The Engineer
March 2001 Online
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Boeing and Bristol go ballistic
30 Mar 2001
Boeing and Bristol Aerospace have entered into a teaming agreement for the pursuit of the theatre ballistic missile target market.
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Bridge over troubled waters
30 Mar 2001
A new technology for detecting and monitoring bridge scour is being jointly evaluated and developed by the US Army and Campbell Scientific.
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Developing a clearer molecular picture
30 Mar 2001
Vanderbilt University Medical Centre investigators have developed a new way to take pictures of molecules in a slice of tissue.
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Gel warms to medical challenges
30 Mar 2001
Researchers at the US Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed a new polymer-based material with gelling properties that are useful in medical applications.
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New device is out of sight
30 Mar 2001
Researchers from the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and MiniMed Inc. are developing a medical implant that may give diabetics a welcome change to their daily routine.
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Oiling the wheels of nanomachinery
29 Mar 2001
Researchers at Ohio State University believe they may have found an effective method of lubricating the high-tech microdevices of the future.
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US Navy SEALS stay wet and dry
29 Mar 2001
US Navy SEALs may be able to engage in daring operations with a greater degree of safety and comfort thanks to a new amphibious 'smart' suit.
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Ford chooses Oculus to save millions per vehicle
28 Mar 2001
Ford is to use Oculus CO software to connect geographically dispersed design team members working with different software applications.
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Lockheed Martin receive military contracts totalling $84 Million
28 Mar 2001
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control has received two contracts totalling $84 million for Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) launchers for the Republic of Korea.
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On-line procurement and cost savings
28 Mar 2001
A new service business called The 21st Supplier will enable industrial manufacturing companies to extend their strategic sourcing programs to a larger base of suppliers.
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SES announce $5 billion acquisition
28 Mar 2001
Luxembourg's Societe Europeenne des Satellites (SES) has announced that it has agreed to purchase GE Americom Communications for $5 billion in cash and stock.
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Telenor in $116.5 million acquisition
28 Mar 2001
Norwegian company Telenor and Lockheed Martin Global Telecommunications (LMGT) have announced that Telenor will acquire LMGT's COMSAT Mobile Communications operations for US$116.5 million in cash.
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Clay makes plastic fantastic
27 Mar 2001
A researcher from Penn State University has found that small amounts of well-dispersed natural clay can lead to environmentally friendly and inexpensive plastic composites with improved specialised properties.
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Keeping a watch on diabetes
27 Mar 2001
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a wristwatch-like device that is said to provide adult diabetics with more information for managing their condition. It has been designed for use along side, and not a replacement for, finger-prick blood tests to monitor glucose.
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Nanopore detector shows discriminating taste in DNA
27 Mar 2001
A team of UCSC researchers has devised a method of analysing DNA molecules that can rapidly discriminate between nearly identical DNA strands.
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US Navy exercise $17.3 million contract option
27 Mar 2001
The US Navy has exercised a US$17.3 million contract option for three additional AN/AQS-20 high-speed acoustic mine hunting systems from the Naval & Maritime Integrated Systems (N&MIS) business unit of Raytheon.
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Biosensor shines a light on cancer
26 Mar 2001
Researchers at the US Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory have developed a biosensor technology said to provide immediate information about DNA damage from cancer producing compounds. Damage to DNA is a critical first step in the development of cancer.
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Copy that movie and get caught!
23 Mar 2001
Secure systems can allow a content provider to identify the source of any material. NEC Research Laboratory in Princeton, NJ, have patented a method to do just that.
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Dell and Samsung enter $16 billion agreement
23 Mar 2001
Samsung Electronics and Dell have announced that they have entered into a strategic, multi billion-dollar technology and research-and-development agreement worth $16 billion.
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Honda makes less emissions
23 Mar 2001
Honda Motor and Catalytic Solutions have developed an emission control system that requires only a fraction of the precious metals currently used in such systems.
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Raytheon Awarded $30 Million for Driver's Vision Enhancer
22 Mar 2001
Raytheon has been awarded a $30 million contract by the US Army's Communications and Electronics Command for the production of the AN/VAS-5 Driver's Vision Enhancer (DVE).
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Dedicated twelve-pulse module
21 Mar 2001
Alstom Power Conversion has launched a twelve-pulse unit that has been designed specifically for use with the company's Alspa MV3000 variable speed drive.
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Industrial PC offered as complete package
21 Mar 2001
The Siemens Automation & Drives Group (A&D) is now offering its Simatic Panel PC 670 industrial PC as a complete package with visualisation software, with the option of Simatic ProRoll/Pro or Simatic WinCC.
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Lockheed Martin to study low-mass membrane telescope
21 Mar 2001
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company has been contracted by the US Jet Propulsion Laboratory to conduct a study on a low-mass membrane telescope.
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PLC programming software
21 Mar 2001
NAiS Control FPWIN GR is the next generation of Windows-based PLC programming software from Matsushita Electric Works.
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Silicon sensor roots out illness
21 Mar 2001
Scientists in Northern Ireland have developed the first silicon-based sensor suitable for oral gas analysis and a wide range of other applications.
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US Navy award Boeing $69 million contract
21 Mar 2001
The US Navy has awarded a $69 million contract to Boeing for low-rate initial production of 15 Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) systems and spares.
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An increase in plant efficiency
20 Mar 2001
Moeller Electric has developed a new remote switching module, the FAX-FIB-XFSM, said to help users increase the reliability and, as a result, the efficiency of their systems.
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AS-i modules smaller and smarter
20 Mar 2001
A new range of space-saving AS-i modules with enhanced functionality has been launched by sensing and control specialist, IFM Electronic.
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High speed gear measurement
20 Mar 2001
A solid-state geartooth speed sensor is one of a family of own-brand Hall effect sensors recently introduced by Cherry Electrical Products. The product provides near zero speed sensing of rotating ferrous geartooth targets such as web speed gears, power transmission gears and conveyor speeds. Specially constructed targets are not required and the sensor possesses a high speed sensing capability for a variety of tooth shapes and sizes, over a wide airgap range.
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NASA devise intergalactic puncture repair kit
20 Mar 2001
Scientists from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Centre have created a mechanical device for applying an adhesive patch to the wall of a spacecraft that has lost pressure because of penetration by a meteoroid.
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The fast track to offshore medical treatment
20 Mar 2001
Dornier, part of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, have developed a modular field hospital that can be stacked onto the decks of nearly any vessel, ready for instant operation in times of need.
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Analysers cut installation and set-up time
19 Mar 2001
Yokogawa's new pH and conductivity analysers cut installation and set-up time using an innovative integral mounting system and simple termination.
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Billiton and BHP in £20 billion merger
19 Mar 2001
Billiton of the UK and BHP of Australia are to merge in a deal that will create a mining and metals company worth £20 billion.
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Chinese brewery takes the fieldbus route
19 Mar 2001
Briggs Automation has won a turnkey contract to supply a process control system for a brewhouse operated by Zhejiang Ching Hua Brewery Co in Xiaoshan City, China.
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Fieldbus trials commence
19 Mar 2001
Chemicals manufacturer, Avecia, is to commence trials on the use of fieldbus in hazardous area applications, using plug-and-play technology from ABB Automation.
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London Eye kept on the level
19 Mar 2001
Programmable speed controllers and variable speed drives are ensuring passenger cabins on the London Eye are kept level and stable as the wheel rotates.
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Pneumatic tester for Formula 1
19 Mar 2001
The T9000 pneumatic process pressure deadweight tester from Pressurements is being used for Formula 1 test applications.
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Sensors selected for pharmaceutical plant
19 Mar 2001
Pfizer has selected 120 of Solartron Mobrey's short-fork level switch Squing, for its newest bulk pharmaceutical plant.
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Switch reduces maintenance costs
19 Mar 2001
The Manchester Ship Canal Company has reduced maintenance costs for its dock gates at the Queen Elizabeth II Oil Dock, by switching to sensorless vector inverters.
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Tough hour meter suits rugged applications
19 Mar 2001
The TH8 Hour Meter from Matsushita Electric Works has been designed for maintenance management applications within mobile vehicles and machines.
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UK operations strengthened at Mitsubishi
19 Mar 2001
Mitsubishi Electric has strengthened its UK operations with an investment of £20 million to extend its service and support facilities.
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Verizon and Lucent ink $5 billion supply contract
19 Mar 2001
Verizon Wireless and Lucent Technologies today announced a three-year, $5 billion contract that will enable Lucent to become the largest supplier of Verizon Wireless' third-generation high-speed mobile network infrastructure.
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Vosper Thornycroft win £60 million patrol boat deal
19 Mar 2001
UK shipbuilder Vosper Thornycroft has won a contract worth approximately £60 million from the Royal Navy to build three new offshore vessels.
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Wonderware claims FDA 21 CFR Part 11 compliance
19 Mar 2001
Wonderware has announced that its FactorySuite 2000 automation software family is in compliance with the FDA's 21CFR Part 11 concerning the use of electronic records and signatures for batch management systems
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Delphi makes a brilliant move
16 Mar 2001
In a deal worth $50 million, Delphi is to supply Chinese Jinbei-branded vehicles with engine management systems over the next four years.
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Flat tyre? No problem!
16 Mar 2001
Dow are to supply Michelin with a polyurethane-based inner support wheel that will enable an automobile with a flat tyre to travel up to 125 miles at 55 miles-per-hour.
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Long-haul hypersonic missile
16 Mar 2001
A team led by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is developing a dual-combustor ramjet (DCR) engine for a long-range hypersonic cruise missile.
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Improving tactile communication
15 Mar 2001
A scientist at NASA has proposed an active tactile display device that would present textual and graphical information to a visually impaired person.
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Semi-automatic surgery
15 Mar 2001
Despite advances in technology and technique, there will always be one limiting factor in the operating room: the surgeon. Hours of exacting work can tire anybody, especially someone navigating the delicate intricacies of the human brain. The Robot-Assisted Microsurgery (RAMS) prototype is a robotic surgical tool first developed for space use and later refined as a precision instrument for microsurgery that may replicate a surgeons precise moves without feeling fatigue.
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SQUID gets to core of corrosion
14 Mar 2001
Physicists at Vanderbilt University have developed a new remote sensing technique said to detect corrosion hidden deep within metal joints.
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Vickers awarded £250 million defence contract
14 Mar 2001
Vickers Defence Systems (VDS), part of Rolls-Royce plc, has signed a contract with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) worth more than £250 million.
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Hot stuff from Foxboro
13 Mar 2001
Foxboro's I/A Series of temperature transmitters are said to combine microprocessor-based technology with modified packaging to achieve the reliability demanded by today's process industries.
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SPX enter into $1.83 billion acquisition
13 Mar 2001
SPX Corporation, a global provider of technical products and systems, has announced that it is to acquire Dominion Industries Limited for $1.83 billion.
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TELOS about an outage
13 Mar 2001
A team of engineers led by a Purdue University researcher plan to demonstrate a new system that aims to avert power failures by automatically adapting to the daily fluctuations in electricity consumption.
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Attractive recovery method
12 Mar 2001
Researchers at the US Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory have refined a process that makes it commercially viable to recover a valuable rare-earth element from tons of stockpiled magnetic scrap.
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RUF ride to work
12 Mar 2001
Danish inventor Palle Jensen may have hit upon an idea that incorporates an individual's desire to travel by car whilst solving problems inherent in urban mass transit systems.
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Tightening the nanobelt
9 Mar 2001
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of technology believe they have created a new class of nanometer-scale structure that could be the basis for inexpensive ultra-small sensors, flat-panel display components and other electronic nanodevices.
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A grown up game
8 Mar 2001
A new trade association aims to keep the UK at the cutting edge of computer games development by offering advice and support and encouraging innovation.
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Boeing clinch $1.3 billion order
8 Mar 2001
CIT Aerospace has placed an order for 20 Next Generation 737-700 and five 757-300 aircraft from Boeing in deal estimated to be worth more than $1.3 billion.
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Keep an eye on the road
8 Mar 2001
A researcher at the University of Arkansas has devised a process that may enable civil engineers to keep an online-eye on the condition of road surfaces.
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Researchers develop the first plastic superconductor
8 Mar 2001
Scientists from Bell Labs have created the world's first plastic material in which resistance to the flow of electricity vanishes below a certain temperature.
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RF module remotely reads water meters
8 Mar 2001
Schlumberger Resource Management Services has launched a radio frequency module, known as Cyble RF, to allow its water meters to be read remotely. The new module is fully compatible with all the water meters that Schlumberger produces for residential, commercial and industrial applications.
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Superconducting through dense barriers
8 Mar 2001
The jolt of excitement from the January discovery of a new high-temperature superconducting metal, magnesium diboride (MgB2) may get another boost with evidence that the material can carry electrical currents at high density.
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Avatars in school to help hearing impaired students
7 Mar 2001
Two separate research projects in the US have led to the development of advanced educational avatars designed to aid hearing impaired students.
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Illuminating innovation to light up the office
7 Mar 2001
Researchers at the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a new high-performance lamp designed to save energy in homes and offices while increasing lighting quality and visibility.
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Siemens fits out power plant in the UAE
7 Mar 2001
Siemens' Power Generation Group is to supply turbines as well as instrumentation and control equipment for the Jebel Ali power plant complex.
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DC drive configuration simplified
6 Mar 2001
Sprint Electric has introduced a Windows-based graphical configuration and diagnostic software package to simplify the programming of digital DC drives.
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Dial EE for pollution prevention
6 Mar 2001
Estimates suggest that by the end of 2001 there will be more than one billion mobile phones in operation around the world.
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Fisher Rosemount seeks strategic software alliance
6 Mar 2001
Fisher-Rosemount has agreed a strategic alliance with PSDI, a supply chain solutions provider, with a view to deliver enhanced process automation benefits.
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Safer driving in a high-tech world
6 Mar 2001
With today's in-car gadgetry it is plausible that a driver could receive a phone call, a collision alert, a low-fuel warning, an instruction to turn right, and an internet stock update at the same time.
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Taking the shock
6 Mar 2001
A project to develop pedestrian friendly motor vehicle front ends using a Shock Absorbing Liquid has recently received £256,000 of British government funding.
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Driving on grass
5 Mar 2001
Researchers at the University of Warwick's Warwick Manufacturing Group are collaborating with a group of Elephant Grass farmers to use Elephant Grass to produce biodegradable plastic car parts.
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Monitoring water levels down the well
5 Mar 2001
FluidTrax is claimed to be the first electronic water level monitoring system for permanent installation in operating wells.
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Rescue from a safer platform
5 Mar 2001
Helicopters engaged in rescue missions often have to overcome physical obstacles and their own limitations before the crew can begin the precarious task of plucking people to safety.
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Baby talk with Hal
2 Mar 2001
Researchers at Artificial Intelligence Enterprises (Ai) have succeeded in developing a computer programme designed to learn how to have a conversation.
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Chinese petrochemical giant chooses ERP solution
2 Mar 2001
China's largest integrated petroleum and petrochemical company has signed a software license agreement for supply chain planning and scheduling across 25 sites.
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US Marines to test directed energy weapon
2 Mar 2001
The US Marine Corps is developing a non-lethal weapon that uses electromagnetic energy to heat but not permanently burn human skin.
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Neodymium servos cut cost
1 Mar 2001
A range of brushless servo motors, based on rare-earth neodymium iron boron magnets, can cut costs by up to 8%.
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Solar sails primed for flight
1 Mar 2001
The Planetary Society is set to test-launch the first solar sail mission in April 2001. The venture, which is sponsored by US based Cosmos Studios, a scientific entertainment channel, precedes the solar sails prime mission scheduled to launch between October and December this year.
