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Increasing use of 3D printing techniques to manufacture consumer products and open-source designs raises the question of “What is the mechanical reliability of 3D printed parts?” Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the impacts of build orientation on the mechanical reliability of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) produced using 3D printing.

Tensile tests on ABS specimens were performed with and without a hole in the center, which were produced by fused deposition modeling (FDM). Seven sets of approximately 30 specimens were printed in XY, XZ and C+45 orientations to obtain reliable fracture statistics. Weibull analysis was performed to quantify the variation in the tensile strength.

The Weibull analysis showed that the reliability of FDM produced ABS can be as low as advanced ceramics. Weibull moduli of specimens without a hole were between 26 and 69, and specimens with a hole had Weibull moduli between 30 and 41. P-type deviations from the Weibull statistics were observed. The XZ orientation resulted in the highest average fracture strength for specimens with and without a hole, and C+45 orientation resulted in the lowest strength.

As the Weibull distribution relates the applied stress to probability of failure, the Weibull analysis provides a practical design criterion to achieve specific reliability levels for additively manufactured parts.

This study, for the first time, provides Weibull statistics for FDM-produced ABS parts, which can be used to predict mechanical reliability.

The purpose of this paper is to establish greater understanding of changes in gender diversity at the undergraduate, graduate and faculty levels for a small engineering discipline, materials science and engineering (MSE), and how it may be related to different cultures across the variety of engineering disciplines.

The paper assesses publicly available data on the demographics of US MSE programs to explore expectations of correlation between increased gender diversity at the graduate level and among faculty versus undergraduate gender diversity.

The number and percentage of women increased substantially in graduate programs and within faculties whereas the percentage of women receiving bachelor's of science degrees in engineering (BSE) in MSE, and nearly all other engineering disciplines, was significantly lower in 2009 than in 2000. Diversity advances at graduate, postdoctoral and faculty levels in the interdisciplinary field of MSE, and likely other relatively young engineering disciplines, have been achieved via a continuous migration of individuals from other science and engineering disciplines as well as from international science and engineering programs.

The paper does not explore cause‐and‐effect, but rather provides a case study of trends occurring within a specific discipline. When evidence for a “leaky pipeline” is found within one generalized context (i.e. engineering), the assumption has been that every discipline (i.e. MSE, biomedical engineering) within that context has leaky pipelines that must be fixed. Given the present data, such assumptions may be inappropriate and perpetuate an understanding of how to improve gender diversity that is not helpful and, in fact, may be harmful to achieving diversity.

The paper provides an assessment of gender diversity for a smaller discipline and explores applicability of conventional pipeline models for career progression.

R. J. Hamer Ltd. announce that Mr. Keith Stoodley has been appointed to the post of technical director.

This paper explores the extent to which the leadership knowledge, skills, and abilities of upper-year student leaders on one private, United States college campus developed as a consequence of their education and experience as an extended orientation leader. Findings reveal that compared to leadership education in the classroom, leadership development is limited by experiences that do not include intentional reflection. We identify key elements in pedagogical frameworks that support and impede the leadership development of students and propose strategies to enhance the learning outcomes established for leadership development.

Describes the development of an integrated computerized engineering database and CAD/CAM system at Presto Tools Ltd, Sheffield, UK. Following an examination of the existing computer hardware and software systems the factors inhibiting the development of an integrated environment were identified. Using a suite of computer programs and application packages including Smartware II, Anvil‐5000 (CAD) and Pathtrace (CAM), an integrated system was developed with the objective of creating a more responsive and interactive manufacturing environment. Describes the original facilities, and the development of the new system.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the state of the art of theory and theorizing in educational administration. The author investigates in what ways and why theory and practice have been disconnected and how they could be better conjoined. Although progress in the development of theory has been slow, it has been tangible. More recent work has displayed a greater degree of scientism in approach; more people have been involved; the extent of conceptual orientation has broadened; and the number of empirical studies has also increased. Whilst acknowledging the full‐fledged field study as the preferred mode, the author suggests a number of other strategies that may profitably be utilized to provide field data with theoretical utility. An experience audit, log or diary, instruments to function as operational definitions for certain kinds of behavior or attitudes, and devices to measure concepts central to explanation in a given area are examples.

Aarhus Kommunes Biblioteker (Teknisk Bibliotek), Ingerslevs Plads 7, Aarhus, Denmark. Representative: V. NEDERGAARD PEDERSEN (Librarian).

This paper proposes a conceptual framework for the study of public procurement policy. It reviews policy-related writings by public procurement scholars and assesses these works from the perspective of their contributions to generalized understandings of public procurement policy. Selected tools and concepts from the policy sciences are applied to propose a model to illuminate unique aspects of public procurement policy in ways that will facilitate its study. The paper concludes by discussing some recent actions, trends, and issues from the U.S defense procurement sector in terms of the framework. Models such as the one proposed in this paper will contribute to enhanced approaches to procurement policy analysis by scholars, as well as to informed and sophisticated policy implementation by practitioners.

This paper aims to introduce and describe the concept of the facility management (FM) value network which takes a subjective perspective and reflects upon the relationships amongst key FM stakeholders. The FM value network focuses on demand by considering client, customer and end-user perceptions of value, providing a conceptual foundation for considering a demand driven, service-oriented and user focused approach to FM. It introduces concepts drawn from related fields such as services marketing, business economics and management and identifies an agenda for future research.

This paper is based on results of an extensive literature review, research workshops and a pilot case study, to explore stakeholder's perceptions of value within FM relationships.

This paper proposes an alternative view of FM stakeholders and the outcomes they value in comparison to a conventional built environment perspective. It provides examples of value dimensions relevant to the demand-side of organisations, collated from different sectors of the economy.

Due to a conceptual approach including a pilot case study that still has to be explored in a qualitative/quantitative empirical setting within the field of FM, this paper has limitations.

The FM value network described and the research agenda proposed provide valuable insight into issues that have to be addressed in future work and sheds light on this under-researched field of value of FM. Further work could build on these conceptual foundations in order to contribute to evidence-based FM.

This paper makes an original contribution to research into the value of FM by focussing on the demand side. It raises issues about the nature of the discipline and its practice and it offers an understanding of the further research necessary to support evidence-based decision making.