Factory Space Research Articles

Identity Under Construction: Workers’ Collective in an Argentine Metallurgical Factory

In the 1970s, Argentina lived moments of great effervescence and labour conflict. The Santa Rosa metallurgical factory, located in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, became a centre of workers' struggle and resistance not only against the management and the state but also against certain union practices. From this factory, a union recovery movement was promoted that, in constant dialogue with the neighborhood and other factories in the area, disputed not only the leadership of the regional union but also the meaning of the union organization and of being a worker and a Peronist. In this article, I propose to analyze the process of construction of this workers’ collective that emerged from the experience at the workplace.
 To understand the factory not just as a space but also as a process, as a social construction of a relational type allow us to see the determinations that this space exercises over the construction of the workers’ collective, reflecting forms of belonging and solidarity among the members of this collective that are more than just the sum of individualities. I will analyze this process of construction of the workers’ collective studying two specific conflicts that these workers carried out during the decade. We will observe how the factory space determined the constitution of an original working culture in constant dialogue with the trade union organization and with the other actors of the environment, focusing on the different responses that this collective of workers gave in different socio-political contexts.

SELECTION AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE MATHEMATICAL 6 FACTORS EXPERIMENT PLAN IN THE STUDY OF ICE STARTING QUALITIES

The practical significance of the application of multivariate regression analysis in engineering practice as a necessary step towards improving and optimizing complex systems and processes is presented. The goal and investigation tasks have been actualized to optimize the start-up process of a high-speed subcompact diesel engine. Preparation of the plural factors experiment features of diesel start-up process based on regression analysis and the theory of mathematical design of experiment are presented. Qualitative optimizing parameters of the diesel engine cold start are determined: instantaneous acceleration of the crankshaft dn / dτ at the time of crankshaft cranking by an external energy source close to the time spent on starting the engine with optimal parameters of the starting system and starting energy consumed during the crankshaft cranking by an external energy source. Six main factors influence on certain parameters of the diesel engine start quality have been investigated. The regression equation for assessing the quality of the start-up process is substantiated. The form of regression equation is a full quadratic polynomial for the reproduction of the investigated functions, based on the previous study of some used in the study individual factors influence. The analysis of proposals for rational plan selection of a six-factor experiment to find the coefficients of the second-degree regression polynomial is carried out. The substantiation of the decision regarding the choice of the plan is given. Selection was based on the requirements of the investigation test bench and the conditions for study organizing. Main impact had the predecessors experience of similar investigation and the statistical criteria for different plans of experiment comparison used in mathematical theory of design of experiments. The points of the plan have been defined on a multidimensional cube due to the need to vary on three levels with a uniform step of all 6 factors that were identified as influential. Under the conditions of the available laboratory test bench, the current values of the factors of equivalent cold start temperature, crankshaft-cranking speed and maximum temperature of the glow plugs have a variance of the installation at different points of the plan, and the nature of the factors on energy consumption is unknown in advance. As a rational experimental design for organizing the current study, the Box-Wilson orthogonal central compositional plan was chosen, built by adding plan points on the axes of the factorial space to the full-factorial plan of the lowest order, while maintaining the requirement of orthogonality and symmetry of the plan.

Hybrid emergency ventilation system for controlling inhaled contaminant dose in the case of chemical leakage

In factories where high-risk chemical pollutants are treated, it is essential to anticipate response measures in the event of chemical pollutant leakage to minimize adverse health effects on workers. When high-risk liquid chemical pollutants are assumed to be leaked inside enclosed spaces, it becomes crucial to predict the non-uniform concentration distributions in enclosed spaces and evaluate the health impacts and risks of short-time exposure to prevent large-scale accidents. Therefore, we have developed an emergency ventilation system for controlling the inhaled contaminant dose of factory workers. In this study, assuming a worst-case scenario liquid chemical pollutant leak in an enclosed factory space, the advantages and performance of a hybrid ventilation system that combines displacement and push–pull type ventilation systems were numerically investigated. Installation of wall materials that facilitate photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) reactions for background passive concentration control was also discussed. Based on the demonstrative numerical analyses for a realistic factory space, push–pull type ventilation system was confirmed to effectively suppress chemical pollutant diffusion in enclosed spaces with a low ventilation rate. Wall materials with the PCO mechanism had a certain contribution to the control of peak concentration.

Why people join pro-Ana online communities? A psychological textual analysis of eating disorder blog posts

The study aimed to examine the different contents of posts published in an online community for eating disorders among four groups (Pro-Ana, Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating Disorder). The hypothesis was that Pro-Ana group members would have a greater propensity to deny the negative aspects of their eating disorder and a greater social adherence to their own blog community compared to the other groups. 1791 posts, collected from December 2018 to March 2019, were analyzed using quantitative analyses of the text through T-LAB software (version T-Lab Plus 2020). The cluster analysis of the text showed that Pro-Ana group appears to be more represented by “social sharing” cluster compared to the other groups, exhibiting a greater tendency to exchange social support about their eating behaviors. Factorial space analysis reported that Pro-Ana people tend to be less capable to provide realistic representation of their eating disorder than the other groups. Finally, Pro-Ana group members showed a greater social adherence in terms of satisfaction ratings (ratio “likes”/“views” to each post) compared to the other groups.

Delineating the Aptness of Improved Geomaterial Strength for Ground Improvement Through Microstructure and Cluster Analysis

In this study, a sustainable technology using geopolymer synthesised from industrial waste materials was adopted to treat black clay soil for use in a geotechnical application such as in slope stability. A robust experimental design was applied, considering precursor type, precursor percentage (Pc), liquid activator type (LT), activator-to-precursor ratio and method of preparation (M) as the process factors for the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) determination. The results obtained following Taguchi optimisation and ANOVA revealed the most crucial factors to be LT, Pc and M. Optimum increment in UCS of about four times was achieved and validated using confirmatory experiment at 90% confidence level. An R2 value of 0.937 obtained between the experimental and predicted UCS underlines the prediction accuracy. The predicted values of the full factorial space for the developed soil geopolymers were used to classify them for reliability in a geotechnical application using minimum strength of 200 kPa, via hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). A novel Taguchi hierarchical cluster standardisation procedure was implemented to execute the HCA, integrating geopolymer factors and their levels. The approach was found to be efficient in grouping the data by achieving high similarity levels in the resulting clusters. Moreover, HCA delineated the aptness level of the developed soil geopolymers and complemented/validated the ANOVA and Taguchi optimisation result of factor effects. The microlevel changes in the geopolymer-treated soil were delineated through mineralogical identification, morphological and elemental analyses. The geopolymer soil treatment is superior to lime treatment based on the outcome of the microlevel analyses.

Enhanced Service Framework Based on Microservice Management and Client Support Provider for Efficient User Experiment in Edge Computing Environment

Leveraging the edge computing paradigm, computing resources are deployed in the network edge to provide heterogeneous services. Edge computing delivers sensing and actuating services to the Internet from the constrained Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Meanwhile, management of various elements is provided by offloading sufficient computing and storage to the edge of the networks for the IoT environments such as home, factory, and private spaces without cloud servers. In this paper, we propose an enhanced service framework based on microservice management and client support provider for efficient user experiments in the edge computing environment. For providing the edge computing service and management in the network edge, this paper presents an edge-computing architecture that provides various functions through microservice modules on the edge platform engine. Through the microservices, the interfaces are provided to the client to access the device, data, and additional services. Using Docker, the microservice modules are deployed in the edge platform to provide the services. However, the services and management functions need to be presented to the clients based on the friendly user interfaces. For providing the user interfaces of the services and Docker engine to the clients, the client support service provider is developed and deployed in the network edge based on the edge platform. Therefore, the proposed edge platform provides the services and management to the users for accessing the resources and functions through visualized interfaces in the IoT environment based on edge computing. The performance of our proposed system can be checked through the test result screen and delay time. Compared to controlling edge computing by using a command-line tool for users, we made it easy for general users who are not computer savvy to access edge services through a graphic user interface. And by measuring the delay time and comparing the execution time, it can be seen that the proposed system operates faster.

Influence of concrete mix properties on technology of arrangement column foundations

The article analyzes the selection of concrete mix for the device of the columnar foundation under the column of the frame structure. Depending on the technology of the device - monolithic, prefabricated, prefabricated-monolithic - the main factors influencing the choice are determined.Frame structures have been actively erected since the beginning of the 20th century, with the development of industrial construction. The advantages of frame structures are the unification of structural elements, the possibility of using prefabricated elements, universal planning of the structure, its durability. According to the purpose of the building can be warehouse, factory and retail space. At construction of a frame construction there is a question not only in a choice of technology of the device of these or those elements, but also selection of materials, in particular concrete mix.When installing frame structures often use ready-made structural elements of precast concrete or metal. This reduces the duration of construction, and, accordingly, reduce labor costs and operating time of mechanisms. When using prefabricated elements, the weather influence on the course of construction works is practically leveled. Reinforced concrete and metal structures made in the factory, as a rule, meet the required quality characteristics.As for the technology of laying foundations, in particular columnar, the question often arises about their construction in a rational way. The cost of prefabricated foundation structures is higher than monolithic ones due to factory, loading and unloading and transport costs. However, with this technology the foundations are installed in a short time. The technology of installation of monolithic foundations depends on weather conditions, is characterized by high labor costs and the duration of the process loses to the prefabricated method.In the conditions of water-saturated soils monolithic concreting is complicated, as it is necessary to take measures for drainage [1]. There is also a prefabricated monolithic technology of foundations, which allows the rational use of both technologies. For example, to reduce the time and reduce the complexity, you can arrange a monolithic foundation with a prefabricated glass, or, if there is water in the pit, you can use a prefabricated foundation slab and a monolithic glass with a formwork retainer module [1].The construction of columnar foundations differs in the volume of concrete depending on the load and soil conditions. Sometimes the volume of concrete reaches tens of cubic meters per foundation, so the problem of taking into account the properties of the concrete mixture becomes relevant. First of all, there are questions about the selection of the composition of the concrete mixture and the technology of its delivery to the site. The influence of the properties of the concrete mixture is considered by example.For example, the following properties of the concrete mixture were taken into account: ease of laying, which depends on the complexity of laying the concrete mixture; expediency of use of the special chemical additives improving some properties of concrete mix; the maximum allowable size of the fraction; rigidity of concrete mix; compaction.The results are shown in the table, which clearly shows the difference in the required volume.

Identifikasi Limbah pada Proses Produksi Obat Nyamuk Bakar dengan Menggunakan Material Balance

Based on the initial discussion with people form Mosquito coil factory, there is a requirement to calculate the amount of waste from the factory. According to them, several wastes (in the form of liquid and solid waste) are produced in the process of making mosquito coils. The wastes are often scattered on the floor, causing the condition of the factory space to be unclean or dirty and can cause employees to get sick due to waste scattered on the floor. This research focuses on identifying the waste and to calculate the waste produced by each machine for the production of mosquito coils by using the Material Balance method. Material balance shows a quantitative analysis of material inputs, outputs and wastes / waste at each stage of the production process. Material balance calculation is done in the process of Sifting Coconut Shell Flour, Sifting Process for Coffee Skin Flour, Process for Sifting Wood Flour, Sifting Flour Sifting Process, Onggok Flour Cooking Process, Mixing Material into Mosquito Coe Dough, Mosquito Dough Sifting Process, Forming Process of Paste Paste Plate , The Process of Printing Paste Slabs Into Wet Double Coil, Drying Double Wet Coil Process, Drying and Separation Process of Baking Sheet with Dry Double Coil, Grinding Process of Broken Dry Double Coil, Process of Sifting Sweep Flour Falling on the Floor. Based on the observation, some of the waste obtained from each stage of the production process can be collected again and can be used again as a raw material for making mosquito coils.

Transforming Narratives: Reaction, Context and the Emerging (IM)-Possibilities of Social Discourse on Art in Cluj-Napoca

Abstract The aim of this article is to comprehend the register of existence and the developing of social art practices and discourses in Cluj-Napoca, citing the example of the contemporary art space The Paintbrush Factory, established in 2009. Analysing the operation mode/modus operandi of artists, curators, and cultural agents of Cluj-Napoca, I study the creative pattern based on reaction as a response to the undergoing changes within the socio-political environment of the city as well as those on a global scale. The wider expansion of the urban regeneration theory, that attributes an economic growth factor to culture (based on the existence of creative industries), persuades the local authorities to create a new narrative of a Cluj-Napoca based on the image of a creative city. The Paintbrush Factory is precisely the success story – with a grassroots background, and international standing – that Cluj-Napoca Town Hall needed to legitimise its new development project that sought to put the city on Europe’s map. This ambition of the authorities is reflected in the application for the title of European Cultural Capital 2021. The story of the Paintbrush Factory mirrors this precise transformation of the city, which sees the industrial production being replaced by symbolic production. During this process factories are literally replaced by IT firms and adjacent services, while The Paintbrush Factory that had benefited from a long-term rental of a factory space is eventually displaced in this massive gentrification course of the city.

A Study For Energy Startups To Find Out The Market Potential For Energy Saving Products In Large Scale Manufacturing Companies

Startups are becoming quite popular and there are several people who are willing to take the road of entrepreneurship. It is now being widely said that startups ensure that the economy of a nation grows in a positive way. While there are many who are starting up in the field of Information Technology. There are entrepreneurs keen on setting up startups that can help consumers to save energy in an efficient way. The demand for electricity is ever growing. With the advent of more disposable incomes and more tech savvy consumer durables, the need for electricity is increasing. While on one side, the need for producing electricity in a clean green way is being emphasized and the other side, the need to consume electricity in an efficient way and to save energy are given importance. Energy Saving is the process of using energy resources in an economical way. The consumers of electricity include domestic sector, commercial sector, micro, small, medium enterprises and large scale manufacturing companies. Large scale manufacturing companies use lot of high power consuming machineries and have a vast factory spaces. They also contribute to highest demand during the daytime. They have a huge scope to save energy and implement energy saving measures. This paper aims to understand the interest level in large scale manufacturing companies to save energy. The outcome of the paper will help energy startups and energy entrepreneurs to understand the market potential for energy saving solutions among large scale manufacturing companies.

Small town factory into modern multi-purpose music hall

The Murphy Arts District in El Dorado, Arkansas is the redevelopment of historic and unique community assets to re-brand the community as a cultural performance mecca and to revitalize the local economy. The first completed phase of the project includes transformation of the historic two-level Griffin Automotive Building into a restaurant and indoor music venue. Acoustic challenges included renovation of a very large volume former factory space into a flat floor music venue to accommodate events from touring rock amplified concerts to wedding banquets. Sound isolation between the music hall and the attached restaurant also presented challenges with historic building constructions.The Murphy Arts District in El Dorado, Arkansas is the redevelopment of historic and unique community assets to re-brand the community as a cultural performance mecca and to revitalize the local economy. The first completed phase of the project includes transformation of the historic two-level Griffin Automotive Building into a restaurant and indoor music venue. Acoustic challenges included renovation of a very large volume former factory space into a flat floor music venue to accommodate events from touring rock amplified concerts to wedding banquets. Sound isolation between the music hall and the attached restaurant also presented challenges with historic building constructions.

Pattern Recognition: Description of Modes of Teaching Boys Aged 7 Throwing a Small Ball at a Vertical Target

The study purpose was to determine the possibility of using pattern recognition methods to study the impact of physical exercises modes on teaching primary school children throwing a small ball at a vertical target.
 Materials and methods. The study participants were boys aged 7 years (n=48). The paper relied on analysis and generalization of data of scientific and methodological literature, general scientific methods of theoretical level, such as analogy, analysis, synthesis, abstraction, induction, as well as general scientific methods of empirical level: observation, testing, experiment.
 Results. The effectiveness of teaching boys aged 7 “throwing a ball at a vertical target” is positively influenced by 6-12 sets, 3 repetitions per set, rest interval of 60-180 seconds. The focus in choosing a teaching mode is on the number of repetitions per set.
 Conclusions. A full factorial experiment method makes it possible to mathematically describe the process in some local area of the factorial space and to verify the regression model. Regression equations provide an opportunity to select the modes of performing for each exercise being studied. Discriminant analysis has made it possible to determine the modes of physical exercises in the process of motor skills development; to answer the question as to how significantly the modes of training differ by the effectiveness of motor skills development; what motor tasks most substantially influence the differentiation of classes; what class the object belongs to based on the values of discriminant variables. To select the most rational mode of performing exercises in the process of motor skills development in boys aged 7, the first and second discriminant functions can be used, with a focus on the most informative variables.

Shading on Yield and Quality of Lettuce Cultivars in Semiarid Conditions

Lettuce is a crop originating from temperate climate, and for this reason, when cultivated in semiarid region, characterized by high luminosity and temperature, major losses in productivity and quality occur. The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of different levels of shade on yield and quality of lettuce cultivars in semiarid conditions. The experiment was conducted under field conditions at the Human and Agricultural Sciences Center at State University of Paraiba, Brazil, in randomized blocks with parcels divided into 4 × 4 factorial space, and four repetitions. The parcels received different shading levels (0, 30, 50 and 70%) with black polypropylene screen and sub parcels by lettuce cultivars: ‘Americana Irene’, ‘White Boston’, ‘Regina de Verão’ and ‘Green Salad Bowl’. The shading promoted higher performance in height, stem diameter, root length, pH and dry mass of lettuce plants when compared to those grown in the open-air, being the shading of 70% the more efficient. The ‘Americana Irene’ cultivar was distinguished in terms of plant height, foliage area, leaves dry mass and soluble solids, independently from the cultivation environment. With the shading, this cultivar improved the aerial shoot-root ratio and root dry mass.

Can the inhalation exposure of a specific worker in a cross-ventilated factory be evaluated by time- and spatial-averaged contaminant concentration?

Industry implies economic growth; however, outdoor and indoor air pollution generated by industrial activities represents a widespread problem for the environment and human beings. In terms of human health, indoor air quality assessment has become essential in a society where people spend most of their time in indoor dwellings, as in the case of industry workers. Because indoor air quality is strongly affected by the outdoor environment, especially under natural ventilation conditions (e.g., cross-ventilation), a comprehensive analysis that includes outdoor atmospheric-urban environment is needed to reproduce realistic scenarios. In this context, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a useful tool. To perform a precise analysis of the inhalation exposure of factory workers to potential gas-phase contaminants in the working environment (i.e., inhaled dose of contaminants and potential effects), the human body and respiratory tract need to be integrated in the analysis. Therefore, in this study, we performed an integrated occupational inhalation exposure/toxicology assessment in a factory building that applies a computer simulated person (CSP), a virtual human respiratory tract and integrated physiologically-based toxicokinetic (PBTK) model to predict tissue dosimetry distribution. Outdoor airflow variation was transported into the enclosure through an hourly change in wind pressure coefficient to calculate transient ventilation rate and indoor contaminant concentration between 08:00 and 17:00 h. Thereafter, the time-averaged contaminant concentration calculated at the nares of the human body was employed in a steady state calculation of airflow and contaminant distribution inside the virtual respiratory tract. Subsequently, we predicted adsorbed contaminant in the first layer of tissue of the human airways; highest adsorption took place in the nasal cavity. Finally, based on the results of the comprehensive coupled numerical analysis performed using the CFD-CSP-PBTK model, we quantitatively discussed differences between the inhalation exposure concentration and representative contaminant concentration in the factory space (e.g., time and volume-averaged concentration).

Experimental and numerical study into the effects of passive flow disturbance on conversion and C7+ yield of the packed bed Fischer Tropsch reaction

This experimental and numerical study investigates the effect of flow field alteration via bluff body flow disturbers in the packed bed Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reaction, which is known to be limited by heat and mass transfer and chemical kinetics as prescribed by the reactor geometry, flow and temperature fields, and catalyst properties. Experiments were carried out using a 188 cm3 reactor with 30.8 aspect (length-to-diameter) ratios loaded with 20% cobalt/Al2O3 catalyst and controlled at 200 °C at the exterior wall. Numerical simulation was carried out in the commercial ANSYS Fluent package. Experimental results show that the bluff bodies increased the CO (carbon monoxide) conversion and C7+ yields (hydrocarbons with 7 carbon chains or longer) across the factorial design space by as much as 1.8× and 3.3× of the baseline values, respectively. Numerical simulations suggest that these increases can be attributed to higher thermal conductivities and local velocities for greater heat rejection and lower external mass transfer resistance, respectively. Results suggest that the use of internal flow disturbers in the packed bed had significant influence in lowering the heat and mass transfer resistances of the FT process, and can improve the cost-competitiveness of FT liquids production in the small scale.

Light conditions for commercial hatching success in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Light plays an important role in the development of biological rhythms in fish. Previous studies on tilapia has revealed that spawning rhythms and juvenile growth are significantly influenced by photoperiod. However, the effect of light conditions on the hatching rhythms are unexamined thus far. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the light conditions on the hatching in Nile tilapia. To this end, the central composite experimental design and response surface methodology were utilized to study the combined effects of photoperiod and light intensity on the hatching rate as well as the growth of early fry. Based upon the results of trial tests, regimes of photoperiod and light intensity ranged from 2 to 24 h and from 100 to 2000 lx (1.26 to 25.20 μmol m−2 s−1), respectively. The results demonstrated that within the factorial space developmental rhythms at the egg stage were significantly influenced by light conditions, signaling that the timing of hatching in Nile tilapia could be regulated by ambient light conditions. The more unsuitable the light conditions, the longer the eggs took to hatching (or the stronger inhibitory effect of light conditions on hatching), underlining the importance and necessity of affording optimized photoenvironment during commercial incubation as well as early fry development of tilapia. The effect of light intensity was greater than that of photoperiod during early ontogeny. The interaction between photoperiod and light intensity was found to be present, implying that the effect of only photoperiod upon reproduction and growth of Nile tilapia in all previous studies might be modified. Relationship of hatching to light conditions also could be reliably modelled. The optimal photoperiod/intensity combinations, 13.45 h/1020 lx (12.85 μmol m−2 s−1), were derived via model optimization, the optimality of which had been verified under commercial hatching conditions. These findings emphasize that the light conditions are essential and should be taken into account in optimizing the protocols of the commercial incubation in hatcheries of Nile tilapia.

Assessment of the stability of bat ectoparasite communities using a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method

The paper deals with a research of epiparasite communities in native karst caves in the South of Nizhny Novgorod Region. Six species of bats such as Daubentons water bat, Brandts bat, whiskered bat, pond bat, northern bat and long-eared bat were examined. A Principal Component Analysis was used to identify factors influencing the composition of ectoparasites as well as the number and distribution of mites in mixed colonies of bats. As the cave and its inhabitants can be considered as a microbiotope, it is obvious that there are specific relations between inhabitants in caves. Special habitat conditions indirectly influence the parasitic systems developing there which are characterized by certain stability. Mann-Whitney U-test was used to estimate the difference between samples of animals from different habitats. Methods of nonparametric statistics didnt find significant distinctions by the hosts, years and biotopes, the bat colony and their ectoparasites can be estimated as a single complexly organized system, existing long in space and time. From all possible factorial space four factors have significant effect on systems. The contribution of the first and second factors is equal to 65% of variance (specificity of parasites to hosts and a factor of dominant species presence). In parasite communities of bats interrelations which cause successful existence of all types without the expressed competition are observed. Our results indicate a complex relationship between the parasites in the community on the one hand, and long-term existence of the community on the other hand. Each member of parasitic system has a position in factorial space. In parasite communities of bats we met only one factor-dependent species ( Spinturnix acuminatus, Sp. plecotinus, Leptotrombidium russicum ). Species that show moderate and positive, moderate and negative correlation dependence with several factors are found. For example, Spinturnix myoti , Sp. kolenatii , Macronyssus heteromorphus , etc. Heterogeneity of environmental impact on the parasitic systems which are formed in natural caves provides stability of bat parasite communities in general.

The Intelligent Factory Space – A Concept for Observing, Learning and Communicating in the Digitalized Factory

The current and most important request for industrial automation is from Small and Medium-sized Enterprisess (SMEs). This is due to the fact that the SMEs need to increase their competitiveness to withstand the trend of outsourcing to low-cost countries. However, there are good examples of the strong competitiveness of the European SMEs, when they are able to utilize industrial automation for repetitive work, while utilizing the human labor for tasks requiring human skills, like sensing, flexibility, and cognitive skills. The Intelligent Factory Space (IFS) concept represents a framework for interaction between human and an automated system (digital factory). The IFS is composed of multiple layers (representing different services for the human user) and many modular components, which can be extended to the users' requirements. The IFS relies on industrial standards to communicate with existing machines while using novel two-way communication possibilities to feedback to the human user. In this paper, the general concept for the IFS is presented along with a reference implementation, where the concept is implemented in the situation of the human-robot collaboration.

An overview of the Italian market for 2015: cooking quality and nutritional value of gluten‐free pasta

SummaryA roundup of gluten‐free (GF) pasta sold in the Italian market in 2015 was characterised throughout cooking behaviour, texture, colour and nutritional value. A preliminary evaluation of cooking quality of the thirty‐three available products underlined an extremely heterogeneous technological quality. Eleven categories were, therefore, discriminated based on the main ingredients declared on the labels. Interestingly, the most numerous category (rice and corn) was pulverised on the factorial space indicating highly heterogeneous properties. This result was confirmed throughout multivariate statistics and can be likely due to diversity in ingredients proportions or/and processing. Nutritional evaluation of GF pasta pointed out a good nutritional quality. Therefore, the combination of technological and nutritional analyses demonstrated a huge difference among the analysed pasta samples, which can increase the difficulty of consumers to make their choice, and leaves room for further improvement of GF pasta formulation and productive processing.

On the feasibility of utilising an array of planar parallel robots to service adjoining workspaces

Parallel robots feature several favourable properties, including the potential for high acceleration and accuracy. However, in order to minimise cycle times and optimise the usage of factory space, industrial applications commonly include multiple closely mounted robots, working on the same or closely located objects. As parallel robots generally suffer from a limited workspace-to-footprint ratio, attempting to utilise parallel robots for such applications typically leads to issues with mechanical interference. This paper investigates the feasibility of dividing a planar workspace into several smaller areas, each of them serviced by a dedicated planar parallel mechanism. Applications where this arrangement could be beneficial include 2D manufacturing operations, such as water jet cutting and laser cutting. Additionally, the proposed arrangement could be extended by actuating either the work object fixture or the entire array of mechanisms in one additional degree of freedom. The resulting architecture could be beneficial for 3D manufacturing operations, such as additive or subtractive manufacturing. The presented analysis studies the limitations of such architectures in terms of mechanical interference and achievable kinematic performance. Solutions to reduce mechanical interference are introduced and screw-theory-based indices are employed to evaluate the achievable kinematic performance.