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Recent content by cbiber

  1. cbiber

    Spreadsheet for Tolerance Analysis

    Asmenut, I went to a seminar this summer where someone gave a talk on this approach, starting with "Voice of the Customer", numerical "experiments" to create a response surface, Monte Carlo analysis of all the tolerances for all the variables, and genetic algorithms for...
  2. cbiber

    Monte Carlo Analysis

    There are two products that I know of, both Excel add-ins: @Risk and Crystal Ball. Never had the occasion to actually use either of them, but have seen demos. Biber Thermal Design www.biberthermal.com
  3. cbiber

    reflective barriers

    Or you can use an effective radiant heat transfer coefficient. It avoids the iterative solution that's accurate enough for most purposes if the temperature differences aren't too large (50 C?). http://www.coolingzone.com/Guest/News/NL_JULY_2001/Cathy/July_cb_2001.html
  4. cbiber

    Linking Excel to Access data

    Try quickbooks.com. I got mine at my local computer & office equipment superstore. It was about $250 if I remember correctly and it'll save you a whole lotta programming...
  5. cbiber

    Linking Excel to Access data

    I use financial software (QuickBooks) to do what you're after -- but probably not to the complexity you need. Plus you'd have to move the database manually if it's in Access... never mind!
  6. cbiber

    Encouraging women to enroll in engineering

    Just sad that the "sinking ship" is taking our jobs with it -- jobs that we obviously all like, and that some of us (male and female both) think we're suited for! Meanwhile, I've heard a lot lately about how there is (or will be) a "shortage" of engineers and scientists ...
  7. cbiber

    Encouraging women to enroll in engineering

    Maui, It's easy to put the verbage out front; much harder to change cultural norms and even unspoken perceptions. I myself can hardly believe that I have caught myself thinking, "Oh, she's blonde, what does she know?" ... immediately before I slapped myself. Now where that could have...
  8. cbiber

    Starting a new firm?

    Well, I'm on my own as a mechanical engineer (though not PE), after I got laid off last year. I figured it would be easier to get a few small contracts than a regular job that wouldn't require relocating. That's been true, but the salary hit has been considerable, too. Luckily I'm not the sole...
  9. cbiber

    CAD Side Business

    Check in with Product Design & Engineering shops. Those guys usually love the creative stuff of designing the product, but then wouldn't mind some help with getting the manufacturable models out to the suppliers. Also, they usually hate doing "cables and labels". That might be a niche...
  10. cbiber

    Vector Plots with Excel

    Greg, I've only been able to do surface contour charts if the x and y axis intervals are evenly spaced. They're not values, they're categories. Have you found a way around that?
  11. cbiber

    liquid cooling

    Thanks! Learned something new!
  12. cbiber

    liquid cooling

    Yep, it's clear. As I thought. Just didn't see how that physics could be so simplified into a rule of thumb. I've run into other rules of thumb that weren't based on real physics, though the "flags" they raised were real.
  13. cbiber

    Physics First?

    I think an integrated math/physics class -- called something else -- would make sense. Algebra by itself is mind-numbingly boring. Use it to answer questions, and you can see it for the tool that it is. Amazingly, it took me until **grad school** to realize this relationship!! And only then...
  14. cbiber

    Increase the percentage of engineering grads becoming RPEs?

    Like PSE, I'm not likely to get licensed, for one simple reason: To get admitted to the test, you have to show increasing responsibility for a project. To me, this means that you are moving towards project management. I hate to do project management. I like the geeky stuff, the analytical...
  15. cbiber

    Engineering is Going Overseas - Goodbye Jobs

    I don't know about other readers, but when the realization hit me, several months ago, that my type of work is going to be outsourced, it precipitated a real professional identity crisis for me. I am only halfway through my career -- with at least 20 more years to work before I can retire, and...
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