Evaluating the design of flexible manufacturing systems

Evaluating the design of flexible manufacturing systems is complex. Developing a measure of performance useful for evaluating alternate designs continues to be interesting. Here, total productivity of the system is proposed as an appropriate measure. Specification of parameters based upon strategic considerations for this measure are discussed. Finally, the usefulness of the measure is demonstrated through an example.     

Alternative Granulation Technique: Melt Granulation

A melt granulation process has been investigated (1, 2) which efficiently agglomerates pharmaceutical powders for use in both immediate- and sustained-release solid dosage forms. The process utilizes materials that are effective as granulating fluids when they are in the molten state. Cooling of the agglomerated powders and the resultant solidification of the molten materials completes the granulation process. Both the molten agglomeration and cooling solidification were accomplished in a high shear Collette Gral mixer equipped with a jacketed bowl. Hence, the melt granulation process replaces the conventional granulation and drying operations which use water or alcohol solutions. The melt granulation process has been investigated using immediate- and sustained-release TAVIST® (clemastine fumarate USP) tablet formulations. The TAVIST granulations have been characterized by power consumption monitoring, measurement of the granulation particle size distribution, bulk and tapped density determinations, and loss-on-drying measurements. Scale-up of the melt granulation process for the sustained release TAVIST tablet formulation was judged successful based on a comparison of the hardness, friability, weight uniformity during compression, disintegration time, and dissolution rate data obtained at different manufacturing scales.     

Dielectric and Thermal Investigations on PbNb2O6 in Pure Piezoelectric Phase and Pure Non-Piezoelectric Phase

A high piezoelectric transition temperature is indicated for present orthorhombic samples of lead meta-niobate (PbNb₂O₆) by the high value of the temperature (T_m) at which the real part (?′) of electrical permittivity peaks. It is 573 to 580°C. The imaginary component (?″) increases sharply at these temperatures. Cooling run after heating to 700°C gives changed values of ?′ and ?″ and T_m. Present work reports impedance spectroscopy (up to 700°C over 20 Hz to 5.5 MHz) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry or DSC on the pure orthorhombic phase, and, for the first time, on the pure rhombohedral phase. DSC shows an endothermic dip across T_m during heating and an exothermic peak during cooling for the orthorhombic sample only.     

Interesting aspects of the analysis of resistivity in Li irradiated Bi-2212

Differently heat treated and 55 MeV Li³⁺ beam irradiated Bi₂Sr₂Ca₁Cu₂O_8+δ (Bi-2212) high temperature superconductors have been studied from the analysis of resistivity in the normal state as well as near the superconducting transition. For all the unirradiated and irradiated samples the so-called linear temperature dependence of the normal state resistivity, in a wide temperature range, can well be understood within the variable range hopping (VRH) conduction scenario. Near and above the bulk superconducting transition, the fluctuation enhanced conductivity (paraconductivity) analysis shows a noteworthy modification of the conduction process due to radiation induced defects.     

蓝青蛙酒廊与录音棚

Serie建筑师事务所是一个国际化事务所,涉及的领域包括建筑、城市的设计。事务所关注于当代城市中建筑类型的进化和变异以及这些智慧形式在空间解决方案上的应用。类型学式的研究,或者用他们的名词,“连续”（SERIES）的思考和探索（利用建筑类型的累积智慧）是Serie作品的关键。     

Nanomaterial Patterning in 3D Printing

The synergistic integration of nanomaterials with 3D printing technologies can enable the creation of architecture and devices with an unprecedented level of functional integration. In particular, a multiscale 3D printing approach can seamlessly interweave nanomaterials with diverse classes of materials to impart, program, or modulate a wide range of functional properties in an otherwise passive 3D printed object. However, achieving such multiscale integration is challenging as it requires the ability to pattern, organize, or assemble nanomaterials in a 3D printing process. This review highlights the latest advances in the integration of nanomaterials with 3D printing, achieved by leveraging mechanical, electrical, magnetic, optical, or thermal phenomena. Ultimately, it is envisioned that such approaches can enable the creation of multifunctional constructs and devices that cannot be fabricated with conventional manufacturing approaches.     

Mushaca: A 3-Degrees-of-Freedom Mouse Supporting Rotation

Based on kinesiology research demonstrating that translation and rotation are inseparable actions in the physical world, we present Mushaca, a 3-degrees-of-freedom mouse that senses rotation in addition to traditional planar position. We present an optical realization of the Mushaca device based on two optical sensors and then evaluate the device through a series of controlled experiments. Our results show that rotation is indeed a useful input modality for a pointing device, and also give some insight into how users perceive the changing coordinate system of the rotating mouse and adapt to this change through kinesthetic learning.     

Estimation of a sinusoid in uncorrelated noise using adaptive line enhancer

In applications of adaptive line enhancers (a.l.e.) for detecting sinusoidal signals in uncorrelated noise, an arbitrary value of delay ?, the decorrelation parameter, is suggested and ? = 1 is normally used. Exact analysis of the a.l.e. for the case of a single sinusoid in uncorrelated noise shows that an optimum value of ? exists for which the a.l.e. yields much better estimate of the sinusoid frequency compared to that with ? = 1. The simulation results show an excellent agreement with the predicted behaviour.