Integrated Virtual Assembly Process Planning System

Assembly process planning（APP） for complicated products is a time-consuming and difficult work with conventional method. Virtual assembly process planning（VAPP） provides engineers a new and efficiency way. Previous studies in VAPP are almost isolated and dispersive, and have not established a whole understanding and discussed key realization techniques of VAPP from a systemic and integrated view. The integrated virtual assembly process planning（IVAPP） system is a new virtual reality based engineering application, which offers engineers an efficient, intuitive, immersive and integrated method for assembly process planning in a virtual environment. Based on analysis the information integration requirement of VAPP, the architecture of IVAPP is proposed. Through the integrated structure, IVAPP system can realize information integration and workflow controlling. In order to mode/the assembly process in IVAPP, a hierarchical assembly task list（HATL） is presented, in which different assembly tasks for assembling different components are organized into a hierarchical list. A process-oriented automatic geometrical constraint recognition algorithm（AGCR） is proposed, so that geometrical constraints between components can be automatically recognized during the process of interactive assembling. At the same time, a progressive hierarchical reasoning（PHR） model is discussed. AGCR and PHR will greatly reduce the interactive workload. A discrete control node model（DCNM） for cable harness assembly planning in IVAPP is detailed. DCNM converts a cable harness into continuous flexed line segments connected by a series of section center points, and designs can realize cable harness planning through controlling those control nodes. Mechanical assemblies （such as transmission case and engine of automobile） are used to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed method and algorithms. The application of IVAPP system reveals advantages over the traditional assembly process planning method in shortening the time-consumed in assembly planning and in minimizing the handling difficulty, excessive reorientation and dissimilarity of assembly operations.

COMPUTER-AIDED BLOCK ASSEMBLY PROCESS PLANNING IN SHIPBUILD-ING BASED ON RULE-REASONING

Computer-aided block assembly process planning based on rule-reasoning are developed in order to improve the assembly efficiency and implement the automated block assembly process planning generation in shipbuilding. First, weighted directed liaison graph （WDLG） is proposed to represent the model of block assembly process according to the characteristics of assembly relation, and edge list （EL） is used to describe assembly sequences. Shapes and assembly attributes of block parts are analyzed to determine the assembly position and matched parts of parts used frequently. Then, a series of assembly rules are generalized, and assembly sequences for block are obtained by means of rule reasoning. Final, a prototype system of computer-aided block assembly process planning is built. The system has been tested on actual block, and the results were found to be quite efficiency. Meanwhile, the fundament for the automation of block assembly process generation and integration with other systems is established.

Digital Twin-based Quality Management Method for the Assembly Process of Aerospace Products with the Grey-Markov Model and Apriori Algorithm

The assembly process of aerospace products such as satellites and rockets has the characteristics of single-or small-batch production,a long development period,high reliability,and frequent disturbances.How to predict and avoid quality abnormalities,quickly locate their causes,and improve product assembly quality and efficiency are urgent engineering issues.As the core technology to realize the integration of virtual and physical space,digital twin(DT)technology can make full use of the low cost,high efficiency,and predictable advantages of digital space to provide a feasible solution to such problems.Hence,a quality management method for the assembly process of aerospace products based on DT is proposed.Given that traditional quality control methods for the assembly process of aerospace products are mostly post-inspection,the Grey-Markov model and T-K control chart are used with a small sample of assembly quality data to predict the value of quality data and the status of an assembly system.The Apriori algorithm is applied to mine the strong association rules related to quality data anomalies and uncontrolled assembly systems so as to solve the issue that the causes of abnormal quality are complicated and difficult to trace.The implementation of the proposed approach is described,taking the collected centroid data of an aerospace product’s cabin,one of the key quality data in the assembly process of aerospace products,as an example.A DT-based quality management system for the assembly process of aerospace products is developed,which can effectively improve the efficiency of quality management for the assembly process of aerospace products and reduce quality abnormalities.

Assembly process and source tracking of microbial communities in sediments of Dongting Lake

●Soil erosion resulted in homogenization of bacterial communities in the watershed.●Microbial community heterogeneity among erosion sites made soil tracing possible.●Assembly process results showed that the tracking results can achieve high precision.●Dryland was the main source of sediment deposition based on the result of FEAST.Sediment source tracing can accurately provide a theoretical basis for controlling soil erosion effectively,by identifying the most serious types of land use.Traditional sediment tracing methods are based on physical,chemical,biological,and composite fingerprinting,which have not included microbes.As high-throughput sequencing becomes more prevalent,microorganisms can provide more information than what we think.Thus,whether the microorganism can also be used as a special fingerprint factor for sediment source identification during soil erosion,we have tested it by using microbial source tracking tool FEAST to quantify the microbe contribution from five types of eroded land(including dryland,urban,paddy field,forest and grassland)to the depositional areas(Niubitan)in the Yuanjiang basin.The source microbial community in the erosive area was heterogeneous,and assembly process analysis further demonstrated that the source tracking results could reach higher accuracy.The results of FEAST showed that dryland(35.50%),urban(17.21%),paddy field(8.14%),and forest(1.07%)were the major contributors to Niubitan.Our results follow the general soil erosion rules and prove its validity.Taken together,a new perspective is provided by these results for tracing sediment sources in erosion-sedimentary systems.

Evaluating Methods of Visual Assistance for Workers to Improve Quality and Usability in Individualized Kitchen Cabinet Assembly

In times of digitalisation, visual assistance systems in assembly are increasingly important. The design of these assembly systems needs to be highly complex to meet the requirements. Due to the increasing number of variants in production processes, as well as shorter innovation and product life cycles, assistance systems should improve quality and reduce complexity of assembly processes. However, many large kitchen manufacturers still assemble kitchen cabinets manually, due to the high variety of components, such as rails and fittings. This paper focuses on the analysis and evaluation of virtual assistance systems to improve quality and usability in individualised kitchen cabinet assembly processes at a large German manufacturer. A solution is identified and detailed.

An Interactive Assembly Process Planner

This paper describes the implementation and performance of the virtual assembly support sys-tem (VASS), a new system that can provide designers and assembly process engineers with a simulation and visualization environment where they can evaluate the assemblability/disassemblability of products, and thereby use a computer to intuitively create assembly plans and interactively generate assembly process charts. Subassembly planning and assembly priority reasoning techniques were utilized to find heuristic information to improve the efficiency of assembly process planning. Tool planning was imple-mented to consider tool requirements in the product design stage. New methods were developed to reduce the computation amount involved in interference checking. As an important feature of the VASS, human interaction was integrated into the whole process of assembly process planning, extending the power of computer reasoning by including human expertise, resulting in better assembly plans and better designs.

The spatial variation of soil bacterial community assembly processes affects the accuracy of source tracking in ten major Chinese cities

Urban soils harbor billions of bacterial cells and millions of species.However,the distribution patterns and assembly processes of bacterial communities remain largely uncharacterized in urban soils.It is also unknown if we can use the bacteria to track soil sources to certain cities and districts.Here,Illumina MiSeq sequencing was used to survey soil bacterial communities from 529 random plots spanning 61 districts and 10 major cities in China.Over a 3,000 km range,community similarity declined with increasing geographic distance(Mantel r=0.62),and community composition was clustered by city(R^(2)=0.50).Within cities(<100 km),the aforementioned biogeographic patterns were weakened.Process analysis showed that homogenizing dispersal and dispersal limitation dominated soil bacterial assembly at small and large spatial scales,respectively.Accordingly,the probabilities of accurately tracking random soil sources to certain cities and districts were 90.0% and 66.7%,respectively.When the tested samples originated from cities that were more than 1,265 km apart,the soil sources could be identified with nearly 100% accuracy.Overall,this study demonstrates the strong distance-decay relationship and the clear geographic zoning of urban soil bacterial communities among cities.The varied importance of different community assembly processes at multiple spatial scales strongly affects the accuracy of microbial source tracking.

COMPUTER SIMULATION OF 3-DIMENSIONAL DYNAMIC ASSEMBLY PROCESS OF MECHANICAL ROTATIONAL BODY

Focusing on the study of the components of mechanical rotational body,the data structure and algorithm of component model generation are discussed.Some problems in assembly process of 3 dimensional graph of components are studied in great detail.

A review of cable layout design and assembly simulation in virtual environments

The layout and assembly of flexible cables play important roles in the design and development of complex electromechanical products.The rationality of cable layout design and the reliability of cable assembly greatly affect product quality.In this paper,we review the methods of cable layout design,cable assembly process planning,and cable assembly simulation.We first review research on flexible cable layout design(both interactive and automatic).Then,research on the cable assembly process planning,including cable assembly path and manipulation planning,is reviewed.Finally,cable assembly simulation is introduced,which includes general cable information,cable collision detection data,and cable assembly process modeling.Current problems and future research directions are summarized at the end of the paper.

An Optimal Solutions to Job Planning Problems in the Assembly Shop by Timed Petri Net

Job planning (JP) systems shop oriented provide a basis for job shop scheduling and control in organizing short term production activities. This paper presents a method based on timed Petri net (TPN) method that is used to program optimal JP for assembly shop. It includes three parts further. Firstly, an architecture of solutions to JP problems for any kind of shop oriented is presented to define a particular JP for a designated JP problem. Secondly, Petri net model is specified for aircraft part assembly processes. Finally, algorithms for optimizing generation of dynamic mechanism and a simulating case are then discussed. In comparison with traditional methods such as PERT or CPM, it is obviously convenient for planners or schedulers to schedule and manage assembly processes.

Phylogenetic diversity of eastern Asia-eastern North America disjunct plants is mainly associated with divergence time

The underlying causes of biodiversity disparities among geographic regions have long been a fundamental theme in ecology and evolution.However,the patterns of phylogenetic diversity(PD) and phylogenetic beta diversity(PBD) of congeners that are disjunctly distributed between eastern Asia-eastern North America(EA-ENA disjuncts) and their associated factors remain unknown.Here we investigated the standardized effect size of PD(SES-PD),PBD,and potentially associated factors in 11natural mixed forest sites(five in EA and six in ENA) where abundant EA-ENA disjuncts occur.We found that the disjuncts in ENA possessed higher SES-PD than those in EA at the continental scale(1.96vs-1.12),even though the number of disjunct species in ENA is much lower than in EA(128 vs 263).SESPD of the EA-ENA disjuncts tended to decrease with increasing latitude in 11 sites.The latitudinal diversity gradient of SES-PD was stronger in EA sites than in ENA sites.Based on the unweighted unique fraction metric(UniFrac) distance and the phylogenetic community dissimilarity,PBD showed that the two northern sites in EA were more similar to the six-site ENA group than to the remaining southern EA sites.Based on the standardized effect size of mean pairwise distances(SES-MPD),nine of eleven studied sites showed a neutral community structure(-1.96 ≤SES-MPD ≤1.96).Both Pearson’s r and structural equation modeling suggested that SES-PD of the EA-ENA disjuncts was mostly associated with mean divergence time.Moreover,SES-PD of the EA-ENA disjuncts was positively correlated with temperaturerelated climatic factors,although negatively correlated with mean diversification rate and community structure.By applying approaches from phylogenetics and community ecology,our work sheds light on historical patterns of the EA-ENA disjunction and paves the way for further research.

Environmental similarity is more important than distance in the community structuring processes of ammonia-oxidizing archaea in agricultural soils

Ammonia-oxidizing archaea(AOA) are important in converting ammonia into nitrate in soils. While many aspects of their community structure have been studied, the relative importance of stochastic versus deterministic processes has poorly been understood. We compared AOA communities across the North China Plain, targeting the amoA gene. A phylogenetic null modelling approach was used to calculate the beta nearest taxon index to quantify the influence of stochastic and deterministic processes. We found that spatial distance between samples predicted the perceived processes involved in community structuring, with stochastic processes dominating at local scales. At greater distances, stochasticity became weaker. However, soil pH, which was also the strongest determinant of AOA community, was a much stronger predictor of community structuring, leaving the distance effect redundant as an explanation of community structuring processes. The communities of AOA differing by less than 1 pH unit differed mainly stochastically in terms of operational taxonomic unit composition. At larger pH differences, deterministic processes based on heterogeneous selection between clades became increasingly dominant. It appears that AOA community composition is largely determined by the environment. However, very similar pH environments are the exception. In environments with very close pH values, stochastic effects dominantly cause differences in community composition, whether spatially near or far.

Oil Pocket's Bearing Capacity Analysis of Liquid Hydrostatic Worktable in Gantry Moving Milling Center

Durning the design process of hydrostatic rotary worktable,the processing and assembly tolerance,（the offset of worktable and the gap of the oil film’s thickness）is ignored.But it will cause that the real bearing of oil pocket deviates from the initial design value,and then the performance of rotary worktable will be reduced significantly.Up to now,no effort is found toward the research of influence of the processing and assembly tolerance on the performance of the rotary worktable.So the hydrostatic oil film is assumed as the elastomer in this paper,and then the bearing capacity of the oil pocket is studied with and without the mass offset of the worktable by taking an expression between the bearing capacity and the oil film’s thickness of the oil pocket as the deform compatibility equation.The influence of the processing tolerance of the oil sealing belt’s gap on the bearing capacity of the oil pocket is analyzed.In the light of the liquid hydrostatic worktable of Gantry Moving Milling Center using on the scene,the oil pocket’s pressure of the worktable is tested using Rotary Worktable Test System under the circumstance of the mass offset of the worktable and the gap tolerance of the oil sealing belt,and then the equivalent offset of worktable,the average pressure of the oil pocket and the actual thickness of the oil film are analyzed respectively.The test results show that the bearing capacity component of the oil pocket caused by G is consistent,and the component caused by M is relative to the position of the oil pocket.When the oil sealing belt’s gap is larger than the theoretical value,the bearing capacity of the oil pocket is smaller than the others;whereas the bearing capacity of the oil pocket is larger than the others.The maximum and minimum equivalent offsets are 0.256 4 mm and 0.047 5 mm,respectively,and the average oil pocket pressure varies from 0.345 MPa to 0.460 MPa,the maximum and minimum value of the actual oil film thickness are 109.976？m（No.7 oil pocket）and 93.467？m（No.10 oil pocket）,respectively.The research results can be used to detect the offset of the worktable and the actual thickness of the oil film under processing and assembly tolerance,and provides a basis way for detecting the processing and assembly tolerance of rotary worktable signing reasonably of Gantry Moving Milling Center.

Cladophora as ecological engineer:A new test from the largest lake of Qinghai-Tibet plateau with filamentous algal blooms

Filamentous algae blooms(FABs)have been increasing globally in recent years,and their presence can have both harmful and beneficial effects on aquatic ecosystems.As one of the most common FABs,Cladophora blooms have been reported in the lakes of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau during the past few years.However,there have been few studies focused on how FABs impact other aquatic organisms,especially in alpine lakes since these are at the forefront of responding to global climate change.In this study,the phytoplankton communities in different regions of Qinghai Lake were profiled in different seasons using meta-barcode sequencing.The phytoplankton assemblages in areas with Cladophora blooms were compared to those without Cladophora.The phytoplankton community structure correlated with physicochemical properties including water temperature,electrical conductivity,nitrate,and the presence or absence of Cladophora blooms.The relative abundance of Bacillariophytes was found to be higher in zones with Cladophora blooms than in other regions.Significant seasonal changes in phytoplankton biomass andβdiversity were observed in zones with Cladophora blooms.Growth and microbial degradation of Cladophora can change the pH,dissolved oxygen,secchi depth,and nitrate.Together with seasonal temperature and electrical conductivity changes,Cladophora growth can significantly impact the phytoplankton biomass,community dissimilarity and assembly process.These results showed that Cladophora plays a key role in littoral aquatic ecosystem ecology.

Assembly Information Model Based on Knowledge Graph

There are heterogeneous problems between the CAD model and the assembly process document.In the planning stage of assembly process,these heterogeneous problems can decrease the efficiency of information interaction.Based on knowledge graph,this paper proposes an assembly information model(KGAM)to integrate geometric information from CAD model,non-geometric information and semantic information from assembly process document.KGAM describes the integrated assembly process information as a knowledge graph in the form of“entity-relationship-entity”and“entity-attribute-value”,which can improve the efficiency of information interaction.Taking the trial assembly stage of a certain type of aeroengine compressor rotor component as an example,KGAM is used to get its assembly process knowledge graph.The trial data show the query and update rate of assembly attribute information is improved by more than once.And the query and update rate of assembly semantic information is improved by more than twice.In conclusion,KGAM can solve the heterogeneous problems between the CAD model and the assembly process document and improve the information interaction efficiency.

Homogeneous selection is not always important in bacterial community in the eutrophic enclosed bay

Background:Previous studies have found that coastal eutrophication increases the influence of homogeneous selection on bacterial community assembly.However,whether seasonal changes affect the dominance of homogenous selection in bacterial community assembly in eutrophic bays remains unclear.Sansha Bay is an enclosed bay with ongoing eutrophication,located in the southeast coast of China.We investigated the bacterial community composition at two depths of the enclosed bay across seasons and the seasonal variation in community assembly processes.Results:Diversity analyses revealed that the bacterial community composition among seasons differed significantly.By contrast,there was little difference in the community composition between the two depths.The temperature was the key environmental factor influencing the community composition.The null model indicated that the relative importance of homogeneous selection decreased in the following order:spring>winter>autumn>summer.Homogeneous selection did not always dominate the community assembly among seasons in the eutrophic bay.The effects of pure spatial variables on the community assembly were prominent in autumn and winter.Conclusions:Our results showed the seasonal influence of eutrophication on bacterial community diversity.The seasonal variation in composition and structure of bacterial communities eclipsed the vertical variability.Eutrophication could enhance the importance of homogeneous selection in the assembly processes,but the seasonal environmental differences interfered with the steady-state maintained by ongoing eutrophication and changed the community assembly processes.Homogeneous selection was not always important in bacterial community in the eutrophic enclosed bay.The bacterial community was the most complex in summer,because the composition differed from other seasons,and the assembly process was the most intricate.These findings have contributed to understanding bacterial community composition and assembly processes in eutrophic coastal ecosystems.