Pera (United Kingdom)

Ceramic-based hollow spheres are considered a great driving force for many applications such as offshore buoyancy modules due to their large diameter to wall thickness ratio and uniform wall thickness geometric features. We have developed such thin-walled hollow spheres made of alumina using slip casting and sintering processes. A diameter as large as 50 mm with a wall thickness of 0.5–1.0 mm has been successfully achieved in these spheres. Their material and structural properties were examined by a series of characterization tools. Particularly, the feasibility of these spheres was investigated with respect to its application for deep sea (>3000 m) buoyancy modules. These spheres, sintered at 1600 °C and with 1.0 mm of wall thickness, have achieved buoyancy of more than 54%. As the sphere’s wall thickness was reduced (e.g., 0.5 mm), their buoyancy reached 72%. The mechanical performance of such spheres has shown a hydrostatic failure pressure above 150 MPa, corresponding to a rating depth below sea level of 5000 m considering a safety factor of 3. The developed alumina-based ceramic spheres are feasible for low cost and scaled-up production and show great potential at depths greater than those achievable by the current deep-sea buoyancy module technologies.

The adsorption affinity of a surfactant foaming agent (SFA), α-olefin sulphonate (AOS)—used for generation of foam for low density concrete—to organically-modified montmorillonite (OMMT) has been investigated. OMMT has been proposed as an additive to cement and concrete for improved strength and durability. Similar thermodynamic processes are involved in the generation and stabilisation of foam and in the compatibilisation and stabilisation of organic particles in aqueous environments, so interaction between SFA and OMMT particles is likely. Association of foaming agent molecules with organoclay may lead to poor foaming performance and potential instability of the nanoparticles due to displacement of dispersants from the particle surface by foaming agent. Adsorption isotherms determined using a combination of ion-pair reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and gravimetric methods revealed that there is a relatively high affinity of AOS for the organoclay particles. This is a dynamic process, with smaller molecules adsorbing quickly but being displaced by larger molecules at higher surfactant loading. From the adsorption isotherm it was possible to calculate the minimum AOS addition that will ensure the full foaming performance in the cement formulation. Relative adsorption affinity and competitive adsorption at the particle surface of AOS with non-ionic and anionic surfactants commonly used as wetting and dispersing agents, was studied. The dispersants displayed considerably higher relative adsorption onto the organoclay than AOS, particularly in the case of the anionic species. There is evidence that some AOS adsorption takes place in particle systems stabilised by non-ionic dispersants; displacement of high adsorption affinity dispersants by the lower affinity AOS from the OMMT particle surface was not observed.

Today engineered nano-materials have attracted a great deal of attention due to their important properties which have given birth to vast technological and economic growth in a number of industrial sectors. Nano-materials are indeed expected to become the cornerstone of a number of sectors such as microelectronics, materials, textiles, energy, healthcare and cosmetic goods. Nanotechnology applications will give rise to cleaner energy production, lighter and more durable materials, inexpensive clean water production and will benefit medical applications such as smart drugs and diagnostics. However, one has to be mindful of the risks involved concerning potential toxicity and exposure route and the verdict is still out on a number of nano-materials as to the relative dangers to humans and the environment. This brief review hopes to describe some of the main contenders and their real world applications but it should only be considered a snapshot of the industry and its relative potential.

No Brasil, maes, tias e avos daqueles que em 1968 tinham por volta de 18 anos (ou mais), costumavam casar, como acontecia pelo menos desde o seculo XIX, no mes de maio. Era o que a Europa — e especialmente a Franca — faziam. Assim, copiavam dos figurinos franceses os modelos dos vestidos de noiva e, das revistas vindas de Paris (a Cidade-Luz que exportava cultura, costura e cosmeticos) e de outros centros do Hemisferio Norte, habitos e costumes que, uma vez incorporados, contribuiam para nos manter atualizados e acomodados na situacao de culturalmente colonizados. Para os noivos, a referencia era Londres — simbolo da elegância, da masculinidade e da sobriedade, em que pesassem os clubes privados de cavalheiros

This paper presents a futuristic view of the contemporary techno-economic environment faced by local, trans-national and global manufacturers and their associated supply and demand networks. Theoretical constructs in evolutionary biology are used as a basis for the comprehension of the global economic context and these ontological ideas are subsequently applied to the contemporary and emergent techno-economic paradigms. The role of autonomous production systems in the realisation of a complex-adaptive economic context is discussed and generic recommendations for future research and development in autonomous agent technologies are proposed for the benefit of manufacturing system designers and technologists. The paper is intended as a thought stimulus and a basis for development of integrative innovations in agent-based applications.

The authors discuss a mechatronic solution to the design of a control system for a wire frame assembly machine. An existing machine, controlled by purely mechanical cams, links, and levers, and has been redesigned. The new control system, using the concept of software gearboxes, coordinates the action of discrete servo drives. The new production facility incorporates inline inspection of all process parameters, fault diagnostics, audit trail ability, and a user-friendly man-machine interface. The main benefits of the mechatronic approach are significantly reduced set-up times, flexible manufacturing capability, reduced downtime due to failures, improved product quality, reduced time between design and production, and higher production rates.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Damage caused by uncontrolled electrostatic discharges (ESDs) costs the UK electronics industry millions of pounds a year. Good ESD control practices lead directly to improved yields, higher reliability and greater profits