A team of researchers at the department of physics at the Public University of Navarre, Spain, is undertaking a three-year research project to develop new aintelligent' materials with the capacity to change shape when a magnetic field is applied to them. A new type of miniature anti-backlash gear reducer has been developed. However, to manufacture the components at the sizes required, and with acceptable tolerances, a new manufacturing technique has had to be developed. Jon Severn reports. As more machines use digitally-controlled servo axes to replace traditional mechanisms, a need has emerged for a new type of motion control system that can handle the motion, logic functions, and other types of control. Jon Severn reports on such a system that has recently been launched. The range of Reli-a-Flex one piece couplings, from Reliance Gear Company, has been expanded to include a high speed coupling that is a minute 6mm in diameter. The coupling is not only smaller than other one-piece micro couplings currently available, but also five times more radially compliant and twice as torsionally stiff. Simon Floyd recounts how he completed the design of an experimental engine in just 20days using a versatile 3DCAD modelling software system. When Cambridge Broadband needed to verify the thermal design of their VectaStar3500 - the world's fastest point-to-multipoint broadband wireless access equipment designed exclusively for the 3.5Ghz frequency - its engineers turned to Flomerics' Thermal Design Services (TDS) team to validate and optimise the initial design. prev