A framework for capacity planning and machine configuration in flexible assembly systems

We consider the problem of simultaneously determining the number of machines (and/or workers), the assignment of tasks (and related tools and components) to these machines, and the number of jobs circulating in a flexible assembly system (FAS), to satisfy steady-state throughput requirements for a family of similar products at minimum cost. We focus on situations where there are precedence relations among the various tasks, as is common in assembly systems. We present a framework for solving this problem based on a heuristic decomposition approach which involves the solution of only a few types of sub-problems. We demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the overall procedure using a number of example problems.     

Analysis of Moiré Fringes Produced by Centrosymmetric Gratings

Abstract

A method of describing centrosymmetric gratings (radial, circular and spiral) is presented. The moiré-fringe profile produced by centrosymmetric gratings is analysed using polar coordinates. The concept of the angle of intersection for two superimposed gratings is examined and it is shown how from this study moiré patterns formed from centrosymmetric gratings can be analysed automatically by digital computer. Examples of theoretically predicted patterns, generated by the proposed procedure, are compared with actual moiré-fringe patterns. This method provides for the first time a procedure that can be used in engineering for improving the contrast of moiré patterns and for sharpening these patterns.     

Experimental implementation and analysis of robotic metal spinning with enhanced trajectory tracking algorithms

Metal spinning is a plastic forming process in which a disk or tube of metal is rotated at high speed and forced onto a mandrel. It is widely used in industry as an efficient, modern and economical production technique. This research proposes to develop a versatile robotic forming method and expand the application areas of robotic manufacturing processes to the metal spinning area. A lathe-type laboratory setup has been built and an industrial robot manipulator has been used to implement the metal spinning process. Experiments have been conducted with enhanced cascaded trajectory tracking algorithms with an add-on vibration suppressor. The potential of the proposed method has been illustrated with extensive case studies using both constant and variable speed trajectory profiles. Analyses for the growth of wrinkles have been performed through the topographical measurements of the products and the forming forces have been inspected. Results indicate that the efficiency of the process can be significantly improved with suitably selected variable speed trajectory profiles and the process parameters. The developed scheme successfully reduces the excessive oscillations of the manipulator during the metal spinning process and it requires no additional hardware to employ. The investigations demonstrate the feasibility of robotic metal spinning using an industrial serial link manipulator.     

Thickness estimation of interface films formed on Li1−xCoO2 electrodes by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Solid electrolyte interface (SEI) films formed on Li_1−xCoO₂ electrodes were observed with hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HX-PES). This paper particularly focuses on film thickness estimation using HX-PES with theoretical calculation. The validity of the calculation was proven by experiments using model SEI films. The native film formed on a LiCoO₂ composite electrode was estimated to be LiF with its thickness of 5 nm. Formation of Co (II) species on top of LiCoO₂ was also indicated. Storage of the electrode at 60 °C brought about considerable film growth (30-40 nm) with carbonate compounds formation. SEI film changes during charging of the LiCoO₂ electrode were also examined. The main component in the film was deduced to be LiF or a kind of fluorite, with its thickness decreased during charging. The SEI formation mechanisms are also elucidated.     

Polypropylene plasticization and photodegradation with a TiO2/poly(ethylene oxide)/methyl linoleate paint photocatalyst system

The photodegradation of polypropylene (PP) film was performed by a TiO₂/polyethylene oxide (PEO)/plant oil paint photocatalyst system. The photodegradation underwent two stages of development as follows: Initially PP reacted with linoleic acid radical originated from the photoreaction of plant oil component. Second, the linoleic acid graft‐polymer was decomposed, and then PP chain scission was caused. The process was studied using methyl linoleate (ML) in detail. The melting point of the 24 h‐photodegraded PP slightly decreased, and those of the 48 h‐ and 96 h‐ones drastically did as compared with the pristine PP. The crystallinity (χ_c) decreased at the 48 h photodegradation time and drastically increased at the 96 h one. The 24 h‐photodegraded PP showed the 77% Young's modulus, 88% tensile strength, and 103% strain at break values to those of the pristine PP. The ML graft‐polymerization and decomposition brought about the PP plasticizing and chemi‐crystallization, causing the PP degradation. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 39909.     

Citrus Naringenin Increases Neuron Survival in Optic Nerve Crush Injury Model by Inhibiting JNK-JUN Pathway

Traumatic nerve injury activates cell stress pathways, resulting in neuronal death and loss of vital neural functions. To date, there are no available neuroprotectants for the treatment of traumatic neural injuries. Here, we studied three important flavanones of citrus components, in vitro and in vivo, to reveal their roles in inhibiting the JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase)-JUN pathway and their neuroprotective effects in the optic nerve crush injury model, a kind of traumatic nerve injury in the central nervous system. Results showed that both neural injury in vivo and cell stress in vitro activated the JNK-JUN pathway and increased JUN phosphorylation. We also demonstrated that naringenin treatment completely inhibited stress-induced JUN phosphorylation in cultured cells, whereas nobiletin and hesperidin only partially inhibited JUN phosphorylation. Neuroprotection studies in optic nerve crush injury mouse models revealed that naringenin treatment increased the survival of retinal ganglion cells after traumatic optic nerve injury, while the other two components had no neuroprotective effect. The neuroprotection effect of naringenin was due to the inhibition of JUN phosphorylation in crush-injured retinal ganglion cells. Therefore, the citrus component naringenin provides neuroprotection through the inhibition of the JNK-JUN pathway by inhibiting JUN phosphorylation, indicating the potential application of citrus chemical components in the clinical therapy of traumatic optic nerve injuries.     

Self-Assembling Lectin Nano-Block Oligomers Enhance Binding Avidity to Glycans

Lectins, carbohydrate-binding proteins, are attractive biomolecules for medical and biotechnological applications. Many lectins have multiple carbohydrate recognition domains (CRDs) and strongly bind to specific glycans through multivalent binding effect. In our previous study, protein nano-building blocks (PN-blocks) were developed to construct self-assembling supramolecular nanostructures by linking two oligomeric proteins. A PN-block, WA20-foldon, constructed by fusing a dimeric four-helix bundle de novo protein WA20 to a trimeric foldon domain of T4 phage fibritin, self-assembled into several types of polyhedral nanoarchitectures in multiples of 6-mer. Another PN-block, the extender PN-block (ePN-block), constructed by tandemly joining two copies of WA20, self-assembled into cyclized and extended chain-type nanostructures. This study developed novel functional protein nano-building blocks (lectin nano-blocks) by fusing WA20 to a dimeric lectin, Agrocybe cylindracea galectin (ACG). The lectin nano-blocks self-assembled into various oligomers in multiples of 2-mer (dimer, tetramer, hexamer, octamer, etc.). The mass fractions of each oligomer were changed by the length of the linkers between WA20 and ACG. The binding avidity of the lectin nano-block oligomers to glycans was significantly increased through multivalent effects compared with that of the original ACG dimer. Lectin nano-blocks with high avidity will be useful for various applications, such as specific cell labeling.     

Oxygen potential measurements of Am0.5Pu0.5O2−x by EMF method

The dependence of the oxygen potentials on oxygen non-stoichiometry and temperature of Am_0.5Pu_0.5O_2−x has been obtained by the electromotive force (EMF) method with the cell: (Pt) air |Zr(Ca)O_2−x| Am_0.5Pu_0.5O_2−x (Pt). The x value of Am_0.5Pu_0.5O_2−x was changed at 1333 K over 0.02 < x ? 0.25 by the coulomb titration method. The temperature dependence of the oxygen potential was also measured over the range of 1173-1333 K. It was found that the oxygen potential decreased from −80 to −360 kJ mol⁻¹ with increasing x from 0.021 to 0.22 at 1333 K and that it remained almost constant at −360 kJmol⁻¹ around x = 0.23. It was concluded that Am_0.5Pu_0.5O_2−x should be composed of the single fluorite-type phase over 0.02 < x ? 0.22 and the mixed phases of fluorite-type and (Am, Pu)₉O₁₆ at around x = 0.23.     

Micromechanical Investigation of the Fatigue Crack Propagation and Damage Development in Al/Al2O3/SiC Hybrid Metal Matrix Composite

Russian Journal of Non-Ferrous Metals - In this study, the micro-mechanisms involved in fatigue crack propagation are investigated qualitatively in a Al/Al2O3/SiC hybrid metal matrix composite...     

Overexpression and purification of Aspergillus aculeatus beta-mannosidase and analysis of the integrated gene in Aspergillus oryzae

An expression plasmid for the manB gene encoding Aspergillus aculeatus beta-d-mannosidase (MANB) was constructed by using an expression vector carrying an improved promoter. After transformation of A. oryzae by the plasmid, several transformants formed colonies emitting fluorescence on a plate containing 4-methylumbelliferyl beta-d-mannopyranoside (MU-Man) under UV-irradiation. The transformant that displayed the strongest fluorescence, named A. oryzae BMN1, produced about 270 mg MANB/l in liquid culture. Recombinant MANB overproduced in BMN1 was purified by two steps of column chromatography to a single protein band on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and had a molecular weight of 130,000. Analyses by Southern blotting and genomic PCR demonstrated that a single copy of the plasmid was integrated into the chromosome by recombination at the niaD locus.