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The safety and reliability of high-speed trains rely on the structural integrity of their components and the dynamic performance of the entire vehicle system. This paper aims to define and substantiate the assessment of the structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains in both theory and practice. The key principles and approaches will be proposed, and their applications to high-speed trains in China will be presented.

First, the structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains are defined, and their relationship is introduced. Then, the principles for assessing the structural integrity of structural and dynamical components are presented and practical examples of gearboxes and dampers are provided. Finally, the principles and approaches for assessing the dynamical integrity of high-speed trains are presented and a novel operational assessment method is further presented.

Vehicle system dynamics is the core of the proposed framework that provides the loads and vibrations on train components and the dynamic performance of the entire vehicle system. For assessing the structural integrity of structural components, an open-loop analysis considering both normal and abnormal vehicle conditions is needed. For assessing the structural integrity of dynamical components, a closed-loop analysis involving the influence of wear and degradation on vehicle system dynamics is needed. The analysis of vehicle system dynamics should follow the principles of complete objects, conditions and indices. Numerical, experimental and operational approaches should be combined to achieve effective assessments.

The practical applications demonstrate that assessing the structural integrity and dynamical integrity of high-speed trains can support better control of critical defects, better lifespan management of train components and better maintenance decision-making for high-speed trains.

The purpose of this paper is to enhance the method developed by previous researchers. In addition to using the combined interference matrix, the combined connection matrix and the combined contact matrix of product components, the disassembly sequence matrix and the combined instability matrix with platform to evaluate instability of sub‐assemblies are built, and effects of changes of sub‐assembly disassembly directions or tools and the effect of gravity are considered to obtain the best disassembly sequence for a product with many components. A computer program is generated and results of two cases are compared with those of the available studies.

The methodology includes the combined interference matrix, the combined contact matrix and the combined connection matrix of components for a product. The combined instability matrix of sub‐assemblies, changes of sub‐assembly disassembly direction or tools, and the effect of gravity during operation are considered. The binary number system is used to simplify relations among components of a product.

This methodology enhances the existing method and software is generated. Results of two cases are compared and show the same optimum disassembly processes as those obtained from other researchers.

All matrices are defined by the directions of x, y and z with three axes perpendicular to each other. The computer program generated cannot be used for a product with components that must be disassembled in the directions different from the axes.

Two cases are used to investigate feasibility of the proposed methodology with the computer program generated. The first one is an electric drill, and the second one is a flash lighter.

The methodology described in this paper is feasible for study of disassembly processes of products. The software generated can be used to obtain the optimum disassembly process of products.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the potential of web components for libraries.

The paper introduces a working example web component that reimplements an OCLC WorldCat search widget.

By exploring the case study, the paper explains the functioning of web components and the potential advantages of web components for library web development.

Increasingly, web components are being used within library web development, but there is scope for much greater use of this technology to the advantage of those libraries involved.

This paper is a synthesis paper which seeks to discuss an optimisation framework using software components, which is a new emerging paradigm in computer science.

The goal of this paper is to show the efficiency of the software component approach for the implementation of optimisation frameworks for engineering systems in general, and electromagnetic systems in particular.

This paper highlights the component standard, a generator based on analytical expressions of the system, and an optimization service. References and examples show application in the area of electromagnetic components and systems.

This paper presents CADES, a framework dedicated to system design, based on optimization needs. The framework is defined with a standard implementing the software component paradigm and a pattern to use it. Indeed, this pattern details how to create and use a component (the model of the device to design).

This paper shows how the new emerging paradigm of software components can be used for building new generations of optimisation environment allowing capitalisation and reuse by combination of software components containing models and optimisation algorithms.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the reliability of individual software components in terms of the probability that each software component performs its intended functionality successfully. The overall software system reliability is evaluated.

This paper incorporates the reliability behavior of component‐based software system using Markov process.

It is found that the component‐based software system reliability increases as the component reliability increases.

This paper explores new directions in evaluating the reliability of component‐based software systems for software reliability and offers practical help to researchers and software industries in reliable software development. The proposed software simulation technique will act as a tool for the software quality assurance team for evaluating the reliability of component‐based software systems.

Many organisations are responding to the diminishing stability of their operating environments by developing flexible methods of performing their core function. This creates demand for flexible supporting building space. While the architectural problems of providing such space have been solved for many years, its servicing remains problematic. This difficulty is manifested in the rising cost of services alterations necessitated when spaces are changed in use. The current inflexibility of services installation construction has prompted a study of reusable building services components. It is anticipated that this approach will increase services installation adaptability by reducing alteration costs. Focusing on the UK National Health Service, this paper presents a survey of trends in organisational function, their estate implications and the extent to which facilities managers can control or plan estate responses to frequent core function revision. Existing services component reuse practices are reviewed and component and process attributes conducive to disassembly and refurbishment are identified. It is concluded that, while reusable services components will achieve the required services installation adaptability, their technical feasibility and economic viability remain to be determined.

Population models have been developed for large‐scale maintenance requirements planning. However, these models assume that all component groupings are equally important or critical to the functioning of the overall system. Importance measures from the literature are reviewed and modified to accommodate varying age groupings of identical components. By measuring the relative importance of component groupings in population models, an analyst will be able to identify those component groupings which merit further research and development in an attempt to increase overall system reliability at minimum cost. Numerical examples are presented for the cases of components with and without repair after failure.

Fiber reinforced additive manufacturing (FRAM) is an emerging technology that combines additive manufacturing and composite materials. As a result, design freedom offered by the manufacturing process can be leveraged in design optimization. The purpose of the study is to propose a novel method that improves structural performance by optimizing 3D print orientation of FRAM components.

This work proposes a two-part design optimization method that optimizes 3D global print orientation and topology of a component to improve a structural objective function. The method considers two classes of design variables: (1) print orientation design variables and (2) density-based topology design variables. Print orientation design variables determine a unique 3D print orientation to influence anisotropic material properties. Topology optimization determines an optimal distribution of material within the optimized print orientation.

Two academic examples are used to demonstrate basic behavior of the method in tension and shear. Print orientation and sequential topology optimization improve structural compliance by 90% and 58%, respectively. An industry-level example, an aerospace component, is optimized. The proposed method is used to achieve an 11% and 15% reduction of structural compliance compared to alternative FRAM designs. In addition, compliance is reduced by 43% compared to an equal-mass aluminum design.

Current research surrounding FRAM focuses on the manufacturing process and neglects opportunities to leverage design freedom provided by FRAM. Previous FRAM optimization methods only optimize fiber orientation within a 2D plane and do not establish an optimized 3D print orientation, neglecting exploration of the entire orientation design space.

Since the multi-component of powder metallurgy was dispersed, and each component sheared flow and tiered under the action of friction force, it was difficult to disclose the evolution characteristics of each component. Meanwhile, third body mixing with particles of each component covered on the friction surface, which further increased the difficulty of understanding evolution of each component and the corresponding third body in the friction process. To solve this problem, this paper aims to propose a mechanical assembled method which compact several component sheets in order.

Pure copper, aluminum and artificial graphite sheets with thickness 0.5, 1 and 2 mm, respectively, were assembled into a jig by mechanical compact method. The relationship between arrangement patterns of the components and its friction coefficient was studied by using fixed speed friction test machine, the speed range from 200 to 2,000 r/min and the pressure range from 0.25 to 0.64 MPa.

The testing results showed that when the distribution of same components was congregated, friction coefficient dropped from 0.6 to 0.4. While the distribution of different components was dispersed, friction coefficient dropped from 0.6 to 0.25. The friction coefficient decline was caused by performances changes of third body fluidity. The sufficiently mixed third body made third body adhesion weaker and increased third body fluidity. That provoked friction coefficient decreasing obviously at high speed. On the contrary, with the high congregation of same components, strong third body adhesion led to a rougher surface which contributed to a higher friction coefficient.

By means of the mechanical-assembled multi-layer components to reveal the influence mechanism of every component on friction properties, will provide a new test approach for tribology.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a robot-assisted assembly system (RAAS) for the installation of a variety of small components in the aircraft assembly system. The RAAS is designed to improve the assembly accuracy and increase the productive efficiency.

The RAAS is a closed-loop feedback system, which is integrated with a laser tracking system and an industrial robot system. The laser tracking system is used to evaluate the deviations of the position and orientation of the small component and the industrial robot system is used to locate and re-align the small component according to the deviations.

The RAAS has exhibited considerable accuracy improvement and acceptable assembly efficiency in aircraft assembly project. With the RAAS, the maximum position deviation of the component is reduced to 0.069 mm and the maximum orientation deviation is reduced to 0.013°.

The RAAS is applied successfully in one of the aircraft final assembly projects in southwest China.

By integrating the laser tracking system, the RAAS is constructed as a closed-loop feedback system of both the position and orientation of the component. With the RAAS, the installation a variety of small components can be dealt with by a single industrial robot.