Pick of the Day from my RSS feed-Reducing Metal-Metal Friction_an InnoCentive Challenge

Reducing Metal–Metal Friction 

Call for the attention of  metallurgists, materials scientist and coatings specialist:
NB. If I can be of any assistance please do not hesitate to get in touch.

AWARD: $10,000 USD | DEADLINE: 10/30/11 or 30 Oct 2011  | ACTIVE SOLVERS: 170  | POSTED: 8/30/11 or 30 Aug 2011.

The Challenge is to find a treatment that can reduce the Coefficient of Friction on stainless steel metal parts. It will be a bonus if the solution is applicable to Titanium, Aluminum and other ferrous and non-ferrous alloys. The solution could be a coating or a surface treatment.

This Challenge requires only a written proposal.

Challenge Overview

Metal to metal friction in small manufactured devices causes many problems like galling and eventually wearing out and failure of parts. The Seeker is looking for a durable treatment or coating that can reduce the Coefficient of Friction (COF) in a Metal-Metal system with various Alloys of SS, Ti and Al. Any solution must not affect the strength of the base metal.

To receive an award, the Solvers will not have to transfer their exclusive IP rights to the Seeker. Instead, they will grant to the Seeker non-exclusive license to practice their solutions.

This is a Theoretical Challenge that requires only a written proposal to be submitted. The Challenge award will be contingent upon theoretical evaluation of the proposal by the Seeker.

Call for the attention of metallurgists, materials scientist and coatings specialist:
NB. If I can be of any assistance please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Sincerely yours in materials science and engineering

A Banquet of Consequences: Systems Thinking and Modeling for Climate Policy-Dire Warning

I have added a new video conference to my video wall. It is a rousing cry for action to master global warming effectively.

A few notes I made from the video are as follows:


-Playing Russian roulette with the future of  climate change.
-19/20 chances that the barrel is loaded except that the barrel is not aimed at us but at our children!
-Even if C02 emissions dropped in the recession year 2008 concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere continued to rise.
-AIM IPPC: Temp rise <2°C,  (3.6°F)
Mean estimate MIT:
-Biz as usual T >5°C (9.5F) expected warming by Year 2100
-90% confidence level
Very lucky - Lower bound 5% chance Temp rise 3.5°C
Very Unlucky 5% chance Temp rise  7.5°C
-Leads to the Russian roulette analogy above

No brushing of Climate Warming Issues under the proverbial carpet
SOLUTIONS Given - So TUNE IN and Develop the Adequate Global Job markets.

Although the video does not adequately show the figures presented slides are presented separately at the reference below:

REFERENCE

"A Banquet of Consequences: Systems Thinking and Modeling for Climate Policy" is a presentation given by John Sterman, Jay W. Forrester Professor of Management, MIT Sloan School of Management; Professor of System Dynamics and Engineering Systems, MIT; Director, MIT System Dynamics Group at the MIT System Design and Management's 2010 Systems Thinking for Contemporary Challenges Conference on October 21, 2010. Please reference the link below for John Sterman's presentation:
Climate Policy_Systems Thinking Conference_2010 by John Sterman (pdf)

Engineering Courses in Ontario Canada options and degree courses in Metallurgy and Metallurgical Transformation

Let me give readers another perspective and highly successful approach to Engineering. Engineering Courses in Ontario Canada brought my attention to Conestoga Community College a most fruitful window on education and employment in Ontario, Canada.

Conestoga is a young University and Polytechnic with an enviable record:

-Since it's inauguration in 1967, it has been rated N°1 College in Ontario for nine of the last eleven years.

-Graduate job placement rate is 94.2% six months after graduation.

-Conestoga is an outstanding Polytechnical Institute and a founding member of Polytechnics Canada

-Full-time Students: 8,500 - Apprenticeship Students: 4,000 - Part-time Students: 38,000

-40% of all adults in Waterloo Region have taken at least one course at Conestoga.

-Conestoga graduates annually inject $1.4 billion into the local economy.

-It offers 120 full-time programs, 37 apprenticeship related programs, 7 four-year bachelor degree programs, 3 collaborative degrees, 25 post-graduate certificates and over 100 part-time programs.

-Conestoga has six campuses: Doon (Kitchener), Waterloo, Guelph, Stratford, Cambridge and Ingersoll.

-Conestoga’s loan default rate is the lowest in the province at 6.8%. We attribute this, at least partially, to the fact so many of our students get excellent jobs after graduation! Last year Conestoga provided $20 million in student loans.

AIMS
-To champion innovation and excellence in education and training.
-To serve responsibly the diverse and ever-changing needs of the community.
-To inspire students and employees to strive toward their highest potential.

METALLURGY and MECHANICAL PROCESS ENGINEERING

-Powder Metallurgy.
-Welding
-BSc in Applied Mechanical Systems-extrusion, wire and bar drawing, sheet metal working, powder metallurgy

-MSc and BSc degrees conferred[Pdf]

MORE on Conestoga :

-Introduction,
-Community-Colleges Index.htmls.net
-reports

Canadian Colleges and Cegeps – « Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel ».

Canada currently has 146 colleges and cegeps in 115 towns and cities covering 13 provinces and territories. We provide access to all the key information you need to know about each community college, technical college or cegep in Canada. You can browse colleges by city or province. Each college listing will provide information such as number of students, contact info, admissions, tuition fees, financial aid and interesting facts about the college. You can also access our college program directory if you are looking for information about a specific program or area of study.

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