Computer Aided Tolerance assignment

Tolerances are basic to the production of every part. This is because perfect parts cannot be produced with existing processes and machines. The determination of tolerances for the individual parts of a functional assembly is critical, but not trivial. Numerous approaches are suggested in past literature for (analytical) tolerance allocation. With the advent of total automation, more attempts are being made to computerize manual design tasks. Tolerance design, assignment and allocation can also be fully automated if the assembly function can be estimated by the computer.

In the present paper, an attempt is made to computerize tolerance assignment. A simple example of a two piece assembly, viz., a fit, is used to demonstrate the developed methodology. A feature extraction is first performed from both detail and assembly drawings. Then, probable assembly interfaces are determined using a rule based procedure. Consequently, tolerances are assigned to the basic dimensions of each feature and to the assembly interfaces using a tolerance database and user interaction. More complex analysis for tolerance allocation is also under study.     

Determination of swelling behavior and morphological properties of poly(acrylamide‐co‐itaconic acid) and poly(acrylic acid‐co‐itaconic acid) copolymeric hydrogels

Poly(acrylamide‐co‐itaconic acid) (PAAmIA) and poly(acrylic acid‐co‐itaconic acid) (PAAIA) copolymeric hydrogels were prepared with different compositions via free‐radical polymerization. Ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) was used as an original crosslinker for these monomers. Gelation percentages of the monomers were studied in detail and it was found that addition of IA into the monomer mixture decreased the gelation percentage. The variation in swelling values (%) with time, temperature, and pH was determined for all hydrogels. PAA, which is the most swollen hydrogel, has the swelling percentage value of 2000% at pH = 7.4, 37°C. Swelling behaviors were explained with detailed SEM micrographs, which show the morphologic differences between dry and swollen hydrogels. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 5994–5999, 2006     

Embedded simulation on a multiprocessor job scheduling system with inspection

This paper first develops architecture for a multiprocessor job scheduling system with an embedded simulation technique. The architecture provides a shell for applications that are characterized by two scheduling policies, a heuristic algorithm policy and a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) policy. These policies are implemented in the simulation model by using the embedded technique. The paper evaluates these two policies using the queue length, waiting time and flow time as the criteria to compare the performance of these two scheduling policies. Next we designed two simulation situations using two different real world applications. The purpose is to examine the performances of multiprocessor systems with and without inspection operations and two different scheduling policies. The two applications, berth allocation for the container terminal operations and production scheduling arrangement in an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) power supply factory, are studied. The final results show that a proper scheduling policy will perform better than the traditional FIFO approach for a multiprocessor system. Our study also provides guidelines on balancing a system with the addition of a final inspection activity.     

Enclothed cognition and hidden meanings in important Ottoman textiles

This paper illustrates how hidden details in garment design may reveal important clues about the motives of the wearer or designer that are of considerable cultural relevance. We suggest these hidden design features may reflect key psychological factors previously not considered. We illustrate this by doing a multilevel analysis of two important sixteenth century examples of Ottoman court clothing from the Topkapi Palace Museum. We show that these garments contain early examples of the use of “enclothed cognition” where the designs themselves are likely to have influenced the mind of the wearer. We suggest that the historical-social analysis of clothing may benefit from considering the concealed, as well as the explicit, psychologically relevant design features. We suggest that psychosocial interpretations of clothing may help further our understanding of textile and apparel design more generally, even within an historical context.     

Free radical crosslinking of unsaturated bacterial polyesters obtained from soybean oily acids

Summary Poly(-3-hydroxy alkanoate) containing unsaturated side chains, PHA-soybean, were produced by feeding Pseudomonas oleovorans with soybean oily acids obtained from soybean oil. Unsaturation of PHA-soybean were found to be 10 mol-% of unsaturated side chains. Main saturated part of the biopolymer was Poly(3-hydroxy octanoate) with minor hexanoate and decanoate units. PHA films were crosslinked via free radical mechanism by means of thermally or under UV irradiation in the presence of benzoyl peroxide, benzophenon, and /or ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM). Crosslinking yield of the PHA films were found to be from 81 to 93 wt.-% from the sol-gel analysis. Swelling properties of the crosslinked PHA films in chloroform and toluene were also studied. Mc values of crosslinked PHAs were also calculated using Flory-Rehner equation. The crosslinked biopolyester obtained by thermally at 60 °C with benzoyl peroxide indicated the highest crosslinking density. Glass transition temperatures (Tg) of crosslinked biopolyester samples were changed from −33 to −45 °C while that of PHA-soybean was −60 °C. Received: 16 June 2000/Revised version: 22 January 2001/Accepted: 20 May 2001     

A Computer-Aided Panel Layout Procedure for Process Control Jobs—LAYGEN

The procedure presented in this paper is a computerized methodology to generate alternate, ergonomically sound layouts of large control panels. The displays and controls are laid out on a vertical and two inclined panels taking various ergonomic design principles into account. Required input data categories, general structure of the methodology, and output reports of LAYGEN are discussed.     

Cut-tree construction for facility layout

The Gomory-Hu cut tree corresponding to a material flow graph provides important structural relationships to layout designers. The cut tree generation is not trivial to the programmer. In this paper, we present a simple technique which generates and constructs a cut tree of a given flow graph. The method differs from previous cut tree generation methods in the sense that its output also facilitates computer construction of the graph of the cut tree with only a few lines of additional coding, which makes its implementation attractive for computerized graph theoretic layout design approaches. The algorithm actually draws the cut tree automatically. Example graphs and the corresponding computer generated cut trees are illustrated. Also, an example is given where the cut tree information provides the optimal layout configuration.     

Network reliability with arc failures and repairs

Arc repair probabilities are incorporated into network calculations for directed networks with independent arc failures. A discrete-time Markov chain with one absorbing state is constructed for the problem. The transition probability matrix is used to determine the probability of source-to-sink conductivity in a given time interval, the mean time to source-to-sink connectivity, the fraction of time a node is blocked, and the fraction of time the network is blocked (disconnected). Blockage probabilities aid in repair-crew allocation to the nodes of the network     

Solvent-assisted graft copolymerization of acrylamide on poly(ethylene terephthalate) films using benzoyl peroxide initiator

Graft-copolymerization of acrylamide (AAm) on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films using benzoyl peroxide (Bz₂O₂) initiator has been studied. Four organic solvents, namely, pyridine (Py), 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE), DEC/H₂O (20/80, v/v), and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), were used as swelling agents. DMSO was found to be the most suitable swelling agent. Solvent inclusion in the films increased with increased length of solvent treatment time and temperature. Elevated temperatures had a greater effect on the inclusion of swelling agents than did the length of swelling. Variation of graft yield with the type of solvent, initiator concentration, monomer concentration, temperature, and polymerization time were also investigated. The graft yield increased in the order of toluene, benzene, DMSO. The optimum temperature for grafting was found to be 70°C. The graft yield was observed to increase with monomer concentration and polymerization time, then reached a plateau. The graft yield increased up to a certain Bz₂O₂ concentration, then decreased. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.