Author: Serkadis

The GEMÜ range of manual and pneumatic angle seat globe valves are now available with flanged connections to EN 1092 and ANSI.

The manually operated type 507 and the pneumatically operated types 514 with aluminium piston actuator, 550 with stainless steel piston actuator and 554 with plastic piston actuator are now available with flanged connections in nominal sizes DN 15 – 50. The new flanged valve bodies are made of cast stainless steel 1.4435 (AISI 316L). Flanges are to EN 1092/PN25/form B and ANSI class 125/150 RF. In order to be able to flexibly react to customer requirements in the most varied regions, the flanges are welded on the basic cast bodies. This ensures good availability and short delivery times. Flanges are mainly used in industrial plant construction as they can be installed and removed more easily compared to butt weld and threaded connections. The valves are mainly used for control and regulation of steam, water as well as slightly corrosive liquid media and gases.

LXE, the rugged mobile computer business of EMS Technologies, Inc., released two updates to its Trux line of rugged Vehicle Mount computers. The VX8 Kärv and VX9 Förj incorporate sharper LED backlit displays, Intel® Atom and Core 2 Duo processing speeds and mobile radio connectivity into rugged and versatile Vehicle Mount computers.
The Kärv is named after a small, maneuverable Viking ship used for battle and merchant missions. The Förj computer’s name alludes to the strong, precise materials that emerge from a blacksmith’s forge. The units are designed for enterprises that need full Microsoft® Windows® computing power in a mobile environment.
The VX8 Kärv and VX9 Förj computers are suited for a wide range of Wi-Fi applications; in ports (mounted on cranes and RTGs), warehouses (mounted on forklift trucks and picking trolleys), airports and cold stores. They also handle WWAN applications; for public transport and safety (on-board ambulances and busses), outdoor logistics (in forestry and agriculture) and specialised vehicles (such as bulldozers and piste bashers).
According to Bill Roeder, LXE vice president of Business Development and Marketing, “Our computers have always withstood the toughest environments with their rugged design. The VX8 Kärv and VX9 Förj computers provide the internal computing power and connectivity that allow our customers to truly leverage that ruggedness to its fullest, by running high-performance applications virtually anywhere their business takes them.” The VX8 Kärv Vehicle Mount computer comes with Atom 1.6 GHz or Core 2 Duo 1.5 GHz processors and up to 2GB of RAM, a 10.4″ touch screen LED display, 802.11 a/b/g + Bluetooth radio and WWAN connectivity. The unit’s compact magnesium enclosure is engineered to handle extreme temperatures, shock, vibration, dust and moisture.
The VX9 Förj computer, is the VX8 Kärv‘s larger counterpart that comes with a 12.1” touch screen and has an outdoor screen option.

About LXE Inc.

LXE, a division of EMS Technologies (NASDAQ: ELMG), is a leading manufacturer of rugged Vehicle Mount, Handheld and Hands-Free mobile computers. LXE helps companies extend corporate networks to mobile workers in demanding conditions by providing easy-to-use, tough and reliable wireless computers. LXE products are used by organisations worldwide to drive down costs and improve customer satisfaction. Visit www.lxe.com or www.ems-t.com for more information.

OptoASICs offer a number of advantages: They are fast, very reliable and feature a high level of integration. Kübler has availed itself of the latest OptoASIC technologies as the basis of its most recent, patented generation of fast and, above all, non-contact, wear-free absolute encoders: the new singleturn and multiturn Sendix F36 impress with their optical Intelligent Scan Technology™, which makes highly-accurate determination of position possible – with feedback in real-time – as is required for example in medical equipment, where space is limited.
All the single and multiturn functions of the encoder were first of all combined on to an OptoASIC. Here with the multiturn version the optical sensor technology achieves a very high resolution of up to 41 bits. The same applies to other values, where the technology also outperforms traditional contact measuring methods. The Sendix F36 encoders are characterised by their extreme ruggedness and resilience, a result of the greatly reduced number of component parts and the large, sturdy Safety Lock™ bearings. This is the case even in harsh industrial environments. Moreover, the new Intelligent Scan technique ensures 100 % insensitivity to magnetic fields, as is called for in applications such as motor brakes. When it comes to its compact size, the Sendix F36 is unrivalled: hollow shafts of up to 10 mm are possible with a flange diameter of only 36 mm. The icing on the cake is provided by the compact dimensions of the tangential cable outlet, for even where installation room is severely limited, the cable connection does not get in the way.
When it comes to flexibility, the Sendix F36 encoders offer an additional advantage with their wide choice of interfaces: together with SSI and BiSS, they are now also available with the CANopen interface, conforming to the encoder profile DS-406/3.1 to CiA Standard DS-301/4.02. The bus parameters are set and monitored by means of the programmed reference values. The read-out values, including position, speed, sensor raw data with CRC (according to the Safety Protocol DS 304) as well as the status of the working area, can be flexibly combined as PDOs using PDO mapping.
The excellent product characteristics of this encoder with no gears are rounded off by the additional incremental outputs SinCos or RS422. They provide the system with high-resolution feedback in real-time and enhance the performance of this compact encoder to that of “two devices in one”.

Filed under: Government/Legal, Toyota

Several news outlets are reporting that the FBI has raided the Detroit-area offices of Yazaki North America, Denso International and Tokai Rika. U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman Gina Talamona reportedly told The Detroit News that her office was investigating the suppliers for an alleged anti-competitive pricing cartel. The raid was carried out by the local FBI office in Detroit, and the Bureau is working with the European Commission and other foreign competition authorities.

Before details were made available about the substance of the raids and because the three suppliers provide parts to Toyota, there was some speculation that the raids were connected to the federal government’s investigation of Toyota’s recall woes, but the FBI insists that is not the case. Toyota released a short statement about the situation, saying only “Toyota is aware that certain suppliers have been contacted by government officials, but we have limited information about the scope of the investigation. Toyota has not been contacted by authorities.” Toyota is part owner of Denso International.

[Source: The Detroit News, Toyota]

Report: FBI raids trio of metro Detroit suppliers originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Free pump selection guide for iPhone und iPod touch

Slide rules for a variety of applications made of paper or plastic been available for many years as give-aways from a number of pump manufacturers. With the new virtual slide rule calculator PumpSizer, which can be used on the wide spread mobile platform from Apple, a new application has been found which will appeal especially to the technically oriented generation.

The PumpSizer can be used to calculate

Discharge volumes
Flow velocities and
Manometric head

for applications in sewage pumping.

The input of values is carried out intuitively and the results are immediately visible at the top of the screen as the individual slides are moved.

In addition to the calculation itself the compact program provides useful information in the form of product exchange tables and video animations. The program also provide information in an easy to view and easy to understand way on the subject of back pressure prevention in buildings and how to check for leaks in sewers and pipe systems.

The free application can be used on iPhone und iPod touch and is available from the Jung App Store. The PumpSizer is provided with both a German and English user input and readout.

JUNG PUMPEN welcome constructive suggestions on the PumpSizer and for this purpose have set up an extra sub forum on the internet forum “JungTube”. The suggestions made here will be used to provide positive impulses so that when updating the software we can take into account as many user suggestions as possible.

Inquisitive? Then check out the virtual slide rule calculator now.

In November, Tullio Giusi spa had a great success during SIBATECH 2009, an important international fair of automatic machines where it showed a 3-axis numerical control machine, designed to create samples or small quantities in an automatized way.
Equipped with up to 4 tools, two out of them can be actioned pneumatically.
Contact Tullio Giusi spa for any further informations .

Plug & play with fieldbus technology

Process development – quick and less expensive than with pilot plants – the modular design of the Lab-Station allowing intelligent system expansion with mixers and extruders makes it possible.

Recording and evaluation of measuring data as well as control of the entire machine system are done with easy-to-handle software under Windows®. Intelligent sensors based on CANopen bus technology can easily be integrated, enabling extension of the measuring tasks at any time.

Uniformity of instrument connections, communication ports, etc. permits easy docking, identification, and validation of the measuring heads, facilitating system operation and saving costs and time.

AGME design and produce a wide range of radial riveting machines available in a variety of sizes, from the RR-4 (max. 4 mm rivet head) to the RR-30 (max. 30 mm rivet head), to ensure that the correct machine is selected to produce perfectly riveted components. Ranging from small fragile components to large heavy duty automotive components, the AGME machine series guarantees good quality riveted joints every time.

As well as standard riveting machines, AGME manufacture double rolling head riveters, for inner or outer rolling over processes. By using this method, the assembly of many different parts can be performed: thermo contacts, gas and water valves, gas or hydraulic shockabsorbers, water pumps, electro fan, etc.

The rolling over process is the result of the combination of the rolling heads turning and their vertical movement. The customized solutions that AGME design and manufacture can include also other components such as:
– Fixture on the base plate
– Dollies for holding parts
– Head protection
– Lateral guardings
– Two hand Control

Article Tags: Doug L. Hoffman

According to the AP, top researchers now agree that the world is likely to get stronger but fewer hurricanes in the future because of global warming, seeming to settle a scientific debate on the subject. But they say there’s not enough evidence yet to tell whether that effect has already begun. Despite warnings by scientists that identifying an actual trend in storm variability is impossible due to a lack of reliable historical data, a new report in Nature Geoscience is being cited as a solid prediction of future trends in tropical cyclone activity. The other thing not mentioned is that this research is based on models of questionable accuracy.

The review article by Thomas R. Knutson et al., entitled “Tropical cyclones and climate change,” was published online on Sunday, February 12, 2010. In it, the authors warn that there is precious little that can be predicted from past data. But this does not stop them from blithely predicting the future based on new “high-resolution” models. Here is part of the paper’s abstract:

Large amplitude fluctuations in the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones greatly complicate both the detection of long-term trends and their attribution to rising levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases. Trend detection is further impeded by substantial limitations in the availability and quality of global historical records of tropical cyclones. Therefore, it remains uncertain whether past changes in tropical cyclone activity have exceeded the variability expected from natural causes. However, future projections based on theory and high-resolution dynamical models consistently indicate that greenhouse warming will cause the globally averaged intensity of tropical cyclones to shift towards stronger storms, with intensity increases of 2–11% by 2100.

Click source to read FULL report by Doug L. Hoffman

Source: theresilientearth.com

Read in full with comments »   

This isn’t a huge surprise, but down in Australia, AFACT, a group representing the major movie studios, which had already fought having to pay iiNet’s legal fees after getting trounced in court, is appealing the ruling itself. You had to figure this would happen. The studios weren’t going to go down without a fight. The main part of the appeal is AFACT claiming that iiNet somehow authorized copyright infringement by not stopping infringement:

“The court found large scale copyright infringements, that iiNet knew they were occurring, that iiNet had the contractual and technical capacity to stop them and iiNet did nothing about them.”

But that actually ignores both reality and what the ruling said. What it found was that, indeed, large scale infringement was occurring, but that it was impossible for iiNet to be an effective copyright cop since copyright infringement was something for the court to decide, not for some ISP to just guess. Either way, this case won’t be over for quite some time…

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CIBC’s former chief economist Jeff Rubin has touted peak oil for years, and his price estimates have been dead on. Lately, he predicted $225 oil by 2012 and rising.

But don’t blame peak oil on the U.S., where Rubin says consumption has peaked, or even China. Once again, blame OPEC.

“Last year OPEC, Mexico, and Russia consumed 14 million barrels a day of oil — two Chinas!” Rubin railed at a recent speech.

“Have you ever filled your tank up in Caracas or Riyadh? If you did, you’ll soon know. It’s 25 cents in Caracas, it’s about 50 cents in Saudi Arabia, but the point is it’s 50 cents whether oil is $20 a barrel or whether oil is $200 a barrel, because that’s just the way things are over there. OPEC is a very disparate place separated by history, religion, geography, but there’s one common denominator: everybody has a God-given right to consume as much cheap fuel as they bloody well feel like it.” (see 10:30)

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Why Peak Oil Is The Only Thing That Can Stop The Chinese Export Deluge
• A Close Look At OPEC Strategy Reveals That They’re 100% Short-Term Focused, And Sure Of Peak Oil
• Exxon Hits Peak Oil… Reserves

My question to Obama as he continues to vilify the insurance companies (and to my fellow Americans as well) is…what would HE charge people if it were his $44 million on the line? Would he accept pre-existing conditions if it was his $44 million being used? No one gets into business to lose money -or even to break even and I think many people tend to lose sight of that.

I’m not saying that the system doesn’t need to be better. And I’m also not saying that insurance companies are above reproach, but we’re too deep in to create a single scapegoat.

I’m not sure if I think the best way forward is to make health care a pay as you go commodity and make insurance what it’s meant to be…a tool for catastrophic events. Or, if malpractice reform and buying across state lines alone could be the answer to a more efficient system. Will I watch the 6 hour summit today? Probably.

“…Three month old [Zara Malani-Lin Abdur-Raheem] was allegedly taken from her grandmother’s arms…when Shamsid-Din Abdur-Raheem assaulted the elderly woman, punching and choking her before snatching his daughter and speeding off in his car. The 21-year-old also may have struck the elderly women with the vehicle during his flight.

After allegedly dropping his daughter in the river, Abdur-Raheem drove to an Atlantic City mosque, Masjid Muhammad, and confessed to an imam, according to authorities and the suspect’s father, Muhsin Abdur-Raheem. Abdur-Raheem then traveled to another mosque in Camden County and, ultimately, to his father’s home in Winslow. It was Muhsin Abdur-Raheem who notified police his son was there.

The 21-year-old then told local police he pulled over on the Driscoll Bridge sometime during rush hour, and dropped his infant daughter into the icy Raritan River…” (source)

I hate this story. For days I haven’t been able to get little Zara’s face out of my mind. Why can’t parents love their kids just a little more than they hate their exes?! Who could throw their 3 month old into a February river…off a bridge. ANY 3 month old. Osama Bin Laden’s baby…a dog or a kitten even? Please let a jury send Shamsid-Din Abdur-Raheem home to Allah.

RIP little Zara.

Today The White House is holding a “bipartisan” healthcare summit, which will be televized at 10:00.

(We’ve outlined the details of the current proposal here.)

But if it fails, Obama actually has a third plan, according to Laura Meckler at WSJ.

It’s pretty modest sounding, and it would end up covering about half as many people as the “comprehensive” schemes that have been floated so far:

It would do that by requiring insurance companies to allow people up to 26 years old to stay on their parents’ health plans, and by modestly expanding two federal-state health programs, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, one person said. The cost to the federal government would be about one-fourth the price tag for the broader effort, which the White House has said would cost about $950 billion over 10 years.

So basically this would help kids and just-graduated college students, two groups that tend to fall through the cracks. We could see the GOP getting behind this, though it’d be a huge disappointment to progressives.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• 10 Things You Need To Know About Obamacare Plan B
• The Revenge Of Obamacare Just Tanked Merck And Other Pharmaceutical Manufacturers
• REVENGE: Obama Is Back And Killing The GOP On Healthcare

”Hannah Storm in a horrifying, horrifying outfit today,” Kornheiser said on PTI. ”She’s got on red go-go boots and a Catholic-school plaid skirt. … Way too short for somebody in her 40s or maybe early 50s by now. She’s got on her typically very, very tight shirt. She looks like she has sausage casing wrapping around her upper body.I know she’s very good, and I’m not supposed to be critical of ESPN people, so I won’t. But Hannah Storm, come on now! Stop! What are you doing?” (source)

This is the statement that got the co-host of ESPN’s ”Pardon the interruption,” Tony Kornheiser, suspended for two weeks.

There is nothing wrong with calling someone out for how they’re dressed. And, quite frankly, it looks as if she’s surrounded by ‘yes (wo)men’ because Tony is right when he says that that outfit is not exactly appropriate for a 47 year old woman (maybe Peg Bundy…?)

Now, was publicly guesstimating that her age (and making her older than she is) necessary or nice? No, but suspended for two weeks? I always tell my kids that it’s wrong to make fun of things that a person can’t change…nose, ears, birth defects, etc. But things that can be changed…clothes, hair style, personal hygiene, etc are acceptable targets in bust wars. (<- Yes, kids have them regardless of what you say so better to set realistic parameters than stick your head in the sand). Tony should sue and call Stacy and Clinton to be his witnesses that his statements were in deed true. From the ‘What Not To Wear’ website: “Style Fact: Miniskirts are fine for teenagers, but in your 20s and beyond, lower that hemline.”

As if things weren’t already shaky between Toyota and the U.S. government, the FBI stepped in yesterday and raided the U.S. headquarters of three Japan-based automotive suppliers, all of them with ties to Toyota. Officials said that the suppliers were searched by FBI agents Tuesday in connection with an international anti-trust investigation.

“The anti-trust division is investigating the possibility of anti-competitive cartel conduct of automotive electronic components suppliers,” said Gina Talamona, deputy director of public affairs for the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. “We are coordinating with the European Commission and other foreign competition authorities.”

Talamona declined to comment further on the investigation.

Toyota spokeswoman Cindy Knight told The Wall Street Journal that the company is trying to determine why the FBI is investigating the three suppliers.

Toyota released a short statement saying:

The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division is conducting an investigation of certain automotive electronic suppliers.  Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. (TEMA) has not been asked for information in connection with the investigation, but will cooperate if asked.

– By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/article/20100224/OEM01/302249933/1128#ixzz0gXFv8RJY

Yes, “snowicane” is actually the word Accuweather is using to describe the blizzard that is hitting the northeast right now.

If the map to the right is correct, it looks as though New York City may just miss the very worst of the snow.

As for travelers, it looks like right now the worst airport is in Philly, but delays and cancellations are likely to spread.

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• You Are About To Get Hit By A "PARALYZING BLIZZARD"
• The Snow Arrives In New York, National Weather Service Issues Blizzard Warning
• Snow Day: Insiders Estimate That 50% Of Bank Of America And 60% Of Credit Suisse Workers Stayed Home Today

While General Motors still hasn’t confirmed that it will offer a high-performance Buick Regal GS as a 2012 model year, the company can’t seem to be quiet about it – meaning we’re most definitely going to see the production model on roads sometime by next year (just consider it confirmed). However, some things may change on the Buick Regal GS concept we saw at that 2010 Detroit Auto Show.

According to Bob Lutz, GM’s Vice Chairman, the Buick Regal GS may not get all-wheel-drive as shown on the concept in Detroit. Lutz said that there have been numerous internal discussions about the direction of the Regal GS and that product planners are debating whether an all-wheel-drive option is worth the added cost and weight.

Click here to get prices on the 2010 Buick LaCrosse.

As for those of you still hoping that GM changes its mind and swaps the 220-hp turbocharged 4-cylinder seen in the concept with Opel Insignia OPC’s turbo V6 – don’t hold your breath.

Click here for more Buick Regal news.

Buick Regal GS Concept:

– By: Kap Shah

Source: Straightline

The Greek endgame could be in a matter of days.

WSJ is reporting that the country will test the market with a 10-year bond offering next week.

The country had hoped to sell into the market this week, but downgrade threats and the general strike put that on hold.

According to the report, Greece will announce some kind of “good news” next week relating to tax hikes and cost cutting, and then the hope is that the bonds can be sold immediately after that, riding that wave of positive feelings. Possible tax hikes include a hike in the VAT as well as a higher fuel tax.

The deal drop-dead point for Greece will come in the coming months, as the country needs to €22 billion to roll over debt that matures in March and April.

Read more at WSJ >

Join the conversation about this story »

See Also:

• Greece Has Now Made A Bailout Impossible

Here they are once again, the manliest links on the webosphere:

Sexy Spring Break Safety Tips (see above) [MadeMan]

8 Interesting (And Insane) Male Rites of Passages From Around the World [Art of Manliness]

John Mayer’s 16 Douchiest Quotes So Far [COED Magazine]

The Zombie Combat Manual [Cool Material]

Cuff ‘Em: Teacher Turned Bikini-Wearing Fishing Boat Shipmate Picked Up For Perjury [Busted Coverage]

The Mistresses of Tiger Woods [Gunaxin]

9 Worst Public Apologies in Sports History [EgoTV]

15 Things You Should Know About Breasts [Tasty Booze]

Hot Girl Bikini Cliff Jump Fail [College Humor]

Fight Club: Samurai vs. Raptor [Double Viking]

Kim Kardashian Deserves A Second Chance [TSB Magazine]

NASCAR vs. The Olympics [All Left Turns]

Eniko Mihalik In Bon International [Style Crave]

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3. Your Mantelligence Briefing for January 14th