Age is more than just a number: implications for an aging workforce in the US transportation sector

The US workforce is aging. At the same time, there are a record number of open positions in the transportation sector, which has traditionally been a well-paying, but stressful and schedule-dependent, occupation. Due to increasing longevity, need, and ability to work, a possible solution to the transportation workforce shortfall may lie within the retention and recruitment of older workers. This paper uses a socio-technical framework to examine the pertinent, though scant, literature and data related to older workforce demographics and operational needs, the regulatory environment, requisite knowledge, skills and abilities, and application of support technology and training. Although there is evidence of age-related changes in physiology and cognition, the current science remains unable to resolve how an older workforce may most appropriately be applied to transportation to maximize system safety and minimize negative impact to worker well-being.     

6061合金吊钩时效强化工艺研究

研究了实际生产中的时效热处理工艺对6061合金吊钩强度的影响,对产品采用机械加工后直接人工时效及先固溶再时效的两类时效工艺;测定了强度及硬度值;用光学显微镜和透射电子显微镜进行了显微组织观察;比较了不同时效工艺的试样在性能和组织方面的变化;提出了相对较为经济有效的时效强化工艺．     

A framework to design a human-centred adaptive manufacturing system for aging workers

The so-called smart manufacturing systems (SMS) combine smart manufacturing technologies, cyber-physical infrastructures, and data control to realize predictive and adaptive behaviours. In this context, industrial research focused mainly on improving the manufacturing system performance, almost neglecting human factors (HF) and their relation to the production systems. However, in order to create an effective smart factory context, human performance should be included to drive smart system adaptation in efficient and effective way, also by exploiting the linkages between tangible and intangible entities offered by Industry 4.0. Furthermore, modern companies are facing another interesting trend: aging workers. The age of workers is generally growing up and, consequently, the percentage of working 45–64 years old population with different needs, capabilities, and reactions, is increasing. This research focuses on the design of human-centred adaptive manufacturing systems (AMS) for the modern companies, where aging workers are more and more common. In particular, it defines a methodology to design AMS able to adapt to the aging workers’ needs considering their reduced workability, due to both physical and cognitive functional decrease, with the final aim to improve the human-machine interaction and the workers’ wellbeing. The paper finally presents an industrial case study focusing on the woodworking sector, where an existing machine has been re-designed to define a new human-centred AMS. The new machine has been engineered and prototyped by adopting cyber-physical systems (CPS) and pervasive technologies to smartly adapt the machine behaviour to the working conditions and the specific workers’ skills, tasks, and cognitive-physical abilities, with the final aim to support aging workers. The achieved benefits were expressed in terms of system usability, focusing on human-interaction quality.     

On benefits and drawbacks of aging strategies for randomized search heuristics

Quite different search heuristics make use of the concept of assigning an age to search points and systematically remove search points that are too old from the search process. In evolutionary computation one defines some finite maximal lifespan and assigns age 0 to each new search point. In artificial immune systems static pure aging is used. There a finite maximal lifespan is defined but new search points inherit the age of their origin if they do not excel in function value. Both aging mechanisms are supposed to increase the capabilities of the respective search heuristics. A rigorous analysis for two typical difficult situations sheds light on similarities and differences. Considering the behavior on plateaus of constant function values and in local optima both methods are shown to have their strengths and weaknesses. A third aging operator is introduced that provably shares the advantages of both aging mechanisms. Experimental supplements are provided to point out practical implications of the theoretical results and discuss further issues concerning the considered aging strategies.     

一种基于Agent适用于Web应用的软件抗衰方法*

“软件衰退”引起的计算系统失效是影响系统可靠性的一个重要方面,“软件抗衰”技术作为一种有效的预防、减缓软件衰退的手段已经日益引起人们的关注。介绍了软件抗衰技术,并针对Web应用的特点,提出了一种基于Agent的软件抗衰方法。实例表明,这种方法计算强度小、效率高,具有明显的优势。     

The effect of aging on muscle activation and postural control pattern for young and older computer users

A lot of older adults try to learn to use computers and might use different ways to perform a computer task compared to younger people. Fifteen healthy young and 15 healthy older adults participated in this study and all performed a series of mouse tasks. A three dimensional motion capture system and electromyographic analysis were used to obtain kinematic and kinetic data during performing the computer tasks. Three-way analysis of variance with repeated measures on task and time factors was used to analyze all dependent measurements. Older adults had higher RMS of forearm muscles compared to the young adults. The RMS of the finger extensor was highest when performing a dragging task. Compared with young adults, the older adults had greater cranial-cervical angle and neck flexion, but smaller head flexion, shoulder angle, elbow angle and ulnar deviation. Consequently, the older adults might have a greater risk of developing musculoskeletal disorder.     

基于柔性测试技术的车窗按钮老化测试

车窗按钮作为汽车电子部件中使用频率最多的部件之一,其老化特性是最受关注的。良好的车窗按钮老化测试系统能够准确反映出按钮质量的优劣,同时也是汽车整体安全性的保证。本文提出了一种基于柔性测试技术的车窗按钮老化测试方案,阐述了其基本的测试原理以及具体软硬件实现方法,该系统已被用于现场测试,证明其运行稳定可靠。     

Growth Behavior of α Phase in Ti-5.6Al-4.8Sn-2.0Zr-1.0Mo-0.35Si-0.7Nd Titanium Alloy

The thermal stability of the microstructure of a near-α titanium alloy after aging at 750℃ was investigated using optical microscope and transmission electron microscope as well as composition analysis. Aging treatment brings about significant coarsening of grain boundary α and α platelets within the colonies for martensitic microstructure. The observed changes are related to the growth steps or ledges of the interface and lamellar termination presented in the microstructure. The composition analysis of the coarsened α plate is consistent with the growth kinetics. The α Widmanstaetten plates were coarsened due to the movement of α /β interface for Widmanstaetten microstructure, and the phase boundaries of primary α（αp） phase directly moved into the transformed β for bimodal microstructure.     

A simple method to fabricate high-performance carbon nanotube field emitters

A simple new method to fabricate carbon nanotube field emitters was developed. Single wall carbon nanotubes with high graphitization were attached on Sn or Ni layered glass substrate in-situ in arc-discharge chamber. Post heat treatments below the deformation temperature of soda-lime glass guaranteed a good mechanical adhesion and electrical contact of the nanotubes. The morphology of the metal electrode layers was examined with the heat treatment temperatures to optimize the heat treatments. The emitters formed on Sn layers showed lower turn-on voltage and higher current density than those formed on Ni layers. A good field emission performance was realized in an emitter where nanotubes were deposited on Sn layer of the thickness 100 nm and annealed at 300^∘C. The current density was 2.5 mA/cm² at 3.5 V/μm. The emitter structure was maintained stable for 8 h.     

17-4PH马氏体不锈钢350℃长期时效脆化研究

采用光学显微镜(OM)、扫描电镜(SEM)、硬度测定以及示波冲击试验(instrumental impact test)研究了17-4PH马氏体不锈钢在350％：长期时效过程中显微组织、硬度、冲击韧性以及断口形貌的变化规律。结果表明：该马氏体不锈钢在350℃长期时效的过程中，随着时效时间的延长．其硬度升高，并在时效9000h时达到最大值；其裂纹萌生功(Ei)，裂纹扩展功(Ep)和总冲击功(Et)都随时效时间的延长而逐渐下降。根据示波冲击曲线获得了17-4PH马氏体不锈钢的动态断裂韧性Ktd，其动态断裂韧性也表现出和Ei，Ep及Et相类似的变化规律。该不锈钢的夏氏V型缺口(Charpy V-notch)冲击试样断口形貌随着时效时间的延长由韧窝断裂为主向准解理断裂和沿晶断裂为主变化。