell had leased a fully loaded laptop, as...

e-Builder.(Briefly Noted)
October 1, 2006... e-Builder of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has released e-Builder Professional, a document-management program for engineers.

Motive Systems.(Briefly Noted)
October 1, 2006... Motive Systems of Tampere, Finland, has issued a new version of its document management tool, M-Files 3.0, with new workflow features.

Delcam.(Briefly Noted)(PowerMill Modeling, computer-aided manufacturing system)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Delcam of Birmingham, England, has introduced PowerMill Modeling, a data repair module for its PowerMill computer-aided manufacturing system. It allows users to correct all the common faults with CAD data sent for machining.

DSM Somos.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Stereolithography resin developer DSM Somos of Elgin, Ill., has announced a new effort to connect original equipment manufacturers with rapid prototyping service bureaus that provide desired Somos materials.

AutoForm Engineering GmbH.(Briefly Noted)
October 1, 2006... AutoForm Engineering GmbH, of Zurich, Switzerland, which makes software for the die-making and sheet metal-forming industries, released AutoForm version 4.1 for part and tool geometry.

CEI.(Briefly Noted)
October 1, 2006... CEI of Apex, N.C., has released EnSight 8.2, the latest version of the company's visualization software.

Tech Soft 3D.(Briefly Noted)
October 1, 2006... Tech Soft 3D of Oakland, Calif., which provides graphics components for the CAD and CAM industries, announced release 13 for its Hoops 3-D Application Framework.

Seemage Inc.(Briefly Noted)
October 1, 2006... Seemage Inc. of Waltham, Mass., is shipping version 3.2 of the Seemage platform for CAD viewing.

ThinPrint.(Briefly Noted)
October 1, 2006... For CAD printing from a portable device, ThinPrint of Berlin has released Content Beamer for BlackBerry 2.5.

Right Hemisphere.(Briefly Noted)(graphic-management software)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Right Hemisphere of Fremont, Calif., which makes graphic-management software, says that its PGM software can now import SketchUp models and export them to a wide range of 2-D, 3-D, and publishing formats.

Engineous Software.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... Engineous Software of Cary, N.C., which makes integration, automation, and design optimization software, has released iSIGHTFD version 2.0, which offers more design drivers to help users find better designs.

Z Corp.(Briefly Noted)
October 1, 2006... Z Corp. of Boston has introduced a handheld, self-positioning 3-D scanner that can digitize surfaces in real time.

Your technical software.(software exchange)
October 1, 2006... Capability: Wolfram Workbench helps users with technical software development. It's built on the Eclipse development platform and incorporates the Mathematica programming language as well as computation, visualization, and modeling features....

Estimate job costs.(software exchange)
October 1, 2006... Capability: The PowerSHAPE-e estimating program is useful for toolmakers, contractors, and suppliers who want help drawing up a quote for their work based on customer-provided CAD models. The program gives suppliers an up-close understanding of...

Search for CAD words.(software exchange)
October 1, 2006... Capability: Google Desktop Search indexes files on your desktop PC and displays the results in a Google search page. The General CADD Desktop Search Plug-In expands that search function to CAD, allowing you to search your computer for words...

Create triangle mesh.(software exchange)
October 1, 2006... Capability: With the sketch-based, free-form 3-D mesh modeler called VRMesh 3.0, users can create triangle meshes. It takes only minutes on a standard PC to convert a point cloud of one million points into a mesh, the software developer said....

CAD questions answered.(software exchange)
October 1, 2006... Capability: This search engine for computer-aided design and graphics users, now in beta development but available for general use, includes more than 42,000 resources, such as tutorials and frequently asked questions on CAD and graphic use....

Crack patrol.(technology focus: INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL)(sensing system for Stryker military vehicle)
October 1, 2006... Maintaining a combat vehicle is a chore. The machines are complex and heavy, and the frontline environment is hostile. Probably the only thing worse than having to maintain a combat vehicle is having one break down in the heat of battle. ...

Picking up the pace.(technology focus: INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL)(The Freedonia Group's report on growth of sensors industry)(Brief article)
October 1, 2006... The market for sensors has been sluggish in the past few years, growing at an anemic rate of 1.5 percent a year from 2000 to 2006. But a study of the industry by Cleveland-based research firm The Freedonia Group suggests the pace should quicken...

Sky eye.(technology focus: INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL)(usage conducting polymer for telecommunications antenna)
October 1, 2006... Mack in the go-go days of the 1990s, some bright people had the idea of mounting telecommunications equipment on a blimp and tethering it miles over a city. From such a height, one airship could blanket a large region with cellular telephone or...

Hugging the highway.(technology focus: INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL)
October 1, 2006... It may be easy to dismiss newfangled electronic systems on high-end cars as simple sales gimmicks. But a recent study suggests that one new technology now in expensive BMWs and Porsches could prevent as many as 10,000 fatal crashes a year if it...

Maximizing wind.(technology focus: INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL)
October 1, 2006... If you're an engineer trying to uncover the most efficient design for wind turbines, there's a lot conspiring against you. "It's a pretty nasty environment out there," said Jose Zayas, an engineer at the wind technology department of Sandia...

Fantastic voyages: nanodevices in development today promise to give medicine capabilities that were once purely in the rearm of fiction.(FEATURE FOCUS: BIOENGINEERING)
October 1, 2006... Advances in nanotechnology and biotechnology in the last few years have led to the development of a large variety of applications in diverse fields, from analytical chemistry to advanced materials. Nano-biotechnology is expected to have...

Hip new world: once reserved for the aging, this achievement of mechanical engineering is offered to younger adults who still want to jog, run, and play golf.(FEATURE FOCUS: BIOENGINEERING)
October 1, 2006... Golfing greats Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus each have an artificial hip. So do former tennis star Jimmy Connors, television chef Ainsley Harriott, and Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars. Bo Jackson returned to baseball after his implant, though...

Translation time: design and analysis programs don't speak the same language; getting around that can be costly.
October 1, 2006... You would imagine that Sandia National Laboratories would employ a number of expert analysts to study every aspect of potential designs, and you'd imagine right. Sandia, in Albuquerque, N.M., is responsible for national-security hardware and...

Clear as glass: when the scientific revolution began in the 1600s, the lathe reshaped our view of the universe.
October 1, 2006... At some point in any scientific endeavor it becomes necessary to bring philosophy into contact with the real world. The tools for doing this are the scientific instruments that can be used to perform critical experiments. These instruments are...

Different strokes: a few dedicated men are setting wild new speed records using that age-old technology--their legs.
October 1, 2006... Land speed record. The phrase conjures up images of humans in long, pointy vehicles tearing across salt flats. But where s all the power coming from? Just a bunch of fuel. According to one group of racers, it s a more difficult challenge to go...

Brushless dc motor.(new products)
October 1, 2006... MICROMO ELECTRONICS INC., CLEARWATER. FLA. The company has expanded its brushless dc motor line with the addition of its Series 2057B. With an external motor diameter of only 20 mm and a length of 57 mm, the power-to-volume ratio is...

Thin beam load cells.(new products)
October 1, 2006... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC., STAMFORD, CONN. LCL Series thin beam load cells are suitable for small load measurements. The series measures force or weight. The load cells are designed to measure in many different applications found in medical...

Temperature calibrators.(new products)
October 1, 2006... WAHL INSTRUMENTS INC., ASHEVILLE, N.C. Pocket temperature calibrators were designed to simplify the maintenance and commissioning of today's reliable and accurate thermocouple and RTD probes and transmitters in the harshest environments. The...

Force sensors.(new products)
October 1, 2006... PCB PIEZOTRONICS INC., DEPEW, N.Y. Series 260A triaxial piezoelectric force sensors from the company's Force/Torque division, available in ICP and charge output versions, simultaneously measure dynamic and quasi-static forces in three...

Potentiometer.(new products)
October 1, 2006... SPECTRUM SENSORS & CONTROLS, GRASS VALLEY, CALIF. A miniature square motorized potentiometer provides greater reliability while using less space. Featuring a 1.550-in. square mounting flange, the design of the potentiometer stepper motor...

Position sensors.(new products)
October 1, 2006... ASM SENSORS INC., ELMHURST, ILL. The PCST26 series of Posichron magnetostrictive position sensors has been designed for use inside of mobile hydraulic cylinders with reduced installation space. A compact stick design, separate sensor...

Contouring control.(new products)
October 1, 2006... HEIDENHAIN CORP., SCHAUMBURG, ILL. The TNC 320 is a full-function control that incorporates the best features of the company's high-end flagship iTNC 530 control, including the ability to control five axes, but at a lower cost. Reasons include...

Vibration monitoring.(new products)
October 1, 2006... EMERSON PROCESS MANAGEMENT. KNOXVILLE. TENN. The company now makes vibration monitoring of rotating equipment possible in hazardous areas of chemical and petrochemical process plants and refineries. Two new safety-rated versions of the CSI 2130...

Cooling pump.(new products)
October 1, 2006... FLOWSERVE CORP., DALLAS, TEXAS. The Guardian 3000 electronics cooling pump is the company's first production pump designed for use in cooling computer processors and graphics chips in high-end consumer personal computers. About 90 mm (3.54....

Spherical plain bearings.(new products)
October 1, 2006... SKF USA INC., KULPSVILLE, PA. SKF spherical plain bearings provide ready-to-mount bearing solutions for a range of industrial equipment applications. These types of self-aligning bearings can simultaneously accommodate misalignment and...

Rotary encoder collars.(new products)
October 1, 2006... STAFFORD MANUFACTURING CORP., WILMINGTON, MASS. Custom manufactured rotary encoder collars with targets on the face or outside diameter add speed sensing capability to rotating shafts. These encoder collars feature steel targets on those...

Uninterruptible power supply.(new products)
October 1, 2006... ROCKWELL AUTOMATION, MILWAUKEE, WIS. On the factory floor, a loss of power can mean a loss of crucial data and production. The Allen-Bradley 1609-P series of online uninterruptible power supplies offers users increased protection against the...

Thermocouple probes.(new products)
October 1, 2006... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC., STAMFORD, CONN. Manufacturing operations that involve extreme heat for long periods, wide fluctuations between high and low temperature, or corrosive atmospheres require sensors that can take abuse. Super Omegaclad XL...

Turbine installations.(new products)
October 1, 2006... MACRO SENSORS, PENNSAUKEN, N.J. The company offers a range of linear variable differential transducers in various configurations and outputs to satisfy the requirements of both current and legacy turbine installations. Macro Sensors...

Liquid flow sensors.(new products)
October 1, 2006... MCMILLAN CO., GEORGETOWN, TEXAS. The company's 101 and 102 Series Flo-Sensors provide precise liquid flow measurement at affordable prices. The flow sensors can be constructed from plastic or brass, and provide a 0-5 V dc analog output...

Servicing air filters.(new products)
October 1, 2006... UNIVERSAL AIR FILTER CO., SAUGET, ILL. The Flextab is helpful when removing or positioning filters in hard-to-reach spaces. The unique, new Flextab adhesive pulltab incorporates ingenious features, according to the company. The Flextab is...

Fluidic flow control.(product information)
October 1, 2006... TRENT TECHNOLOGIES, TYLER, TEXAS. An eight-page brochure and a Power Point presentation define and illustrate the operation of a condensate drain system for air conditioning units. The brochure shows how the system is installed in place of a...

Rotary airlocks.(product information)
October 1, 2006... KICE INDUSTRIES INC., WICHITA, KAN. A new full-color brochure introduces the company's line of rotary airlocks. They are available in nine sizes, from 6 in. to 30 in. The publication details key features, such as rotor styles and a list of...

Pin and socket products.(product information)
October 1, 2006... TYCO ELECTRONICS CORP., HARRISBURG, PA. A new edition of the AMP Soft Shell Pin and Socket Connector catalog consolidates information for more than 15 product types. Six previously uncataloged product lines have been added. The publication...

Gas boosters.(product information)
October 1, 2006... MAXPRO TECHNOLOGIES INC., FAIRVIEW, PA. This 12-page publication details the company's gas boosters and packaged systems. Maximator gas boosters are an alternative to high-pressure, stationary-type compressors. They offer a compact, lightweight...

Fastener products.(product information)
October 1, 2006... PENNENGINEERING, DANBORO, PA. An updated 12-page Product Guide and Index to Bulletins serves as a quick reference source for fastener products and installation equipment available from Penn-Engineering. The dual-purpose "Bulletin PG" profiles...

Line laser measurement and control.(Instrumentation & Control)
October 1, 2006... New Selcom Sensors that See Class II EyeCON-1 digital line sensor processes more data and profiles features often missed by single point sensors as well as other scanning systems. The easy to integrate Ethernet protocol transmits extremely high...

Single or dual input digitalthermometers--HH11A and HH12A.(Instrumentation & Control)
October 1, 2006... Covering a range of -50 to 1,300[degrees]C (-58 to 1,999[degrees]F) with their 31/2-digit LCD display, the HH11A and HH12A are low-cost, multi-featured thermometers new from OMEGA and compatible with any subminiature Type K thermocouple The...

Digital torque meter with RS-232 output--HHTQ88.(Instrumentation & Control)
October 1, 2006... OMEGA's new HHTQ88 is a precision test instrument for automotive, automation, laboratories and general industrial applications. The unit comas complete with the torque sensor with built-in 12 mm (0.5") chuck and chuck key. Three selectable...

Stock power transmission components Q460.(Power Transmission & Motion Control)
October 1, 2006... New Catalog from QTC features Econobelt timing belts and pulleys in 11 different profiles MXL, XL, L, HTD3, HTD5, HTD8, T25, T5, T10, AT5 and AT10. The belts are made from fiberglass reinforced neoprene and the pulleys are made from steel,...

New FLOW, LEVEL AND ENVIRONMENTAL GREENBOOK[R].(Instrumentation & Control)
October 1, 2006... Volume MMV 7th Edition of the FLOW, LEVEL AND ENVIRONMENTAL GREENBOOK[R] has over 1,500 pages of the latest flow, level, and environmental products to meet your every need, including a comprehensive product selection of industrial, field and...

AFT Arrow 4.0 adds new capabilities and available add-on modules.(Engineering Tools)
October 1, 2006... * GSC--Goal Seek & Control * CST--system CoST calculations to analyze first and life cycle costs AFT Arrow is one of a suite of solutions including AFT Fathom for incompressible flow systems AFT Impulse for modeling waterhammer...

Pressure vessel analysis.(Engineering Tools)
October 1, 2006... Brochure describes PVElite--COADE software for the design and evaluation of tall towers and horizontal vessels and their components using the rules of ASME Section VIII (Div. 1 & 2), PD 5500, EN-13445 and other industry standards. Mechanical...