SUPPLYANDDEMAND To manage resources, first knowyour people andthêir skills; then how many heurs the wbrkloadwill take.ByEugene Kania

emanag~meQ~ .

PUNCHINGABOVETHEIRWEIGHTSmaller companies are discovèrillg that product managementtools cao help their srllEill;>taffsget"a global reach.

,

By Jeffrey ""inters'

emai1agem~nt

SUPPLYANDDEMAND To manage resources, first knowyour people andthêir skills; then how many heurs the wbrkloadwill take.ByEugene ^Kania

7 ^61~CLOSURE VS.CLAIM A trap for the inventer arises when too much is,said in the specification.

By Louis Ventre,Jr;'

teatuGes

TALLY..HOTHEVACUUMAn idea whose time had net quite.coi11e.;ByRobertO. Woods

CROWNJEWELSThese crystals are the gems of efficiehcy: By Lee S..Langston

INPUTjOUTPUTAnopen-sesamefor budding engineers. By Ijarry Hutê:hihson

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Wal~8~

Bes!

No"pri..!

Magazine

General Excellence Award a.~

Ai"chaniea! Engineering ~~

MECHANICALENGINEERING(ISSi;) 0025-6501) '~ p,;bli,hcd monthly by The Amerieon Society of Mcdun- ical Engincec;, Th,oc Pock Avenne,NcwYo,k,NY 10016-5990, Periodieoh l'o,mge p,id" New Yo,k, N.Y., ,nd addition,l nuiling oflicc'od'OSTMASTER: Send addce" chang" to !Vlcd""i,,! E"gin"ring, cio The Ameneon Sockty of Mcchanie,! Enb,;ncCts, 22 Law D,ive, Box 2300, fairtield, NJ 07007-2300.

pRICES. To membec;, annually S29/0, initial mémbet<hip mb",iption, ,inglc capy 54; sob"riprion priee to nonmembe~ av,ilable l'pOl' rcqoès,. COPYRIGHT @ 2006 by The Amerieon SoCiety of Mcehanical Engine",. Canadian Gool!, & ServiccsTax Regi""tion #126148048. Primed in U.S.A. Authmi"rion ta phmocopy nwierial là, intcmalô'pec;ônal usé'unde,ci"m"""nm net falling within the 6i, me provi,ions of the Copy.-ight Act is gramed by AS,\<1Eto liho,i" and uther usc" ",,';"ered widt ,he Copyright Cbt- ,nceCentCt Ton"crion,! RepoITing Scrvi", 222 R,Œewood D,ive, Danvet<, MA 01923. Reques< fot 'pe- ciOipornni"ion 0' bulk copying ,h6üld beadd"">ed,to Rcprin~/Penni"iont Depmmem,

2Feb ruary20q6 mech~l!ical engineering

chanical

1 1

FebrU81"Y 2006 Volume

On the cover:

Managers are learning how ta knit together a far-flung workforce.

page 22

Aead ASME News Online @ \Nww.asmenews,org

Respoilses ta the January Question of the Month:

Haw would you rate the long- term health af manufacturing in the United States?

43%

35%

The new Question of the Month will be posted on Feb. 1.

Notsure.

70/°11 One reader who answered "aging" added, "Low-cost manu- facturing in Asia will continue to erode manufacturing in North America and Europe. Leading-edge technology will keep manyjobs on American shores, 50, somejobs will remain, but many will disappear forever,"

A respondent who replied "terminal" wrote, "Wehave become a nation of profiteers as opposed to innovators. We don't Garethat our own nation is stricken with poverty and plant shutdowns,"

February OnIine Exclusive: The article, "It's What You Knaw," by marketerRichardBush,Jaoksat challengesto engineering managers,includingthe issueof agingwarkerstakingcritical workplaceknawledgewiththeminto retirement.

epartments

4 ^EDITORIAL 34 NEWPRODUCTS

6 ^LETTERS 46 ^PRODUCT INFORMATION

9 NEWS& NOTES 47 CODES& STANDARDS

13 ^COMPUTING 48 ME BOOKSHELF

16 SOFTWAREEXCHANGE 49 RESOURCEFILE

18 TECHNOLOGYFOCUS 53 OPPORTUNITIES