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| For design engineers and engineering management
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June 18, 2009
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Ladders get safer
Consider an improvement that makes ordinary ladders safer as
described by safety expert Lanny Berke: Historically, workers screwed a
mounting plate directly into the side rails of wooden ladders to attach
rig-mounting equipment. Eventually, many companies switched to lighter,
more-durable fiberglass ladders. Unfortunately, the traditional mounting
plate didn’t attach well to the fiberglass ladders’ U-shaped rail.
Moreover, screws inserted into the fiberglass damage the rail.
Technicians’ workaround was to place a two-by-four wooden block into
the U-shaped channel. This “MacGyver” approach solved the problem,
but it weakened and sometimes cracked the ladder rail. Now a portable,
lightweight kit addresses the problem with two clamp assemblies and a
flat-sided, 4-ft-long aluminum bar. The clamp assemblies attach the bar
to the ladder rungs and other surfaces that would otherwise be unstable
tool-mounting locations.
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Putting a speaker in a light bulb
No it's not a magician's trick. The Soundbulb houses several LEDs
and a special lens. It uses standard light-bulb threads, so it can screw
into any socket.
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Savings from energy efficiency
A recent item in the Machine Design blogs notes an interesting item
from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). They
say “federal energy efficiency provisions included in H.R. 2454, the
American Clean Energy and Security Act, could save approximately $750
per household by 2020 and $3,900 per household by 2030.”
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Product Design and Engineering Services
with Custom Fabrication
 Fabrico provides
design, manufacturing, and prototyping services for flexible materials
for industries as diverse as electric equipment, electronics, power
generation, medical device, automotive, and solar. Our applications
experience includes bonding, electrical insulation, EMI/RFI shielding,
vibration dampening, masking, and others. Our expertise allows for
creative and integrated solutions with strict adherence to application
requirements. We also offers a range of product design and engineering
capabilities including custom die cutting, rotary die cutting, and a
variety of custom fabrication services.
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Time for a career change? Consider
environmental extremism
Readers interested in changing careers might take a hint from the
World Business Summit on Climate Change which wrapped up recently in
Copenhagen: Environmental alarmism is a growth industry. The meeting was
basically a warm-up for negotiations to replace the Kyoto Protocol. But
the Copenhagen meeting and Kyoto increasingly seem to have little to do
with unbiased science and a lot to do with convincing governments to
throw money at the green movement, regardless of whether the funds are
wisely spent.
So argues Bjorn Lomborg, a statistician and director of a think tank
called the Copenhagen Consensus. He says speakers at the World Business
Summit seemed to have been picked because of their scary views on global
warming — though such views are outside mainstream scientific thinking
and don’t mesh with the findings of the U.N. panel of climate-change
scientists.
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Featured video: Do-it-yourself HDTV
antenna
Are you one of the broadcast TV holdouts? You might be interested in
viewing this short video on how to make your own HDTV antenna out of
coat hangers, PVC, a board and some wire.
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Sound-level meter
The Model 9104 Digital Sound Level Meter identifies the source of
dangerously loud noise. Sound decibels are measured and displayed on a
large LCD. An "F/S" response time button provides a choice of slow
response measurements for measuring stable noise or fast for varying
noise. A "Max Hold" setting measures the maximum noise level of sounds
and updates continuously if a louder sound is detected.
More Information:
Exair Corp.
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Terminal chamber
A terminal chamber for uprox+ sensors conforms to FDA requirements
for wash-down environments, including food and beverage industry
applications such as dairies, breweries and bakeries. The chamber
includes removable terminals for quick and easy mounting with screws or
cage clamps. By simply rotating the cover 180°, users can select
either a straight or 90° cable exit.
More Information:
Turck Inc.
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Join the Elite Group of Engineering Professionals Qualified to
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The mission of EET is to serve engineers who are working
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practices by providing a forum for the exchange of information among
those involved in energy conservation and efficiency. The goal is to
bring together practitioners with emphasis on technical content and on
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devices, circuits, and systems related to technology for energy
conversion and efficiency. Our content includes technical articles,
written by practicing professionals and edited by engineers, overviews
describing the latest developments in industry, tutorials that cover
wide-ranging energy topics, and a showcase of new technologies and
products. Furthermore, EET includes viewpoints and
discussions contributed by experts in relevant areas, and regular
updates on relevant energy legislation and standards.
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Machine Design Video Spotlight
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Linear motor vs.
belt-drive actuators |
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Woody Yen from THK America Inc. talks
about the advantages of linear-motor-driven actuators and belt-drive
actuators with Lee Teschler of MACHINE DESIGN |
Now Available On-Demand
The Energy Efficiency Web Conference & Expo
Engineers saw and heard great educational content at the Energy
Efficiency Web Conference and Expo. If you missed the live virtual
event, don’t despair! An archive of the full day’s agenda is now
available.
Design engineers are required to integrate energy efficiency into their
designs while maintaining lower costs, the highest reliability or both.
The editors of Machine Design understand these challenges
and have developed this conference to help engineers understand the
recently imposed energy mandates. The information presented at this
educational event will help engineers compare the different technologies
and product related to energy efficiency. Attendees will gain access to
the technical information needed to help them make the best decisions
without having to travel or take time away from current projects.
Visit the archive to:
- View informative webinars on energy efficiency
- Visit interactive booths where you can contact suppliers
- Peruse the Resource Center where you can download or link to
additional pertinent energy efficiency information
Register Now!
UPCOMING WEBCASTS
Unleash the Power of Virtual Prototyping
Sponsored by PTC
DATE: June 25th, 2009
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT
Need to create great products faster and cheaper in order to stay
competitive? No problem. Virtual Prototyping is an easy way to cut
manufacturing costs and bring products to market faster while increasing
innovation and productivity throughout the whole design process.
This live webinar will cover:
- Distinguishing the prototyping facts from myths
- The importance of analysis and simulation
- Best practices to ensure top design performance
- Streamlining industrial design, engineering and
manufacturing
Click here learn more and to register!
ARCHIVED WEBCASTS AVAILABLE FOR FREE VIEWING
Click
Here for a list of archived Machine Design webcasts.
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NorthwireDirect — Buy Off-the-shelf Cable Online
Purchase off-the-shelf, factory-direct high-grade cable online from
NorthwireDirect. 100+ products are available. No minimum order.
Northwire, Inc., +1 715-294-2121
www.northwiredirect.com/md
Positioning Medical System Tables Improved Using Roh'lix®
Linear Actuators From Zero-Max.
With a special "overload" feature, Roh'lix linear actuators halt motion
when an obstruction or pre-set level of travel pressure is reached.
Positioning systems utilizing Roh'lix actuators are inherently safer
than a positioning system that uses a ball screw actuator. www.zero-max.com
SANTEST CO. LTD.
Santest manufactures extraordinarily high quality displacement and
liquid level transducers and
is the only manufacturer of adaptive servo controllers that utilize
simple adaptive control theory.
www.exsenco.com
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