• Micro PLCs A Boon For Plastics OEM
• Design Essentials: Advanced Interfaces For Med Apps
• Respect For People
• MIT Creates Oil-Repelling Materials
• Wheels: Map-Controlled Thermostat Withstands Complex Stresses
• 5-Star Product: Aerospace Embraces Anark Core Platform
• Motorists Perplexed When Cruising In The Cold
• Products: Electrical/Electronic, Mechanical, Motion
• Special: Software Products

Feature Articles

Micro PLCs a boon for plastics OEM
In the plastics industry, original equipment manufacturer Thoreson-McCosh recently upgraded its controls equipment from the proprietary circuit board system it had been using on its machines for the past 25 years to a sophisticated system of micro-PLCs (programmable logic controllers) manufactured by Siemens. When the integration was complete, Thoreson-McCosh acquired more than just PLCs, it acquired a total plastics-industry solution.
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Design Essentials: Advanced interface technology in medical applications The medical industry has a number of demands that require special attention, including user-interface design as well as extremely accurate sensing capabilities. ITW ActiveTouch, a division of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW), has introduced an innovative technology that provides solutions to these demanding industry needs. From environments such as cleanrooms to the advanced capabilities required for critical life-supporting equipment, the ActiveTouch technology exceeds the demands and raises the bar for switch design within medical applications. Read the full article Design Engineering Report: How to Harness the Power of CAD-driven CAE Tools Based on hundreds of on-site visits and interviews, this 10-page report shows how to avoid the common mistakes companies make during their inaugural selection and deployment of CAE tools. Learn how companies harness the power of CAD-driven CAE to develop breakthrough products, win more customers, drive quality, and protect margins. Download this report today at cfdesign. Respect for people For years Jim Womack, founder and chairman, Lean Enterprise Institute, has visited companies where "respect for people" is a core element of the corporate philosophy. And he has asked managers in many companies a simple question: "How do you show respect?" Usually he has heard that employees should be treated fairly, given clear goals, trusted to achieve them in the best way, and held to account for results. But when he asked the best Toyota managers how they show respect for people, the answer was very different. Read the full article

MIT creates oil-repelling materials MIT engineers have designed a class of material structures that can repel oils, a novel discovery that could have applications in aviation, space travel, and hazardous waste cleanup. Such materials could be used to help protect parts of airplanes or rockets that are vulnerable to damage from being soaked in fuel, like rubber gaskets and o-rings. Read the full article Compac Series Actuators Need a heavy-duty actuator to help with construction equipment, off-road and agricultural products, seat mechanisms, or air-flow control equipment? Burr Engineering's Compac Series of actuators can handle loads up to 1,000 pounds. Proven reliability comes with three gear ratios to provide a wide range of speeds and capacities. Additional features can be viewed at Burr Engineering.

5-Star Product: Major aerospace manufacturers embrace Anark Core Platform
Imagine what you could do with an interactive, 3D, .pdf-ish document of your engineering designs. Wouldn't that make Sales & Marketing happy? Well now you can have that, and a good deal more, by using the Anark Core Platform from Anark Corp.
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Motorists perplexed when cruising in the cold
In a continuing effort to make the nation's roads safer, GMAC Insurance and its non-profit partner Road Safe America recently announced survey results revealing that many American drivers are unsure of proper vehicle operational procedures when driving in freezing temperatures. The survey, which sampled licensed Americans from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, indicates that more than one-third of drivers cannot correctly identify the proper use of cruise control, and nearly two-thirds underestimate how full they should keep their gas tanks.
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Guides

Literature, guides, catalogs, and other great free stuff: Always more than 50 new resources

• Over 7,000 wave springs, spiral rings, and more —
Smalley Steel Ring Company
• Guide to non-contact detection and measurement scanners —
Omron Scientific Technologies
• Numerical listing of aerospace fasteners —
SPS Technologies Aerospace Fasteners Group
• Fastening capabilities and more —
Leland Powell Fasteners

View guides …

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