Grassroots Engineer's topics - tribe.net

Playing with LEDs and power supplies

Zippi — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:11:02 GMT

I'm messing about with LEDs and power supplies.

I'm not in the stage where I have any hardware. ( well I do have several low voltage lighting transformers left over from a renovation)

I'm still trying to figure out how to do what I want.

Take this:
R = (VS - VL) / I
where
R = the resistor
VS is the cumulative voltage demand of the LEDS in series
I = the LED draw in Millliamps (Ma)

For a series of 6 LEDs ( assume 2 VDC for each) I can take a 120VAC line voltage rectify it to DC and end up with :
120 - 6 / 0.02 = 5850 Ohms resistance
Does that make sense? I need a resister of 5850 Ohms??

Then on to the power supply.
I need no less than the voltage the LEDS will draw down.
So a 120 DC line will not drive more than 51 LEDs?
Does that make sense?
I can only drive 51 Two Volt LEDs on a 120 Volt supply line?

I've seen systems where way more than 50 LEDS are running in a plug and play bank of hundreds of LEDs and the thing is sold to plug into a 120 VAC line.

What am I doing wrong??

I'd started out wanting to use a single phase linear step down transformer and a bridge rectifier to get 12VDC.

Would I be better off starting out with a 120 VAC line, feeding a series of Step down transforms each of which was rectified to DC ?
The transformers I now have will yield 12Volts under load.

The reason for converting to DC is to not have the LEDs in the OFF mode for the period between 60 Hertz cycles. It adds up over time to a cumulative loss in light output.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is 72 white (2 volt) LEDs on a board
http://www.bgmicro.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=13007

The Description says:
This assembled and tested unit 72-880nm LEDs with a 50 degree viewing angle. The LEDs in this unit are capable of drawing 100mA. each. The Bigger IR ILLUMINATOR kit is designed to operate between 12 and 13.8Vdc, with maximum efficiency at 13.2Vdc. IR Illuminator draws between 600-800mA. Units can be daisy chained. At 24 feet, the beam is approximately 8 feet in diameter. PC board measures 3.7"x1.95".

They says it's tested with this
$4.00 power supply
http://www.bgmicro.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=9009

This is informing me that I am all wrong about power supply requirements.
Or is it ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is this picture wrong?
I should have thought the Resistor would need to be on the + terminal of the LED and not the - terminal.

http://wolfstone.halloweenhost.com/Lighting/litlpo_PoweredByFullWave.png

here:
http://www.theledlight.com/ledcircuits.html
They have the Resistor on the Positive terminal

What are the mechanics of why one would put the resistor on the Neg or Pos terminal?

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies

Engineers Without Borders - The Tanzania Project

jason_s — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 20:30:02 GMT

Here's a documentary on the work Engineers Without Borders - San Francisco Professionals is doing in Tanzania:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSh2DLrgvDw

Spread it around! Put it on your muffin!

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies

Advice on NOT frying a gypsy wagon?

adfadfadf123 — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 14:59:04 GMT

Hello, all,

I joined this group not because I am an engineer of any sort. I joined it because I have some questions to ask people who know a heck of a lot more than I do about this subject. This is going to be a little weird, I know, but please bear with me.

I am a historical recreationist, and within this strange little subculture, I am a fortuneteller. I frequently live in a gypsy wagon parked outside. I am often camped in an area where we see a lot of pretty intense storms. What I live in fear of is my wagon getting hit by lightning and frying me in my bed.

Let me tell you a little about my wagon. The base of it is made of steel, and it has rubber tires and a steel tongue. I use truck jacks to stabilize it when I’m living in it. The rest of the wagon is made of wood, except for the hinges and wing nuts that hold it together. It has wooden hoops covered with canvas that makes up the body. These hoops have metal hinges in them so they can fold up when the wagon is being towed. Basically, it looks like a conestoga wagon that has dreams of being a showgirl. Picture a very flamboyant covered wagon and you have my “house.”

Am I in danger of becoming a gypsy flambé in this thing? If so, what can I do, if anything, to avoid being the local lightning rod? This thing usually gets set up in a low lying forest near a creek, so it’s not the tallest thing. But it IS metal. If I did have it set up in an open field, I doubt I’d want to stay in it during bad weather, because in my mind, that is just SO asking for it.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 2 replies

Appliance conversion question...help!

jeau — Mon, 13 Feb 2006 23:53:48 GMT

Hi! I have a simple electrical question, and was hoping some of you electrical geniuses might be able to provide some insight. I have a 230V~/50 Hz/300 Watt wax melting pot...this is a German-made appliance with a UK plug. To use it in the USA, I had to purchase a "step-up transformer". The transformer just stopped working, so now is as good a time as any to ask...

Is there any way to convert the inner workings of this pot so that it runs on 110V? Do you think it's feasible to convert or remove the heating element and replace it with one for US current? Essentially, it's an expensive appliance made to melt wax at precisely (thermostatically) controlled temperatures...a glorified crock pot. And, YES, I have tried using crock pots but they just don't maintain the wax temperature precisely enough. I know this may be a bit esoteric for this tribe, but thought it worth a try...thanks!

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 10 replies

Designing an Engineering Society

libertiny — Thu, 25 Mar 2004 15:51:28 GMT

If you had your choice, and you do, what would be the 5 most important "things" that would convince you to join and be an active member of an engineering society. Let's design an engineering society together from the ground up.

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 24 replies

Cob Building Article

mello — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 05:33:20 GMT

http://energybulletin.net/9760.html

Kick ass, I made the news! Well, at least my back did in one of the pictures... I was one of the interns that helped with this cob workshop in the Santa Barbara, CA area recently.

You can can find more pictures from the workshop with detailed descriptions here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthworm/archives/date-posted/2005/10/08/

/first post.

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies

electric engineers wanted for a world changing project!!!

guillaume — Tue, 27 Sep 2005 13:28:27 GMT

Electric engineers wanted for a world changing project!!!
Can not openly discuss the project, sorry.

Contact me at: guillaumeclave@gmail.com

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies

Parasitic Load Question

Doctor_Who — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 05:53:19 GMT

I have a quick question and I was hoping someone here can help me out. I know alot of you are familiar with 24VDC systemns. I am trying to use a 24VDC to 12VDC relay to close a circuit.

The 24VDC (actually it closer to 29VDC) side will power up and close the relay on the 12VDC side. I need to figure out what the parasitic load for the relay will be. I understand that the relay will close the circuit using the power from the 24 VDC side, or at least that is what I am trying to do. I am
wondering since I am in a limited power availability situation how I can figure out how much amperage and voltage are required to close the relay and keep it closed.

To make things clearer, here is the circuit layout and a little background. In
my firehouse (volunteer) we have a audible alert systemn (very similar to a
klaxon) that is powered by a "24VOLT"DC power distro. I metered it out to 29VDC at the alarm.

What we are trying to do is have a old lightbar, that used to be on one of our old pieces of apparratus come on along when the Klaxon goes off. Powering the lightbar will be 110VAC/12VDC @ 20amps power inverter. The inverter will be constant on. I want to use the 12VDC side as the switched side through the relay.

Therefore when the house is alerted for an emergency the circuit for the Klaxon is closed created a 24-29VDC power to the relay, the relay now in the closed position will close the negative leg of the inverter and allow the lightbar to power up for duration of the alert.

What I am trying to make sure of is that the relay is not so parastic that it
causes a fuse to blow on the power supply for the house alert. I dont
understand if relays in a DC power systemn are amperage driven or voltage driven. I havent been up to find any formulas or anyone that knows about wether or not I am creating a problem. The idea has come up that if there is too much draw on the house alert systemn that I setup cascading relays and just use the constant energy from the inverter as the power source on a larger relay actually hooked up to the lightbar....

But I dont want to create such an exotic systemn, if its going to be
unecessary. So my question is, how do I calculate the parasitic load of the relay? The reason this is a problem is because I dont want to order the wrong parts just to find out that I need more parts, because what I would order for one design is different than what I would order for the other one.

The other suggestion that was given to me, was to use a contactor off the 24VDC alerting systemn and use the contactor as a switch for the supply to the inverter. 2 problems, electrical code and also putting a shock load on a
inverter. I can get away with a smaller inverter and keep it constant on as
oppossed to something that is going to have to go from zero to full service
when the contactor closes.

Any help or feedback is appreciated. I dont normally work in both the world of AC and DC at the same time, so I want to make sure I'm not overlooking something obvious.

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies

ASME Racetrack Day--a once in a lifetime dream comes true

libertiny — Tue, 02 Aug 2005 17:10:05 GMT

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Southeastern Michigan Section

ASME Racetrack Day--a once in a lifetime dream comes true
"Ever dream of taking race driving lessons and then driving a high-performance racecar, but couldn't afford the time, money and travel to do it?"

In 2006, the ASME Southeastern Michigan Section brings the world-renowned Skip Barber Racing school to you.

Date: May or June 2006 (Saturday or Sunday): Final day to be established by Skip Barber
Time: All day. Begins at 8:00am
Location: Final Michigan racetrack to be established by Skip Barber (target location is Waterford Hills racetrack in Waterford Hills, Michigan)
Details: Fee includes everything, all you need to do is show up. (Items included are: racecars, race instructors, race suites, helmets, insurance, breakfast, lunch)
Fee: $1,600.
Maximum seating: 20. Reserve your seat today!

To book your seat contact Tom Libertiny. Phone: 248-877-2535

Make check payable to:
ASME Southeastern Michigan Section
P.O. Box 2534
Farmington Hills, MI 48333

About the ASME
ASME is a world-wide engineering society with 120,000 members. The Southeastern Michigan section is an award winning section with 2,000 members. It's well known for holding special events for our members and guests.

http://sems.asme.org for more information

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies

Hello.

ericka — Thu, 23 Jun 2005 01:42:44 GMT

I'm new - to this tribe and to tribe.net in general.

By training (at the University of Akron), I am a mechanical polymer engineer.

By current employment, I am a supplier quality engineer for a company making abrasive slurries for the semi-conductor industry.

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 6 replies

Detroit Awards Dinner: American Society of Mechanical Enginers

libertiny — Sun, 27 Mar 2005 19:12:19 GMT

Detroit Awards Dinner: American Society of Mechanical Enginers (ASME)

Join us for an evening of gourmet food, fun, and recognition. This is a great way to network with you Section members. Students, this is an excellent opportunity to talk with people in the industry -- do not wait until graduation to start your career, meet others in your profession now! Professional members, this is a great way to become involved, change the Section to better serve your needs, exchange ideas and insights to help you solve a project you are working on, or meet new upcoming engineers.

Date: Wednesday, 27 April 2005
Time: 6:30 pm
Location: Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Dearborn, Michigan
Cost: $50 ASME Member & Guest
$25 Student Member & Guest
$75 Non-members
Reservation: libertinyt@asme.org
Web: http://sems.asme.org

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies

Work in Iraq

Ken — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 06:26:29 GMT

I have a little while to go before I finish my degree, but already I'm sensing that a very tempting offer may be made to go to Iraq and do work on one my technical focuses.

I'd really like the oppurtunity to help these people put there country back together (the money would also pay all my student loans and by a house), but of course, the threat of a humiliating, public execution also wears on my mind.

Thought from the tribe?

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 6 replies

Racetrack Day

libertiny — Thu, 23 Sep 2004 20:56:28 GMT

We're in the planning stages for the 2005 Racetrack day and need your feedback. Would you be interested in attending a Racetrack day where our vendor provides the cars and teaches the class? The event would be structured as follows:
8:00am-->Welcome and check in
9:00am-->Safety class (classroom)
9:30am-->Vehicle dynamics and racing class (classroom)
10:30am-->Lead follow laps (3 laps to get familiar with the track). 5 groups with no more than 4 cars on the track at one time.
11:30am-->Lunch and hot laps (Hot laps=Professional race car driver takes you around the course)
12:30pm-->Group 1 (no more than 4 cars on the track at one time)
1:00pm-->Group 2 (no more than 4 cars on the track at one time)
1:30pm-->Group 3 (no more than 4 cars on the track at one time)
2:00pm-->Group 4 (no more than 4 cars on the track at one time)
2:30pm-->Group 1 (no more than 4 cars on the track at one time)
3:00pm-->Group 2 (no more than 4 cars on the track at one time)
3:30pm-->Group 3 (no more than 4 cars on the track at one time)
4:00pm-->Group 4 (no more than 4 cars on the track at one time)

Fee: $1,750
Includes: Track rental, cars, helmets, lunch, race car drivers & teachers.

This is NOT a racing event. It's an educational class.

Thank you for your feedback.
Tom

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies

Environmental Engineering projects

Ken — Wed, 25 Aug 2004 16:20:18 GMT

So as a Environmental Engineering undergrad, does anybody have any suggestions as far as a good project I can undertake?

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies

Grassroots Committee

libertiny — Sun, 04 Apr 2004 17:37:19 GMT

Dear members of the ASME Grassroots Committee,

Grassroots Committee Goals
1) Institute formal channels of communications between grassroots members and our leadership.
2) Engage as many ASME members and staff as possible in order to be an inclusive, diverse committee.
3) Strive to be an active part of the solution during the re-engineering of our society and beyond.

Update and Feedback
Thank you for your feedback, support, and hard work. Our first letter was sent to the Board of Governors on 3 March 2004 and it, in conjunction with other letters, helped to secure the continuing need for local section and regions. The Board of Governors also rejected the need to change the nominating process as well as other issues that we expressed concern over.

Our second letter was distributed on 2 April 2004 and we’ve already received support from some of the Board of Governors, Sr. Vice Presidents, and Vice Presidents as well as members of the Committee on Past Presidents.

Moving Forward
Our next challenge is to divide the issues outlined in our 2 April 2004 letter and bring together a team to formulate a written solution for each issue by 31 May 2004. The goal is to compile our solutions into a single report that is sent out to the ASME prior to the beginning of the ASME Summer Annual Meeting on 2 June 2004.

I understand and appreciate the fact that we’re all busy and that the time schedule is tight. However, in order for our feedback to make a positive impact, here’s what we need to accomplish in short amount of time:
1) Volunteers or suggested leaders for each of the seven issue teams (issues are listed below).
2) Each leader needs to recruit their own diverse team (age, gender, ethnicity, geographical location, etc.)
3) A written solution with supporting documents:
a. Summary of bullet points should be no longer than one page. An example MS-Word document is attached.
b. Please use graphs, charts, and bullet points as much as possible.
c. No content will be edited from the final reports received from each team.
d. Please send all of your documents in MS-Word or E-mail text formats
e. It’s up to each team to determine the methods of communications and details of the report.
4) Please E-mail the information to me no later than 31 May 2004 so that I can compile it and distribute it prior to the Summer Annual Meeting on 2 June 2004

Here is a list of the folks who are either members of the ASME Grassroots Committee, consultants, or have otherwise shown an interest in participating with us:

Tom Libertiny, ASME Board on Government Relations
Jill C. Anderson, ASME Early Career Committee
Howard Berkof, ASME Early Career Committee
Doug Brown, Incoming Vice President, ASME Region X
Susan Ipri Brown, ASME Board on Government Relations
Aureen Currin, Leadership Development Intern (LDI 2002-2003), ASME Board of Governors
Larry Dickinson, Vice President, ASME Board on Member Interests & Development
Brian Dietz, Vice President, ASME Region X
Brian Erbstoesser, Vice President, ASME Region VII
Chip Glisson, Vice President of Human Resources, Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA)
Steve Johnson, CEO, Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)
Rebecca King, Chair, ASME Southeastern Michigan Section
Dan Koenig, ASME Past President
Dave Kramer, ASME Southeastern Michigan Section
Larry Luna, Leadership Development Intern (LDI 1997-1998), ASME Board of Governors
Monica Moman-Saunders, Past Vice President, ASME Board on Minorities &Women
Diane Peters, Chair, ASME Chicago Section
Bob Simmons, Vice President, ASME Engineering & Technology Management Group
Cindy Stong, Vice President, ASME Board on Professional Development
Keith Thayer, ASME Life Fellow
Todd Thomas, President, IMPACT Consulting and Development
Judith Todd, Vice President, ASME Manufacturing Division
Jonn Wesner, Past Vice President, ASME Systems & Design Group
Sam Zamriuk, ASME Board of Governors

Moving Forward
Things to Keep in Mind

In developing your written solutions, please keep the following in mind:
Ø Overriding principle--All plans, and programs must address the issue: “What is the benefit for our members?”
Ø Methods of plan development and analysis that need to be used in the future:
a. What is the problem(s) and root cause of the problem(s) that we’re trying to solve?
b. Risk analysis
c. Robust contingency plans with go/no-go dates
d. Realistic, measurable goals
e. Are the timetable(s) achievable?
f. Any reorganization plan of this magnitude needs to include specific dates where we review our metrics to determine if we’re on track. Since no one can foresee all of the potential benefits and pitfalls that we’ll face, we need to have predetermined contingency plans based on likely scenarios. This will allow us to focus our resources on fixing future problems that are truly unforeseen.

The Seven Issues
1) Global growth--As a society we need to decide if we are an American society or a Global society. At present, our society remains uncommitted to either philosophy. This is a challenging decision that we need to explicitly make since it will be a key factor in our future plans and has serious financial consequences for our society. The process used for making this decision needs to be a democratic one and inclusive of all our members.
2) Finance--The financial plan to move forward does not exist and our society is not willing to write a blank check. Financial issues that need to be addressed:
a. Financial plan development concurrently with other activities during the next 15 months.
b. Plan implementation and post-implementation cost analysis.
c. Our system for fund allocation is far too complicated and not transparent to our members.
d. Are our operating expenses and headquarter location comparable to other successful businesses and societies of similar size?
3) Simplicity (KISS)--We need a solid, simple operating structure.
4) People:
a. Do we have the right people in staff AND volunteer positions? What is the plan to draw from our membership’s depth of knowledge
b. Does the staffing size make sense?
5) Inclusiveness:
a. Build a formal mechanism for all feedback to the Board of Governors, Vice Presidents, Project Management Task Force and Project Management Review Team
b. Actively pursue feedback from our membership including:
Ø Early Career Committee (ECC)
Ø Leadership Development Interns (LDI)
Ø Minorities & Women
Ø Local section members
Ø Technical committee members
Ø Student section members
Ø ASME staff
6) Communications--We need more frequent face-to-face communication with our membership by senior staff members, particularly during the onset of the plan development activities. Decisions made at all levels of the society need to be easily available to our members.
7) Council on Education--The Council on Engineering (COE) and Council on Member Affairs (CMA) are joining forces; we need to formally bring the Council on Education (COEd) into that team.

Best regards,
Tom Libertiny
E-mail: Libertinyt@asme.org

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 6 replies

Salary Data for Engineers

Ethan — Fri, 28 May 2004 02:35:08 GMT

Does anyone know where to find salary data for engineers with varrying levels of experience and education? Im about to be back to the job search thing pretty soon and have no clue what Id be worth. Thanks
EJ

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 3 replies

Cease & Desist Letter

libertiny — Thu, 13 May 2004 11:50:21 GMT

Ladies & Gentlemen,

I've been informed that we're in violation of several ASME rules regarding the use of the ASME name and logo on our Grassroots Engineer website www.GrassrootsEngineer.org , our discussion board at the Tribe.net website as well as the use of the name "ASME Grassroots Committee." We've received a "cease & desist" letter this morning.

In order to comply with the letter, the ASME name and logo will be removed from these websites and they'll be renamed "Grassroots Engineer" as will all future communications (E-mail and written letters). When the organization and technology become available later this year, we'll pursue starting an ASME "community of interest."

In reference to our seven issues, please send me a brief status update by Friday, 14 May 2004.

If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best regards,
Tom

E-mail: Libertinyt@asme.org

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies

2004 SEMS Events!

Rebecca — Fri, 02 Jan 2004 16:29:19 GMT

January 10 @ 1 pm
General Assembly Meeting
Toledo, OH
SEMS Contact: Kent Alverson

February 11 @ 6:30
Location: Cranbrook, Bloomfiled Hills MI
Speaker: Dr. Joe Berke - Creativity and Symbiosis
SEMS Contact: Michael Schwartz

February
Date and Locations: TBD
National Engineers Week Event
SEMS Contact: Kent Alverson

March
Date and Time: TBD
Monthly Meeting at Ferrari Dealership
SEMS Contact: Tom Libertiny

April
Date and Time: TBD
Monthly Meeting on Homeland Security
SEMS Contacts: Tom and Rebecca

May 11
Monthly Meeting: Link Detroit Test Lab (tentative)

June
Date and Time: TBD
Track Day

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 4 replies

Senator Stabenow to address Metro Detroit industry on Homeland Security opportunities

libertiny — Mon, 15 Mar 2004 15:21:06 GMT

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has teamed up with Lawrence Technological University to host Senator Stabenow at our April 12th event: "Doing Business with the Department of Homeland Security." In these difficult times, we ’re doing our part to provide new opportunities for metro Detroit's manufacturing industry.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a huge mandate: Keep America safe and foster the freedoms that we cherish. In striving to meet these goals, the Department has a wide variety of opportunities for businesses to introduced new products and technologies —or new applications for existing ones.

Successfully working with DHS is a win/win for both the Department and your business. But where do you begin? How do you find out the status of grants, small business opportunities, R&D and contracts? What steps should you take in advance to best position your company to work with DHS?

Doing Business with the Department of Homeland Security will provide the "ins & outs" of the procurement process, current manufacturing opportunities, and how to successfully approach DHS with your product and/or technology.

Date: Monday, April 12, 2004

Location:
Lawrence Technological University
21000 West 10 Mile Road
Room T-210
Southfield, Michigan

Registration fee: $50 (includes hors d ’eouvres and dinner)

RSVP: Wednesday, 7 April 2004

Program agenda:
6:00pm: Reception
7:00pm: Keynote ddress: "Legislative Update: Jobs, Transportation and Homeland Security"
The Honorable Debbie A. Stabenow
United States Senate

7:20pm: Dinner served
7:30pm: "Manufacturing Opportunities in the Homeland Security Sector"
John Voeller
ASME Fellow, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President
8:00pm: "Understanding TSWG: Technical Support Working Group at DHS"
Bill Jones
ASME Fellow, Critical Assets Protection Initiative
8:30pm: "Industry Perspective on Homeland Security Business Opportunities"
Volker Plehn (invited)
DuPont

ASME background
Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, today ASME is a nonprofit educational and technical organization serving a worldwide membership of 125,000. The ASME ’s Southeastern Michigan Section includes over 2,000 members including those living in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Contact information:
Tom Libertiny
Chairman, Industry Committee, ASME Southeastern Michigan Section
E-mail: Libertinyt@asme.org
Web: sems.asme.org

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 1 reply

Engineers Without Borders

Sat, 03 Apr 2004 23:43:48 GMT

I just heard about this organization today from a friend. Does anyone here know anything about it?

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 1 reply

Continuity and Change

libertiny — Wed, 22 Oct 2003 23:17:00 GMT

Continuity and Change is the theme for a scope of changes that are required to rejuvenate our society. What are your thoughts?

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 18 replies

Patent Experience

Barry — Fri, 19 Mar 2004 05:21:27 GMT

Hi folks. I'm a lapsed ME, now a patent attorney in NYC. I frequently interact with engineers, since they are the inventors who are either my clients or employed by my clients. I am interested in hearing about inventor/attorney interfacing from the perspective of the inventor. What, if any, experience do you folks have with patent attorneys? Have they explained the patent process sufficiently? Do you find them too/insufficiently inquisitive? How might the process of dealing with your (company's) patent attorneys be improved?

Thanks,

Barry

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 2 replies

Board of Governors: Continuity & Change initiative

libertiny — Thu, 04 Mar 2004 15:48:31 GMT

RE: ASME Continuity & Change initiative

Dear ASME Board of Governors,

A diverse group of ASME volunteers from the local, regional, and international levels have been regularly discussing the Continuity & Change initiative since the 2003 Congress. We’ve also discussed our concerns with Dr. Todd Thomas, an organizational specialist and President of IMPACT Consulting and Development. Clearly the Core Team has done a significant amount of quality work on the Continuity & Change initiative. As active ASME members, we share the Board of Governor’s desire to create an effective, valuable society. We also agree that in the past the ASME has moved slowly to implement change. However, we are concerned that there is a rush to implement a plan that is presently at the concept phase.

We urge you to postpone the acceptance of any plan until proper due diligence can be completed.

Having thoroughly reviewed the published documents (including the Strategic Marketing Report by Plexus Consulting, Balanced Scorecard, and Arthur D. Little’s organization presentation), attended the Continuity & Change meetings throughout North America, and discussed the issues in a variety of forums, we’ve concluded that additional work needs to be done prior to approving a new philosophy and plan of this magnitude.

Proper due diligence requires that other strategies be developed and analyzed. Key details such as the long-term strategy, organization structure, staffing requirements, business location, and the financial ramifications for any changes must be clearly addressed and evaluated for their effect on the individual member. This information must then be disseminated to our members for their review and approval.

Most importantly, the answer to the question “what is the benefit to the individual member?” must be addressed when reviewing each aspect of the final plan.

Grassroots Membership and the Proposed Matrix Organization
ASME exists for our members and by the members. Since the majority of our members are involved in industry, many of us have either been a part of or have studied matrix organizations. We understand that its inherent complexity requires more management time and typically leads to confusion amongst its participants. We fear that the average member will be put off by such a structure as it’s currently conceived. Also, such a structure may not be robust enough to sustain itself during changes in our volunteer leadership.

We suggest that it is the execution of our present strategy that needs to be expedited rather than changing from the present structure (which was also developed by Arthur D. Little).

Education and Local Sections are the Key to Growth
Whether it’s educating our members through the sales of Codes & Standards, subscriptions to our publications, providing networking opportunities, or teaching continuing education classes, the ASME does provide value. It’s just well hidden. Unlocking the ASME treasure chest requires regular communications: Both face-to-face and via the web.

In fact, we need more face-to-face contact, not less. The current geographic boundaries of sections and regions do not work. Attending a section meeting frequently requires too long of a commute. And by not having local sections, supported by staff, in Europe, Asia, and India we are giving up the opportunity of helping and guiding the global community and ASME’s future. We need to update our strategy to address these shortcomings by adding local sections on a worldwide basis.

For over 20 years, the ASME has known what our members want and the Balance Scorecard Strategy Map reaffirms these findings. Some of the solutions are outlined in our letter. Other solutions have been developed by the Core Team. By updating our society’s strategy, expediting its implementation and always focusing on the question: “What is the benefit to the individual member?” the ASME can help engineers achieve a new golden age.

Just as no one would purchase a new home without evaluating it from both the 50,000 foot level and the detail level, we need to take our time to properly develop multiple, comprehensive strategies. Only by postponing the Board of Governor’s March 2004 acceptance vote can this be done.

Sincerely,

Tom Libertiny, ASME Board on Government Relations
Howard Berkof, ASME Early Career Committee
Doug Brown, Incoming Vice President, ASME Region X
Susan Ipri Brown, ASME Board on Government Relations
Brian Dietz, Vice President, ASME Region X
Brian Erbstoesser, Vice President, ASME Region VII
Rebecca King, Chair, ASME Southeastern Michigan Section
Monica Moman-Saunders, Past Vice President, ASME Board on Minorities &Women
Diane Peters, Chair, ASME Chicago Section
Bob Simmons, Vice President, ASME Engineering & Technology Management Group
Cindy Stong, Vice President, ASME Board on Professional Development
Keith Thayer, ASME Life Fellow

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 5 replies

Doing Business with the Department of Homeland Security

libertiny — Thu, 11 Mar 2004 21:32:19 GMT

Doing Business with the Department of Homeland Security

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has a huge mandate: Keep America safe and foster the freedoms that we cherish. In striving to meet these goals, the Department has a wide variety of opportunities for businesses to introduced new products and technologies—or new applications for existing ones.

Successfully working with DHS is a win/win for both the Department and your business. But where do you begin? How do you find out the status of grants, small business opportunities, R&D and contracts? What steps should you take in advance to best position your company to work with DHS?

Doing Business with the Department of Homeland Security will provide the "ins & outs" of the procurement process, current manufacturing opportunities, and how to successfully approach DHS with your product and/or technology.

Date: Monday, April 12, 2004

Location:
Lawrence Technological University
21000 West 10 Mile Road
Room T-210
Southfield, Michigan

Registration fee: $50 (covers hors d'eouvres and dinner)

Program agenda:
6:00pm: Reception
7:00pm: Keynote address: "Legislative Update: Jobs, Transportation and Homeland Security"
The Honorable Debbie A. Stabenow
United States Senate
7:20pm: Dinner served
7:30pm: "Manufacturing Opportunities in the Homeland Security Sector"
John Voeller
ASME Fellow, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President
8:00pm: "Understanding TSWG: Technical Support Working Group at DHS"
Bill Jones
ASME Fellow, Critical Assets Protection Initiative
8:30pm: "Industry Perspective on Homeland Security Business Opportunities"
Volker Plehn
DuPont

ASME background
Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, today ASME is a nonprofit educational and technical organization serving a worldwide membership of 125,000. The ASME's Southeastern Michigan Section includes over 2,000 members including those living in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Contact information:
Tom Libertiny
Chairman, Industry Committee, ASME Southeastern Michigan Section
Phone: 248-877-2535
E-mail: Libertinyt@asme.org
Web: http://sems.asme.org

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies

Fluid Mechanics tribe

XT — Wed, 03 Mar 2004 21:44:52 GMT

A new tribe for studies relating to any aspects of Fluid Mechanics

fluidflow.tribe.net

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies

Teleconference: Continuity & Change

libertiny — Wed, 18 Feb 2004 22:00:21 GMT

Teleconference: Continuity & Change

Continuity & Change Teleconference
Issue identification and solutions

1) Local sections
2) Organization structure
3) Finance
4) Codes & Standards
5) Education
6) Minorities & Women
7) Global vs. U.S. centric

Sunday, 22 February 2004
8:00pm (eastern time)

If you're interested in participating, please send me a note here at the tribe or E-mail at libertinyt@asme.org

Thank you.
Tom

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies

PE exam and PhD

Ethan — Wed, 18 Feb 2004 09:10:26 GMT

Two questions, can anyone recomend a good book for studying for the PE exam? also Im halfway through my masters, and was wondering besides the ability to teach down the road, what benefits have any of you found from getting a PhD in whatever field of engineering you are in?

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 2 replies

Tribe Meeting: Continuity & Change

libertiny — Mon, 02 Feb 2004 20:22:37 GMT

We're planning a tribe meeting to discuss the Continuity & Change plan for Sunday, 8 February 2004 at 8:00pm eastern time. You're invited to be a part of team.

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 15 replies

Schedule: Southeastern Michigan Section

libertiny — Tue, 21 Oct 2003 19:29:52 GMT

Mary,

Please post the monthly meeting schedule (date, topic, location, speaker, SEMS organizer) here.

Thank you.
Tom

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 7 replies

Congratulations to Kent Alverson!

libertiny — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 19:18:07 GMT

Kent Alverson was just selected to participate in the prestigious ASME Leadership Development Internship (LDI). He’ll be working directly with the Board of Governors. 2004-2005 should prove to be a very interesting year since the focus of the Governors will on the Continuity & Change program.

The objective of the LDI is to provide an opportunity for highly qualified and motivated young mechanical engineers to serve a one year internship in an interactive learning experience with the governing and operating bodies of ASME.

Each year, six young mechanical engineers who are ASME members selected for a tour of duty with each of ASME's five Councils and/or the Board of Governors. Candidates for these positions must be between five and 10 years past the BS degree EXCEPT for candidates for the position with the Council on Codes and Standards, who may be between five and 15 years past the BS degree. These Leadership Development Interns will be expected to attend and to participate in the activities of their selected group. ASME will contribute toward reasonable expenses during these trips, following the guidelines of Society Policy P-4.5, Travel Expense Contribution. The Interns will receive special assignments from the unit leadership and will be expected to comment on issues that relate to ASME's younger membership.

Prior to the official start of the 12 month LDI program, the Interns are invited to attend the Technology Executives Conference (TEC) in March.

The Interns' year will then begin at the Summer Annual Meeting (SAM). They will participate in an orientation session that will be conducted by senior volunteers and staff. At this time, each Intern will meet with his or her Senior Vice President/Mentor and in the case of the Board of Governors, the Board member assigned by the President. At this meeting an assignment of duties and travel plans will be agreed upon by the Intern and his/her Mentor. As a minimum, each Intern will be expected to attend all the Council (or BOG) meetings to which he/she is assigned and to present written or oral comments on issues that relate to ASME's younger membership. Attendance at other activities such as TEC, Division Conferences, RAC's, etc. will be worked out on an individual basis within budgetary limitations.
A special panel session will be held during the International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition at which each intern will make an oral presentation on accomplishments to-date, remaining goals, perceived benefits, suggestions for improvement, etc. This will be followed by questions and general discussion.

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 7 replies

So, I am a student of ME @ SFSU

Josh — Thu, 29 Jan 2004 06:28:15 GMT

I am quite good at computer stuff (some 11 Years of exp in the field) but this eng stuff is new to me (Junior). I have an assingment in a class to come up with, designe and carry out an enginering experiment. I was wondering if anybody who is or has worked in the field could give me some pointers of pitfalls to avoid while undertakeing this 4 month long project.

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 4 replies

C&C general assembly - Storrs, CT

Sue — Tue, 27 Jan 2004 20:40:42 GMT

We had the Northeast general assembly this past Saturday at UConn, Storrs, CT. I believe (according to the number of people voting) we had about 75 attendees, most of which were likely members of the Regions 1 and 2 ROBs, which met in the morning.

I did attend the general assembly at IMECE, and the first thing that struck me about this latest one was that it was much improved from the IMECE version. I came away from the assembly this week with a clearer understanding of what was proposed, and what's going to be happening in the next few years. The presentation from Storrs is now up on the ASME web site, so I would suggest taking a look at it.

Yes, there are still a lot of questions, but my fear that all of a sudden the whole organization is going to shift was calmed. There were a lot of good questions asked, and I don't think they were all answered sufficiently. They've been posting the transcripts on the ASME web site, so I will need to go back when they post the Storrs questions so I can remember everything properly.

I know that at least Jill and Loretta from this tribe were there, what were your thoughts?

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 3 replies

Change for the sake of change??

Ward — Thu, 11 Dec 2003 19:44:05 GMT

I have looked over the publications, examined the presentation, but have yet to find the underlining reason for "C&C". It would appear that we are trying to re-vamp our buisness goals. A secondary reason appears to be a shrinking member count. But, no where is it spelled out why we need change. We have great goals and great methods though. No matter what the reasons the whole "C&C" seems extream overkill to me. For example, the changing of a logo fails to make any difference in any case. What's wrong with the old logo?? Does it hinder young engineers from joining? I do like some of the new communitie ideas. But it ends there. Is it just me or is everyone caught up in the "Exciting Change"?!?!

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 7 replies

Ideas for YE Activities

Justin — Mon, 24 Nov 2003 05:18:30 GMT

What sorts of activities; meeting topics, social functions, tours would you like to see your local ASME section put on. Would you attend if they did?

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 3 replies

ASME General Assembly: Continuity & Change

libertiny — Mon, 05 Jan 2004 21:48:17 GMT

The Region V assembly will take place on Saturday, January 10 from 1 - 4 p.m at Nitschke Hall on the campus of the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio.

This is your chance to ask questions and make your thoughts known.

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 1 reply

Event: How to Obtain New Business for your Company from the United States Deparment of Homeland Security

libertiny — Thu, 08 Jan 2004 20:16:51 GMT

Event: How to Obtain New Business for your Company from the United States Deparment of Homeland Security

Folks,
Rebecca King and I are planning the Southeastern Michigan Section's event and we're interested in your ideas and feedback.

The goal is to help small and mid-size engineering companies gain business from the huge amount of money being spent on homeland security. Here's the information that we have to date:

Date (tenetative): Week of 12 April 2004

Location: Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, Michigan

Fee: $50 per person (which includes dinner)

Schedule:
6:00pm-7:00pm (eastern time) Reception/registration
7:00pm-7:20pm Keynote speaker
7:30pm-8:00pm Marie Vachon, United States Department of Homeland Security. Topic: National Safety Act
8:00pm-8:30pm John voeller, White House Office of Science and Technology. Topic: Manufacturing opportunities in the homeland security sector.
8:30pm-9:00pm Speaker to be announced

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 1 reply

Technology Executives Conference (TEC)

libertiny — Thu, 01 Jan 2004 16:12:51 GMT

Anyone planning on attending this conference? Here's the information:

Pittsburgh Hyatt Airport Hotel
March 5-7, 2004

TEC has proven over the years to be an outstanding leadership training experience and it will continue to be a means to best position our leaders for the future programming and operation in COE.
With the changes that are taking place in the Council on Engineering and ASME, it is imperative that the leaders of all parts of the COE be up to date with actions and continuing plans, and be prepared to work closely with the rest of the volunteer and staff leadership.

To better serve COE, the program will continue to have separate tracks designed to enable incoming leaders to guide ASME units and gain the synergy of senior leaders to unveil best practices useful in unit planning and operations. Additionally, the Committee on TEC plans to add a Division Fair to the Program that challenges divisions to create posters that display their current products/services. The posters are to be brought to the TEC for viewing and discussion by all attendees. This action is expected to facilitate thoughts about "do we have the right mix of programming" and "how are we reaching our customers".

CALL FOR TEC 2004 DELEGATES
The 2004 TEC will be held at the Pittsburgh Hyatt at the Pittsburgh International Airport on March 5-7, 2004. At this time, the Unit Chairs/VPs are invited to identify their delegates who will attend on behalf of their unit. Please submit their names by December 13, 2003, to Jennifer Delda at deldaj@asme.org using the attached form.

TEC-FUNDED DELEGATES
TEC is prepared to pay the expenses of two delegates from each Division/Subdivision/Institute and one delegate from each Group Board.

In order to gain maximum benefit for your Division or Subdivision, the Committee on TEC suggests that you send the following as your funded delegates:

- Incoming Division Chair and
- New Executive Committee Member

In order to gain maximum benefit for your Group, we suggest that you send
- a member of your Board that you consider will champion your vision and mission.

NON-FUNDED DELEGATES
Additional delegates may also attend without a TEC expense reimbursement. They may, for example, be self-paying, funded by their companies or universities, or be funded by Division custodian accounts. All delegates to be funded by division custodial accounts must be authorized in advance of the conference.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TEC
Because the TEC brings together the technical leadership of the Society, many Divisions choose to hold separate meetings before or after the conference. In arranging for such meetings, we ask that you keep a few things in mind:

- No concurrent meetings may be scheduled during the TEC - that is, not between the hours of 7:30pm on Friday and 12:00 noon on Sunday.
- Meeting facilities are limited. Accommodations will be scheduled on a "first come, first served" basis.

The Advance Program is under development. It will be posted as soon as available.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Delda at 212-591-7108 or e-mail deldaj@asme.org

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies

Ever Hear of SCATE?

Fri, 12 Dec 2003 05:17:40 GMT

Has anyone ever heard of the SCATE elearning system? I've been using it for about a month, learning Catia v5, quite an impressive suite. I got about 3x the content from this than I did in 4 day course (not to mention quite a bit cheaper). Worth a gander: www.scate.com

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies

Earl V. Fisher Award

libertiny — Tue, 11 Nov 2003 14:54:22 GMT

Congratulations to the multi-year Southeastern Michigan Section team. on 11 November 2003 it was announced that we have won the Earl V. Fisher award!

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies

Welcome

libertiny — Mon, 20 Oct 2003 12:14:27 GMT

The ASME represents a worldwide group of folks related to engineering (120,000 members). This forum is designed as an ongoing discussion into how the society should be improved as well as engineering related issues. Thank you for being a part of the team.

posted in Grassroots Engineer - 0 replies