HOUSTON-Rice University has honored Tim Dehne, National Instruments (NI) senior vice president of research and development, with its 2005 Outstanding Young Engineering Alumnus award. The Rice Engineering Alumni group chose Dehne based on accomplishments in engineering and business, and service to Rice and the community at large.

NATICK, MA-Cognex Corp. has introduced the Cognex Direct Part Mark (DPM) Verifier that enables DoD suppliers to meet new government requirements for unique identification (UID) of parts. The DPM Verifier is a complete system that ensures 2-D Machine Readable Information (MRI) complies with MIL STD 130 L Change 1 criteria for mark quality, and that the data is correctly encoded in the mark.

PLEASANTON, CA-Aspectrics Inc., a supplier of encoded photometric infrared spectroscopy (EP-IR) analyzers, has received its fifth U.S. patent for its encoded photometric infrared spectroscopy disk technology and associated optics.

CEDAR PARK, TX-ASAME Technology LLC holds an exclusive license to market, distribute and support the patented Automated Surface Strain Analysis and Measurement Environment (ASAME). ASAME Technology sells and supports the ASAME Target Model and the Grid Pattern Analyzer (GPA). Currently there are more than 100 ASAME and GPA users around the world.

A custom eddy current testing (ECT) inspection system engineered by Zetec (Snoqualmie, WA) for automotive hub and spindle manufacturer Delphi Chassis (Troy, MI) has provided a fast and 100% reliable test method for thread inspection so cost-effective that it paid for itself in less than a year.

AUSTIN, TX-National Instruments has acquired the operating assets of IOtech Inc. (Cleveland, OH), a provider of PC-based data acquisition and instrumentation products. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The difficulty with processing ring-shaped parts for aerospace applications is a risk of deformation, or burning or arcing of the part when clamped between contact plates. Correct part processing requires the part to be clamped twice, thus doubling the risk. The part must be turned 90 degrees between the two shots in order to inspect the area that comes in contact with the clamps because an indication may not develop in this area.

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT-Metals Testing Co. (MTC) is now approved to provide Ultrasonic Testing (UT) for Rolls-Royce related parts. The approval specifically applies to UT inspection in accordance with RPS 705. The first applications of the Rolls-Royce approval have been to perform turntable-related immersion testing of gas turbine engine disk forgings in their sonic shapes.

Ultrasonic testing uses beams of high-frequency sound waves to detect flaws, measure thickness and evaluate material properties. When used to inspect aerospace structures, ultrasonic testing plays an important role in safety, quality assurance and cost. Its flaw-resolving capabilities can be the difference between life and death.

ROCHESTER, NY-Eastman Kodak Company (Rochester, NY) has named Willick Engineering (Santa Fe Springs, CA) an authorized dealer for Kodak Industrex Digital Systems for industrial radiography in the U.S..