中英文翻译--信息时代的机械工程.doc

Mechanical Engineering in the Information Age In the early 1980s, engineers thought that massive research would be needed to speed up development. As it turn out, less research is actually needed because shortened product development cycles encourage engineers to use available technology .Developing a revolutionary technology for use in a new product is risky and prone to failure .Taking short steps is a safer and usually more successful approach to product development. Shorter product development cycles are also beneficial in an engineering world in which both capital and labor are global .People who can design and manufacture various products can be found anywhere in the world ,but containing a new idea is hard .Geographic distance is no longer a barrier to others finding out about your development six months into the process .If you’ve got a short development cycle ,the situation is not catastrophic —as long as you maintain your lead. But if you’re in the midst of a six-year development process and a competitor gets wind of your work ,the project could be in more serious trouble. The idea that engineers need to create a new design to solve every problem is quickly becoming obsolete .The first step in the modem design process is to browse the Internet or other information systems to see if someone else has already designed a transmission , or a heat exchanger that is close to what you need .Through these information systems , you may discover that someone already has manufacturing drawings ,numerical control programs, and everything else required to manufacture your product. Engineers can then focus their professional competence on unsolved problem. In tacking such problem, the availability of high-powered personal computers and access to the information highway dramatically enhance the capability of the engineering team and its productivity. These information age tools can give the team access to massive databases of material properties, standards, technologies,