Monitoring interactions in a running engine presents a genuine challenge; enormous pressures and temperatures are present, along with multiple moving parts-making the integration of sensors almost impossible.

When engineer and scientist Mike LaCourt, an instructor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University, needed materials testing machines that were easy to use and allowed new students to work independently, he turned to Tinius Olsen.

Trek Bicycle Corp. needed a way to quickly and reliably monitor weights in the OCLV carbon molding area. There was no effective system in place to monitor weights, and Trek was looking to automate this function.

Inspired by data sent from NASA robots on Mars, Dr. Ronald Peterson, professor of geology at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, has observed a new mineral species on Earth, and predicts that it also exists on Mars. Integral to Peterson’s work was an X-ray diffractometer, which provided the necessary speed and flexibility for such sensitive analysis.

Once a product leaves the assembly line, even the tiniest quality problem can quickly escalate into a big headache for manufacturing engineers. The key is to address quality issues on the plant floor and to build quality into every product. Unfortunately, that’s often easier said than done, even at world-class manufacturers.

A 23-year-old mainframe-based management system is replaced with an integrated manufacturing, inventory tracking and financial consolidation system.

The search for more efficient borescope inspection leads to the implementation of software that automates the inspection process.

A team participating in an annual 3-D laser-scanning contest digitizes the star of the Quebec City Winter Carnival, Bonhomme Carnaval.

It is one of today’s biggest issues: Quality in Chinese manufacturing. Tainted toothpaste, lead in toys and poisoned pet food have brought the issue front and center, and it is creating a downward spiral of panic and over-reaction.

As part of its 60th anniversary celebration in 2007, Endevco, a provider of sensing solutions for vibration, shock and pressure applications, created several contests to mark the important milestone. One such competition called on customers to find and submit the “World’s Oldest Functioning Endevco Sensor.”