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Reports on Boston, Mass.-based Gillette Co.'s Stationery Products Group's integration of a system in its creative resources department. Design of environment-friendly packages for the company's products; Redesign of primary packaging for open stock items.

This article explores a concept borrowed from psychology that gives new perspectives on product development. According to the article, the functional approach is a particularly good fit for the design of traditional mechanical components. It recommends decomposing a problem down to a level in which individual components can be specified to embody individual functions. The article provides examples that illuminate a problem of description for the function approach. It notes that the problem stems from the shift in engineering design from the component level to the system level.

This article looks at emerging interdisciplinary programs in design. It explains the observation that many speculate on the outcomes of design but how many consider the process by which designs are executed. It discusses how different disciplines engage in the practice of design and how creativity unfolds and manifests itself during the design process. It also explains how designers use different tools and methods to make their decisions and how different disciplines interact to develop innovative new products.

Highlights how torque sensors that can measure external loads in a direct-drive robot. Factors that can affect the torsional measurement; Characteristics of a good torque sensor; How to design the shape and dimensional performance of the sensor; How to characterize the linearity and sensitivity of the sensor.

Provides information on the use of Terfenol-D, a material that changes its shape when exposed to magnetic fields, in linear motors and actuators. Details on the design of linear-motor-based actuators; Application of the actuators in the Smart Wing Program of the United States Defense Department; Fundamentals of magnetostriction.

Provides information on BladeCAD, an interactive software for blade design. User interface support from OSF/Motif and Silicon Graphics Open Inventor; Blade design process; Computer simulation of the blade geometry; Features and functions; Benefits of using the software.

Reports on a strategy to improve product quality and reduce cost by General Motors and its Cadillac/Luxury Car Division in Flint, Michigan. Application of design for manufacturing; Systems interface; Integration into a vehicle-development process; Sustainability of improvements in subsystems and components in the workshop process; Early history.

Presents Concepts ETI Inc.'s design phases for a commercial air compressor for Ingersoll-Rand. Development of an agile system in the area of gas-path components; Two-stage industrial centrifugal compressor; Performance of three-dimensional viscous calculations.

The article presents information about American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Design Committees. It promotes research and education of design automation. The Design Education Committee's primary mission is the improvement of education in the art and the science of mechanical engineering design for students, researchers, educators, and professional practitioners. The purpose of the Mechanisms and Robotics Committee is to promote advances in research and education in the design and application of mechanisms, including mechanism synthesis and analysis, robotic systems and mechanics, compliant mechanisms, micro-and nano-scale electromechanical systems, and medical devices and systems.

Discusses the development of an intelligent control valve with a miniature microprocessor. Benefits of intelligent control valves; Features of a typical analog control valve; Components of the control valve.

The article offers information on the Design Engineering Division (DED) of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). It states that it addresses art, theory and science of design, synthesis techniques for design engineering and its application to robotics and manufacturing. It highlights that its technical committees look after organizing conferences, attracting new members and rewarding productive members.