Phase behavior in liquid crystallization for diblock copolymers consisting of rubbery amorphous and side-chain liquid crystalline components

Phase behavior in liquid crystallization was studied for a series of liquid crystalline (LC) diblock copolymers consisting of rubbery amorphous and side-chain liquid crystalline components, poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PBA) and poly[11-(4′-cyanophenyl-4″-phenoxy)undecyl acrylate] (PLC), respectively, using a time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques, DSC and polarized optical microscopy (POM). The block copolymers used had three kinds of copolymer compositions, 44, 20 and 15 wt% of PLC compositions (BLC44, BLC20 and BLC15, respectively). BLC44 showed a smectic liquid crystalline structure. In the process of liquid crystallization for BLC44, the SAXS peak due to the microphase separation structure existing before liquid crystallization was changed continuously to be at a smaller angular side, and at almost the same time, a new peak appeared at a further smaller angular side and developed. The former peak disappeared with the development of liquid crystallization. The behavior of these SAXS peaks suggests that the microphase separation structure was changed discretely at the transition from isotropic to smectic and that two phases coexist in the early stage of the liquid crystallization. The coexistence of two peaks in the early stage of the liquid crystallization corresponded to the POM observation. In the isotropization process, coexistence of two phases was not observed. For BLC20 exhibiting a cylindrical structure in both isotropic and liquid crystalline states, the liquid crystalline structure was not smectic but probably nematic, and the spacing was changed continuously in liquid crystallization. No liquid crystallization was observed in SAXS, POM and DSC for BLC15. The orientation of smectic layers within lamellar domains was investigated using 2D-SAXS images. The smectic layer was aligned perpendicularly to the lamellar interface.     

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF STATE OBSERVERS IN REACTIVE DISTILLATION

This study demonstrates that state observers can be developed and applied to infer the composition profiles of reactive distillation columns from noise-contaminated temperature measurements. The design and implementation of a Kalman filter (KF) and a Luenberger observer (LO) are carried out, and their performances are quantitatively assessed. The reliability, accuracy, and robustness of the two designs method are examined and compared quantitatively. The design and implementation of a Luenberger observer are simpler and easier to carry out than those of a Kalman filter. On the other hand, a Kalman filter is found to be more robust to a noisy measurements, erroneous initial estimates, and model uncertainties. A Luenberger observer could be used for composition estimation of reactive distillation when an ideal model of the system can reasonably approximate the real system; otherwise, a Kalman filter is recommended to be applied in more practical situations.     

The impact of roasting on the ochratoxin A content of coffee

Roasting coffee led to a drop in the ochratoxin A (OTA) concentration, as measured by the reference method, especially for dark type roasts. The way the beverage was prepared also affected the OTA content, which could paradoxically be higher than that of the initial roasted coffee. Assays on the thermal stability of pure OTA showed that it ought to be found in larger quantities in roasted coffee. This suggested that OTA was masked by reactions with the substrate during roasting. The absence of OTA in green coffee is therefore the best guarantee of safety.     

数字电位器的应用技术

从应用的角度出发，介绍合理设计应用电路和合理选择数字电位器的种类与型号，来克服数字电位器普遍存在的主要缺点的方法。文章具有较强的针对性和可操作性，对数字电位器的应用实践具有指导作用。     

Lean philosophy: implementation in a forging company

This research addresses the implementation of lean philosophy in a forging company with a focus on radial forging production flow lines. Here, the prime motive is to evolve and test several strategies to eliminate waste on the shop floor. In this research, a systematic approach is suggested for the implementation of lean principles. This paper describes an application of value stream mapping (VSM). Consequently, the present and future states of value stream maps are constructed to improve the production process by identifying waste and its sources. Furthermore, Taguchi’s method of design of experiments is pursued here to minimize the forging defects produced due to imperfect operating conditions. A noticeable reduction in set-up time and work-in-process (WIP) inventory level is substantiated. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of managerial implications and the future scope of research.     

An Agent Interaction Based Method for Nonlinear Process Plan Scheduling

This article puts forward a scheduling method for nonlinear process plan shop floor.Task allocation and load bal- ance are realized by bidding mechanism.Though the agent interaction process,the execution of tasks is determined and the coherence of manufacturing decision is verified.The employment of heuristic index can help to optimize the system performance.     

Logistic Regression Analysis of Customer Satisfaction Data

Variation exists in all processes. Significant work has been done to identify and remove sources of variation in manufacturing processes resulting in large returns for companies. However, business process optimization is an area that has a large potential return for a company. Business processes can be difficult to optimize due to the nature of the output variables associated with them. Business processes tend to have output variables that are binary, nominal or ordinal. Examples of these types of output include whether a particular event occurred, a customer's color preference for a new product and survey questions that assess the extent of the survey respondent's agreement with a particular statement. Output variables that are binary, nominal or ordinal cannot be modeled using ordinary least‐squares regression. Logistic regression is a method used to model data where the output is binary, nominal or ordinal. This article provides a review of logistic regression and demonstrates its use in modeling data from a business process involving customer feedback. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

信息化对制造业的影响综述

信息技术是一种新型技术。信息技术和制造业相互依存、相互促进是一种发展趋势。信息技术对制造业的影响主要有:信息化在制造业的产品开发设计技术方面带来的进步,这主要包括计算机辅助技术;信息化在制造业的生产管理技术方面带来的进步,主要包括企业制造资源计划系统及产品数据管理;信息化在制造业的制造方式上带来的进步,主要包括柔性制造、计算机集成制造等先进制造技术。     

Note on ‘Construction of Double Sampling s‐Control Charts for Agile Manufacturing’

He and Grigoryan (Quality and Reliability Engineering International 2002; 18 :343–355) formulated the design of a double‐sampling (DS) s control chart as an optimization problem and solved it with a genetic algorithm. They concluded that the DS s control charts can be a more economically preferable alternative in detecting small shifts than traditional s control charts. We explain that, since they only considered the average sample size when the process is in control, their conclusion is questionable. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

WCDMA系统中SPT数字滤波器的一种设计方法

相对于传统的数字滤波器实现方法,符号的2次幂和(SPT)滤波器用移位寄存器替代乘法器,因而资源消耗少、速度快,更加适于专用集成电路(ASIC)设计.介绍了一种适用于宽带码分多址(WCDMA)前向信道中给定基带成形滤波器单位脉冲响应后设计SPT滤波器的方法.相对于传统的理想SPT系数优化方法,此方法更适于给定单位脉冲响应后SPT滤波器的设计,计算复杂度低;仿真结果显示,相对于更加简单的四舍五入方法,此算法在性能上又有可观的增益.