Glossary 351
I
ideation: The process of generating ideas. (2)
incandescent lamp: A device that uses electricity
to heat a tungsten fi lament in a vacuum until
it glows and creates light. (8)
inclined plane: A simple machine that uses a fl at
surface that is higher on one end. (10)
infrared temperature measurement device: A
device that measures the thermal radiation
emitted from a material. (15)
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE): The broadest professional society
for electrical engineers, with over 375,000
members in more than 160 countries. (8)
insulator: A material with a very high resistance
that does not allow current to fl ow. (8)
integral balance: A type of balance that is taken
at two different points to show what is
happening between one point and another. It
is typically taken at the beginning and end of
a process. (15)
integrated circuit (IC): Consists of multiple
electronic circuits etched into a thin layer of
silicon and enclosed in a protective material
like plastic. (8)
intermittent manufacturing: The type of
manufacturing process that produces smaller
batches of the same part. (14)
ion: An electrically charged atom. (8)
J
jig: The type of tooling used to guide tools to the
correct location. (14)
joint: The device that connects two or more
structural members together. (9)
just-in-time (JIT) delivery system: A delivery
system that allows for the delivery of parts and
materials at exactly the time they are needed
in production. JIT delivery cuts down on the
costs of maintaining a large inventory, but it is
a much more complex system to manage. (14)
K
kinetic energy: Energy in motion. (10)
L
laminar fl ow: A type of fl ow that has no
disruption between the layers of the moving
fl uid, with no eddies or changes. (15)
land surveying: The process of taking and using
measurements to determine the exact size
and shape of a piece of land. (9)
law of conservation of energy: The law that
states that energy cannot be created or
destroyed. It can only be converted from one
form to another. (8)
leader: A line with an arrow on the end pointing
to the feature. (5)
lever: A simple machine that uses a stiff bar
rested on a fulcrum, or pivot, to lift or move
a load. (10)
library research: A type of research that uses
different forms of printed and digital
materials as a source of information. (4)
lift: The upward force acting on wings when air
is moved downward. (13)
light-emitting diode (LED): An extremely
effi cient lamp that creates light by forward
biasing semiconductor material. (8)
linear motion: Movement in a straight line. (10)
liquid column gauge: A type of gauge that
measures pressure using fl uid in a tube.
One end is connected to the pressure to
be measured, and the other is exposed
to a control pressure, which could be
atmospheric pressure or a vacuum. (15)
load: The forces the structure must withstand. (9)
location dimension: A type of dimension that shows
the distance between two different features. (5)
logic: The system of operations performed by a
computer. (12)
M
management engineer: An engineer who
coordinates all of the engineering processes
including materials and human resources. (16)
manufacturability: The ease at which the
material can be transformed from raw
material to a usable material. (7)
manufacturing: The process of changing raw
materials to make them more useful. (14)