Mechanical

The Mechanical Technology Zone features news and products related to mechanical technology.

Sustainable Engineering addresses technology applied to saving energy, alternative materials, and nontraditional energy sources.

EDITORS' PICKS

Fundamentals of ultraprecision machining
It no longer takes exotic machining to hold submicron tolerances

Fundamentals of ultraprecision machining

It no longer takes exotic machining to hold submicron tolerances
Analyzing the essentials of bearing performance

Software that examines bearing fundamentals leads to better designs.
Metal bellows replaces springs

Precision bellows have extremely low spring rates, making them a better option than traditional coil springs in many mechanical and electrical devices
Scanning for Ideas: Sealed bearing cartridges are green and can handle the load

Sealed bearing cartridges such as those from GGB Bearing Technology, Thorofare, N.J., are cost-effective, environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional bronze, hardened-steel, and rolling-element bearings
Acoustic waves reveal potential mechanical failures

Traditional vibration analysis does not clearly indicate problems until late in the failure process due to limitations in the accuracy and complexity of processing vibration data

The meaning of bearing life

7

How long will a bearing last? Standardized life equations help to answer.
Tom-Thumb turbines power radio-controlled jets

2

Engineers have managed to shrink the modern jet engine until it is small enough to fit in model planes.
Gulliver's Engines

2

Shrinking full-scale engines to pocket size is no small feat.
Avoiding Design Problems with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing

19

Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) finds bad designs before parts get made.
Tricked-Out Trucks

1

Stylists and engineers are exploring new ways to personalize pickup trucks, the best-selling type of vehicle in the U.S.