Obelix searches Internet using customer data

One major problem with purchasing through the Web is locating reliable suppliers that offer the exact product or service you need. In the usual approach, you access an indexing based search engine, specify keywords for the purchase, and initiate the search. The outcome is typically a list ranked according to keyword matches; useful, but not always helpful. Keyword matches provide only one ingredient to finding the right Web sites. The ranking should also consider the satisfaction of previous customers purchasing from those sites, customer profiles, and customer behavior. The Obelix search engine uses reconfigurable technology to apply customer satisfaction data obtained from the Internet service provider infrastructure to refine its search criteria. The Obelix system collects data about customer activities, calculates a customer satisfaction index, and updates the search engines with its findings     

Theoretical and experimental investigation of cold hobbing processes in cases of cone-like punch manufacturing

Optimal tool making is of great importance for reducing costs and increasing the performance of toolsets. The dies and punches, which are basic components of any metal forming toolset, are usually produced by machining, but this technology requires relatively long manufacturing times, characterized by significant material and energy waste. By replacing machining operations or combining them with forming ones, such as cold hobbing (indenting), significant cost and time savings, as well as improvement of tool performance could be achieved. Cold hobbing could be applied to making die cavities as well as shaping punch profiles. Investigations showed that a large number of variables influence the successful application of this technique. However, there is a scarcity of literature regarding the choice of relevant process parameters for the hobbing process. With this in mind, the aim of this paper is to yield further insight into the hobbing process. Special focus will be placed on the influence of the hob geometry on the deformation process and relevant process parameters. This paper presents theoretical, numerical, and experimental investigations of a cold hobbing process in which a cone-like punch is obtained. The upper-bound method was used for metal flow analysis and optimization of hob geometry. Stress–strain distribution, workpiece geometry prediction, and load estimation were obtained with the finite element method (FEM) using Simufact.Forming 8.1 software. The results were analyzed, compared, and discussed.     

EM3: a taxonomy of heterogeneous computing systems

The field of heterogeneous computing is growing rapidly. New concepts and systems appear daily. Hence, it is important to fit each new contribution into its proper place in the puzzle called heterogeneous computing. This is possible only if an adequate taxonomy/classification exists, one that can show whether or not a new system is heterogeneous, and if so, what kind of heterogeneity it exhibits. We propose a new taxonomy that shows the relative position of each and every heterogeneous system in the overall computer systems world. The proposed taxonomy is intended to be both broad enough to encompass all existing heterogeneous systems and simple enough to be easily accepted. Consequently, our taxonomy includes only four classes of computer systems. We propose that computer systems be classified as follows: SESM (single execution mode, single machine model); SEMM (single execution mode, multiple machine models), MESM (multiple execution modes, single machine model), and MEMM (multiple execution modes, multiple machine models)     

Emulating a Complex Instruction Set Computer with a Reduced Instruction Set Computer

GaAs now allows up to 30K transistors per chip. With such a limitation, can you build a 32-bit CISC on a single GaAs chip? Yes, if you build a reduced instruction set computer and emulate the 32-bit CISC on it.     

A method for off-line compensation of cutting force-induced errors in robotic machining by tool path modification

Industrial robots are promising cost-effective and flexible alternatives for multi-axis milling applications in machining of complex parts of light materials with lower tolerances, having freeform surfaces. As it is well-known, the poor accuracy, stiffness, and the complexity of programming are the most important limiting factors for wider adoption of robotic machining in machine shops. The paper presents the developed method for off-line compensation of machining robot tool tip static displacements as a dominant part of cutting force-induced errors. The developed method is based on modification of programmed trajectory in G-code. Off-line modification of programmed trajectory is performed according to the predicted static tool tip displacements calculated based on developed robot compliance model and cutting forces predicted by mechanistic model. The obtained experimental results show the relevance of developed method since the machining errors could be significantly reduced. This allows the desired accuracy of robot machining to converge towards nominal specifications.     

Will distance learning create a global university?

It is predicted that the development whereby universities have campuses connected to the central site by telecom links will continue until there are very few universities in the world, and perhaps only one. An exception is that some countries may try to maintain national universities for certain areas of study. The article discusses the possible consequences of such a development and the likelihood that a country would be successful in protecting its national institution.     

Classifying software-based cache coherence solutions

The authors propose a classification for software solutions to cache coherence in shared memory multiprocessors and show how it can be applied to more completely understand existing approaches and explore possible alternatives