Looking Back 3/17/2011

March 15, 2011
Hangin’ with Mini Cooper: The first new product from the company since 1959, the Mini Cooper’s transverse engine with a submounted gearbox maximizes interior space.

10 YEARS AGO — 2001
Hangin’ with Mini Cooper: The first new product from the company since 1959, the Mini Cooper’s transverse engine with a submounted gearbox maximizes interior space. The car is 18-in. longer and 14-in. wider than the original. A, B, and C pillars “hide” behind the glass, giving the appearance of a continuous window wrapping around the car.

A 1.6-liter engine produces 115 hp. A supercharged Mini Cooper S will provide 160 hp. The suspension features a multilink rear setup. A stiff body is said to give two to three times the torsional stiffness of cars the same size. For safety, the Mini boasts front and rear crumple zones and side-impact door beams, as well as front and side air bags.

30 YEARS AGO — 1981
New urethane chosen for helmet padding: A new grade of Poron cellular urethane from Rogers Corp. has been chosen by Riddell Inc. to provide dependable protection for young athletes. Poron 4702-02 was chosen because it provides the same quality of protection from helmet to helmet. The material also performed well under two energy-absorption tests. Riddell uses 5/8-in. Poron and a low-density urethane “fit” foam that adheres to the contours of the head. The cellular urethane is die cut into pieces that are placed in a polyethylene packet, which is clamped in the football helmet. The helmet is lined with 32 packets, each containing cellular urethane and “fit” foam.

50 YEARS AGO — 1961
An audio-type “seeing” aid for frogmen working under zero-visibility conditions combines light weight with economical operation. It is a 20-lb, aluminum-housed sonar device developed by Stromberg-Carlson-San Diego and the Navy Electronics Laboratory. The fully transistorized system is powered by standard flashlight batteries.

© 2011 Penton Media, Inc.

Sponsored Recommendations

7 Reasons Why Air Bearings Outperform Mechanical Bearings

Feb. 7, 2025
Frictionless air bearings and air bearing stages have decisive advantages in precision motion and automation applications.

Hexapod Robot Applications in Automation and Automotive Assembly

Feb. 7, 2025
Hexapod 6-DOF Robots in Automation and Automotive Assembly | 6-Axis Precision Parallel Robot | Cobot for High Precision Applications

What is a Difference between a Gantry Positioning System and a Split-Bridge?

Feb. 7, 2025
The design of a Gantry Positioning System and Split-Bridge Positioning system are related. Learn how they differ and what to use best for your application.

Application Solutions with 6-Axis Hexapod Positioning Systems

Feb. 7, 2025
Explore applications, articles, and background information on 6-Axis Hexapod Positioning Systems and how they can help you improve your alignment system.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Machine Design, create an account today!