Features Table of Contents

June 1998

feature articles

the virtues of virtual products
Interactive-product-simulation software is enabling manufacturers to get more bang for the buck from their existing engineering data.

a new wave in CFD
The convergence of virtual reality, parallel processing, and Internet access is enabling computational-fluid-dynamics codes to model complex problems in the process and petroleum industries.

magnetostrictive actuators
Materials that change their shapes when exposed to magnetic fields can now be used to drive high-reliability linear motors and actuators.

metallic glasses bulk up
A new formulation for metallic glass, now being vacuum-die-cast into golf clubs, will improve the production of this high-performance material in bulk form.

detecting damage in composites
Polarimetric optical-fiber sensors embedded in composite laminates can monitor structural integrity and detect damage while the structure remains in service.

tilting trains shorten transit time
Old, curved train tracks typically throw high-speed rail travel—and travelers—for a loop. Tilting trains can keep the speeds up without causing passenger discomfort.

evaluating EPACT's impact
Motors affected by the 1992 environmental legislation are mostly meeting the law's minimum load efficiencies.