What is Escrow ?

Escrow is a kind of protected legal agreement between two parties under the trust of neutral third party. According to this agreement, an asset like project money, property or other tangible asset will be deposited to a mediator. Once the conditions are met per the agreement, the escrow mediator will release the money or asset or property to the party(s) as prescribed in the contract agreement.

Escrow is a safe way to handle projects and other other business transactions under the trust of a mediator who has some reputation in the market. It is especially useful for online projects and outsourcing work.

Escrow is also used in the field of automated banking (like ATM) and vending machines (like pop dispenser).

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What is Tumbling Process ?

Tumbling (also known as tumble polishing) is a technique of polishing or smoothing a rough surface. Different substances like stone, metal, glass etc. are used in tumbling process depending on the final requirements. We can achieve the outer edge radius on metal parts such as castings and stampings using this tumbling process. The radius may not be very exact but it is sufficient to avoid the sharp edges.

In this process, a plastic or rubber barrel is loaded with tumbling material such as stone. All these elements have similar or same hardness. They also add some abrasive grit to the barrel along with a lubricant. Silicon carbide is commonly used as grit and water as a universal lubricant. The barrel is then placed on a slowly rotating guide rails for rotation. The speed or rotation depends on various factors like geometry of parts being finished, tumbling material, degree of finish needed etc.

The parts to be finished are added to the above loaded barrel and allow the barrel to rotate. It will take out most of the sharp edges and other burrs from the parts. Time needed for tumbling also depend on several factors like degree of finish required, base material, tumbling material etc. It may range from few minutes to few days to complete the tumbling process.

Sometimes, shape of the tumbling material is changed to achieve a better control on final finish. There pre-shaped materials are called "preforms".

Tumbling is an economical process as large batches of parts can be finished with little or no supervision.

Hope you found this information useful.

Krish
Jythra Engineering Services
http://jythra.com

Unigraphics compatibility on Windows Vista OS

Here is some useful information about Unigraphics compatibility on Windows Vista.

Unigraphics versions prior to NX5 doesn't work on Windows Vista because of few graphics issues. It won't tell you any problem while installation, but you just can't launch the application.
However, Siemens UGS has already updated NX 5 version to work on Windows Vista.
Looks like UGS is not going to make any changes to previous versions of Unigraphics (than NX5) to take care of these graphics issues on Vista.

Hope you found this information useful.

With best wishes,
Krish
Jythra Engineering Services
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Unigraphics Run time error - while launching Unigraphics NX

You may notice the following error while launching Unigraphics after installing it in Windows XP:

---------------------------------------------------------------
Runtime Error!

Programme C:\Programe Files\UGS\NX 4.0\UGII\ugraf.exe
Abnormal Programme Termination

Contact Application Group for further Support
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The possibility of this problem is the presence of Internet Explorer 7 installed in your computer. In this case, you just need to delete (or rename) the following file:

%UGII_BASE_DIR%/ugii/psapi.dll

Better to rename the file like "psapi.dll_renamed" to protect the file.

Siemens UGS has provided the "psapi.dll" file for Windows NT compatibility. But, it is no longer needed as it was included in the Windows 2000 and Windows XP Operating Systems by Microsoft.

You may notice the following error script in the Unigraphics log file in your temp directory:

Daylight Time
+++ Unhandled operating system
exception: e06d7363
[1] 7C812A5B (kernel32)
[2] 202B908A (libsyss)
[3] (libsyss)
[4] 202B7AD8

This should solve the problem. Still, if you face the problem contact UGS Global Technical Access Center (GTAC) for further help.

Jythra Engineering Services

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Laser Profile Machining Concept

In conventional profile machining, the cutting tool has to pass through the entire volume of material. It require a lot of time to cut the stock material. The cutting tool has to travel miles of distance over the work piece in order remove unnecessary material in the form of chips. Further, the cutting tool has to travel in a three dimensional path on the work piece while machining.

It will a best method to develop technology using a laser or some other kind to cut the material at a specified depth. In this method, we will start machining with a flat blank stock and the laser tool is allowed to move on top of the blank covering entire surface. From 3D CAD, the laser tool can determine the distance of profile from top of the block at a particular location from reference X and Y zero. Vertical zero Z doesn't matter at all in this method as laser tool won't travel in Z direction.

After the laser tool cover the entire surface of blank, the final part and scrap material will separate from each other. There won't be any chips at all in this method, and the complexity of surface profile doesn't effect the machining time also.

A little surface cleaning might be required using an emery cloth after the CAM.

Jythra Engineering Services

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CAD CAM Services

Jythra CAD CAM Services is a leader in providing CAD CAM Services for various regular and specialized projects. We have an an average of 12 years of industrial experience in global CAD CAM Services. We have expertise in the following areas of CAD CAM and Engineering Services:

• Product Design
• Tool Design
• Packaging Studies and Digital Mock-up
• Design Automation and CAD Customization
• New concept design services
• Value Engineering Services
• 3D Modeling and New drawing creation
• Legacy Data Conversion and CAD Migration
• CAM (3 Axes / 5 Axes Machining)
• Tolerance Stackup and Analysis
• Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing

Jythra CAD CAM Services offers specialized services using following software:

Unigraphics NX3 / NX4 / NX5
Catia V5
Solidworks
Auto CAD
Design CAD
CorelDraw


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Critical Characteristics and Significant Characteristics

Critical Characteristic is a product feature, dimension or note that reasonably anticipated variation could directly affect compliance with Government regulations or safe operation of the equipment. Any of those characteristics that affect a failure mode with a severity of 9 or 10 must be reviewed to determine if they should become a critical characteristic.

Significant Characteristic is a feature, dimension, or note that reasonably anticipated variation could affect principal fit, function, durability, customer satisfaction, or manufacturability. Any of those characteristics that affect a failure mode with a severity of 5 to 8 and an occurrence of 4 or higher must be reviewed to determine if they should become a significant characteristic.

Jythra Engineering Services

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What is SVG ?

Scalable Vector Graphics is an emerging Web standard for two-dimensional graphics. Similar to HTML, SVG is written in plain text and rendered by the browser, except that in this case, it is not just text that is rendered but also contains shapes and images, which can be animated and made interactive. SVG is written in XML (Extensible Markup Language) and developed by the World Wide Web (W3) Consortium.

Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) SVG is a powerful language for describing two-dimensional vector and mixed vector/raster graphics in XML. SVG was designed to integrate with other Web standard efforts like XLink, XML Namespaces, DOM, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and XSL. SVG images can use Stylesheets to control the look and feel of the image, and scripting to provide interactivity and animation. The specification also describes more complex functionality such as Filters Effects, Gradients, and Patterns. ...

Scalable Vector Graphics is a vector graphics language written in XML. Using SVG, graphics can be coded directly into an XML document.


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What is VRML ?

VRML is an acronym for Virtual Reality Modeling Language. There are two versions of VRML, and each is defined by a spec as below:

http://vag.vrml.org/vrml10c.html -- the VRML 1.0 Spec
http://vag.vrml.org/VRML97/DIS/-- the VRML 2.0 Spec

A VRML file resides on a Website just like an HTML file. For now (until a binary standard is approved) a VRML file is a plain text file or a compressed text file, and its name generally ends in ".wrl", ".wrl.gz", or ".wrz". The contents of a VRML file (plus whatever files it might load in via inline nodes) are called a "world". VRML is a scene description language, which describes 3D environments over the Net. When you access a URL, a "Unique Resource Locator", containing a VRML world, a file is downloaded into your Web browser. When the browser sees a file with the .wrl file extension it tells your computer to launch your VRML viewer. Just as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is a file format that defines the layout and content of a 2D page with links to more information, VRML is a file format that defines the layout and content of a 3D world with links to more information. Unlike HTML, however, VRML worlds are spacious and inherently interactive - filled with objects that react to the user and to each other. VRML allows for information, including links to other pieces of Web content, to be easily represented in an interactive 3D world. VRML is scalable across platforms ranging from PCs to high-end workstations. VRML is also bandwidth efficient. Intricate, interactive 3D worlds can be described in worlds that are similar in size to HTML pages. Most of the time when VRML files are large it is because of motion capture data, animation, sound, or video, all of which will be reduced as "streaming media" becomes a reality. Straight VRML files are actually very small, especially if special optimization steps are taken.


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What is Common Rail Direct Injection ( CRDI ) ?

CRDi means Common Rail Direct Injection. This is a new technology for diesel engines - suitable for both passenger cars and commercial vehicles.

CRDi, which has been sourced from the US-based Detroit Diesels, is extremely popular in the US and Europe because of its higher fuel efficiency, improvement in drive quality and its quieter operation. CRDi technology is based on direct injection technology and have "rails" which inject pressurized fuel directly into the engine cylinder. This significantly improves engine efficiency and reduces noise and vibrations.

In CRDi unit, a tube (common rail) connects all the injectors and carries fuel at a constant high pressure of 1,300 bar. The CRDi engine squirts a small amount of fuel into the engine before the actual charge and one afterwards. The high pressure in common rail ensures that when injected, the fuel atomizes to a very high degree that mixes evenly with the air, ensuring maximum combustion. Also, the injectors have variable control heads which allow a "very precise" dose of diesel into each cylinder. CRDi electronically controls the engine pressure, fuel quantity and injection timing to give better fuel efficiency.

Advantages:
* 30-35% more mileage
* 25% more power than normal DI engine
* 70% more torque than normal diesel engine
* less Noisy
* more driving comfort
* more environment friendly

Disadvantage:
* high initial cost, spares and labor.

FIAT has set the record of producing large-scale CRDi engines for the first time. Globally, Bosch is the leader in CRDi with over 75% of the market share, followed by Siemens VDO, Delphi (Lucas) and Denso.

Hope you enjoyed this information.


Jythra Engineering Services
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What is Cellular Manufacturing ?

Cellular Manufacturing (CM) refers to a manufacturing system wherein the equipment and workstations are arranged in an efficient sequence that allows a continuous and smooth movement of parts/tools/materials to produce products from start to finish in a single process flow, while incurring minimal transport or waiting time, or any delay for that matter.

CM is a model for workplace design and is an important ingredient of Lean manufacturing. The goal of lean manufacturing is the aggressive minimization of waste in order to achieve maximum efficiency of resources. Cellular manufacturing, sometimes called cellular or cell production, arranges factory floor labor into semi-autonomous and multi-skilled teams, or work cells, who would manufacture entire (simple) products or discreet (complex) product components. The semi-autonomous and self-managed cells, if properly trained and implemented, are more flexible and responsive than the traditional mass production line, and therefore in a better position to manage processes, defects, scheduling, equipment maintenance etc.

Cellular manufacturing is fairly a new application of Group Technology (GT). GT is a management strategy with long term goals of staying in business, growing and making profits. Companies are under relentless pressure to reduce costs while meeting the high quality expectations of the customer to maintain a competitive advantage. Cellular manufacturing, where properly implemented, is able to allow companies to achieve cost savings and quality improvements, especially when combined with the other aspects of lean manufacturing. Cell manufacturing systems are currently used to manufacture anything from hydraulic and engine pumps used in aircrafts to plastic packaging components.


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What is Lean Manufacturing ?

Principles of Lean Manufacturing - A More Profitable Way

Most of the manufacturer waste 70 to 90% of their resources during manufacturing. It is a difficult process to reduce the waste; even a best Lean Manufacturing plant may have around 30% wastage of its resources.

Lean manufacturing is a technique to reduce the waste in a manufacturing process. As a result of lean manufacturing techniques, several companies are thriving, operating with less waste and using fewer resources to produce quality goods.

The benefits of lean manufacturing include:
Reduced lead time
Optimized space usage
Increased productivity
Improved product quality

Improved delivery schedulesMany companies also have realized higher employee morale, in part because lean manufacturing includes listening to workers and their ideas about how to run things better.


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Navistar Finds Growth in Non-Traditional Markets

Mar 20, 2007 10:27 AM

Navistar International Corporation today reported that growth in non-traditional vehicle markets is paying off as total first-quarter worldwide shipments were flat despite a 6% decline in Class 6-8 commercial truck and school bus shipments in the United States and Canada brought about by a mid-cycle correction coupled with the end of the 2006 pre-buy.

Worldwide shipments of school buses, Class 6-7 medium trucks and Class 8 heavy trucks and non-traditional vehicles for the three months ended January 31, 2007, totaled 27,500 units, down 0.4% from the 27,600 units shipped in the same period a year earlier. Non-traditional shipments were up 24% to 7,500 units from 6,000 units in the first quarter of 2006. Non-traditional shipments include military vehicles sold overseas as well as other export sales, small bus, Class 4-5 vehicles and stripped chassis for the motor home and step-van markets. With the exception of export, Class 5 and military businesses, Navistar did not participate in these markets in 2005.

Shipments of schools buses, Class 6-7 medium truck and Class 8 heavy trucks in the United States and Canada in the first quarter totaled 22,400 units, down 6.4% from the 24,000 units shipped in the first quarter of 2006.

Navistar is the world’s largest mid-range diesel engine manufacturer, and the company’s engine facilities shipped a total of 104,000 units during the quarter, down from 123,100 units a year earlier. Shipments of diesel engines to Ford Motor Company were down by nearly 19,000 units.
The company has not changed its previously announced forecast of industry volume for the United States and Canada for its fiscal year ending October 31, 2007. It is anticipated that sales of medium and heavy trucks and school buses will range from 325,000 to 347,000 units, which would represent a decline of between 24% to 28% from the record 454,500 units sold in fiscal 2006.

While Navistar typically does not break out its own segment forecast of U.S. and Canadian industry sales, to demonstrate the rapid growth in its non-traditional markets, the company said it anticipates that its own sales of non-traditional vehicles in fiscal 2007 will range between 35,000 units to 40,000 units, a gain of 20% to 26% over fiscal 2006 sales.
Daniel C. Ustian, Navistar chairman, president and chief executive officer, said the goal is to achieve $15 billion in revenues with 10% segment margins by 2009 with good returns at all points of the business cycle.

Ustian said that the company maintained its market share position for the first fiscal quarter year-over-year and, more importantly, “maintained our stance on pricing and collected for the full value of our products.”

“With our first quarter market share position in our core businesses, and the growth in our non-traditional businesses, we continue to be focused on delivering on our commitments by aggressively implementing a plan based on three strategic initiatives: great products, a competitive cost structure, and profitable growth,” Ustian said.

“Even with the industry expected to be down approximately 25% in 2007 and engine shipments slowing, we believe the growth in other areas and our focus on margin improvement will enable us to deliver a solid 2007,” Ustian said.

Source Courtesy : http://trailer-bodybuilders.com/news


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DaimlerChrysler (DC’s) Truck Group

DaimlerChrysler (DC’s) Truck Group will launch its globally standardized heavy-duty engine platform at Freightliner in 2007 as part of DC’s global initiative to have Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Western Star, Sterling and Mitsubishi Fuso brands share 90% of their engine parts.

The Truck Group estimates that 52% of the new heavy-duty engines will be used by Freightliner in the NAFTA region, 40% by Mercedes-Benz in Europe and Latin America and 8% by Mitsubishi Fuso in Japan.

The parts sharing initiative is a pillar in DC’s plan to achieve a profit margin of 7% for the Truck Group. The drive train offers the greatest potential for savings, DC said.


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