STEP-NC Based Squashing Slicing Algorithm for Multi-Material and Multi-Directional Additive Process

The paper describes problems with the current additive manufacturing chain before considering additive manufacturing as part of a modern manufacturing chain. Additive manufacturing can be used for near net-shape for finishing, for repair or for adding special features which cannot be made with traditional manufacturing. This paper describes how STEP-NC deals with these different scenarios in terms of accuracy, multi-material and variation of slice direction. The possibilities of multi-material objects also raises questions about the design of such objects and how these need to be handled by an advanced controller. The paper also describes non-planar slicing. Curved direction and cylindrical direction are shown to improve the accuracy of curved structure additive manufacturing. STEP-NC using boundary representation has better capability of depicting complex internal structures for additive processes. By using exact model of the final product represented by STEP-NC, the paper demonstrates improvements in data size reduction, slicing accuracy, and precise manipulation of internal structure.

Characterization of Defatted Products Obtained from the Parmigiano–Reggiano Manufacturing Chain: Determination of Peptides and Amino Acids Content and Study of the Digestibility and Bioactive Properties

Parmigiano–Reggiano (PR) is a worldwide known Italian, long ripened, hard cheese. Its inclusion in the list of cheeses bearing the protected designation of origin (PDO, EU regulation 510/2006) poses restrictions to its geographic area of production and its technological characteristics. To innovate the Parmigiano–Reggiano (PR) cheese manufacturing chain from the health and nutritional point of view, the output of defatted PR is addressed. Two defatting procedures (Soxhlet, and supercritical CO2 extraction) were tested, and the obtained products were compared in the composition of their nitrogen fraction, responsible for their nutritional, organoleptic, and bioactive functions. Free amino acids were quantified, and other nitrogen compounds (peptides, proteins, and non-proteolytic aminoacyl derivatives) were identified in the extracts and the mixtures obtained after simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Moreover, antioxidant and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition capacities of the digests were tested. Results obtained from the molecular and biofunctional characterization of the nitrogen fraction, show that both the defatted products keep the same nutritional properties of the whole cheese.

An improved firefly algorithm for collaborative manufacturing chain optimization problem

In order to conduct resource sharing and deployment in cloud manufacturing environment, a concept of collaborative manufacturing chain was proposed. Based on machining tasks with the sequential characteristics, the proposed model considering the criteria of service cost, service time, service quality and service utilization was constructed. Fuzzy analytical hierarchy process was adopted to add the above multi-criteria model to a single objective problem. Then, an improved firefly algorithm was used to solve a reasonable collaborative manufacturing chain scheme. Based on the discrete characteristics of the collaborative manufacturing chain, iterative position function was improved to make the solution space to be a discrete domain. Furthermore, particle swarm optimization was used to optimize the step length factor α, attraction degree β0 and light absorption coefficient γ so as to prevent the firefly algorithm from local optimum. Compared with the genetic algorithm, numerical result suggests that the improved firefly algorithm has more advantages in convergence speed and solving efficiency. It is expected that this study can provide a useful reference for the service composition of collaborative manufacturing chain.

SCIENCE EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS AND AT TERTIARY LEVEL: STATUS QUO OR EMBRACING CHANGE?

Society is changing as the influence of technologies and the implementation of innovative practices are driving change. Change and innovation are not simple processes for all (Rogers, 2003). Yet, companies, corporates and small business are managed and lead to ensure not only efficiency, but also to yield the best possible financial gain. When one analises change in the world of commerce, one does not have to be a rocket scientist to come to the conclusion that there have been tremendous changes. Not only has the ergonomics of buildings and factories changed, there has also been change pertaining to the number of people employed, as technologies afford opportunities to make certain positions that people occupied, redundant. Robotic tools are used more and more in the manufacturing chain to increase productivity and to ensure greater quality, or so we are informed.