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Analysis Captain Hybrid Global Warming: Are the Skeptics Right? Charles Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics & Test 2/3/2012 18 Global warming is a contentious topic. Opinions on both sides can be loud and angry. Most recent post: Glenn Tamblyn... Charles It is entirely possible that there are many people in fields outside Climatology... News Slideshow: 'Start-Stop' Hybrids Hit the Road Charles Murray, Senior Technical Editor, Electronics & Test 2/3/2012 6 If you start your car two or three times a day, prepare for a shock. Over the next decade, that figure is likely to rise by a factor of 10. Soon your car's engine will automatically ... Most recent post: Charles Murray... Bad news, Ann. There are software elements to this technology. There's a lot of... News PartMaker Brings CAD to CNC Beth Stackpole, Contributing Editor, Design Hardware & Software 2/3/2012 3 PartMaker Inc., a division of Delcam Plc best known for its specialty CAM software designed for automating the programming of multitasking Turn-Mill Centers and Swiss-type lathes, ... Most recent post: Charles Murray... Beth, does the solid model actually get used to machine the part? If that's the... Guest Blogs When Environmental Stress Cracking Strikes Dave Palmer, Failure Analysis Expert 2/3/2012 13 An injection-molded part with a pressed-in brass insert was found to crack during testing. There were multiple cracks, all originating from the insert. The cracked part was brought ... Most recent post: Tim... We were using HDPE specified by the customer. I do not remember the specified density,... Guest Blogs Petroski on Engineering: Armchair Design & Analysis Henry Petroski, Professor of Civil Engineering, Duke University 2/2/2012 14 The tray table that folds in half for stowage in the armrest of an airline seat is something I have long admired for its design ingenuity, but long cursed for its operational ... Most recent post: kenish... The lowly fold-out tray table is a pretty amazing piece of design. Besides... News Slideshow: Top 5 Design Tool Trends to Watch in 2012 Beth Stackpole, Contributing Editor, Design Hardware & Software 2/2/2012 10 If the building blocks laid in 2011 are any indication, 2012 could shape up as a pretty exciting year in the design tools arena. Most recent post: Ann R. Thryft... naperlou, thanks for the info about specialized clouds. I'm already familiar with... Made by Monkeys Design Flaw Rusts Rear Mounts David T. Humphrey 2/2/2012 24 I enjoyed driving my used Ford Taurus station wagon, with its peppy, trouble-free 3.0L, six-cylinder engine, even though it was plagued by miscellaneous issues. It had an interior ... Most recent post: David12345... Information Correction: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)... News Composites Reinforced With 3D Architectures Ann R. Thryft, Senior Technical Editor, Materials & Assembly 2/2/2012 6 Materials scientists at the ETH-Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology-Zurich) have developed a technique for creating an entirely new family of composites based on mimicking ... Most recent post: Ann R. Thryft... Previously, composite materials could be strong in the plane of the fabric, i.e.,... Wolfe's Den Should Robots Look Like People or Machines? Alexander Wolfe, Content Director 2/1/2012 32 Are you ready to Roomba? If you're a fan of nondescript, purpose-built robots -- this one vacuums your floors -- you probably are. But perhaps you're intrigued, as I am, by the ... Most recent post: Charles Murray... I think Rick Rice (mentioned in the story) raises a good point when he asks: "Do... Most Commented Blogs 43 Dehumidifier Saved By Oil & a Syringe 36 Chevy Volt: Chargeable With Renewable Energy? 32 Should Robots Look Like People or Machines? 24 3D Printer Takes Paper-Based Approach 23 Fatigued Controllers Render Washer Useless MORE NEWS MORE BLOGS		Features Time for Obama to End Timidity on US Tech Manufacturing Jobs 1/27/2012 65 President Obama laid out a "blueprint for an American economy that’s built to last" during his election-year State of the Union address this week. Good. When do we start? Most recent post: Ozark Sage... naperlou RE: These jobs can come back in an instant. Becuase they are... Slideshow: 11 Top iPad Engineering Apps 11/28/2011 31 Here are 11 iPad apps in automation, CAD, and technical reference for mechanical, industrial, and design engineers. Most recent post: Alexander Wolfe... That's true, Dave. Nearly all of the apps mentioned here came in iPhone versions... Case Study: Building Your Own 20kW Hydroelectric Power Plant 11/16/2011 43 Using automation components from AutomationDirect, this small-scale hydroelectric system generates 20kW of power from a nearby lake. Most recent post: Froese... Thank you, renuengineer for that explanation of how induction generation works;... Slideshow: 2012 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Preview 11/10/2011 14 The 2012 International Consumer Electronics show has innovative designs of interest to mechanical engineers. Check out our CES slideshow. Most recent post: Alexander Wolfe... For on-the-ground coverage from CES 2012, go to EETimes' CES landing page. Slideshow: Messiest Engineering Desks 10/26/2011 33 Here's a slideshow of the messiest engineer's desks submitted by readers of our sister site EETimes. Most recent post: Alexander Wolfe... Please send us their own messy desk pictures, so we can do a follow up slideshow.... Top 5 Roadblocks to Digital Factory of the Future 10/24/2011 18 The digital factory of the future faces challenges of cost, compatibility and programmability as PLCs and PACs lurch towards a fulling integrated production cycle. Most recent post: Alexander Wolfe... William K makes cogent comments regarding software exceptions and understanding... Slideshow: Apple iPad 2 Teardown 10/5/2011 6 UBM TechInsights conducted a teardown of the Apple iPad 2 3G version tablet. Most recent post: Alexander Wolfe... I'm wondering if there's a market niche for a form-factor that's smaller than an... Distinguishing Between Scientists & Engineers 10/3/2011 35 News media often identify engineers as scientists and engineering achievements as scientific ones. Most recent post: Charles Murray... Regarding innumeracy: When a judge earlier this week sentenced former-Illinois-governor... MORE FEATURES
DNTV Automation & Control Videos \| Electronics & Test Videos \| Materials & Assembly Videos \| Gadget Freak Videos Cadillac Cutting Mass 1 Gram at a Time How engineers reduced mass of the body structure on the new ... Watch 0 2:33 Ford Showcases Its First Plug-in Hybrid The technical choices that Ford made on its new C-Max ... Watch 2 2:23 Tesla's Model S Nears Production Khobi Brooklyn of Tesla Motors talks about the advantages ... Watch 4 2:27 Gadget Freak Case #203: Smart Recycle Can This recycler determines the type of material being entered ... Watch 1 1:29 What's Next. Right Now. Mouser urges you to ensure your product life span by not ... Watch 0 1:52 Environmental Commitment Mouster stresses identifying EOL, obsolete, and NRND products. Watch 0 0:46 Chevy Volt Structure Enhancements To help the Chevy Volt handle side impacts, GM engineers ... Watch 1 01:01 Voyager Belt Actuator Lengths up to 6 ... 50mm wide steel reinforced belt and 20mm profile rail and ... Watch 0 2:10 TechnoMod XYZ Gantry System Is a ... Complete 3-axis automation platform with controller, I/O, ... Watch 0 2:23 ICP Gantry Robot Is a Complete Desktop ... This compact, low-cost gantry robot is great for testing, ... Watch 0 2:04 Gadget Freak Case #202: The Frankenkindle Glenn Johnson created an easier-to-use Kindle using the ... Watch 0 2:07 Gadget Freak Case #201: Plug & Play ... Jared Bouck's monitor system is 100 percent open-source and ... Watch 0 4:54 Gadget Freak Case #200: The Sun Lights ... To provide nighttime safety for his deck, William Grill ... Watch 1 02:40 Gadget Freak Case #199: Nixie MilliVolt ... When James Hartnett found a Nixie, a tube for displaying ... Watch 0 4:45 Gadget Freak Case #198: Build a Remote ... Andy Morris has devised a propeller fan remote control that ... Watch 1 3:35 Gadget Freak Case #197: Controlling ... To make his solar water heater more efficient, Paul ... Watch 0 1:13 Cadillac Explains CUE Infotainment System Jeff Massimilla of GM explains the technology behind ... Watch 6 3:20 Gadget Freak Case #196: Mayan Water ... This waterfall flows over a miniature Mayan temple, and the ... Watch 2 2:30 Chevy Volt Deep Dive Design News editor Charles Murray looks at the Chevy Volt’s ... Watch 1 2:51 Rotary Movements With Energy Chain ... Watch rotary movements with energy chain cable carriers. Watch 0 0:29 MORE VIDEOS
Message Boards eChat Re: No Room for Improvement: The lowly fold-out tray table is a pretty amazing piece of design. Besides the basic function, there's numerous secondary requirements. It must be lightweight, strong, and meet flammability requirements. It has to support... kenish on Petroski on Engineering: Armchair Design & Analysis Re: Global Warming: Charles It is entirely possible that there are many people in fields outside Climatology who are quite sincere in their views but are inadequately informed about the subject. And even a Professor of Physics can fall prey to this. But there... Glenn Tamblyn on Global Warming: Are the Skeptics Right? Some of the Science behind Global Warming: It is easy to think from comments such as those made by these 16 in the WSJ that there is serious uncertainties about Global Warming. Of this list only Kinninmonth, Lindzen and Tennekes have backgrounds in Climatology/Meteorology. Burt Rutan... Glenn Tamblyn on Global Warming: Are the Skeptics Right? toyta + ford: this colaboration of ford and toyota to create a magnificent hybrid car was really nice idea. this two well known in car manufacturing colaborates may have a good result with their project. the only thing that makes me doubt is who will take... wink on Ford, Toyota To Collaborate On Hybrid Powertrains Re: What about design for practical use case?: Why not just make the tray from a sturdy piece of corrugated cardbord coated with plastic. Advertise a ski resort on one side and a Maui hotel on the other. Clipped securely to BOTH armrests it would hold more weight than a... Russell Faulkner on Petroski on Engineering: Armchair Design & Analysis Knowing if it's a robot or human: I think Rick Rice (mentioned in the story) raises a good point when he asks: "Do we want robots to be assimilated into our culture so much that we don't recognize them at first glance?" I would answer, yes. I would feel very uncomfortable... Charles Murray on Should Robots Look Like People or Machines? Re: No Room for Improvement: I agree, Chaschas. There's very little froom for improvement, which says a lot about the innovativeness of the original design. Charles Murray on Petroski on Engineering: Armchair Design & Analysis Re: YES BUT ALL ENERGY IS NOT !!!: bdcst Yes agreed, and others fires can be much worse and more spectaluar. Check out windmill fires for instance. But, let me get to the real problem is SAFE ENERGY. Not the battery or buss voltage. How do we... Ozark Sage on Chevy Volt Battery Fires: Experts Say Engineers Managing Risks Properly Re: Global Warming: Good points, Droid. I had the opportunity to speak to Professor Happer of Princeton at length, and he went out of his way to mention that this group includes scientists on both sides of the political aisle. Several of the 16 are registered... Charles Murray on Global Warming: Are the Skeptics Right? Re: CNC Software: Beth, does the solid model actually get used to machine the part? If that's the case, how much automation does this bring to the process for the machinist? Charles Murray on PartMaker Brings CAD to CNC Re: Key challenge is make start-stop seamless: Bad news, Ann. There are software elements to this technology. There's a lot of anticipation, sensing and timing involved, and it couldn't be done without computers. Worse news: Within 10 years, none of us who buy new cars will have much choice... Charles Murray on Slideshow: 'Start-Stop' Hybrids Hit the Road Re: Stress crack: We were using HDPE specified by the customer. I do not remember the specified density, but it was an HMW grade of the material. We would have preferred to use the series production chemical, but unfortunately, it was too flamable to keep in... Tim on When Environmental Stress Cracking Strikes Global Warming: Having little or no expertise in weather or climate studies, most of us cannot speak from a vantage point of hard scientific knowledge. However, this article does touch the surface of why so many of us have the raised eyebrows of skepticism... Droid on Global Warming: Are the Skeptics Right? Re: Design flaws and rusted motor mounts.: Information Correction: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Case IR 162 correspondance with GM between December 1970 and January 1971 indicated 172 reports of failed motor mounts, with 63 accidents and 18 injuries. There... David12345 on Design Flaw Rusts Rear Mounts Re: Design flaws and rusted motor mounts.: William K.: In the mid-1970's I built-up a V8 Chevy muscle car and Chevrolet had recently come out with "safety mounts" that had interlocking steel T and slot features to limit travel even when the rubber failed. This was popular with... David12345 on Design Flaw Rusts Rear Mounts Re: labeling of stress types: @David12345: Great comments. As far as visually identifying environmental stress cracks, you're absolutely right that they tend to have a smooth, glassy fracture surface. Other clues include multiple crack origins (overload cracks... Dave Palmer on When Environmental Stress Cracking Strikes Re: Design flaws and rusted motor mounts.: The 1970s were rough years for the automotive industry. The workers on the line were an angry bunch. There was plenty of worker sabotage going on. Not a happy time in Detroit. At the time, I worked for Celanese Coatings. They produced much... Rob Spiegel on Design Flaw Rusts Rear Mounts Re: reasonably expected misuse: That's a great song, TJ. He really nailed a lot of truths in the song. I saw him a couple of years ago at a festival. He still does "Alice's Restaurant." I guess he's stuck with it. I saw him sing it a couple times in the 1970s. That was understandable.... Rob Spiegel on Petroski on Engineering: Armchair Design & Analysis Design flaws and rusted motor mounts.: It was in the seventies, probably around 1974, although it may have been in development for a while by then. I think that it may have made the engine drop in a bit easier as well, but I can't vouche for that. William K. on Design Flaw Rusts Rear Mounts Re: Design flaws and rusted motor mounts.: William, that's encouraging to hear. It's good to know the auto engineers were actually looking out for their customers. What year was that? I grew up driving on Michican roads. Auto dealers were able to sell a lot of "undercoating"... Rob Spiegel on Design Flaw Rusts Rear Mounts More Message Boards Message Boards eChat Saturday February 4, 2012 1:37:34 AM Well done, Jack. LongBoardSurfer Iron Friday February 3, 2012 11:31:52 PM Thanks Jack, well done! LongBoardSurfer Iron Friday February 3, 2012 10:29:32 PM PIC books I like ... seeing how everyone has their own list ... Han-Way Huang PIC Microcontroller: An Introduction to Software & Hardware Interfacing Lucio Di Jasio ... LongBoardSurfer Iron Friday February 3, 2012 10:19:08 PM You can get started with PIC by just downloading the free MPLAB IDE and Simulator and then the basic trial Compiler for free. You can always get just bare parts DigiKey or anyone and as long as you are below 40MHz, perf bd or breadboard should... LongBoardSurfer Iron Friday February 3, 2012 10:12:27 PM I have found the MPLAB IDE and Simulator to be great. I have developed a number of PIC16, PIC18, and PIC24 projects with both the standard MicroChip Compiler and the CCS compiler. If you have never tried PIC, I encourage you to... LongBoardSurfer Iron Friday February 3, 2012 10:10:14 PM Well Done. LongBoardSurfer Iron More eChat

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Gadget Freak

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Gadget Freak Case #203: Smart Recycle Can
This recycler determines the type of material being entered, by scanning it in or entering it ...

Gadget Freak Case #202: Frankenkindle – An ...
To help his sister, who has cerebral palsy, Glenn Johnson created an easier-to-use Kindle by ...

Gadget Freak Case #201: Plug & Play Sprout Board
Jared Bouck found that off-the-shelf monitor systems were lacking the features he needed and ...

Gadget Freak Case #200: The Sun Lights Up the ...
To provide nighttime safety for his deck, William Grill used a 40W regulator and solar panel to ...

Slideshow: Best Gadget Freak Projects of 2011
Here's a slideshow with links to our best homebrew engineering projects, drawn from the Design ...

Made by Monkeys

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Design Flaw Rusts Rear Mounts
Catching rusted rear mounts on cars before they fail is difficult if the rust is hidden.

Fatigued Controllers Render Washer Useless
After watching the harness break off from the washer controller twice, this owner comes up with ...

HP Printer Is Baked Back to Life
The HP printer died. The owner found surprising success with a home-baked solution.

Why Are USB-A Connectors So Frail?
USBs are the most common PC connectors, yet they are also the most fragile.

Oven Door Is Not Child-Proof
If the oven locks for cleaning, why doesn't it have a child safety lock?

Sherlock Ohms

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Dehumidifier Saved By Oil & a Syringe
Sometimes all you need to fix a broken appliance is oil and a willingness to take things apart.

Case of the Deep-Fried Resistors
One of the key traits of a great engineer is the willingness to try unusual processes to solve ...

Shortcut Saves Time at Plant
A bit of ingenuity can take a burdensome testing job and streamline it with handmade automation.

Battery Sparks Red-Hot Mystery
Even the little 9V battery that we use in our smoke alarms and transistor radios delivers plenty ...

Nuclear Plant Triggers False Alarms
A nuclear energy generation plant was throwing off one alarm after another. Sherlock Ohms, come ...

Guest Blogs

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When Environmental Stress Cracking Strikes
Environmental stress cracking is a common failure mode for plastics, and you may need to do your ...

Petroski on Engineering: Armchair Design & ...
The tray table that folds in half for stowage in the armrest of an airline seat is something ...

What Is Pulse Width Modulation?
All engineers need to know what pulse width modulation is, and why it is so widely used.

Understanding Galvanic Corrosion
Following these simple rules can help keep your designs safe from galvanic corrosion.

Petroski on Engineering: The Normalization of ...
Normalized deviance has plagued the oil drilling industry, where at least some companies have ...

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