Discreteness effects on soliton dynamics: a simple experiment

We present a simple laboratory experiment to illustrate some aspects of the soliton theory in discrete lattices with a system that models the dynamics of dislocations in a crystal or the properties of adsorbed atomic layers. The apparatus not only shows the role of the Peierls-Nabarro potential but also illustrates the hierarchy of depinning transitions and the importance of the collective motion in mass transport.Comment: 9 pages, 4 Figures, to Appear in American Journal of Physic

Co-Branding Internationally: Everyone Wins?

Co-branding is an increasingly popular technique used primarily in domestic markets to transfer the positive associations of the partner brands to a newly formed co-brand.  This exploratory study investigates the relative impact of the brand equity of the constituent brands on co-branding efforts internationally using a sample of 1,203 Philippine housewives.  Findings indicate the co-branding of two high-equity brands was mutually beneficial, but the co-branding of high-equity and low-equity brands can be potentially dangerous for the high equity partner

Knowledge management for industrial heritage

All along history, humans have always invented, created to improve their standard of liv-ing. Many machines have been built, sometimes simple and others very complex. In order to achieve the best results for customers, machines, industrial plants and humans are moved, displaced and replaced. It is the global humanity technical knowledge that dis-appears. Indeed, there is a lack in the actually conservation methods: sciences and technologies have to be considered and not only architecture. Our heritage research focuses on the mechanical and technical point of view. For instance, in a factory, there is the building but also actua-tors, motors and machines that produce product: taking into account the technical point of view can reach to a better understanding of the past. That's why preserving the national technical patrimony has now become the priority of governments and world organizations. Our approach proposes a new kind of finality: as saving and maintaining physical object cost a lot for museums, and sometimes dismantling is impossible as the machine falls in ruin, we propose to preserve it as a numerical object. The aim of this research is to define the global process and technologies used for imple-menting a numerical model of old machines. The final aim is to constitute a new reference for museologic actors, using actual techniques and methods for putting old machines and technical means in “virtual use”, taking into account the working situation including human being at work. This process is illustrated by an example we performed: a steam engine

Une vision produit-process et sa méthodologie dédiée à la sauvegarde du patrimoine technique et industriel sous une forme virtuelle

International audienceLors de la conférence CPI en 2005, nous avons présenté un nouveau champ de recherche émergent : la sauvegarde sous forme virtuelle du patrimoine industriel et technique. Nous avons alors établi l'état de l'art et les hypothèses de premier niveau. Après 2 ans d'investigations, cette communication statue sur l'avancement de nos travaux : mise en place d'une démarche formalisée pour conserver ce patrimoine grâce à un Système d'Information dédié orienté selon une vision Produit-Processus

A new approach for preserving the technical heritage

International audienceAll along history, humans have always invented, created to improve their standard of living. Many machines have been built, sometimes simple and others very complex. In order to achieve the best results for customers, machines, industrial plants and humans are moved, displaced and replaced. It is the global humanity technical knowledge that disappears. Indeed, there is a lack in the actually conservation methods: sciences and technologies have to be considered and not only architecture. Our heritage research focuses on the mechanical and technical point of view. For instance, in a factory, there is the building but also actuators, motors and machines that produce product: taking into account the technical point of view can reach to a better understanding of the past. That's why preserving the national technical patrimony has now become the priority of governments and world organizations. Our approach proposes a new kind of finality: as saving and maintaining physical object cost a lot for museums, and sometimes dismantling is impossible as the machine falls in ruin, we propose to preserve it as a numerical object. The aim of this research is to define the global process and technologies used for implementing a numerical model of old machines. All along the global numerical chain, we will present the different technologies used illustrating them by examples we performed; those examples were experiences realized in France with museums and students in order to sensitize them to a new approach for old technical objects and machines. The global aim is to constitute a new reference for museologic actors, using actual techniques and methods for putting old machines and technical means in “virtual use”, taking into account the working situation including human being at work. From the digitalization of the physical object to its valorization with virtual reality technologies, we present a state of the art of the possibilities offered for creating digital products in a context of technical history and patrimony. According to this inventory, we give the methodology we are developing for preserving technical heritage in a virtual way. This process is illustrated by an example we performed: a steam engine

Virtualization of ancient technical objects: a new design process and its inter-disciplinary team

International audienceContemporary engineering processes require numerous competences and knowledge using different semantics. Our research consists to design virtually ancient technical objects. The approach we have developed is a new kind of design process: it is a heritage reverse-engineering methodology. It requires a project team with many jobs which, until then, have never collaborate together or not yet: it is an inter disciplinary team. An example will demonstrate our proposal for making old technical objects alive again and how human sciences and technical sciences can merge together. The case study is a steam boat designed in 1861 by DCNS Propulsion

Advanced Industrial Archaeology: A new reverse-engineering process for contextualizing and digitizing ancient technical objects

International audienceSince virtual engineering has been introduced inside industries, time processes have been reduced and products are more adapted to customer needs. Nowadays, the DMU is the centre point for all teams: design, manufacturing, communication etc. However, physical mock-ups and prototypes are sometimes requested. Consequently, a back-and-forth action between the real and the virtual worlds is necessary. Our research team has developed a reverse-engineering methodology for capturing technical characteristics of industrial objects but also for capitalizing knowledge and know-how which are required for contextualizing life cycles. More precisely, we work with ancient industrial machines. It is what we call Advanced Industrial Archaeology. Thanks to the coupling of different kinds of 3D digitalization technologies and CAD software, we are able to re-design old industrial objects and old processes. To illustrate our proposal, we will describe one of the experiments we have done with a salt-washing machine which is nearly 100 years old: from the global 3D digitalization of the plant to precise parts design, we have rediscovered the enterprise process and understand its integration in the economic context