On-line quality control in polymer processing using hyperspectral imaging

L’industrie du plastique se tourne de plus en plus vers les matériaux composites afin d’économiser de la matière et/ou d’utiliser des matières premières à moindres coûts, tout en conservant de bonnes propriétés. L’impressionnante adaptabilité des matériaux composites provient du fait que le manufacturier peut modifier le choix des matériaux utilisés, la proportion selon laquelle ils sont mélangés, ainsi que la méthode de mise en œuvre utilisée. La principale difficulté associée au développement de ces matériaux est l’hétérogénéité de composition ou de structure, qui entraîne généralement des défaillances mécaniques. La qualité des prototypes est normalement mesurée en laboratoire, à partir de tests destructifs et de méthodes nécessitant la préparation des échantillons. La mesure en-ligne de la qualité permettrait une rétroaction quasi-immédiate sur les conditions d’opération des équipements, en plus d’être directement utilisable pour le contrôle de la qualité dans une situation de production industrielle. L’objectif de la recherche proposée consiste à développer un outil de contrôle de qualité pour la qualité des matériaux plastiques de tout genre. Quelques sondes de type proche infrarouge ou ultrasons existent présentement pour la mesure de la composition en-ligne, mais celles-ci ne fournissent qu’une valeur ponctuelle à chaque acquisition. Ce type de méthode est donc mal adapté pour identifier la distribution des caractéristiques de surface de la pièce (i.e. homogénéité, orientation, dispersion). Afin d’atteindre cet objectif, un système d’imagerie hyperspectrale est proposé. À l’aide de cet appareil, il est possible de balayer la surface de la pièce et d’obtenir une image hyperspectrale, c’est-à-dire une image formée de l’intensité lumineuse à des centaines de longueurs d’onde et ce, pour chaque pixel de l’image. L’application de méthodes chimiométriques permettent ensuite d’extraire les caractéristiques spatiales et spectrales de l’échantillon présentes dans ces images. Finalement, les méthodes de régression multivariée permettent d’établir un modèle liant les caractéristiques identifiées aux propriétés de la pièce. La construction d’un modèle mathématique forme donc l’outil d’analyse en-ligne de la qualité des pièces qui peut également prédire et optimiser les conditions de fabrication.The use of plastic composite materials has been increasing in recent years in order to reduce the amount of material used and/or use more economic materials, all of which without compromising the properties. The impressive adaptability of these composite materials comes from the fact that the manufacturer can choose the raw materials, the proportion in which they are blended as well as the processing conditions. However, these materials tend to suffer from heterogeneous compositions and structures, which lead to mechanical weaknesses. Product quality is generally measured in the laboratory, using destructive tests often requiring extensive sample preparation. On-line quality control would allow near-immediate feedback on the operating conditions and may be transferrable to an industrial production context. The proposed research consists of developing an on-line quality control tool adaptable to plastic materials of all types. A number of infrared and ultrasound probes presently exist for on-line composition estimation, but only provide single-point values at each acquisition. These methods are therefore less adapted for identifying the spatial distribution of a sample’s surface characteristics (e.g. homogeneity, orientation, dispersion). In order to achieve this objective, a hyperspectral imaging system is proposed. Using this tool, it is possible to scan the surface of a sample and obtain a hyperspectral image, that is to say an image in which each pixel captures the light intensity at hundreds of wavelengths. Chemometrics methods can then be applied to this image in order to extract the relevant spatial and spectral features. Finally, multivariate regression methods are used to build a model between these features and the properties of the sample. This mathematical model forms the backbone of an on-line quality assessment tool used to predict and optimize the operating conditions under which the samples are processed

Portugal SB13: contribution of sustainable building to meet EU 20-20-20 targets

Proceedings of the International Conference Portugal SB13: contribution of sustainable building to meet EU 20-20-20 targetsThe international conference Portugal SB13 is organized by the University of Minho, the Technical University of Lisbon and the Portuguese Chapter of the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment in Guimarães, Portugal, from the 30th of October till the 1st of November 2013. This conference is included in the Sustainable Building Conference Series 2013-2014 (SB13-14) that are being organized all over the world. The event is supported by high prestige partners, such as the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) and the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE). Portugal SB13 is focused on the theme â Sustainable Building Contribution to Achieve the European Union 20-20-20 Targetsâ . These targets, known as the â EU 20-20-20â targets, set three key objectives for 2020: - A 20% reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels; - Raising the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources to 20%; - A 20% improvement in the EU's energy efficiency. Building sector uses about 40% of global energy, 25% of global water, 40% of global resources and emit approximately 1/3 of the global greenhouse gas emissions (the largest contributor). Residential and commercial buildings consume approximately 60% of the worldâ s electricity. Existing buildings represent significant energy saving opportunities because their performance level is frequently far below the current efficiency potentials. Energy consumption in buildings can be reduced by 30 to 80% using proven and commercially available technologies. Investment in building energy efficiency is accompanied by significant direct and indirect savings, which help offset incremental costs, providing a short return on investment period. Therefore, buildings offer the greatest potential for achieving significant greenhouse gas emission reductions, at least cost, in developed and developing countries. On the other hand, there are many more issues related to the sustainability of the built environment than energy. The building sector is responsible for creating, modifying and improving the living environment of the humanity. Construction and buildings have considerable environmental impacts, consuming a significant proportion of limited resources of the planet including raw material, water, land and, of course, energy. The building sector is estimated to be worth 10% of global GDP (5.5 trillion EUR) and employs 111 million people. In developing countries, new sustainable construction opens enormous opportunities because of the population growth and the increasing prosperity, which stimulate the urbanization and the construction activities representing up to 40% of GDP. Therefore, building sustainably will result in healthier and more productive environments. The sustainability of the built environment, the construction industry and the related activities are a pressing issue facing all stakeholders in order to promote the Sustainable Development. The Portugal SB13 conference topics cover a wide range of up-to-date issues and the contributions received from the delegates reflect critical research and the best available practices in the Sustainable Building field. The issues presented include: - Nearly Zero Energy Buildings - Policies for Sustainable Construction - High Performance Sustainable Building Solutions - Design and Technologies for Energy Efficiency - Innovative Construction Systems - Building Sustainability Assessment Tools - Renovation and Retrofitting - Eco-Efficient Materials and Technologies - Urban Regeneration - Design for Life Cycle and Reuse - LCA of sustainable materials and technologies All the articles selected for presentation at the conference and published in these Proceedings, went through a refereed review process and were evaluated by, at least, two reviewers. The Organizers want to thank all the authors who have contributed with papers for publication in the proceedings and to all reviewers, whose efforts and hard work secured the high quality of all contributions to this conference. A special gratitude is also addressed to Eng. José Amarílio Barbosa and to Eng. Catarina Araújo that coordinated the Secretariat of the Conference. Finally, Portugal SB13 wants to address a special thank to CIB, UNEP, FIDIC and iiSBE for their support and wish great success for all the other SB13 events that are taking place all over the world

Reports to the President

A compilation of annual reports for the 1999-2000 academic year, including a report from the President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as reports from the academic and administrative units of the Institute. The reports outline the year's goals, accomplishments, honors and awards, and future plans

Analytics and Intuition in the Process of Selecting Talent

In management, decisions are expected to be based on rational analytics rather than intuition. But intuition, as a human evolutionary achievement, offers wisdom that, despite all the advances in rational analytics and AI, should be used constructively when recruiting and winning personnel. Integrating these inner experiential competencies with rational-analytical procedures leads to smart recruiting decisions

HBO: Brand Management and Subscriber Aggregation: 1972-2007

The thesis offers a revised institutional history of US cable network Home Box Office that expands on its under-examined identity as a monthly subscriber service from 1972 to 1994. This is used to better explain extensive discussions of HBO’s rebranding from 1995 to 2007 around high-quality original content and experimentation with new media platforms. The first half of the thesis particularly expands on HBO’s origins and early identity as part of publisher Time Inc. from 1972 to 1988, before examining how this affected the network’s programming strategies as part of global conglomerate Time Warner from 1989 to 1994. Within this, evidence of ongoing processes for aggregating subscribers, or packaging multiple entertainment attractions around stable production cycles, are identified as defining HBO’s promotion of general monthly value over rivals. Arguing that these specific exhibition and production strategies are glossed over in existing HBO scholarship as a result of an over-valuing of post-1995 examples of ‘quality’ television, their ongoing importance to the network’s contemporary management of its brand across media platforms is mapped over distinctions from rivals to 2007. Suggesting much longer institutional continuities and influences for understanding HBO’s success, the thesis outlines the development and influence of these strategies through a critical chronology of the network’s history. In doing so, the thesis aligns with trends for rigorous media histories that consider the origins, long-term precedent and cyclical institutional strategies that govern contemporary industry practices.Arts and Humanities Research Counci

Analytics and Intuition in the Process of Selecting Talent

In management, decisions are expected to be based on rational analytics rather than intuition. But intuition, as a human evolutionary achievement, offers wisdom that, despite all the advances in rational analytics and AI, should be used constructively when recruiting and winning personnel. Integrating these inner experiential competencies with rational-analytical procedures leads to smart recruiting decisions