Final Drying of Whole Milk Powder in Vibrated-Fluidized Beds

Vibro-fluidized beds are widely used in drying sticky powders and agglomerated materials as milk powder. Using a vibro-fluidized laboratory scale dryer, this work is aiming at analyzing preliminarily the effect of its operational variables on the drying kinetics and characteristics of whole milk powder. The full-factorial design technique with three replications at the central point has been employed to generate data and correlations to quantify the effect of inlet air temperature, air flow rate, and vibration bed amplitude on the drying curves and the milk powder properties related to its faster reconstitution in water (as tapped density, Hausner cohesion ratio, agglomerate size distribution, and internal pore concentration). Results obtained are analyzed and discussed to identify the adequate operation condition for final drying whole milk powder in vibro-fluidized beds, assuring a high product quality.     

Interweaving genetic programming and genetic algorithm for structural and parametric optimization in adaptive platform product customization

An adaptive product platform offers high customizability for generating feasible product variants for customer requirements. Customization takes place not only to product platform structure but also to its relevant parameters. Structural and parametric optimization processes are interwoven with each other to achieve the total optimality. This paper presents an evolutionary method dealing with interwoven structural and parametric optimization of adaptive platform product customization. The method combines genetic programming and genetic algorithm for handling structural and parametric optimization, respectively. Efficient genetic representation and operation schemes are carefully adapted. While designing these schemes, features specific to structural and parameter customization are considered for the simplification of platform product management. The experimental results show that the performance of the proposed algorithm outperforms that of the tandem evolutionary algorithm in which a genetic algorithm for parametric optimization is totally nested in a genetic programming for structural optimization.     

A systematic approach for product families formation in Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems

The aim of this work is to establish a methodology for an effective working of Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (RMSs). These systems are the next step in manufacturing, allowing the production of any quantity of highly customised and complex products together with the benefits of mass production. In RMSs, products are grouped into families, each of which requires a system configuration. The system is configured to produce the first family of products. Once it is finished, the system is reconfigured in order to produce the second family, and so forth. Therefore, the effectiveness of a RMS depends on the formation of the best set of product families. Therefore, a methodology for grouping products into families, which takes into account the requirements of products in RMSs, is an issue of core importance. These requirements are modularity, commonality, compatibility, reusability, and product demand. The methodology starts by calculating, for each product requirement, a matrix that summarises the similarity between pairs of products. Then, through the use of the AHP methodology, a unique matrix that comprises the similarity values between products is obtained. The Average Linkage Clustering algorithm is applied to this matrix in order to obtain a dendogram that shows the diverse sets of product families that may be formed.     

New Engineered Particles from Spray Dryers: Research Needs in Spray Drying

This article reviews developments in the simulations of spray dryer behavior, including the challenges in modeling the complex flow patterns inside the equipment, which are often highly transient and three-dimensional in nature. There appears to be considerable scope for using CFD simulations for investigating methods to reduce the rates of wall deposition and of thermal degradation for particles by modifying the air flow patterns in the chamber through small changes in the air inlet geometry. Challenges include building particle drying kinetics and reaction processes, as well as agglomeration behavior, into these simulations. The numerical simulations should be valuable supplements to pilot-scale testing, enabling more extensive and accurate optimization to be carried out than hitherto possible. New understanding of reaction processes and materials science, in combination with recent knowledge of the application of CFD to these problems, may enable new engineered powder products to be developed from the one-step spray-drying process.     

Law,liability and expert systems

This paper examines some of the possible legal implications of the production, marketing and use of expert systems. The relevance of a legally useful definition of expert systems, comprising systems designed for use both by laymen and professionals, is related to the distinctions inherent in the legal doctrine underlying provision of goods and provision of services. The liability of the sellers and users of, and contributors to, expert systems are examined in terms of professional malpractice as well as product liability. A recurring theme indicates that legislators may be inclined to restrict possibilities of liability suits in order to avoid disincentives to the creation of expert systems.     

软件产品线中挖掘遗留系统资产的研究与分析

介绍了成功挖掘遗留资产的过程及方法：初步信息采集、为再工程进行选项分析、技术上对资产的理解、软件资产的修复。重点讲述了面向对象封装和组件封装技术是如何应用于软件产品线，并指出了挖掘遗留资产的相应风险。     

某半导体产品的设计和快速实现研究

研究了产品开发及快速实现过程中任务获取、任务分配、进度的协调、信息传输等相关问题,并以某半导体产品为例,进行了产品的设计和快速实现,为缩短产品开发和上市周期、提高产品的市场竞争力积累经验。     

抗盐降滤失剂SDX的研究与应用

介绍了抗盐降滤失剂SDX的合成方法与现场应用简况,评价了SDX的抗温、抗盐、防塌及配伍性能。试验结果表明,SDX能耐150℃以上的高温,可抗盐至饱和,具有良好的降滤失和抑制性能,与其它处理剂的配伍性好,适用于各种水基泥浆。     

From product-oriented to process-oriented: Emerging new engineering paradigm

The conventional approach has put emphasis upon reducing labour, and increasing efficiency and uniformity. But this holds good only in the mass production paradigm. As we are entering the age of small production with far wider varieties, these principles of yesterday should be re-examined. Labour itself sometimes gives satisfaction if it involves the joy of creation, and longer time does not necessarily mean just patience, it sometimes turns into expectation if greater joy will be provided later. Too much fitness for the purpose sometimes means lack of robustness and adaptability to the quickly and widely changing environment. Thus, we should reconsider the items we thought important in the mass production age to aptly cope with the diversification of each customer’s requirements.