• Piezoceramic Transducer Key To Ultrasonic Toothbrush
• First Pocket-Size Mechanical Injection Pump
• Lighter Aircraft Interior Designs Take Flight
• MIT Study: Computer Vision Not As Good As Thought
• Wheels: ECUs Get Nanosecond Measurements
• 5-Star Product: Get Your Tank Levels On The Web
• Engineer's Toolbox: Handheld ESD Event Detector
• American Idle: Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now?
• Products: Electrical/Electronic, Mechanical, Motion
• Special: Materials Products

Feature Articles

Piezoceramic transducer key to ultrasonic toothbrush
Innovative products, like the new Ultreo Ultrasound Toothbrush, start with a pioneering spirit and a creative new idea. A Morgan Advanced Ceramics high-drive, "hard" lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic was selected for the transducer material used in the Ultreo. The ceramic optimizes transducer efficiency, maximizes ultrasound output, and keeps heat generation to an absolute minimum — a critical requirement in a fully sealed, non-cooled device.
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Polycarbonate benefits first pocket-size mechanical injection pump Cost-effective mobile therapy systems are becoming increasingly popular as a result of the rising cost of health care and the growing number of elderly people who require medication at home. One solution to these developments is the RoweMiniPump by RoweMed AG. To achieve the pump's compact design, a high-tech plastic approved for medical technology was required. Read the full article High-Powered DC Gearmotor Increases Torque, Reduces Cost Globe Motors™ high-powered IM-21 Gearmotor delivers efficient motion control solutions for hospital beds, powered awnings, turret drives, mobility conversions, and more. The IM-21 is available in a wide range of standard windings and stack lengths. Optional encoders, brakes, connectors, and various output shaft configurations allow a variety of customer specified combinations without the cost normally associated with custom designs. Visit Globe Motors. Lighter aircraft interior designs take flight Lexan FST9705 polycarbonate (PC) copolymer is a totally new resin platform offered by SABIC Innovative Plastics to help OEMs and aircraft interior suppliers achieve weight-out and cost-out goals without sacrificing processability. Lexan FST9705 resin is an excellent candidate for such applications as personal service units, window reveals, and bezels, and provides a unique combination of advantages. Read the full article

Computer vision may not be as good as thought Computer vision is important for applications ranging from "intelligent" cars to visual prosthetics for the blind. Recent computational models show apparently impressive progress, boasting 60% success rates in classifying natural photographic image sets. A new MIT study, however, cautions that this apparent success may be misleading because the tests being used are inadvertently stacked in favor of the computers. Read the full article How To Get Your Designs Into Manufacturing Attend IMTS 2008 to get your designs produced economically. You'll see faster, more precise machines; cutting tools to process virtually any material; finishing technologies; automation systems; sophisticated quality instruments and manufacturing software. Reduce cycle times, improve quality and increase productivity. Plan to attend. For more information, and to register, visit IMTS online.

5-Star Product: Get your tank levels on the Web
Automatic tank gauging has just gotten considerably easier. With a new system, an MTS sensor provides the tank measurements and an OleumTech wireless monitor transmits the data back to the control room, where a Modbus controller with Ethernet output passes the data onto the Web. Users open a webpage and pull up the latest measurements anytime.
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Engineer's Toolbox: Lightweight, handheld ESD event detector
The 3M brand ESD Pro Event Detector is a handheld indicator of ESD (electrostatic discharge) events that detects and counts discharges and shows the relative electrical strength of each ESD event on a bar graph display. ESD protection is particularly important in sensitive component (Class 0) applications such as electronics assembly, semiconductor, medical, and disk drive device manufacturing.
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American Idle: Should I stay or should I go now?
On his way to work, one of our readers waits 2-1/2 minutes every morning at the light at the entrance to his housing development. He wants to know if it is more energy efficient to idle his Cadillac or simply turn it off while waiting. What do you think? Have you tweaked any of your driving habits recently to conserve fuel? Send your comments to the editor at mfoley@nelsonpub.com.

Guides

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

• Global testing and inspection services —
TUVRheinland
• Flight sim, ULV control, and so much more —
UEI
• Answers to commonly asked intrinsic safety questions —
Pepperl+Fuchs

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