Sometimes I long for the days when I had more control of my computer's operation. DOS was so straightforward. And remember Windows 3.1 and then Wow! Windows 95? Remember the screen in Windows 95 that used to come up and say "It is now safe to turn off your computer?" I found the bitmap file and dropped it into Paint and changed it to "Your hard drive has just been reformatted" on my boss's computer...he wasn't amused...
Unfortunately I haven't kept up with the progression and now Windows Vista is just a mystery to me.
Oh Yeah, I do miss it, Nancy. Just when you're supposed to deliver some work, everything goes hairy and now you're trying to figure out what to write following that darn blinking colon after the C. And you know you've probably lost your report.
We'll still need the brain tissue, Nancy, no matter how smart our tools get. Yet it is nice to see some of the intelligence getting embedded in our devices. I'm glad my computer has enough embedded intelligence that I don't have to use C prompts any longer. And the price on the intelligent systems usually comes down.
The problem experienced at the discharge ends indicates that the next step was not done, which would be to speed the rest of the process. Sort of like adding a huge boost to the horsepower of a car but not doing anything about keeping the car under control or stopping it.
Perhaps I did not understand completely all about how the changes were able to bring about such an improvement in process speed.
Oh, I agree Rob - I was just referencing companies with older technology that do not have a budget for the cool new stuff. We can still design stuff that is not as smart but can still do the job. And we still need brain tissue to invent the smarter products ;)
I would have assumed there would have been a command to tell the system "Do not send more boxes until these have come off the belt" or something like that. I would hate to think there were nuclear devices spread all over the floor because the output could not keep up with the production line!
Brain tissue is great, Nancy. But now we're seeing embedded intelligence in a wide variety of devices and systems in automation and control. The embedded intelligence allows controllers to run the system like a video game with simulation and optimization at the fingertips.
I agree - Doubling production capability is a nice accomplishment (as long as everything else on the line can keep up!) and sounds like it was an interesting problem.
Good point on optimization, Rob - and depending on where you work and the company budget - brain tissue is still the only medium used...
For 3D printing to make the jump from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, engineers will need to find easier ways to move products from their CAD screens to their printers.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New versions of BASF's Ecovio line are both compostable and designed for either injection molding or thermoforming. These combinations are becoming more common for the single-use bioplastics used in food service and food packaging applications, but are still not widely available.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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