Visualizing the future.

Wouldn't it be great if the world energy crisis puzzle was solved in the morning?

Solutions require innovation, technology, and engineering all working together. A perfect example of this synergy is the clean diesel engine.

Researchers at Michigan Tech are using EnSight, an extreme simulation

software developed by CEI in Apex, N.C., to examine the diesel fuel injection system in ways never before imagined. Findings have revealed crucial information about the injection process, atomization, which is tied to an engine's efficiency and cleanliness. The EnSight software allows Michigan Tech to enter in computation data to create the model. A snapshot of the inner-workings of the process shows that when a large amount of fuel is injected, the combustion in the engine is poor.

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The EnSight software is used to create specific models of 3-D flow, fuel drop size, and simulated sprays, all of which are key to diesel combustion. Going deep into the developmental process of industrial engineering, the advent of software visualization tools allows manufacturers to produce engines that will meet emissions standards and monitor and decrease energy consumption.

Ensight has also been used to determine key components in pulp and paper, reduce wind noise in General Motors vehicles, evaluate nuclear weapon safety, and simulate plane remanufacturing.

SolidWorks Corp., a leading parametric feature-based modeling software developer, has come far from its 1995 debut software that was touted as a low-cost alternative to other computer-aided drawing (CAD) programs. The company's modeling software has aided industrial engineers in manufacturing design, assembly, and parts inspection.

Taking a cue from the ribbon toolbar in Microsoft Office 2007, the most notable change for SolidWorks' popular SWIFT DimXpert is the revamped navigation system in the 2008 version. The tabbed menu at the top of the screen eliminates the need for docking windows, creating a clutter-free workspace. The appropriate categories help users quickly locate tools and minimize mouse usage.

This new user interface (UI) speeds things up for James Harrison, a designer for DocMagnet Inc. and IE student at North Carolina State University. Harrison uses SolidWorks daily to create custom lifters and chucks for companies to use during workholding.

"Our chucks are magnetic, so they easily hold things down during machining processes rather than using vices or other time-consuming clamps," said Harrison.

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In addition to the easily accessible UI, the software also accelerates the design process by enabling Harrison and other users to drag and drop features such as fillets and extrudes directly onto the drawing. The once-fabled idea of accurate and automatic dimensioning is now a reality with the new DimXpert feature. Detailing the model, DimXpert helps visualize whether parts are ready for manufacturing.

The Design ClipArt capability, intuitive tool suggestions, and motion simulation are just a few of the 250 user-requested enhancements found in the 2008 version.

Jessica Jeppsson is a junior in the Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at North Carolina State University. Jeppsson also serves as the department's Web architect, writes for NCSU's student newspaper, Technician, and teaches a computing course for first-year engineers.