-
The path forward in automotive lightweighting applications
Don Rosato EngineeringEvery car model that is launched over the coming years is expected to include lightweighting measures. Innovative materials together with new production methods and reinforcing structures will play an important role in reducing vehicle weight. Lower vehicle weight not only improves fuel efficiency but also reduces the load on the brakes and suspension systems.
-
The missing revolution in solar infrastructure
Lucy Wallwork Waste Management & EnvironmentalReading the solar industry news, industry watchers can be found giddily talking about transformations in how we fuel our households and industries. As the cost of solar power nears what is known as "grid parity" — when solar can generate power at a lower or equal cost to that purchased from the grid — forecasters are predicting that solar is set to grow exponentially over the next five years.
-
Emerging automotive lightweighting materials and processes
Don Rosato EngineeringEvery car model that is launched over the coming years is expected to include lightweighting measures. Mazda, for example, has set a goal to reduce the curb weight of all its new model cars by 15 percent (up to 220 pounds per car), through material replacement and engineering, redesigning features and shrinking parts dimensions. The company also plans to improve its global corporate fuel-economy average by 30 percent.
-
There’s something in the water
Andrew Gaved ManufacturingThe UK should know a thing or two about water. It is an island for a start and, therefore, many of its towns are built by the sea. It has plenty of rivers and lakes — and man-made canals for that matter — and then there is the rain. So it is not too surprising that the potential for harnessing these resources to drive heat pumps is something of real interest to the UK HVAC industry.
-
All eyes on Brazil: Can energy sector overcome its troubles?
Lucy Wallwork Natural ResourcesIt has been one hell of a year for Brazil. Not long ago, the South American country was the darling of the global oil and gas industry — center stage thanks to its large presalt oil reserves, which technological developments made economically viable. The engine of that optimism was Petrobras, the state oil company that employs 80,000 Brazilians but has been mired in one of the largest corruption crises in the recent history of the industry.
-
Automotive lightweighting trends on the move
Don Rosato EngineeringAuto lightweighting goals are driven by changes in government regulations for fuel emissions, ongoing global warming concerns, fluctuating fuel prices, the development of electric vehicles and other fuel systems, and spiraling car weight increases caused by the continual addition of car features. This article, the first of a three-part series about automotive lightweighting, focuses on key plastic materials, process technologies, and applications to take note of.
-
What the driver can do to maintain the service life of a pump
Frank R. Myers Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityTo help maintain a pump in good working order and extend its service life, a driver can keep pressure out of the pump when not in use, keep it cool during pumping operations and prevent debris from entering it. I tell my driver engineers that centrifugal pumps do not like heat, debris and air. At a recent breakout session at the Fire Department Instructors Conference, presenter Chad Szeklinski from the Milwaukee Fire Department addressed how to relieve pump pressure. His method was to briefly open the tank-to-pump valve while the truck was out of pump gear.
-
Is a refrigeration revolution in the air?
Andrew Gaved ManufacturingIt is not too often that the world of supermarket refrigeration has played host to major technological change. Apart from the debate over whether chiller cases should have doors on them, recent years have been more about evolution than revolution. But now, retailer Asda, part of the global giant Wal-Mart, has signaled what could be one of the most radical changes in modern retail refrigeration by opting to replace conventional display cases cooled by piped refrigerant with versions cooled by air from a central plant.
-
To grow, American manufacturing needs better trained workers
Chelsea Adams ManufacturingU.S. manufacturing may be falling behind globally, but it's not simply because companies are shifting jobs overseas to save money. Jay Shambaugh, a member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, puts it bluntly: The United States isn't keeping up with other countries in training workers with skills needed in today's manufacturing marketplace.
-
28 days later: Brexit’s impact on the cooling industry
Andrew Gaved ManufacturingWell, it's been a turbulent few weeks in the world of UK politics. I choose to title this "28 Days Later," because many who are having to deal with the decision to leave the European Union appear to be wandering around with the same sort of dazed state as the zombies in the film of that name.
All Engineering Articles