Continuous improvement of a machining process by designing a new jig

This thesis report gives an insight on how an often overlooked, jig and fixture used as a manufacturing aid to produce a product and essential for delivering products reliably and repeatedly with high quality. This continuous improvement project of an exciting machining process of winding cones used overhead garage doors. The improvement was a necessity with a forecast for 2019 estimating the need for 43% faster production cycle (takt time) compared to the previous year. Hence, the main objective was to reduce the machining time required per part by designing a modular jig system, ideally with 12 parts per cycle. To make the work in an organized structure the project was dived into four phases namely: research, design, machining and implementation. The research phase included in the study of the old jig in use, analysing the process and sketching the basic requirements. The design phase was based on the methodology of Design for Six Sigma methodology for the fixture. Different kind of jig components was designed and assembled using SOLIDWORKS CAD model. The critical review of design iteration was analysed using SWO analysis (short version of the standard SWOT analysis) for design. The machining of most components of the jig was done in-house with tacit knowledge of the machinist instead of using CAM software’s making it first of its kind project in developing knowledge management in the company for future jig requirements. The critical outcomes of the project were harvested from the implementation phase. The newly machined modular jig system proved to have increased the number of parts machined per day by 32% with expected savings of more than €6000 per annum. The added benefit of a modular jig system was that one base (skeleton of the jig) could be used in machining different products. Also, future projects now have the intellectual and physical resources of making jigs and fixtures in-house. This drastically reduces the lead times for new parts, which is crucial for a small-medium enterprise stay competitive.Este relatório dá uma visão sobre como um acessório usado pode auxiliar na produção de forma a produzir um produto e os elementos essenciais para a sua entrega de forma confiável e repetida com alta qualidade. Este é um projeto de melhoria contínua de um processo de maquinagem de cones de enrolamento, usados em portas de garagem suspensas. A melhoria surjiu de uma necessidade com a previsão para 2019, estimando a necessidade de um ciclo de produção 43% mais rápido (takt time) em comparação com o ano anterior. Assim, o objetivo principal passava por reduzir o tempo de maquinagem necessário por peça, projetando um sistema de gabarit modular, idealmente com 12 partes por ciclo. Para realizar o trabalho numa estrutura organizada, o projeto foi dividido em quatro fases: pesquisa, projeto, maquinagem e implementação. As fases de pesquisa foram incluídas no estudo do antigo gabarit em uso, analisando o processo e esboçando os requisitos básicos. A fase de projeto foi baseada na metodologia de Design for Six Sigma para um dispositivo. Foram projetados e montados diferentes tipos de componentes de gabarit usando o modelo SOLIDWORKS CAD. A revisão crítica da iteração do projeto foi analisada usando a análise SWO (versão reduzida da análise SWOT convencional) para projeto. A maquinagem da maioria dos componentes do gabarit foi feita internamente com conhecimento tácito do responsável técnico, recorrendo ao software CAM, tornando-o o primeiro de seu tipo no desenvolvimento da gestão do conhecimento na empresa para futuros requisitos de gabarit. Os principais resultados e conclusões dos projetos foram descritos na fase de implementação. O sistema de gabarit modular recém-maquinado provou ter aumentado o número de peças maquinadas por hora em 32%, com economias comprovadas de mais de € 6.000 por ano. O benefício adicional de um sistema de gabarit modular consiste de criar uma base (esqueleto do gabarit) usada na maquinagem de diferentes produtos, e projetos futuros, permitindo à empresa deter os recursos intelectuais e físicos de criar gabarits e acessórios internos. Assim, foi reduzido drasticamente o tempo de espera para novas peças, o que é crucial para uma pequena média empresa permanecer competitiva

Women Rights Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

The concept of social justice, like law, changes. It evolves itself into progressively new patterns and expands its frontiers and assumes new dimensions. Social justice has significance in the context of Indian society which is divided into Castes and Communities and they create walls and barriers of exclusiveness on the basis of superiority and inferiority such inequalities pose serious threat to Indian democracy. The concept of social justice takes within its sweep the objective of removing inequalities and affording equal opportunities to all citizens in social, economic and political affairs. India, while passing through the process of development is in the quest for finding our ways for a better and just socio-economic order. The search for a new model of socio-economic order is the need of the hour. Recent trends in Globalization, Urbanization, Mobilization of the poor in search of better life conditions and social justice movements compel us to think afresh.   Social justice Women Social justice is an application of the concept of distributive justice to the wealth, assets, privileges and advantages that accumulate within a society or state because the essence of justice is the attainment of the common goods as distinguished from the goods of individuals even of the majority. There have been two major conceptions of social justice one embodying the nation of merit and desert, the other those of needs and equality. The first conception involves ending of hereditary privileges and an open society in which people have the chance to display their desert. It is expressed in equality of opportunity and careers open to talents. The second conception implies that goods should be allocated according in each person’s varied needs. As it aims to make people materially equal, it entails an idea if equality.[i] [i] Surendrasingh Dr.B.R. Ambedkar Contribution to Social Justice (ed). By Prof. M. Shabbir, Rawat pub. Jaypur, 2005, P.78

The Democratic Republic of Congo – elections 2016. Road to democracy?

Afrykańska polityka znajduje się obecnie w punkcie zwrotnym, stojąc u progu wyborów, jakie w ciągu następnych dwunastu miesięcy zostaną przeprowadzone w wielu krajach tego kontynentu. Również w Demokratycznej Republice Konga (DRK) zaplanowano wybory prezydenckie w 2016 roku. Kraj popadł jednak w polityczny zamęt wobec pytania czy obecny prezydent, Joseph Kabila utoruje drogę pokojowej zmianie demokratycznej, czy też kraj stoczy się w pogłębiający się chaos i destabilizację, jeśli odmówi ustąpienia z urzędu. Artykuł przedstawia aktualną sytuację polityczną w DRK i ocenia wyzwania, wobec jakich kraj stoi na drodze do demokracji. Jego dalsza część poświęcona jest analizie ról, jakie w obecnym kryzysie odgrywają rozmaici aktorzy, tacy jak opozycja, społeczeństwo obywatelskie i społeczność międzynarodowa. Ostatnia część artykułu omawia możliwe scenariuszewydarzeń w czasie przygotowań kraju do wyborów prezydenckich w listopadzie 2016 roku.It is a crucial time in African politics, as many nations in the continent will be holding elections over the next twelve months. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is also scheduled to hold a presidential election in 2016. However, the question that has left the nation in a political turmoil is whether the current President, Joseph Kabila will pave the way for a smooth democratic transition or, if he refuses to step down, will the country deteriorate into further chaos and instability? This paper looks at the current political situation in the DRC and assesses the challenges that lie on its road to democracy. In the following sections, it also analyses the role of the various actors in the current crisis including the opposition, civil society and the international community. The last section of the paper considers and lays out some possible scenarios, as the country gets ready to hold its presidential elections in November 2016

EVALUATING ROLE OF INTERACTIVE VISUALIZATION TOOL IN IMPROVING STUDENTS’ CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF CHEMICAL EQUILIBRIUM

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of partnering visualization tool such as simulation towards development of student’s concrete conceptual understanding of chemical equilibrium. Students find chemistry concepts abstract, especially at the microscopic level. Chemical equilibrium is one such topic. While research studies have explored effectiveness of low tech instructional strategies such as analogies, jigsaw, co-operative learning, and using modeling blocks, fewer studies have explored the use of visualization tool such as simulations in the context of dynamic chemical equilibrium. Research studies have identified key reasons behind misconceptions such as lack of systematic understanding of foundational chemistry concepts, failure to recognize the system is dynamic, solving numerical problems on chemical equilibrium in an algorithmic fashion, erroneous application Le Chatelier’s principle (LCP) etc. Kress et al (2001) suggested that external representation in the form of visualization is more than a tool for learning, because it enables learners to make meanings or express their ideas which cannot be readily done so through a verbal representation alone. Mixed method study design was used towards data collection. The qualitative portion of the study is aimed towards understanding the change in student’s mental model before and after the intervention. A quantitative instrument was developed based on common areas of misconceptions identified by research studies. A pilot study was conducted prior to the actual study to obtain feedback from students on the quantitative instrument and the simulation. Participants for the pilot study were sampled from a single general chemistry class. Following the pilot study, the research study was conducted with a total of 27 students (N=15 in experimental group and N=12 in control group). Prior to participating in the study, students have completed their midterm test on the topic of chemical equilibrium. Qualitative interviews pre and post revealed students’ mental model or thought process towards chemical equilibrium. Simulations used in the study were developed using the SCRATCH software platform. In order to test the effect of visualization tool on students’ conceptual understanding of chemical equilibrium, an ANCOVA analysis was conducted. Results from a one-factor ANCOVA showed posttest scores were significantly higher for the experimental group (Mpostadj. = 7.27 SDpost = 1.387) relative to the control group (Mpostadj. = 2.67, SDpost = 1.371) after adjusting for pretest scores, (1,24) = 71.82, = 1.497, = 0.03, 2 = 0.75, = 3.33. Cohen’s d was converted to an attenuated effect size d* using the procedure outlined in Thompson (2006). The adjusted (for pretest scores) group mean difference estimate without measure error correction for the posttest scores and the pretest scores was 4.2 with a Cohen’s d = 3.04. An alternate approach reported in Cho and Preacher (2015) was used to determine effect size. The adjusted (for pretest scores) group mean difference estimate with measurement error correction only for the posttest scores (but not with measurement error correction for the pretest scores) was 4.99 with a Cohen’s d = 3.61. Finally, the adjusted (for pretest scores) group mean difference estimate with measurement error correction for both pretest and posttest scores was 4.23 with a Cohen’s d = 3.07. From a quantitative perspective, these effect size indicate a strong relationship between the experimental intervention provided and students’ conceptual understanding of chemical equilibrium concepts. That is, those students who received the experimental intervention had exceptionally higher

Implementation of Block-based Neural Networks on Reconfigurable Computing Platforms

Block-based Neural Networks (BbNNs) provide a flexible and modular architecture to support adaptive applications in dynamic environments. Reconfigurable computing (RC) platforms provide computational efficiency combined with flexibility. Hence, RC provides an ideal match to evolvable BbNN applications. BbNNs are very convenient to build once a library of neural network blocks is built. This library-based approach for the design of BbNNs is extremely useful to automate implementations of BbNNs and evaluate their performance on RC platforms. This is important because, for a given application there may be hundreds to thousands of candidate BbNN implementations possible and evaluating each of them for accuracy and performance, using software simulations will take a very long time, which would not be acceptable for adaptive environments. This thesis focuses on the development and characterization of a library of parameterized VHDL models of neural network blocks, which may be used to build any BbNN. The use of these models is demonstrated in the XOR pattern classification problem and mobile robot navigation problem. For a given application, one may be interested in fabricating an ASIC, once the weights and architecture of the BbNN is decided. Pointers to ASIC implementation of BbNNs with initial results are also included in this thesis

Note on MIL-STD-1235 (ORD) Continuous Sampling Procedures for Markov-Dependent Processes

The paper extends the procedures of single and two-level continuous sampling plans for Markov-dependent processes under a non-replacement assumption. The average outgoing quality (AOQ) of these plans have been obtained under this assumption. It has been shown that, when the serial correlation coefficient of the Markov chain is positive, it is improper to use Dodge-type plans as the actual average outgoing quality limit (AOQL) in the plans for Markov-dependence exceeds the desired one under Dodge-type plans

Finding the unfound: Recovery of missing URLs through Internet Archive

The study investigated the accessibility and permanency of citations containing URLs in the articles published in DESIDOC Journal of Library and Information Technology journal during 2006-2015. A total of 2133 URL citations were identified out of which 823 were found to be incorrect or missing. HTTP-404 was the most common error message associated with the missing URLs. The study also tried to recover the incorrect or URL citations using Internet Archive and recovered a total of 484 (58.81%) missing URL citations

An analysis of general farms in Tennessee with special reference to family farm income

Agriculture in Tennessee is lagging behind the other southeastern states. In 1954 the net income per farm in Tennessee was $1452, fifth among the southeastern states. In 1964, net income per farm had increased to$1801, but this was the lowest in the southeast. From 1954 to 1969, the percent increase in net income per farm in Tennessee was 24 percent, lowest in southeast. Four other states had increased income by more than ICQ percent; so there is a great need to improve the agriculture in Tennessee. The basic data for the present study was selected from the records of the Tennessee Farms in Unit Test Demonstration program. Forty-two general farms were selected for the four year period from 1964 to 1967, as far as possible using as a criteria that these are classified as general farms for at least three out of the four years. The selected 42 farms were divided into three groups for each year based on the family farm income. The high, middle and low income groups are the three divisions which have the averages for 11,20 and 11 farms respectively. It was found that the reason for the higher income of the middle and high income groups is the favorable relationship between the major factors that affects the family farm income and the family farm income. The reason for the low income of the low income group is the preponderance of unfavorable relationship between major factors and family farm income. In conclusion, measures for Improving the family farm income for all income groups of farms were suggested. The practical aspects involved in these improvements were briefly mentioned