Does teaching a solution-focused model of counselling work? A follow-up of graduates

Objective: To explore the ways in which graduates of a university counsellor-education programme reflected on their career development, retained the programme's distinctive theoretical counselling model in their counselling practice and engaged in continuing professional development. The main aim was to discover whether or not teaching a solution-focused model of counselling was worthwhile. Method: A questionnaire, using primarily solution-focused type questions, was distributed to all graduates. Interest was focused on specific events, both inside and outside the training programme and beyond, that contributed to graduates' sense of development as counsellors. Results: Thirty four graduates (response rate 62%) provided responses indicating their recognition that their sense of competence and identification as professional counsellors develops over time, and is assisted by relevant feedback and supervision from lecturers and practical counselling experience. Graduates also indicated that their favoured working model was solution-focused and that, as a framework, it provided them with opportunities to integrate other counselling models and add complementary professional development education. Conclusion: The graduates' continued use of a solution-focused model supports the view that teaching the solution-focused model is working. The findings are considered alongside four models of counsellor development and implications for counsellor-education programmes are explored

Laser-assisted shearing of stainless steel and spring steel plates with the use of a laser scanner system - new hybrid production technology for the sheet metal industry

AbstractThe Fraunhofer IPT recently developed a new hybrid laser-assisted shearing process which enables conventional punching machines to produce punched sheared edges with continuous flush-cut surfaces in stainless steel plates (1.4301), spring steel plates (1.4310) and titanium alloy plates (3.7165). The new combination of localised laser-induced softening of the plate material in the shearing zone and the shearing process significantly reduces both process forces and process-related noise emissions. A modular system-upgrade for existing punching machines allows laser-assisted shearing to be implemented without the need for expensive new machine designs. The principle of the laser-assisted shearing process is based on briefly and selectively heating the material in the shearing zone via local absorption of laser radiation on the underside of the sheet metal plate before the punching tool comes into contact on the upper side of the metal plate. Laser-induced heating softens the material in the shearing zone within the material within a few tenths of a second. The laser-induced softening mechanisms also lead to a significant decrease of cutting forces as well as a reduction of tool wear, warping and noise emissions

An Approach to Reduce Commissioning and Ramp-up time for Multi-variant Production in Automated Production Facilities

A key requirement for future production facilities is to perform new production processes in a flexible and adaptive way with available and known resources. In this context, a comprehensive description (ontology) of involved components has a high significance. If certain technological aspects are missing during a production process, the production control should respond in a dynamic, versatile and adaptive (agile) manner to the overall value network. The possibility to describe the requirements of products for the necessary processes in the same namespace like the requirements of the necessary processes for the resources is a prerequisite to enable this behavior. Afterwards the different requirements will be placed in relation to the respective requirements. The aim is to define the necessary processes for the production based on the description of the product and the known resources in an agile way. Due to this a framework for a comprehensive description of automated production facilities, products and processes is described in this paper. The idea is that based on this framework a production facility can change the produced products without dedicated commissioning and ramp-up phases

Перехідні процеси в сенсорних системах з газодифузійними електродами

Проведено теоретичне дослідження перехідних процесів в сенсорних системах з газодифузійними електродами. Виділено фактори, що визначають тривалість перехідних процесів. Поставлено задачі для подальших детальних експериментальних досліджень перехідних процесів з метою підвищення швидкодії існуючих сенсорів для моніторингу повітряного середовища.Theoretical research of transient processes in sensor systems with gas-diffusion electrodes is carried out. The factors determining duration of transient processes are allocated. It is supplied problems for further detailed experimental researches of transient processes with purpose of increase in response time of existing sensors for monitoringair-slaked medium