Hybrid cam mechanisms

This paper investigates the problem of driving a machine with several reciprocating heavy inertias. The drive should also realize some programmable flexibility of the motion, so that the operation of the machine, e,g., synchronization between different motions and duration of standstills, can easily be modified. The use of a single servomotor for every motion is not the best solution, since it does not allow for energy recuperation. This means that the installed servomotor power will be much higher than the required net peak power for the machine as a whole. The presented solution, however, reduces the servomotor peak torque and power by one order of magnitude, and makes energy transfer between the motions possible. The hybrid cam mechanism consists of a hybrid drive, which is a combination of a servomotor, a constant velocity motor and a cam follower mechanism. The operation principle exploits the nonlinear characteristics of the cam to add flexibility at low cost of energy. The hybrid solution is particularly successful for motions involving high peak acceleration. In addition, the concept can be used to reject disturbances. Simulations show the performance of the hybrid cam mechanism.     

Ensuring reliability in B2B services: Fault tolerant inter-organizational workflows

In the age of Business-to-Business (B2B) collaboration, ensuring reliability of workflows underlying inter-organizational business processes is of significant importance. There are, however, quite a few challenges towards achieving seamless operation. Such challenges arise from heterogeneity in infrastructure and coordination mechanism at participant organizations, as well as time and cost associated with recovery from failure. Our research presents foundations for a reliable scheme for recovery from failure of workflow processes spanning through multiple business entities. First, a system model is adapted from the mobile computing literature that serves to establish the requirements to be enforced by each participating organization. In our model, we adopt the Maximal Sequence Path (MSP) approach from Yoo et al. (Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence 2132:222–236, 2001), as a means of decomposing workflows into mobile agent-driven processes that communicate via web services at each organization. This decomposition ensures defining logical points within the dynamics of a workflow instance for locating accurate and consistent states of the system for recovery in case of a failure. Then, a set of algorithms for various business scenarios are developed and presented as practical solutions. These algorithms are shown to create checkpoints such that the system is always in a globally consistent state. As such, these algorithms constitute a set of standards that can be incorporated in business process management suites that support reliable inter-organizational collaboration.     

The role of trade literature in the communication system

Bibliometric methods in general undervalue technological research. This study examines the relation in literature between technological/industrial journals and scientific journals in the case of the plastics industry and polymer science. Trade-journals cannot be used in a straightforward bibliometric manner, but can be an aid in mapping the different groups and reveal the hidden communication between technological and scientific communities.     

Seven-pinhole tomography of the thyroid

In this paper we introduce a new application of the sevenpinhole (7P) collimator: tomographic imaging of the thyroid. The collimator design has been reoptimized for this particular application by diminishing the distance from the collimator plate to the crystal and by choosing a smaller pinhole diameter. To reconstruct thyroid images from the two-dimensional projection data we use a method which we developed for 7P tomographic imaging of the heart [1]. Phantom experiments and patient studies demonstrate that this new device is capable of producing tomographic images of good quality and high resolution. Therefore, it seems to offer a promising alternative to conventional planar imaging of the thyroid (using a single-pinhole collimator).     

Development of high‐definition aqueous polyvinylpyrrolidone photoresists for cathode ray tubes

Aqueous photoresists that are capable of higher resolutions than are currently employed by the cathode ray tube (CRT) industry were developed by combining photoactivators, which activate at shorter UV wavelengths with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Two photoactivators were synthesized: 4,4′‐diazido‐2,2′‐biphenyl disodium disulfonate (DABP), which has a maximum absorbance at 264 nm, and 4,4′‐diazido‐2,2′‐biphenylethane disodium disulfonate (DABPE), which has a maximum absorbance at 258 nm. The PVP/DABP and PVP/DABPE photoresists successfully imaged a pattern with resolution as small as 4.4 μm with photoactivator concentrations greater than 20% of the PVP concentration. Addition of silane and emulgen greatly improved the performance of the photoresists with more uniform coatings of thicknesses of up to 1.4 μm. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 1637–1644, 2006     

Softening and melting mechanisms of polyamides interfering with sliding stability under adhesive conditions

The thermal stability of polymers is a main issue when used as friction elements under dry sliding. Cast polyamide grades processed with either natrium or magnesium catalysors are slid on a small-scale and a large-scale test configuration to reveal the effect of softening or degradation on the sliding stability and to investigate possibilities for extrapolation of friction and wear rates between both testing scales. The combination of softening and afterwards transition into the glassy state is detrimental for the sliding stability of natrium catalysed polyamides, characterised by heavy noise during sliding. A transfer film formed under continuous softening also provides high friction. Melting during initial sliding is necessary for stabilisation in both friction and wear, and eventual softening of a molten film near the end of the test then not deteriorates the sliding stability. Softening of magnesium catalysed polyamides is favourable for the formation of a coherent transfer film resulting in more stable sliding than natrium catalysed polyamides. The differences in softening mechanisms of both polyamide grades is correlated to structural changes investigated by thermal analysis and Raman spectroscopy: the γ crystalline structure prevails in magnesium catalysed samples and the α crystalline structure is predominant in natrium catalysed samples. For internal oil lubricated polyamides, a time dependent degradation of the polyamide bulk deteriorates the supply of internal oil lubricant to the sliding interface, resulting in high friction and wear under overload conditions. As the degradation mechanisms during sliding are strongly correlated to the test set-up, extrapolation is only possible for friction in a limited application range, while wear rates cannot be extrapolated.     

Relationship of peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid value to development of undesirable flavor characteristics in fats

The peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid value were compared with the flavor score for a series of different types of fats, with and without added monoglyceride and with and without different stabilizers. The data indicated that the flavor score cannot be estimated for any given fat from either the peroxide value or the thiobarbituric acid value. Either can be used to follow the development of off flavors in a given product or formulation but the relative level may vary from product to product. Presented at the AOCS Meeting in Minneapolis, 1963.     

Experimental research and prediction of the effect of chemical and biogenic sulfuric acid on different types of commercially produced concrete sewer pipes

New equipment and procedures for chemical and microbiological tests, simulating biogenic sulfuric acid corrosion in sewerage systems, are presented. Subsequent steps of immersion and drying, combined with mechanical abrasion, were applied to simulate events occurring in sewer systems. Both chemical and microbiological tests showed that the aggregate type had the largest effect on degradation. Concrete with limestone aggregates showed a smaller degradation depth than did the concrete with inert aggregates. The limestone aggregates locally created a buffering environment, protecting the cement paste. This was confirmed by microscopic analysis of the eroded surfaces. The production method of concrete pipes influenced durability through its effect on W/C ratio and water absorption values. In the microbiological tests, HSR Portland cement concrete performed slightly better than did the slag cement concrete. A possible explanation can be a more rapid colonisation by microorganisms of the surface of slag cement samples. A new method for degradation prediction was suggested based on the parameters alkalinity and water absorption (as a measure for concrete porosity).     

The use of direct osmosis tests as complementary experiments to determine the water and salt permeabilities of reinforced cellulose acetate membranes

In this article the use of the direct osmosis test as a complementary experiment to the reverse osmosis test is described. The membranes investigated are cellulose acetate membranes reinforced with mineral fillers. In both tests the same influence of the type of fillers on the water permeability coefficients is found. The salt permeability coefficients indicate the presence of pressure sensitive defects in the reinforced membranes. The direct osmosis test is found to be a suitable test to confirm and predict the membrane properties under reverse osmosis conditions.