Did Nature Invent Tech Advances in Puzzling Out the

the Wheel? Appropriate Steps Bolted Joint

the magazine of ASME

After Japan
What do you do when
the supply chain snaps?

Breaking
Vol.133/No.6 JUNE 2011 | www.memagazine.org
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given situation. With over 50 experts from around the world, the handbook has 700 pages,
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extensive index.

Related titles on power generation…

POWER BOILERS: A Guide to Section I of the ASME Boiler and
Pressure Vessel Code, Second Edition
by John R. MacKay and James T. Pillow
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2011 330 pp. Hardcover ISBN-13: 978-0-7918-5967-4
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 06 11 Volume 133/No.6
features
26 Only as Strong as
the Weakest Link

on the cover
As the effects of the Sendai earthquake
and tsunami ripple through the global
economy, companies should shore up
their supply chains to guard against
disaster.
By James B. Rice, Jr.

32 Steam Punks
How many of your possessions could
you make yourself? A couple of amateur
engineers are working to design and build
a set of tools that would enable the
self-reliant to make everything they need.
By Jeffrey Winters

38 Appropriate
to the People
A simple technology created for, but not by,
the people can’t leap too far ahead.
By Rolfe Leary

6 Editorial
departments

8 Letters
sean Church

12 News & Notes

16 Washington Window
18 Computing
44 Animals Spinning Their Wheels 22 Software Exchange
Nature anticipated mankind in the development of
one of civilization’s fundamental machines. 24 Tech Focus
By Adrian Bejan Instrumentation & Control

Focus on Pressure Vessels and Piping 53 New Products

48 Solving the Puzzle 56 Resource File
of Bolted Joints 59 Positions Open
When bolts, flanges, and gaskets don’t seem to
cooperate, there’s a guide that can reveal the solution. 61 Ad Index
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62 ASME News
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2 mechanical engineering | June 2011

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are in!

O
ur 12-month Project
Crowdsourcing initiative,
aimed at enabling readers
to select articles that
will be featured in the December
issue of Mechanical Engineering
magazine is now in Phase III. This
means you’ve given us our marching
orders for the articles you want us
to pursue. We’re now developing the
articles and lining up the experts
who will write them. The following

» » » » ENERGY
are the article topics that you said
are most important to you:

• Compare lifecycle costs and relative merits

“
of leading renewable energy technologies.
It is only right to consider...
bioengineering and • Present an overview of advanced reactor
biomedical problems technologies.

in a developing setting.
” » ENGINEERING WORKFORCE

“ problems
DEVELOPMENT
U.S. The will have
• Look at ways to give engineering graduates
in maintaining the necessary practical skills to succeed
independence
“ 75%
its if in tomorrow’s workplace, which may see
we rely on increasing emphasis on sustainability.
other nations • Address the importance of removing
of what I know for our

”
the growing conception that engineering
I learned from energy. sciences can be treated as a commodity.
another engineer,
not in school.
” » GLOBAL IMPACT
• Consider how ASME can provide leadership
for improving risk management and
THIS MONTH IN ASME.ORG: resilience for complex systems.
CIVIL WAR ENGINEERING On the 150th anniversary of the
start of the U.S. Civil War, we look at some of the surprising • Discuss how bioengineering and
mechanical engineering achievements that came out of this biomedical systems can be geared toward
dark chapter in history, including submarines, machine guns, the developing world.
and prosthetic limbs.
Energy, engineering workforce development, and
CRANK UP THE COOL 80 million homes will be turning on global impact are three ASME strategic initiatives.
the air conditioning this summer. We explore the technology
behind this engineering marvel, from the eponymous William
Carrier to today’s green movement.

ON.FB.ME/MEMAGAZINE | MEMAGAZINEBLOG.ORG | MEMAGAZINE.ORG | WWW.ASME.ORG

Mechanical Engineering (ISSN 0025-6501) is published monthly by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Three Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5990. Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y., and additional mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mechanical Engineering, c/o The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 22 Law Drive, Box 2300, Fairfield, NJ 07007-2300. Return Canadian undeliverable addresses to P.O. BOX 1051, Fort Erie, On,
L2A 6C7. PRICES: To members, annually $32 for initial membership subscription, single copy $7; subscription price to nonmembers available upon request. COPYRIGHT © 2011 by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Canadian Goods
& Services Tax Registration #126148048. Printed in U.S.A. Authorization to photocopy material for internal or personal use under circumstances not falling within the fair use provisions of the Copyright Act is granted by ASME to libraries and other
users registered with the Copyright Clearance Center Transactional Reporting Service, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923. Request for special permission or bulk copying should be addressed to Reprints/Permissions Department.

4 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | June 2011

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me.hotims.com/34754-05 or circle 05
 UNDERSTANDING THE MARKETS
editorial
THE MORNING AFTER U.S. Presi-
dent Barack Obama announced
the death of Osama bin Laden,
stock markets rose significantly. It
was only temporary: Nothing had
changed in the world’s economic
fundamentals to justify the spike.
Rather, it was, as some market strate-
gists call it, a “euphoric bounce”—a
simple case of human reaction to an
event, reflexively leading to investor
confidence. As both investors and
non-investors have learned the hard
way, financial markets are volatile,
with bulls and bears roaming the
economic landscape seemingly on
their own volition.
Not as capricious as economic
markets, but equally vulnerable,
are global supply chains which are
subject to unforeseen world events
that impact the flow of goods. The
latest such example is the catas-
trophe that struck Japan in March,
but there have been other natural
upheavals and complex-system
failures in recent years that also have
jeopardized the distribution of raw
materials and finished products.
Those along the supply chain—man-
ufacturers and distributors, among
others—are vulnerable to ruptures
of the chain’s links because these
breaks cannot be predicted. Yet there
is a need to somehow manage the
unknown vulnerabilities, since a fail-
ure to manage these risks and prevent
disruptions can be disastrous.
We asked James B. Rice, Jr., the
deputy director of the MIT Center
for Transportation and Logistics and
the director of the Integrated Supply
Chain Management Program at the
Massachusetts Institute of Tech-
nology in Cambridge, to give us his
perspective. Rice managed manufac-
turing and distribution operations
at Procter & Gamble before joining
MIT so his essay, the subject of this
month’s cover story, “Only as Strong
as the Weakest Link,” is written by
one who knows the subject both as a
scholar and as a practitioner.
Rice argues that, “Companies need
to consider creating action plans in
6 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | June 2011
order to manage the risks arising from
the inevitable disruptions that signifi-
cantly affect business operations and
supply chains. Failure to do this could
leave companies every bit as fragile as
the supply chains they rely upon.”
Because the world has never been
more integrated, a breakdown in one
part of the world will affect another
part, thousands of miles away.
A major reason the world has
become so connected is the advent
of wireless technologies that enable
effective supply chains to function
uninterrupted and communicate reli-
ably, allowing real-time collaboration.
Even so, there are geographic
regions where the supply chain, for
various reasons, is not long enough to
reach certain people, notably those in
developing countries who live on only
a couple of dollars a day. For them, the
supply chain is limited to adjoining
villages or often non-existent.
In these areas, the challenge is to
develop locally based appropriate
technologies. In the article, “Appro-
priate to the People,” Rolfe Leary, a
volunteer at Compatible Technology
International and a lecturer in biosci-
ence engineering, provides an insight-
ful first-person account of what it’s
like on the ground.
There is congruence between the
seemingly disparate supply chains
that exist in so-called developed
nations and those being created in
developing nations. The challenge
is to understand and respect the
nuances of each in order to build sta-
bility in diverse markets and benefit
local consumers.
John G. Falcioni, Editor-in-Chief
falcionij@asme.org
twitter.com/johnfalcioni
With this issue we reintroduce, after a
hiatus of several years, “Washington
Window,” reports by ASME’s Govern-
ment Relations Office in the U.S. capi-
tal on developments that may impact
engineers. We also introduce “ASME
News,” a compilation of items from
ASME’s Office of Public Information.
Editor-in-Chief
John G. Falcioni
Executive Editor
Harry Hutchinson
Associate Editors
Alan S. Brown, Jean Thilmany,
Jeffrey Winters
Electronic Publishing Editor
Benedict Bahner
Art & Production Designer
Teresa M. Carboni
Director, Advertising Sales
and Publishing Development
Nicholas J. Ferrari
Marketing and Promotion Manager
Anthony Asiaghi
Classified and Mailing List Manager
John Panza
Production and Manufacturing Supervisor
Micheline D. Turturro
Circulation Coordinator
Marni A. Rice
Managing Director, Publishing & Unit Support
Philip V. DiVietro
Online
www.memagazine.org
(212) 591-7783; fax (212) 591-7841
E-mail: memag@asme.org
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
President Victoria A. Rockwell
Past President Robert T. Simmons
Governors Richard C. Benson, Betty L. Bowersox,
Julio Guerrero, Said Jahanmir, Robert N. Pangborn,
Thomas D. Pestorius, Edmund J. Seiders, J. Robert
Sims Jr., Charla K. Wise
Executive Director
Thomas G. Loughlin
Deputy Executive Director
Michael K. Weis
Secretary and Treasurer
Wilbur J. Marner
Assistant Secretary
Warren R. Leonard
Senior Vice Presidents
Centers Clark McCarrell
Standards & Certification Kenneth R. Balkey
Institutes Dilip R. Ballal
Knowledge & Community Thomas G. Libertiny
Strategic Management Stacey Swisher Harnetty
ME Editorial Advisory Board
Robert E. Nickell, Chairman; Harry Armen;
Leroy S. Fletcher; Richard J. Goldstein;
Thomas G. Libertiny
For reprints, contact
Edward Kane, (866) 879-9144, ext.131
Opinions expressed in Mechanical Engineering
magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of ASME.
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me.hotims.com/34754-06 or circle 06
 Headquarters
ASME
Three Park Avenue

letters
M unting
New York, NY 10016-5990
(212) 591-7722
fax: (212) 591-7674

Engine Surge « Flight International’s

diagrams showing the
original ovalization
problem and
final solution by
www.asme.org

Troubles
redistribution of the
main thrust load.

Information Central
Flight International

«
To the Editor: I read your article concerning the
cutaway drawing
showing Y-shaped thrust
frame and its mounting
BY LEE S. LANGSTON on the P&WA JT9D.
Lee S. Langston, an ASME

Service Center
Fellow, is professor emeritus
of the Mechanical Engineering The first jumbo jet was an engineering marvel.

problems encountered with the JT9D engines on

Department at the University
of Connecticut in Storrs. He But it took some clever design work
is a member and a past chair
of ASME’s International Gas to keep the planes in the air.

I
ASME
Turbine Institute.

the 747 (“Mounting Troubles,” March).

t is every engineer’s dream to design an
icon—something so well designed and com-

22 Law Drive
mercially successful that it is the standard
to which everything else in that class is
compared. Small, inexpensive automobiles,

I was a young engineer working in the Boeing

for instance, are held up to the example of
the Volkswagen Beetle. More recently, every

Fairfield, NJ 07007
smart phone is matched against the form
and function of the iPhone.
Perhaps the largest mass-produced icon is the Boeing
747, the first true jumbo jet. Since aircraft Number 1

mechanical/propulsion laboratories at Seattle’s

had its maiden flight on February 9, 1969, the 747 has become

(973) 882-1170; fax: (973) 882-1717

the most successful wide-body passenger aircraft ever devel-
oped. Its various models, both passenger and cargo, are still
in production over 40 years later, with over 1,400 assembled
and flown out of Boeing’s 747 plant in Everett, Wash.
And yet, when engineers were creating this modern
Both Boeing and Pratt & Whitney were essentially betting
their net worth on the 747, the first commercial jumbo jet.
The 15 four-engine 747 jets sitting engineless on the Everett
tarmac represented $360 million—more than $2 billion in
2010 dollars—of stranded assets.

Boeing field. We were testing the initial JT9D

masterpiece in the 1960s, they ran into some formidable Getting those planes in the air was an engineering and

In U.S., toll-free (800) THE-ASME;

problems. Indeed, less than six months after that maiden
flight, the plane became a source of anguish for Boeing
and its jet engine manufacturer, Pratt & Whitney Aircraft
of East Hartford, Conn. As Time magazine reported in
September 1969:
commercial imperative.
In the 1960s, the jumbo jet—a wide-body aircraft with
two aisles and up to ten seats per row—was the logical next
step in the progression of the airliner. In addition to Boeing,

prototype engines on large test stands. I distinctly international (973) 882-1167

“On the apron outside Boeing’s plant in Everett, Wash., 15
enormous 747 jets stand high and silent, harbingers of a
new era in aviation. They are painted in the colors of several
international airlines: TWA, Pan Am, Lufthansa, Air France.
For the moment, however, the planes are the world’s largest
Douglas Aircraft was developing its DC-10 and Lockheed
was working on what would become the L-1011 TriStar. But
engineering such a large aircraft was unexpectedly chal-
lenging, and engine manufacturers ran into trouble.
Rolls-Royce, for instance, was developing the RB211 for
the three-engine Lockheed L-1011. To save weight, the fan

remember seeing the scratches in the fan nacelle e-mail: infocentral@asme.org

gliders —because they have no engines. Pan Am had been
scheduled to get the first three commercial giants, each with
a capacity of 362 passengers, in late November. Last week
A Pratt & Whitney Aircraft JT9D embarrassed Boeing officials said that performance difficul-
«
on the RB211 was built of what was then a new material—a
carbon fiber called Hyfil. During certification-required bird
ingestion tests, the Hyfil fan failed, shattering into pieces.
That failure wound up bankrupting the company in 1971.

jet engine in its nacelle being ties in the Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines would delay that For the Pratt & Whitney JT9D, which was causing the
mounted on the left wing pylon
delivery as much as eight weeks.” 747 trouble, the engine skin casing was both bending and

casing metal fiber on the inside of the inlet due

of No. 1 Boeing 747,
September 4, 1968.
March 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 47

to the ovalization problem. I also remember when we received the thrust ASME Washington Center
1828 L St., N.W., Suite 906
frame yoke for test use, and I will admit that it worked well.
Washington, DC 20036-5104
But my most vivid memory of the initial testing was the engine surge (202) 785-3756
problem due to air pressure distortions across the high bypass ratio fan/core fax: (202) 429-9417
engine inlet. For Boeing—and probably also for Pratt—this was a real “unk- www.asme.org/NewsPublicPolicy/
unk,” an unknown-unknown never encountered before. I recall that testing GovRelations
could not be run if there was more than a 5-knot wind in the direction across
the inlet, or to the rear of the engine. And to see a fireball ejected from the ASME International
engine inlet when it surged (along with a loud boom) is rather disconcerting. Gas Turbine Institute
This problem was eventually solved by—and here my memory gets a little 6525 The Corners Parkway, Suite 115
Norcross, GA 30092-3349
hazy—a bleed valve on the second stage engine compressor.
(404) 419-1646
I thoroughly enjoyed your article, it brought back a lot of memories. fax: (404) 847-0151
RICHARD E. ALBERTS, P.E. http://igti.asme.org/
HELENA, MONT.
ASME International
LEAN TIMES AHEAD Petroleum Technology
To the Editor: Many MEs are practicing manufacturing engineers and Institute
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will be a huge need for lean engineers to help industry implement lean Houston, TX 77079-1733
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The lean production system uses a mixed model fi nal assembly line fed phone: (32-2) 743-1543
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saxenas@asme.org
8 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | June 2011
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Energy Options
To the Editor: The article “Myth
v. Fact” by John Reilly and Allison
Crimmins (January) is quite interesting
and revealing. I agree with most of the
findings but suspect some bias in favor
of conventional energy technologies.
The authors emphasize the subsidized
costs associated with alternative energy
technologies. In my opinion many
conventional energy technologies
are subsidized as much, if not more,
than the alternative technologies.
For example, energy corporations
have been able to externalize many
costs (including major environmental
costs) and have avoided most, if not all,
corporate taxes for years in the United
States and Canada. President Obama
acknowledged this in his State of the
Union speech. I suspect that if the true
costs of both traditional and alternative
energy systems were investigated,
the costs of many alternative energy
systems would compare quite favorably.
The environmental consequences of
some alternative energy systems are
small to negligible compared to those
based on conventional fuels. Moreover
the costs are known quite accurately.
Some excellent references in this regard
are Renewable Energy by Godfrey
Boyle (Oxford University Press) and
The Renewable Energy Handbook by
William H. Kemp (Aztext Press).
Bob de Leeuw, P.Eng.
Pitt Meadows, British Columbia
To the Editor: I read with interest
the January cover article on energy
choices. It was a good article, but
really only focused on half of the
issue and did not focus on energy
efficiency (or the demand side).
Energy supply and energy demand
are the two major components of any
energy sustainability discussion; they
must be in constant balance, and are
equal in importance. Nearly all of the
current popular dialogue focuses on
supply-side solutions—how we can
create new, more effective sources of
energy.
10 mechanical engineering | June 2011
If I was a drug addict (which I am
not), my cure would be to wean myself
off of drugs. Well, energy is our drug
and using less of it would improve
our health. This issue deserves much
more focus, and while it requires
making many more decisions and is
not as immediately satisfying, in com-
parison to building more supply-side
solutions, it is much more cost-effec-
tive and economically beneficial.
Personally, I am not particularly
enamored of any single technology,
but am convinced that it must be a
balance of many solutions, including
our energy demand. Comparing this
to food and lifestyle, we need to watch
our input and put ourselves on a diet
and continually check our fitness and
behavior. I know that we need to get
started with decisions right away and
select options from the entire menu.
Since my inclination is to watch what
I eat and to take everything in mod-
eration, I side with the efficiency/de-
mand side of the discussion. Let’s talk
about that more.
Clark C. Bisel, P.E.
Moraga, CAlif.
ROOM FOR Debate
To the Editor: From time to time you
publish letters discussing issues of
energy production, conservation, and
related matters such as “greening” of
the planet—or the lack thereof. Recently
we saw a bumper crop focused on the
article titled “Myth v. Fact.”
I noted some resistance on the part
+
of correspondents—now and in the
past—to the very idea of ME magazine
letters to
the editor
Mechanical Engineering welcomes
comments from our readers.
Letters can be typewritten or
e-mailed, and must include the
author’s full name, address, and
telephone number. Address your
submission to:
providing a platform for this debate. I
take no sides in the matter because I
believe the problem is too complicated,
and trying to be too analytical in the
effort to fix it can cause more troubles
than it fixes, as Mr. Bruggeman from
Johannesburg aptly pointed out.
It is a well-known problem with very
large complex systems that, being too
large to model in one piece, there is
a tendency to model a part, and the
answer one gets is like the five blind
babus sent to examine an elephant, a
reflection of which part one grasps.
Not surprisingly, honest men draw
contradictory conclusions from what
appears to be the same data. There is
not a hope in hell of anyone doing jus-
tice to a subject as complicated as “the
energy crisis” in three or four pages.
Inevitably one can only express a point
of view and hope the debate continues.
On the subject of whether ME maga-
zine should even support this debate,
I offer the best definition of engineer-
ing I have ever encountered. This is
the one Thomas Tregold produced
for the Institution of Civil Engineers
(meaning not “military” and there-
fore including mechanical), viz. “Civil
Engineering is the art of directing the
great sources of Power in Nature for
the use and convenience of man . . ., ”
which puts us squarely at the center
of the argument where we would be
remiss if we left it to be hammered out
by lawyers, politicians, and other suit-
ably unqualified pundits who can’t tell
a watt from a tangent.
Douglas L. Marriott
South Lebanon, Ohio
Letters to the Editor
Mechanical Engineering
Three Park Avenue
New York, NY 10016-5990
fax: (212) 591-7841
e-mail: memag@asme.org
The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity,
style, and length. We regret that unpublished letters
cannot be acknowledged or returned.
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 NEWS&NOTES
Fire Research Lab Expands ANNOTATED
DRAWINGS

T
ADD A DIM
ENSION p. 32

he National Fire Research Researchers will be able NIST expects the

THE MAGA
ZINE OF ASME

Laboratory is adding a facil- to test the performance research will support

Engineers test

ity to test fire performance of full-scale structures T

Taak
kiin
ng
g th performance-based stan-
Measure e
ways to atta
ck
high-rise fires

of structures ranging up to subjected to realistic fires of Hell dards for fire resistance
two stories high. The laboratory will be and structural loading in the design of structures
led, managed, and operated through under controlled labora- and will foster innovations
a public-private partnership among tory conditions. They will in design and construction.
National Institute of Standards and Tech- develop an experimental A NIST spokesman said
Also inside
:
nology and other government agencies, database on the perfor- construction of the addition
WHY NOT FLY
THROUGH THE
STANDARD EXPAN ASH? /// ASSEM
DS /// ACCEL BLY
CLEANUP /// ERATING A NUCLE
FROM BIKE TO AR
CAR TO PLANE

industry, and academia. mance of large-scale may be completed in the

VOL.132/NO.7
JULY 2010
| WWW.MEMAGA
ZINE.ORG

The NFRL is adding 21,400 square feet
of laboratory space to the existing Large
Fire Laboratory (Building 205) and install-
ing an environmental control system to
accommodate fires with heat release
rates up to 20 MW. Building 205 currently
contains about 11,000 square feet.
structural connections, ▲ Research to evaluate fire- summer of 2012 and the
components, subas- fighting tactics was featured new lab facilities may be
in the July 2010 issue.
semblies, and systems operation sometime in 2013.
under realistic fire and loading. Fire research led by NIST—into the
Tests will be able to validate physics- effects of wind on fire in urban high-rise
based models to predict fire resistance buildings—was the subject of the cover
performance of structures. story of the July 2010 issue.

Spring Calculator Saskatchewan Carbon

A
Web site for buyers, designers, and manufacturers of
Capture Project Goes Forward

S
springs has developed an advanced version of its online
calculator that can be used to generate designs of springs. askPower, a provincially owned electric
The Web site, www.planetspring.com, calls it the Spring utility based in Regina, will move forward
Creator and offers some of its features, such as basic calculations with a commercial-scale carbon capture
involving size and choice of material, free of charge. project, the government of Saskatchewan
It charges a fee to access additional features, including calcu- announced in April. When completed in 2014, the
lations of load inputs and facility will capture about one million metric tons
possible loads. The expanded of carbon dioxide a year from a coal-fired power
calculator will flag an error plant near Estevan, in the southeast corner of the
in design—if, for example, the province.
intended load exceeds the Carbon dioxide captured by the $1.3 billion proj-
spring’s capacity—and will ect will be used for enhanced oil recovery.
suggest appropriate remedies. The Boundary Dam Integrated Carbon Capture
There are also variations of and Storage Demonstration Project will be built
springs available only through on the site of an existing 824 MW power plant.
the pay version. The facility will capture CO2 from flue gas via an
▲ Planetspring.com has links to its
design calculator and other features. The expanded version of the aqueous amine solution, which is sprayed against
calculator will automatically the flow of the exhaust. The carbon-rich solvent
generate blueprints, which are saved as portable document format will then be piped to a second tower, where it will
files that can be e-mailed or printed. be heated to remove the dissolved CO2 and then
Right now, the calculator is set up to handle compression, exten- recycled. Montreal-based Cansolv Technologies,
sion, and torsion springs. According to Ashley Hughes, the Planet Inc. will provide the carbon capture technology.
Spring’s site administrator, they represent about 80 percent of the In addition to capturing carbon dioxide for use in
market for springs. Other forms of springs may be added. oil production, the project will also trap sulfur diox-
The expanded calculator is offered at $7.99 a week or $19.95 a ide from the emission stream. The SO2 will be used
month. The site, which was described in an online exclusive article, in the production of sulfuric acid.
“All Things Springs,” still offers its bidding service free to buyers JEFFREY WINTERS
and manufacturers.

12 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | June 2011

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Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. 2805
 NEWS & Notes

Baseball Scored

T
he Philadelphia Phillies, St.
Louis Cardinals, and San Fran-
cisco Giants should win their
divisions, while the Atlanta
Braves will take the wild card slot in the
National League, according to Bruce
Bukiet, associate professor of mathe-
matical sciences at New Jersey Institute
of Technology in Newark.
For more than a decade, baseball guru
Bukiet has applied mathematical analy-
sis to predict outcomes for each Major
League Baseball team.
This year, he predicts that in the
American League, the New York Yan-
kees and Boston Red Sox should tie for
first place in the East, with both making
the playoffs. The Detroit Tigers will edge
out the Minnesota Twins in the Central
Division. And the Texas Rangers will
repeat as winners in the West.
He makes his predictions to promote
the power of math,
Bukiet said. He wants
young people to see how
math can be fun, how
it can clarify particular
issues, and how it might
make a great college major.
Bukiet bases his predictions on a
mathematical model he developed in
2000. Last year he updated his formula,
leading to better results. The model can
be found at: http://m.njit.edu/~bukiet/
baseball/season_review_2010.html.
In the National League East the race
for first place should be tight, with the
Phillies repeating as division cham-
pions by winning 92 games and the
Braves just two games behind at 90.
Both teams should make the playoffs,
Bukiet predicted.
In the Central Division, the St. Louis
Cardinals appear poised to tie the Phil-
lies for the best
record in the
National League,
beating the Cin-
cinnati Reds, who
were the 2010
Central Division win-
ners by six games.
In the West, the San
Francisco Giants, should
repeat as 2011 champs,
with 89 wins, with the Colo-
rado Rockies and Los Angeles
Dodgers just two and three games back,
respectively, Bukiet predicted.
The Yankees and Red Sox, both with 97
wins, the best in baseball, should domi-
nate the American League East, finish-
ing well ahead of their competition, with
both teams making the playoffs.
In the Central Division, it looks like the
Detroit Tigers with 92 wins should just
squeak past last year’s division winners,
the Minnesota Twins, with 91 wins.
The 2010 American League champion,
Texas Rangers, should finish well ahead
of their competitors in the American
League West, winning 95 games, to the
Oakland A’s 87, Bukiet said.
Bukiet predicts that his favorite team,
the New York Mets, should take fourth
place in its five-team division, as it did
last year, winning 79 games.
Jean Thilmany

B r ie f ly N oted

The U.S. Energy Information Administration announced that

it will stop producing several data sets in response to Fed-
eral budget cuts. Among the actions the EIA will take will be
to terminate updates to its International Energy Statistics,
suspend auditing of financial data submitted by major oil and
natural gas companies, and stop preparation of the annual
data release on U.S. proved oil and natural gas reserves. ///
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. has announced a voluntary safety
recall on approximately 51,000 current model year Tundra
trucks. The rear drive shaft in an estimated 0.05 percent of the
vehicles may include a slip yoke that could break because of
improper casting. /// GE has acquired John Wood Group's well
support division, which consists of three businesses—electric
submersible pumps, pressure control technology, and logging
services—with combined revenues of $947 million in 2010. ///
Celeritive Technologies Inc. of Cave Creek, Ariz., a developer
of high-speed machining technologies, has released VoluMill
for Siemens NX CAM and CAM Express from Siemens PLM
Software of Plano, Texas. The integration complements the
finish milling capabilities of NX CAM, Celeritive said. /// CAD
Masters Inc. of Walnut Creek, Calif., an Autodesk-authorized
training center, now offers an online version of its “CAD Mas-
ters CAD Books” courseware with updated 2012 content.

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14 mechanical engineering | June 2011

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 washington window
Group Finds Some States Lax in STEM EducationTesting

C
hange the Equation, an
industry-backed group
dedicated to improving
American students’
achievement in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics
coursework, took its case directly to
the nation’s governors and the mayor
of the District of Columbia in April.
The group sent a letter and a “Vital
Signs” report, which commented on
the condition of STEM education in
each state.
The “Vital Signs” reports found
that in many states the standard for
student proficiency in STEM subjects
is not sufficiently rigorous. For
example, while the results from the
National Assessment of Educational
Progress show only 38 percent of U.S.
4th graders and a third of U.S. 8th
graders are proficient or advanced in
math, many states report that most
students are meeting state standards.
The “Vital Signs” reports also found
that achievement gaps between
different groups of students remain
large and widespread. Some states
reporting the highest overall achieve-
ment also have the widest gaps.

DOE to Offer $130 Million for Fracking Con and Pro

New Research Areas
The U.S. Department of Energy will make up to $130 million
available through the Advanced Research Projects Agency-
Energy to develop five new program areas seeking break-
through technologies to secure the country’s energy future.
The five technology areas, which represent ARPA-E’s
fourth round of funding opportunities, are:
• Plants Engineered to Replace Oil (PETRO), a project
to create plants that capture more energy from sunlight and
convert that energy directly into fuels.
• High Energy Advanced Thermal Storage (HEATS),
an effort to develop cost-effective thermal energy storage
technologies in three focus areas: solar electricity; fuel pro-
duced from the sun’s heat; and HVAC systems to improve
the driving range of electric vehicles.
• Rare Earth Alternatives in Critical Technologies
(REACT), an investigation into early-stage technology
alternatives that reduce or eliminate the dependence on
rare earth materials for electric vehicle motors and wind
generators.
• Green Electricity Network Integration (GENI), a
research initiative to develop innovative control software
and high-voltage hardware to reliably control the electric-
ity grid.
• Solar Agile Delivery of Electrical Power Technol-
ogy (Solar ADEPT), a project to produce key advances in
magnetics, semiconductor switches, and charge storage,
which could reduce power conversion costs for utilities and
homeowners.
Funds for PETRO, HEATS, REACT, and GENI may total
as much as $30 million each. Up to $10 million will be made
available for Solar ADEPT.
A
hearing by the Senate Environment and Public
Works Committee, “Natural Gas Drilling: Public
Health and Environmental Impacts,” pro-
duced two widely differing views of the issue of
hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” a decades-old oil and gas
production technique which is causing conflict between those
who fear it can contaminate ground water and those who
believe the technology is safe.
Among those who have concern over health and environ-
mental ramifications is the chair of the EPW committee’s
Water and Wildlife Subcommittee, Benjamin L. Cardin
(D-MD), whose state has imposed moratoria on fracking
operations.
Citing a loophole in the Safe Drinking Water Act that
exempts fracking from regulation by the Environmental
Protection Agency, except where diesel fuel is used, Cardin
observed in his opening statement: “We need to put the
environmental cop back on the beat, take aggressive action
against the bad actors in the industry and earn back the
public’s confidence. The promise of natural gas will be a
promise unfulfilled if the human health and environmental
impacts are not properly safeguarded. It’s long past time that
they were.”
Senator James M. Inhofe (R-OK), Ranking Member of EPW
and a supporter of fracking, struck a different tone in his
opening remarks, saying: “On March 17, 1949, more than 60
years ago, the first hydraulic fracturing job was performed
on a well 12 miles east of Duncan, in my home state of Okla-
homa. The practice has now been used on more than 1 mil-
lion currently producing wells, 35,000 wells per year, without
one confirmed case of groundwater contamination."
This report is condensed from “Capitol Update,” a weekly report
prepared by ASME Government Relations. More information
is available online at http://www.asme.org/kb/newsletters/

10 mechanical engineering | June 2011

16
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 COMPUTING This section was written by
Associate Editor Jean Thilmany.

T
Extra Smart r Scientists at The
Fraunhofer Institute for
Chemical Technology ICT
he Smart Car and many other autos fitted this Smart Car with
are about to get even smarter with LED taillights in place of
a new system that promises to help the car’s standard lights.
developers cut production times while
integrating new materials into auto-
motive designs.
As part of the European Union’s
Pegasus Project, The Fraunhofer
Institute for Chemical Technology
ICT in Pfi nztal, Germany, has devel-
oped software to help reduce automotive development
times and costs.
The Pegasus Project is a partnership of 23 business and
research organizations that aim to cut automotive industry

FRAUNHOFER ICT
costs, shorten production times, and find new automotive
materials, said Timo Huber, a scientist at Fraunhofer ICT.
The software, Integrated Design and Engineering Envi-
ronment, or IDEE, analyzes the product requirements and
identifies best materials at an early stage of the development taillights can be dismantled more quickly, they are bonded
process, Huber said. It comprises CAD and CAM software using a special adhesive, a microwave-active adhesive bond-
systems connected to a special database. ing system developed at Fraunhofer ICT, Huber said. When
If, for example, a car roof is to be made in a different mate- irradiated with microwaves the individual components lose
rial than previously used, the design engineers enter the com- their adhesion and can be easily taken apart. This means that
ponent data into the IDEE system, which then assesses the parts can be efficiently recycled into different categories.
information and finds suitable materials and manufacturing IDEE is still under development, but it can already be used
processes, Huber said. for simple components. The software may be ready and avail-
The platform also provides engineering guidelines for able to the auto industry in about a year’s time, Huber said.
designing the tools used to produce the
component.
The project partners have demon-
strated how the software works, using
Radio Waves transmitters that communicate with
other devices—transmitting physi-
the example of a fender with an inte- The U.S. Federal Communications ological data to a doctor, for example—to
grated taillight. Commission ruled earlier this year monitor, diagnose, or treat a patient’s
The project partners called upon the that finite element analysis is a valid condition, according to Mark Lanciault,
IDEE system to fit LED taillights to the technique for analyzing the designs of principal electrical engineer at Cam-
bumper of a Smart Car rather than the medical devices to ensure they meet radio bridge Consultants Inc. of Cambridge,
standard taillights now in use. The new frequency emission safety standards. Mass. The company helps develop medi-
design reduced the number of separate cal technologies.
The new ruling applies to transmitters
parts from eight to five and the num- Cambridge Consultants now uses
placed inside, on, or close to the human
ber of processing steps from 12 to five, HFSS finite element simulation software
body, according to an FCC statement.
Huber said.
In addition to meeting radio frequency from Ansys of Canonsburg, Pa., to verify
Developers also found material and
emission standards, manufacturers radio frequency emissions and absorp-
cost savings by using conductor paths
made of electrically conductive polymer. need to comply with specific absorption tion rate.
Carbon structures conduct the electric- rate regulations, a measure of how the “We will now be able to provide our
ity from the connector to the LEDs and body absorbs energy when exposed to a customers accurate solutions specific
render metallic conductor structures radio frequency electromagnetic field. to their device’s location in the body,”
superfluous, he said. Medical devices now often contain Lanciault said.
So that components such as the LED

18 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | June 2011

Early Cost Saving
Some might say that there’s no
company more cost-conscious than
a New England-based manufacturer
—and nothing better for the bottom
line than reducing product costs at
the design stage.
To get the understanding that allows
for early cost reduction, Dynisco uses
design for manufacture and assembly,
or DFMA, product-costing software.
The manufacturer, based in Franklin,
ally, we use design for manufacture
to benchmark ‘should-cost’ estimates
against supplier quotes in order to
ensure that bids are in line with
design cost targets.”
The software is from Boothroyd
Dewhurst Inc. of Wakefield, R.I.
DFMA software combines two
analysis tools. Design for assembly
software assesses a product’s struc-
tural efficiency, with the potential to
reduce assembly cost by simplifying
or consolidating individual parts.
Design for manufacture software
helps users examine competing mate-
rial and process choices and judge the
cost of design and material trade-offs,
according to Boothroyd Dewhurst.

At Forest City, We Always

Mass., makes measurement instru-
mentation products for the plastic,
industrial, rubber, and composite
industries.
“Our cross-functional teams are
now using design for assembly to
Have Gears On Our Minds...
evaluate early prototypes while also Some folks might think a diametral pitch is a roundabout way of selling
establishing a framework for the something, but we know better at Forest City Gear.
future process flow,” said Kevin Dai-
lida, director of product and process Our gearheads live with the math and physics of gears on their minds, every
improvement at Dynisco. “Addition- day. Plus, they bring an unmatched knowledge of materials and CNC machine
tool functionalities to the difficult task of making the world's very best gears, to

One Platform
exacting customer specifications, time after time after time. In our world, you
see, consistency is not the hobgoblin of little minds, with all apologies to Mr.
After first bringing in product life- Emerson (the essayist, not the electric motor magnate). Doing something right
cycle management software three "most" of the time simply isn't good enough at Forest City Gear, as it isn't for
years ago, electronics manufacturer our customers.
Zollner Elektronik AG will now roll They demand we make it right, every time, as our products help their products
out digital manufacturing and factory perform better. As a result, their reputation rides, in part, on ours. This is a very
automation software from the same special trust and we do our best to preserve it, all the while trying to improve the
company. products we deliver. We do this by maintaining a machine shop that's the envy
Zollner, of Zandt, Germany, makes of the gear world, from the first drawing to every step in the machining process
components, modules, devices, and to the final inspection in our state-of-the-industry QC department and finally, to
systems for a range of industries, the careful product handling and packaging.
including industrial electronics, auto-
mobiles, office electronics, and data For a sample of how good a gear company can be, when they maintain such
technology. "top of mind awareness" for customers, check out www.forestcitygear.com.
The manufacturer uses product We'll be thinking about you.
lifecycle management application
from Siemens PLM Software and has
recently installed Tecnomatix digital
manufacturing and factory automa-
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The digital manufacturing and fac-
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parts of the manufacturing process
with product engineering, he added.
“Tecnomatix not only ensures that
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software platform from the customer’s
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me.hotims.com/34754-13 or circle 13
Forest City Gear Ad4806 Island “GearHeads” Mechanical Engineering—Bernard
June 2011 | mechanical & Company 12/14/1019
engineering
 COMPUTING

Model of Pain

I
n a bid to develop new treatments for
chronic back pain, English researchers
are examining the bones of people who
died up to one hundred years ago.
The research is an unusual marriage of
computer modeling techniques devel-
oped by scientists at the University of
and we will simulate how it would work on
different spines,” Wilcox said.
“The good thing about computer models
is we can use them over and over again, so
we can test lots of different products on
the same model,” she added. “If we were
doing this in a laboratory we would need
individual patient, Wilcox said.
The work is possible thanks to recent
advances in micro-computed tomography
scanning and to new techniques developed
at the University of Leeds that allow data
from micro-CT scans to be transformed into
sophisticated computer models, she said.
The models might even help provide
insight into how our ancestors evolved, said
Kate Robson Brown, a professor of archae-
ology and anthropology at the University of
Bristol, who helped with the project.
The project is made possible with funding
from the U.K.’s Engineering and Physical
Sciences Research Council.
The research will likely speed the clinical
trial process for new back-pain treatments,
which currently can take up to ten years,

l English scientists
are studying the spines
of skeletons to help
find modern back-pain
treatments.
Leeds with archaeology and anthropology
experts at the University of Bristol.
Spines from up to 40 skeletons housed
in museums and university anatomy col-
lections are being analyzed as part of the
project, said Ruth Wilcox, mechanical
engineering professor at the Institute of
Medical and Biological Engineering, Uni-
versity of Leeds, who heads the project.
The team will carry out micro-computed
tomography scans of the spines to produce
detailed three-dimensional images of the
vertebrae. Computed tomography scans
use X-rays to build up 3-D images from
multiple cross-sectional pictures of body
organs or tissues, Wilcox said.
The images will be turned into computer
models thanks to software developed at the
University of Leeds. The models can then
be used to test the effectiveness of a variety
of back-pain treatments. Those showing
clear potential can then progress to the
next stage of development, Wilcox said.
“The idea is that a company will be able
to come in with a design for a new product
UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS
said David Willetts, the U.K. Minister for
Universities and Science.
“Back pain is an extremely common
condition, but everyone has a slightly dif-
ferent spine so developing new treatments
many new donated spines each time we can be a real challenge,” he said. “This
wanted to test a treatment out.” investment could significantly improve
Ultimately, the models will help pinpoint quality of life for millions of people around
the type of treatment best suited to an the world.”
B R I E F LY N OT E D
DriveWorks Pro 8 SPI, design automation software for the SolidWorks CAD system,
is now available from DriveWorks Ltd. of Cheshire, England. /// Tata Technologies
of Detroit, a provider of engineering services and solutions, is forming a new vehicle
programs group to include more than 200 engineers operating from four automotive
centers, located in Detroit; Coventry, England; Pune, India; and Stuttgart, Germany.
/// AutoCAD OEM, a scaled-down version of AutoCAD for those who don’t need a
full seat of the application, is now available from Autodesk of San Rafael, Calif. ///
Tecplot Inc. of Bellevue, Wash., has released the 2011 version of Tecplot 360, the
company’s software for computational fluid dynamics visualization. /// Bricsys NV
of Gent, Belgium, is now shipping Bricscad version 11 Pro for Linux. The applica-
tion is a dwg-based CAD. /// Pointwise of Fort Worth, Texas, has released a version
of its Gridgen CFD meshing software featuring an update to the company’s T-Rex
hybrid meshing technique that allows for the resolution of wakes and other off-
body flow phenomena. /// Cadac Organice of Heerlen, Netherlands, has released
Cadac Organice Workbox 2010, revision 3, a Microsoft SharePoint-based engineering
document management solution that includes new features for advanced workflow
management in SharePoint. /// Quickparts of Atlanta, maker of custom 3-D parts,
has upgraded quoting capabilities through its new QuickCutCNC.com service. This
rapid CNC machining service now has the ability to automatically identify and quote
threaded holes as part of the online, interactive process.

20 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | June 2011

me.hotims.com/34754-14 or circle 14
 software exchange
‡Maple 15 technical computing software
includes new mathematical functions to
help engineers solve more complex prob-
lems and create interactive applications.
Math Functions
Capability: The technical computing
software Maple 15 features more than
270 new mathematical functions and
more than 1,000 enhancements to
existing algorithms, allowing users to
solve more complex problems in less
time than possible with previous ver-
sions. Users can work with large data-
sets and create interactive applications
using the new data table included in
the upgrade. The new variable manager
allows users to quickly assess the state
of their computations. The interactive
Clickable Math tools include more than
40 mini-demonstrations new to this
upgrade for exploring and illustrating
common mathematical concepts.
Developer: Maplesoft, 615 Kumpf
Drive, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2V
1K8; (800) 267-6583; fax (519) 747-
5284; www.maplesoft.com.
Hardware: PC running the Windows,
MacIntosh, or Linux platform.
Cost: $2,275.
www.me.hotims.com/34754-70 or circle 70
AutoCAD Alternative
Capability: The developers of the CAD
program iCADMac describe it as an
AutoCAD alternative for the Mac
world. The native file format for the
program is DWG. The 2-D and 3-D
drawing solution is compatible with
AutoCAD versions 2.5 through 2011 as
well as with all Intel chip-based Apple
22 mechanical engineering | June 2011
Macintosh systems. Designs made
with the program can be exported to
iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch devices.
The application includes the usual
CAD tools and commands used to cre-
ate and edit drawings. Other features
include gradient hatches, a property
bar for accessing entity characteristics
in a drawing, PDF import and export
with layer support, and polygonal and
rectangular viewports.
Hardware: PC running the Macintosh
operating system, version 10.5.8 or later.
Developer: ProgeCAD, Via Manzoni,
20, 22100 Como, Italy; + 39 (0)31-
1810806; www.progesoft.com.
Cost: Under $1,000, with updates free
for one year after purchase.
www.me.hotims.com/34754-71 or circle 71
‡The Pointing Magnifier magnifies a
portion of a screen to make pointing and
clicking easier for people with impaired
motor skills.
Big Cursor
Capability: The Pointing Magnifier is
for use by those with motor disabilities
or hand or arm pain that hinders the
use of a mouse. It doesn’t require addi-
tional computer hardware, though the
user will need to download software.
The software will magnify a portion
of the screen to reduce the need for
fine, precise pointing. The software
replaces the conventional cursor
with a large, circular cursor that can
be adjusted to the user’s level of mo-
tor control. To find a target on the
screen, the user places the large cursor
somewhere over the target and clicks.
Everything under the circular area is
magnified to make targets larger. The
user can move a cursor inside the mag-
nified area and click on the target. The
developer says that users can reach
cursor targets 23 percent faster with
the Pointing Magnifier than without.
Hardware: PC running the Windows
operating system.
Developer: Jacob Wobbrock and
the AIM Research Group, The
AIM Research Group
Information School, University of
Washington, Mary Gates Hall, Suite
370, Box 352840, Seattle, WA 98195-
2840; (206) 616-2541; wobbrock@
uw.edu; http://depts.washington.edu/
aimgroup/
Cost: Free.
www.me.hotims.com/34754-72 or circle 72
Linux CAD
Capability: The 2-D CAD software ap-
plication DraftSight is now available
in a beta Linux version. With the ap-
plication, users can create, edit, and
view drawing files. DraftSight beta
users have access to an online com-
munity where they can access support
and training resources, ask questions,
and share their opinions.
Maplesoft
Hardware: PC running the Linux op-
erating system.
Developer: Dassault Systèmes, 10
Rue Marcel Dassault, 78140 Vélizy-
Villacoublay, France; + 33 (0)1-61-62-
61-62; www.3ds.com.
Cost: Free.
+
www.me.hotims.com/34754-73 or circle 73
submissions
for software
exchange
Describe the software program
in detail, following the format
shown here.
You may include artwork.
Send your submissions to:
Software Exchange
Mechanical Engineering
Three Park Avenue
New York, NY 10016-5990
fax: (212) 591-7841
e-mail: memag@asme.org
ME does not test or endorse any software
program described in this section.
 See your way to a
better design.

Explore, Discover, Improve...

In today’s competitive business environment, improving
product ef ficiency, safety, and reliability—while Download Customer Papers on Isight at
reducing time and costs—are mission critical goals. www.simula.com/isight
Our customers are achieving these goals by leveraging
Isight for simulation automation and design optimization.

Isight enables the integration of CAD, CAE, test data, and

other applications into consistent and repeatable simulation
process flows. By automating simulation execution, Isight
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improve product performance.

me.hotims.com/34754-15 or circle 15
 TECHFOCUS Instrumentation & Control
This section was edited by
Associate Editor Jeffrey Winters.

E
One-Use Cameras Smart Grid Means
ndoscopes have revolutionized medical diagnosis. Once, doc- Sensor Bonanza

F
tors had to rely on grainy X-ray images, but now they can get
up-close pictures of growths and abnormalities. As useful as
endoscopes are, however, they are also expensive, which means
that each one has to be used many times to justify its cost.
But engineers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and
Microintegration in Berlin may have come up with a way to
avoid this recycling. They have developed a powerful micro-
camera that’s cheap enough to throw away after a single use.
To prepare an endoscope for reuse requires subjecting it to
a long and comprehensive sterilization procedure. But engineers at the Fraunhofer
Institute for Reliability and Microintegration in Berlin may have come up with a way
to avoid this sterilization. They have developed a powerful microcamera that’s cheap
enough to throw away after a
single use.
The key to cutting the costs
is developing a new method for
manufacturing the cameras.
Currently, microcameras are
FRAUNHOFER INSTITUTE
or years, electric utilities have
been talking about adding an array
of controls and sensors to their
distribution grids to help reduce
loads and increase reliability. The so-called
smart grid is being installed piecemeal. But
a recent report from the Electric Power
Research Institute based in Palo Alto, Calif.,
outlined the investment required by utili-
ties and consumers to roll out the smart grid
nationally. The bottom line costs estimated
by EPRI run between $338 billion and $476
billion from now to 2030.
Most of these investments will be in the
distribution system, while smaller amounts
will be spent in transmission and substa-
tions and by individual consumers.
Much of the work of developing the smart
grid involves adding sensors and controls

made like a sandwich, with a set to the distribution system, the EPRI report
of electric contacts set between found. Sensors attached to transmission
l This tiny camera towers, for instance, will be able to check
is cheap enough to
the lens and the light-detecting
throw away. sensor. The sensors and con- for electric current leakage and monitor for
tacts can be made through the excessive vibrations (as from an earth-
quake) or lightning strikes—all with an
same photolithographic technique that makes computer chips, but before the lens
eye toward warning grid managers of the
and optical fiber can be attached, each sensor array must be sawed out of a larger
potential for a power outage. Distribution
silicon wafer and wired. Each wafer can contain as many as 28,000 sensor arrays.
systems to be installed include remotely
The Fraunhofer team, working with Awaiba, a Funchal, Portugal-based machine- controlled switching equipment as well as
vision company, worked to streamline the process. They developed a new sensor new metering systems with two-way com-
design that provides contact points on the back side, meaning that the wiring can be munications that can provide usage man-
installed while the sensors are still integrated on the wafer. What’s more, a single, agement data and instantaneous electricity
large lens can be mounted directly on the entire wafer and only then is the wafer prices for consumers.
sawed up into its microcamera units. Consumers will probably see the smart
In essence, by performing the wiring and lens mounting prior to separating the grid manifested in sensor-laden appli-
sensors, the new process compresses 56,000 manufacturing steps into just two. ances that respond to price data by turning
The Fraunhofer microcameras are also smaller than conventional microcam- themselves off during peak usage times and
plug-in vehicles that recharge at night.
eras—about 1 cubic millimeter, or about the size of a grain of sand. This enables the
In addition to sensor and control system
entire unit to be placed on the tip of an endoscope. And yet the camera produces
manufacturers, the EPRI report esti-
62,500-pixel images, which is high enough resolution to allow doctors to see impor-
mates the benefits of fully implementing
tant details of abnormalities. the smart grid could reach as high as $2
Cheap microcameras are expected to make their way into disposable endoscopes trillion by 2030, mostly due to a reduction
by the end of next year. Engineers in other industries have begun to express interest in the cost of electricity and a lessening of
in the devices, the German engineers said. For instance, an array of small, cheap the negative impacts of generation on the
cameras could feed data into a rear-view display on an automobile dashboard, elimi- environment.
nating the need for conventional rear-view mirrors.

24 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | June 2011

Touchscreen Alternative
The recent proliferation of smart-
phones and tablet computers has
been made possible by a coating of
a transparent, electrically conductive
material on the screen. When a user
touches the surface, his fi nger is con-
ductive enough to distort the electric
field on the screen, and that distor-
tion can be read by sensors to provide
input data—the letter to be typed, say,
or the direction a cartoon bird is to be
launched in an iPhone game.
One of the most commonly employed
conductors for touchscreens is a
thin solution of indium oxide and tin
oxide. But the material, which is also
used in solar cells and various optical
coatings, has a major drawback: the
indium it uses is a relatively rare met-
al, and at present mining rates, the
known resources could be exhausted
in as few as 13 years.
Thanks to a discovery by research-
ers in the Netherlands, an alternative
may be in hand. As reported in the
journal Nature Nanotechnology, a
team from the Technical University
of Eindhoven found a way to mimic
many of indium tin oxide’s electrical
properties using a fi lm containing car-
bon nanotubes and latex.
Unlike indium tin oxide fi lms, car-
bon nanotubes and latex derive from
cheap and available materials. The
advance promises to make touch-
screens and photovoltaic cells more
affordable.
The process for making the new
conducting layer begins with dissolving
carbon nanotubes in water. To this solu-
tion, latex polymer beads and a polysty-
rene binder are added. The solution is
heated, melting the polystyrene to form
a conductive matrix of nanotubes and
latex, and the water is removed, leaving
behind a clear, dry film.
The fi lm is mostly polystyrene. Less
than 1 percent is made up of nano-
tubes. At much higher concentrations,
the carbon nanotubes would begin
to darken the fi lm or even make it
opaque.
The fi lm that the team created in the
lab conducts only about a hundredth
as well as a commercial indium tin
m A newly developed conductive material
could make large touchscreens practical.
Blade Control
T
he largest wind turbines can be so
imposing that it might seem they
are impervious to damage. But the
long blades are subject to vibra-
tions that can degrade the material or even
make them fail. To combat this, wind tur-
bines have been engineered to shed power in
high-wind situations, sometimes feathering
the blades to reduce the lift on them.
Miki Amitay, a professor of mechanical
engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Insti-
tute in Troy, N.Y., believes
there is another approach.
Amitay envisions wind tur-
bine blades that, instead
of trying to duck out of
the wind, actively work to
reduce the vibrations cre-
ated by turbulent air flow-
ing over their surfaces.
To do this, Amitay and his
colleagues are developing
a system that would be
embedded in the blades of
a wind turbine and would change the aero-
dynamic characteristics of the blade on the
fly. Sensors along the blade would monitor
vibrations; when the blades started to flap,
puffs of air would be shot out from jets along
the length of the blade to change the flow of
air. By disrupting the natural air flow, the
oxide layer, but the researchers see
opportunities for improvement. For
instance, the research team used
a readily available batch of nano-
tubes with mixed metallic and semi-
conducting properties; it’s expected,
however, that a film that employed only
metallic nanotubes would perform
much better.
In addition to avoiding metals in
short supply, the nanotube conducting
fi lm has another key advantage: it can
be flexed in a way the indium-based
layer cannot. That suggests that the
fi lm could be combined with flexible
electronics to make touch-activated
smart fabrics and other non-rigid
devices.
jets can break up vortices in the air that
can form on the blade. This will reduce the
stresses on the blade and increase the time
between failures, all with an eye toward
making large turbines more cost efficient.
In preliminary studies, Amitay and his
colleagues found that in a wind tunnel,
blades had their vibrations reduced by a
factor of 100 when jets of air were puffed
across them.
The jets can also improve the ability of
wind turbines to work
p Embedded
in relatively light winds
jets can
dampen by maintaining a flow
vibrations in
of air on the blades and
wind turbine
blades. thereby reducing the
likelihood of stalling. This
may make it possible for
large wind turbines to
harvest energy from even
low-speed winds.
The New York State
Energy Research and
Development Authority
recently awarded Amitay a $250,000 grant
to develop this technology. As part of the
research project, Amitay and his students
at RPI will study the flow of air around tur-
bine blades and how the airflow interacts
with the blade. They will use that data to
optimize blade design.
June 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 25
ONLY AS STRONG
AS THE
WEAKEST LINK
T he waves from the tsunami that followed the Sendai earthquake had
hardly receded before its economic impact began to be calculated.
This isn’t because of callousness on the part of economists and
logisticians; we all recognize the tragic loss of life and the hardships
to be faced by the survivors in the disaster zone. But a string of recent
megadisasters—from the September 11 attacks in 2001 and the Indian
Ocean tsunami in 2004 to Hurricanes Rita and Katrina in 2005 and the
Haiti earthquake just last year—have brought home the point that the
world is far more connected than it was even 30 years ago.
Supply chains, which provide raw materials and distribute finished
goods to end customers, now extend through many independent
companies, and nearly every chain is global. As a consequence,
major events from around the world, both natural and man-made,
affect the flow of goods and have an increasingly sharp and visibly
evident impact on businesses—and ultimately on consumers.
In a very real sense, the effects of those sorts of disruptions
are a signal that some new methods are required to manage
the new risks that firms are exposed to today. While much of
the physical destruction from the recent earthquake and

James B. Rice, Jr. is a deputy director of the MIT Center for

Transportation and Logistics and the director of the Supply
Chain Exchange at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in
Cambridge. Prior to joining MIT, Rice managed manufacturing
and distribution operations at Procter & Gamble.
ILLUSTRATION BY BENJAMIN BOBKOFF
 of
s a ke
ect qu
ff r t h
e e e a
t h a i p le
d p
As Sen m i ri
t h e u n a
t s
and gh the
u
thro o n o m y,
ec
global o uld
n i e s s h
compa
shore up their
supply ch
gua ains to
rd a
dis gain
ast st
er.
By
Ja
m
es
B.
Ri
ce

June 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 27

tsunami were unavoidable, it is apparent that some of the
business impacts could have been mitigated, if not avoided.
While businesses have embraced the advantages of global
supply chains, there is a critical need to manage the new
vulnerabilities that come as a result. Companies need to
consider creating action plans in order to manage the risks
arising from the inevitable disruptions that significantly
affect business operations and supply chains. Failure to do
this could leave companies every bit as fragile as the supply
chains they rely upon.
T
he aftermath of the March 11 temblor has set off
a series of system breakdowns, much the way one
tipped domino can lead to the toppling of hundreds
of others. The earthquake and resultant tsunami
collapsed facilities and damaged infrastructure in a
huge swath of northeast Japan. One of the damaged facili-
ties, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, created its
own set of problems with a release of radioactive material,
while other nuclear power plants were kept offline as a pre-
caution. The loss of power from those plants could not be
made up easily, so power outages and rolling blackouts were
common for weeks after the quake. These outages crippled
operations in many local businesses, and energy shortages
led to transportation system failures and constrained cargo
movements, which led to delays in providing goods for
health care, humanitarian aid, and business needs.
In the immediate aftermath, there was a lot of uncertainty.
Most downstream customers did not have a full accounting
of their dependence on material supply coming from north-
east Japan, and there was some wild speculation about what
could happen. Many companies discovered some unexpected
vulnerabilities because they were dependent upon material
supply coming from the affected region. The effects quickly
spread beyond Japan and began impacting businesses out-
side the region and throughout many downstream supply
chains, where the manufacturers serve as core suppliers.
Of the businesses affected, there is a large concentration
in the automotive and high-tech industries. The region
most damaged by the earthquake effectively served as a
supplier hub where many companies co-located close to
their customers to provide high levels of service and rapid
supply. What surfaced in the aftermath were significant de-
pendencies for several materials and components that were
primarily produced by one company or several companies
located in the region.
For instance, a Hitachi Automotive plant shut down by the
earthquake produced a $2 sensor that is part of a $90 airflow
sensor used in engines for many vehicles. Because of the
halt in production, a General Motors engine plant in New
York ran short of parts and downstream GM vehicle assem-
bly plants in Europe and the U.S. had to be shut down.
Similarly, Apple’s iPad 2, which launched on the same day
as the earthquake, depended heavily on five material sup-
plies from the region, in particular a polymer resin used in
making the batteries. A single company in the region makes
70 percent of the world supply of one material. While the
28 mechanical engineering | June 2011
full impact has yet to be felt, supply delays are expected to
exacerbate the shipping delays Apple has experienced to date
for the iPad 2. Indeed, weeks after the launch, prospective
buyers lined up each morning outside Apple Stores to pur-
chase whatever stock had arrived overnight.
We can expect many more supply issues given the high
concentration of critical material supply coming from Japan,
and in many cases, from the affected area itself. Global silicon
wafer supply lost 25 percent of capacity because of damage
at two key facilities. Renesas Electronics, which produces
40 percent of the global supply of microcontrollers for drive
trains and other automotive purposes, shut down operations
in its plant in Hitachinaka, and expects the facility will re-
main closed until July. While it’s predictable that there will be
significant downtime and delays for the customers of those
shuttered plants—and that this will have a domino effect on
all of the businesses in their expanded supply network—the
disruption also translates into a market opportunity for those
businesses that can serve the disrupted supply.
I
t is conventional wisdom that the chain of disasters
following the Sendai earthquake is unique, and indeed,
there were some uncommon elements to it. Unfortu-
nately, the sad reality is that this disaster is no different
from nearly all other disasters in terms of outcome. To
be sure, the earthquake-tsunami-supply hub destruction-
nuclear meltdown combination has not been seen before.
But after the destruction, there was predictable loss of life,
damaged business assets and infrastructure, communica-
tion system outages, transportation constraints, and re-
source shortages. These are among the common outcomes
that result after every disaster, regardless of the nature of
the disaster or disruption.
Of course, there are elements that have magnified the ef-
fect of this disaster in the global economy. The affected area
was much larger than most disasters, and with the region
serving as a supplier hub for the automotive and high-tech
industries, there was an unusually large concentration of
businesses that were disrupted. (Contrast that with the
tsunami in 2004 that hit Banda Aceh in Indonesia and
then washed across the Indian Ocean: while both tsunamis
devastated large areas, the 2004 tsunami had no significant
impact on global business operations.)
This is a first high profile instance of a significant disrup-
tion to one of the major supplier hubs; these hubs have
emerged on a large scale only in just the past 20 years.
What’s more, many of the affected companies were not
only regional suppliers, but also global suppliers with large
market shares. The sheer number of impacted businesses
and their extensive downstream supply chains also make
this disaster different and the global ripple so significant.
But aside from the scale, which is several factors larger
than most disruptions, the generic outcomes from the
Sendai earthquake and tsunami were readily predictable: a
disruption occurred and the affected companies were not
able to serve their customers. They lost their ability to re-
ceive materials, to communicate with their employees, to
 EARLY REPORTED IMPACTS FROM THE SENDAI EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI
COMPANY PRODUCT CORE CAPACITY LOSS BRIEF IMPACT
(FAILURE MODE)

APPLE iPad 2 Expect loss of supply Key component suppliers shut down (NAND
flash memory, touch screens, iPad batteries)

FREESCALE Accelerometers, Loss of internal capacity Plant in Sendai shut down, shifting
pressure sensors production to other facilities
and other chips

GM Automobiles Loss of supply U.S. plant closed because lack of supply of

engine air flow sensors

HITACHI Engine air flow sensor Loss of internal capacity Plant damaged

HONDA Finished vehicles, Loss of supply Dependent on 10 suppliers located in

auto components radiation zone; closed three component and
two assembly plants; lost contact with
44 of 113 suppliers

MAZDA Finished vehicles, Loss of supply Plants closed, some closed through April
auto components

NIKON Cameras Loss of internal capacity Plant closed; only plant making SLR cameras

NISSAN Finished vehicles, Loss of internal capacity, Facility closed due to lack of water, electricity,
and engines loss of supply and gas; considering sending engines from
Tennessee plant to Japan

ON SEMICONDUCTOR Semiconductors Potential loss of Temporary shutdown at

internal operations several facilities

PORTS IN JAPAN Various Loss of supply Estimated cost of port closures $3.4 billion

POWERCHIP TECH. DRAM Loss of supply Redesigning product to use available supply

RENESAS Drive train Loss of internal capacity Facility closed; many auto companies
microprocessor (clean room) dependent on this product

SHIN-ETSU CHEMICAL Silicon wafers Loss of internal capacity Worldʼs largest maker of silicon wafers
disrupted; 57% of worldʼs wafers
come from Japan

SONY Rechargeable Loss of internal capacity Closed 10 factories

batteries, DVD,
Blu-ray discs, lasers

TOYOTA Finished vehicles Loss of supply parts, Shutdowns across all Toyota plants;
loss of internal capacity expected loss of 140,000 units;
Prius only made in Japan

June 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 29

FAILURE MODES
W
hile the types of disruptive events seem unlim-
ited, there are only a few actual outcomes that
affect a business. And since these outcomes
are essentially ways that a system can fail, we
at MIT’s Center for Transportation and Logistics
refer to them as “failure modes.”
From our research, we have identified six different ways
that a supply chain can fail:
Capacity to Acquire Materials
This mode mainly includes loss of sources of supply or the
availability of materials.
Companies told us they focused their business continuity
plans on backing up their suppliers with qualified second
sources and developing backup plans with sole sources.
Capacity to Ship or Transport
This mode mainly entails the loss of the ability to move ma-
terials, such as supplies, work-in-progress, finished goods
inventory, and consumables.
Companies told us they added backup plans for transport.
Some have set up contracts with other third-party logistics
providers to have a backup ready.
Capacity to Communicate
This failure mode mainly includes loss of the ability to
communicate both internally with employees and exter-
nally with suppliers and customers.
Most of our respondents relied on traditional IT backup as
primary source of resilience against this type of failure.
Capacity to Convert
This mode involves failure of the internal operations of the
business, including factory production and distribution op-
erations. Such a failure could be caused by the loss of utili-
ties due to an accident or by the loss of inventory through
damage or quality issues.
Some companies have contingency plans to back up their
internal operations, such as having outside suppliers make
their products in the case of an event at their own plant.
Capacity to Use Human Resources
This mode encompasses the loss of human resources to
carry out the various operations.
Respondents have looked at how they could back up their
key human resources. Some firms have broken manufac-
turing work into small pieces so that untrained personnel
could come up to speed quickly.
Capacity to Tap Financial Flows
This mode primarily involves the loss of access to capital
and cash flow. It may occur through a decline in customer
demand or a demand spike that stresses the supply chain.
30 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | June 2011
have employees available to work, to obtain the necessary
financial flows to fund operations, to make products, and to
transport goods to customers. These six capacity losses are
predictable impacts and encompass all possible outcomes,
in terms of lost capacity from all kinds of disruptions.
The scope of the disruption was certainly no different from
scope of disruptions in the past. For example, when Hur-
ricane Rita disrupted petroleum operations in the Houston
area in 2005, the result affected supply chains around the
globe in many different industries—not only end users of
petroleum products but also distant packaging firms and
tire manufacturers, among others.
These days, we are all aware of supplier hubs, logistics
hubs, and industries concentrated in a specific geographic
location. So in the aftermath of the Sendai earthquake,
many companies initiated their backup and contingency
plans and many others were in the process of looking for
backup supply (though it is not a good time to be searching
for additional capacity when everyone else is also looking).
We should expect prices to increase on many materials, sup-
ply cycles to be extended, and some materials to be hoarded.
Another predictable outcome is that many companies will
avow a focus on business continuity planning and will give
serious thought to their vulnerabilities. Yet if this is like
most disruptions, the introspection will last only for a little
while. Among the many companies examining their vulner-
abilities, only a few will take serious action to prepare for
the next disruption. Usually it will be the companies that
have suffered serious impact that take action.
So what can we learn from this? If anything, it is another
wake-up call for organizations to seriously consider supply
chain risk management and the need for business continuity
planning. This disaster and its fallout present a fresh recogni-
tion of vulnerabilities that exist in many supply chains.
Close scrutiny of upstream dependence is a necessity. Spe-
cifically, businesses should look at how dependent they are on
a single geographic region, such as a supplier hub, on a single
supply source, and on a single material with an embedded or
highly concentrated supply. While those sorts of dependen-
cies are not new, they represent vulnerabilities that have
been revealed through the impact of this recent disaster.
Additionally, the complexity of extended supply chains is
extremely high and requires methodological diligence. Sup-
ply chain mapping tools may be helpful to capture, monitor,
and analyze the extended supply chain footprint, including
supplier locations, supplier stability, and interdependencies
among suppliers and contractors.
Given the world as we know it today—globalized and in-
creasingly integrated—it’s not a question of whether there
will be disruption in the future, but when, where, and how the
supply chain will be disrupted. The “secret” for successful
response to disruptions is to prepare before the event oc-
curs. This may sound obvious, but for most this is not evi-
dent until a disruption occurs and the actors realize that
their ability to respond is nearly completely dependent on
resources, systems, and plans that they made months and
years earlier. Once the disruption happens, it’s well-nigh
impossible to secure critical resources.
When planning a response to supply chain disruptions,
some considerations are particularly productive:
Identify the supply chain footprint.
Companies should identify their entire upstream supply
chain—not just their tier one suppliers but all suppliers
and sub-suppliers. They should try to understand their
downstream customers and intermediaries as well.
Assess vulnerabilities.
Businesses should conduct a vulnerability assessment for
their extended supply chain, not just internal operations.
This includes assessing geographic risk (whether suppliers
are all located in the same area), assessing organizational
risk (whether a component is sole sourced), assessing em-
bedded risk (whether the various suppliers are dependent
on a common material source), and assessing supplier risk
(whether the supplier is healthy and how it is managing
risk in its own supply chain).
Develop business continuity plans.
Rather than making plans for every possible source of dis-
ruption, firms should instead make plans for the predict-
able capacity losses that result, independent of the nature
of the disruption. By focusing on creating backup plans for
the few possible outcomes, rather than preparing for every
possible disaster, organizations can be better prepared for
rapid recovery. This means developing a plan for continu-
ity (a so-called business continuity plan) of the systems
and processes that can break or fail. Developing such a
plan is a very powerful method of vulnerability mitigation
because it turns out there is a limited number of potential
outcomes, at least in comparison with the hundreds and
potentially thousands of different events that would trans-
late into a supply chain disruption.
Reduce probability through prevention.
Companies should reduce the probability of disruptions by
taking preventive measures. That entails developing a lay-
ered set of security measures to help reduce the chances
of impact by having multiple necessary failures before a
system failure is achieved. Some firms use pre-emptive
action by taking greater control over their supply chains,
integrating upstream suppliers when their supply is criti-
cal to their own operation.
Reduce consequences through resilience.
Companies should act to reduce the consequences of
disruptions by investing in measures that will make the
supply chain resilient. Resilience can be achieved through
a balanced mix of redundancy (excess capacity or inven-
tory) and flexibility (reconfigurable production systems
and flexible workforces), where flexibility provides ongo-
ing benefits to the organization and helps contribute to
the development of a desirable resilient culture. There are
many different ways to achieve flexibility: flexible supply
contracts, flexible distribution systems, supply chain de-
sign, product design, and multi-skilled human resources.
Create a risk-enlightened culture.
Organizations should develop a plan to create a culture
that supports supply chain risk management, including
active risk monitoring, education, training, and simulation
exercises. This long-term objective not only helps in prep-
aration for disruptions but also enables effective response
after a disruption.
A
dvance planning would have helped mitigate some
of the supply chain disruptions that occurred in the
wake of the Sendai earthquake and tsunami. Having
backup supply arrangements, for instance, would
have led to a rapid recovery for downstream cus-
tomers of the locally affected companies. Having backup or
distributed production options would obviously have been
useful for those companies located in the affected area.
Hindsight is 20/20, and firms must make choices about
how much contingency to choose. The decision is a function
of several factors that are specific to the firm, but which are
ultimately a tradeoff between the cost of the necessary in-
vestment and the potential risk of the disruption.
And sometimes businesses underestimate the risk. In re-
sponse to the 2008 global financial crisis, for instance, com-
panies would have been well served to have more aggressive
controls on inventories, receivables, and payables that
became critical when cash flow dried up. And in the prepa-
ration for the 2002 lockout of longshoremen by West Coast
port operators, many firms had business continuity plans
that called for five extra days of inventory; unfortunately,
the lockout lasted 10 days.
The ongoing Sendai disaster represents a keen learning
opportunity and another chance for firms that do not have
comprehensive risk management plans in place. Disrup-
tions to global supply chains are inevitable in frequency
and impact, the only variables being location, source, and
breadth of scale of impact.
The firms that weather disruptions best are those that
have a comprehensive supply chain risk management ap-
proach, using a structured method for mapping the supply
chain footprint, assessing vulnerabilities, and developing
business continuity plans for the failure modes, risk moni-
toring and education, and simulation exercises. These firms
develop a risk-enlightened culture that further helps the
business deal with both unexpected disruptions as well as
day-to-day variations in business operations. These cultures
ultimately enable them to outperform their competitors
and maintain a secure economic engine that serves their
customers and supply chain.
Unfortunately, it is likely that many businesses will not
learn from recent events, and instead will chalk up their im-
mediate problems to the effects of a once-in-a-millennium
event. And when the next global disruption occurs—and it
will—those companies will claim that they are once again
victims of forces no one could have predicted. n
June 2011 | mechanical engineering 31
STEAM
FARMERS: Marcin
Jakubowski (left) and
his collaborators are
standing on the frame
of a tractor they built.
The team is turning their
30-acre farm into a cen-
ter for developing open
source machines.

PUNKS
 M
arcin Jakubowski and his The elevator pitch, Jakubowski said, was that
colleagues like to call them- by creating open source plans for hardware
selves farmers, but the tract that virtually anyone could build, the barriers
of land they live on is too to starting a small-scale manufacturing
weedy and ramshackle to business or farm would be reduced. Instead
really count as a farm. They of being dependent on others to build and
grow some of their own food, to be sure, but maintain the tools needed for production,
the one-time soybean field now operates at a people could make them themselves. Ten
mere fraction of its former productivity. people, he said, could get together “and
“Basically, we need a full-time agricultural become pretty much self-reliant, with a
person here,” Jakubowski said. “But it’s not a high quality of life because of the tools and
priority. Growing potatoes isn’t going to put us techniques they are using.
on the map.” “Normal first world, without any compromise.”
Fortunately for Jakubowski, most people It’s the kind of ambition that gets attention.
who look at what he’s up to grade the farming Jakubowski and Cleaver have been written
business on a curve. Instead, they look at the up in blogs and gadget magazines over the
ingenious devices that he and past couple of years, and
his colleague, William Cleav- How many of Jakubowski gave a talk at a
er, have built, largely on their recent TED conference, a
own, over the past two years.
your possessions high-profile event conducted
Take, for instance, the could you by the Sapling Foundation.
LifeTrac II. The machine make yourself? But can a small group of do-
looks primitive, made of it-yourself builders really re-
A couple of
unpainted, boxy steel tub- constitute the essential tech-
ing and big, bald tires. Black amateur engineers nologies necessary to start
hydraulic lines snake around are working to society over from scratch?
connecting the small motor design and build ■ ■ ■
to the wheels and to a couple The rationale for the
of sets of pistons attached to a set of tools that open source economy that
mechanical arms. In pictures would enable the Jakubowski has outlined is
where it sits in a weedy field, self-reliant to steeped in the language of
it looks like a junk heap.
And yet, when it’s up and
make everything empowerment—giving in-
dividuals the tools and the
running, the junk heap they need. options that now exist for
springs to life. Its wheels, large companies. And yet, the
connected by homemade
By Jeff rey Winters project has received atten-
tank treads, grind through tion for its promise to help
the uneven terrain and the hydraulic pistons create communities that would be resilient
move a pair of rudimentary loader arms. The in the face of potentially jarring events. Cer-
tractor was used to scoop up soil and dump it tainly, concerns over the depletion of natural
into a block-pressing machine that Jakubowski resources such as oil, changes in the global
and Cleaver constructed last year. climate patterns, and the harrowing economic
Shade tree mechanics build their own contrap- downturn of a couple of years back have creat-
tions all the time, and many have a much more ed a sense in some circles that the convention-
polished construction than the LifeTrac or the al American way of life is coming to an end.
compressed earth block press. Jakubowski’s But unlike the specter of a nuclear holocaust
efforts stand out because of his ambition: He which haunted the Cold War era, the problems
wants to design and build a set of tools that can that trouble this generation don’t suggest that
SEAN CHURCH

enable a small group to provide everything they humanity itself is doomed. Rather, people who
SEAN CHURCH

need—food, clothing, shelter, and creature com- predict some sort of impending collapse point
forts—independent of the rest of world. to a kind of civilizational dead end in which

June 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 33

the technologies and systems that we’ve depended upon can
no longer provide the standard of living we’ve come to expect.
Think the fall of Rome or the collapse of Easter Island
rather than the fires of Armageddon.
That sense of the end of things as we’ve known them runs
through quite a few recent projects. In the late 1990s, for in-
stance, a group of engineers and designers built a prototype
for a clock capable of tracking time for 10,000 years—which
could serve as a monument to the present era’s ingenuity
and as a spur to thinking on longer timeframes. A founda-
tion is working toward building a full-scale model in the
western United States. In various places in Europe and the
United States, conversely, individual cities are drawing up
plans on how to survive a collapse of oil production and the
global trade in goods and services that depends on it. The
goal for these so-called transition towns would be to de-
velop largely local economies.
That sense of the end of one system becoming the beginning
of the next permeates the Open Source Ecology project that
Marcin Jakubowski heads up. Before Jakubowski moved to his
farmstead in Missouri, he was immersed in nuclear physics as
a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
But after a few years of studying the problems underlying
sustainable nuclear fusion, Jakubowski had something of a
crisis of faith in high technology.
“The further I went with my education, the more
disappointed and disenchanted I became with how useless
and irrelevant it became,” Jakubowski said. Instead of
developing a technology for the benefit of mankind, he
viewed his work as an academic exercise. “The more I looked
for meaning, the less I got.”
34 mechanical engineering June 2011
Jakubowski earned his doctorate, but instead of working
for a national laboratory, he set out with some friends to
begin analyzing industrial society from the ground up. What
people needed, he reasoned, were land and the tools to make
what they wanted.
The result was an ambitious project: Identify, design, and
build the minimum tool set necessary to reproduce a “First
World” lifestyle. With those tools and a little know-how,
an individual or a small team could make everything one
would need, from scoops to nuts, as it were. Indeed, for
the project to be successful, the most important objects it
should be able to reproduce are the parts to make the very
tools themselves.
■ ■ ■
An example of that concept could be found at the Maker
Faire, a traveling trade show for people who practice odd
arts and make their own gadgets. The edition held on the
site of the New York World’s Fair last September featured
homemade tricycle races and lock picking demonstrations
and people selling any manner of crafts embedded with light
emitting diodes.
One of the most bustling tents was populated with
hobbyists showing off their homebrew rapid prototyping
machines. There, machines operating from instructions
fed to them by laptop computers slowly extruded plastic to
form three-dimensional objects. Most of the machines on
display were making toys or models of human heads. The
items, made from plastics such as acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene or polylactic acid, felt a little cheap and brittle, and
the construction process was hair-pullingly slow, but there
Rep-Rap: Engineers at the University of Bath
started a project to design a 3-D printer that
could reproduce itself. The result (left) is
Rep-Rap, a table-top device that layers beads
of thermoplastic to create a variety of user-
designed objects, including dozens of its own
Reprap.org
parts (top). Plans for different Rep-Rap models
are freely available on the Internet.
 was undeniable power in the idea that an amateur could
design and manufacture a customized part in a matter of a
few hours.
One of the 3-D printer models on display is known as the
Rep-Rap, and it’s based on the elegant concept that the
rapid-prototyping machine ought to be able to reproduce
itself through the parts it can make itself. Begun as a
project at the University of Bath in England, the Rep-Rap
is a skeletal framework supporting belts and drives and a
plastic extruder. To be sure, the extruder head and the steel
supports are beyond the scope of the Rep-Rap to print out—
and look to be for quite a while. But the engineers behind
the current design proudly boast that 60 percent of the
device’s parts can be printed by the machine. If you don’t
count nuts and bolts.
In some important ways, the ultimate goal of the Open
Source Ecology project is to create a large-scale Rep-Rap.
(The team has actually built its own regular-scale Rep-Rap.)
Although it would be scattered over several different tools,
the set would be capable of refabricating itself from raw
materials, mostly scrap steel.
Using an open-source Web platform known as a
wiki, Jakubowski worked with a far-flung network of
collaborators over the Internet to identify the minimum
number of technologies needed to produce a reasonable
facsimile of modern life. Some of the items on the resulting
list are the greatest hits of industrialism over the past
200 years: the steam engine, the combine, the induction
furnace. Other bits, such as the plastic greenhouse sheeting
and raised-bed organic gardening, would look at home in
the Whole Earth Catalog. The technologies would work
together, Jakubowski said, so that the furnace would
melt scrap steel that would be cast and rolled by another
machine, cut to length with a plasma torch, and machined
to produce a usable part or product.
After putting together the list of technologies, Jakubowski
and Cleaver, who joined the project in 2008, began the
process of designing a set of tools that embody those CONSTRUCTION KIT: Jakubowski and his col-
technologies. That’s not because those tools don’t already leagues have put together a list of basic technolo-
exist: you can buy everything on the list from retailers today. gies they want to design and build. Some tools
Jakubowski had very specific design requirements for the they have already prototyped include a press (top)
tools. First, they had to be open source, meaning that the for making compressed earth blocks (middle) and
designs were free from intellectual property protections a computer-controlled cutting torch table (detail
and thus could be shared and adapted without penalty. The at bottom).
raw materials had to be sourced locally to as great an
extent as possible. And the machines must be designed
so that they can be taken apart and repaired easily,
since there’s no sense in investing in an independent,
off-the-grid technology if you wind up depending upon
on-the-grid mechanics for maintenance.
Those constraints force a particular aesthetic on the
designs. The primary structural elements, for instance,
are lengths of square steel tubing bolted together to
make rectangles and boxes. It’s sturdy and inexpensive,
Sean Church

but it makes everything look like it was built from an

oversize Erector set.
The wheels of the tractor are powered directly by

June 2011 || mechanical

June 2011 engineering 35
mechanical engineering 35
four hydraulic motors connected to a pump run off an man giving the talk was met respectfully, but skeptically by
18 hp gasoline engine; the motors should be durable, but the roomful of older, solidly built steam buffs. On the one
mounting them to some sort of steering mechanism proved hand, most seemed happy that Jakubowski was looking into
challenging. Eventually, the team decided to bolt the small steam engines as a viable technology and flattered
wheels directly to the chassis and steer the tractor like a that he came to them looking for guidance.
tank. Jakubowski and Cleaver even fabricated some chain- But there also seemed to be a bit of discomfort with
like treads and shot a video of the machine chewing up Jakubowski, who wanted to strip away a lot of the
ground as it rumbled across the farm. intricacies of early 20th century engines and their
Thus far, the team has completed seven prototype elaborate valves and linkages. There were offers of
machines: the tractor, a tiller, a hydraulic power unit, assistance, but the general gist was that a practical steam
a computer numerically controlled plasma torch table, engine would have to look a lot more like the ones these
a drill press, a hole punch, and a hobbyists have lovingly restored than
compressed earth block press. the simple design that Jakubowski
The performance of the block
Some of the items was investigating.
press, dubbed The Liberator, was on the resulting list There are also some fundamental
impressive. Fed clayey subsoil from issues that call into question the
the farmstead, the press produced are the greatest decision to pursue steam power.
more than a dozen blocks per hits of industrialism The ethos of simple and cheap
minute. One of the project’s online seems to work well enough with
supporters bought the first press over the past the machines that Jakubowski and
produced last summer for $8,000. Cleaver have built to now; indeed,
200 years: the there are some real advantages over
■ ■ ■
steam engine, expensive, proprietary hardware.
Over the winter, there wasn’t much But steam engines are subject to the
to do at the farmstead in Missouri. the combine, the laws of thermodynamics, and low-
Jakubowski and Cleaver don’t keep induction furnace. temperature steam under relatively
livestock, and the combination modest pressures doesn’t provide
of cold weather and unheated Other bits, such a lot of energy for an engine to
workshops makes working on new
machines unpleasant.
as the plastic extract. Even the best small steam
engines have efficiencies of around
Instead of lying fallow, however, greenhouse 10 percent, and one could expect that
the Open Source Farm team kept a dirt simple engine made in home-
busy with off-site activities. Grants
sheeting and based workshops would perform at
were being solicited from non-profit raised-bed organic an even lower level.
foundations to support the work, Taking a few percentage points off
and readers of Jakubowski’s Web gardening, would the efficiency of a large steam turbine
site, opensourceecology.org, were look at home in the or an advanced gas turbine would
encouraged to become “True Fans” provide an economic disadvantage,
through a contribution of $10 a month. Whole Earth but not a disaster. But small steam
Jakubowski also traveled through engines operate at low efficiencies
the fall and winter, giving talks in
Catalog. to begin with, so losses start to bite
New Jersey, Ohio, and California, and into effective power output quickly.
meeting with others who share his vision of a technological If Jakubowski anticipates a world where farmer-engineers
system that individuals could master completely. grow their own fuel, the difference in efficiencies between
One of Jakubowski’s stops was at a meeting of the Steam a small steam engine and a diesel or spark-ignition engine
Automobile Club of America in Berrien Springs, Mich. could be critical.
There, he presented a short talk about the latest technology It might turn out to be a blind alley. But rather than
he wanted to tackle—a simple steam engine for power fussing over a set of calculations, Jakubowski would
production. To Jakubowski, the benefits of a steam engine rather build a prototype and see what he can learn. When
are manifold: steam engines require external heating, and prototypes cost hundreds of dollars, rather than millions,
so are basically fuel agnostic; they can operate at lower you can get away with that.
temperature and pressure than internal combustion
■ ■ ■
engines, meaning they can be mechanically simpler and
use cheaper materials; and because the technology is less We live in an age of the so-called Knowledge Economy,
than state of the art, most of the important advances are no but Jakubowski and his colleagues still have the old faith
longer under patent protection. in built things. The underlying theme of the Open Source
A video clip of the talk was instructive. The thin, young Ecology project is that a life spent making the things you

36 mechanical engineering June 2011

 TRACTOR: The wheels
and loading arms of the
open-source tractor are
run by hydraulic lines
(top) powered by a small
engine. The tractor, like all
of the Open Source Farm
tools, has been designed
to be easy to build-
Sean Church
Jakubowski and Cleaver
fabricated it in a week-
and repair.
need—food, clothing, shelter, tools, material comforts—is
more satisfying than living in an abstracted world where we
manipulate words and data in exchange for goods shipped
halfway around the world.
Set aside some of the New Age jargon that Jakubowski
couches it in, and the idea can be seen as decidedly old-
fashioned.
But it’s not at all Luddite. Computing power is definitely
part of the vision. The two-axis plasma torch table the team
built uses stepper motors controlled by a laptop computer.
The block press relies upon magnetic sensors and an
Arduino processor to time the automated hydraulic parts.
And the project uses Web sites to produce collaborative
designs, which are then rendered in a 3-D CAD program
and blogged about to raise money.
These guys aren’t Amish—they want to build their own
car. They believe in technology. They just want it created
and used at a more human scale.
That’s similar to the promise of Rep-Rap, MakerBot,
and other “desktop” 3-D printers. Instead of consuming
the output of mass industrial production and settling for
whatever someone else decided to make, people using these
printers will be able to design exactly what they need and
print it up just as they need it. Instead of an economy of
scale, we might have an economy run at human scale.
But the reality of Rep-Rap is quite different. In spite of
its name, the printer is not self-replicating. At present,
Rep-Rap makes only plastic parts, meaning the main metal
structural supports and the coils in the stepper motor and
every electronic circuit have to be obtained outside the
system. It’s hard to imagine how something like Rep-Rap
could be entirely self-replicating.
Likewise, there are certain roadblocks in Jakubowski’s
concept of self-sufficient human-scale high-tech
communities. Electronics is a huge one: how self-sufficient
can you be if you need Arduino boards and computers to
run your equipment? And while scrap steel is common
enough, can such small-scale manufacturers reliably source
rubber and copper and certain plastics?
“Sure, right now we have to buy components: engines,
hydraulics, hand tools, materials,” Jakubowski said. “But
to be a truly resilient economy, we have to start making
those things as well. Once we master the gross technology,
we go down to open sourcing the individual components,
and recursively down to the very feedstocks to make the
components. So eventually, we could be smelting aluminum
from clay and smelting silicon from sand.”
In the nearer term, Jakubowski hopes that an online
fundraising push will enable prototypes for the remaining
technologies on their list to be built over the next two years.
To develop things that quickly, the group will have to rely
on outside machinists to construct the machines from
open-source plans.
And once that’s done, the real test of Jakubowski’s idea
begins: You have the 50 tools needed to create a civilization
from scratch? What then? n
June 2011 | mechanical engineering 37
 Appropriate to the
People A simple
technology
created for,
but not by, the
people can’t leap
too far ahead.
By Rolfe Leary
Rolfe Leary lives in St. Paul, Minn.,
where he spent 35 years working for the
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest
Service Research making mathematical
models of forest dynamics. He served in
the U.S. Peace Corps in St. Lucia from
1961 to 1963 and has been a volunteer
at Compatible Technology International,
St. Paul, since 1992. He currently is
teaching a course in research methods
to Ph.D. students at the Faculty of
Bioscience Engineering at Katholieke
Universiteit Leuven and University of
Gent in Leuven, Belgium.
38 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | June 2011
n the early 1960s, when I was a Peace Corps
volunteer on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia,
I had a colleague who, like me, grew up on a
farm in Iowa. In St. Lucia, he worked with small
farmers in a remote area. He was really out there
in the field, more isolated than the rest of us.
When he returned to his hilly, southeast Iowa
farm, his father suggested they clear some
timber from their bottomland to have more pasture for their
cattle. George thought that was a good idea and immediately
went to town and bought a machete.
“Gosh darn,” his father told me later, “I thought it was
a good idea for George to go to St. Lucia and help those
farmers get ahead, but now he comes home and wants to set
me back 200 years.”
Sometimes I think technology developed in a first-world
country like the United States and taken to Africa would, in
fact, set the people who were to use it back at least a bunch
of years, if not quite 200.
The question comes up often today, in light of the literally
thousands of highly creative, motivated persons from many
nations who are doing an astounding amount of work in the
area of appropriate technology.
I define the activity of “appropriate technology” as
designing a tool to be used in surroundings and for a lifestyle
completely different from that of the designers’ everyday
environment. In other words, designing a tool appropriate
to the lifestyle in which it will be used. Indeed, the tool is for
use in surroundings completely different from anything the
designers may have ever experienced. As is the case when
American engineers and scientists develop products for use
in rural Africa and for populations in developing countries.
Appropriate technology is today a worldwide home for
professional engineers who want to put their knowledge
JOSH LITWIN, PEACE CORPS

Youssouf Traoré, a Peace Corps volunteer, demonstrates a nut sheller in the village of
Niagadina, Mali. A small fee for shelling peanuts will support additional projects.

June 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 39

and background to use helping others. Appropriate technolo-
gy, if you will, is a form of socially redeeming problem solving.
Done right, appropriate technology pays special attention
to the variables that affect the users, such as their gender
and state of health, the power sources available to them,
and fabrication materials they’re familiar with.
Tweak or Shift
Overall, most engineers follow two basic strategies when
it comes to “doing” appropriate technology. They either
tweak an existing technology to make it better for the user
in one or more respects, such as making it more durable,
more reliable, more efficient, or more effective. Or, they’ll
shift the technology in some fundamental way.
To tweak existing technology might be to take the Corona
or Porkert food grinders, used by hundreds of thousands
of the world’s poor, and check for their weak points. The
cast iron hand grinders, made by Corona of Colombia and
Porkert of the Czech Republic, are what might come to
mind when you are asked to envision the meat grinder
your grandmother or great-grandmother might have used.
The Universal Nut Sheller from
The Full Belly Project features only
one moving part and can be used
to shell 125 pounds of peanuts per
hour, up from 25 manually.
40 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | June 2011
These units, still in wide use, are general-purpose work-
horses. They use steel cutters to grind grains, as well as
legumes, coffee beans, nuts, and sesame or sunflower seeds,
and also to mince dried fruits and vegetables.
To tweak the grinders for better use, an engineer might
ask: Do the burrs wear out quickly? Does one part seem to
break too often? Is a part prone to being lost? Tweaking
these weaknesses might make the grinders more durable,
stronger, better secured, but without the need for signifi-
cant design changes.
A shift, on the other hand, might be simply to push, rather
than to pull a tool; to use one’s legs rather than one’s arms
to power a tool; to rotate a shaft around a vertical axis rath-
er than a horizontal axis to operate a tool.
Take the example of the foot-powered treadle water
pump. Invented in the 1970s by Gunnar Barnes, a Norwe-
gian engineer, for use in Bangladesh, the pump is now wide-
ly used in arid regions of Africa. The pump is composed of
two metal cylinders with pistons that are operated by walk-
ing, or treadling, on two treadles the way one would oper-
ate a pump organ or, in modern-day terms, a stair-stepping
machine at the gym.
Previous to the treadle water pump, many rural people used
tools that called upon the arms, rather than the legs, to pump
water from the ground. But humans find it easier to treadle—
as in the pump organ example—rather than pump a handle up
and down with their arms. They tire less easily when using the
larger, leg muscles. So the move to the natural walking motion
was a major shift for the water pump.
Designers at the San Francisco nonprofit KickStart Inc.
tweaked the treadle pump by changing its design from a
suction-only pump to a suction and pressure pump, greatly
expanding its impact on small farmers.
Or is the KickStart addition of pressure yet another shift?
Regardless, the great advance gained from the KickStart
treadle pump is that it sucks water out of the ground and
pushes it up a small hill. Further, it increases the area that
can be irrigated from 0.2 to 2.0 acres—amazing!
Small Shift
The problem is that shifting appropriate technology is par-
ticularly difficult to do well. It’s hard to keep the end user in
mind, when the designer comes from an entirely different
viewpoint, an entirely different environment.
THE FULLY BELLY PROJECT
The challenge for those shifting appropriate technology is
to answer the question: “What is the best next technologi-
cal step given the current technological state at the place
the technology will be used?” Does the location have elec-
tricity? Do residents commonly use draft animals, or call
only on themselves to power simple tools?
There are three important criteria for a potential technology
to be accepted and used by those for whom it’s designed:
First, it must be a natural next step to the people who will
use it. That is, it must fit rather seamlessly into their cur-
rent system of doing the larger process.
Second, this next-step technology must yield a large
THE FULLY BELLY PROJECT
Many rural villages in developing countries have adopted the Universal Nut Sheller to
process not only peanuts, but other nuts and seeds. It also shells coffee berries.
increase in output from the existing process, such as a sig-
nificant reduction in the food-particle size, when a food is
ground with the next-step technology.
And third, it must mirror the steps previously moved
through in already developed countries. So a next step in
African food crop processing must be analogous to the step
that was taken in, say, Europe or North America, when
farmers there were using the same technology as Africans
currently use. So African farmers will need to pass through
the same stages of technologies as farmers did in Europe,
North America, and parts of Asia, but of course, at a much
more rapid rate. Steps cannot normally be skipped.
In my short time doing appropriate technology, I’ve seen el-
egant systems that weren’t adopted because they didn’t move
the intended users sufficiently far forward in terms of output
per unit input. Why should the intended users bother?
So what is sufficiently far? A good goal is at least one or-
der of magnitude increase, a small jump in the technology
the users currently employ. Too much of a jump and intro-
ducing the upgraded system in a developing area might be
the equivalent of a group of alien scientists and engineers
landing on U.S. soil and asking their Earthling counterparts
to adopt the telescope they’ve developed, which far out-
strips our Hubble’s capacity.
Our scientists and engineers wouldn’t have been aware of
any of the middle steps in the evolution from the Hubble to
the alien scope. They wouldn’t be able to operate the alien
telescope and—no matter how nicely asked by the alien en-
gineers, no matter how many times they were assured that
this telescope would allow them to see further into the uni-
verse than ever before—they’d likely abandon the project.
Not to mention that, should the new telescope break after
the alien engineers return home, no one would have the
tools or the know-how to fix it.
Great Gains
To better get the idea of the one-order-of-magnitude in-
crease and the effect doing appropriate technology can
have, take the following examples.
The Universal Nut Sheller, allows a person to shell 125
pounds of peanuts per hour, up from the traditional 25
pounds that can be done by hand, said Jock Brandis, founder
and research and development director of The Full Belly
Project of Wilmington, N.C., which designed the sheller (www.
thefullbellyproject.org). The nonprofit project works to allow
manufacture of tools, including the Universal Nut Sheller,
where they will be used.
June 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 41

Compatible Technology International intro-
duced its Omega food grinder into Zimbabwe in
the 1990s. Grinder use has grown since then.
The jump in peanut-shelling production represents an order
of magnitude increase appropriate for the user.
The nut sheller features only one moving part for easy man-
ufacture and use. It comprises a concrete, solid cone within
another cone that’s open at the top and bottom. The cones
allow for the process of shelling, which works by centrifugal
force and friction. The interior cone, with its attached handle,
acts as a rotor and rotates on a shaft. The user turns the handle
around fast enough to spin the nuts to the outside through
centrifugal force, Brandis said.
The nuts fall between the surfaces and are rolled and
squeezed, allowing the nuts and shells to fall through to the
bottom. This mix of nuts and shells is then winnowed out. The
sheller is adjustable and can shell coffee berries, shea nuts, and
jatropha seeds.
Likewise, in the 1990s Compatible Technology Internation-
al, a St. Paul, Minn., nonprofit that develops technologies for
use in developing countries, introduced its manually powered
4.5-inch diameter Omega steel burr mill into Zimbabwe for
grinding roasted peanuts into peanut paste. The paste is used
daily in many African households.
At the time, most local groups used the time-consuming
mortar-and-pestle method for crushing the nuts, and followed
that up with manually rubbing the nut meat between a smooth
glass bottle and a stone to produce a fine, thin paste.
Working with the University of Zimbabwe’s Development
Technology Center, CTI volunteers gauged the Omega burr
mill to increase paste output in rural women’s cooperatives
about one order of magnitude, moving from linear to rotary
motion.
The very early history of post harvest food processing in
many nations includes a period when mortar and pestle
type linear motion was important. This period was replaced
early in North America by rotary motion from mill dams,
42 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | June 2011
followed by rotary motion from steam engines,
internal combustion engines, and most recently
by electric motors.
Shifting from linear and reciprocating motion to
motion that rotates a hardened steel burr against
a fixed burr was very effective at increasing peanut
paste output. Rural Zimbabwe’s peanut butter
groups that adopted the manual Omega increased
COMPATIBLE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
the amount of peanuts processed each day from
four kilograms via traditional methods to around
50 kilograms of peanuts per day with the manually
operated burr mill.
The mills’ early adopters made significant profits,
because the price of paste made the old way was
very high. Profits declined as more grinders were
introduced, but citizens ate better because peanut
paste was less expensive, hence more could afford it.
To ensure replacement parts would always
be locally available, CTI provided Development Technol-
ogy Center a pattern for casting the Omega housing and a
special apparatus to form the auger helixes. Former CTI
volunteer Mark Kooiker, a machine-shop operator, worked
with a Zimbabwe foundry and machine shop and with fabri-
cators to develop precise production techniques. CTI began
working in Zimbabwe in 1995 with the Omega II. In just
three years CTI went through the II, III, IV, and V versions
of Omega grinders to the VI, which has been distributed for
over 10 years now. Grinders and parts distributed in Zimba-
bwe are locally made.
Following Up
But the grinding technology wasn’t embraced without
tweaking. Women agriculture workers in Africa are known to
be strong, so grinding roasted peanuts to a creamy consisten-
cy in a single pass through the Omega grinder was technical-
ly feasible. But it was over-taxing physically for the women.
Follow-up ergonomic studies by the Development Technology
Center at the university, showed that heart rates in women
hand cranking roasted peanuts with the manual grinder ex-
ceeded accepted international standards set by the Food and
Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, according to
a report by the Technology Center. Further, the switch from
linear motion to rotary motion caused significant increases in
lower back, chest, and upper arm pain among workers, accord-
ing to the report.
So tweaks had to be made to produce creamy peanut paste in
a single pass, yet maintain the cranker’s heart rate and muscle
exertion within acceptable limits. CTI and technology center
engineers and scientists reduced the feed rate by developing a
metering device mounted inside the hopper.
Another Axis
A different option to overcome cranking difficulty would
have been to shift from a horizontal axis to a vertical axis
grinder akin to many of the original wind power grist mills in
KICKSTART INC.
The treadle foot pump was invented and further refined by designers at KickStart Inc. of
San Francisco, because humans can more easily pump by foot rather than by hand.
Europe and many modern burr mills.
In fact, several appropriate technology post-harvest food-
processing devices feature vertical axes. These include the
breadfruit shredder developed by engineers and engineer-
ing students at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, the
peanut sheller from the Full Belly Project, and the maize
crusher from the Agriculture Research Council of South Af-
rica (www.arc.agric.za).
Vertical axis machines enable several persons to crank at
the same time using design principles from radial engines.
Each person replaces a piston, though the person pushes and
also pulls his or her own rod—whether a master or an articu-
lating rod—to help in the job of generating torque to accom-
plish the needed work.
Post harvest food processing in rural Africa seems still
dominated by vertical linear motion—pounding a wooden
pestle into a wooden mortar, while most of the world has
moved on to rotary motion. It would appear, given the rela-
tive abundance and collaborative mindset in African village
food preparation, one appropriate technology route forward
might be to put greater emphasis on small, vertical axis ro-
tary motion machines.
These machines would employ radial engine principles,
wherein several pistons are replaced by three to five people
engaged in coordinated linear motion—pushing and pull-
ing—but in a horizontal plane. Master and articulating rods
for these radial “engines” could, perhaps, be fabricated lo-
cally from the wooden pestles they replace.
There are many ways forward with appropriate technology,
just as there are many communities of people, many coun-
tries, many environments, many needs. The challenge is to
keep design criteria in mind when designing for the users.
And to always ensure technology designed will be appropri-
ate for their use. ■
June 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 43
 inning Thei
Sp r
al s
Anim
Nature anticipated mankind in the development
of one of civilization’s fundamental machines.
N
By Adrian Bejan
o topic is more “mechanical engineering”
than the wheel. When the wheel appeared,
the movement of humanity jumped to new
dimensions, higher speeds, longer distances,
and less effort per unit of mass moved
through a distance. If engineering is the kitchen of civiliza-
tion, then the wheel is the key ingredient.
Today we take the wheel for granted, because it is every-
where. Older generations were more keenly aware of where
we came from, and commemorated the wheel in the emblems
of cities, business groups, trade unions, and engineering
departments in universities. It is good that we maintain
these images. The icon for “settings” on my iPhone consists
of several wheels, even though there are no wheels inside.
Along with complacency comes arrogance. “Everybody
knows” that nature did not invent the wheel. The famous
Harvard biologist Stephen Jay Gould wrote a book about nat-
ural history and gave it the title Kingdoms Without Wheels.
The common wisdom is that humans invented the wheel
and that it does not exist in nature. This idea places humans
in a world distinct from and higher than all the other ani-
mals. Darwin must be rolling in his grave.
The common wisdom is wrong. But first, here is a brief
reminder of why the wheel was such a dramatic change in
how humans move. The work, W, spent on sliding a mass, M,
through a horizontal distance, L, is equal to the weight, Mg,
times L and a coefficient of friction, μ. With wheels placed
Mg
R σmax
σmax
d d
Adrian Bejan is the J.A. Jones Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Duke University. He can be reached at
abejan@duke.edu.
44 mechanical engineering | June 2011
W
heel
s
between M and the ground, the work formula remained the
same (W = μMgL) but the coefficient μ decreased considerably.
The time direction of this change, from high μ to low μ, is
in accord with the constructal law of design and evolution in
nature, which states that all flow systems (including human
movement) persist in time by changing into configurations
that flow more and more easily.
Humans and their loads found an easier way to move on
the map, just as river basins find better tree-shaped flow
designs every year. Seepage in the wet mud is not eliminated
by the birth of the river channel, because seepage continues
to improve flow by finding new channels. Similarly, when
humans got their stuff off the ground and rolled with it, slid-
ing was not eliminated. It persists today, at speeds and scales
small enough to be comparable with the movement that
existed before the wheel. For example, when we stock the
shelves in grocery stores, we slide cans or boxes into place.
On top of the old design of movement that slid loads across
the ground, a better one with reduced friction was added.
An Evolutionary Design
The natural emergence of the wheel design can be predicted
by using the constructal law in two ways. First, consider the
evolution of the wheels made by humans. In the beginning,
the wheel was a solid disk. The wheel and the ground made
contact over a narrow strip on the rim. The stresses were dis-
tributed nonuniformly in the disk. The highest stresses were
The constructal-law evolution
of rolling locomotion, from the
ancient wheel to the modern
wheel. The highest allow-
able stresses are distributed
more uniformly, and the wheel
becomes lighter and less costly
in terms of the useful energy
Time destroyed in order to carry it.
in the vicinity the same as the
of the contact speed of falling
strip. Most of the down, namely
wheel body was V ~ (Rg)1/2, where
not stressed. the distance above
Less material is the ground (R) is the
needed when the maxi- body length scale, which
mum allowable stresses are is the same as the length of
distributed more uniformly the leg. The body mass scale is
through the loaded structure. equal to the density of the body
When the design requires less times the length scale of the leg
material, it becomes lighter. A Mg cubed. Coincidentally, because
single column with uniform M ~ ρR3, where ρ is the body
cross-section requires the density, the speed of locomo-
least material to support a Leg 1 Leg 2 Leg 1 tion is also recognized as V
weight. The stresses in the col- R ~ M1/6g1/2 ρ–1/6, in agreement
umn are distributed uniform- with the known characteristic
ly. The volume of the column is speeds of all animals (runners,
a tiny fraction of the volume of R R R fliers, and swimmers), and
t1 2t1 3t1
the solid disk. with the world-record human
The column is a much lighter The animal wheel as falling-forward motion: t1, the speeds in running and swim-
organ than the disk to carry on body falls forward on leg 1; 2t1, leg 2 lifts the body, and ming during the past 100 years.
the body falls forward one more step; and 3t1, instead
the vehicle, but one column is To maintain this horizon-
of requiring more legs clockwise around the body, the
not enough to serve as a wheel. third step is executed by leg 1, which is brought forward, tal speed, the body design
Three or more columns, a counterclockwise. requires a second column,
rigid rim, and a rigid track are which must also have the
required to prevent the body ability to absorb shocks and to
from falling. Fewer columns are lighter, and this construc- elongate itself to reposition the body weight to its traveling
tal-law direction for easier movement in time is confirmed height (R). That’s why legs are most efficient when they come
by the evolution of wheel technology from solid disk to in pairs. The second leg is brought forward in time to catch
spokes supporting a rim. the body before it falls too far or accelerates too much toward
Second, imagine the horizontal movement of a terrestrial the ground. This function is like the cooperation of the
animal as a rolling body. Imagine the human body, or the spokes of a wheel. But because it can be done by consistently
front or back half of a quadruped. cycling two spokes, which are paired legs in animals, that is
The leg is a single column. Many bipedal creatures can the way nature does it.
stand still on one leg. There are many kinds of birds that A third leg would continue the work of the first two, but it
sleep that way. To walk requires the forward movement—in would increase by a factor of 3/2 the mass of the organs that
essence, a falling forward from the one-legged stance. the animal must carry along in order to have locomotion.
The order of magnitude of the speed of falling forward is Thus, the third beat of this rhythm is executed by the first

June 2011 | mechanical engineering 45

 Time
Crawlers
Qaudrupeds
Bipeds
M Lc
M M Dc
Lc Dc
(a) (b) (c)
Greater speeds emerge as the horizontal body becomes
less slender a→b, and as the body rises vertically b→c. In
this time direction, the number of points of contact with the
ground decreases. One point of contact (one black circle)
accounts for two legs or the equivalent.
leg, which swings outward, from behind the body, to take the
position that the third leg would have occupied. This alter-
native is much lighter and faster, and (in accord with the con-
structal law) it is the natural design of rolling locomotion.
The legs, as two columns swinging back and forth, perform
the function of an entire wheel-rim-track assembly. They
do it in record fashion—one wheel with just two spokes and
with uniformly stressed material in each spoke. No wheel is
stronger and lighter than this. The animal body is both wheel
and vehicle for the animal mass that moves on the surface of
the Earth.
Changing Speeds
Nature evolved not only the design of wheel-like move-
ment, but also the design for changing speeds.
Larger bodies move faster—that is, as the average of speed
over a lifetime. The cheetah may be able to outrun any other
land animal in a short sprint, but like all cats, it spends much
of its time sleeping and watching. The cheetah can reach
running speeds exceeding 100 km per hour for a distance of
about 500 meters. Then it must rest or die.
The body mass of a cheetah is generally less than 40 kg. A
medium-size man has at least twice that mass, and humans
generally move more mass faster and farther than cheetahs
over long periods of time. Considering the movement over
a lifetime, humans are bigger, faster, and more economical
vehicles of animal mass than cheetahs.
Because bigger means faster, greater speed could be found
by increasing the height of the body mass above the ground.
Animal bodies have shapes with multiple scales. A simple
body shape is the elongated body of a serpent. A quadru-
ped’s body is much taller and more massive than a ser-
pent’s, but it is also elongated: its length is greater than the
height of its torso.
Evolution toward higher speeds points toward designs that
are taller. This agrees with the evolutionary design of animal
locomotion: quadrupeds occurred after swimmers and
46 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | June 2011
crawlers, not the other way around.
The animal becomes faster by orienting its longer dimen-
sion vertically, i.e. by making itself taller. The constructal-
law direction is from long to tall, and this too agrees with the
evolution of animal locomotion: bipedal locomotion evolved
after quadrupedal locomotion. The vertical orientation
increased the size of R. In the formula for speed, in which
velocity correlates to the square root of R times g, a greater
value of R contributes to higher speed.
There are many examples of the animal design for
changing speeds. A human has two speeds: walk and
run. A horse has three speeds: walk, trot, and gallop. The
human and the horse increase their speeds by increasing
the height from which their centers of gravity fall during
each locomotion cycle.
From the walk to the gallop, the horse body movement
changes abruptly such that the amplitude of the jump
increases stepwise. The animal body with three different
designs for movement (rhythm) is like one vehicle with one
engine and a gearbox with three speeds.
Engineering and Nature
The evolutionary designs of nature have arrived at wheel-
like locomotion and at changes in body movement that result
in changing speeds. The designs developed by humans are
late comers to this long evolutionary sequence. They come
from the same natural tendency to move on Earth more eas-
ily, to go with the flow. The human wheel and gearbox were
not copied from nature. They are not fruits of biomimetics.
These artifacts are part of our own evolutionary design for
moving our mass on the landscape.
Engineering makes a contribution to understanding design
in nature—a contribution that the other sciences cannot
make. Biologists and geophysicists argue that one cannot
witness and test “evolution” because of the enormous time
scale of the phenomenon. Engineers bring an important
idea to the current debate of design and evolution in nature.
Yes, we can witness and test evolution during our lifetime,
by studying the evolution of our designs and technologies.
These evolutionary designs illustrate the time direction of
the constructal law, which unites animate and inanimate
design phenomena. ■
To Learn More
This article is based on three recent research articles:
A. Bejan, 2010, “The constructal-law origin of the wheel, size,
and skeleton in animal design,” American Journal of Physics, Vol.
78(7), July, pp. 692-699.
J. D. Charles and A. Bejan, 2009, “The evolution of speed, size,
and shape in modern athletics,” Journal of Experimental Biology,
Vol. 212, pp. 2419-2425.
A. Bejan and S. Lorente, 2010, “The constructal law of design
and evolution in nature,”Philosophical Transactions of the Royal
Society B, Biological Sciences, Vol. 365, pp. 1335-1347.
See also the constructal-law portal at www.constructal.org.
This research was sponsored by the National Science Foun-
dation and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.
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me.hotims.com/34754-16 or circle 16
 Solving the
Puzzle of

By Edward Hayman and Clyde Neely

J
igsaw puzzles are a familiar form of entertainment. If noth-
ing else, they provide an exercise in patience and in obser-
vation of detail. We give simple ones, with perhaps eight
or a dozen pieces, to small children so they can learn about
shapes and practice their fine motor skills.
We might expect, then, that a puzzle of only three major compo-
nents—flanges, bolts, and gaskets—would present no challenge, even for
adults, but experience teaches us otherwise.
Sure, some joints are simple and work satisfactorily with little effort,
like the puzzles for children, but many others prove to be more chal-
lenging. Some at times seem to need pieces
that aren’t in the box. Someone can spend When bolts, flanges, and
countless hours trying to get those three com- gaskets don’t seem to
ponents to work together properly.
This is understandable when you consider cooperate, there’s a guide
that the components come in multiples and that can reveal the solution.
that each one has its own set of variations.
The components come in many sizes, materials, and qualities. They can
be arranged in many configurations and be required to meet an assort-
ment of operating conditions to differing design margins.
Now add in the experience, knowledge, and skill levels of the assem-
blers, and you are beginning to see the full picture. Perhaps one of the
most telling things is the variations among the individual components.
Even with the highest levels of quality control, fasteners, gaskets, and
flanges perform their work to varying degrees.
Bolted flange joints are found just about everywhere in industry, so
it is surprising at times to consider the lack of knowledge concerning
them in the industrial world. It wasn’t as surprising ten years ago, when

48 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING June 2011

 THE BIG
PUZZLE:
The task
involves three
types of pieces—
flanges, bolts,
and gaskets—
but sometimes
the solution is
elusive, as if it
needs pieces
that aren’t in
the box.
information existed in scattered bits and people had to
search for it. That situation changed in a spectacular man-
ner early in 2001 when the newly formed ASME Pressure
Technology Post Construction Committee published its
first completed work, PCC-1-2000 Guidelines for Pressure
Boundary Bolted Flange Joint Assembly, a non-mandatory
guideline. This document presented us with knowledge and
practices specific to the assembly of bolted flange joints.
The puzzle solution that came from this box was the most
definitive to date and allowed those dealing with bolted
joints to assemble the variables by methods that had been
used successfully for many years by many people.
About the same time that the original edition of PCC-1
was published, several new assembly methods were being
developed that would prove faster and often yield bet-
ter results than previous best methods. In 2010 a revised
PCC-1 was published that brought new breadth and added
clarity to the picture.
The two of us have worked with bolted joint assembly for
a combined total of more than 90 years. We find today that
PCC-1-2010 is helping people across industry not only to
assemble bolted flange joints but also to establish joint
integrity programs, procedures, and best practices.
The 2010 document contains, for instance, a whole sec-
tion on bolt stress—the unit load that should be put on the
bolts—and includes tables as well. In the past, we found
that a majority of decision makers chose to calculate bolt
stress based on bolt diameter or a percentage of
minimum bolt yield strength. One predomi-
nant method many found to work was to
High- apply 50 or 60 percent of yield, and
pressure, they used it across the board, but it
breech lock
heat exchang- didn’t always work well. Equally
ers create sealing used was the method of applying
challenges due 50 ksi to all bolts, which also met
to the enormous with limited success.
compressive load
developed across
a relatively
small gasket
contact
area.
50 mechanical engineering June 2011
PCC-1-2010 shifts the emphasis to gasket stress and gas-
ket type. Using this information, the bolt load required to
achieve a certain level of gasket stress within a satisfactory
range of flange stress and rotation, you can make a much
better decision regarding the bolt load for the particular
joint under consideration.
Once you have chosen a target bolt load, what tighten-
ing method do you use? PCC-1-2010 has guidance on this
subject as it categorizes joints based on service applica-
tions in a table and discusses details in the “Tightening of
Bolts” section. There is also a section called “Alternatives
to Legacy Tightening Sequence/Pattern.” Load validation
methods and tools are presented in these sections as well
as diagrams of load indicator bolts.
The most common method of controlled tightening is
torque, and the most common question about this is what
bolt torque to use. PCC-1-2010 provides instruction and
information pertinent to bolt torque values. However, to
be even close to having a bolt torque that achieves a given
bolt load or stress, you must manage the friction causing
variables.
There are at least four major considerations that influ-
ence obtaining the torque to achieve an approximate
load—five, if you count load validation methods. To
achieve an even gasket stress within a range of a target,
first you have to create conditions that limit friction and
friction variations. Next you want each bolt to encounter
the same friction.
Third you need a procedure of tightening that will re-
duce bolt interaction and provide repeatability from bolt
to bolt performed by competent people. This includes ac-
curate, consistently performing, and reliable torque tools,
gauges, and pumps used by well-trained technicians.
Fourth you should understand and use a calculation
method or chart that best represents the conditions you
have, and last, when deemed necessary, you should vali-
date the load achieved by the torque applied.
The aspect of validating the load will become your edu-
cator for future choices. All of this information should be
contained in a procedural document and each task record-
ed as completed. As stated earlier, all of PCC-1-2010 con-
tains information pertaining to choosing a most appropri-
ate target torque value. Be sure not to overlook the less ob-
vious topics such as “Cleaning and Examination of Flange
and Fastener Contact Surfaces,” “Alignment of Flanged
VSP Technologies
Joints,” “Installation of Gaskets,” “Lubrication of Work-
ing Surfaces,” “Installation of Bolts,” or the appendices on
washers (Appendix M) and reuse of bolts (Appendix N).
You’ll find vital pieces of the puzzle in all of these pages.
Edward Hayman is a retired bolting service contractor who
specialized in training and consulting on bolted joint assem-
bly. Clyde Neely is a Fellow of Becht Engineering Co. Inc. in
St. Albans, W.Va. Both are members of the ASME Pressure
Technology Post Construction Committee, as well as the
Subcommittee on Flange Joint Assembly, which Neely chairs.

It is hard to place an exact price tag on most of PCC-
VSP Technologies
1-2010 contents, but when you look at the alternative
tightening sequences you will find methods that directly
shorten the assembly time. Other benefits of using and
following the guidance in PCC-1-2010 are associated with
passing hydro-tests the first time, quicker, leak-free start-
ups, reduced bolted flange joint emissions and joint fail-
ures, longer leak-free run cycles, and documentation for
quality control and future reference.
If you look at the much bigger picture, you will see
reduced greenhouse gases, reduced construction and
maintenance costs, increased productivity, and a can-do
attitude where bolted joints are the subject.
The guidance of PCC-1-2010 can be applied at just about
every stage of the development and use of bolted flange
joints. Following are a few of the people who can benefit
from knowing this document.
Design engineers can use it to explore design issues,
field assembly practices, and available assembly methods
as they relate to their designs. They can design with PCC-
1-2010 information in mind. Stated as part of the criteria,
Gasket
selection,
assembly
torque load, and
assembly pattern
require critical
review with thin,
loose ring flanges
routinely used
with alloy piping
in the chemi-
cal process
they should include a written assembly industry.
procedure based on best practices ac-
cording to PCC-1-2010. Having a working
knowledge of the best practices will be valu-
able if the vessel flange joints leak after assembly.
According to Jörg Albrecht, managing director of Hevi
Technology, a provider of joint assembly equipment and
quality control training, “Being able to correctly calculate
necessary bolt loads, flange stresses, and then provide torque
targets is only one part of the [bolted flange joint design]
process. Engineers also need to make sure that the results of
their careful analysis don’t get thrown to the wind-as they
often do. Consider the frustrations of many of your contem-
poraries who’ve otherwise correctly designed a pressure
interface, only to be told that they obviously made a mistake
because the joint isn’t reliable in the field.”
There are holes in the puzzle between the designing of
flanges and the assembly of the same; this is why PCC-1
was written. Albrecht goes on to advise other designers to
complete their fine work by filling in the holes.
“Make sure that you’ve also got a copy of ASME PCC-1-
2010,” he said. “Don’t finish your spec with a torque value
June 2011 | mechanical engineering 51
as many unfortunately do. Doing so leaves too many open
holes. Seal those holes by using this publication to ensure
that your intentions of reliable and safe joints will be met.”
No one intentionally designs a flange joint to fail, nei-
ther does one intentionally assemble
flange joints to fail, but the assembly
“As a intentions of the designer must be
communicated to the assembler.
project This often results in a change
manager, of practice and a learning
experience for both the
I see the  engineer and the assembler
principles of but look at what Albrecht
says about the outcome.
PCC-1 as an Following the document’s
important guidelines may require
part of more of assemblers, but the
results will be worth any
my career extra effort. “The hard-hats
success.” will probably curse you for mak-
ing their job a little more difficult,”
Albrecht said, “but the clients will
love you because their plants won’t be
leaking on start-up or come crashing down in the middle
of a production run.
Front line engineers can use the guidelines to
ensure that all of the proper assembly elements are con-
sidered and applied. They may also be able to identify the
need for an improved gasket, though there is no procedure
for choosing the replacement gasket as this technology is
broad and constantly changes.
Appendix D has flange face condition tolerances based
on types of gaskets (soft or hard) and Appendix O illus-
trates assembly bolt stress determination methods based
on gasket stress and type. Although these are only two of
the factors in the decision making process they may be the
critical ones. The document can also be used as a training
manual for assembly personnel, and in the event of leak-
age, it contains a troubleshooting guide (Appendix P).
Project managers can use PCC-1-2010 as a guide to
develop assembly methods and practices, to train person-
nel, and to reduce overall construction cost. Assembled
according to these practices, most systems will pass leak
and hydrostatic tests the first time and start up leak-free.
The big payoff is long-term performance and increased
ease of disassembly during the maintenance of a plant.
Terry Lowery is a former project manager for Superior
Plant Services, LLC and currently is with Industrial Spe-
cialty Services, LLC, a division of Brand Energy and Infra-
structure Services.
“Over the past 11 years on various projects under my
supervision we have developed and implemented bolted
joint assembly procedures that have incorporated the
principles contained in PCC-1-2000 and the revision of
that document, PCC-1-2010,” Lowery said. “For example,
52 mechanical engineering June 2011
on one project in Louisiana there were over 7,000 bolted
joints assembled, 930 of those were DEP tested at 2,175
psi with nitrogen, and there were only three bolted joint
assemblies that leaked. Those particular leaks were on
valve bonnets assembled by the manufacturer. As a project
manager, I see the principles of PCC-1 as an important
part of my career success.”
Project managers may even find they can negotiate a
bonus based on reduced bolted flange joint leakage for the
first five years of operation.
Maintenance and construction personnel
from superintendents to plant mechanics and craftsmen
are perhaps the individuals who benefit the most from
acquiring the knowledge and skill levels associated with
mastering the best practices contained in PCC-1-2010. By
applying these practices, they will come to be associated
with producing good work and leak-free bolted flange
joints. When others are searching for answers they will
already have the answers. As a proven skillful and knowl-
edgeable tradesman, an employee’s value is increased to
his employer. He not only increases benefits to his family,
but also lives in a safer community because of the reduced
hazards associated with bolted flange joints.
Inspection personnel should study PCC-1-2010 as
the industry assigns greater responsibility to them in mat-
ters of quality control.
Bolting contractors should know all that is con-
tained in PCC-1-2010 as a platform for excellence in their
trade, which is to help solve problems associated with
bolted flange joints. PCC-1-2010 comprises the basics
for successful bolted flange joint assemblies and trouble-
shooting.
Training coordinators must have PCC-1-2010 in
their library as a go-to source. Training all those associat-
ed with bolted flange joint assembly on the best practices
contained in PCC-1-2010 is paramount in qualifying an
individual for the assembly task.
Purchasing agents and buyers will also help
those they work for if they know PCC-1-2010. It is impor-
tant to know why those following the guidelines specify
various items and services, and also important to know
why it is risky to substitute or omit anything. Such things
as gaskets, washers, lubricants, and specialty services fall
in this category. Failure of a substituted part or quality of
service can thwart the overall integrity of the joint.
As puzzles go, the assembly of bolted joints has many
pieces including the variations of each component, service
condition, and individual involved. The integrity of the
bolted flange joint at each stage of its prolonged service
life is the goal of ASME PCC-1-2010 Guidelines for Pres-
sure Boundary Bolted Flange Joint Assembly. n
 newproducts
Proximity sensors
AutomationDirect, Cumming, GA.
Shielded 8 mm sensors are flush-
mountable and feature a 2 mm sensing
range. Available with either M8 or M12
quick disconnects, they are equipped
with LED status indicators visible at
wide angles, and have PNP outputs.
PEW series inductive proximity sen-
sors are priced at $45. Also new are the
LF40 series rectangular inductive dc
proximity sensors. Two shielded and
two unshielded models are available
with 20 mm or 35 mm sensing ranges.
The rectangular plastic PNP sensors
provide either normally open or nor-
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mentary outputs. LF40 series sensor
prices start at $39.
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Sanitary transducers
Omega Engineering, Stamford,
Conn. PRS-TMM12 series transduc-
ers are designed for use in sanitary or
hygienic clean-in-place applications in
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biopharmaceutical industries. The
transducers are manufactured with
316L stainless steel housings that meet
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requirements
of 3-A Stan-
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Price starts at $225.
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End mills for titanium
MAG IAS LLC, Erlanger, Ky. New
Cyclo Cut Max-Flute high-perfor-
mance end mills are designed for
roughing titanium and other alloys.
They have a 16-flute design capable of
high removal rates at low torque. The
high-density end mills run at 2037 rpm
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Max-Flute tools use shallow, radial
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to the cutting tool and extend tool life.
The design also allows higher surface
speeds for roughing titanium, Inconel,
and other high temperature alloys that
have traditionally required high torque
at low rpm to achieve desired removal
rates. Used in conjunction with True-
Mill software, Max-Flute end mills
maintain a constant angle of engage-
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Machine monitor/analyzer
Emerson Process Management,
Knoxville, Tenn. CSI 2600 Machin-
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Online moni-
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nance planning. The CSI 2600 is
equipped with PeakVue technology to
identify developing bearing and gear
faults before they damage machinery.
Vibration analysts can capture start-
up or coastdown data for a turbine
generator or turbo compressor using
proven transient capabilities. The CSI
2600 can be transported and left at
remote sites for extended monitoring
and remote communication.
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Positioning sensor
Sick USA, Minneapolis. The Inspec-
tor P series offers a flexible method for
part location and provides a precise
positioning point of a known target.
The Inspector P series also adds
blob detection, which gives posi-
tion information of irregular shaped
objects and is suit-
able for operations
such as picking up
food from a belt.
The P30 reports
the x, y, and rotation
angle of the part over
TCP/IP Ethernet com-
munication or via four
digital switching outputs.
When working with known
objects, the user can add
in “grip regions” to verify
June 2011 | mechanical engineering 53
newproducts
Six-Axis
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that a part is unobstructed and can easily be picked by an
automated picking system.
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Marking machines
SIC Marking, Lissieu, France. With its autosensing
capability, the C151 z-a marking machine is particu-
larly targeted at the aeronautics industry, offering good
repeatability and traceability. The machine can mark
high-quality and extremely consistent Datamatrix codes
in real time, providing durable marking which remains
readable under all circumstances. For this purpose, the
machine has been fitted with special technology called
autosensing. Autosensing detects the surface to be
engraved, and positions the machine at the optimal dis-
tance to trigger strikes for consistent micropercussion.
The C151 z-a can move from one marking job to the next
automatically, maintaining part traceability.
www.me.hotims.com/34754-45 or circle 45
Wireless clamp meter
Fluke, Everett, Wash. The Fluke 381 clamp meter
has a wireless display, which allows a technician to leave
the clamp in place and take the measurement readout to
another location up to 30 feet away and watch readouts.
The unit’s fixed jaw can measure ac and dc current to
1,000 amps. The iFlex flexible current probe measures
current to 2,500 amps. The meter’s safety rating is CAT
IV 600 V, CAT III 1,000 V. The U.S. manufacturer’s sug-
gested retail price for the Fluke 381 is $498.95.
www.me.hotims.com/34754-46 or circle 46
AS-Interface gateways
Pepperl + Fuchs, Twinsburg, Ohio. The ENX series
of AS-Interface gateways supports both Modbus/TCP and
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standard and safety networks in a single gateway. They
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All models come with integrated duplicate address, noise,
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Corrugated tubes
Altech Corp., Flemington, N.J.
Corrugated tubes offer ideal protec-
tion for cables against impact and
isolation of a pneumatic power source
and is conventionally key-free. The
revised modular design allows the unit
to be used in conjunction with other
functional modules. The unit has been
designed to complement the Fortress
mGard range of mechanical key inter-
locks for heavy applications, which
work by releasing and trapping keys in
a predetermined sequence to ensure
LP-100-A.ai 1 7/27/2009 1:34:22 PM
safe operation of dangerous machin-
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to create unique configurations.
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abrasion in wind turbine appli-

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Modular pneumatic valve

Fortress Interlocks Ltd.,
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June 2011 | mechanical engineering 55

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 positionsopen Faculty Positions in
BILKENT UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ENGINEERING Mechanical En- Mechanical Engineering
gineering Faculty Position Announcement The Mechanical Engineering
Department at Bilkent University is in the process of hiring additional fac-
ulty members and seeks candidates for multiple positions to start Fall
2011 and later. Appointments may be made at Assistant Professor, as well
as at Associate Professor or Full Professor rank for candidates with com-
mensurate experiences and accomplishments.Development of first-class
research and education laboratories are underway to enable the new

T
faculty to immediately start and continue their research without interrup-
tion. Faculty duties include teaching at the graduate and undergraduate he Department of Mechanical Engineering at
levels, research, and supervision of theses. The department will consider Qassim University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia invites
candidates with backgrounds and interests in all areas mechanical engi-
neering.Nominations and applications should describe the professional applications for faculty positions. The responsibilities for
interests and goals of the candidate in both teaching and research. Each the positions include teaching and research.
application should include a resume and the names and contact informa-
tion of three or more individuals who will provide letters of recommenda- Applicants should hold a PhD degree in Mechanical
tion. Please send all nominations and applications to:Professor A. Akay,
Faculty of Engineering, Bilkent University,Bilkent, Ankara TR-06800, Tur- engineering. Preference will be given to the
key, Email: akay@bilkent.edu.tr Information about the university and the candidates who have experience of development and
department can be found at http://www.me.bilkent.edu.tr/index.html and implementation of new, cutting edge technologies that will
http://www.bilkent.edu.tr
aid the department to further enhance research activities.
Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering School
of Engineering and Applied Sciences Assistant Professor Positions (Me- The University provides very competitive remuneration
chanical Engineering) The University of the District of Columbia, School package (non taxable) with attractive benefits like free
of Engineering and Applied Sciences invites applications for tenure-track
assistant professor positions in Mechanical Engineering in the general medical facilities for self and family, free schooling,
area of renewable energy engineering and bio-engineering. The positions housing allowance, two months paid vacations, four free
are expected to be effective August 2011. These positions are focused
towards a faculty member who will contribute to the growth of the De- return tickets/year and attractive research start-up grants.
partment’s undergraduate and future graduate programs. For the renew-
able energy engineering position, the successful candidate must have a Applicants should sent a curriculum vitae clearly
PhD degree, preferably in Mechanical Engineering or closely related field, mentioning the list of publications, experience, a
with experience in renewable energy and energy efficiency. For the bio-
engineering position, the successful candidate must have a PhD degree, statement of research and teaching interest and
preferably in Bio-Engineering or closely related field, with experience in achievements accompanying with list of at least two
microfluidics and nano-devices. We seek an outstanding teacher and
scholar committed to student’s success. The positions involve undergrad- references to job@qec.edu.sa. There is no deadline for
uate teaching, advising and research in the broad areas of mechanical receiving applications and the search will continue until
and bio engineering. The successful candidates are expected to have
strong commitment to research, scholarship, externally-funded research the positions are filled.
and future graduate programs and service to the Department’s program-
matic needs. The successful applicants will also have opportunity to work
collaboratively with other faculty and help develop cross-disciplinary re-
search. Applications from women and minorities are encouraged. The
School of Engineering offers ABET accredited undergraduate engineer-
ing degrees program in civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering, and
computer science, along with graduate programs in electrical engineering
Next month in
and computer science. Applicants should send a letter of interest with a
curriculum vitae, statement of educational philosophy, statement of re-
search interests, and list of three references directly to mijohnson@udc.
edu, Office of Dean, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Bldg.
42/ Suite 212, 4200 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington DC, 20008
(email preferred). Each reference should send a recommendation let-
ter separately to the same e-address. The position will remain open until
filled. The University of the District of Columbia is an equal opportunity
employer. http://www.udc.edu.

Vehicle Structure Engineer, Greenville, AL: Bachelor’s degree

in Mechanical Engineering or related field required. Must have 2 yrs. exp.
in vehicle structure development and maintenance. Resume to Hwashin
America Corp., 661 Montgomery Hwy., Greenville, AL 36037.
Focus on MEMS:
Sr. Paint System Engineer, Montgomery, AL: Bachelor’s degree in Health-monitoring clothes
Mech. Engineering plus 5 yrs. exp. which must include exp. in paint circu-
lation systems in automotive ind. Resume to HYCO Systems, Inc., 5962
Montichello Dr., Montgomery, AL 36117.

Faculty, Open Rank - Mechanical Engineering The Depart- Tech Focus:

ment of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, College
Park is seeking to fill two tenured/tenure-track faculty positions to begin
in January 2012. Candidates for the rank of Assistant Professor should be
Power transmission
creative and adaptable, and should have a high potential for both teaching
and research. Applicants should have received or expect to receive their
and motion control
PhD in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline prior to January
2012. Candidates for the ranks of Associate or Full Professor should have
distinguished records in research and a strong interest in educational pro-
grams. Priority will be given to candidates with expertise in one or more
of the following areas: Combustion and Energy Sciences, Design, Dy-
Washington Window
namical Systems, Energy Systems Engineering, Prognostics and Health
Management, and Risk Analysis and Reliability Engineering. TO APPLY:
Please visit the UMD employment website http://jobs.umd.edu, posting
# 105898. For best consideration, applications should be submitted by
August 1, 2011, but the positions will remain open until filled. Inquires
ASME News
may be sent to: mejobs@umd.edu. Please visit our website: www.enme.
umd.edu. The University of Maryland is an EEO/AA employer. Women
and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.

60 mechanical engineering | June 2011

 0808PosOpps:PosOpps_07_10_v2Q6 7/30/08
advertiserindex
1:45 PM Page 62
Advertising Sales Offices
East Coast Michael Reier
Get free information by phone, fax, e -mail, or mail.
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Bel Air, MD 21014 circle the reader service numbers on the postage-paid Product
(410) 893-8003; fax (410) 893-8004 Information Card following page 32 and mail it; or go
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s_07_10_v2Q6 7/30/08 1:45 PM Preference
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with expertise in areas that fill current needs in
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heat transfer, nuclear engineering, andSystems
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State-of-the Art Patent Searches
mcnultyt@asme.org
inations or applications should be submitted
Marsh Affinity by C3 01 EARKAI Intellectual Property Services
(215) 538-2621
e-mail to odonnemc@engr.sc.edu. Application Dr. Radhakrishnan Chander, Ph.D.; rchander@cox.net
packages,
Southwest Richard W. Carpenter in the form of a single Master
PDF Bond
document, 58 216 www.masterbond.com
Advanced Engineering Degrees (201) 343-8983

itions open 26882 Zapata

should include 1) vitae, 2) statement of research
Mission Viejo, CA 92691-4330
contact
Mathworks and 4)
Circle 3) statement of teaching interests,
plans,
National Instruments
information for three references. The se-
3
13
04
09
www.mathworks.com/accelerate
10+yrs . of IP Experience(508) 647-7000
5011 Chanticleer Avenue, Annandale, VA 22003
www.ni.com/data_logger (888) 280-7645
703.425.7478(P) 703.425.3892(F) www.earkai.com
lection
(949) 235-0309; process
fax (949) will begin on October 1, 2008,
716-6981
and will continue until the positions Newark/Element
are filled.14 15, 58 11, 218 www.newark.com (800) 4- Newark
carpenterr@asme.org
The University of South Carolina Omega
ould be addressed to Dr. Samuel
is an Equal Op- 1, 47, 56 03, 16, 200, www.omega.com (888) TC-Omega
portunity/ Affirmative Action Employer. Minori- 201, 202
Committee, Department of Me- ties and women are encouraged to apply.
eering, Braude West Coast
College, Richard
POB 78, Ayer Pointwise, Inc. 9, 57 07, 213 www.pointwise.com (817) 377-2807
sgazit@braude.ac.il. 127 Avenida del Mar, Suite 2A
San Clemente, CA 92672 Protolabs 17, 57 12, 214 www.protolabs.com (877) 479-3680
FACULTY POSITIONS, MECHANICAL ENGI-
NEERING
fax: (949)DEPARTMENT, Simulia
VANDERBILT UNI- 23 15 www.3ds.com (33) 1-61-62-61-62
TY OF SOUTH CAROLINA,(949) DE-366-9089; 366-9289
VERSITY. The Department of Mechanical En-Co.
F MECHANICAL ENGINEER- ayerr@asme.org Smalley Steel Ring 55, 56 19, 203 www.smalley.com (847) 719-5900
gineering at Vanderbilt University invites appli-
ng applications for faculty posi- cations for one or more faculty positionsSwagelok to begin 57 208 www.swagelok.com (440) 349- 5934
ructor, Assistant, Associate, and Fall 2009. Applications will be considered for po-
evels. Applicants must possess a sitions at all ranks commensurate Thomas Division
with qualifi- 57 212 www.gd-thomas.com (920) 457- 4891
nical Engineering or closely relat- cations. Applicants must possessTormach a Ph.D. in Me- 56 204 www.tormach.com (608) 849- 8381
ence will be given to candidates
Business
n areas that fill current needs in Office
chanical Engineering or closely related disci-
Vibration
pline, and have expertise and research interests Test Systems 54 18 www.VTS2000.com (330) 562-5729
(fuel cells, photovoltaic power, that are synergistic with existing YasKawaresearch Electric America
areas C4, 58 02, 215 www.yaskawa.com 1-800-YASKAWA
Three Park Avenue
uclear engineering, and biomedi- in the department, including combustion,
g), but outstanding applicants Professionalmi-
Novelty; Validity; Infringement/Clearance
New York, inNY 10016-5990
crofluidics, nanotechnology, mechatronics,
be given full consideration. Nom- State-of-the Art Patent Searches
Phone: (212) 591-7783; fax:portable power, and robotics. Successful candi-
(212) 591-7841
ications should be submitted by dates will be expected to build a strong, recruitment
EARKAI Intellectual Property Services
external- PAGE consulting PAGE
nemc@engr.sc.edu. Application ly funded research program and make Dr. Radhakrishnan
a signifi- Chander, Ph.D.; rchander@cox.net
e form of a single PDF document, cant contribution to the department’s
Nicholas J. Ferrari Corning research
Advanced Engineering Degrees 59 Design Engineering Analysis 61
1) vitae, 2) statement of research activities. The candidate should also have 10+yrs
a Knighthawk Engineering 61
Director,
ment of teaching Advertisingand
interests, Sales
4)and Publishing Development Qassim University . of IP Experience 60
marked interest in and talent for teaching in both
5011 Chanticleer Avenue, Annandale, VA 22003
tion for three references. The (212)
se-591-7534
the undergraduate (B.E.) and graduate (M.S. and 703.425.3892(F) www.earkai.com
703.425.7478(P)
Rotordynamics 61
s808PosOpps:PosOpps_07_10_v2Q6
will begin on October 1, 2008, 7/30/08
Ph.D.) programs. 1:45 University
Vanderbilt PM Page 62
is ranked
ue until the positions are filled. among the top 20 universities in the nation. The
of South Carolina is an Equal
mative Action Employer.
Micheline
Op- D. Turturro
Minori- B.E.,
Production & Manufacturing
consulting
Department of Mechanical Engineering offers
M.E., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees and has a
Supervisor
n are encouraged to apply. student body of about 265 undergraduates and
(212) 591-7786
40 Ph.D. students. Applications consisting of a ADVANCED SOFTWARE / CONSULTING SERVICES
cover letter, a complete curriculum vitae, state- Navier-Stokes Based Bearing and Seal Analysis,
SITIONS, MECHANICAL ENGI- ments of teaching and research interests, and FEA and Transfer Matrix-Based Rotordynamics
ARTMENT, VANDERBILT UNI- Anthony Asiaghi
the addresses of four references (include e-mail

positions open
Department of MechanicalMarketing &En-
nderbilt University invites (212)
or more faculty positions to begin
Promotion Managershould be sent to Professor R.W. Pitz,
address)
Chair, Search Committee, Department of Me-
appli-591-7345
chanical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Box
ph: (916) 660-0444
fax: (916) 660-0222
http://www.rsr.com
cations will be considered for po- 1592, Station B, Nashville, TN 37235-1592 (or e-mail: rsr@rsr.com
nks commensurate with qualifi- John Panza preferably send electronically to: robert.w.
pitz@vanderbilt.edu). 3302 Swetzer Road, Loomis, CA 95650
ants must possess
complete a CV
Ph.D.
Classified in Me-
should be addressed
Advertising List to Dr. Samuel Vanderbilt University is an
eering or Gazit,
closely related
Search disci- & Mailing
Committee, Affirmative
Department
Manager
Action/Equal
of Me- Opportunity Employer.
expertise chanical
and research (212) 591-7121
interests
Engineering, Women
Braude and POB
College, minorities
78, are encouraged to apply.
stic with existing
Kermiel,research areas
Israel, sgazit@braude.ac.il.
ent, including combustion, mi-
notechnology, mechatronics, POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
and robotics.
THE Successful
UNIVERSITY candi-
OF SOUTH POSITION
CAROLINA, AT THE DE-ADAPTIVE INTELLIGENT
pected to build a strong, OF
PARTMENT external-
MECHANICAL MATERIALS AND SYSTEMS (AIMS) CENTER.
ENGINEER-
rch programING,andis make a signifi-
accepting The Adaptive
applications for facultyIntelligent
posi- Materials and Systems
on to the department’s CenterAssociate,
researchAssistant,
tions at the Instructor, (http://aims.asu.edu)
and of Arizona State
candidate should also have a University,
Full Professor levels. Applicants must possess a Tempe, Arizona, has an opening for a
in and talent for teaching in both postdoctoral
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering or closely relat- candidate with a strong background
ate (B.E.) and graduate
ed field. (M.S. and
Preference will beingiven
one or to more of the following areas: Adaptive
candidates
s. Vanderbilt
withUniversity areas thatstructures
expertiseisinranked fill currentand needsintelligent
in systems, structural
20 universities in the nation.
the department Thecells,health
(fuel monitoring/damage
photovoltaic power, prognosis, multifunc- June 2011 | mechanical engineering 61
Mechanical Engineering offers tional materials, autonomous systems, and infor-
heat transfer, nuclear engineering, and biomedi- and sensor design. Quali-
mation management
S., and Ph.D. degrees and has a
cal engineering), but outstanding applicants in have earned a Ph.D. in Professional Novelty; Validity; Infringement/Clearance
f about 265 undergraduates
other and fullfied
areas will be given
candidates
consideration.
must
Nom- State-of-the Art Patent Searches
nts. Applications consisting of a Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or a relat-
ADVANCED SOFTWARE / CONSULTING SERVICES
 ASMENEWS
Fresno Scraper Finally Has Its Landmark Day
l The Fresno Scraper in operation. The device, created in 1883,
was originally designated an ASME Mechanical Engineering
Landmark in 1991.
Congress Briefed on Electric Vehicles
ASME, IEEE-USA, the National
Science Foundation, and Discover
magazine cooperated to convene a
congressional briefing, “The Road to
the New Energy Economy: Electric
Vehicles.” This is the third in a series
of briefings in 2010-2011 that highlight
various energy technologies. One of the
previous events focused on small mod-
ular nuclear reactors, and the other on
natural gas and turbine efficiency.
The event, which took place in March,
was moderated by Discover’s editor-in-
chief, Corey S. Powell.
ASME Fellow Jeff Stein, a mechani-
cal engineering professor at the
University of Michigan, discussed
technical challenges associated with
electric vehicles and discussed policies
that could accelerate the transition to
electric vehicles.
Stein also addressed the infrastruc-
ture challenges of accommodating
electrified vehicles, and discussed the
technology of batteries. They need to
work during cold or warm weather, and
to allow multiple functions within the
62 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | June 2011
Compiled from ASME Public Information dispatches.
T
wenty years after its initial ASME Mechanical Engineer-
ing Landmark designation, the Fresno Scraper has finally
found a home: the San Joaquin County Historical Society
and Museum in Lodi, Calif. ASME marked the occasion in
March with a re-designation ceremony at the museum.
The Scraper, which was created in 1883, was first designated as
a landmark in 1991 in anticipation of its acceptance at a proposed
Fresno, Calif.-area museum that was never built. Since then,
William J. Adams Jr.—an ASME Honorary Member, Life Fellow,
and former ASME History and Heritage Committee member—
has made it his mission to find the Scraper a home and have its
landmark status recognized.
Participants joining Adams in the re-designation included Larry
Ruhstaller, chair of the Board of Supervisors, County of San
Joaquin; Claude Brown, trustee, San Joaquin County Historical
Society and Museum; Ken Vogel, county supervisor, Lodi District;
Dick Pawliger, chair of the ASME History and Heritage Committee;
and Bob Nickell, past-president of ASME.
automobile like heating and cooling. portation sector, where petroleum
Genevieve Cullen, vice president for engines have been dominant for more
the Electric Drive Vehicle Association, than a century.
spoke about the challenges and ben- The event was recorded and is avail-
efits of owning and operating an elec- able to view online at http://discover-
tric vehicle. Cullen also spoke about magazine.com/events/road-to-new-
the need to diversify fuel sources to energy-economy.
accommodate innovation in the trans- — Rob Rains, ASME Government Relations
p One of participants in the brief-
ing on electric vehicls brought a
three-wheel concept car created
by Myers Motors of Akron, Ohio.
ROB RAINS/ASME
 ‘New Faces’ E-Week Program Expands ASME MEMBER
to Include College Students TO HEAD ASEE

T
he New Faces of Engineering
program—an early-career
engineer recognition effort that
is a major part of the annual
Engineers Week celebration each
February—is expanding. The original
program, which highlights working
engineers under the age of 30 with
a full-page announcement in USA
Today during Engineers Week, will
be augmented with a new recognition
initiative for university students, New
Faces: College Edition.
New Faces: College Edition, cur-
rently live on Facebook (www.face-
book.com/collegeedition), is intended
to acknowledge the achievements of
third-, fourth-, and fifth-year engineer-
ing students and provide a forum where
JESSICA SLATER, ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
deadline for submissions is Oct. 7, and
finalists will be announced on Oct. 28.
To participate, students must be a
member of ASME or one of the 12 other
engineering associations that comprise
the Engineers Week Committee: the
American Council of Engineering
Companies, the American Institute
of Chemical Engineers, the American
Society of Agricultural and Biological
Engineers, the American Society of
Civil Engineers, the American Society
of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-
Conditioning Engineers, the Institute
of Electrical and Electronics Engineers,
the Institute of Industrial Engineers,
the National Council of Examin-
ers for Engineering and Surveying,
the National Society of Professional
Norman L. Fortenberry, an ASME
member and a longtime leader in
education scholarship who has
held senior positions at the National
Science Foundation and National Acad-
emy of Engineering, has been named
executive director of the American
Society for Engineering Education.
The executive director of ASEE has
the direct and full-time responsibility
for executive and administrative man-
agement of the continuing operations
and headquarters functions of ASEE
and serves as secretary to the board of
directors.

students can communicate with the Engineers, the Society of Manufactur-

Foundation throughout the year.
The Facebook page also offers a source
of academic and professional develop-
ment opportunities available to them
from National Engineers Week Founda-
tion’s engineering association, univer-
sity, and corporate partners. Students
can meet with their engineering peers
in every field and learn about other
events, internships, jobs, competitions,
engineering associations, and more.
New Faces: College Edition applica-
tions will be available Aug. 15. The
ing Engineers, the Society of Petroleum
Engineers, or the United States Army
Corps of Engineers.
Additional information will be added
throughout the year to the E-Week web-
site (www.eweek.org).
ASME is the lead society for next
l Norman Fortenberry
year’s Engineers Week, Feb. 19-25,
2012. In the months leading up to Engi-
Fortenberry is founding director of
neers Week 2012, ASME will be plan-
the Center for the Advancement of
ning and organizing the many activities
Scholarship on Engineering Education
that will make up the event with its
E-Week corporate sponsor, Battelle. at the National Academy of Engineer-
ing. The center, also known as CASEE,

Energy-Water Focus of 2011 ASME Congress promotes research on teaching

The 2011 ASME International
Mechanical Engineering Congress
and Exposition will take "Energy
and Water Scarcity” as its keynote
theme to highlight efforts of the global
engineering community to bring practi-
cal and much-needed solutions to the
challenges of energy and environmental
sustainability.
IMECE also will include a new techni-
cal track devoted to the energy-water
connection, particularly technologies
for reducing the use of water in power
plants or for using alternative sources
of water.
Other technical tracks include
aerospace technology, manufacturing,
dynamic systems, safety engineering,
and transportation. The conference
also will explore the integration of
microsystems, nanoengineering for
energy, medicine and biology, fluid and
thermal systems, mechatronics and
intelligent machines, and a number of
other topics on the forefront of engi-
neering innovation.
The Student Design Competition this
year has challenged students to design
a scaled proof-of-concept prototype for
rain energy conversion. Major fund-
ing for the competition is provided by
Boeing.
For more information visit www.
asmeconferences.org/Congress2011.
and learning and seeks to translate
research results into improved educa-
tional practices.
Fortenberry has been a director of
the Division of Undergraduate Educa-
tion at the National Science Founda-
tion, executive director of the National
Consortium for Graduate Degrees for
Minorities in Engineering and Sci-
ence, and a member of the mechanical
engineering faculty at Florida A&M
University—Florida State University
College of Engineering. He is a Fellow
of ASEE and the American Association
for the Advancement of Science. He has
been an ASME member since 1984.

June 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 63

inputoutput
T
he anxiety of being
trapped in a vehicle
after an accident can
be made worse by the
deafening noise of
equipment and sec-
tions of steel being
pulled apart as rescu-
ers work to get you out.
Two Ball State University entrepre-
neurship majors, recognizing this, are
working to bring to market a much qui-
eter laser cutting system originally cre-
ated for military use.
Meanwhile, another pair of Ball State
entrepreneurship majors plans to bring
a lifelike skin product to market by 2012.
Originally developed by a military en-
gineer for use in ballistics testing, Sim
Skin will come in several thicknesses
to imitate skin that thins as people age,
said Sean Linehan, a member of the pair.
Produced in various hues, the product
will be molded so as to layer more easily
upon artificial limbs than does current
simulated skin.
The projects are part of Military 2
Market, a partnership between Ball
State, in Muncie, Ind., and the U.S. Na-
val Surface Warfare Center, Crane Di-
vision, in Crane, Ind. The partnership
brings military technology to civilians
by commercializing patents developed
at Crane and at other military installa-
tions, said Michael Goldsby, executive
director at the university’s Entrepre-
neurship Center.
Students select technology from gov-
ernment intellectual properties, then
develop commercial applications, he
said. Along the way, they get coaching
from Navy technology transfer officers,
laboratory scientists, university faculty,
and other mentors.
“Our relationship with Crane gives
students opportunities to work with
some of America’s best scientists and
engineers,” Goldsby said. “In return,
the public gets products developed
by Ball State and the Department of
Defense.”
The Beam of Life Device, or BOLD, is
the laser cutting system that John Ben-
64 mechanical engineering | June 2011
From Military to Market
jamin and Adam Odgaard hope to mar-
ket by 2012. The system could replace
the cutting blades and hydraulic tools
currently used by emergency rescue
teams for extricating accident victims
from their vehicles, Benjamin said.
“The first time we saw the system be-
ing used at Crane, we both thought, this
is something that could easily change
the way accident victims are cut out
of vehicles,” Benjamin said. “It cuts
through a few inches of steel in just sec-
onds. Emergency personnel want to get
the victim to the hospital in the golden
hour, or the first 60 minutes after an
Military 2
Market: Sean
Linehan and Dawn
Savidge of Ball State
with Sim Skin (right).
The Beam of Life
Device (below) was
developed by John
Benjamin and Adam
Odgaard.
accident, in order to improve a person’s
ability to survive.”
The device requires less space, weighs
hundreds of pounds less, is easier to
wield, and is faster to set up than current
hydraulic systems, including the Jaws of
Life, Benjamin said.
The system makes almost no noise as it
slices through steel, which allows emer-
gency personnel to talk with the victim,
Odgaard added.
“Hydraulic systems are very noisy as
they pull steel apart,” he said.
One person can carry BOLD. Hydrau-
lic systems require several people to
transport and need a large generator
usually housed on a truck. The BOLD
system also produces fewer sparks
than a traditional hydraulic system—an
important consideration for improv-
ing safety at sites where fuel tanks may
have ruptured, Benjamin said.
The students are working with an In-
diana firm to develop the prototype and
plan to move ahead with manufacturing
in coming months. The unit will be less
expensive than the majority of devices
on the market, they said. 
Sim Skin has potential in medical
training as well as prosthetics, said
Dawn Savidge, who is at work with Line-
han on the simulated skin project.
“Our research has found nothing that
comes as close to simulating human skin
as our product,” she said. “In fact, we
found that the cost of a human body part
used in a medical school can run as high
as several thousand dollars. We talked to
several respected people in the medical
field, including one doctor who recalled
he had practiced his suturing skills on a
towel wrapped around a sponge.”
Linehan and Savidge have been assist-
ed in their initial research by Linehan’s
parents, who work in medical facilities
in the Indianapolis area.
“We got to see open heart surgery at
one hospital, which gave us a real idea
of what it would take for our product to
work,” Linehan said. “The feedback we
received was invaluable.”
Many Military 2 Market participants
plan to start companies as soon as they
complete their bachelor’s degrees,
Benjamin said.
And by that time, they’ll certainly have
logged first-hand experience.
Jean Thilmany
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