Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Acuta Enews December 1998, Vol.27, No. 12

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In This Issue

Increase in PICC Charges Delayed

Looking for Answers in '99

Overheard on the Listserve

411 Newsletter Salary Survey

Beefing Up User Support on Campus

Board Report

DC at a Glance

Positions Available

Welcome New Members

Screen Printing Process Design Of Experiments For Fine Line Printing Of Thick Film Ceramic Substrates, Jianbiao Pan, Gregory L. Tonkay, Alejandro Quintero

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Screen printing has been the dominant method of thick film deposition because of its low cost. Many experiments in industry have been done and many models of the printing process have been developed since the 1960’s. With a growing need for denser packaging and a drive for higher pin count, screen printing has been refined to yield high resolution prints. However, fine line printing is still considered by industry to be difficult. In order to yield high resolution prints with high first pass yields and manufacturing throughput, the printing process must be controlled stringently.

This paper focuses on investigating the …

A Slip-Line Field For Ploughing During Orthogonal Cutting, Daniel J. Waldorf, Richard E. Devor, Shiv. G. Kapoor

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Under normal machining conditions, the cutting forces are primarily due to the bulk shearing of the workpiece material in a narrow zone called the shear zone. However, under finishing conditions, when the uncut chip thickness is of the order of the cutting edge radius, a ploughing component of the forces becomes significant as compared to the shear forces. Predicting forces under these conditions requires an estimate of ploughing. A slip-line field is developed to model the ploughing components of the cutting force. The field is based on other slip-line fields developed for a rigid wedge sliding on a half-space and …

Acuta Enews November 1998, Vol.27, No. 11

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In This Issue

Student Paper Competition

University of Oregon Overhauls Two-Way Radio Systems

Overheard on the Listserve

FTC Web Site: Information You Can Use

Board Report

DC at a Glance

Positions Available

Welcome New Members

Productivity Improvement At A High-Tech State-Owned Industry--An Indonesian Case Study Of Employee Motivation, Adik A. Soedarsono, Susan L. Murray, Yildirim Omurtag

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The purpose of this case study was to identify the level of employee motivation at an Indonesian high-tech state-owned company. Comparisons were drawn between labor and management as well as Indonesian and Western industrial environments. The overall results provide insight into employee motivation and the potential for productivity improvement that should prove beneficial to management at state-owned and privately owned companies in Indonesia and the Pacific Rim. The study can also help Westerners appreciate culture differences and productivity challenges in this developing country.

Cracking The Shell To Student Learning: An Innovative Instructional Approach, John R. Olson, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Management and Industrial Engineering courses is motivating students to learn and apply the quantitative and managerial aspects of the material. The aim of our educational methodology is to not only teach and reinforce the core principles of the disciplines, but to have students develop a set of skills that will make them competitive in the classroom and the workforce. Teaching is why a university exists. As a result, the objective of our instructional approach is to attract and retain dedicated students to the fields of Operations Management and Industrial Engineering and to keep those students competitive and in focus with …

Fuzzy Logic Control Of A Model Airplane, Jon C. Ervin, Sema E. Alptekin

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Common uses of fuzzy logic control today are found in relatively simple applications in products. These applications only scratch the surface of the potential of fuzzy logic control in complex mechatronic systems. In order to demonstrate the utility of fuzzy logic in complex device control, a fuzzy logic fly-by-wire system has been developed for a model airplane. The model airplane is a complex system of several critical inputs that require rapid processing and action in order to maintain flight stability. In addition, payload and power constraints severely limit the size, weight and processing power of the hardware to be carried …

A Parametric Programming Technique For Efficient Cnc Machining Operations, Manocher Djassemi

Industrial Technology and Packaging

In this paper the application of parametric programming to CNC machining is discussed. As one of the less frequently utilized features of CNC machines, parametric programming has the potential to increase the efficiency of CNC operations. This feature is particularly beneficial to companies with group technology manufacturing where parts with similar design or operational requirements are processed within a machine cell. Using two case studies, the capabilities of parametric programming for CNC machines are illustrated.

Using Simulation To Derive Activity-Based Costing Estimates, Paul Savory, Robert Williams

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

This presentation showcases integrating activity based costing into the development of a SIMAN simulation of a manufacturing system.

Acuta Enews October 1998, Vol.27, No. 10

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In This Issue

FCC Approves Two-Way Digital ITFS and MDS Communications

Recognizing Our Best

Board Report

DC at a Glance

Positions Available

Welcome New Members

Acuta Enews September 1998, Vol.27, No. 9

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In This Issue

Is xDSL Right for Your Campus?

Delegate It!

A Commitment to Service

DC at a Glance

Board Report

Positions Available

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The Role Of Air Cargo In California's Goods Movement, H.-S. Jacob Tsao

Faculty Publications

Caltrans began a systematic investigation into the role of air cargo in California’s goods movement, as part of the larger development effort for a statewide goods movement strategy, and funded a research project in 1997 for the Institute of Transportation Studies at U.C. Berkeley to (i) gain a broader understanding of the State’s air cargo industry and the role of air cargo in California’s goods movement, (ii) assess the importance of air cargo to the State’s economy, (iii) begin identification of issues hindering efficient air cargo movement in the State, and (iv) explore possible State roles for resolving the issues. …

Acuta Enews August 1998, Vol.27, No. 8

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In This Issue

Annual Conference Highlights

Board Report

Tek-Futures: Leading-Edge Technologies for the 21st Century

DC at a Glance

Positions Available

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Low Vision, Stimulus Encoding And Information Processing: A Characterization Of Performance Of Partially Sighted Users On Computer-Based Tasks, Max A. Dixon

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the characterization of partially sighted users' performance within a graphical user interface environment. Participants, ranging in visual abilities from fully sighted (FSU) with no visual impairments to partially sighted (PSU) with limited visual abilities, participated in computer-based search and select tasks. It is shown that visual search strategies employed by both PSU and FSU within a graphical user interface can be described by Steinberg's (1969) Additive Factor Model. In addition, selection strategies, measured by mouse movement times, are linearly related and highly correlated to the Index of Difficulty as explained by Fitts' Law. This is the …

Maximally Disjoint Solutions Of The Set Covering Problem, David J. Rader, Peter L. Hammer

Mathematical Sciences Technical Reports (MSTR)

This paper is concerned with finding two solutions of a set covering problem that have a minimum number of variables in common. We show that this problem is NP­ complete, even in the case where we are only interested in completely disjoint solutions. We describe three heuristic methods based on the standard greedy algorithm for set covering problems. Two of these algorithms find the solutions sequentially, while the third finds them simultaneously. A local search method for reducing the overlap of the two given solutions is then described. This method involves the solution of a reduced set covering problem. Finally, …

Acuta Enews July 1998, Vol.27, No. 5

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In This Issue

ACUTA Board of Directors '98-'99

Board Report

Is This an ACUTA Anniversary for You?

New Fiber Optics

DC at a Glance

Connecting Off-Campus Housing to the Network

Positions Available

Welcome New Members

A Mentoring Guide For Female Faculty In Engineering, Susan L. Murray, Linda M. Manning, Catherine A. Riordan, Elizabeth Cummins, Philip B. Thompson

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

One widely accepted method for increasing the chances of success of female engineering and science students and faculty alike is to provide access to female role models and mentors. In this article we offer to new female faculty, and to those who would mentor them, an annotated list of text and electronic resources that address most of the most important challenges facing new female faculty in science and engineering.

A Technology Assessment Survey For Web Based Higher Education Programs, Earl A. Evans, Susan L. Murray

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Advances in communications and computer technology, as well as in human-computer interfaces, have enabled concurrent advances in Web-based education. A number of case studies concerning applications of Web-based education for both distance learning and on-campus programs have been published. Primarily, these studies have focused on individual assessments of the web-based technologies. In contrast, this paper will provide a broad based assessment of applied web-based technology for higher education. This research was conducted via a survey completed by university and college faculty from numerous 4-year institutions. To gain an effective assessment, eleven categories of web-based course delivery tools, such as chatrooms …

Effectiveness Of An On-Line Graduate Engineering Management Course: A Preliminary Study, Rosemarie Maffei Evans, Madison Daily, Susan L. Murray

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In the summer of 1997, the University of Missouri-Rolla's (UMR) Engineering Management Department began offering its first completely Web-based course. This graduate level course, Advanced Production Management, was designed to utilize a combination of Web-based tools to create a conducive, yet non-traditional, learning environment for its students. The students in the course did not physically have to attend any lectures and only met for an initial and final class period. The remainder of the course was conducted exclusively via Web-based tools. Accordingly, the Engineering Management Department commenced a research effort to determine the effectiveness of this new learning environment. This …

Acuta Enews June 1998, Vol.27, No. 6

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In This Issue

CICs Go to 4 Digits June 30

Winners Announced in Second Annual Student Papers Competition

Board Report

Do You Have a Story?

UNM Admissions Goes Online

FYI: Digital Decay

PRI ISDN at UMSL

DC at a Glance

Positions Available

Welcome New Members

Acuta Enews May 1998, Vol.27, No. 5

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In This Issue

Board Approves Slate of Nominees

Moderators &Monitors Needed in San Diego!

Board Report

Let there be (Blue) Light!

Contractors on Your Campus?

DC at a Glance

Book Your Room for San Diego NOW!

Positions Available

Welcome New Member

Acuta Enews April 1998, Vol.27, No. 4

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In This Issue

Achievement Award Nominations

Cornell to Host Local Event June 8 and 9

Board Report

Using Digital Imagery to Enhance Design Efforts

From ACUTA Headquarters

DC at a Glance

Local Event

Positions Availalbe

Welcome New Members

Acuta Enews March 1998, Vol.27, No. 3

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In This Issue

Nominate Now for Board of Directors

Change Reflects Our Growth

Student Paper Competition Deadline

Board Report

"Click Here to Enter a Sweepstakes"

ACUTA Local Event

Spotlight

Maureen Trimm Is New Director-at-Large

Are You Listening?

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Acuta Enews February 1998, Vol.27, No. 2

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In This Issue

Call for Nominations

ACUTA Board of Directors 1998-1999

Board Report

ACUTA 1998 EVENTS

International Project Aims to Determine What IT Services Really Cost

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A Multithreaded Scheduler For A High-Speed Simulator, Gene Saghi, Kirk Reinholtz, Paul Savory

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

The Cassini spacecraft is on its journey to Saturn to perform a close-up study of the Saturnian system; its rings, moons, magneto-sphere, and the planet itself. Sequences of commands will be sent to the spacecraft by ground personnel to control every aspect of the mission. To validate and verify these command sequences, a bit-level, high-speed simulator (HSS) has been developed. To maximize performance, the HSS is implemented with multiple threads and runs on a multiprocessor system. A key component of the HSS is the scheduler, which controls the execution of the simulator. The general framework of the scheduler can be …

Acuta Enews January 1998, Vol.27, No. 1

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In This Issue

School NOT Required to Contribute to USF

What's Your Biggest Challenge for 1998?

Board Report

Spotlight

Analyzing Cable Needs and Planning for the Future at CMU

Tech Partners at Cal State

Directories Are Here!

DC at a Glance

Position Available

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On-Line Team Project Communication Tool Set, Halvard E. Nystrom, D. R. Risco

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Team projects offer a valuable mechanism for effective learning. However, communication within the team, with the instructor and between different teams is a challenging task that can greatly limit the effectiveness of the learning experience. Some of the tools and concepts that are being developed for distance learning applications can be used to enhance team project communication within teams that are geographically separated as well as for in-campus teams. This article documents a set of on-line tools that allow for asynchronous team participation and timely monitoring and feedback by the instructor.

A Hybrid System For Well Test Analysis, Edward A. May, Cihan H. Dagli

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Petroleum well test analysis is a tool for estimating the average properties of the reservoir rock. It is a classic example of an inverse problem. Visual examination of the pressure response of the reservoir to an induced flow rate change at a well allows the experienced analyst to determine the most appropriate model from a library of generalized analytical solutions. Rock properties are determined by finding the model parameters that best fit the observed data. This paper describes a framework for hybrid network to assist the analyst in selecting the appropriate model and determining the solution. The hybrid network design …

A Transmission-Constrained Unit Commitment Method, Chung-Li Tseng, Chao-An Li, S. S. Oren, C. S. Cheng, A. J. Svoboda, R. B. Johnson

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The paper presents a transmission-constrained unit commitment method using a Lagrangian relaxation approach. The transmission constraints are modeled as linear constraints based on a DC power flow model. The transmission constraints, as well as the demand and spinning reserve constraints, are relaxed by attaching Lagrange multipliers. The authors take a new approach in the algorithmic scheme. A three-phase algorithm is devised including dual optimization, a feasibility phase and unit decommitment. A test problem involving more than 2500 transmission lines and 2200 buses is tested along with other test problems

An Object-Based Evolutionary Algorithm: The Nesting Solution, Kanchitpol Ratanapan, Cihan H. Dagli

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The nesting problems have received considerable attention and have been addressed by a variety of algorithms. Recently, evolutionary algorithms have been adopted for solutions. Most of these algorithms, however, require a search in one-dimensional space; thus a transformation of the problem to a single dimension, as in the sequencing problems, is needed. Unfortunately, this restricts the search space. In this study an object-based evolutionary algorithm for the nesting problems is proposed. The methodology is created in a true two-dimensional space, allowing object-based mechanisms and object-based evolutionary operators to perform effectively on the space without restricting search alternatives. Implementation of the …