Optical method for inspecting surface defects inside a small bore

Most automotive powertrain parts made of castings have surface defects such as pores. However, detecting pores inside small diameter bores is a challenge because of the limited dimensional accessibility. Adding to this difficulty is the auto industry's desire to conduct the porosity inspection in-line, i.e. within the machining production cycle time of a part. A technique or equipment that meets these requirements currently does not exist. In order to meet these demands, it is necessary to develop an entire new methodology to inspect the inner surface of small diameter bores. This paper presents an innovative methodology to inspect the porosity of the inner surface of small bores and to provide their characteristics such as size and location. A prototype measurement system was built and tested in the lab. Experimental results showed the proposed method to be reliable and consistent.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/85431/1/mst10_1_015704.pd

Design of a material handling system for the automatic assembly of a shower head

The design of a Material Handling System for the Shower Head assembly is proposed. The working principle of complete automation and individual workstation is presented using I-DEAS software. Alternative equipments and their usage in the automation of the assembly is also proposed. Custom made fixtures, workcarriers, orienters, magazines, part feeders are designed for the assembly. Analysis of design for assembly in terms of cost and efficiency is performed by generating a Coding System Technique

Automotive Stirling Engine Development Program

Progress is reported in the following: the Stirling reference engine system design; components and subsystems; F-40 baseline Stirling engine installation and test; the first automotive engine to be built on the program; computer development activities; and technical assistance to the Government. The overall program philosophy is outlined, and data and results are given

Manufacturing muscle : the hot rod industry and the American fascination with speed, 1915-1984

Thesis (Ph. D. in History and Social Study of Science and Technology (HASTS))--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Program in Science, Technology and Society, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (v. 2, p. 426-437).This dissertation focuses on the pursuits of a particular subset of automobile users: hot rodders, those who modify their standard production automobiles for improved performance. More specifically, this project examines the history of the speed equipment industry - the aftermarket subsector which manufactures high-performance products for hot rodders - from its infancy in the 1910s through the mid 1980s. The thesis begins by examining the role of technological enthusiasm in the early growth of hot rodding, focusing in particular on the ways in which this enthusiasm led a handful of individuals to begin to manufacture high-performance parts in the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s. After tracing the wartime experiences of these industry pioneers, the project then explores the ways in which, in the midst of America's postwar affluence, the spectacular growth both of the high-performance industry and of hot rodding itself helped spawn the youth-oriented musclecar movement upon which the Big Three would later feed. In its examination of the 1940s and 1950s, the dissertation closely examines the evolution of this industry's production methods in an attempt to understand the manufacturing dynamics of a market-sensitive, flexibly-oriented, late-twentieth-century industrial sector.(cont.) The thesis then explores the ways in which this industry dealt with automotive safety and environmental legislation in the 1960s and 1970s. It concludes with a discussion of the fragmentation of the hot rod market during the 1970s and 1980s, analyzing the manufacturing and marketing challenges this change has wrought. This project sheds new light on the history of the automobile in America in four main ways. It highlights the survival of a flexibly-oriented, consumer-driven automotive industry in the shadow of the Big Three. It emphasizes the lingering importance of technological enthusiasm in the evolution of automobility. It uses the experience of the speed equipment industry to reexamine and revise our understanding of the relationship between the Big Three and governmental regulators. And, finally, it challenges the longstanding notion that the automobile had become a 'black box' by the 1920s, documenting the extent to which the social constructivists' 'end-user interpretive flexibility' has instead remained quite strong throughout the history of the automobile.by David Nicholas Lucsko.Ph.D.in History and Social Study of Science and Technology (HAST

A Major Study of American (Ford) Compared with Japanese (Honda) Automotive Industry: Their Strategies Affecting Surviabilty

Understanding the role of technology, in the automotive industry, is necessary for the development, implementation, service and disposal of such technology, from a complete integrated system life cycle approach, to assure long-term success. This dissertation provides a unique complete characterization of the system life (cycle) business major cost elements of the automotive industry the subsystems, cost elements, interplay and interdependencies that affect the total real life cycle cost and value the various stated product, organizational, and process initiatives intended to produce significant improvements in the American automobile industry, as compared to the Japanese. This dissertation adds a perspective, understanding, and new insights of the drivers of business/technology changes and challenges that are likely to occur over the next 5-10 years. Research was carried out by an extensive review of publications, technical journals, articles, government agency documents, industry publications, annual reports and company bulletins, data and announcements. Results were generated and compared with past industry leaders\u27 effort

Automotive Stirling Engine Development Project

The development and verification of automotive Stirling engine (ASE) component and system technology is described as it evolved through two experimental engine designs: the Mod 1 and the Mod 2. Engine operation and performance and endurance test results for the Mod 1 are summarized. Mod 2 engine and component development progress is traced from the original design through hardware development, laboratory test, and vehicle installation. More than 21,000 hr of testing were accomplished, including 4800 hr with vehicles that were driven more dm 59,000 miles. Mod 2 engine dynamometer tests demonstrated that the engine system configuration had accomplished its performance goals for power (60 kW) and efficiency (38.5%) to within a few percent. Tests with the Mod 2 engine installed in a delivery van demonstrated combined metro-highway fuel economy improvements consistent with engine performance goals and the potential for low emission levels. A modified version of the Mod 2 has been identified as a manufacturable design for an ASE. As part of the ASE project, the Industry Test and Evaluation Program (ITEP), NASA Technology Utilization (TU) project, and the industry-funded Stirling Natural Gas Engine program were undertaken to transfer ASE technology to end users. The results of these technology transfer efforts are also summarized

Component-based control system development for agile manufacturing machine systems

It is now a common sense that manufactures including machine suppliers and system integrators of the 21 st century will need to compete on global marketplaces, which are frequently shifting and fragmenting, with new technologies continuously emerging. Future production machines and manufacturing systems need to offer the "agility" required in providing responsiveness to product changes and the ability to reconfigure. The primary aim for this research is to advance studies in machine control system design, in the context of the European project VIR-ENG - "Integrated Design, Simulation and Distributed Control of Agile Modular Machinery"

1971

Shop Talk by Frank Santos (page 1) You\u27ve Come a Long Way, Lawn-Mower Pusher by Alan B. Albin (2) In The Eyes of the Laymen by Eugene P. Elcik (2) The Importance of Water Management by Fred V. Grau (A-1) Automatic Irrigation Systems Integrated with Pumping Systems by Michael O. Mattwell (A-5) Installation of a Complete Water Source and Automatic System by Richard C. Blake (A-19) How the Soil Conservation Service Can Help in Golf Course Management by Christopher G. Mousitakis (A-22) Our Shrinking Environment by Haim B. Gunner (A-24) Pesticides\u27 Dilemma - Emotion vs. Science by Allen H. Morgan (A-28) Effects of Turf Grasses and Trees in Neutralizing Waste Water by William E. Sopper (A-34) Unsolved and New Problems Developing in Golf Course Management by Alexander M. Radko (A-44) Coming of the Conglomerate Director of Golf Courses by Edmund B. Ault (A-48) Aquatic Weed Control by John E. Gallagher (A-52) What Project Apollo Has Done for Golf and Golf Course Architecture by Mal Purdy (A-54) Maintenance of Grass Tennis Courts by Wayne Zoppo (A-59) Diseases of Ornametnals Growing in Turf Areas by R.E. Partyka (A-62) Control of Turf Insects by John C. Schread (A-65) Lime for Turf by Henry W. Indyk (A-68) How to Stop Guessing When You Buy Seed by Dale Kern (A-71) Broad Aspects of Turf Grass Culture Other Than Golf Courses by Geoffrey S. Cornish (A-79) Establishing and Maintaining Turf int he national Capitol Parks by Alton E. Rabbitt (A-81) Preventive Maintenance on Small One Cylinder Air Cooled Engine by F. W. Hazle (A-85) Top Fairway Mower Performance by James R. Maloney (A-95) Grinding Reel Type Mowers by Ray Christopherson (A-99

A Major Study of American (Ford) Compared with Japanese (Honda) Automotive Industry: Their Strategies Affecting Surviabilty

Understanding the role of technology, in the automotive industry, is necessary for the development, implementation, service and disposal of such technology, from a complete integrated system life cycle approach, to assure long-term success. This dissertation provides a unique complete characterization of the system life (cycle) business major cost elements of the automotive industry the subsystems, cost elements, interplay and interdependencies that affect the total real life cycle cost and value the various stated product, organizational, and process initiatives intended to produce significant improvements in the American automobile industry, as compared to the Japanese. This dissertation adds a perspective, understanding, and new insights of the drivers of business/technology changes and challenges that are likely to occur over the next 5-10 years. Research was carried out by an extensive review of publications, technical journals, articles, government agency documents, industry publications, annual reports and company bulletins, data and announcements. Results were generated and compared with past industry leaders\u27 effort

Ultralean combustion in general aviation piston engines

The role of ultralean combustion in achieving fuel economy in general aviation piston engines was investigated. The aircraft internal combustion engine was reviewed with regard to general aviation requirements, engine thermodynamics and systems. Factors affecting fuel economy such as those connected with an ideal leanout to near the gasoline lean flammability limit (ultralean operation) were analyzed. A Lycoming T10-541E engine was tested in that program (both in the test cell and in flight). Test results indicate that hydrogen addition is not necessary to operate the engine ultralean. A 17 percent improvement in fuel economy was demonstrated in flight with the Beechcraft Duke B60 by simply leaning the engine at constant cruiser power and adjusting the ignition for best timing. No detonation was encountered, and a 25,000 ft ceiling was available. Engine roughness was shown to be the limiting factor in the leanout