Quality control and improvement of the aluminum alloy castings for the next generation of engine block cast components.

This research focuses on the quality control and improvement of the W319 aluminum alloy engine blocks produced at the NEMAK Windsor Aluminum Plant (WAP). The present WAP Quality Control (QC) system was critically evaluated using the cause and effect diagram and therefore, a novel Plant Wide Quality Control (PWQC) system is proposed. This new QC system presents novel tools for off line as well as on line quality control. The off line tool uses heating curve analysis for the grading of the ingot suppliers. The on line tool utilizes Tukey control charts of the Thermal Analysis (TA) parameters for statistical process control. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model has also been developed for the on-line prediction and control of the Silicon Modification Level (SiML). The student t-statistical analysis has shown that even small scale variations in the Fe and Mn levels significantly affect the shrink porosity level of the 3.0L V6 engine block bulkhead. When the Fe and Mn levels are closer to their upper specification limits (0.4 wt.% and 0.3wt.%, respectively), the probability of low bulkhead shrink porosity is as high as 0.73. Elevated levels of Sn (∼0.04 wt.%) and Pb (∼0.03 wt.%) were found to lower the Brinell Hardness (HB) of the V6 bulkhead after the Thermal Sand Removal (TSR) and Artificial Aging (AA) processes. Therefore, Sn and Pb levels must be kept below 0.0050 wt.% and 0.02 wt.%, respectively, to satisfy the bulkhead HB requirements. The Cosworth electromagnetic pump reliability studies have indicated that the life of the pump has increased from 19,505 castings to 43,904 castings (225% increase) after the implementation of preventive maintenance. The optimum preventive maintenance period of the pump was calculated to be 43,000 castings. The solution treatment parameters (temperature and time) of the Novel Solution Treatment during the Solidification (NSTS) Process were optimized using ANN and the Simulated Annealing (SA) algorithm. The optimal NSTS process (516°C and 66 minutes) would significantly reduce the present Thermal Sand Removal (TSR) time (4 hours) and would avoid the problem of incipient melting without sacrificing the mechanical properties. In order to improve the cast component characteristics and to lower the alloy price, a new alloy, Al 332, (Si=10.5 wt.% & Cu=2 wt.%) was developed by optimizing the Si and Cu levels of 3XX Al alloys as a replacement for the W319 alloy. The predicted as cast characteristics of the new alloy were found to satisfy the requirements of Ford engineering specification WSE-M2A-151-A2/A4.* *This dissertation is a compound document (contains both a paper copy and a CD as part of the dissertation).Dept. of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis2005 .F735. Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 66-11, Section: B, page: 6201. Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2005

Terrain classification for a quadruped robot

Using data retrieved from the Puppy II robot at the University of Zurich (UZH), we show that machine learning techniques with non-linearities and fading memory are effective for terrain classification, both supervised and unsupervised, even with a limited selection of input sensors. The results indicate that most information for terrain classification is found in the combination of tactile sensors and proprioceptive joint angle sensors. The classification error is small enough to have a robot adapt the gait to the terrain and hence move more robustly

Aspects of the ecology of estuarine light with special reference to seagrasses of the Chesapeake Bay: measurements and models

The temporal spectral light environment of shallow areas of the lower Chesapeake Bay was characterized by cosine collection of downwelling diffuse irradiance at 12 wavelengths between 400 and 700 nm. An extensive monthly and site comparison of spectral attenuation coefficients is presented and compared with previous measurements of the light quality environment of the Chesapeake Bay and other estuaries and marine waters. Spectral irradiance and attenuation of light in a mangrove creek and Thalassia testudinum bed of Laguna de Terminos, Campeche, Mexico and their relationships to wind-driven suspension of particulate matter, and dissolved substances from the mangrove swamp is also discussed. A review of the physics of spectral attenuation in estuaries is included. Particular attention was given to the relationship between the occurrence of seagrasses (Zostera marina mainly) in the Chesapeake Bay and spectral attenuation. Potential losses of photosynthetically storable radiation (PSR) due to reduced light quality in non-vegetated areas is calculated. A theoretical homeostatic relationship between seagrass leaf baffling of the water column, light quality and critical bed size is presented. The logic and output of a digital ecosystem simulation model of theoretical estuarine photosystem responses to simulated varying underwater light quality is presented. The model assumes that photosystems adapt to maximize power. Conclusions include: a dramatic pattern of seasonal spectral attenuation in the lower Chesapeake Bay; seasonal differences in spectral attenuation between vegetated and unvegetated sites; 63% less violet light was able to pass through a meter of water at unvegetated sites in May than vegetated sites

A comparative history of Department of Defense Management reform from 1947 to 2005

MBA Professional ReportThe purpose of this MBA Project is to document and analyze the history of management reform within the Department of Defense from 1947 through the present day based on the annual reports of the Secretaries of Defense to the Congress. Since its inception in 1947, the Department of Defense has undergone nearly constant management reforms. It appears that each administration attempts to introduce some type of management reform agenda to improve the Department of Defense business processes and incorporate recent management ideas from the business community. Some of the changes are real and significant; others are changes in name only. Through analysis of annual reports of the Secretaries of Defense, a compilation of significant management reforms was created for each secretary. These reforms were analyzed and compared to one another to identify both general trends and truly unique changes in management practices. Ultimately, this analysis will help distinguish the relative significance in the management reform effort of both the individual secretaries and the specific reform initiatives.http://archive.org/details/acomparativehist1094510068US Marine Corps (USMC) authors.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Chirped Pulse Spectrometer Operating at 200 GHz

The combination of electronic sources operating at high frequencies and modern microwave instrumentation has enabled the recent development of chirped-pulse spectrometers for the millimetre and THz bands. This type of instrument can operate at high resolution which is particularly suited to gas phase rotational spectroscopy. The construction of a chirped pulse spectrometer operating at 200 GHz is described in detail while attention is paid to the phase stability and the data accumulation over many cycles. Validation using carbonyl sulphide has allowed the detection limit of the instrument to be established as function of the accumulation. A large number of OCS transitions were identified using a 10 GHz chirped pulse and include the 6 most abundant isotopologues, the weakest line corresponding to the fundamental R(17) transition of 16 O 13 C 33 S with a line strength of 4.3 x 10-26 cm-1 /(molec.cm-2). The linearity of the system response for different degrees of data accumulation and transition line strength was confirmed over 4 orders of magnitudes. A simple analysis of the time domain data was demonstrated to provide the line broadening coefficient without the need for conversion by a Fourier transform. Finally, the pulse duration is discussed and optimal values are given for both Doppler limited and collisional regimes

Business improvement tools and techniques: a comparison across sectors and industries

The purpose of this study was to investigate the awareness, usage, perceived effectiveness and potential future use of improvement tools and techniques via two sets of comparisons: between public and private sector organisations, and between manufacturers and service organisations. The need for the study was driven by the current lack of understanding of the extent of improvement tools and techniques adoption on a global scale. A questionnaire survey of 453 respondents from over 20 countries was conducted and the quantitative data were analysed through use of the IBM SPSS software package. The study’s findings indicated that there are no significant differences between both sets of organisations for the majority of improvement tools and techniques. However, this study has shown that public sector organisations are more likely to adopt some improvement tools and techniques in comparison to their private sector counterparts. Similarly, service organisations are also more likely to adopt some improvement tools and techniques than their manufacturing counterparts. These results contradict the conventional perception that improvement tools and techniques are used more often by the private sector and manufacturing organisations