Interactive media-rich website on manufacturing processes of a range of everyday articles. It includes images, online tours and videos, as well as quizzes. Cases include airplanes, motorcycles, engines, cars, candy, glass bottles,  ... more

Interactive media-rich website on manufacturing processes of a range of everyday articles. It includes images, online tours and videos, as well as quizzes. Cases include airplanes, motorcycles, engines, cars, candy, glass bottles, plastic bottles, plastic caps, food ontainers, candy packaging, bottling drinks and clothing. It is provided by the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing at Stanford University. It requires the latest version of Flashplayer. "If you've ever wondered how things are made - products like candy, cars, airplanes, or bottles - or if you've been interested in manufacturing processes, like forging, casting, or injection molding, then you've come to the right place. AIM has developed an introductory website for kids and adults showing how various items are made. It covers over 40 different products and manufacturing processes, and includes almost 4 hours of manufacturing video. It is targeted towards non-engineers and engineers alike. Think of it as your own private online factory tour, or a virtual factory tour, if you wish. We are able to cover only a small number of products and processes, but we believe it will give you a good introduction to the world of manufacturing."   less

This is a case study of an historical African American engineer or inventor. "n 1905 Sarah Breedlove developed a conditioning treatment for straightening hair. Starting with door-to-door sales of her cosmetics, Madame C.J. Wal  ... more

This is a case study of an historical African American engineer or inventor. "n 1905 Sarah Breedlove developed a conditioning treatment for straightening hair. Starting with door-to-door sales of her cosmetics, Madame C.J. Walker amassed a fortune. In 1910 she built a factory in Indianapolis to manufacture her line of cosmetics. Before her death in 1919 she was a millionaire, one of the most successful business executives in the early half of the twentieth century. One of the first American women of any race or rank to become a millionaire through her own efforts was Sarah Breedlove Walker. Sarah Breedlove was born in 1867 to Minerva and Owen Breedlove on the shores of the Mississippi River in northeast Louisiana. Sarah's parents, both ex-slaves, were sharecroppers who lived on the Burney plantation in Delta, Louisiana. "Madam Walker always said in her public speeches that she was 'orphaned at seven.' Her mother died first. Her father remarried and apparently died before she turn eight in December, 1875. Source: Bundles" Because of her impoverished background she had only a limited formal education. She was married to a Mr. McWilliams at fourteen, "to get a home" (as described by Walker herself), and had a daughter, A'Lelia, in 1885. Widowed at twenty in 1887, Sarah and her daughter moved from Vicksburg to St. Louis, Missouri. For eighteen years, from 1887-1905, she supported herself and her daughter by work as a washerwoman. While in St. Louis in 1905, Walker said she had an idea to begin a cosmetics business. "Madam Walker's treatment did not straighten hair. Her treatment was designed to heal scalp disease through more frequent shampooing. massage and the application of an ointment consisting of petrolatum and a medicinal sulfur. Madam Walker did use a hot comb--which she did NOT invent--in her system, but she was by no means the first person to employ such methods. In fact, Marcel Grateau, a Parisian, was using heated metal hair care implements as early as 1872, and hot combs were available in Sears and Bloomingdale's catalogues in the 1890s, presumably designed for white women." Source: Bundles Before this time, African American women who wanted to de-kink their hair had to place it on a flat surface and press it with a flat iron. She invented her hair softener for use with a straightening comb. Mixing her soaps and ointments in washtubs and kitchen utensils, while adapting the existing hairdressing techniques and modifying curling tools. She added the prefix Madame to her name and took to the road, soon demonstrated her excellent marketing skills to sell her hair products door-to-door." Keywords: African American or Black Engineer, ethnic diversity   less

Interactive IEEE Virtual Museum tour on electricity. The site has historical images and an animation of a DC motor. Excerpt: "When people realized what electricity and magnetism were they took the first steps towards putting t  ... more

Interactive IEEE Virtual Museum tour on electricity. The site has historical images and an animation of a DC motor. Excerpt: "When people realized what electricity and magnetism were they took the first steps towards putting them to work. The very first machines hardly seem useful compared to the stuff we use today, but 200 years ago, when the industrial revolution was getting under way in Europe, they were major breakthroughs. In the 19th century inventors began looking for ways to use electromagnetism to run machines, which was being done at that time by steam engines, water wheels, horses, or even people. Henry Magnet Joseph Henry’s large horseshoe shaped electromagnet from 1831. Henry used it in experiments. Courtesy: Smithsonian Institution. One of the first to think about using electricity for practical purposes was the American Joseph Henry. In 1829 he used a large battery to build a powerful electromagnet. It was not just a scientific instrument—it could do heavy work, such as lifting hundreds of pounds of metal. With his demonstration, Henry really began to transform electricity into something that people could use every day. Along with the generator came much more powerful ways to put electricity to work. A key technology was the electric motor. By the 1800 inventors had already harnessed the power of steam to run locomotives and factory machines. Many thought that electricity could be tapped to do the same kind of work, especially after Michael Faraday demonstrated a tiny electric motor. In 1834 Thomas Davenport designed a motor that was strong enough to run a small printing press. He patented the motor in 1837. But progress was slow—it wasn’t until almost 50 years later that electric motors were used commercially." Image caption: oseph Henry’s large horseshoe shaped electromagnet from 1831. Henry used it in experiments.   less

EPA feasy-to-understand guide on air pollution, risk assessment and how it affects human health. Topics include health risks, exposure assessment, dose-response relationships, risk assessment, and risk characterization. The guid  ... more

EPA feasy-to-understand guide on air pollution, risk assessment and how it affects human health. Topics include health risks, exposure assessment, dose-response relationships, risk assessment, and risk characterization. The guide begins: "Toxic air pollutants are poisonous substances in the air that come from natural sources (for example, radon gas coming up from the ground) or from manmade sources (for example, chemical compounds given off by factory smokestacks) and can harm the environment or your health. Inhaling (or breathing) toxic air pollutants can increase your chances of experiencing health problems. For example, inhaling the benzene fumes that are given off when you pump gas into your car can increase your chances of experiencing health effects that have been associated with exposure to benzene, such as leukemia."   less

Create zany candies in a delicious candy factory, give Spot and Fluffy some TLC in a pet spa, get down-to-earth with a pro-landscaping service, make a home for superhero maniacs with the ultimate comic shop, or build amazing rides  ... more

Create zany candies in a delicious candy factory, give Spot and Fluffy some TLC in a pet spa, get down-to-earth with a pro-landscaping service, make a home for superhero maniacs with the ultimate comic shop, or build amazing rides in a custom skateboard factory.   less

Factory Tours Online demonstrates the manufacturing process through video on the web. This listing of tours is part of the How Everyday Things Are Made website on the manufacture of everyday things.  ... more

Factory Tours Online demonstrates the manufacturing process through video on the web. This listing of tours is part of the How Everyday Things Are Made website on the manufacture of everyday things.   less

Abstract: This study examined the computer attitudes and anxieties of 207 United Kingdom nationals and 286 Hong Kong nationals to determine the factorial structure for each sample and any gender differences. Both samples share a c  ... more

Abstract: This study examined the computer attitudes and anxieties of 207 United Kingdom nationals and 286 Hong Kong nationals to determine the factorial structure for each sample and any gender differences. Both samples share a comparable educational environment and level of technological sophistication. The United Kingdom sample, however, reported more computer-related experience, less anxiety and more positive attitudes. There was a large degree of overlap between the factorial structure for computer anxiety and attitudes between the two samples which is consistent with previous research. For the United Kingdom sample, there were no gender differences in computer anxiety but males held more positive attitudes than females. For the Hong Kong sample, there were no gender differences in computer attitudes but males reported greater computer anxiety than females. This is the first sample in which males have been found to be more computer anxious than females, despite Hong Kong males reporting more computer experience than females. An item-by-item analysis identifies Hong Kong males are more anxious when anticipating using computers (rather than when actually using computers).   less

A short three minute video tour of how wood pellets are made. These wood pellets are used in residential pellet stoves such as Harman, Avalon and others as well as commercial and industrial burners.  ... more

A short three minute video tour of how wood pellets are made. These wood pellets are used in residential pellet stoves such as Harman, Avalon and others as well as commercial and industrial burners.   less

Interactive case study of the Cameron Hot Air Bolloon factory in Bristol, UK. The virtual tour covers many aspects of the manufacturing processes, industrial engineering and management of technology associated with the factory, in  ... more

Interactive case study of the Cameron Hot Air Bolloon factory in Bristol, UK. The virtual tour covers many aspects of the manufacturing processes, industrial engineering and management of technology associated with the factory, including business, human resource management, operations, production management, accounting, marketing. This website allows you to visit the Cameron Balloons virtual factory on Biz/ed. There are four main sections of the factory: * Factory floor - here you'll find worksheets, photos, relevant business studies theories and explanations of each main business function. This section also includes the new work flow and A Day in the Life of.... features. * Cameron Balloons - here there is general information about the company, its history and product range. * Cost breakdown - find out here how much each bit of a balloon will cost you. * Glossary - use this section to get to grips with ballooning jargon. You can click on the glossary icon Glossary to find out what a term means. The site also contains a Teacher's Guide. Cameron Balloons made the Breitling Orbiter balloon that made aviation history by flying right round the world, finishing on 21st March 1999.   less

None available.  ... more

None available.   less