bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SOFT SOIL IMPROVEMENT USING CHEMICAL-RUBBER CHIPS MIXTURE
Authors: Marto Aminaton , Aziz Norazirah , Jahidin Mohammed Ridzuan , Mohd Yunus Nor Zurairahetty , Kasim Fauziah , Tan Choy Soon
Published: October 2015

Soft soils are widely found in many areas around the world as well as in Malaysia. Marine clay is one of the problematic soft soils. The marine clay should be pretreated before the construction to enhance the usability and serviceability of highway constructed on this type of soil. This paper presents the research results on the usability of chemical (SH-85)-rubber chips mixtures as the stabilizing agent in improving the characteristics of marine clay from two engineering perspectives; the strength and the compressibility. Three types of laboratory tests were conducted; index soil test, unconfined compression test and oedometer test. The results show that the treated samples had higher unconfined compressive strength compared to untreated sample. The strength of marine clay increased when the amount of the SH-85 increased.  The void ratio reduced in value when the chemical-rubber chips mixture was added to the marine clay. It is due to the chemical that acts as a binder that interlocks the rubber chips and the marine clay particles, reducing the compressibility. It has been concluded that the mixture of chemical-rubber chips with 8 % SH-85 plus 1 % of rubber chips is more effectively improved the characteristics of marine clay.
DEVELOPMENT OF MAGNETIC WHEELED BOILER TUBE INSPECTION ROBOT
Authors: Abdul Jalal M. F. , Mohamed Sahari K. S. , Anuar A.
Published: October 2015

The periodical inspection of boiler header and tube is considered important to avoid power plant shutdown due to failures caused by degradation, creep, corrosion, thermo-mechanical loading and others. The boiler header inspection robots developed by our research center, namely “MK-02” and “LS-01”, are only able to inspect the boiler header but unable to travel in and examine the boiler tube condition. This paper introduces a boiler tube inspection robot with magnetic wheeled which is able to inspect the inner surface of 45 mm ferromagnetic tube. The detailed design and analysis of Boiler Tube Inspection Robot “ND-01”are presented. The experimental results proved that the proposed system was able to work efficiently. With further research, the proposed design is expected to improve the inspection of boiler tube or small pipe efficiency.
VALUE-DRIVEN DESIGN OF A HIGH FIDELITY PART-TASK TRAINER FOR UPPER LIMB DISORDERS
Authors: Che Zakaria Noor Ayuni , Komeda Takashi , Yee Low Cheng , Hanapiah Fazah Akhtar , Inoue Kaoru , Dumitrescu Roman , Kühn Arno
Published: October 2015

This paper presents a model-based systems engineering (MBSE) approach to develop an upper limb spasticity part-task trainer for therapy training and clinical education. We adopt a value-driven design proposed by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) with the combination of specification technique CONSENS™ proposed by Heinz Nixdorf Institute as a framework to guide the team to optimize the perceived system value and the development process. As early as during the conceptual design phase, the specified system models take into considerations the Voice of Customer, the Voice of Business and the Voice of Technology to meet customer expectations, ensure cost effectiveness and enabling new functionality. Following such an approach, clinicians, therapists and engineers work together in order to develop an upper limb disorder part-task trainer which requires knowledge of mechanics, electric/electronics, control technology, software engineering, biology and human anatomy. As an education tool, the part-task trainer can multiply the frequency of novice therapy training at clinical training centres, medical schools and hospitals.
STAND ALONE SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC FOR RURAL ELECTRIFICATION: A CASE STUDY IN KAMPUNG SG LAH TAPAH MALAYSIA
Authors: Ahmad Z. , Halyani M. Y. , Norain I. , Windiarti H. , Firdaus H. M. S. , Miswan N. , Zulfattah Z. M.
Published: October 2015

This paper presents a case study on a rural electrification for an aborigine community in Kampung Sungai Lah, Tapah. They are isolated in the infrastructure development of society, referred to as undeserved. They are unfortunate as waited around 8 years for electricity supply and the closest transmission line terminate at the town of Chenderiang which is 20km to Kampung Sungai Lah. The site location received an average of 4.68 kWh/m2/day solar radiation with index clearness of 0.48 in average. HOMER simulation software is used for system optimization. The system consists of 8.0 kW Thin Film solar modules, four string inverters, and 32 deep cycle batteries with 250Ah capacity each. The whole system is to be ground mounted preferably in the middle of load distribution. The Stand-alone PV system offers cost effective means to electrify remote area as well as aids in the act of humanity.
MODEL-BASED SYSTEMS ENGINEERING OF A HAND REHABILITATION DEVICE
Authors: Ab. Patar Mohd Nor Azmi , Komeda Takashi , Cheng Yee Low , Mahmud Jamaluddin
Published: October 2015

We have developed a robotic exoskeleton to restore and rehab hand and finger function. The robotic exoskeleton is a hybrid actuated mechanism rehabilitation system, in which each finger is attached to an instrumented lead screw mechanism allowing force and position control according to the normal human setting. The robotic device, whose implemented is based on biomechanics measurements, able to assist the subject in flexion and extension motion. It also compatible with various shapes and sizes of human‘s finger. Main features of the interface include an integration of DC servo motor and lead screw mechanism which allows independent motion of the five fingers with small actuators. The device is easily transportable, user safety precaution, and offer multiple mode of training potentials. This paper presents the measurements implemented in the system to determine the requirements for finger and hand rehabilitation device, the design and characteristic of the whole system.
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF POLYMER COMPOSITES BASED ON BIOPARTICLES (JATROPHA CURCAS L.)
Authors: VALÁŠEK Petr
Published: October 2015

Composites are materials which synergically combine properties of each phase – matrix and filler. Polymer materials can be used as matrix while inorganic and organic particles can be used as fillers. Composite systems based on renewable resources can be designed as an interesting material for engineering. This paper describes on the tribological and other mechanical properties of biocomposites based on polymer resins and microparticles - seed cakes, which were obtained from seeds of the plant Jatropha Curcas L. during pressing. The particle size obtained was 573 µm.The results confirmed that the epoxy and polyurethane resins were capable of forming which corresponds to the interaction with the organic particles prepared from the seeds of Jatropha Curcas L. The presence of particles however, changed the mechanical properties of the resins. In the case of epoxy resins and polyurethane (Sika Force 7723), the hardness according to Shore D identically decreased with a maximum of 1.9. Abrasion resistance decreased due to the presence of particles of 0.0393 cm3 for Glue Epox Rapid, 0.0449 cm3 for Epoxy 1200/324 and 0.0567 cm3 for Sika Force 7723.
IMPACT ENERGY AND DUCTILITY INDEX OF KEVLAR REINFORCEMENT WITH KENAF POLYESTER COMPOSITE
Authors: Bakar Noor Haznida , Hyie Koay Mei , Mardziah C.M. , Nik Roselina N.R. , Nik Masdek Nik Rozlin
Published: October 2015

This research focuses on the reinforcement of Kevlar in treated kenaf composite, specifically in the study of impact properties as well as the characteristics. The kenaf was treated with 6% Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) solution at a specific period of time before being made into laminates. Impact test was conducted using an instrumented drop tower device at 36J level according to the standard ASTM D7136. Microstructures of the fractured specimens were also analyzed. The results of the study indicated that treated kenaf/Kevlar hybrid composite has better impact absorption energy than pure kenaf composite. Compared to the pure kenaf composite, the hybrid composite absorbs more impact energy and appears to have lower impact damage at the same impact energy level. This is because the Kevlar fibres play an important role to prevent and delay the destruction of composites.
FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY AND ELECTRICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF METHYLCELLULOSE BASED SOLID POLYMER ELECTROLYTE DOPED WITH SODIUM IODIDE
Authors: Zainal Abiddin Jamal Farghali , Ahmad Azizah Hanom
Published: October 2015

Methylcellulose-Sodium Iodide (MC-NaI) solid polymer electrolyte was prepared using solution cast technique and the conductivity and permittivity characteristics of the material were studied. FTIR studies confirmed that NaI plays a role as the conducting ions without altering the molecular structure of the polymer. Using Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy technique, it was found that the conductivity of MC-NaI polymer matrix to be the highest at 40 wt% NaI (2.70x10-5 S/cm). Conductivity of MC-NaI also increases with temperature, but decreases as temperature exceeds 333K. Dielectric studies of the material also confirm these findings, where it was found that dielectric constant and dielectric loss to be the highestat 40 wt% NaI at low frequency.
CHARACTERIZATION OF RUBBER TOUGHENED EPOXY REINFORCED HYBRID KENAF/CARBON FIBER VIA WATER ABSORPTION AND THERMAL DEGRADATION
Authors: Abu Bakar Mimi Azlina , Ahmad Sahrim , Kasolang Salmiah , Ahmad Mohamad Ali , Nik Roseley Nik Roselina , Norazlini Siti , Kuntjoro Wahyu
Published: October 2015

Toughened epoxies reinforced by hybrid of kenaf/carbon fiber, untreated and treated, with the addition of liquid epoxidized natural rubber (LENR), were tested for their water absorption and thermal degradation. Water absorption testing was conducted based on ASTM D1037 to study the effects of kenaf fibre and carbon fibre on water uptake property. In the thermal analysis, the thermal degradation of the specimen was investigated towards heat. The test used a termogravimetric analysis machine, model Mettler Toledo-TGA, at temperature range of 50 OC to 350 OC with an increment of 10 OC/min where the results showed the decreasing of degradation temperature when the treated fiber was used. The results also showed that the percentage of water absorptions for composites with the addition of LENR were lower compared to those of composites without LENR.
IMPACT RESISTANCE PROPERTIES OF KEVLAR/GLASS FIBER HYBRID COMPOSITE LAMINATES
Authors: Shaari Norazean , Jumahat Aidah , M. Razif M. Khafiz
Published: October 2015

In this paper, the impact behavior of Kevlar/glass fiber hybrid composite laminates was investigated by performing the drop weight impact test (ASTM D7136). Composite laminates were fabricated using vacuum bagging process with an epoxy matrix reinforced with twill Kevlar woven fiber and plain glass woven fiber. Four different types of composite laminates with different ratios of Kevlar to glass fiber (0:100, 20:80, 50:50 and 100:0) were manufactured. The effect of Kevlar/glass fiber content on the impact damage behavior was studied at 43J nominal impact energy. Results indicated that hybridization of Kevlar fiber to glass fiber improved the load carrying capability, energy absorbed and damage degree of composite laminates with a slight reduction in deflection. These results were further supported through the damage pattern analysis, depth of penetration and X-ray evaluation tests. Based on literature work, studies that have been done to investigate the impact behaviour of woven Kevlar/glass fiber hybrid composite laminates are very limited. Therefore, this research concentrates on the effect of Kevlar on the impact resistance properties of woven glass fibre reinforced polymer composites.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A SIMPLE THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR HEAT EXCHANGER FOR POWER GENERATION FROM SALINITY GRADIENT SOLAR POND
Authors: Singh Baljit , Saoud Altenaijy , Remeli Muhammed Fairuz , Ding Lai Chet , Date Abhijit , Akbarzadeh Aliakbar
Published: October 2015

Solar pond is one source of renewable thermal energy. The solar pond collects and stores thermal energy at the lower zone of the solar pond. The temperature at the lower zone can reach up to 90 °C. The solar pond is capable storing thermal energy for a long period. The stored thermal energy can be converted into electricity by using thermoelectric generators. These thermoelectric generators can be operated using the cold and hot zones from a solar pond. In this paper, the experimental investigation of power generation from the solar pond using thermoelectric generator and simple heat exchanger is discussed. A maximum of 7.02 W of electrical power output was obtained from a simple heat exchanger with 40 thermoelectric modules.
ENERGY HARVESTING FROM COOLING TOWER BY VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINE (VAWT)
Authors: Abd Rahman Ahmad Azizan , Yahaya Nor Afifah , Bahsan Rosnadiah , Ahmad Umi Kalsom
Published: October 2015

In general, Malaysia is not a suitable location to harvest energy from wind. This is because Malaysia’s mean annual wind speed is low (less than 4 m/s) and inconsistent throughout the year. However, exhaust air systems which are usually installed in commercial buildings creates a uniform and consistent wind speed. Therefore, this provides a suitable place to harness wind energy. In this study, an innovative idea by harnessing wasted energy from the cooling tower with vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) has been done. The VAWT was equipped with a guide-vane to increase the inlet wind speed and an enclosure to avoid the wind coming from the opposite direction. The result shows that this system was capable of generating electricity by approximately 0.0081 W.
ECO-BIOCOMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR SHOCK CUSHIONING APPLICATION: AN OUTLOOK OF THE POTENTIALS AND CHALLENGES
Authors: N. V. David, , M. Rum Siti Syahidah
Published: October 2015

Recently there is an increased concern for the development of not only well-designed but also sustainable materials. Material sustainability is associated with the extraction of renewable resources and disposal procedures that would not injure our ecosystem. In this respect, indigenous agricultural wastes or by-products are suitable alternatives to lightweight and disposable green-materials at low cost. Agro-waste and biomass materials are plentiful in many parts of the world including Malaysia. Fibers obtained from agricultural by-products are often used as fillers or reinforcement in non-biodegradable polymer matrix. Polylactic acid (PLA), which is a compostable and biodegradable thermoplastic, is derived from renewable agro-sources such as potato, corn, or sugarcane. The mechanical and thermal properties of select biofibers-filled PLA composites are comparable to that of the composites made from conventional fibers. Research findings imply the feasibility of processing PLA with natural fibers such as kenaf using existing manufacturing technologies. Natural fiber filled biodegradable polymer composite materials have the advantage of simple and safe disposal over petroleum-based polymers besides generating new low-carbon economy for the plantation sector. However, research outcomes show that the fiber/matrix interface of PLA and natural fiber is weak due to incompatible surface properties of the two material types. In this article, issues pertaining to fiber/matrix interfacial adhesion, potential renewable sources of polymers and processing technologies of natural fiber (or –eco)-biocomposite materials are reviewed. The prospect of replacing traditional polymers obtained from non-renewable fossil resources with biopolymers to develop sustainable eco-biocomposite materials for shock cushioning application such as for packing and packaging materials is discussed in particular.
CROSS VENTILATION ANALYSIS ON THE EFFECT OF SETBACK DISTANCE OF A TERRACED HOUSE USING PIV
Authors: Liyana Tuan , Abd Razak Azli , Wan Jabarudin W. M. Taufiq , Y. Hanur Harith Zarina
Published: October 2015

Urban development has become very alarming with the rise of population especially in regions with weak wind such as countries in the tropics like Malaysia. The highly dense structures make it difficult to provide effective ventilation from heat, pollutions, dusts and even bacteria. With time, it will caused the urban area to become ‘sick’. Due to this, building arrangement plays an important part in predicting airflow structure and the effectiveness of ventilation from the developed airflow. Through this study, the effects of the setback distance arrangement, d, on the cross ventilation of two cascading terraced houses were analyzed. Based on the flow structure, the possibility of the negative effects from the upstream house carried in to the downstream house was also observed. The study was conducted experimentally using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) with the aid of INSIGHT 4G for post-processing analysis. It was found that the most ideal setback distance was d = 0.5H even though a higher H/W threshold ratio of the street canyon allowed the transition of wake interference flow to isolated roughness flow. Apart from that, the provided setback distance, d, can give sufficient ventilation on the downstream building.
PLUG AND PLAY INNOSAT ACS SIMULATOR
Authors: Sharun S. M. , Mashor M. Y. , Hashim Fadzilah
Published: October 2015

This research proposes a novel approach of satellite simulator design where the simulator will be in the form of both software and hardware. A software simulator will represent the satellite dynamics model, incorporating all the operating conditions of the satellite in orbit. The control algorithm for Attitude Control System (ACS) will be implemented on Rabbit Micro Controller (RCM4100) and the dynamics model of Innovative Satellite (InnoSAT) plant in PC have been tested using real-time hardware-in-loop-simulation (HILS) technique. The results that have been obtained show that the InnoSAT ACS simulator can produce as good result as MATLAB simulation for the InnoSAT plants. The MSE values that have been calculated also show that there are a close match between HILS and MATLAB simulation where the MSEs different value are small. From both results, it is enough to verify that the developed protocol working satisfyingly and seems to be possible to be implemented on the actual flight.
IDENTIFICATION OF DAMAGE FOR A THIN PLATE JOINTED STRUCTURE
Authors: Yunus M. A. , Abdul Rani M. N. , M Isa A. A. , Sulaiman W. M. W. , Hassan R.
Published: October 2015

The dynamic characteristics of automotive structures are largely influenced by joints. The complex structures such as car a body-in-white is made from thin metal sheets and joined together by several types of joints such as spot welds and bolted joints. The integrity and dynamic characteristic of the structure are highly dependent on these joints. The defective and inaccurate tightening of the bolts during the assembly process could degrade the integrity of the structure and alter the dynamic characteristic of the vehicles. Early detection of the presence of damage in the structure is very important so that necessary actions can be taken to prevent further problems to the structure. In this paper, the damage detection via vibration based damage detection is used to identify the presence of damage in a bolted joints structure. In order to check the validity of the proposed method, natural frequencies and mode shapes of the initial finite element model of the undamaged structure and the finite element model of the damaged structure are compared with the experimental counterparts. The model updating method is used to improve the initial finite element model of the undamaged structure and the damaged structure as close as possible to the measured data.
FUZZY-BASED CLASSIFIER DESIGN FOR DETERMINING THE EYE MOVEMENT DATA AS AN INPUT REFERENCE IN WHEELCHAIR MOTION CONTROL
Authors: Mohd Noor Nurul Muthmainnah , Ahmad Salmiah
Published: October 2015

Fuzzy logic is widely used in many complex and nonlinear systems for control, system identification and pattern recognition problems. The fuzzy logic controller provides an alternative to the PID controller which is a good tool for control of systems that are difficult to model. In this paper, the fuzzy-based classifiers were designed in order to determine the eye movement data. These data were used as an input reference in wheelchair motion control. Then, a set of an appropriate fuzzy classification (FC) was designed based on the numerical data from eye movement data acquisitions that obtained from the electrooculogram (EOG) technique. Each fuzzy rule (FR) for this system is based on the form of IF-THEN rule. Since membership functions (MFs) are generated automatically, the proposed fuzzy learning algorithm can be viewed as a knowledge acquisition tool for classification problems. The experimental results on eye movement data were presented to demonstrate the contribution of the proposed approach for generating MFs using MATLAB simulink for linear motion in forward direction.
MULTI-SENSOR FUSION BASED UAV COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM
Authors: Rambabu Rethnaraj , Bahiki Muhammad Rijaluddin , Azrad Syaril
Published: October 2015

This paper presents the development of a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is capable of detecting and avoiding collision with obstacles through the implementation of Kalman filter-based multi-sensor fusion and cascaded PID position and velocity controllers. Sensor fusion of ultrasonic (US) and infrared (IR) sensors is performed to obtain a reliable range data for obstacle detection which then fed into collision avoidance controller (CAC) for generating necessary response in terms of attitude commands. Results showed that sensor fusion provided accurate range estimation by reducing noises and errors that were present in individual sensors measurements. Flight tests performed proved the capability of UAV to avoid collisions with the obstacle that was introduced to it during flight successfully.
SOUND ABSORPTION COEFFICIENT OF NATURAL FIBRES HYBRID REINFORCED POLYESTER COMPOSITES
Authors: Abdullah Abdul Hakim , Azharia Afiqah , Mohd Salleh Farrahshaida
Published: October 2015

Natural fibres have been known of its good acoustic damping properties and therefore, these materials could be used as a sound insulation in many applications. The main purpose of this investigation is to analyze the sound absorption coefficient of sugarcane baggase fibre, banana fibre and its hybrid based composites under various fibre volume fractions. Bone dry test specimens of 10%, 20% and 30% fibre volume fraction were treated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) prior to composites fabrication using polyester as binder. The pre-tested specimens were examined using scanning electron microscope and electronic analytical balance to analyze physical and dimension characteristic. The sound absorption frequencies were measured using by the two-microphone transfer function technique in the impedance tube that has a 100 mm diameter for low frequency and 28 mm for high frequency, 0 Hz to 4000 Hz respectively. The result indicated that in low and high frequency, the combination of different natural fibres produced better sound absorption coefficient rather than using the natural fibre as individual. The results also demonstrated that the higher amounts of fibre volume fraction are affecting frequencies broadening, hence promising better sound absorbing capacity.
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPARISONS OF ORIGINAL AND OXIDIZED MULTIWALLED CARBON NANOTUBES-WATERBASED FLUIDS
Authors: Abdullah N. , Yunus W. M. D. Z. W. , Mohamad I. S.
Published: October 2015

Nanofluids are a new class of fluids engineered by dispersing nanoparticles in base fluids. The addition of small amount nanoparticles may enhance the thermo-physical properties of the original liquids. In this study, thermal conductivity of pristine and modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) in water-based fluids was prepared and investigated at various temperatures ranging from 6OC to 45OC. Stable and homogeneous MWCNT nanofluids were successfully produced with an addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the dispersing agent using physical agitation process. The addition of MWCNT into a fluid leads to the enhancement of its thermal conductivity. The prepared nanofluids, with good fluidity, stability, and high thermal conductivity, is a potential advanced coolant in thermal energy engineering and energy consumption saving.
EFFECT OF GEOMETRICAL PARAMETERS INTERACTION ON SWIRL EFFERVESCENT ATOMIZER SPRAY ANGLE
Authors: Abdul Ghaffar Zulkifli , Kasolang Salmiah , Abdul Hamid Ahmad Hussein , Chee Sheng Ow , Abu Bakar Mimi Azlina
Published: October 2015

A wider spray angle produced by an atomizer is often required in providing a better spray dispersion. The formation and wideness of the spray angle were reported to be affected by the changes in geometrical parameters. In the present study, the effect of the interaction between two geometrical parameters (swirl-generating vane angle and discharge orifice diameter) on the swirl effervescent atomizer spray angle was studied. A newly-designed swirl effervescent atomizer was developed with 30°, 45° and 60° swirl-generating vane angle and 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5mm discharge orifice diameter. The atomizer performance tests were carried out using water as the working fluid and nitrogen gas as the atomizing agent. High-speed shadowgraph technique was deployed to record the resultant sprays produced. Video recordings, acquired using a high-speed video camera, were converted to a sequence of images for further analysis using image processing software. It was found that geometrical parameters of the newly designed atomizer have a great impact on the formation and characteristics of the spray angle. The combined effect of both swirl-generating vane angle and discharge orifice diameter has produced an increase in the spray angle. The largest spray angle was observed at the largest dimension of both geometries.
IMPROVING INDOOR AIR QUALITY USING LOCAL EXHAUST VENTILATION (LEV)
Authors: Binti Hussin Norasikin , Binti Ibrahim Dzullijah , Binti Ahmad Farrah Noor , Binti Mohd Yahya Nur Hayati , Binti Hashim Siti Mardini
Published: October 2015

Ventilation is used to control indoor air quality for maintaining the health and performance of human and ensuring healthy environment. It is known that the environmental criteria are dictated by temperature, humidity, and contamination. In a case study at XY company, questionnaires were distributed to the workers and interviews were conducted to find out the level of satisfaction on working conditions in certain areas. 70% respondents reported feeling uncomfortable because of heat, dust and hot environment. An analysis of indoor air quality was carried out to measure the temperature at pouring area. Based on the analysis, the range of temperatures is from 35°C to 43°C. A local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system was design for improve indoor air quality and reduce extreme heat. The LEV system was proposed for the pouring area to capture then discharged heat or contaminants through a series of strategically placed overhead ducts.
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF USED AL-QURAN PAPER DISPOSAL SYSTEM
Authors: Hassan Razali , Azmi Hafizi , Islah Bakri Islah Mohamad , Abd Wahab M. Noorazuan
Published: October 2015

The idea of this project was to design and fabricate a combustion chamber of incinerator for Quran paper burning with a capacity of 10 kg/h, which is heated by Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG as fuel for the burner. This small capacity 10kg/h incinerator is portable type. The focus customers are Department of Islamic Development, Malaysia, JAKIM and other Islamic authority in Malaysia that can dispose the Quran used paper with their own facility without sending out to third parties. The customer can reduce space, cost and time because the storage and transport are not required. This incinerator is a retort type consist of primary and secondary chambers. The secondary chamber is further divided into mixing and combustion sections . The function of secondary chamber is to provide complete combustion to Quran paper burning process. The temperature for primary chamber is set of range from 200 to 218 degree Celsius. This design is fabricated based on standard stated by Environment Authority.
MULTI-OBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION IN WIRE-ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING (WEDM) OF TITANIUM ALLOY
Authors: Saedon J.B. , Jaafar Norkamal , Mohamad Nor Nor Hafiez , Yahaya Mohd Azman , Husain Hazran
Published: October 2015

This paper presents an investigation on influences and multiple optimizations of wire-electrical discharge (WEDM) machining performances such as cutting rate, material removal, surface roughness and kerf width processed on titanium alloy material. The experimental studies were conducted under varying machining parameters namely pulse-off time, peak current, wire tension and wire feed. The experimental works were designed base on Taguchi design of experiment. The optimum multi-objective performance characteristics was determined using analysis of variance (ANOVA) coupled with grey relational analysis (GRA). ANOVA was used to study the significance of process parameters on grey relational grade which showed the most significant factor. The grey relational grade obtained from GRA was used to optimize the wire-electrical discharge machining process. To validate the findings, confirmation experiment had been carried out using the optimal parameters and the predicted results were found in good agreements with experimental finding. Improved machining performance in the wire electrical machining process has been achieved by using this approach.
FORMATION OF HOLLOW SHAPE PORCELAIN BY USING A NEW INTEGRATED SLIP ROTARY MOULDING TECHNIQUE
Authors: Saad Nor Hayati , M. Sahab Abdul Rahim , M. Mohtar M. Moza , M. Salleh Farrahshaida , Tharazi Izdihar , Saedon Juri
Published: October 2015

Hollow ceramic product is fabricated generally using slip casting technique. The conventional processes produce slip and mould waste which require for disposal schedule. A rotary moulding technique is a feasible process for producing hollow shape ceramic product and eliminates the waste. This paper focuses formulation of the slip and process parameters of the rotary moulding for hollow ceramic product fabrication. The formulated ceramic slip is poured inside the mould rotated at 2-axis system inside a controlled chamber with specific temperature, speed and time for producing green body hollow ceramic product. This process uses minimum amount of ceramic slip and long lasting mould material which will reduce ceramic waste to environment and simplify the manufacturing process for mass production. Using small amount of polymer based dispersant and coagulant agents, experimental analysis resulted the green hollow porcelain product which was successfully removed during de-moulding process without any breaks. The hollow product produces homogeneous forms of ceramic structure after firing procedure and 1.9 MPa green strength with addition of small amount of binder.
TOTAL PRODUCTIVE MAINTENANCE IN THE RAILWAY SYSTEM
Authors: Silva Christo Eliane da , Petruccelli Leandro Paixão , Costa Kelly Alonso
Published: October 2015

This study aims to evaluate the need for a change in the maintenance philosophy used for the permanent route of the railway concession that provides the service for rail passengers in a metropolitan region. It also examines the need for production improvement, due to the requirement for a change in the rolling stock. The technique of total productive maintenance and its indicators are applied to evaluate the procedure for replacement of sleepers in narrow gauge lines. The history of the railway in Brazil is also presented, together with citations on the components of railway systems, the permanent way and a case study showing the strategy chosen in order to reduce the time for improvements by more than 10%.
INVESTIGATION ON CORROSION RATE OF BUTT-JOINT IN GAS METAL ARC WELDING, FLUX CORE ARC WELDING AND SUBMERSIBLE ARC WELDING
Authors: Abdullah Bulan , Ismail Syuhada , Jumadin Muhammad Hafizuddin
Published: October 2015

Corrosion can be defined as the destructive attack of a metal through interaction with its environment. Different type of welding can be factors that contribute to the corrosion and erosion problems since this type of welding will lead the material to expose with the corrosion and erosion agents like salt, air , water and material composition, dissolved oxygen content in the fluid, pH and fluid’s velocity characteristics. Research was carried out in order to investigate the corrosion rate on mild steel at 3 different types of welding which are Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW) and Submersible Arc after exposed in 3 types of solution; sea water, sodium chloride and reverse osmosis (RO). In each of the types of welding, the parameters were fixed that includes of current, voltage and speed of travel. Immersion and polarisation test using Gamry instruments test were conducted to distinguish the corrosion rate. Results showed SAW had a least corrosion rate than FCAW and GMAW and morphology transformation differences occur during the corrosion process.
TOOL PATH MILLING INTERFACE FOR INTEGRATING STEP-NC TO OPEN-ARCHITECTURE PC-BASED NC MILLING
Authors: Ibrahim Dzullijah , Samad Zahurin , Yaakob Yusli , Hussin Norasikin , Binti Hashim Siti Mardini
Published: October 2015

Standard for Exchange of Product Model Data (STEP) is a Standard associated with representation of product data model to enable data communication between different Computer-aided Design (CAD), Computer-aided Manufacturing (CAM) and other engineering systems without any ambiguities and any possible data losses. The development of Open Architecture (PC-based) Numerical Control (OAPC-NC) Interpolator has enhanced the possibilities of data communication between the systems. A tool path data interface to OAPC-NC interpolator is proposed and developed; and a hierarchical-based algorithm is used to extract the tool path data from STEP-NC tool path file of a product model. The generated output of the interpolated data is computer simulated for 3D straight-line path to verify the validity of the interpolator input generated by the proposed interface.
EVALUATION OF RAIL HEAD SURFACE REPAIR USING SMAW PROCESS WITH PRE HEATING CONDITION
Authors: Mat Muhd Faiz , Musah Azwan Fadzli , Tham Abdul Ghalib , Sulaiman Syidatul Akma
Published: October 2015

he Railway maintenance industry has been using a welding process to repair the damage on the rail head surface due to its constant and continuous friction with train wheels. The damage area always reoccurs at the same location. A preheating condition has been set in this study to evaluate if it’s an improvement to the rail head surface. As preheating is a process that slow’s the cooling rate of the weld and the base material, resulting in softer weld metal and heat affected zone microstructures with a greater resistance to fabrication hydrogen cracking. The Spectrometer and Hardness test are applied in order to study driven changes in the microstructure and macrostructure of rail specimens at the rail head surface. It is shown that welded layers are clear from any defect due to the normal pressure with rapid change of temperature during usage and also surface oxidation. Welded layer were free from any visible defect such as porosity and crack.
EMPIRICAL AND RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES EVALUATION OF MODIFIED ASPHALT BINDER CONTAINING NANOPOLYACRYLATE POLYMER MODIFIER
Authors: Shaffie E. , Ahmad J. , Arshad A. K. , Kamarun D.
Published: October 2015

In this paper, the effects of nanopolyacrylate (NP) in binder modification on the empirical and rheological characteristics of the conventional binder were explored. The empirical and rheological binder properties were characterized using penetration, softening point, viscosity and dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) respectively.  These testings have become useful methods in characterizing of the binder performance on the pavement. The results indicated that NP polymer modification improved the physical properties of the conventional binder such as; penetration, softening point and temperature susceptibility. The results of viscosity test show that the NP polymer modified binder is more viscous than unmodified binder where viscosity increases with the increment of polymer content. The DSR results indicate that the NP polymer improves rheological properties of conventional binder, i.e. increasing the complex shear modulus (G∗) values and rutting parameters (G∗/sin δ), as well as decreasing the phase angle (δ) values. Therefore, it can be concluded that NP polymers considerably improves elastic properties and rutting resistance of binder and thus could be used for enhancing the asphalt pavement performance.
EFFECT OF NANOFILLERS DISPERSION ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CLAY/EPOXY AND SILICA/EPOXY NANOCOMPOSITES
Authors: Sapiai Napisah , Jumahat Aidah , Manap Norhashidah , Usoff Mohd Aidil Idham
Published: October 2015

A homogeneous dispersion of nanofillers in epoxy polymer still remains as one of the biggest challenges in advanced nanocomposites research. In this paper, the effects of nanoclay content (1wt%, 3wt%, 5wt%) and nanosilica content (5wt%, 13wt%, 25wt%) on tensile and compressive properties of epoxy polymer were studied. The nanoclay and nanosilica were dispersed in epoxy using the three-roll milling and mechanical stirrer machine, respectively.  The compressive and tensile properties were evaluated using Instron universal tester machine according to BS standards. The Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) was used to evaluate the degree of dispersion of nanofillers in epoxy. The results showed that the intercalated structure of clay/epoxy nanocomposites gave detrimental effect on the tensile and compressive strength of the polymer. Whereas, the results of nanosilica/epoxy nanocomposite system showed that a well-dispersed nanosilica contributes to the improvement of tensile and compressive strength and Young’s modulus of the polymer.
INFLUENCE OF SPACE HOLDER ON RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR OF COPPER FEEDSTOCKS FOR METAL INJECTION MOLDING
Authors: Kamal Bahrin Mohammad Dahar , Wahab Nor ‘Aini , Nordin Nor Amalina , Ismail Muhammad Hussain , Ahmad Ismail Nasiruddin
Published: October 2015

The characterization of MIM feedstock consisting of 63 vol% of copper powder with a binder system consisting of palm stearin (PS) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) was studied. To achieve porous structure, sodium chloride (NaCl) was added as a space holder. The effect of shear rate (s-1), temperature (oC) and viscosity (Pa.s) on the rheological behavior of solid and porous copper feedstocks were investigated by using the Rosand RH2000 Capillary Rheometer at temperatures of 160, 170 and 180oC. The feedstocks achieved desirable injection molding characteristics such as pseudo-plastic behaviour, stable flow, flow behavior index less than 1 (n<1) and low activation energy (E). It can be concluded from the analysis that both feedstocks showed a good pseudo-plastic behavior within acceptable ranges in MIM.
EFFECT OF PET PARISON SIZE ON INJECTION MOULDING MOULD DESIGN
Authors: Suriani Rizal Najiy Rizal , Jumahat Aidah , Hashim Ummu Raihanah , Omar Mohd Sobri
Published: October 2015

Injection molding is one of the most popular manufacturing processes for producing good finishing plastic products with low cost and high volume production, especially for the production of plastic bottles. In order to produce high quality plastic bottle with specific size, the injection moulding mould need to be properly designed. This study is aimed to design injection moulding mould for producing three different sizes of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) parison. The actual dimensions of a commercial bottle preform of parisan of 25g weight were measured. PET was used as thermoplastic material because it has good strength and light weight properties. The designing process involved two primary components; (1) Female section consists of cavity plate as the main component and (2) male section consists of core plate as the main component. The effect of parisan size on the mould design was evaluated. Three different designs of female and male sections were constructed using CATIA software based on 15g, 20g and 30g parisan weight. The designs were also compared to the existing mould system of 25g PET parisan. It was shown that the design of insert cavity of female section and core cavity of male section were highly influenced by the size of the preform.
DESIGN OF WALKWAY RIG SYSTEM FOR GAIT MOTION TRACKING OF CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY
Authors: Mahamud Farid , Anuar Adzly , Mohd Aini Mohd Aidil
Published: October 2015

This paper reports the design of walkway rig system for gait motion tracking of children with cerebral palsy (CP) at Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), Malaysia. The walkway rig consists of a modular walkway platform, adjustable parallel bar, and overhead gantry with body support harness system. The rig has been designed to support different modes of walking assistance depending on a subject’s walking capability. The modes of walking assistance are body weight support system, parallel bars along walkway, usage of walker, and human assisted. The key feature of this system lies in the flexibility of it to enable more options during gait motion tracking for CP children. System design and stress analysis were done using CAD software. The design is evaluated using virtual mannequins to check the functions and suitability for CP children. The evaluation shows that the proposed system is feasible to be implemented for CP children gait motion tracking.
A METALLURGICAL OVERVIEW OF TI – BASED ALLOY IN BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS
Authors: Azham Shah Nur Hidayatul Nadhirah Elmi , Yahaya Mazyan , Sulaiman Maheran , Ismail Muhammad Hussain
Published: October 2015

Titanium (Ti)-based alloys are prominently used in biomedical application. This review paper emphasizes on some of the important aspects of the Ti-alloys in terms of metallurgical aspects, manufacturing routes and biocompatibility. Two kinds of structure are reviewed namely dense and porous, both differs in terms of purpose and satisfies different needs. This advancement of materials and equipment helps to improve the quality of life for patients and alleviate their health problems. Metallic materials, mainly Ti-based alloys have been used commercially as bone implant owing to its promising mechanical properties, biocompatibility and bioactivity. The outmost important issue in manufacturing  of  this  alloy  is  the  impurity  contents,  specifically  oxygen  and  carbon  which contribute   to decreasing in material performance of the alloy attributed from the formation of unwanted  oxide compounds such as TiO2 and  TiC. Another issue is the mismatch value of the Young’s modulus between the metallic implant and bone that result in stress shielding effect.  The structure of Ti-based  alloy is  mainly comprised of α-phase, β-phase or a combination of  both that result in variation of Young’s modulus ranging from 45 -110 GPa. Compared to α-phase Ti alloy, the β-phase rich alloys may exhibit lower value of Young modulus through the right processing technique. Therefore, the development of β-phase Ti-alloys has been researched progressively in line with the need of low Young’s modulus that suit for implant applications.
ECCENTRIC TRAINING ON ROWING PERFORMANCE: A CONCEPT PAPER
Authors: A. A. Rahim , A. R. Omar , M. I. N. Ma'arof
Published: October 2015

Physical injuries are almost a norm among athletes. In a sport such as rowing, the common injuries among rowers concentrated on the lower back, knee and wrist regions. Henceforth, rowers participate in various training regimes such as aerobic training, resistance training, concurrent training and interval training in order to minimize the occurrence of injuries. Nevertheless, since injuries among rowers are still reported despite this efforts, experts raised questions on the effectiveness on a number of the training regimes. This study gives a special focus on eccentric training. Eccentric training is proven to improve musculoskeletal function in human body such as strength, endurance and physical power. However, with respect to the science among rowers; there are inconclusive results gathered from literature on the benefits given by eccentric training especially at core body section. The objective of this concept paper is to determine the effects of eccentric training in delaying muscle fatigue, changing in physical characteristic and improving physical related fitness performance among rowers. The objective will be achieved by measuring the muscle activation and muscle fatigue of a number of selected muscles among rowers by using surface electromyography (sEMG). This sEMG measurement will be performed during rowing performance 2000m maximal effort. It is hypothesized that eccentric training may appear to demonstrate greater improvement on physical development among rowers in comparison to other training regimes. There are need of studies on benefits of eccentric to confirm the controvert finding especially on rowing population regarding delaying muscle fatigue. This is crucial to reduce the risk of injuries among rowers. The findings from this study such as the type of exercises, intensity and intensity for eccentric training will contribute new knowledge upon prescribing eccentric training regime to rowers.
MIDBLOCK U–TURN FACILITIES ON MULTILANE DIVIDED HIGHWAYS: AN ASSESSMENT OF DRIVER’S MERGING GAP AND STOP DELAYS
Authors: Che Puan Othman , Ismail Che Ros , Hainin Mohd Rosli , Minhans Anil , Muhamad Nor Nur Syahriza
Published: October 2015

This paper discusses the results of a study which was carried out with a primary objective to evaluate the merging gaps and traffic delays at midblock U–turn facilities installed on multilane divided highways. A total of more than 2,000 U–turn drivers at a midblock U–turn facility on an urban multilane highway were observed using a camera–video recording technique. The data pertaining to the analysis of gap acceptance and rejection was abstracted from the video–playbacks using a computer event recording program. The analysis found that the critical gap of the drivers at a midblock U–turn facility is in the range of 4.0 – 4.5 seconds, which is different from the values reported for studies carried out in other countries. The effect of major road traffic volumes on the stop delays to the U–turn drivers could not be established because the data did not exhibit any specific trend. The drivers were observed to make forced merging maneuvers when traffic volumes in the main traffic stream are relatively heavy. Such maneuvers lead to flow breakdown in the major road to occur at a faster rate. The findings suggest that there is a need for a thorough study to be carried out to evaluate the current practice of U–turn facility design and assessment methods since traffic operations at such a facility is different from those at on–ramp facilities where their planning and design are generally based on the American Highway Capacity Manual.