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« February 2005 | Main | April 2005 »
March 31, 2005
In Search of the Next American Inventor
Finally, inventors and entrepreneurs are getting their shot at reality show fame. Should we look forward to a smarter, savvier set of contestants?
March 30, 2005
7 Funniest Biz Blunders
To err is human. So is snickering at others' mindless mistakes. Have a giggle over these manufacturing mishaps and silly snafus:
Wacky Industrial News
From a factory worker with otherwise employed fingers to a manufacturer's fixation with fruity bowling balls, here's some offbeat industrial news from around the globe:
Lost in Translation
Say what? Managers utter one thing and engineers hear something else. Consult this handy managerese-to-engineerese "dictionary" for the true meaning of some business directives:
No Gag, Improv Comedy Can Inspire Innovation
Don't laugh. Engineers can actually improve the quantity and quality of their design ideas by taking some cues from improvisational comedians:
Who Were the First 'Fools'?
April Fool's Day has inspired many clever pranks and jokes over the centuries. Discover the folks who were the very first to receive some good ol' fashioned ribbing:
Managers Encourage Steroid Use to Boost Productivity
With productivity increases due to automation starting to level off and companies desperate to wring out more output from a dwindling number of employees, some firms have taken the unusual measure of urging the use of anabolic steroids:
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates Takes Over NASA
Microsoft responds enthusiastically to NASA's cry for help: "Everything Must Go!" Watch your local BestBuy for Windows XP Final Frontier Edition:
Burning Question: Who Should be Crowned the Biggest Fool?
Any recent public displays of inanity stand out in your mind? Single out the silliest of the silly.
Recommended Reading
According to Why Business People Speak like Idiots: A Bullfighter's Guide, nonsensical speech has become the official language of business. Learn to talk straight with this entertaining, bare-knuckled guide:
March 28, 2005
'Printing' an Object Instead of an Image Isn't Sci-Fi—It's Reality. But is 3D Printing Ready for Primetime?
Various forms of Rapid Prototyping have been around since the '80s. Compared to manufacturing a prototype through traditional means, RP was all the rage. It's never become, however, a daily-use engineering tool as was expected. Is all that about to change?
March 25, 2005
Engineering a Song: A Lighter Way to Start the Weekend
No politics. No religion. No NASCAR. Just a lighter topic to ease into Spring after enduring the frozen tundra that, this year, had been the East Coast.
March 24, 2005
The Beat Goes On: Outsourcing, Baby Boomers Retiring, Filling Jobs Here with Foreign Nationals (In-and-Outsourcing?)
Job Market Radar shows multiple storm systems positioned to combine. The employment forecast includes rain, snow, sleet, wind, famine, earthquakes, locusts, and an Easter Peep shortage.
March 23, 2005
Tackling the Talent Crunch
Workers will soon retire or walk away from their professions en masse, creating a brain drain for many companies. Fortunately, some firms are getting wise about recapturing the know-how of their older employees:
March 22, 2005
Procurement's Progress
The bright side: more companies are promoting top buyers to the 'C' or 'VP' level. The downside: procurement must still battle the perception that it's just a cost center. Here's how purchasers are gaining notice for their department:
March 21, 2005
Would You Ever Sit in an Airport Lounge, Engineering Drawings Sprawled Out on a Table?
Of course not. Well, if your flight's running late and you're tweaking that design on your Wi-Fi-equipped notebook while you wait, you could be broadcasting your Latest and Greatest to nearby competitors.
March 18, 2005
Engineering a Nation
Generally, are engineers liberal or conservative? Why have so few been a part of public service?
March 17, 2005
RFID: EZPass and SpeedPass Poised to Bypass All that Is Right and Good with the World?
One might think that we're living in Orwellian times, what with terrorism, shootings, vaccine shortages, and other threats bombarding our national psyche. There may even be a shred of legitimacy in the idea that some of these 'threats' are well-orchestrated scams to keep people living in a constant state of fear. Control isn't in fear, however. Control is in the data.
March 16, 2005
It's Tough to Find a Good, Nonpartisan Motivational Speaker
No matter what your field, from engineering to publishing, we've all seen them: motivational speakers. Some earn our time, some give us no choice but to douse ourselves in Poland Spring just to stay awake. Still others—the rare, chosen few—actually motivate.
March 15, 2005
The State of Renewable Energy
Mounting energy concerns are fueling industrial interest in clean energy. But despite the white-hot growth of solar and wind power, the country's total renewable energy consumption actually hasn't budged for years:
On the Road to Recyclability, Auto Industry Steps on It
When it comes to increasing fuel economy and reducing emissions, carmakers have managed a rapid pace. Now, their efforts to reduce waste are picking up speed:
Coal Comes Clean
High in sulfur, coal is too polluting to burn under U.S. emissions laws in many power plants. But new clean-burning technology is promising to make the fossil fuel the best bet for satisfying our ever-growing energy needs:
Burning Question: Who Needs to Clean Up Their Act?
In recent weeks, we've asked you to point out the overrated and overhyped. Now, we want to know--who do you think should change their ways? And how?
5 Essential Facts about Green Buildings
The U.S. Green Building Council is reporting rising interest in its program for awarding existing facilities with an eco-friendly certification. Still, says the group, many people have the wrong idea about what it takes to be green:
Mining the Oceans' Natural Gas
Below the ocean floor lies a vast reserve of frozen natural gas--200,000 trillion cubic feet, geologists estimate. The big question is--could this be the clean and abundant fuel source we've been searching for?
Green Tea Polishes Up Computers
It turns out that what's good for your health is also good for your hard drive, as scientists use green tea to give computers a thorough cleaning:
Two Plane Tickets to Mars, Please
Space travel and colonization are not as far-fetched and far-off as many would believe. Here's why:
Recommended Reading
What would it take for the U.S. to become a hydrogen-based economy? Tomorrow's Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet outlines the roadblocks and the reasons why the industry should not veer from this path:
March 14, 2005
The Robot Arm That Rocked the Cradle
What happens when robotics evolves beyond mechanical and hydraulic actuators? It still gets its butt kicked by a girl. For now.
March 11, 2005
The Upside of Manufacturing? Look to Wisconsin.
Some of you had a few choice words for NAM's efforts to convince students that manufacturing is a promising career. But Wisconsin's turnaround story gives us hope for the future of the sector:
March 10, 2005
Superconductivity: Been There, Killed It in Texas. At What Expense?
A recent ABC News headline reads "High-Tech Leaders: U.S. Risks Losing Edge," citing lack of significant new investments. The spark
of innovation is alive, though perhaps on life support here in the
March 9, 2005
Diesel Motorcycle Sets New World Record
A diesel-powered motorcycle recently overcame inclement weather to claim a new speed record. And it's about to take on a new kind of challenge--battlefield reconnaissance:
Five-Axis CAD/CAM Lets Engines Take Deep Breaths
How do you increase horsepower and break speed records? For a motorcycle engine and aftermarket parts manufacturer, the answer is to allow engines to take in more air through cutting-edge five-axis CAD/CAM tools:
Unlocking the Mystery of Bike Turning
Almost since the time motorcycles were first made, enthusiasts have pondered the question--what action actually turns a motorcycle? Some say it's leaning your body, while others contend it's turning the handlebars. Finally, someone has a definitive answer:
Women Take the Driver's Seat
The fairer sex is increasingly climbing aboard motorcycles, not just as passengers but as drivers. Discover how the motorcycle industry is stepping up efforts to appeal to this growing market:
March 8, 2005
Burning Question: What Technology is Overhyped?
Last week, we asked who's overrated? and a few of you cast your votes for former GE employees and managers. Now, we're turning our attention to much-touted technologies that are coming up short. Any nominations?
Psst. That Guy's Been Around the Blog a Few Times.
Katrina's recent blogging primer prompted interesting comments. Before publisher Paul Gerbino and I discussed my involvement here with Product News Network and Industrial Market Trends, I was one of the 62% of 'online Americans' (according to a Pew Internet & American Life Project study) who didn't know what a blog was. After many hours of research and head-scratching...
March 7, 2005
Hello? Hello?! Is Anyone Out There?!
I embarked on a quest (okay, more of a jaunt) to find out just how easy or difficult it is to find a contact phone number for a given company. Sounds easy, right? Try it yourself.
March 4, 2005
Herded into the Abyss by Smaller, Faster, Lighter, Cheaper?
The Internet does nothing today that it couldn't do when invented, but now it's faster, with video and enough junk e-mail to form another luxury liner-unfriendly iceberg. Like the Model T, cars still have four wheels and get us from Point A to Point B. Even My Favorite Devices (the iPod, lawn vac, and Bluetooth, for example) are formed of Existing Stuff that has merely evolved. Where's the spark? Where's the innovation? Or, do I need my meds again?
March 3, 2005
Extreme Engineering: Hey! Who's Flying That Thing?
Are we edging ever closer to a Terminator-like world of warring robots? Or keeping more troops safe? Coming to a war near you, Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs) go beyond the ground-based control of the much-publicized Predator, packing more onboard processing power to, for example, fly autonomously in groups.
March 2, 2005
It's Official: Engineering Has Gone Down the Crapper
In a recent blog item here, a reader commented that NASCAR is "…like watching a toilet flush…", prompting thoughts about engineering and toilets. (Thanks, Dwayne.) The Ol' white Crapper just ain't what it used to be…
March 1, 2005
Restoring the Luster of Manufacturing
Students are shying away from manufacturing because they think that good manufacturing jobs are fleeing the country. And the timing could not be worse as a worker shortage looms. Fortunately, one prominent group is setting the record straight:
Simulation Gets Real
Engineers in the automotive and off-road industries are getting so good at simulating vehicles and subsystems that they're able to test designs without even building prototypes. Here's how:
7 Ways to Avoid Deep-Sixing Six Sigma
Six Sigma is renowned for helping companies deliver near-perfect products and services. But many manufacturers are actually dissatisfied with the results of their Six Sigma projects. So what are they doing wrong?
Burning Question of the Week: Who's Overrated?
In a recent blog entry "Top 20 Innovators," some of you took issue with the mention of General Electric's Jack Welch in the top five. So to kick off our new regular feature--Burning Question of the Week--we ask...who else in industry is getting too much credit?
Rise, Robot
Industrial robots are gaining in popularity and intelligence. And they're overcoming their greatest shortcoming--their inability to adapt to change. Find out how manufacturers are benefiting:
Designing Workstations that Make Work Easier
During the assembly process, operators can waste a lot of time searching and reaching for parts and tools. That's why engineers are giving workstations a lean makeover and helping operators become more productive:
Recommended Reading
It's no secret that lean manufacturing works, but how to make it work for you? Advanced Flow Manufacturing: Flow and Lean Manufacturing for the 21st Century tackles that question:
Wanted: Women in Science
Harvard University President Lawrence H. Summers thrust the gender gap into the limelight when he suggested "innate differences" could be behind the dearth of women in science and engineering positions. Here are more likely culprits:
