Elisabeth Eitel

Senior Editor
Machine Design

Elisabeth is Senior Editor of Machine Design magazine. She has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Fenn College at Cleveland State University. Over the last decade, Elisabeth has worked as a technical writer — most recently as Chief Editor of Motion System Design magazine. Her blog is Product Design Engineering — existing and emerging technologies immediately applicable to product design, as well as industry trends that promise to change engineering.

Articles by Elisabeth Eitel
Stop ultrasonic-sensor noise and crosstalk
Consider scrapyards: These dirty outdoor environments are filled with objects of every shape, size, and material. Controls on machinery that manipulate scrap need sensors to detect when conveyor belts are empty, bales are present, and bins are full.
Motor-powered actuator controls flow on conveyors
Engineers at Mechatronic Techniques, Plano, Tex., recently designed a motor-powered stopper to replace pneumatic and solenoid stoppers on some custom conveyors.
Software designs modular robots
New software optimizes kinematics and plans paths for custom robots handling multiple axes. Flexible Robotic Environment (FRE) software was written by Bicommerce LLC, Rapid City, S. D., and it also acts as a motion platform.
Two vital resources: Water and natural gas
Global energy demand outpaces supply, so within the next decade, Americans can expect gasoline shortages, blackouts, and the general instability of an energy crisis. Sale gas buys us time ... but like energy use, global water demand outpaces practical supply.
Solution to Fun with Fundamentals Puzzler: Badger banter
What is the angle θ at which Roger begins to leave the surface? Let's find out.
Solution to Fun with Fundamentals Puzzler: Free for ball
If the ball's spin is directed as shown as it tumbles towards one very tightly covered receiver, and it's gyrating at Ψ = 4 rad/sec, what is its angular velocity? Here's the answer.
Solution to Fun with Fundamentals Puzzler: This ship is a-sailing
The cannon, which sits at sea level, has a velocity of 82 m/sec. At what angle must the cannon be elevated to hit the pirate ship?
Solution to Fun with Fundamentals Puzzler: Shell Shocker
If the slug shooter is based on conventional railgun design, how far can he reach with each shot? Let's find out.
Solution to Fun with Fundamentals Puzzler: A Stupid Dream
How high must Thrasher start from to be able to make it safely around the loop without falling off due to gravity? Let's find out.
Fun with Fundamentals Puzzler: A Stupid Dream
Assume there’s no friction on the track and kitty has perfect balance. From how high must Thrasher the Cat start to make it safely around the loop without falling off due to gravity?
Try your hand at these physics puzzlers
Try your hand at these reader-submitted puzzlers tailored to engineers. You may just remember a thing or two from all that physics and calculus tucked away in the recesses of your brain.
Basics of flexible bellows couplings 2
Bellows couplings transmit power from 0.5 to more than 100,000 Nm at speeds from 0 to 100,000 rpm. They offer distinct advantages, but replacing other coupling types with them requires solid understanding of their operation.
The benefits of gearboxes — and when to pick integrated gearmotors
Only about one-third of motion-control systems use gearing, even though gearheads benefit size-constrained applications.
Standardized gears and motors keep agricultural conveyors moving
Conveyors on machines called pilers use motors with planetary gearheads plus other mechanical design features to boost reliability and standardize one beet-sugar company’s drives
Comparing 1D barcode readers to 2D barcode imagers
Barcode imagers (also known as digital or area imagers) read both 1D and 2D barcodes using sensors that have rows of cells. They’re proliferating with 2D barcodes that embed more information than traditional 1D barcodes

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