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The purpose of this paper is to develop a strategic approach with an intelligently integrated management system in advanced manufacturing industry to meet the requirements of high precise measurement tasks and essential measurement know-how within the sophisticated production systems.

The continuous development toward ever-higher precision and closer tolerances in the manufacture of workpieces is in line with the perspective of nanotechnology. To meet the metrological requirements new high precision intelligent measuring instruments have been developed, which are proposed in this paper.

In modern industrial production, need for high precision metrology at micro and nano scale provides high quality requirements as well. Therefore, while providing adequate metrology applications, good management of resources and environmental, energy consequences shall be addressed in an integrated manner with an integrated management system of quality, environment and energy.

Metrology as the measurement science provides the functional methodology for quality control under the defined specifications and standards. New levels of manufacturing precision are the key requirements to enable advanced machining processes that demands improved techniques of metrology.

The practical industrial use is now quite possible, but uncertainty and calibration with respect to certain questions still open. In various technical fields, there are increasingly new applications being mainly mechanical engineering, precision machining, biomedicine and precision engineering are mentioned.

This paper provides measurement results and experimenting a strategic approach to develop a smart integrated system applicable in manufacturing industry using the intelligent networking for the digital factory by first an inter-university network that accesses, cooperates and operates at distance in the laboratory of distant research laboratories that can be applicable to all other industrial organizations.

Manufacturing industry worldwide is at a turning point in seeking greater competitiveness. High precision manufacturing offers better quality and reliability for conventional products, but also makes possible entirely new products, especially where mechatronics, miniaturization and high performance are important. Describes the main ultra precision machining processes and illustrates how cutting and grinding have been stretched into the nanotechnology regime, especially for advanced ceramics, glasses and opto‐electronic materials.

This paper aims to demonstrate how science and engineering graduates can be recruited and trained to Masters level in precision engineering as an aid to reducing the skills shortage of mechanical engineers in UK industry.

The paper describes a partnership between three UK academic institutions and industry, creating an Integrated Knowledge Centre (IKC) in Ultra Precision Structured Surfaces. Within this project sits a Knowledge Transfer activity that seeks to channel graduate scientists and engineers through an MSc in “Ultra Precision Technologies” into the UK engineering industry. The creation and implementation of this pipeline, its systems and its processes, is the subject of this paper and its case study.

In order to retain competitive advantage, the UK precision engineering industry requires a regular supply of technically proficient and organizationally prepared graduates. This paper has explained the approach taken at Cranfield University to increase the size of the pool of postgraduate precision engineers. The approach involves the design of a multi‐level system, which draws on increased connectivity between the University, UK engineering companies, and the student. Academic institutions need to exhibit the appropriate flexibility to meet the demands of industry and the aspirations of the student.

The paper describes only the early stages of implementation, and further work is necessary.

The systems model and case studies provide a framework and detail that is of immediate benefit to manufacturing industries and higher education establishments.

The originality of the approach lies in the level of integration between the sub‐systems that comprise the Open system, within which students and skills are forged together in a programme to produce employable engineering postgraduates.

Among the different methodologies used for performance control in precision manufacturing, the measurement of metrological test artefacts becomes very important for the characterization, optimization and performance evaluation of additive manufacturing (AM) systems. The purpose of this study is to design and manufacture several benchmark artefacts to evaluate the accuracy of the selective laser melting (SLM) manufacturing process.

Artefacts consist of different primitive features (planes, cylinders and hemispheres) on sloped planes (0°, 15°, 30°, 45°) and stair-shaped and sloped planes (from 0° to 90°, at 5° intervals), manufactured in 17-4PH stainless steel. The artefacts were measured optically by a structured light scanner to verify the geometric dimensioning and tolerancing of SLM manufacturing.

The results provide design recommendations for precision SLM manufacturing of 17-4PH parts. Regarding geometrical accuracy, it is recommended to avoid surfaces with 45° negative slopes or higher. On the other hand, the material shrinkage effect can be compensated by resizing features according to X and Y direction.

No previous work has been found that evaluates accuracy when printing inwards (pockets) and outwards (pads) geometries at different manufacturing angles using SLM. The proposed artefacts can be used to determine the manufacturing accuracy of different AM systems by resizing to fit the build envelope of the system to evaluate. Analysis of manufactured benchmark artefacts allows to determine rules for the most suitable design of the desired parts.

After studying the case, the students will be able to: 1. understand the business and existing HR practices at Precision Engineering; 2. evaluate the factors affecting business that may require the company to formalise its HR practices; 3. create recruitment and selection-related solutions for HR 2.0 using appropriate models and theory to aid the company meet its business goals; 4. create training needs identification and evaluation practices for HR 2.0 using appropriate models and theory to aid the company meet its business goals; and 5. create performance planning and review-related solutions for HR 2.0 using appropriate models and theory to aid the company meet its business goals. The case helps students objectively assess HR practices related to three core verticals – recruitment and selection; training; and performance management systems. It also enables them to reassess these practices with the help of specific metrics and models.

Precision Engineering was a manufacturer of machined metal components in the Indian automotive components industry. It had been a family-run business since its inception in 1995. Precision was awarded the prestigious Automotive Component Manufacturers of India award in 2020 for excellence in HR. Ms Sakshi Kapoor, General Manager of Innovation, was ecstatic at the receipt of this award. She, however, was thoughtful about the informal human resource (HR) practices at the company. The top management had announced an aggressive growth plan and advised Ms Kapoor to leverage HR practices to facilitate these plans. Recruitment and selection, employee training and performance management systems needed to be formalised on a priority basis to strategically aid the future business agenda at Precision. Ms Kapoor faced the challenge of preparing the roadmap of HR 2.0 while preserving the employee-centric beliefs at Precision. The case initiates a discussion to achieve this goal by adopting suitable HR metrics and models.

It should be taught in the core course on Human Resource Management for first-year Masters in Business Administration (MBA) students. Alternatively, it could be used in elective courses such as Strategic Human Resource Management, Training and Development and Performance Management Systems for second-year MBA students.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 6: Human Resource Management.

This paper aims to comprehensively achieve the requirements of high assembly precision and low cost, a precision-cost model of assembly based on three-dimensional (3D) tolerance is established in this paper.

The assembly precision is related to the tolerance of parts and the deformation of matching surfaces under load. In this paper, the small displacement torsor (SDT) theory is first utilized to analyze the manufacturing tolerances of parts and the assembly deformation deviation of matching surface. In the meanwhile, the extracting method of SDT parameters is proposed and the assembly precision calculation model based on the 3D tolerance is established. Second, an integrated optimization model based on the machining cost, assembly cost (mapping the deviation domain to the SDT domain) and quality loss cost is built. Finally, the practicability of the precision-cost model is verified by optimizing the horizontal machining center.

The assembly deviation has a great influence on cost fluctuation. By setting the optimization objective to maximize the assembly precision, the optimal total cost is CNY 72.77, decreasing by 16.83 per cent from the initial value, which meets economical requirements. Meanwhile, the upper bound of each processing tolerance is close to the maximum value of 0.01 mm, indicating that the load deformation can be offset by appropriately increasing the upper bound of the tolerance, but it is necessary to strictly restrict the manufacturing tolerances of lower parts in a reasonable range.

In this paper, a 3D deviation precision-cost model of assembly is established, which can describe the assembly precision more accurately and achieve a lower cost compared with the assembly precision model based on rigid parts.

Examines the tenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.

There are some 30 Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS) currently being installed and assimilated in Britain. A pilot study involving Anderson‐Strathclyde plc, a precision engineering company, Cessna Fluid Power Limited, Cummins Engines Limited, and Lucas Electrical Limited shows that these companies expected to achieve a variety of economic advantages, based on savings in direct production cost as a consequence of improved machine design, reduced lead times, and production of “sets” of related components; all these factors being due to the introduction of FMS. Also anticipated were marketing advantages, arising out of improved production and improved adaptability to market fluctuation. In each company investment in FMS was seen to be a crucial factor in marketing strategy. It will be important in future to monitor government policy on financial assistance for FMS, as this will relate directly to a company's FMS investment decisions.

The paper aims to use aluminium alloy to substitute steel as the main material of ultra-precision hydro-static bearing system for an ultra-precision plastic electronics production system to lower the manufacturing cost. The total cost of diamond turning and nickel-based electroless coating of an aluminium alloy bearing is expected to be less than the cost of manufacturing a stainless steel bearing.

The paper used a large amount of theoretical calculation to obtain optimal specifications of the bearing system. ANSYS modelling was selected to simulate the deflection of the bearing shaft under high oil pressure. Hundreds of measurements were conducted after the bearing had been manufactured.

The paper provides industrial application insights on using aluminium alloy with a high-quality nickle-based electroless coating as a successful substitution of stainless steel. This created a more economic hydro-static bearing system.

Because of the time limit, different rotational speed tests shall be conducted in the future.

The paper provides implications for the application of nickel-based electroless coating to improve the surface property and bending strength of aluminium alloy, as well as classifying ultra-precision diamond turning as an economic finishing process.

This paper has identified the importance of aluminium alloy with a nickel-based electroless coating as the substitution of stainless steel in a precision hydro-static bearing system.