Mechanical Engineering-CIME articles from October 2007

Mechanical Engineering-CIME archives from October 2007

Only on M.E. Magazine online @ www.memagazine.org.
October 1, 2007... The September Question of the Month How important is it to begin building a new generation of nuclear power plants? One pro-nuclear power reader noted, "They should be built as soon as possible, but (the facilities) need to have...

Think tank.(Conference news)(Editorial)
October 1, 2007... Budding industries, as well as surging conventional ones, are generating numerous new career growth opportunities for engineers. But with the opportunities come new professional and technical challenges. A few months ago, at ASME's summer...

Alternative energy.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... To the Editor: I appreciate the many energy-related articles in Mechanical Engineering, including the April issue. Mechanical engineers can take a leading role in resolving many energy issues, especially carbon loading of our atmosphere and...

Warming to a topic.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... To the Editor: Unlike Merwin Jones, who wrote [Letters, June] to express his disappointment with the articles on global warming in the April issue, I'm grateful to Mechanical Engineering, and especially to Associate Editor Jeffrey Winters, for...

East isn't west.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... To the Editor: The article dealing with Asian business people, "Are Your People Firefighters," (July, page 28) seems to lack understanding of the Eastern Asian cultural background of Confucianism and Buddhism/Hinduism. Unlike Islam, Judaism,...

Gender specifics.(letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... To the Editor: I read the recent letter you published [May] about the perceived differences one man observed between boys and girls and their relation to his view of engineering. Following are my thoughts on the matter. The differences in...

Friend or foreign?(letters)(Letter to the editor)
October 1, 2007... To the Editor: "Keep the Sub Shop Going" [News & Notes, June] reports on a Rand Corp. study for the U.S. Navy--but is accompanied by a photo of a submarine that, unless I'm badly mistaken, is not a U.S. Navy submarine. It would seem the...

Correction.(letters)(Correction notice)
October 1, 2007... Several readers of our July Input Output feature, "Morale Fiber," have pointed out that 4x8-ft. armor panels at 2.2 pounds per square inch would weigh about 5 tons. The panels, to reinforce military tents, weigh 2.2 to 4 pounds per square foot,...

Saudi company buys premium plastics unit.(news & notes)(Company overview)
October 1, 2007... A company controlled by the Sandi royal family has completed its $11.6 billion purchase of GE Plastics from General Electric. The acquiring company, Saudi Basic Industries Corp., was founded by the Saudi royal family in 1976 to leverage...

Ares upper-stage contract signed.(news & notes)
October 1, 2007... Another step in the development of the next generation of U.S. space vehicles has fallen into place. NASA has signed the Boeing Co. to manufacture the upper stage of the Ares I rocket. The contract calls for Boeing to advise NASA's design...

Consolidating ride control facilities.(news & notes)(ArvinMeritor Inc.)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... One of the major suppliers to the motor vehicle industry, ArvinMeritor Inc. of Troy, Mich., is consolidating its three North American ride control facilities into one. The move includes the closure of its Toronto original equipment shock...

Rocket arm.(news & notes)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The strong throwing arms on baseball players are often compared to rockets. But researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville have found a way to use a bit of rocket technology to improve a traditionally weak kind of arm--a prosthetic one....

AGY of Aiken, S.C., a producer of fiberglass yarns and reinforcements used in composites, has agreed to buy two business operations from Owens Corning.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... AGY of Aiken, S.C., a producer of fiberglass yarns and reinforcements used in composites, has agreed to buy two business operations from Owens Corning. The deal includes continuous filament mat manufacturing assets in Huntingdon, Pa., and...

Hexagon AB of Nacka Strand, Sweden, will buy all outstanding shares of CogniTens Ltd., a provider of shop floor noncontact dimensional measurement solutions.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Hexagon AB of Nacka Strand, Sweden, will buy all outstanding shares of CogniTens Ltd., a provider of shop floor non-contact dimensional measurement solutions. CogniTens, based in Ramat Hasharon, Israel, will be integrated into Hexagon...

Danville Partners LLC, a business development and private equity firm, acquired Oil Skimmers Inc., a manufacturer of oil skimming equipment.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Danville Partners LLC, a business development and private equity firm, acquired Oil Skimmers inc., a manufacturer of oil skimming equipment. Both firms are based in Cleveland. Oil Skimmers inc. offers customized oil skimming equipment and...

Ground was broken by the Orlando Utilities Commission and KBR Inc. of Houston, on an advanced 285-megawatt integrated gasification combined-cycle facility near Orlando, Fla.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Ground was broken by the Orlando Utilities Commission and KBR Inc. of Houston, on an advanced 285-megawatt integrated gasification combined-cycle facility near Orlando, Fla. The new generating station will be among the cleanest, most efficient...

Visteon Corp. of Van Buren Township, Mich., completed the sale of Visteon Powertrain Control Systems India in Chennai to Adyar River Ltd.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Visteon Corp. of Van Buren Township, Mich., completed the sale of Visteon Powertrain Control Systems India in Chennai to Adyar River Ltd. The operation in Chennai manufactures starters and alternators for global carmakers.

Workhorse helicopters.(computing)
October 1, 2007... MILITARY HELICOPTERS ARE DESIGNED to fly in extreme environments. So the engineers behind chopper design must ensure that their aircraft can perform under the most adverse conditions, which can make for time-consuming design. Now...

Ratatouille math.(computing)(Pixar Animation Studios)
October 1, 2007... YOU CAN DRAW A STRAIGHT LINE on your computer with relative ease. But software engineers spent a long time learning how to program computers to draw objects as basic as a spoon. The challenge is a mathematical one, said Tony DeRose, senior...

Very small soccer players.(computing)
October 1, 2007... IMAGINE A MECHANICAL Pele or a David Beckham one-sixth the size of an amoeba kicking a soccer ball no wider than a human hair across a field that could fit on a grain of rice. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] That was pretty much the scenario...

Design software rollout.(computing)(Boothroyd Dewhurst Inc.)
October 1, 2007... AN AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIER WITH PLANTS on four continents is in the process of introducing Design for Manufacture and Assembly software to all its locations worldwide as part of its value management program. The supplier, TRW Automotive, has more...

MSC.Software of Santa Ana, Calif., which sells simulation software, has acquired pioneerSolulions Inc. of Northville, Mich.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... MSC.Software of Santa Ana, Calif., which sells simulation software, has acquired pioneerSolulions Inc. of Northville, Mich. The acquisition allows MSC.Software to offer a simulation platform that includes fluid, structural, thermal, acoustic,...

Algor Inc.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Finite element analysis vendor Algor Inc. of Pittsburgh has opened an office in Stanley, N.C., about 17 miles northwest of Charlotte, N.C. The office will offer sales and services to the Carolinas and Georgia.

Capvidia of Leuven.(Briefly Noted)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Capvidia of Leuven, Belgium, is shipping its bidirectional STEP translator. The translator was developed to meet the requirements for data translation, model quality checking, CAD validation, and long-term archiving, said a company...

Fluid analysis.(software exchange)
October 1, 2007... Capability: The Engineering Fluid Dynamics analysis software suite has been upgraded to version eight. New features include an embedded computational fluid dynamics solution for Pro/Engineer Wildfire from PTC as well as an embedded CFD solution...

CAD with animation.(software exchange)
October 1, 2007... Capability: The drafting, design, and rendering tool DesignCAD 3D Max, version 18 contains nearly 25 features not available in previous versions. New features include a smart menu, grouping tools, and auto-fit docked toolboxes, which provide...

What does the data mean?(software exchange)
October 1, 2007... Capability: The analysis software environment O-Matrix enables scientists and engineers to solve technical analysis and simulation problems without using traditional languages such as C++ or Fortran. The software can help analyze data, create...

Data illustration.(software exchange)
October 1, 2007... Capability: DF Contour generates publication-ready graphs and contours from numerical and experimental data. The tool can represent and analyze the results of laboratory experiments or computational simulations. It produces color-graphic...

CAD development.(software exchange)
October 1, 2007... Capability: The Euclib C++ 2D geometry library contains more than 500 functions and can be used in the development of computer graphics, CAD, computer aided machining, robotics, medical imaging, image processing, haptics software, and other...

Flight guidance system gaining in U.S.(technology focus: INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL)
October 1, 2007... A flight-navigation system using the Global Positioning System A and inertial reference in airplanes is starting to catch the attention of U.S. airlines, which are beginning to see it as a means to save money. The system, known as RNP for...

Camera speeds troubleshooting.(technology focus: INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL)
October 1, 2007... Maybe your robotic grippers fail to grip, or the creases on your printing and folding unit look like they were done by your teenage son. You could try to eyeball the system and find the problem, but automated equipment moves far too fast for...

Licensing renewed: for the first time in a generation, utilities are starting the regulatory process to build nuclear reactors. For now, it's just a test.(POWER & energy)(Cover story)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There's a risk in any business venture, to be sure. But imagine building a multibillion-dollar plant that might not even be allowed to operate. That was what utilities had to face in the 1970s when they constructed...

Wedge factor: are there 51 small ways to curb global warming--or maybe just one? A mechanical engineering professor says the best method to curb greenhouse gas emissions is to tackle the problem in a few medium-size chunks.(POWER & energy)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The compact fluorescent light bulb seems an unlikely symbol: Its glass tubes are fragile and the ballast in its base makes it unwieldy. Even the light it produces is inferior, to some eyes, to that of the century-old...

Fuel cells down the road? Before cars and buses can make their mark, some developers say the best economic case for fuel cell mobility applications may be found in the warehouse.(POWER & energy)(Survey)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At a gathering of fuel cell developers at Germany's giant Hanover Fair this past April, Jacob Hansen talked about plans of his Danish startup, H2 Logic A/S, to launch the first of seven fuel cell-powered...

Power window: squeeze play.(POWER & energy)
October 1, 2007... Iran is the second largest oil producer among the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries member states. It was somewhat jarring, then, to read the warning, issued by the outgoing Iranian petroleum minister, that Iran was facing a looming...

Beyond step: with a new standard, CNC machines can read CAD and CAM files directly.
October 1, 2007... Modern-day computer numerically controlled machines are no longer modern enough. The 50-year-old G and M codes that drive those machines can't transfer valuable geometric information from CAD and CAM systems, according to a group of experts who...

Pressure's on: or, how Fulton's steamboat launched our modern world.
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] THIS YEAR MARKS the bi-centennial of one of the world's great technological breakthroughs--the first commercially successful steamboat. It departed from Manhattan on Aug. 17, 1807, for a 150-mile journey up the...

Small spline shaft.(new products)
October 1, 2007... KERK MOTION PRODUCTS, HOLLIS, N.H. The SS 2 is the company's smallest spline shaft, with an outside diameter of 0.125 in. (3.18 mm). This spline shaft series is designed for light load applications, where low cost, low friction, and long life...

Transformer oil valves.(new products)
October 1, 2007... UNIFIN INTERNATIONAL. LONDON. ONTARIO. Heavy-duty transformer oil valves, manufactured under the company's Cardinal brand, are designed to perform reliably under extreme operating conditions. Cardinal valves are rated for temperatures ranging...

Brushless motors.(new products)
October 1, 2007... BALDOR ELECTRIC CO., FORT SMITH, ARK. A series of brushless adjustable speed controls and motors is designed to provide the advantages of brushless technology for adjustable' speed applications, such as less maintenance, quieter operation, and...

Inline flowmeters.(new products)
October 1, 2007... OMEGA ENGINEERING INC., STAMFORD. CONN. The FV100 series is made up of inline flowmeters that use the vortex shedding measuring principle. As the fluid strikes a bluff body, imparting alternating vortices downstream of the bluff, it creates a...

Low-pressure transmitters.(new products)
October 1, 2007... AMERICAN SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES INC., MT. OLIVE, N.J. The AST44LP and AST43LP low-pressure, hazardous area-approved pressure transmitters are media-isolated, stainless steel units that can perform in a variety of industrial applications. Both...

Miniature infrared transmitters OS101E.(Instrumentation & Control)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] OMEGA's new OS100E Series miniature infrared transmitters measure a temperature range of -18 to 538[degrees]C (0 to 1000[degrees]F). All models feature a remotely mounted infrared sensor head connected to a...

Paperless Recorder--RD 9900 series Has standard Ethernet and USB Communications Interface.(Instrumentation & Control)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] OMEGAs new paperless recorders are network compatible, high performance and easy to operate. Their 5.6" LCD display allows for high visibility and its large capacity for data memory and recording methods enable a...

New Flow, Level and Environmental Greenbook[R].(Instrumentation & Control)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 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...

Bunting Magnetics Co.(Materials & Assembly)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bunting Magnetics Co. designs and manufactures some of the best magnetic conveyor equipment In the Industry. Our Material Handling Products save time, labor, and expenses In a wide range of Industrial applications....

Plastic fasteners.(Materials & Assembly)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This NEW catalog #35 is over 250 pages and details more than 20,000 plastic fasteners to accommodate a wide range of applications. This FREE catalog features 10 NEW product lines with 160 new items. FREE ENGINEERING...

New optics catalog.(Materials & Assembly)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rolyn Optics announces its new catalog, "Optics for Industry." 140 pages of product data, photos, performance graphs, and ordering information. Simple and compound lenses, prisms, optical flats/flat glass, flat and...

Pipe stress analysis.(Engineering Tools)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This brochure describes COADE's pipe stress analysis software. The CAESAR II program performs static and dynamic analysis; NEMA, API and WRC assessments; and structural steel modeling. It also offers material and...

ENGRASP, Inc.(Engineering Tools)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Software for Engineering Design, Analysis and Reference, Engineers Toolbox (ETBX) features integrated computational modules for solid mechanics, dynamics, controls, fluid flow, heat transfer, fatigue and fracture...

Epoxy adhesives to meet your needs.(Engineering Tools)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Select from Master Bond's extensive line of one- and two-component epoxy adhesives to meet your specific requirements. These compounds feature high bond strength, superior durability, and resistance to chemicals and...

Low-cost Vibration Test Systems and Digital Controllers.(Engineering Tools)
October 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 100 lbf System $5,665 with Vibrator, base, blower, low-distortion linear amplifier, cables & hose. Digital Controller Packages convert PCs to Vibration Controllers-Sine $3,995. Random $4,995. 4-Channel Swept-Sine,...

The sun also raises.(input output)(AeroVironment Inc. developed solar powered aircraft)
October 1, 2007... The history of human flight with wings is the story of man separating himself from the surface of the Earth by deflecting air beneath him. Rarely has the flight-minded engineer turned to what's on the other side to power an aircraft. The...