Readers' Letters

You go, EE&T!

I got the first issue of EE&T last week and have not been able to put it down. I take it almost everywhere with me to read and reread when I have a spare moment. I've alerted two other engineers I used to work with to get a copy or go online to get on the mailing list.

My company has been designing and making equipment for chemical etching and other wet processes. We recently contracted to help make solar panels and hope to be involved with some of the new battery technologies as well.
Stan Smith

Time for more tech transfer

A big push is underway in the U.S. military to lighten the electrical load of sophisticated electronics on the M1 Abrams Main Battle tank, Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and other tracked vehicles. What's good for the U.S. military should be good enough for average homeowners and consumers. And much of the recently developed military equipment and technologies could be used in civilian vehicles. So perhaps we need another push for technology transfer, adopting for civilian purposes the technologies used to improve efficiency in military vehicles.

I also wish your magazine would address the following question: Is the line between electrical and mechanical engineers blurring? I think it is. For example, at my company, the push is on for enclosures in military vehicles that use less power for cooling. But heat dissipation and insulation are not my areas of expertise. In fact, I know little about them. So it seems that electrical engineers, at least at defense subcontractors, are going to need a significant amount of mechanical engineering knowledge. Perhaps your magazine could address this blurring of disciplines and help set the bar by outlining continuing educational requirements for electrical engineers.
Michael Peters

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

Please include your name, address, and daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for brevity and focus on essential points. e-mail: lteschler@penton.com