Wear and frictional mechanisms of copper-based bearing alloys

The present study investigated the role of alloy microstructure and surface roughness on wear and friction behavior of leaded and unleaded tin bronzes. Ball-on-disk experiments were carried out under dry conditions with steel balls sliding against bronze disks. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive electron microscopy (EDX), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Auger electron spectroscopy were performed to analyze the sliding tracks and the ball scars. The wear reducing effect of lead was associated to the formation of an oxidized lead rich layer. When no such film formed on the leaded bronze wear was more severe than in case of unleaded bronze. Nevertheless, the presence of lead in the alloy was a necessary but not sufficient condition to obtain a smeared layer and thus a lubricating effect of the leaded alloy. Two mechanistic hypotheses were formulated to explain the formation of the smeared layer. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Empirical study of ERP systems implementation costs in Swiss SMES

Based on sparse literature investigating the cost of ERP systems implementation, our research uses data from a survey of Swiss SMEs having implemented ERP in order to test cost drivers. The main innovation is the proposition of a new classification of cost drivers that depend on the enterprise itself, rather than on ERP. Particular attention is given to consulting fees as a major factor of implementation cost and a new major cost driver has come to light. Consultant experience , not previously mentioned as such in literature, appears as an important aspect of ERP implementation cost. Particular attention must be paid to this factor by the ERP implementation project manager

Liquid-solid self-lubricated coatings

Self-lubricated coatings have been a major topic of interest in thermal spray in the last decades. Self-lubricated coatings obtained by thermal spray are exclusively based on solid lubricants (PTFE, h-BN, graphite, MoS 2, etc.) embedded in the matrix. Production of thermal spray coatings containing liquid lubricants has not yet been achieved because of the complexity of keeping a liquid in a solid matrix during the spraying process. In the present article, the first liquid-solid self-lubricating thermal spray coatings are presented. The coatings are produced by inserting lubricant-filled capsules inside a polymeric matrix. The goal of the coating is to release lubricant to the system when needed. The first produced coatings consisted solely of capsules for confirming the feasibility of the process. For obtaining such a coating, the liquid-filled capsules were injected in the thermal spray flame without any other feedstock material. Once the concept and the idea were proven, a polymer was co-sprayed together with the capsules to obtain a coating containing the lubricant-filled capsules distributed in the solid polymeric matrix. The coatings and the self-lubricated properties have been investigated by means of optical microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and tribological tests.The authors would like to thank the SINTEF Materials and Chemistry for funding this study through the internal project LiSoCo. The authors also like to thank Carlos Vaquero (Tecnalia, Spain) for producing the coatings and for his advice for developing the capsule-feeding system.Peer reviewe

Empirical study of ERP systems implementation costs in Swiss SMES

Based on sparse literature investigating the cost of ERP systems implementation, our research uses data from a survey of Swiss SMEs having implemented ERP in order to test cost drivers. The main innovation is the proposition of a new classification of cost drivers that depend on the enterprise itself, rather than on ERP. Particular attention is given to consulting fees as a major factor of implementation cost and a new major cost driver has come to light. "Consultant experience", not previously mentioned as such in literature, appears as an important aspect of ERP implementation cost. Particular attention must be paid to this factor by the ERP implementation project manager

Application of the Athlete Biological Passport Approach to the Detection of Growth Hormone Doping.

Because of its anabolic and lipolytic properties, growth hormone (GH) use is prohibited in sport. Two methods based on population-derived decision limits are currently used to detect human GH (hGH) abuse: the hGH Biomarkers Test and the Isoforms Differential Immunoassay. We tested the hypothesis that longitudinal profiling of hGH biomarkers through application of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) has the potential to flag hGH abuse. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and procollagen III peptide (P-III-NP) distributions were obtained from 7 years of anti-doping data in elite athletes (n = 11 455) and applied as priors to analyze individual profiles from an hGH administration study in recreational athletes (n = 35). An open-label, randomized, single-site, placebo-controlled administration study was carried out with individuals randomly assigned to 4 arms: placebo, or 3 different doses of recombinant hGH. Serum samples were analyzed for IGF-1, P-III-NP, and hGH isoforms and the performance of a longitudinal, ABP-based approach was evaluated. An ABP-based approach set at a 99% specificity level flagged 20/27 individuals receiving hGH treatment, including 17/27 individuals after cessation of the treatment. ABP sensitivity ranged from 12.5% to 71.4% across the hGH concentrations tested following 7 days of treatment, peaking at 57.1% to 100% after 21 days of treatment, and was maintained between 37.5% and 71.4% for the low and high dose groups 1 week after cessation of treatment. These findings demonstrate that longitudinal profiling of hGH biomarkers can provide suitable performance characteristics for use in anti-doping programs