bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Pin Size on Reciprocating Sliding Wear Test of Ti-6Al-4V
Authors: Nurdin Nurarina Ahmad , Harun D.A. , Mohd Tobi Abdul Latif , Nasir R. Md.
Published: July 2015

Ti-6Al-4V is material that has the special characterisation and widely used in tribology studies. In this study reciprocating sliding test between Ti-6Al-4V pin on Ti-6Al-4V flat surface was conclude and focussed on the different contact area of pin size. The testing is run using tribometer pin-on-flat machine where the parameter set on the computer. The sample profilometry than analysed using 3D optical microscope (OM) and value of hardness get from Vickers hardness (HV) test. Due to the experiment, the contact pressure for 6.5 mm is higher than the 12 mm pin size, that brings the higher depth of wear.
The Acoustical Characteristics Analysis on Different Type of Natural Fibres
Authors: Sambu Mathan , Nizam Yahya Musli , Abdul Latif Hanif , Mohamed Hatta Mohamed Nasrul , bin Ghazali Mohd Imran
Published: July 2015

Natural fibres are fibre that can be directly obtained from an animal, mineral, or vegetable sources. Recently natural materials are becoming a good alternative for synthetic material as they provide good health to a greener environment. This aim of this study to investigate and compared the acoustic characteristics of three natural fibres; Kenaf fibre(Hibiscus Cannabinus), Ijuk fibre(Arenga Pinnata), and Coconut coir fibre, where each material is qualified for acoustical absorption. During the processing stage, each fibre is reinforced with 60:40 ratio of pure latex separately. The fibres are then compressed after the pure latex treatment into circular samples, of 28 mm and 100 mm diameters respectively. The thickness of each sample is fixed at 50mm. The acoustical performances were evaluated by using an impedance tube instrument. This study also investigates the effect of air gap of 10mm and 50mm in the sound absorption performance. The results show that, all the three fibres have reached an optimum level of sound absorption value of more than 0.7. The frequency peak value of Kenaf is obtained in a range of 700 Hz – 800 Hz, while for coconut coir is at 1000 Hz – 1075 Hz frequency range. Only Ijuk has obtained the highest frequency range of 3200 Hz – 3400 Hz. The results demonstrate that these three fibres are a promising light and environment-friendly sound absorption material as they are ready to replace the common synthetic fibre.
Fatigue Strength of High Strength Steel Sheets Joined by Hemming Process
Authors: Hamedon Zamzuri , Mori Ken Ichiro , Abe Yohei
Published: July 2015

It is strongly desirable for the vehicle to improve passenger safety and at the same time to reduce the weight of the vehicles. A hollow section for the body structure of automobiles is studied. A high strength steel sheet is used to make the hollow sections in this studied, which are typically joined by resistance spot welding have insufficient energy absorption because the joins are not continuous. Thus, to overcome this problem, the hollow section is joined using the hemming process. The high strength steel hollow sections joined by hemming and resistance spot welding were then examined by tensile and fatigue tests. The hollow section with hemmed joins showed better performance in both tests. The overlapping joins of the hemmed hollow section have greater strength as compared to the resistance of spot welding joins.
Natural Convection Heat Transfer in Two-Square Duct Annuli Filled with a Nanofluid
Authors: Bakar N.A. , Aman F. , Mohamad Mahathir , Roslan Rozaini
Published: July 2015

The problem of natural convection fluid flow and heat transfer of TiO2-water nanofluid inside of two differentially-heated square ducts is analysed numerically by finite difference method. The outer duct is maintained at a constant temperature Tc, while the inner duct is kept at higher constant temperature Th. The effect of the Rayleigh number, Ra and the nanoparticle volume fraction, φ on the heat transfer and Nusselt number, Nu are investigated and compared to previous study.
Bubble Nucleation and Growth of Dissolved Gas in Solution Flowing across a Cavitating Nozzle
Authors: Ban Zhen Hong , Lau Kok Keong , Azmi Mohd Sharif
Published: July 2015

Computational modelling of dissolved gas bubble formation and growth in supersaturated solution is essential for various engineering applications, including flash vaporisation of petroleum crude oil. The common mathematical modelling of bubbly flow only caters for single liquid and its vapour, which is known as cavitation. This work aims to simulate the bubble nucleation and growth of dissolved CO2 in water across a cavitating nozzle. The dynamics of bubble nucleation and growth phenomenon will be predicted based on the hydrodynamics in the computational domain. The complex interrelated bubble dynamics, mass transfer and hydrodynamics was coupled by using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and bubble nucleation and growth model. Generally, the bubbles nucleate at the throat of the nozzle and grow along with the flow. Therefore, only the region after the throat of the nozzle has bubbles. This approach is expected to be useful for various types of bubbly flow modelling in supersaturated condition.
Numerical Simulation on End Suction Centrifugal Pump Running in Inverse Flow for Microhydro Applications
Authors: Ismail Mohd Azlan , Othman Al Khalid , Zen Hushairi
Published: July 2015

The initial capital cost for most microhydro projects has always been an overriding issue for self-funded remote communities. The cost will escalate significantly in the absence of local microhydro electromechanical manufacturers. The application of end suction centrifugal pump as turbine will reduce the overall cost, which renders microhydro systems feasible for self-funded projects and are therefore suitable for rural communities. The goal of this study is to design and develop a pump as turbine (PAT) which serves as a substitute to commercial electromechanical components. Numerical analysis of an inverse flow for an end suction centrifugal pump is presented in this paper, which includes the performance curves and hydraulic characteristics of the pump. ANSYS CFX, a commercial CFD software is used to simulate the performance of the pump with specific speed, Ns of 70 units (Euroflo EU50-20). The computational flow domain inside the pump is comprises of impeller, volute and draft tube. Unstructured tetrahedral mesh is used to maintain good surface mesh due to complex flow domain geometries. The governing equations used in the simulations are three-dimensional, incompressible Navier-Stokes and k-ϵ turbulence model under steady-state condition. The simulation results are compared with pump performance curve supplied by the pump manufacturer. The verification results show good agreement for flow rates between 0.7 and 1.3 QBEP. The best efficient point (BEP) for inverse flow is attained at a higher head and flow rate compared to pump mode, whereby the value is found to be 21.55 m and 14.0 l/s, respectively. It is believed that the findings of this study will be useful to predict hydraulic characteristics and performance curves of PAT and the model may be used to identify poor flow characteristics inside the pump. It is recommended that optimization process is carried out using CFD tools in future studies.
Experimental Study on Film Cooling Effectiveness of Shallow Hole with Upstream Sister Holes
Authors: bin Salleh Hamidon , Yee Jing Zu
Published: July 2015

In order to increase the thermal efficiency of a gas turbine, the operating temperature has to be increased. This increment may cause the material of the blade to melt. Film cooling is a good option to solve this problem. Various studies has been done on film cooling include the shallow hole and sister holes. The present study focused on an experimental of film cooling effectiveness on shallow hole of 20° with upstream sister holes with 3 blowing ratios which are 1.0, 15 and 2.0. The result showed significant improvement compared to shallow hole of 35°. The optimum blowing ratio is 1.5. Smaller shallow angle and upstream sister holes reduce the jet lifting effect of the secondary air flow. Future study can be done on shallow hole of shallow angle and blowing ratio around 1.5 in order to further improve the film cooling effectiveness.
Evaluation of Diesel Engine Performance and Exhaust Emission Characteristics Using Waste Cooking Oil
Authors: Ramlan Nur Atiqah , Abdullah Abdul Adam , Hamzah Mohd Herzwan , Jaharudin Nur Fauziah , Mamat Rizalman
Published: July 2015

The depletion of fossil fuels as well as the rises of greenhouse gases had caused most government worldwide to follow the international energy policies for the use of biodiesel. One of the economical sources for biodiesel production is waste cooking oil. The use of waste cooking oil is more sustainable if they can perform similarly to conventional diesel fuel. This paper deals with the experimental study carried out to evaluate the engine performance and exhaust emission of diesel engine operated by biodiesel from waste cooking oil at various engine speed. The biodiesel used are known as B5, which contains of 5% of waste cooking oil and 95% of diesel fuel. The other one is B20, which contains of 20% of waste cooking oil plus 80% of diesel. Diesel was used as a comparison purposes. The results show that power and torque for B5 give the closest trend to diesel. In terms of heat release, diesel still dominates the highest value compared to B5 and B20. For exhaust emission, B5 and B20 showed improvement in the reduction of NOx and PM.
Effects of Temperature and Ambient Pressure on Spray Characteristics of Biodiesel Combustion
Authors: Jaat Mohamad , Khalid Amir , Sapit Azwan , Basharie Siti Mariam , Andsaler Adiba Rhaodah , Ramsy Him
Published: July 2015

s: Diesel fuel injection is the most dominant in ignition process of the diesel engines combustion. Diesel engines have been widely used in heavy-duty and light-duty vehicles due to their higher fuel economy, efficient and powerful than spark ignition (SI) engines. The principal objective of this research is to seek the effect of temperature and pressure on the spray characteristics, as well as fuel-air mixing characteristics. Experiments were performed in a constant volume chamber at specified ambient gas temperature and pressure. This research was continued with injecting diesel fuel into the chamber using a Bosch common rail system. Direct photography technique with a digital camera was used to clarify the real images of mixture formation such as spray penetration, fuel evaporation and spray interference. The liquid phase of the spray reaches a maximum penetration distance soon after the start of injection, while the vapour phase of the spray continues to penetrate downstream. The condition to which the fuel is affected was estimated by combining information on the wall chamber temperature, ambient temperature and photographs of the spray. The increases in ambient pressure inside the chamber resulting in gain of spray area and wider spray angle. Thus predominantly promotes for a better fuel-air premixing.
Analysis of Sound Produced by a Traditional Malay Musical Instrument “Kompang”
Authors: Ismail Al Emran , Arif K.A. , Yahya Musli Nizam , Siswanto Waluyo Adi , Nawi Ismail
Published: July 2015

This paper presents frequency analyses of sounds produced by traditional Malay musical instrument “kompang”. Kompang is used to produce exotic sound especially certain grand ceremony. In order to produce sound, different types of skins are used especially made from polymer (used x-ray film) and animal skins. However, the sound produced by a polymeric skin is not similar with the sound produced using an animal skin. Therefore, this present work investigated the effect of such skins on the sound produced and as a result affecting the sound quality. Appropriated software is used to conduct the frequency analyses in order to investigate whether the polymeric skin can be a replaceable skin in replacing an animal skin. It is found two different skin materials have their own sound characteristics and it is also indicated that lower peak sound frequency produced by animal skin compared with the polymeric skin.
Application of Schlieren Optical Visualization System in External Combustion and Internal Combustion Engine: A Review
Authors: Samsudin Dahrum , Anuar M.D. , Othman Safwan , Manshoor Bukhari , Khalid Amir
Published: July 2015

Schlieren optical visualization technique system is the unique technique due to the ability in producing a neutral image easily-interpretable image of refractive-index-gradient areas. The Schlieren system provides a method for viewing the flow through the transparent media and the most using this technique is to photograph the flow. This paper presents the review of the application of the Schlieren optical visualization system external and internal combustion engine in order to observe the fuel-air mixing and flame development during the burning process. The basic technique of Schlieren system, especially for Z-type and two mirror Schlieren system provide a powerful and clearly image to visualize the changes of the density in a transparent medium. This method can capture spray evaporation, spray interference and mixture formation clearly with real images. Analysis of optical image visualization observations reveals that the mixture formation of fuel and air exhibits the influence of the ignition and flame development. Thus, the observation of systematic control of the creation of a mixture of experimental apparatus allows us to achieve significant progress in the combustion process and will present the information to understanding the basic terms of reduced fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.
Analysis of Combustion Characteristics of Waste Plastic Disposal Fuel (WPDF) and Tire Derived Fuel (TDF)
Authors: Hamzah Mohd Herzwan , Abdullah Abdul Adam , Sudrajat Agung , Ramlan Nur Atiqah , Jaharudin Nur Fauziah
Published: July 2015

The increase of industrial activities and motor vehicles globally causes rise demands in fossil fuel as energy sources. Since fossil fuel is non-renewable energy, many researches have been conducted to reduce the reliance to this fossil fuel. In conjunction, the number of waste plastic and tires around the world is increasing as a result of modern application and increasing number of motor vehicle. This type of waste is hard to decays and commonly dumped onto open landfills. Utilization of waste tires and plastics can produce alternative fuel that potentially can be used in diesel engine. In this paper, the combustion characteristics of two waste source fuels known as waste plastic disposal fuel (WPDF) and tire disposal fuel (TDF) are discussed. The combustion characteristics of both fuels are compared to diesel fuel. WPDF and TDF used in this experiment are pure concentrated and not blended with diesel fuel. The experiment is conducted using single cylinder YANMAR TF120M diesel engine. The engine is operated at constant load at 20 Nm and variable speed ranged from 1200 rpm to 2400 rpm. The combustion characteristics that discussed in this paper are ignition delay and peak pressure. Both characteristic are measured at two engine speed region which is low speed (1200 rpm) and high speed (2100 rpm). From the results obtained, it can be observed that WPDF has comparable ignition delay compared to diesel fuel while TDF has longest ignition delay compared to WPDF and diesel fuel. TDF also produce highest peak pressure compared to other tested fuels. Moreover, TDF is not suitable for high speed application since it cause backfire when engine speed reach 2200 rpm.
Photon-Assisted Electrodeposition of <0001>-n-ZnO/<111>-p-Cu2O Photovoltaic Devices with TiO2 Intermediate Layer
Authors: Zamzuri Mohd , Sasano Junji , binti Mohamad Fariza , Izaki Masanobu
Published: July 2015

The <111>-Cu2O/<0001>-ZnO photovoltaic (PV) device has been constructed by a electrodeposition f Cu2O layer followed by a photon-assisted electrochemical reaction in aqueous solutions, and the effect of the insertion of the TiO2 layer prepared by a sol-gel technique on the photovoltaic performance was investigated. The structural, optical, and electrical characterizations were carried out with XRD, FE-SEM, UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer, and solar simulator. The performance of AZO/<0001>-ZnO/TiO2/<111>-Cu2O PV-devices changed depending on the preparation condition for the TiO2 layer, and the short-circuit current density of 4.86 mAcm-2 has been obtained for the PV device prepared under optimized condition.
Seeded Porous Silicon Preparation as a Substrate in the Growth of ZnO Nanostructures
Authors: Eswar Kevin Alvin , Lepit Ajis , Rasmidi Rosfayanti , Husairi F.S. , Afaah A.N. , Noor Aadilla Abdul Aziz , Asib N.A.M. , Aziz Azlinda , Khusaimi Zuraida , Alrokayan Salman A.H. , Khan Haseeb A. , Rusop Mohamad , Abdullah Saifollah
Published: July 2015

In this work, seeded porous silicon (PSi) was used as a substrate in the growth of ZnO nanostructures. PSi was prepared by electrochemical etching method. ZnO thin films as seeded were deposited via sol-gel spin coating method. ZnO nanostructures were grown on seeded PSi using hydrothermal immersion method. In order to study the effect of post-heat treatment on the substrate, post annealing temperature were varied in the range of 300 to 700 °C. The FESEM results shows ZnO thin film composed of nanoparticles were distributed over the PSi surface. Based on AFM characterization, the smoothest surface was produced at post annealing temperature of 500 °C. There are two different peaks appeared in PL characterization. The peak in near-UV range is belonging to ZnO thin films while a broad peak in visible range can be attributed to ZnO defects and PSi surface. In addition, FESEM, XRD and PL were used to characterize the ZnO nanostructures. The FESEM results revealed ZnO nano-flower were successfully grown on seeded PSi. Hexagonal wurtzite of ZnO with dominated by the plane (100), (002), and (101) was found by XRD characterization. Two different peaks in UV range and visible range can be attributed to ZnO nano-flower and various defects of ZnO, respectively.
Effect of Deposition Temperature on Surface Morphology and Electrical Properties of Fluorine Doped Tin Oxide (FTO) Thin Film by Spray Pyrolysis Technique
Authors: Khalid Noor Sakinah , How Soo Ren , Lias Jais , Ahmad Mohd Khairul
Published: July 2015

Fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) thin films were prepared at different deposition temperatures using the spray pyrolysis deposition (SPD) technique. The deposition temperature were ranging from 250°C °C to 450°C and the precursor used was 0.5M of SnCl4.5H2O and 1.527M of NH4F completely dissolved in distilled water. It was observed that the conductivity of the FTO thin film increased with increasing of deposition temperature. At 450°C, it was shown the conductivity became smaller. Surface morphologies of FTO thin films at different deposition temperature had shown that the growth of crystallite particles and its distributions were totally affected by the deposition temperature. The transmittance of FTO thin films was over 80% within the wavelength from 300 nm - 800 nm. Thus, the best deposition temperature to be used is around 350°C to 400°C for depositing the FTO film.
Derivation of GdxZn1-xO Film: The Effects of Gd Concentration on the Structural, Morphological and Optical Properties
Authors: Norhidayah Che Ani , Kamaruddin Sharul Ashikin , Ab Rasid Nurul Fadzilah , Nafarizal Nayan , Tawil S.N.M. , Sahdan Mohd Zainizan
Published: July 2015

In recent years there has been renewed interest in zinc oxide semiconductor, mainly triggered by its prospects in optoelectronic applications. Doping ZnO with various elements has been a popular technique to gain the extrinsic properties for device applications. In this work we have studied the effect of Gadolinium (Gd) concentration on properties of sol–gel derived Gd doped ZnO films. The Gd concentration varying from 1 to 8 atomic percent (at.%). The structural, morphological and optical analyses were monitored by (XRD, Bruker D8 Advance), atomic force microscope (AFM, Tenko XE-100) and ultra violet-visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis, Shimadzu UV 1800), respectively. Observations from the XRD results showed that all films exhibit the hexagonal wurtzite crystal structure and higher peak intensity observed at (002) peak. Based on XRD analysis, we also found that Gd concentration has a significant effect on the crystallite size and strain of the films. Moreover, the AFM analysis revealed that the surface become more uniform and denser as the Gd concentration increased. In addition, the optical transmittance spectra indicate that all films were highly transparent (>90%) in the visible range which slightly improved with increasing Gd concentration. The detail explanation on the mechanism will be discussed in detail in this paper.
Rutile-Phased TiO Nanorods/Nanoflowers Based Dye-Sensitized Solar Cell
Authors: bin Ahmad Mohd Khairul , Murakami Kenji
Published: July 2015

Aligned Rutile TiO2 nanorods (r-TNRs) and TiO2 nanoflowers (r-TNFs) were successfully prepared by hydrothermal method. Using hydrochloric acid (HCl) as chelating agent and titanium butoxide (TBOT) as precursor, aligned r-TNRs with r-TNFs were successfully growth onto fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) with different morphologies. The influences of surface morphologies to the rutile based Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) efficiency are discussed. The highest light-to-electric energy conversion efficiency, 1.80% is achieved using different concentration under simulated solar light illumination of 100 mWcm-2 (1.5 AM).
Synthesis and Characterization of Gadolinium Doped Zinc Oxide Nanorods Thin Films
Authors: Sarip Nurulnadia , Nordin A.L. , Sam M.S.M. , Kamaruddin S.A. , Mahmud Fahanahani , Tawil S.N.M. , Sahdan Mohd Zainizan
Published: July 2015

ZnO nanorods (NRs) arrays were synthesized by chemical solution deposition (CSD) method on commercial glass substrate with ZnO thin film act as seed layer prepared by sol-gel spin coating. The effect of annealing temperature of 150°C, 250°C and 500°C, respectively, on the structural growth was investigated. The observation reveals the structural improvement as the annealing temperature increased. The influence of gadolinium doping to ZnO NRs arrays was explored upon the structural and optical features. The FESEM imaging along with XRD, AFM and UV-Vis analysis were conducted to dissect the information gained by performing a study case on various gadolinium doping content in the range of 1 at. % to 4 at. %. Based on the results, the correlation between the doping content were drawn in details in this paper.
The Study on Whole Body Vibration Exposure Induces Low Back Pain among UTHM Bus Drivers
Authors: Mohd Noor Ahmad Fuad , Yahya Musli Nizam , Ghazali Mohd Imran , Azmir Nor Azali , Tamil Selvan Hari Krishnan
Published: July 2015

Buses are one of the important public transportation in Malaysia and commonly important for the student in any university. Thus, the study about Whole-Body Vibration (WBV) exposure induces to Low Back Pain (LBP) among the Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) was done. The objective was determine whether the bus drivers in UTHM would exceed the exposure action and limit values from the ISO 2631-1 (1997) during the working hours. Data collected according to different type of buses and evaluated the vibration significant different between buses based on the subjective correlation due to WBV questionnaire analysis. Analyze the prevalence of LBP based on the measurement and the questionnaire analysis. The study based on the international standard ISO 2631-1 (1997) which is related to the root-men-square (r.m.s) and Vibration Dose Value (VDV) parameter. The study covered among the bus drivers in UTHM. The measurement tools involved in the study is Larson Davis Vibration Meter (HVM 100) with Tri-axial Seat Pad Accelerometer to record data collection. The BLAZE software analyze the vibration exposure exceed the total vibration exposure according to 8 hours day A(8) value of 1.15 m/s2 and VDV value of 21.0 m/s1.75. The IBM Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used to do statistical analysis and testing involved was correlation, regression and ANOVA. Result obtained shows the A(8) and VDV was under EAV with highest value of 0.520 m/s2 and12.65 m/s1.75. The highest contribution factors by the duration to complete single trip per day (α=0.500).The further re-assess of working schedule need to be done in order to control the exposure level toward drivers. The assessment should be done for every two years.
Development of Programmable Integrated Circuit (PIC) Module with Multiple Outputs for Students Psychomotor Skill Enhancement
Authors: Burhan Ibrahim , Azman Ahmad Aftas , Ab. Aziz Ahmad Azlan
Published: July 2015

Programmable Integrated Circuit (PIC) module for educational purposes is developed based on the existing unsatisfactory PIC simulation which is not able to achieve the objective and learning outcome in enhancing the student’s psychomotor aspect through circuit designing, installation and trouble shooting. The existing PIC programming through computer simulation, which students facing difficulty in observing and understanding the wiring assembly between the input module, PIC microcontroller and output modules. The development of PIC module has been designed and improved by increasing the number of output components,cost reduction and it is also user friendly. Furthermore, this PIC module is embedded with I/O module such as normally open push buttons, 12VDC motor, servomotor, LEDs light, LCD display, and seven-segment display. Newly developed PIC module can be programme and re-programme for various tasks. Based on students Lab Practical Assessment record, there is an average of 39% and 22% of improvement on knowledge and psychomotor skill respectively when students used newly developed PIC modules for laboratory practical work.
Comparative Study of Small Office Layout Based on Amount of Communication and Knowledge Creation Behavior
Authors: Md Ajis Azizah , Muramatsu Shin , Naka Ryusuke
Published: July 2015

The increasing use of electronically mediated communication among workers when dealing with collocated group members has become unavoidable. Besides, communication is a vital part of sustainability strategy of an organization in order to keep abreast with business agility, as well as increasing organization’s intellectual productivity. However, the importance of physical workplace as a place supporting face to face communication cannot be denied since it is one of the factors of successful accomplishment of complex group tasks and activities. In this paper, we explored and compared the characteristics of two small office layout and physical settings on group’s communication while performing their work process – in this case we adopted SECI Model behaviors. The ethnographic and cross-sectional studies were conducted, and relationship between physical design, communication and work process have been explored by considering the office layout of two project groups at research institution in Japan. The findings highlighted the differences in distribution of amount of communication in these two layouts based on several measurements such as communication contents, unit boundaries, SECI behaviors and so on. Based on the result of the study, we suggest the layout and physical settings that foster communicative workplace as well as supporting their work process.
Supply Chain Risk Management in Automotive Small and Medium Enterprises in Malaysia
Authors: Salleh Hudin Norlaile , Abdul Hamid Abu Bakar
Published: July 2015

The current automotive supply chain is facing more risks than ever due to the heavy dependencies of local automotive component manufacturers with foreign and established global producers. In response, this paper is designed to explore the supply chain risk management (SCRM) practice of automotive industry in Malaysia. In-depth case studies were conducted at two automotive components manufacturers based on three constructs of SCRM framework including the SCRM process, tools used in SCRM and techniques to minimize risk. The case studies revealed that the automotive companies implemented failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), 5 why analysis, impact-aspect study, and recovery planning to manage their supply chain risks. In addition, brainstorming techniques, experience and expert judgment were mainly used as risk identification and assessment techniques. Most of the risks encountered during operations were dealt by reactive strategies such as back-up suppliers and increasing buffer stocks. Overall, the automotive companies are heading towards more formal and sophisticated SCRM especially with the certification of TS16949 although there are still plenty of rooms for improvements in the risk identification and risk assessment techniques since very limited quantitative techniques were evidenced.
Determinants of Risk Management Adoption in Organisations and Supply Chains
Authors: Salleh Hudin Norlaile , Abdul Hamid Abu Bakar , Thoo Ai Chin
Published: July 2015

The implementation of risk management (RM) increases the value of firms, reduces the cost of debts, increases profits and improves decision making. However, the debates on what determines RM adoption are still unresolved due to limited evidence of RM adoption in industrial settings. Therefore, this paper aims to propose a conceptual framework of the determinants that influence the adoption of RM. It has been found that two factors, the perception of risk management and risk perception, have often been neglected in prior research. Thus, this paper extends the existing literature by introducing these factors to the framework of RM adoption. It is suggested that future case studies can be conducted to examine the significance of these two factors.
Cloud Computing Information System Architecture for Precast Supply Chain Management
Authors: Abedi Mohammad , Rawai Norshakila , Fathi Mohamad Syazli , Mirasa Abdul Karim
Published: July 2015

The precast construction industry is associated with a lot of activities, vast effort, many parties and numerous processes. The parties involved in the precast supply chain including the planning, design, manufacturing, transportation, installation and construction should have efficient communication and access to precise and latest information contributing to the enhanced collaboration, sustainability and improving the integration. The aim of this study is to explore the collaboration tools with proposing the cloud system architecture for the precast supply chain management. The research findings are according to the comprehensive review of the literature on supply chain management, precast construction industry and cloud computing. Findings demonstrates the major problems within the precast supply chain phases comprised of poor planning, ineffective communications among designers and manufacturers, incompetent employees and damage to raw materials, large size and heavy precast components and the poor on-site coordination. These major problems within the precast supply chain phases could contribute to negative consequences on the efficiency, productivity and effectiveness of precast delivery. Therefore, to mitigate and overcome these major problems within the precast construction, the cloud computing implementation as the valuable alternative could be delivered to enhance the efficiencies and effectiveness of the collaboration systems. This research propose and establishes the concepts of valuable collaborative tools, for instance the Cloud Computing Information Systems (CCIS), for assisting the processes, activities, information and networks within the precast supply chain management through increasing the opportunities to attain higher competitive advantages. Initially, it is anticipated that this research will result to the enhanced collaboration in order to deliver more competitive advantages and increase the opportunities for the globalisation of the construction industry. Secondly, it proposes an effective technique to establish innovative visions, enhanced productivity, increased effectiveness, improve integration and sustainability leading to efficient collaboration within the construction industry.
Maintenance Organization at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM)
Authors: bin Yasin Mohd Norazam , Abdullah Abd Halid , Mustakim Fajaruddin , Singh Bachan , Abd Hamid Abd Rahim
Published: July 2015

Proper maintenance of buildings is to extend the life span of buildings. In order to maintain the buildings, apart from maintenance work, is the organization aspect, one of the important elements in building maintenance. The organization will have to be carefully structured and designed so that the staff can function efficiently. The staff will have to be given training from time to time so that they are acquainted with the current technology and to tackle the challenges. The objectives of this study are to examine the current maintenance organizational structure, to identify the main problems faced by the maintenance staff, to evaluate the level of job satisfaction and to identify the types of training to be provided to the maintenance staff. The study is carried through questionnaires and interviews. A total of fifty (50) questionnaires are distributed to the respondents consisting of engineers, technical assistants and technicians. The data is analyzed using average index. From the study, it was found that the type of organization structure of the maintenance department in UTHM is of line and staff.
A Field Study on Urban Rail Transits in City of Kuala Lumpur: Passenger Views on Train Noise and Vibration
Authors: bin Mohd Masirin Mohd Idrus , Johari Nur Farrina , Nordin Noor Hafiza , Abdullah Abdul Halid , Azis Mohd Isom
Published: July 2015

Malaysia is a fast developing country which thrives on the growth of its population and economy. Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia with an area of 243 km2 has a population of 1.4 million [1]. From the statistics, the number of passengers using intercity train services in Malaysia in was 187,345,149 in the year 2012 [2]. Comfortability of a service is a major factor that influences the public. The research will be conducted at the City of Kuala Lumpur, PUTRA LRT (Kelana Jaya Line) and MONOREL Line is selected as the main focus of the research. The data collection will be conducted in the train coaches with two parameters. The noise and vibrations in the train coaches will be taken using the Sound Level Meter (NOR118) and Vibration Meter (Movipack 01dB-Steel) respectively. The noise data were obtained from the interior of the train coaches during operation, while the vibrations were obtained from the wall surface of the coach interior. The vibration aspect for this research is more focused on three parameters which are displacement (μm), vibration velocity (mm/s) and vibration frequency (Hz)[7]. Questionnaires were given out to the train passengers in order to obtain public opinions and satisfaction feedbacks relating their experiences on the train coaches. In this paper it also discusses on the outcomes of the field research work conducted and it was found that PUTRA LRT has a lower vibration value when compared to the MONOREL. The public opinion has also showed unanimous agreement to the field observations conducted by the researchers. However, MONOREL records lower noise levels compared to PUTRA LRT which means quieter journey experience to the commuters. It is hoped that this study will enable the operators to enhance their service weaknesses with the public playing a part in improving the urban rail transit in the City of Kuala Lumpur. Keywords:Comfortability,Noise,Vibration,LRT,MONOREL,
Steel Ball System Control Using T-S Type Fuzzy Logic
Authors: Ahmed Mohammed , Anene Ejike Chibuzor , Halilu Borskghinchin Daniel , Mamman Hassan Buhari
Published: July 2015

In this paper the Takagi-Sugeno type fuzzy logic was utilized for the purpose of control of electromagnetically levitated steel ball system. The system is the basis for important systems such as, the modern train which floats along the rails, aerospace shuttles, magnetic bearings and high precision systems. Such systems apart from being nonlinear they are also not stable. Results were obtained using the SIMULINK/MATLAB software and the control system developed for the electromagnetically levitated steel ball system was able to stabilize it with good response.
Effect of Rubber Tyre Granules on Concrete Strength and the Microstructure Characteristics of Rubberized Concrete
Authors: Jusli Euniza , Md Nor Hasanan , Ramadhansyah P.J. , Haron Zaiton
Published: July 2015

The influence of using rubber tyre granules (RTG) as aggregates on the strength of concrete and microstructure characteristics of rubberized concrete was investigated in this study. Mix proportion of cement: sand: aggregate: superplasticizer; 1:1.5:1.7:0.003 and 0.47 water cement ratio (w/c) was used. The RTG of size 1-4 mm and 5-8 mm were used throughout this study. Progressive reduction of strength was observed with the increased of RTG percentage and size. Thermogravimetry and differential thermogravimetric (TGA-DTA) analyses were performed to evaluate the decomposition process of materials heated up to 1000 oC. Less reactions the structure bonds are less at the range of 2000-3000 cm-1 wavelength were detected in Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) analysis due to the stability of the structures developed in concrete samples. In general, the main elements were calcium, carbon, silica and aluminum. The existence of SBR and carbon black of RTG in the sample can be observed by the presents of a carbon peak in EDX.
Performance of Rice Husk Ash as a Partial Cement Replacement in Fine Grained Mortar
Authors: Mohammad Noor Shuhada , Adnan Suraya Hani , Jamellodin Zalipah , Wan Yusof Wan Yuslinda
Published: July 2015

This paper investigates the performance of rice husk ash (RHA) in a fine grained mortar. RHA produced from control combustion of rice husk. Fine grained mortar (FGM) is a mortar containing fine sand with a maximum size of 1mm. Chemical composition of RHA and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) were investigated using XRF in order to know the silica content in these materials. The particle size of RHA was analyzed to make sure it fineness is same with OPC after grinding. Compressive and flexural strength of FGM were tested on mortar prism for size 40mm x 40mm x 160mm with replacement of RHA 10%, 20% and 30% by weight of cement at 7 days and 28 days ofcuring. All 24 specimens of FGM were caste and tested. The flexural strength, compressive strength of FGM have shown quite encouraging and interesting results. The optimum replacement of RHA in FGM from compressive and flexural strength is 20% by weight of cement.
Drag Reduction Technology of Jet - A Review
Authors: Gu Yunqing , Fan Tian Xing , Mou Jie Gang , Wu Deng Hao , Zheng Shui Hua , Jiang Lan Fang
Published: July 2015

With the development of world’s economy, energy shortage gradually appears. Resistance has a great influence on energy consumption. In other words, drag reduction means saving energy. Development of the drag reduction technology plays a very important role to improve the energy efficiency. Therefore, drag reduction technology of jet has become a hot research field. Drag reduction technology of jet is applied on the surface, so as to reduce surface friction resistance. Through analyzing the necessity of energy efficiency increase and jet drag reduction theory improvement, research progress of lateral jet flow technology and drag reduction technology of jet in the field of aircraft are reviewed. Besides, a main trend on the drag reduction technology of jet research is presented.
Effect of the Residual Stresses at the Stem–Cement Interface on the Mechanical Behaviour of Cemented Hip Femoral Prosthesis
Authors: Bouziane Mohamed Mokhtar , Moulgada A. , Djebbara N. , Sahli A. , Bachir Bouiadjra Bel Abbès , Benbarek Smail
Published: July 2015

In orthopaedic surgery and particularly in the total hip arthroplasty, the stem fixation is performed in general using a surgical cement which consists essentially of polymer polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA). During polymerisation of PMMA, residual stresses caused by volumetric and thermal shrinkage (exothermic reaction) are generated in the bulk cement. In this study, the three-dimensional finite element method is used to analyze the distribution stresses in the bone cement. Linear elastic analysis is adapted; von Mises, normal and shear stresses are the criterions that are of concern. The results showed that the inclusion of the residual stresses at the interface stem–cement increase the von Mises and the normal stresses in the different sides of the cement compared to the case without residual stresses.
Sensitivity Parameter Analysis of Graphene Based Bimetallic Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor
Authors: Mohanty Goutam , Sahoo Bijay Kumar , Akhtar Jamil
Published: July 2015

In this paper, we have studied theoretically the effect of bimetallic silver/ gold layer on sensitivity of the graphene based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor. Here, silver layer (instead of chromium and titanium) is used as an adhesive layer in between gold and BK7 glass prism. The optimized thickness of silver/gold layers reported in literature has been used for the analysis of various sensitivity parameters of the biosensor. A computational simulation is performed to analyze the nature of plasmon dip shift with respect to the addition of graphene layer and binding layer respectively.
Detecting Antibody-Labeled BCG MNPs Using a Magnetoresistive Biosensor and Magnetic Labeling Technique
Authors: Barroso Teresa R.G. , Martins Verónica C. , Cardoso Filipe , Cardoso Susana , Pedrosa Jorge , Correia-Neves Margarida , Rivas José , Freitas Paulo P.
Published: July 2015

Tuberculosis is still a major global health concern, causing the estimated death of 1.5 million people per year and being associated with high morbidity. The development of point-of-care diagnostic tools for tuberculosis is mandatory, especially because the fast and accurate detection of the slow-growing Mycobacterium tuberculosis by the conventional diagnostic tests is difficult.The objective of this work was to develop the first steps to achieve a portable method for the diagnosis of tuberculosis, by a sandwich-immunoassay combined with magnetoresistive biochip technology.With the purpose of conjugating 250 nm streptavidin-coated magnetic nanoparticles with anti- M.tuberculosis biotinylated antibodies, Mycobacteriumbovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin was used as a surrogate for M. tuberculosis bacteria. After magnetic capture, target bacteria were brought in contact with the surface of the magnetoresistive biochip previously functionalized with a secondary anti-M.tuberculosis antibody. Magnetically labeled cells were detected by an array of spin-valve sensors, which change their electrical resistance in the presence of the fringe field of the magnetic particles. Optimization studies on the efficiency of the magnetic capture and further recognition of the bacteria by the secondary antibody on the biochip surface were conducted. The results on the magnetoresistive biochip showed a clear difference in the signal between specific and control (non-specific) sensors, suggesting the usefulness of this technique as a potential biorecognition tool for the development of a point-of-care diagnostic method for tuberculosis.
ZnSe Quantum Dots through a Facile one Pot Synthesis Process
Authors: Syed Irtiqa , Chawla Santa
Published: July 2015

A novel one pot synthesis approach in oleic acid medium was employed to obtain monophasic ZnSe quantum dots (QD) of average size 3.7nm. The QDs were well crystalline in hexagonal phase as revealed by x-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) studies. The ZnSe QDs exhibit sharp emission peak in the blue (465nm) with 385picosecond fluorescence decay time. The theoretical band gap corresponding to 3.7nm ZnSe QDs matched well with the measured 3.11eV band gap of synthesized QDs which thus showed quantum confinement effect.
Effects of Ni Concentration on the Structural and Magnetic Properties of NiZnFe2O4 Ferrites Synthesized via a Polymer Precursor
Authors: Jadhav Jeevan , Biswas Somnath , Yadav A.K. , Jha S.N. , Bhattacharyya D. , Sahoo N.K.
Published: July 2015

In this paper, we report the experimental observations of the effects of Ni concentration on the structural and magnetic properties of NixZn1-xFe2O4 (x=0.2-0.8) ferrite nanoparticles synthesized by a chemical method via a polymer precursor. The synthesis process involves a reaction of aqueous solutions of metal salts (Fe3+, Zn2+ and Ni2+) with an aqueous poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA)-sucrose solution at 65-70oC. Controlled growth of the ferrite nanoparticles was achieved by encapsulation of the nucleating sites in the PVA-sucrose polymer micelles. Structural properties of the derived samples were analyzed with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) studies. The magnetic properties of the NixZn1-xFe2O4 (x=0.2-0.8) nanoparticles were evaluated at room temperature with a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). XRD analysis confirmed the formation of single phase cubic spinel ferrite structure. The local structural analysis of the Ni-Zn ferrite crystal system performed with XANES studies at Fe K-edge revealed the migration of Fe3+ ions from the octahedral sites to tetrahedral sites with the increase in Ni2+concentration in the ferrite structure.It was observed that the magnetization increases with the increase in Ni concentration till the maximum saturation magnetization was observed in the composition Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4. Further increase in Ni concentration reduces the magnetization. The obtained results were analyzed in correlation with the cationic distributions at the lattice sites in these ferrite nanoparticles.
Cu3TeO6 Dielectric Thick Films: Processing by Electrophoretic Deposition and Electrical Characterization
Authors: Zhu Xiao Li , Wang Zhong Hua , Vilarinho Paula M.
Published: July 2015

Te-based compounds are promising dielectric candidates for Base-Metal Electrode Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (BME-MLCCs) and Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCCs) applications due to their low sintering temperature and good dielectric properties. In spite of the possible compatibility with Cu electrodes for microelectronics, data on compounds of the CuO-TeO2 system are scarce. Recently, we have reported the phase formation process of Cu3TeO6 and the first dielectric data for Cu3TeO6 ceramics. Due to the interest for some applications in thick films, in this work Cu3TeO6 thick films were fabricated by electrophoretic deposition (EPD) on platinized silicon substrates under different processing conditions. The relation between processing and film’s quality was established. ~ 50 μm Cu3TeO6 thick films sintered at 860 oC for 5 h exhibit a permittivity of ~2 and dielectric loss of 0.01 at room temperature and the temperature coefficient of the dielectric permittivity is 9.5×103 ppm°C-1 at 1 MHz from 40 °C to 120 °C. It is expected that this dielectric performance, when compared with the one of Cu3TeO6 ceramic counterparts, improves if the density of the films is increased.
Electrophoretic Deposition of Bilayer Based on Sacrificial Titanium Dioxide and Lead Zirconate Titanate on Bare Silicon Wafer
Authors: Galizia Pietro , Galassi Carmen
Published: July 2015

Bilayer thick films of sacrificial titanium dioxide and Nb-doped lead zirconate titanate (PZTN) have been deposited on bare silicon wafers using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) technique. Deposition of such ceramic particles, dispersed ethanol-based suspensions, on semiconductor substrate has been made possible after preparation of alloyed junctions Al/Si characterized by ohmic behaviour. Sintering of green TiO2/PZTN films was performed at 900 °C for 1 h. The composition of the films, the thickness and relative density of the deposited materials have been analysed by EDS-SEM analysis. The lead diffusion through the silicon wafer has been reduced.