Development of a Web-based RCM system for the driverless Rubber-Tired K-AGT system

The Korean Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) developed the rubber-tired AGT system (Model: K-AGT) between 1999 and 2005. The K-AGT is a light rail transit system does not require a driver and generally operates on an elevated railroad for transporting passengers. Accidents caused by driverless vehicles can severely affect social confidence, safety and economy. Therefore, it is very important to minimize the occurrences of such faults, and to accurately perform detailed maintenance tasks and thoroughly investigate the cause of any repeated failures. This research develops the web-based reliability centered maintenance (RCM) system for the K-AGT train system. The framework of the RCM system is based on performing a failure mode and effects analyses (FMEA) procedure on all the sub-systems in the K-AGT system. Out of the devices that have a low reliability, the high failure ranked devices are included high on the list for performing the overall maintenance plans. Through registration of historical failure data and the reliability indexes, the results of the FMEA can be updated. Such a process is repeated continuously and can achieve very accurate predictions for device operational lifetimes and failure rates. Also, the RCM system is designed so that workers can refer to the expert system for the latest procedures to perform the required diagnosis and repair of any failure. The overall RCM system consists of a failure/task management system, a preventive maintenance system, an expert system, a material management system, and an approval system. This research describes the development of the preventive maintenance system and the expert system that have been produced because these are the main functions for the RCM system. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Dae-Eun Kim Myung-Won Suh is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering. During 1986–1988, he worked for Ford motor company as researcher. From 1989–1995, he worked in technical center of KIA motors. He took a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University and an MS degree in Mechanical Engineering from KAIST, South Korea. He obtained his Doctorate at the University of Michigan, USA, in 1989. His research areas include structure and system optimization, advanced safety vehicle and reliability analysis & optimization. Chul-Ho Bae is a PhD candidate at Sungkyunkwan University in Suwon, South Korea. He accomplished fellowship work as researcher at Mississippi State University, USA, in 2003 and 2005. He worked in Institute of Advanced Machi-nery and Technology (IMAT) as a Research Assistant in 2004. He was a part time Lecturer in computer aided Mechanical Engineering of Ansan College of Technology, Suwon Science College, and Osan College during 2004–2005. He took a BS Degree in Mechanical Design and an MS Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Sungkyunkwan University. His research interests include computer aided engineering, reliability engineering, and optimization.     

Multi-agent based traffic simulation and integrated control of freeway corridors: Part 2 integrated control optimization

This research aims to optimize the traffic signal cycle and the green light time per traffic signal cycle at ramps and intersections in arterials to maximize the passing traffic volume and minimize the delaying traffic volume in freeway corridors. For this purpose, we developed the MATDYMO (multi-agent for traffic simulation with vehicle dynamics model) and validated it with comparison to commercial software, TRANSYT-7F, for an interrupted flow model and to URFSIM (urban freeway traffic simulation model) for an uninterrupted flow model. These comparisons showed that MATDYMO is able to estimate the traffic situation with only incoming traffic volume. Using MATDYMO, ramp metering and traffic signal control can be optimized simultaneously. We extracted 80 sampling points from the DOE (Design of Experiment) and derived each response from MATDYMO. Then, a neural network was adopted to approximate the objective function, and simulated annealing was used as an optimization method. There are three cases of the objective function: maximization of the freeway traffic volume, minimization of the delay of ramps and arterials, and the satisfaction of both cases. The optimization results showed that traffic flow in freeway corridors can be maintained to a steady stream by ramp metering and signal control. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Kyongsu Yi Myung-Won Suh is a professor of Mechanical Engineering. During 1986–1988, he worked in Ford motor company as researcher. During 1989–1995, he worked in technical center of KIA motors. He took a BS Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University and an MS Degree in Mechanical Engineering from KAIST, South Korea. He obtained his Doctorate at University of Michigan, USA, in 1989. His research areas include the structure and system optimization, advanced safety vehicle and reliability analysis & optimization. Chul-Ho Bae is a PhD candidate at Sungkyunkwan University in Suwon, South Korea. He accomplished fellowship work as researcher at Mississippi State University, USA, in 2003 and 2005. He worked in Institute of Advanced Machinery and Technology (IMAT) as a Research Assistant in 2004. He was a part time Lecturer in computer aided Mechanical Engineering of Ansan College of Technology, Suwon Science College, and Osan College during 2004–2005. He took a BS Degree in Mechanical Design and an MS Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Sungkyunkwan University. His research interests include computer aided engineering, reliability engineering, and optimization.     

Multi-agent based traffic simulation and integrated control of freeway corridors: Part 1 simulation and control model

Freeway corridors consist of urban freeways and parallel arterials for alternative use. Ramp metering in freeways and signal control in arterials are contemporary traffic control methods that have been developed and applied in order to improve the traffic conditions of freeway corridors. However, most existing studies have focused on either optimal ramp metering in freeways or progressive signal strategies between arterial intersections. For efficient control of freeway corridors, ramp metering and signal control must be considered simultaneously, as otherwise the control strategies for freeway operation may disturb arterial traffic. On the other hand, traffic congestion and arterial bottlenecks that arise with increasing traffic volume at peak hours and ineffective signal operation may cause problems with accessibility to freeway ramps and degrade the urban freeway’s ability to act as a through-traffic process. This research dynamically estimates the traffic stream between an urban freeway and its ramps according to changes in the freeway structure, traffic passing demand, and control methods due to restricted valid information. The results are then compared with those from other methods. Finally, the integrated control in the urban freeway traffic axis is optimized based on the expected traffic stream, by using design of experiment (DOE), neural network (NN), and a simulated annealing algorithm. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Kyongsu Yi Myung-Won Suh is a professor of Mechanical Engineering. During 1986–1988, he worked in Ford motor company as researcher. During 1989–1995, he worked in technical center of KIA motors. He took a BS Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University and an MS Degree in Mechanical Engineering from KAIST, South Korea. He obtained his Doctorate at University of Michigan, USA, in 1989. His research areas include the structure and system optimization, advanced safety vehicle and reliability analysis & optimization. Chul-Ho Bae is a PhD candidate at Sungkyunkwan University in Suwon, South Korea. He accomplished fellowship work as researcher at Mississippi State University, USA, in 2003 and 2005. He worked in Institute of Advanced Machinery and Technology (IMAT) as a Research Assistant in 2004. He was a part time Lecturer in computer aided Mechanical Engineering of Ansan College of Technology, Suwon Science College, and Osan College during 2004–2005. He took a BS Degree in Mechanical Design and an MS Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Sungkyunkwan University. His research interests include computer aided engineering, reliability engineering, and optimization.     

Solid-liquid mixture flow through a slim hole annulus with rotating inner cylinder

An experimental study was conducted to study solid-liquid mixture upward hydraulic transport of solid particles in vertical and inclined annuli with rotating inner cylinder. Lift forces acting on a fluidized particle play a central role in many important applications, such as the removal of drill cuttings in horizontal drill holes, sand transport in fractured reservoirs and sediment transport, etc. Annular fluid velocities varied from 0.4 m/s to 1.2 m/s. Effect of annulus inclination and drill pipe rotation on the carrying capacity of drilling fluid, particle rising velocity, and pressure drop in the slim hole annulus have been measured for fully developed flows of water and of aqueous solutions of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and bentonite, respectively. For higher particle feed concentration, the hydraulic pressure drop of mixture flow increases due to the friction between the wall and solids or among solids. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Gihun Son Sang-Mok Han received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Sung-kyunkwan University in 2001. He then went on to receive his M.S. degrees from Sungkyunkwan University in 2003. He is a candidate for Ph.D. from 2006 to the present at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University in Suwon, Korea. His research interests are in the area of Multi-phase flow and drilling. Nam-Sub Woo received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Sungkyunkwan University in 1997. He then went on to receive his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Sunkyunkwan University in 1999 and 2007, respectively. Dr. Woo is currently a Senior Researcher at the Fire & Engineering Services Research Center at Korea Institute of Construction and Technology in Goyang, Korea. Dr. Woo’s research interests are in the area of fluid dynamics and plant engineering. Young-Kyu Hwang received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Sungkyunkwan University in 1977. He then went on to receive his M.S. from University of Wis-consin at Madison in 1980 and Ph.D. degrees from State Uni-versity of New York at Buffalo in 1984, respectively. Dr. Hwang has served as a Professor, from 1984 to the present at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University in Suwon, Korea. His research interests are in the area of drilling hydraulics, molecular gas flow and hydrodynamic instability.     

An enhanced real-time dynamic imbalance correction for precision rotors

Even a moderate mass imbalance of a high-precision rotor produces a significant level of vibration when it spins at high revolutionary speed such as 10,000 rpm or faster. As a result, many attempts have been made for the development of dynamic rotor balancing methods mostly by the precision mechanical system industry; however, intensive studies about the fundamental principles from a theoretical point of view should be carried out further. In the present paper, a new dual axes dynamic imbalance correction method is introduced and tested through simulations. The proposed method is more efficient and effective than its predecessors. This paper was presented at the 4th Asian Conference on Multibody Dynamics(ACMD2008), Jeju, Korea, August 20–23, 2008. Jung Kwan Lee is currently a masteral student in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University Korea. He received his B.S. degree from Sungkyunkwan University. His primary research interests are rotor design, analysis, and rotor dynamics. Hyungpil Moon received his Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan in 2005. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Carnegie Mellon University. He joined the faculty of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University in 2008. Dongho Oh received his Ph.D. degree from KAIST in 1996. He worked as a Principal En-gineer of Samsung Electronics and SAIT. Dr. Oh is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Chungnam National University. Ja Choon Koo is an associate professor of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University Korea. He was an engineer at IBM Corporation, San Jose, California. He received his Ph.D from the University of Texas at Austin. His primary research interests are analysis, and control of dynamic systems, mechatronics, sensors, and actuators.     

Optimization of the industrial guide-way vehicle to improve the running stability

This paper presents an optimization of the industrial guide-way vehicle that aims to improve running stability at increased speeds. A guide-way vehicle was used to transfer products in various manufacturing industries. Using Design Of Experiment(D.O.E.), the design prototype was optimized. The improved design prototype and its design parameters were obtained by a case study determined by the engineering discussion. The computational model for the optimization was validated by correlation with the test results. Through this procedure, the optimization method presented in this paper has been proven to be effective. This paper was presented at the 4th Asian Conference on Multibody Dynamics(ACMD2008), Jeju, Korea, August 20–23, 2008. Kab-Jin Jun received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ajou University in 2005. He is currently a Ph.D candidate at Ajou University in Suwon, Korea. His research interests are in the area of optimization, vehicle dynamics. Tae Won Park received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul University. He then went on to receive his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Iowa. Dr. Park is currently a Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Ajou University in Suwon, Korea. Sung Pil Jung is currently a Ph.D candidate at Ajou University in Suwon, Korea. Mr. Jung’s research interests are in the area of multi-body & structural dynamics, optimization and computer aided engineering.     

Reliability design of preventive maintenance scheduling for cumulative fatigue damage

As the cumulative running times of a locomotive truck increases, degradation such as fatigue, wear, and deterioration occur. Particularly the container train and uncovered freight train, their maintenance cost during their lifetime is three times more than the manufacturing cost. Generally, for the freight train, corrective maintenance to repair a bad part after a breakdown is not adapted; however, preventive maintenance that fixes a bad part before a breakdown is. Therefore, it is important and necessary to establish a system of optimal preventive maintenance and exact maintenance period. This study attempts to propose a preventive maintenance procedure that predicts a repair period using reliability function and instantaneous failure rate based on fatigue test and load history data. Additionally, this method is applied to the end beam of an uncovered freight train, which is the brake part, and its usefulness is examined and analyzed. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Chongdu Cho Seok-Heum Baek received a B.S. and M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Dong-A University in 2001 and 2003, respectively. He is currently a Ph.D. student at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Dong-A University in Busan, Korea. Student Baek works on ceramic composite design and robust and reliability-based design, and his research interests are in the areas of trade-off analysis in multicriteria optimization, design under uncertainty with incomplete information, and probabilistic design optimization. Seok-Swoo Cho received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Dong-A University in 1991. He then went on to receive his M.S. from Dong-A University in 1993 and Ph.D. degree from Dong-A University in 1997. Dr. Cho is currently a Professor at the Vehicle Engineering at Kangwon National University in Kangwon-do, Korea. Dr. Cho works on crack growth modeling and composite design and optimization, and his research interests are in the areas of structural optimization and inverse and identification problems, and X-ray diffraction, brittle collapse and crack propagation, fatigue fracture phenomena. Hyun-Su Kim received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University in 1978. He then went on to receive his M.S. from KAIST in 1980 and Ph.D. degree from University of Iowa in 1989. Dr. Kim is currently a Professor at the Mechanical Engineering at Dong-A University in Busan, Korea. His research interests are in the area of high temperature creep fatigue, bio-engineering, design using the finite element method, optimization, and MEMS. Won-Sik Joo received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Dong-A University in 1968. He then went on to receive his M.S. from Dong-A University in 1978 and Ph.D. degree from Kookmin University in 1988. Dr. Joo is currently a Professor at the Mechanical Engineering at Dong-A University in Busan, Korea. His research interests are in the area of creep and fatigue in high temperature alloy, fatigue design, and strength evaluation.     

Measurement of solid propellant burning rates by analysis of ultrasonic full waveforms

The measurement of solid propellant burning rates using ultrasound requires the simultaneous acquisition and analysis of ultrasonic signals and pressure data simultaneously in a wide range of pressure values during the process of propellant burning. Recently, this method has been proposed as an effective approach based on an analysis of full waveforms of ultrasonic signals together with a laboratory prototype system in which the proposed approach has been implemented. However, this prototype system had limitations in terms of data processing speed and signal processing procedures. To overcome such limitations, in the present study, we develop a dedicated, high speed system that can acquire ultrasonic full waveforms and pressure data up to 2,000 times per second. Our system can also estimate the burning rate as a function of pressure using a special software based on ultrasonic full waveform analysis. This paper describes the approach adopted in this high speed system, along with the burning rate measurement results obtained from three propellants with different burning characteristics. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Dae-Eun Kim Sung-Jin Song received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea in 1981, a M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in 1983, and a Ph.D in Engineering Mechanics from Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA in 1991. He has worked at Daewoo Heavy Industries, Ltd., Inchoen, Korea for 5 years from 1983, where he has been certified as ASNT Level III in RT, UT, MT and PT. He has worked at Chosun University, Gwangju, Korea as Assistant Professor for 5 years from 1993. Since 1998 he has been at Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Korea and is currently Professor of Mechanical Engineering.     

A study on the optimization method for a multi-body system using the response surface analysis

An optimization method, which minimizes the characteristic value of a system using response surface analysis, is presented. Plackett-Burman design is used as a screening method. Using the response surface analysis, second order recursive model function is estimated as an objective function. To verify the reliability of the model function, an F-test based on the analysis of variances table is used. Lastly, the sequential quadratic-programming method is used to find the value of design parameters. By applying the preceding procedure to a multi-body dynamic model, the optimization process presented in this study is verified. This paper was presented at the 4th Asian Conference on Multibody Dynamics(ACMD2008), Jeju, Korea, August 20–23, 2008. Sung Pil Jung received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ajou University in 2006. Currently he is a Ph.D candidate at Ajou University in Suwon, Korea. Mr. Jung’s research interests are in the area of multi-body & structural dynamics, optimization and computer aided engineering. Tae Won Park received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul University. He then went on to receive his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Iowa. Dr. Park is currently a Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Ajou University in Suwon, Korea.     

Characteristics of Sn-2.5Ag flip chip solder joints under thermal shock test conditions

The interfacial reaction between Cu pad coated with Au/Ni and solder bump of flip chip package, using Sn97.5wt.%-Ag2.5wt%, was studied under thermal shock stress. All joints were subjected to thermal shock test with −65°C/+150°C temperature range. For the Sn-2.5Ag solder, a scallop-like (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ intermetallic compound was formed in the solder matrix after 20 cycles of thermal shock. (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ was detached from the interface as (Ni,Cu)₃Sn₄ grew underneath the (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ IMC(Intermetallic Compound), whereas the elements of Sn, Ni and Cu were moved by interdiffusion at the interface between solder alloy and Cu pad. The composition of the IMCs in the solder joints and elemental distribution across the joint interfaces were quantitatively measured with EPMA (electron probe micro analysis). Finally, it was found that the crack initiation point and its propagation path could be influenced by the thermal shock conditions, two underfills, and their properties. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Chongdu Cho Kyoung Chun Yang received his B.E. and M.E. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Chung-Ang University, Korea, in 2006 and 2008, respectively. His research interests include reliability in electronic packages, micro joints evaluation, advanced IC packaging/assembly technologies. Seong Hyuk Lee received his Ph. D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Chung-Ang University, Korea, in 1999. Dr. Lee is currently an Associate Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering of Chung-Ang University in Seoul, Korea. His research interests are mainly in the micro/nanoscale energy conversion and transport, the computational physics associated with thin film optics, and thermal and fluid engineering. Jong-Min Kim received his B.E. and M.E. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Chung-Ang University, Korea, in 1997 and 1999, respectively. He then received his Ph.D. degree in Manufacturing Science from Osaka University, Japan, in 2002. Dr. Kim is currently an Associate Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, Korea. He has been mainly engaged in the fields of the interconnection & packaging technology in microelectronics and the intelligent assembly process in micro/nano systems. Young Ki Choi received his B.E. and M.E. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University, Korea, in 1978 and 1980, respectively. He then received his Ph.D. degree in Manufacturing Science from Univ. of California, Berkeley, U.S.A., in 1986. Dr. Choi is currently a Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Chung-Ang University in Seoul, Korea. He has been mainly engaged in the fields of the heat transfer in micro-nano systems and the numerical analysis of the heat transfer system. Dave F. Farson received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Welding Engineering and Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from The Ohio State University in 1987. He worked at Westinghouse R&D and Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State University before returning Ohio State University in 1995, where he is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Integrated Systems Engineering. He is a past-president and Fellow of the Laser Institute of America and was co-editor of its Handbook of Laser Materials Processing. He is also active in the American Welding Society. He does research in laser materials processes and materials joining for a range of applications including biomedical and electronics device fabrication. Young Eui Shin received his B.E.degree Mechanical Engineering from Chung-Ang University in Korea, and M.S and Ph.D degrees from Nihon Univ. and Osaka Univ. in 1985 and 1992 respectively. He worked as principal researcher in the Technical central lab of Daewoo Heavy industry from 1985 to 1988, and as a chief researcher in Technical Center of Samsung Electronics from 1992 to 1994. At present, he is a Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Chung-Ang Univ., in Korea. He is also working as President, Korea Micro Joining Association. He has been mainly engaged in eco friendly materials application for micro system packaging and reliability evaluation for micro joints.     

Improved information fusion approach based on D-S evidence theory

Conventional D-S evidence theory has an unavoidable disadvantage in that it will give counter-intuitive result when fusing high conflict information. This paper proposes an improved method to solve this problem. By reassigning weight factors before fusing, the method can give reasonable results especially when the initial weight factors of conflict evidences are almost equal. It gives an adjustable factor to adjust the reassigning force. An example is given to illustrate these advantages. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Eung-Soo Shin Rui Sun, PhD candidate. He received M.E. in mechatronics engineering from University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in School of Mechatronics Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. His research interests include system reliability analysis and mechanical fault diagnosis. Hong-Zhong Huang is a full professor and the Dean of the School of Mechanical, Electronic, and Industrial Engineering at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. He has held visiting appointments at several universities in Canada, USA, and elsewhere in Asia. He received a Ph. D. degree in Reliability Engineering from Shanghai Jiaotong University, China. His current research interests include system reliability analysis, warranty, maintenance planning and optimization, and computational intelligence in product design. Dr. Qiang Miao obtained B.E. and M.S. degrees from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Ph.D. degree from University of Toronto. He is currently an associate professor of the School of Mechanical, Electronic, and Industrial Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. His current research interests include machinery condition monitoring, reliability engineering, and maintenance decision-making.     

Investigation of variations of lubricating oil diluted by post-injected fuel for the regeneration of CDPF and its effects on engine wear

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of oil diluted by post-injected fuel for CDPF regeneration on engine wear and to find out the characteristic variation of diluted oil according to operating conditions. Experimental studies were made on a 2700 cc, 5 cylinder engine with an after-treatment system. Fuel content in oil increased according to the increase in the duration of post injection. A fuel dilution chart was made to predict the existing fuel content in used oil. The oil analysis method using this chart was validated through the comparison of the results analyzed by GC. The oil contamination by the post-injected fuel caused the quantity of blow-by gas and engine wear to increase and main gallery pressure to decrease. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Kyoung Doug Min Bong-Ha Song received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Konkuk University in 1999. He received a M.S. degree from Yonsei University in 2002. He then went to Ajou University to get a Ph.D degree. Bong-Ha Song is currently a student at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Ajou University in Suwon, Korea. Yun-Ho Choi received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University in 1978. He then went on to receive his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Pennsylvania State University in 1984 and 1988, respectively. Dr. Choi is currently a professor at the Division of Mechanical Engineering at Ajou University in Suwon, Korea. Dr. Choi’s research interests are in the area of Computational Fluid Dynamics, Thermal Propulsion Systems Modeling and Two Phase Flows.     

Suspension mechanism simulation and optimization considering multiple disciplines

A new method in suspension mechanism design considering two coupled disciplines, dynamics and structure, has been proposed in this paper. One of the decomposition methods widely used in multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO)—collaborative optimization (CO) has been used in this work. CO is a bi-level optimization architecture that preserves the autonomy of individual disciplines. In subsystem level, these two disciplines share the same model from CAD models in preprocess stage. Data file and interface have been explained and implemented in detail. The result obtained has shown that it works well and the time cost is less than before. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Jeong Sam Han Hao Wang received his B.Sc. degree of mechatronic engineering in 2005 in Automation Science and Electrical Engineering at Beihang University and he is a Ph.D. candidate at Beihang University. His research interests are in the area of Multidisciplinary Design Optimization, computer integrated manufactory system and product lifecycle management. Shaoping Wang received her BS, MS and Doctoral degree in mechatronic engineering from Beihang University in 1988, 1991 and 1994. She is a professor of mechatronic engineering in school of automation science and electrical engineering at Beihang University. Her research interests include reliability engineering, product lifecycle management, fault diagnosis, fault tolerant control, system modeling and simulation. Mileta M. Tomovic received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Belgrade in 1979. He then went on to receive his M.S. degree and Ph.D. degrees from MIT and University of Michigan in 1981 and 1991, respectively. Dr. Tomovic is currently a Professor at Batten College of Engineering and Technology, Old Dominion University in Norfolk, U.S. Dr. Tomovic’s research interests are in the area of system dynamics and controls, manufacturing processes, design optimization, collaborative design, PLM, modeling of rapid prototyping and fast free form fabrication methods, and web-based multi-user platform development.     

Improved dimension reduction method (DRM) in uncertainty analysis using kriging interpolation

Uncertainty or reliability analysis is to investigate the stochastic behavior of response variables due to the randomness of input parameters, and evaluate the probabilistic values of the responses against the failure, which is known as reliability. While the major research for decades has been made on the most probable point (MPP) search methods, the dimension reduction method (DRM) has recently emerged as a new alternative in this field due to its sensitivity-free nature and efficiency. In the recent implementation of the DRM, however, the method was found to have some drawbacks which counteract its efficiency. It can be inaccurate for strong nonlinear response and is numerically instable when calculating integration points. In this study, the response function is approximated by the Kriging interpolation technique, which is known to be more accurate for nonlinear functions. The integration is carried out with this meta-model to prevent the numerical instability while improving the accuracy. The Kriging based DRM is applied and compared with the other methods in a number of mathematical examples. Effectiveness and accuracy of this method are discussed in comparison with the other existing methods. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Tae Hee Lee Junho Won received B.S. and M.S. degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Korea Aerospace University in 2004 and 2006, respectively. He is currently a doctoral course at the departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Korea Aerospace University in Gyeonggi, Korea. His research interests are in the area of reliability analysis, multidisciplinary design optimization, and fatigue analysis. Changhyun Choi received B.S. and M.S. degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Korea Aerospace University in 2006 and 2008, respectively. He is currently researcher at the SFA Engineering Corp. in kyungnam, Korea. His research interests are in the area of computer control system, high reliable product technology, and factory automation system. Jooho Choi received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Hanyang University in 1981. He then went on to receive his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from KAIST in 1983 and 1987, respectively. Dr. Choi is currently a Professor at the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Korea Aerospace University in Gyeonggi, Korea. He is currently serving as an Editor of the Journal of Mechanical Science &Technology. Dr. Choi’s research interests are in the area of reliability analysis, multidisciplinary design optimization, and design optimization using automation system integrated with CAD/CAE.     

A study on cooling efficiency using 1-d analysis code suitable for cooling system of thermoforming

Thermoforming is one of the most versatile and economical processes available for polymer products, but cycle time and production cost must be continuously reduced in order to improve the competitive power of products. In this study, water spray cooling was simulated to apply to a cooling system instead of compressed air cooling in order to shorten the cycle time and reduce the cost of compressed air used in the cooling process. At first, cooling time using compressed air was predicted in order to check the state of mass production. In the following step, the ratio of removed energy by air cooling or water spray cooling among the total removed energy was found by using 1-D analysis code of the cooling system under the condition of checking the possibility of conversion from 2-D to 1-D problem. The analysis results using water spray cooling show that cycle time can be reduced because of high cooling efficiency of water spray, and cost of production caused by using compressed air can be reduced by decreasing the amount of the used compressed air. The 1-D analysis code can be widely used in the design of a thermoforming cooling system, and parameters of the thermoforming process can be modified based on the recommended data suitable for a cooling system of thermoforming. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Dongsik Kim Zhen-Zhe Li received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Yanbian University, China, in 2002. He then received his M.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from Konkuk University, South Korea, in 2005. He then received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Chonnam National University, South Korea, in 2009. Dr. Li is currently a Researcher of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, South Korea. Dr. Li’s research interests include applied heat transfer, fluid mechanics and optimal design of thermal and fluid systems. Kwang-Su Heo received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Chonnam National University, South Korea, in 1998. He then received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Chonnam National University, South Korea, in 2003 and 2008, respectively. Dr. Heo is currently a Post-doctorial Researcher of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAIST(Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), South Korea. Dr. Heo’s research interests include applied heat transfer, fluid mechanics and thermal analysis of superconductor. Dong-Ji Xuan received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Harbin Engineering University, China, in 2000. He then received his M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Chonnam National University, South Korea, in 2006. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chonnam National University, South Korea. His research interests include control & optimization of PEM fuel cell system, dynamics & control, mechatronics. Seoung-Yun Seol received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Design from Seoul National University, South Korea, in 1983. He then received his M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from KAIST(Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), South Korea, in 1985. He then received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech University, USA, in 1993. Dr. Seol is currently a Professor of the School of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Chonnam National University, South Korea. Dr. Seol’s research interests include applied heat transfer, fluid mechanics and thermal analysis of superconductor.     

A novel optimal assembly algorithm for haptic interface applications of a virtual maintenance system

A virtual maintenance system in a virtual environment can be used to simulate a real-world maintenance system. The efficiency of the simulation depends mainly on the assembly/disassembly task sequence. During simulation, path planning of mechanical parts becomes an important factor since it affects the overall efficiency of the maintenance system in terms of saving energy and time. Therefore, planners must consider the path-planning factors under constraints such as obstacles and the initial/final positions of the parts, as well as the assembly sequence such as number of gripper exchanges and direction changes. We propose a novel optimal assembly algorithm that considers the assembly sequence of mechanical parts and the path-planning factors for a virtual maintenance simulation system. The genetic algorithm is used to determine the optimal sequence of parts to minimize the numbers of gripper exchanges and direction changes, as well as find a repulsive force radius by using the potential field method to generate the shortest optimal distance for transferring each part during the assembly operation. By applying the proposed algorithm to a virtual maintenance system, users can be haptically guided to the optimized assembly solution during mechanical parts assembly operations. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Jong Hyeon Park Christiand received a B.Eng. degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Indonesia in 2006. He then went on to receive his M.Eng. from Gyeongsang National University in 2008. He is currently a member of engineering staff at Electronics and Telecommunication Research Institute (ETRI) in Daejeon, Korea. Jungwon Yoon received the B.S. degree in precision mechanical engineering in 1998 from the Chonbuk National Univ., Korea, and the M. S. degree in the Department of Mechatronics in 2000 from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Kwangju, Korea, where he received the Ph.D. in 2005. He had worked as a senior researcher in Electronics Telecommunication Research Institute (ETRI), Daejeon, Korea, and a visiting researcher at Virtual Reality Lab, the Rutgers University, U.S.A, from 2001 to 2002. In 2005, he joined the School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Korea, where he is currently an assistant professor. His research interests include virtual reality haptic devices & locomotion interfaces, and rehabilitation robots.     

Asymmetric loading of erector spinae muscles during sagittally symmetric lifting

Functional asymmetry is among the multitude of risk factors for low-back pain (LBP), the most common injury under general industrial and agricultural conditions. However, previous studies showed that normal healthy individuals exhibit some functional asymmetry, indicating that not all asymmetry causes LBP. Therefore, the threshold value that is able to discriminate between normal and pathological situations is used as critical information to predict LBP. As a preliminary study to find threshold, the purpose of this study is to quantify the magnitude of bilateral asymmetries of erector spinae muscle forces of a healthy group during sagittally symmetric lifting. Ten healthy male subjects with no history of back pathology participated in this study, which collected motion capture, force data, and electromyography signals from six infrared cameras (MCam2, Vicon), two force platforms (AMTI), and surface EMG (BME Korea). In order to quantify the magnitude of bilateral asymmetry in the trunk muscle forces, we used 3D linked segment and EMG-assisted modeling approaches, both of which were verified based on their recapitulation of previously-proposed models. The results indicated that each muscle force in the lumbar region exhibited asymmetry during the entire lifting process. In particular, the erector spinae muscle forces exhibited an approximate 24% difference between bilateral sites (p<0.05). The results of this study provided data from normal individuals by which to identify pathological situations and predict LBP incidence within general industrial and agricultural conditions. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Young Eun Kim Ahn Ryul Choi received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Bio-Mechatronic engineering from Sungkyunkwan University in 2005 and 2007, respectively. Ahn-Ryul Choi is currently a Researcher at the Bio-Mechatronics center and also a candidate in the biomedical Ph.D. program at Sungkyunkwan University, Korea. His research interests are in the area of digital human modeling and simulation. Tae Sun Yun received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from Korea Aero-space University in 2005 and 2007, respectively. Tae-Sun Yun is currently a Researcher at the Bio-Mechatronics center and also a candidate in the biomedical Ph.D. program at Sungkyunkwan University, Korea. His research interests are in the area of digital human modeling and simulation. Kyung Suk Lee is a specialist with many years experience of the agricultural health and safety in Republic of Korea. Her personal interests and most publications are in various hazards including ergonomic risk factors and management system set-up in local and national system. She has been doing her researches in National Academy of Agricultural Science (NIAST). She has also managed lots of network system that is composed of scientists, national officer, farmers union for agricultural safety and hearth. She is currently in the Group who is consultant with “safe farm model intervention” in local areas and national safety and health. Kyoung Kee Min received his Ph.D degree Sungkyunkwan University in 2008. Dr. Min is currently a researcher at the Bio-Mechatronics Center in Sungkyunkwan University. Dr. Min’s research interests are in the area of disease classification using artificial neural network, digital human modeling & control. Heon Hwang received his Ph.D. degree majoring in Engineering Science from the Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge in 1988. Dr. Hwang is currently a Professor at the Department of Bio-Mechatronic Engineering, Sung-kyunkwan University in Korea. Dr. Hwang’s research interests are intelligent motion control based on human motor and brain behavior, tele-operative biorobotic system and interface, and real time on-line bio-image processing and bio-sensing. Ki Young Lee received a B.S., M.S. and Ph D. degree in Electronic Engineering from Myongji University in 1984, 1986 and 1992, respectively. Since 2004, he also has interested to study on Bioengineering, and finished the Ph D. course from Sungkyunkwan University. Dr. Lee is currently a Professor at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Kwandong University in Kangneung, Korea. His research interests are the area of Bioelectronics and Bio-signal processing. Euichaul Oh received a B.S. degree in Pharmacy (1983) and a M.S. degree in Physical Pharmacy (1985) from Seoul Nation University, respectively. He then acquired his Ph.D. degree in Pharmaceutics from the University of Iowa in 1996. Dr. Oh is currently a Chief Scientific Officer at the R&D Center of Kuhnil Pharm. In Seoul, Korea. He had worked at the pharmaceutical companies in USA as a Senior Research Scientist for 10 years. He is currently serving as an Editor Board of the Journal of Korean Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dr. Oh’s research interests are in the areas of Drug Delivery System, Physical and Industrial Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Engineering. Joung Hwan Mun received his Ph.D. degree majoring in mechanical engineering from the University of Iowa in 1998. Dr. Mun is currently a Professor at the Department of Bio-Mechat-ronic engineering at Sungkyun-kwan University in Suwon, Korea. He is currently serving as a director of the Bio-Mechatronics center with regard to an international IMS project. Dr. Mun’s research interests are in the area of digital human modeling, sports biomechanics, bio-electronics and digital factory for human oriented production system.     

Development and validation of stereoscopic micro-PTV using match probability

A stereoscopic micro-PTV (particle tracking velocimetry) technique based on 2-frame PTV using match probability was developed. This method measures not only a two-dimensional velocity field but also the out-of-plane velocity component in micro fluid flow. A validation study of SMPTV by using a simulated flow model and a real micro jet flow was performed to verify the accuracy and feasibility of the method. The effects of different kinds of microscopes and the out-of-focus effect were also investigated. All test results were compared with the SMPIV method in order to evaluate the performance. The results showed that the SMPTV method using a CMO type microscope accurately measured the micro flow with the lowest bias error and higher spatial resolution than the SMPIV method. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Haecheon Choi Hyoung-Bum Kim received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from POSTECH in 2000. He worked in the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Colorado, Boulder till 2004 as a post-doctoral researcher and then in 2004 joined the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Gyeongsang National University as an assistant professor. His research interests are in flow measurement and control using optical and ultrasound method, turbulent shear flow, flow instability and bio-fluid flow. Cheong-Hwan Yu received his B.Sc. degree in Mechanical Engineering in 2007 from Gyeongsang National University and is now a master’s degree student at the Graduate School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Gyeongsang National University. His research interest is micro flow measurement and POD analysis. Jong-Hwan Yoon received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from POSTECH in 2003. He worked in Doosan Heavy Industry till 2004 and then joined the School of Automotive, Industrial and Mechanical Engineering at Daegu University. He is interested in 3-component flow measurement techniques using optical methods and flow induced noises and vibrations.     

Application of nonlinear integer programming for vibration reduction optimum design of ship structure

This paper presents a hybrid optimization algorithm which combines an external call type optimization method and a general stochastic iterative algorithm for the nonlinear integer programming with genetic algorithm (GA). GA can rapidly search the approximate global optimum under a complicated design environment such as a ship structure. Meanwhile it can handle optimization problems involving discrete design variables. In addition, there are many parameters that have to be set for GA which greatly affect the accuracy and calculation time of the optimum solution. However, the setting process is difficult for users, and there are no rules to decide these parameters. Therefore, to overcome these difficulties, the optimization of these parameters has been also conducted by using GA itself. It is proven using the trial function that the parameters are optimal. Finally, the verification of validity and usefulness of nonlinear integer programming is performed by applying this method to the compass deck of a ship where the vibration problem is frequently occurs. This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Eung-Soo Shin YoungMo Kong received his B.S. degree, M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Pukyong National University, Korea, in 1990, 1992 and 2006, respectively. Dr. Kong is currently a Principal Research Engineer at the Vibration & Noise R&D Team at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co.LTD, Korea. His research interests include vibration and noise analysis, optimum design of rotating machinery and structure. SuHyun Choi received his B.S. degree and M.S. degrees in Naval Architecture from Seoul National University, Korea, in 1982 and 1984, respectively and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in the USA in 1992. Dr. Choi is currently a Vice President at the Commercial Ship Business Management at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co.LTD, Korea. His research interests include vibration and noise analysis, optimum design of rotating machinery and structure. Jin Dae Song received his B.S. degree and M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pukyong National University, Korea, in 2000 and 2002, respectively. Mr. Song is currently a candidate for the Ph.D degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pukyong National University. His research interests include vibration analysis and optimum design of rotating machinery. Bo-Suk Yang is a professor at the Pukyong National University in Korea. He received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Kobe University, Japan in 1985. His main research fields cover machine dynamics and vibration engineering, intelligent optimum design, and condition monitoring and diagnostics in rotating machinery. He has published well over 190 research papers on vibration analysis, intelligent optimum design and diagnosis of rotating machinery. He is listed in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in Science and Engineering, among others. ByeongKeun Choi is an Associate Professor at the Department of Precision Mechanical Engineering at Gyeongsang National University in Korea. He received his Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Pukyong National University, Korea, in 1999. Dr. Choi worked at Arizona State University as an Academic Professional from 1999 to 2002. His research interests include vibration analysis and optimum design of rotating machinery, machine diagnosis and prognosis and acoustic emission. He is listed in Who’s Who in the World, among others.     

基于造价和维修费用的系统可靠性指标分配方法

可靠性指标分配是人力、物力统一调度和合理运用的一个工程决策问题，是与工程系统造价、维修费用密切相关的。因此，在进行系统可靠性分配时，必须同时考虑工程系统的造价和维修费用。本文给出了工程系统造价与可靠度的关系式和系统维修费用期望值与可靠度的关系式，建立了考虑造价与维修费用的系统可靠性模糊优化分配数学模型，从一而提出了基于造价和维修费用的系统可靠性指标分配方法，并给出了该方法的工程应用算例。结果表明：本文方法科学合理、简单实用，具有一定的工程应用价值。