A Methodological Approach to Knowledge-Based Engineering Systems for Manufacturing

A survey of implementations of the knowledge-based engineering approach in different technological sectors is presented. The main objectives and techniques of examined applications are pointed out to illustrate the trends and peculiarities for a number of manufacturing field. Existing methods for the development of these engineering systems are then examined in order to identify critical aspects when applied to manufacturing. A new methodological approach is proposed to overcome some specific limitations that emerged from the above-mentioned survey. The aim is to provide an innovative method for the implementation of knowledge-based engineering applications in the field of industrial production. As a starting point, the field of application of the system is defined using a spatial representation. The conceptual design phase is carried out with the aid of a matrix structure containing the most relevant elements of the system and their relations. In particular, objectives, descriptors, inputs and actions are defined and qualified using categorical attributes. The proposed method is then applied to three case studies with different locations in the applicability space. All the relevant elements of the detailed implementation of these systems are described. The relations with assumptions made during the design are highlighted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The adoption of case studies with notably different applications also reveals the versatility in the application of the method

A Technological Economic Approach to Long Term Mineral Resource Development : illustrated by the case of Highland Dolomite

An interdisciplinary study in technological economics is undertaken of various factors of determining importance in the long term development of minerals resources. Contributions to a theory of minerals development, and three empirical studies of minerals consuming industries are brought together in a simple network approach to the structuring of opportunities for long term development called opportunity planning. The empirical and planning studies are illustrated with reference to a particular mineral, dolomite, which is in geologically plentiful supply in the Highlands of Scotland. This region provides a focus for the application of the technological economic studies. From the outset attention is drawn to the essentially interdisciplinary definition of mineral resources as distinct from minerals deposits. Various aspects of this definition are examined including the implications of changes in the patterns of minerals demand. It is suggested that much greater attention to the analysis of such patterns is required even though they may develop at stages relatively distant from extractive and primary processing operations. This is because such changes may be crucial in the shaping of a compromise between the technical potential of a minerals deposit and the economic role of the derived products. As a convenient method of relating the relevant technological and economic variables the simple production function is used to provide a preliminary hypothesis describing the incentives necessary to stimulate minerals development. And on the demand side several hypotheses of the diffusion of innovations are critically examined and an evolutionary model for the diffusion of new materials is proposed. The empirical studies examine an industry in each of the three major divisions of the proposed minerals classification: a metals industry (magnesium), industrial minerals industry (basic refractories) and the bulk materials industry. The industries examined may all have the study mineral, dolomite, as a raw material in common. Each industry is examined under the following headings: structural analysis, technological background, end use analysis and market behaviour. The analysis confirms that assessment of minerals prospects in terms of current end use specifications, established technology and current market prices may be an insufficiently enterprising means of assessing minerals potential. In subsequent sections, therefore, a method of planning for minerals development is proposed which is sufficiently flexible to incorporate alternative technologies, the particular technical advantages of individual minerals deposits and possible changes in end uses and their functions. The method, called opportunity planning, advocates a simple network approach for the structuring of opportunities which can subsequently be applied to specific minerals deposits. Two strategic divisions are proposed, labelled interventionist and non-interventionist opportunity planning. The opportunity planning network is applied to the three case study industries and complements long term development forecasts based solely on the extrapolation of current supply and demand configurations. Finally the empirical and theoretical studies are used to suggest a checklist of the constraints on minerals development in the Highlands of Scotland. The planning model is used to arrive at a range of specific opportunities worthy of fuller investigation in each of the industries studied

Enriching Architecture: Craft and its conservation in Anglo-Irish building production, 1660–1760

Refinement and enrichment of surfaces in stone, wood and plaster is a fundamental aspect of early modern architecture which has been marginalised by architectural history. Enriching Architecture aims to retrieve and rehabilitate surface achievement as a vital element of early modern buildings in Britain and Ireland. Rejected by modernism, demeaned by the conceptual ‘turn’ and too often reduced to its representative or social functions, we argue for the historical legitimacy of creative craft skill as a primary agent in architectural production. However, in contrast to the connoisseurial and developmental perspectives of the past, this book is concerned with how surfaces were designed, achieved and experienced. The contributors draw upon the major rethinking of craft and materials within the wider cultural sphere in recent years to deconstruct traditional, oppositional ways of thinking about architectural production. This is not a craft for craft’s sake argument but an effort to embed the tangible findings of conservation and curatorial research within an evidence-led architectural history that illuminates the processes of early modern craftsmanship. The book explores broad themes of surface treatment such as wainscot, rustication, plasterwork, and staircase embellishment together with chapters focused on virtuoso buildings and set pieces which illuminate these themes

Comparison of the vocabularies of the Gregg shorthand dictionary and Horn-Peterson's basic vocabulary of business letters

This study is a comparative analysis of the vocabularies of Horn and Peterson's The Basic Vocabulary of Business Letters1 and the Gregg Shorthand Dictionary.2 Both books purport to present a list of words most frequently encountered by stenographers and students of shorthand. The, Basic Vocabulary of Business Letters, published "in answer to repeated requests for data on the words appearing most frequently in business letters,"3 is a frequency list specific to business writing. Although the book carries the copyright date of 1943, the vocabulary was compiled much earlier. The listings constitute a part of the data used in the preparation of the 10,000 words making up the ranked frequency list compiled by Ernest Horn and staff and published in 1926 under the title of A Basic Writing Vocabulary: 10,000 Words Lost Commonly Used in Writing. The introduction to that publication gives credit to Miss Cora Crowder for the contribution of her Master's study at the University of Minnesota concerning words found in business writing. With additional data from supplementary sources, the complete listing represents twenty-six classes of business, as follows 1. Miscellaneous 2. Florists 3. Automobile manufacturers and sales companie

Enriching Architecture

Refinement and enrichment of surfaces in stone, wood and plaster is a fundamental aspect of early modern architecture which has been marginalised by architectural history. Enriching Architecture aims to retrieve and rehabilitate surface achievement as a vital element of early modern buildings in Britain and Ireland. Rejected by modernism, demeaned by the conceptual ‘turn’ and too often reduced to its representative or social functions, we argue for the historical legitimacy of creative craft skill as a primary agent in architectural production. However, in contrast to the connoisseurial and developmental perspectives of the past, this book is concerned with how surfaces were designed, achieved and experienced. The contributors draw upon the major rethinking of craft and materials within the wider cultural sphere in recent years to deconstruct traditional, oppositional ways of thinking about architectural production. This is not a craft for craft’s sake argument but an effort to embed the tangible findings of conservation and curatorial research within an evidence-led architectural history that illuminates the processes of early modern craftsmanship. The book explores broad themes of surface treatment such as wainscot, rustication, plasterwork, and staircase embellishment together with chapters focused on virtuoso buildings and set pieces which illuminate these themes

Architecture in tension : an examination of the position of the architect in the private and public sectors, focusing on the training and careers of Sir Basil Spence (1907-1976) and Sir Donald Gibson (1908-1991)

In the early 1900s tensions began to appear within the architectural profession, as private practitioners struggled to deal with the implications of professional colleagues moving into public sector employment. Sir Basil Spence and Sir Donald Gibson began their architectural training in the mid-1920s and, as tensions between the sectors intensified, Spence entered private practice and Gibson chose to enter the public sector. Each became an exemplar of his chosen sector of the profession and yet both have, until recently, escaped critical attention. The tensions between the public and private sectors of the profession have been acknowledged within the historiography, but not received detailed analysis. This thesis advances the current historiography by presenting an examination of the division between the sectors, focusing on the relationship between the RIBA and the public sector union AASTA and assessing the influence of AASTA on Gibson's Coventry City Architect's Department. Through an examination of archival material, contemporary published material, and buildings, this thesis builds on the work of the Sir Basil Spence Archive Project, adding detailed accounts of his early life, architectural training, and RIBA presidency, presenting new information and correcting certain aspects of the accepted historiography. It likewise presents new information on Gibson's early life and training and his central role in achieving improved status and representation for the public sector. An analysis of selected projects provides a comparative study of their contrasting approaches to architecture: the technically informed, collaborative team-work of Gibson and the individual artistry of Spence. Both men played pivotal roles in reforming the RIBA and in changing public and professional perceptions of the architect, nevertheless, the long lineage and complex nature of tensions within the profession meant that the public/private division was never be bridged and issues of status and representation remained essentially immutable.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceArts & Humanities Research Council (Great Britain) (AHRC)GBUnited Kingdo

Displaying Edinburgh in 1886: the International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art

The International Exhibition of Industry, Science and Art held in Edinburgh in 1886 was the first universal international exhibition to be staged in Scotland. This thesis examines the event as a reflection of the character and social structure of its host city and as an example of the voluntary organisation of an ambitious project. The background to the Exhibition is located in the progress of large-scale exhibitions in Victorian Britain, in competition between cities, and in Edinburgh’s distinction as an administrative and cultural centre and a national capital. The Exhibition’s organisers are situated within the city’s networks of power and influence and its circles of commerce, industry and municipal government. The space created to host the Exhibition is examined as an ideal depiction of Edinburgh as both a modern and a historic city. The origins of the exhibitors populating the Exhibition space are analysed, and their motivations and exhibiting strategies are scrutinised. The composition of the visitors to the Exhibition is considered and the development of the event as a venue for popular entertainment and spectacular display is discussed. In conclusion the chaotic aftermath of the project is examined, together with its influence on subsequent British exhibitions

Change and continuity at the Roman coastal fort at Oudenburg from the late 2nd until the early 5th century AD. Volume II: The material culture of the south-west corner site

In de latere Romeinse periode vormde de Noordzee- en Kanaalregio het decor voor aanvallen van over zee, politieke crisissen, hervormingen van het leger, Germaanse invallen en veranderende verdedigingsstrategieën van het Romeinse Rijk. Woelige tijden dus, waarover weinig literaire bronnen bestaan. De kustforten zijn van onschatbare waarde om de gebeurtenissen van deze periode te begrijpen, maar onderzoek daarvan was schaars. De opgravingen van het Oudenburgse castellum zorgden dan ook voor een belangrijke ommezwaai in onze kennis over die gebeurtenissen, want ze bieden een unieke inkijk in het enige gekende Romeinse stenen fort in Vlaanderen. De opgravingen legden een opmerkelijk goed bewaarde chronologie bloot van vijf opeenvolgende forten, van de late 2de tot de vroege 5de eeuw na Chr. Het is de eerste keer in een kustfort dat de evolutie van midden- tot laat-Romeins fort zo precies kan gedateerd en geïllustreerd worden. Politieke, economische en sociale ontwikkelingen zijn duidelijk te herkennen, dankzij de uitgebreide studie van de stratigrafie en de enorme hoeveelheid aan vondsten. De materiaalstudies, uitgevoerd door specialisten die gebruik maken van verschillende analytische methodes, vormen referenties voor regionaal militair onderzoek en studies van de latere Romeinse periode in de noordwestelijke provincies. De studie van het kustfort van Oudenburg helpt het onderzoek naar verandering en continuïteit en identiteit met betrekking tot het dagelijks leven van de soldaten en de interactie met de ruimere regio. Het is duidelijk dat dit castellum nauw verbonden was met de Britse forten, de Germaanse invloed er geleidelijk aan toenam en het leven in het fort evolueerde naar dat van een gemeenschap van militaire families

SBE16 Brazil & Portugal - Sustainable Urban Communities towards a Nearly Zero Impact Built Environment

Vol. IThe organizers of SBE 16 Brazil & Portugal were challenged to promote discussions and the development of solutions for an important and, at the same time, very ambitious topic ? Sustainable Urban Communities towards a Nearly Zero Impact Built Environment. This is the main focus of the international conference SBE16 Brazil & Portugal; the only event of the SBE16/17 conference series being held in Latin America, more precisely, in Vitória (Espírito Santo), Brazil, from the 7th until the 9th of September 2016. The conference offered a unique opportunity to bring together researchers from all over the world to share evidence-based knowledge in the field and succeeded to achieve its goals since many contributions from various parts of the planet were received, addressing a tiny part of the problem or trying to perform the difficult task of making the sum of the parts a coherent whole.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio