An efficient heuristic for scheduling batches of parts in a flexible flow system

Flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) are a class of automated systems that can be used to improve productivity in batch manufacturing. Four stages of decision making have been defined for an FMS—the design, planning, scheduling, and control stages. This research focuses on the planning stage, and specifically in the area of scheduling batches of parts through the system.The literature to date on the FMS planning stage has mostly focused on the machine grouping, tool loading, and parttype selection problems. Our research carries the literature a step further by addressing the problem of scheduling batches of parts. Due to the use of serial-access material-handling systems in many FMSs, the batch-scheduling problem is modeled for a flexible flow system (FFS). This model explicitly accounts for setup times between batches that are dependent on their processing sequence.A heuristic procedure is developed for this batch-scheduling problem—the Maximum Savings (MS) heuristic. The MS heuristic is based upon the savings in time associated with a particular sequence and selecting the one with the maximum savings. It uses a two-phase method, with the savings being calculated in phase I, while a branch-and-bound procedure is employed to seek the best heuristic solution in phase II. Extensive computational results are provided for a wide variety of problems. The results show that the MS heuristic provides good-quality solutions.     

Synthesis and properties of zinc nanoparticles: The role and prospects of radiation chemistry in the development of modern nanotechnology

Zinc-containing nanoparticles stable in the liquid phase are synthesized by the radiation chemical reduction of zinc ions in solutions of inverse micelles. The effects of the absorbed radiation dose and the size of the micelle water pool on the spectral characteristics of samples are studied. The HPLC and electron microscopy results indicate that the composition of nanoparticles synthesized depends on the salt nature. Original Russian Text ? A.A. Revina, E.V. Oksentyuk, A.A. Fenin, 2007, published in Zashchita Metallov, 2007, Vol. 43, No. 6, pp. 613–618.     

清代皇家园林规划设计控制的量化研究——以圆明三园、清漪园为例

本文通过量化分析探索了清代皇家园林规划设计的控制规律及相关理论。     

Processing of engineering ceramics with high power CO2 lasers

The hardness and brittleness of high performance engineering ceramics such as zirconia, aluminia, silicon carbide and silicon nitride makes traditional processing very expensive and time consuming. Efforts have been made to cut thick commercial ceramics with a continuous wave CO₂ laser. The results obtained so far are very promising and materials up to 10 mm in thickness have been cut successfully.     

Formation of C4 species in the deactivation of a Pd/SiO2 catalyst during the selective hydrogenation of acetylene

The deactivation characteristics of Pd/SiO₂ in the selective hydrogenation of acetylene were correlated with changes in the amount of the C4 species produced. The amounts of butenes produced changed in parallel with the catalyst activity, indicating that the rate limiting step for butene production was the same as that for acetylene hydrogenation. On the other hand, the amount of 1,3-butadiene produced changed, showing a maximum with catalyst deactivation because 1,3-butadiene is an intermediate in the sequential reaction process which involves both the production and consumption of 1,3-butadiene. This was verified by a simultaneous TG/reaction experiment showing that 1,3-butadiene was a precursor of green oil. The catalyst showed a self-regenerative behavior in its activity and the amounts of C4 species produced during the early stage of deactivation because two opposite factors, which contributed to either the lowering or the promotion of activity, were involved in the process. A specific type of polymer species, produced during the initial period of deactivation, is proposed to be responsible for the promotion of catalyst activity.     

浅谈多媒体教学运用

多媒体技术代表了现代教育技术的发展方向，为我国教育带来了深远的影响，促进了我国的教育从应试教育向素质教育的转变。文章通过对多媒体技术在教育领域中的应用，分析了现代多媒体教育中的作用及不足，并指出要在实践中不断改进，在教学中发挥更大的作用。     

金属快速压痕(布氏)硬度测试方法的研讨

通过对ASTME103标准中一些未说明的问题所进行的初步探讨,指出了快速压痕(布氏)硬度测试的最佳实现方法;同时,按照最新的IS06506标准,对ASTME103标准中的一些参数提出了修改意见.     

一种改进的共同进化遗传算法及其应用

将共同进化遗传算法应用于临床营养决策优化中,虽然取得了一定成果,但算法中仍存在早熟现象、局部搜索能量弱等问题,为此提出一种改进的共同进化模型。算法使用新的子群体划分方法和交叉算子,引入精英保留策略、信息交换原则和小生境技术。通过对糖尿病营养治疗的仿真表明,改进后的算法在保证群体多样性和避免早熟现象的前提下,提高了算法的局部和全局寻优能力,且膳食配方中营养素达标率符合要求,满足专家建议的糖尿病饮食需求。