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| For design engineers and engineering management
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September 17, 2009
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Thermodynamics gets turned on its
ear
Pity the poor thermodynamics student of the future. As difficult as
thermo can be for budding engineers to learn, it is going to get a lot
more complicated if a recently published theory is true. Theoretical
physicist Lorenzo Maccone recently proposed that entropy can, in fact,
decrease under special circumstances. Read more
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New Toggle Clamps Offer Safety
Locks
 New toggle
clamps with safety locks come in four types: Latch-action toggle clamps
from 360 to 7500 lbs holding capacity; vertical-handle toggle clamps
from 150 to 500 lbs holding capacity; horizontal-handle toggle clamps
from 500 to 750 lbs holding capacity; and push/pull toggle clamps with a
holding capacity of 2500 lbs. All have a comfortable handle grip, and
are made of durable high-grade steel (many also available in stainless
steel).
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Self-centered bosses
“Having a narcissistic boss creates a toxic environment for
virtually everyone who must come in contact with this individual,”
says Wayne Hochwarter, coauthor of a recent study on how self-centered
bosses impact the productivity of those working for them. “The team
perspective ceases to exist, and the work environment becomes
increasingly stressful. Productivity typically plummets as well.” Read more
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Cut the Wires. Cut the Cost
 The National
Instruments wireless sensor network (WSN) platform delivers
battery-powered nodes that offer industrial certifications, reliable
networking protocols, and optional outdoor enclosures for long-term,
stand-alone deployments. You can take advantage of NI LabVIEW software
integration with NI WSNs to select between Windows and LabVIEW Real-Time
OSs and simplify the extraction of high-quality measurement data.
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A critical look at wind power
A new thread on our forum area concerns wind power. It begins, "Over
the past six years or more I have worked exclusively on energy related
projects. But I got into energy seriously after CWRU sponsored the
National Energy Seminar in June 2005 at Severance Hall here in
Cleveland. That was an eye opening event as I came away from it seeing
that there was no US Energy Policy despite the fact a panel of "experts"
knew then an Energy crisis was coming." Read more
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"Halt, halt or I'll beam you."
The U.S. Defense Dept. established the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons
Program (JNLWP) in 1996. The program develops, evaluates, and deploys
nonlethal devices. Take a look at some of the weapons recently coming
out of their laboratories for field testing. Read more
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A visit to an advanced manufacturing
lab
Engineering TV recently visited Western Kentucky University's
advanced manufacturing lab, which incorporated new automation systems
from Festo Corp. Once programmed, a robotic arm system there can
transport material to a Haas mill, lathe and a 120-W engraving laser,
independent of human interaction. The lab is part of the Architectural
and Manufacturing sciences curriculum and allows students access to
automation sytems and tools they would find in industry after
graduation. View it here.
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The next wave of personal entertainment
robots
Bossa Nova Robotics, a robotics company spun off from Carnegie
Mellon University’s (CMU) Robotics Institute, recently debuted its
line of personal entertainment robots. Prime-8 is a fast-paced gorilla
robot, and Penbo is an adorable penguin with baby robot. The two evolved
from RHex, a fast-moving, agile, hexapod robot developed as a
collaboration between the CMU Robotics Institute and the Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Watch a video of the two bots
here.
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Check Out the New EET Website
Are you looking for more information on energy efficiency? EETweb.com
features the latest efficiency updates, information on the basics of
energy efficiency and products available for energy efficient designs.
Click here to
visit the site and learn more!
Machine Design Video Spotlight
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Learn more about Proto
Labs |
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See how Proto Labs, through its First
Cut and Protomold services, provides new product designers and engineers
with the easiest, fastest and least-expensive way to obtain real parts,
really fast. |
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
Precision Plastic Components - Micromolding is More Than Small
Parts
Sponsored by Accumold
DATE: October 8th, 2009
TIME: 2:00pm ET/11am PT
OEM design projects are increasingly requiring tighter tolerances,
smaller or lighter components and high reliability/quality. These are
challenges that must be addressed quickly by engineers in order to get
the final products to market on time, even if the solution is custom in
nature.
The demand for precision plastic components has grown rapidly over the
past several years, but this growth has created some confusion about
what Micromolding really is, how it can be used and what pitfalls need
to be avoided. Jim and Greg from Accumold will present a technical
overview on Thursday, October 8th at 2pm and answer your questions.
Click here to 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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Northwire's 300V/600V dual-rated EnduroFLEX® XM cable is
designed for c-track/cable chain, sensor, switch and actuator continuous
flexing applications—exceeds 20-million bending/torsional flex cycles.
1-800-468-1516; www.northwire.com/mdef
LED Assemblies and Indicators
LEDCO delivers high-quality, uniform LED lighting assemblies and
indicators for standard and custom applications. RoHS compliant LED
products include a design kit, board mount, panel mount, and
incandescent and neon panel mount LEDs.
www.wilbrechtledco.com
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