Adoration Of Magi Essays - Adoration Of The Magi In Art,

Adoration Of Magi The painting "Adoration of the Magi" by di Nardo portrays the three Magi approaching \the baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary. However, there is much more to it than just this familiar scene from Judeo-Christian lore. When approaching this painting in order to analyze it iconographically, it is necessary to first look at all aspects of the form. If this aspect is ignored, it provides for an incomplete analysis of the painting. Once this is looked at, the iconography of the painting becomes much clearer, and it is easier to compare the painting to the actual biblical text from which it was derived (Gospel of St. Matthew 2:1 ? 2:12). When approaching the painting the first thing I noticed was the odd perspective. There are several vanishing points. Also, all of the figures seem to be placed on one plane. Because of this, the two figures that represent Jesus and Mary seem to be hovering weirdly above the ground. This, I believe, draws the viewer's attention to these two figures, since they are the main focus of the painting. Due to the influence of my culture, I recognized the figures as Jesus and Mary immediately. However, despite this, there are a few indicators as to who the people represented in the painting are. When viewing the painting, it is obvious that the figures of mother and child are the main point because the gazes of all of the people in the represented center on the child, including the mother's. Also, the weird hovering effect also directs the viewer's attention to these two figures. Both Mary and Jesus have halos, but this is not necessarily a distinguishing factor seeing as how there are also four other figures in the painting that have halos. However, the halo that surrounds the head of the baby Jesus has a slightly different pattern than those that the other figures possess. This lets you know that for whatever reason, this child is set apart from all other figures in the painting. So, even if the viewer is of another culture or religion and doesn't see the significance of the female in the picture being clothed in blue and red, or the significance of the"blessing" position in which the baby is holding his hand, he can see that for some reason, this child is being distinguished from all other people in the painting. Another aspect of the form that draws your attention to the Virgin and Jesus is the triangular set up of these two figures along with Joseph and another Magus. The triangle that is formed has Mary and Jesus at the peak, yet again, drawing the viewer's attention to these two figures and reinforcing the fact that they are of some significance. When comparing the painting to the text in the Bible that describes the same meeting of the Magi with the baby Jesus and Mary, there are several differences. There are certain things that I noticed that not only go contrary to the painting, but to popular culture's idea of this story. First, in the Bible, the Magi are referred to as, chief priests and teachers of the law. They were not "kings" as they are often referred to in Christian culture. In fact, in di Nardo's depiction, all of the Magi are wearing crowns, showing this misunderstanding. Another thing that is assumed by di Nardo in his painting, as well as by popular culture is that there were three Magi. There is nothing mentioned in Matthew 2:1 ? 2:12 that makes reference to there being exactly three Magi. What I noticed that might have lead to this misconception, however, is that the Magi brought gifts of "gold, incense and myrrh." This is the only thing that I saw that could have lead to the belief that there were three Magi ? one Magus for each gift. There are also extra people in the painting whom I could not identify. There is no mention of anyone in the bible besides Jesus, Mary and the Magi. There is not even any mention of Joseph who is clearly depicted. Also, the gifts that the Magi are holding in the painting by di Nardo, are all the same and look as though they are gold, rather than gold, incense and myrrh. Whether these are merely containers with the true gifts inside of them, I do not know, but even if they are, this still strays from the original biblical story, because it gives no mention of the gifts

Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary Essay Essays

Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary Essay Essays Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary Essay Paper Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary Essay Paper Essay Topic: The Wild Duck Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is a Wildlife Sanctuary. UNESCO Natural World Heritage site. a Undertaking Tiger Reserve. an Elephant Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve in Assam. India. Located in the Himalayan foothills. it is immediate with the Royal Manas National park in Bhutan. The park is known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife such as the Assam Roofed Turtle. Hispid Hare. Golden Langur and Pygmy Hog. Their end is to be able to to the full fund the saving and maintain the sanctuary alive and booming for many old ages to come. This is an attempt that will take everyone that is involved aid. One peculiar ecological singularity is the flora: The Burma Monsoon Forests of Manas prevarication on the boundary lines between the Indo-Gangetic and Indo-Malayan biogeographical kingdom and is portion of the Brahmaputra Valley Biogeographic Province. The combination of Sub-Himalayan Bhabar Terai formation with riverine sequence taking up to Sub-Himalayan mountain forest makes it one of the richest biodiversity countries in the universe. The chief flora types are: Sub-Himalayan Light Alluvial Semi-evergreen woods in the northern parts. * East Himalayan assorted Moist and Dry Deciduous woods ( the most common type ) . * Low Alluvial Savanna Woodland. and * Assam Valley Semi-Evergreen Alluvial Grasslands which cover about 50 % of the Park. Animals in the sanctuary: * The sanctuary has recorded 55 species of mammals. 380 species of birds. 50 of reptilians. and 3 species of amphibious vehicles. Out of these wildlife. 21 mammals are India’s Schedule I mammals and 31 of them are threatened. The zoology of the sanctuary include Asiatic Elephants Indian Rhinoceros. Gaurs. Asiatic Water Buffaloes. Barasingha. Tigers. Leopards. Clouded Leopards. Asiatic aureate cat. Capped Langurs. Golden Langurs. Assamese Macaques. Slow Loris. Hoolock Gibbons. Smooth-coated Otters. Sloth Bears. Barking Deer. Hog Deer. Sambar Deer and Chital. * The park is good known for its rare and endangered wildlife which is non found anyplace else in the universe like the Assam Roofed Turtle. Hispid Hare. Golden Langur and Pygmy Hog. Manas houses about 380 species of birds. Manas have the largest population of endangered Bengal Florican. The major other birds includes Giant Hornbills. Jungle Fowls. Bulbuls. Brahminy Ducks. Kalij Pheasants. Egrets. Pelicans. Fishing Eagles. Serpent Eagles. Falcons. Scarlet Minivets. Bee-Eaters. Magpie Robins. Pied Hornbills. Grey Hornbills. Mergansers. Harriers. Ospreys and Herons. Two major biomes exist in Manas and they are the grassland biome and the forest biome. The biological interrelatedness among the life signifiers in the country reasonably much coexists with each other as anywhere else in the universe where there are marauders and quarries but with the aid of people to regulate their environment a small spot so that the species survive and don’t become nonextant. Their was rather a spot of human invasions exactly a century ago the British Government declared Manas as a protected country and hunting and violent death of wildlife was banned. In 1928. the name Manas Wildlife Sanctuary was inscribed and by 1955 Manas was about 391sq kilometers big. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary was declared as a Tiger Reserve in 1973 ; which was amongst the first in the state and was besides declared as the World Heritage site under the N ( two ) ( three ) ( four ) in the twelvemonth 1985. In 1989. the position of â€Å"Biosphere Reserve† was besides granted to Manas. In the twelvemonth 1990. the centre declared this part as â€Å"Manas National Park† . A batch of attempt has been made and accomplishments such as at least 47 poachers around the Manas National Park surrendered to MMES their manus made guns. MMES have employed most of these ex-poachers as guards paying them monthly wages. MMES besides established the MMCA or the Conservation Area which the society is responsible for. Constructing roads and Bridgess in the country and care of these roads for the past few old ages have been entirely the MMMES accomplishments. Domestic every bit good as foreign tourers visit the topographic point and eco-tourism is deriving impulse. MES is thirstily looking for contributions so that their enthusiasm and willingness to back up preservation takes a mercenary way. Most of the times MMES is in demand of support and they depend on the tourers or subscribers to assist them financially. If Manas revives back to a stable province which I think is rather possible. MMES would hold played a powerful function in this attempt. In fact. the Maozigendri male childs are an illustration for the young person of this state to step frontward and protect Mother Nature who is most vulnerable to devastation. The Manas Maozigendri Eco-tourism society stands tall as an model organisation with a batch of passion and enormous wildlife preservation values. So we as that people began to take part and back up our wildlife savings and the diverseness of the country. Preservation through Communication Preservation through communicating can be reached through publications. newssheets and community and outreach activities. Teaming up with Wilderness Committee’s to host an educational slideshows. Thingss like this can be really enlightening for illustration â€Å"Over 50 people came out to listen to Caribou Biologist. Dave Quinn. discourse one of BC’s most endangered species. Over 700 people attended the Hyde Creek Salmon Festival in November and NWPS was one of the many environmental groups in attending. They provided a relevant presentation approximately wildlife as a characteristic of the festival. Thankss to a big figure of voluntaries. NWPS is able to continually update their web site to supply current. interesting information. Through their ‘Passion for Wildlife’ plan they engage a figure of people in the readying of educational information about the wildlife they seek to continue. Each twelvemonth many members of the public visit this web site to entree current information about its wildlife instruction and habitat stewardship plans. every bit good as up to day of the month information about wildlife in British Columbia. Preservation through Education Another manner is through instruction through the Wildlife Education Programs in schools. linguistic communication centres. seniors’ places and community centres throughout the part. Through these plans people will be provided with information on wildlife in BC. endangered species and environmental issues. Each twelvemonth they provide an entertaining and enlightening wildlife presentation for over 700 school-aged kids. Preservation through Involvement The NWPS had launched the Nature Walk A ; Workshop Program in 2005. Seven categories from the Lower Mainland participated in the Nature Workshop plan and visited one of the undermentioned natural countries: Lighthouse Park. Bear Creek Park. Capilano River Park. or Burnaby Lake Park. Through this plan. pupils learn about wildlife. visit wildlife home grounds and take part in stewardship activities. Many persons visit natural infinites and learned about wildlife in BC through their Owl Prowl field trips and a particular Earth twenty-four hours plan. Preservation through Stewardship Having the community to help in the saving through stewardship in another avenue. In jubilation of Earth Day 2005. NWPS hosted a trail Restoration event in Deep Cove. BC. Over 20 voluntaries and community members assisted the District of North Vancouver Parks Department by assisting reconstruct a subdivision of the popular Baden-Powell trail. At the terminal of the twenty-four hours. our squad had built an 11-step stairway on the trail and had planted many tree seedlings Animal Rescue Calendar – Supporting Animal Rescue Groups Supporting animate being deliverance groups is a really good manner to back up saving. This twelvemonth NWPS produced a TISOL Animal Rescue Calendar. They reached another 5. 000 people and cemented working relationships with over 12 groups. They have planned for this run to break-even for this twelvemonth and have established a platform for greater success in the hereafter. Outreach Funding – Support from Communities Annual outreach runs can make people out of your arm range. And you do this by inquiring them to prosecute in back uping the environment through our instruction plans. If invasion goes unchecked the doomed for the saving will be great. We truly have to look at the large image here when we see this because it is non a little job. to some it may be but this sort of invasion could do many species to go nonextant. Can you conceive of ten old ages from now non being able to demo your kid. or grandchildren what a Bengal Tiger looks like. I mean to literally non be able to see the menagerie and have to state you child that this peculiar animate being no longer exists. This will go on to many species if certain safeguards are non takes. Wildlife is merely every bit valuable as our ain ; it creates a balance here on this Earth. Mention hypertext transfer protocol: //whc. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. org/en/list/338 hypertext transfer protocol: //www. wild-india. com/WildlifeSanctuaries/manas-wild-sanctuary. hypertext markup language

The effects of cell phones in the busness workplace Research Paper

The effects of cell phones in the busness workplace - Research Paper Example It is based on observation and anecdotal evidence, with some recourse to published material as cited. Chapter 1: The Effects of Cell Phones in the Business Workplace Early adopters of the cellular phone, as it was originally and briefly known, pioneered a new era of business communication, even if at some considerable expense. Not unusually for breakthrough technology, the cost of a Motorola DynaTac in 1983 was $3,995.00, which, in today’s terms and taking inflation into account, would be in the region of $8,500. (1) The cost of acquisition, however, was overall perceived to be outweighed by the benefits of the new technology and the status conferred on those who used it. The race to produce more affordable, smaller and more versatile handsets for a market that could only grow is till showing little sign of slowing. Gartner Says Worldwide Mobile Phone Sales Grew 17 Per Cent in First Quarter 2010. (2) Figures released in 2002 by the International Telecommunication Union (3) rev eal that, in terms of units per person, Taiwan topped the list at 106.45 per 100, with Burma at the bottom. Weighted average was 59.3 per 100, with the United States at 48.81. The cost of initial models confined sales almost exclusively to the business sector, and indeed the benefits were immediate and enormous. On another level, the magical new device lent an aura of power to its owner; if you were in a position to purchase one of these vastly expensive, exotic devices, you clearly needed to communicate with other powerful, decision-making corporate warriors. Either that, or you were a very savvy criminal (3), which, to some sideline observers not yet equipped to enter the game, was also an exotic and enviable career. So we can safely say that the cell phone changed business for the better as soon as it became clear that to not have one was a disadvantage. Let us call this ‘Effect One’, the addition of a vital tool to the company toolbox, sometimes one you had to earn by distinction until the price enabled the purchase of a handset for personal use. It needed little to no effort to sell this new, potent symbol of progress and dynamism. It also introduced a set of changes in etiquette and behavior, both in and beyond the workplace, which can be referred to as ‘Effect Two’. Effect Two, like most changes to social norms, started with a minority who took on the role of being at the forefront of change, leading the charge, brushing past the fuddy-duddies on the way to wherever it was they were going. And, for a while at least, the alpha males in the workplace were the ones who got the cell phones, and who changed them as soon as the next model with better features came along. The rest waited their turn and resigned themselves to being followers. Here, like a well-cut suit, an expensive wristwatch and hand finished shoes, was an accessory that set the owner apart, allowed them to adopt a different attitude. Indeed, the new power prop had a far more immediate effect than good tailoring or discrete and tasteful jewelry, as its appeal to many lay in its ability to be the opposite of discrete and sophisticated. Chapter 2: Now, whereas in conventional ordered, civilized workplaces it would once have been considered rude or inappropriate to ignore, interrupt loudly or suddenly terminate a conversation with a colleague, the

Ethnic Minorities. Choose an ethnic minority in a population not u.s Essay

Ethnic Minorities. Choose an ethnic minority in a population not u.s. or canada. Describe basic info, where they live population - Essay Example The Neolithic culture, which they brought with them, is still evident in the rice terraces, cloth weaving and the use of iron implements. Scholars differ in their contentions of the mountain people’s ancestors, however, a noticeable number supports the contention that the ancestors of the mountain people came from the South East Asia Mainland. In the process of settling down, the early settlers became geographically isolated from one another. The long period of isolation and adaptation to the environment gave rise to variations of culture. Akin to other kinds of culture, distance has caused differences. Over time, the territories have made them stay in their respective tribes. An individual who would wander or dare to cross boundaries would have dire consequences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Igorots or â€Å"mountain people† as they are called by their lowland counterparts refer to the people living the mountainous parts of Central Luzon in the Philippines. It is an au tonomous country in Southeast Asia. Some of its known neighbors are Taiwan, China, Borneo, Vietnam, and Indonesia (Peters 7). The nation’s name was derived from Spain’s King. Phillip II ruled Spain during the islands’ discovery by Ruy Villalobos. ... The region’s economy mainly involves farming, mining, and tourism. Most of the agricultural products are vegetables such as potato, beans, and other leafy greens. The Cordilleras is also the major producer of highland vegetables of the entire Philippines. This is because of is very fertile lands and cool climate. Some of the region’s minerals are gold and silver. The Igorot Mountains are also attracting lots of tourist from all over the world. Aside from having the Banue Rice Terraces, which is considered to be the Eighth Wonder of the World, it has lots of natural and manmade wonders. These majestic places include the Sagada Caves, the hanging coffins and mummies of Benguet, the cool, pine filled climate of Baguio City also known as the Summer Capital of the Philippines, the Strawberry fields of La Trinidad, otherwise known as the Salad bowl of the Philippines, the hot springs of Asin and a lot more. It is also a host of a large number of mountain climbers since it con tains the second highest mountain in the Philippines, Mt. Pulag. Igorots’ settling locations have been concentrated in one area. However, the different subgroups have occupied different divisions. The closeness of their geographical aspects have ensued some similarities in their practices. However, the slight environmental dissimilarities have caused diversity among the mountain people. Interestingly, enculturation have transpired over time. The Igorots have also been proven to build stone walls, dams, and canals that still puzzle engineers. These hydraulic works were shaped from stones greater in bulk than those of the Great Wall of China ( . Specifically, the mountain people mostly live in the region’s southern, eastern, and central expanses. Those who live in Mountain Province are called

Frida Kahlo Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Frida Kahlo - Research Paper Example Her mother on the other hand, was a devout Roman Catholic of mixed Amerindian and Spanish ancestry (Herrera, 12-18). Guillermo married Matilde soon after the death of his first wife during birth of their second child. They had four daughters, though their marriage was a particularly rocky one. Frida was the third. They were raised together with their two other half-sisters from their father’s previous marriage. Kahlo later claimed that she was born in 1910, three years after her actual birthday, so that people would associate her with the Mexican Revolution that started that year. She recalls in her works the events of the Revolution and the echoes of gunfire that filled the streets of Mexico. In her 6th year, Kahlo was diagnosed with Polio which left her right leg thinner than the left. Later, it was deduced that she had been born with spina bifida which could have impaired her spinal and leg development. It is a result of this misfortune in her legs that she often wore long skirts to conceal the anomaly. However, this did not deter her from undertaking in physical activities as she often participated in boxing and other sports (Herrera, 20-45). Kahlo joined Preparatoria in 1922 which at the time was one of Mexico’s finest schools. At this point, she joined a group of politically and intellectually like-minded students. She became romantically involved with one of them, Alejandro Gomez Arias. On September 17 1925, as Kahlo and Arias were riding in a bus, they collided with a car. The accident left her in great pain and she spent three months recovering in a full body cast. She had a broken collarbone, a broken spinal column, broken pelvis, broken ribs, and eleven fractures in her right leg, a dislocated shoulder and a crushed and dislocated right foot. An iron and a hand nail pierced her abdomen and uterus during the accident, thereby leaving her incapable of having children. Later on in

A History Of Flexible Manufacturing Systems

A History Of Flexible Manufacturing Systems Now once you have a Flexible Manufacturing System in place, it cannot function in isolation. The department has to make its other processes and work conditions conducive enough to take full advantage of FMS. There are a lot of other design variables involved in the decision making process. It is very important for every manager in charge of FMS to address the question What are the activities an FMS adopter has to carry out in order not only to implement an FMS but also to realize the requisite organizational conditions; and what are the possibilities for the adopter to organize this manufacturing innovation process effectively? Stating a few examples of the extraneous factors: Maintenance Department Process planning, Production planning, and quality control processes The people carrying out these processes and production resources used to make these processes feasible The organizational arrangements used to divide and coordinate the processes Introduction A Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS) is a manufacturing system in which there is a certain degree of flexibility that allows the system to react in the case of changes, whether predicted or unpredicted. According to Maleki  [1]  , flexibility is the speed at which a system can react to and accommodate change. To be considered flexible, the flexibility must exist during the entire life cycle of a product, from design to manufacturing to distribution. Flexible Manufacturing System is a computer-controlled system that can produce a variety of parts or products in any order, without the time-consuming task of changing machine setups. The flexibility being talked about is generally considered to fall into two categories, which both contain numerous subcategories  [2]  . The first category, Machine Flexibility, covers the systems ability to be changed to produce new product types, and ability to change the order of operations executed on a part. The second category is called Routing Flexibility, which consists of the ability to use multiple machines to perform the same operation on a part, as well as the systems ability to absorb large-scale changes, such as in volume, capacity, or capability. The main advantage of an FMS is its high flexibility in managing manufacturing resources like time and effort in order to manufacture a new product. The best application of an FMS is found in the production of small sets of products like those from a mass production. FM systems are supposed to provide the manufacturer with efficient flexible machines that increase productivity and produce quality parts. However, FM systems are not the answer to all manufacturers problems. The level of flexibility is limited to the technological abilities of the FM systems. FM systems are being used all over the manufacturing world and though out industries. A basic knowledge of this kind of technology is very important because FM systems are involved in almost everything that you come in contact with in todays world. From the coffee maker to your remote control FM systems are used all over. History of Flexible Manufacturing Systems At the turn of the twentieth century, FMS did not exist. There was no pressing need for efficiency because the markets were national and there was no foreign competition. Manufacturers could tell the consumers what to buy. During that period, Henry Ford had been quoted as saying People can order any colour of car as long as it is black. All the power remained in the hands of the manufacturer and the consumers hardly had any choices. However, after the Second World War a new era in manufacturing was to come. The discovery of new materials and production techniques increased quality and productivity. The war led to the emergence of open foreign markets and new competition. The focus of the market shifted from manufacturer to consumer. According to Maleki, the first FM system was patented in 1965 by Theo Williamson who made numerically controlled equipment. Examples of numerically controlled equipment are like CNC lathes or mills which Kusiak says are varying types of FM systems. 1980s 1970s 1960sDuring the 1970s, with the ever-growing developments in the field of technology, manufacturers started facing difficulties and hence, FM systems became main-stream in manufacturing to accommodate new changes whenever required. During the 1980s for the first time manufacturers had to take in consideration efficiency, quality, and flexibility to stay in business. According to Hoeffer, the change in manufacturing over time was due to several factors. (Hoeffer, 1986) Increased international competition, The need to reduce manufacturing cycle time, and Pressure to cut the production cost. Everyday new technologies are being developed and even FM systems are evolving. However, overtime FM systems have worked for many manufacturers and hence will be around for the time to come. The Process of Flexible Manufacturing Systems As has been discussed above the flexible manufacturing system can be broadly classified into two types, depending on the nature of flexibility present in the process, Machine Flexibility and Routing Flexibility FMS systems essentially comprise of three main systems.  [3]   The processing stations: These are essentially automated CNC machines. The automated material handling and storage system: These connect the work machines to optimize the flow of parts. Central control computer: This controls the movement of materials and machine flow. The FMS as a system stands out because it does not follow a fixed set of process steps. The process sequence changes according to requirement to allow maximum efficiency. Sequence of material flow from one tool to another is not fixed nor is the sequence of operations at each tool fixed. Key Features of the Process  [4]   Some characteristics that differentiate FMS from conventional manufacturing systems are their technical flexibility, i.e., the ability to quickly change mix, routing, and sequence of operations within the parts envelope and also complexity resulting from the integration, mechanization, and reprogrammable control of operations i.e., parts machining, material handling, and tool change. Some key features of the process are discussed below. Cell: It consists of several groupings of two or more automated machines within a company. Each grouping is called a cell. All the machines present are controlled by a computer. They are programmed to change quickly from one production run to another. A key feature is the automated flow of materials to the cell and the automated removal of the finish item. Several cells are linked together by means of an automated materials-handling system, and the flow of goods is controlled by a computer. In this manner a computer-integrated manufacturing process is initiated. Random bypass capability: The material handling system has a random bypass capability, i.e. a part can be moved from any tool in the interconnected system to another because the transport system can bypass any tool along the path, on demand. This implies: Each part can traverse a variable route through the system. Again, this flexibility in material handling, in combination with multipurpose tools, makes it possible for a flexible manufacturing system to process a great diversity of parts. Automation: Computers are the heart of automation. They provide the framework for the information systems which direct action and monitor feedback from machine activities. As FMS involve a wide variety of components, each with their own type of computer control, many of these computer components are installed as islands of automation, each with a computer control capable of monitoring and directing the action. Each of the computer controls has its own communication protocol based on the amount of data needed to control the component. Thus, the task of computer integration is to establish interfaces and information flow between a wide range of computer types and models. Computer software provides the ability to transmit timely and accurate status information and to utilize information which has been communicated from other computers in FMS. Component redundancy: In FMS as the equipment is highly integrated, the interruptions of one component affect other components. This results in a greater time to trace the problem when compared with isolated components. In some cases, the interruption might be due to some other integration effect, and greater downtime may result before the actual cause of the problem is found. In this situation, component redundancy provides flexibility with the opportunity for choice, which exists when there are at least two available options. Flexible manufacturing contains functionally equivalent machinery. So in case of failure of one machine the process flow is directed towards a functionally equivalent machine. Multiple Paths: A path in flexible manufacturing represents a part sequence and requisite fixtures to complete its required operations. In a conventional machine environment, only one path exists for a part because a single fixture remains at a single machine. However, this is not the case within flexible manufacturing systems, where there are multiple paths. The number of paths which are present within flexible manufacturing is a measure of the degree of flexibility. Obviously, the higher the number of paths, higher is the degree of flexibility. Flexibility ranks high in Japanà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²s manufacturing strategy but not in Americaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²s. A true flexible factory will not only build different versions of the same car, like a coupà © or a station wagon, on the same production line, but also a completely different car. This is what the Japanese factories are setting out to do. The cost of one factory can be spread across five or ten cars. Apart from lower fixed cost, it is also less painful to stop making one of those cars if it fails to sell. Stand Alone Machine Flexible Manufacturing System Transfer Lines High Medium Low Low Medium High Productivity Volume Part VariationsFMS as a system of manufacturing process can be compared to other processes in terms of the product volume it generates and its capacity for creating part variations. The figure above depicts the position of FMS vis-à  -vis that of stand-alone machine and transfer lines. The horizontal axis represents production volume level and the vertical axis shows the variability of parts. Transfer lines are very efficient when producing parts at a large volume at high output rate, whereas stand-alone machines are ideally suited for variation in workplace configuration and low production rate. In terms of manufacturing efficiency and productivity, a gap exists between the high production rate transfer machines and the highly flexible machines. FMS, has been regarded as a viable solution to bridge the gap and as a gateway to the automated factory of the future. The Process: With Reference to particular companies  [5]   Though the features of this manufacturing innovation process are similar across all types of firms, the manner in which they are adopted and implemented depends on product type, manufacturing, maintenance, process planning and quality control processes. It is also contingent upon the people carrying out these processes; the productive resources being used and the organizational arrangements used to divide and coordinate the processes distinguished. The description of the layout of a company that has adopted the flexible manufacturing system gives a clear idea of how the system works in practical life. It has all the features as mentioned before of a typical FMS. Flexible Manufacturing System at The Hattersley Newman Hender (H.N.H.) This company, located in U.K. manufactures high and low pressure bodies and caps for water, gas and oil valves. These components require a total of 2750 parts for their manufacture. That is why they decided to go for the system of F.M.S. to fulfill their machining requirements in a single system. The process described below shows how FMS is used for efficient production for this company. Their FMS consists of primary and secondary facilities. The primary facilities include 5 universal machining centres and 2 special machining centres. The secondary facilities consist of tool settings and manual workstations. System layout and facilities: Primary facilities: Machining centres: The FMS contains two 5-axis horizontal out-facing machines and five 4-axis machining centres under the host control. All the machines have a rotating pallet changer each with two pallet buffer stations. These stations transfer pallets to and from the transport system which consist of 8 automated guided vehicles. The 5 universal machining centres have 2 magazines with capacity of 40 tools in each magazine. The special purpose out-facing machines (OFM) each have one magazine having a capacity of 40 tools. The tool magazines can be loaded by sending instructions to the tool setting room either from the host computer or the machines numerical controller. Processing centres: The system contains two processing centres a wash machine and two manual workstations. Wash machines: It contains two conveyor belts where one is for input and one for output of pallets, each with a capacity of three pallets to transfer the pallets. The wash booth has a capacity of three pallets. The pallets are washed in the booth and turned upside-down to drain out the water. Then they are dried with blown air. Manual workstations (ring fitting area): The operator fits metal sealing rings into the valve bodies at the manual workstations. He receives work instructions via computer interface with the host. Secondary facilities: Auxiliary stations: Load/unload stations: The FMS has four-piece-part load and unload stations. Loading and unloading is performed at these stations with the instructions again received via computer interface with the host. Fixture-setting station: At these stations the fixtures are readjusted to accommodate different piece parts. Administration of tools: Tools are assembled manually. The tool-setting machine checks the dimensional offsets of the tools and generates a bar code for further identification of the tool that has been set. Auxiliary facilities: Transport system: The transport system consists of a controller and 8 automated guided vehicles (AGV). The system also contains an A.G.V. battery charging area. Buffer stores: The FMS has 20 buffer stores in order to store the empty and loaded pallets while they are waiting to be taken to another transfer station (i.e. a load/unload station or a machine tool etc.). Maintenance Area: This facility caters to pallets that may be damaged or need servicing or for storing scrapped piece-parts. Raw Material Stores: These stores are located in front of the load / unload stations and are used to store the raw materials (like forged valve bodies etc). The store is served by two fork-lift-stacker cranes and motor roller conveyors. It has a capacity of 80 containers. Fixture store: The fixtures that are not stored in FMS are stored here. It has a capacity of storing 120 fixtures. The store is served by a stacker crane and motor roller conveyors. Flexible Manufacturing System at TAMCAM Computer Aided Manufacturing (TAMCAM) Lab. This is an example of flexible manufacturing system that is used to describe the TAMCAM Simulation-Based Control System (TSCS)  [6]  . This system is located within the TAMCAM Computer Aided Manufacturing (TAMCAM) lab. The system consists of three CNC milling machines, one CNC turning centre, two industrial robots, and an automated cart based conveyor system. In addition to the automated equipment, human operators are used to load and unload some machines and perform assembly and inspection tasks. Advantages of Flexible Manufacturing System Why would firms embrace flexible manufacturing systems? What benefits does FMS provide? Answers to these two questions are important to the success of flexible manufacturing systems. It is important to understand the impacts on product life cycle, direct labour input and market characteristics. Various advantages arise from using flexible manufacturing systems.  [7]  Users of these systems enlist many benefits: Less scrap Fewer workstations Quicker changes of tools, dies, and stamping machinery Reduced downtime Improved quality through better control over it Reduced labour costs due to increase in labour productivity Increase in machine efficiency Reduced work-in-process inventories Increased capacity Increased production flexibility Faster production Lower- cost/unit Increased system reliability Adaptability to CAD/CAM operations Since savings from these benefits are sizeable, a plethora of examples from the manufacturing industry are available to illustrate these benefits. A major Japanese manufacturer, by installing a flexible manufacturing system, has reduced the number of machines in one facility from 68 to 18, the number of employees from 215 to 12, space requirements from 103000 square feet to 30000 and processing time from 35 days to a 1.5 days Ford has poured $4,400,000 into overhauling its Torrence Avenue plant in Chicago, giving it flexible manufacturing capability. This will allow the factory to add new models in as little as two weeks instead of two months or longer. The flexible manufacturing systems used in five of Ford Motor Companys plants will yield a $2.5 billion savings. By the year 2010, Ford will have converted 80 percent of its plants to flexible manufacturing. The benefits enlisted above are the operational benefits.  [8]  Flexible Manufacturing Systems also give rise to benefits in terms of strategy for the firm. Operational Benefits Strategic Benefits Lower Costs per unit A source of competitive advantage in present and future. Lesser workstations Less space in plant required. Reduced Inventories Less of Storage Space. Plant Layout gets simplified. The space is freed up for other activities. Increase in labour productivity Lesser workforce required. Operational Flexibility Ability to meet varying customer demands in terms of numbers (seasonality) and choices. Improved Quality Increased customer satisfaction Less inspection costs Lesser lead time Increased Machine Efficiency Less technical workforce for handling maintenance and repair Less Scrap and Rework Consistent Production Process On a macro level, these advantages reduce the risk of investing in the flexible manufacturing system as well as in ongoing projects in such a firm. Let us look at how flexibility helps firms. To maximize production for a given amount of gross capacity, one should minimize the interruptions due to machine breakdowns and the resource should be fully utilized. FMS permits the minimization of stationsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ² unavailability, and shorter repair times when stations fail. Preventive maintenance is done to reduce number of breakdowns. Maintenance is done during off hours. This helps to maximize production time. Cost of maintaining spare part inventories is also reduced due to the fact that similar equipment can share components. Hence we can see that higher the degree of flexibility of the workstation, the lower the potential cost of production capacity due to station unavailability. To make a product every day, the trade off between inventory cost and setup cost becomes important. However, each time the workstation changes its function, it incurs a set-up delay. Through flexibility one can reduce this set-up cost.  [9]   CAD/CAM aids in computerized tracking of work flow which is helpful in positioning inspection throughout the process. This helps to minimize the number of parts which require rework or which must be scrapped. FMS changes the outlook of inspection from a post-position to an in-process position. Hence, feedback is available in real time which improves quality and helps product to be within the tolerance level.  [10]   Flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) are virtually always used in conjunction with just-in-time (JIT) order systems. This combination increases the throughput and reduces throughput time and the length of time required to turn materials into products. Flexible Manufacturing Systems have a made a huge impact on activity-based costing.  [11]  Using these systems helps firms to switch to process costing instead of job costing. This switching is made possible because of the reduced setup delays. With set-up time only a small fraction of previous levels, companies are able to move between products and jobs with about the same speed as if they were working in continuous, process type environment. To look at another aspect of strategic benefits, enterprise integration can be facilitated by FMS. An agile manufacturer is one who is the fastest to the market, operates with the lowest total cost and has the greatest ability to delight its customers. FMS is simply one way that manufacturers are able to achieve this agility.  [12]  This has also been reported in many studies that FMS makes the transition to agility faster and easier. Over time, FMS use creates a positive attitude towards quality. The quality management practices in organizations using FMS differs from those not using it. The adoption of flexible manufacturing confers advantages that are primarily based upon economies of scope. As a result of aiming simultaneously at flexibility, quality and efficiency, the future manufacturing industry will strive towards: producing to order, virtually no stock, very high quality levels, and high productivity.  [13]   Disadvantages of Flexible Manufacturing System  [14]   Now that we have looked at the multiple advantages flexible manufacturing systems offer, the next obvious question is, if they are so good and so useful then why are they not ubiquitous by now? It is essential to look at the other side, especially the impact these systems have on costing, product mixes decided by the company and the inevitable trade- off between production rates and flexibility. Following are the major disadvantages that have been observed Complexity These sophisticated manufacturing systems are extremely complex and involve a lot of substantial pre planning activity before the jobs are actually processed. A lot of detail has to go into the processing. Often users face technological problems of exact component positioning. Moreover, precise timing is necessary to process a component. Cost of equipment  [15]   Equipment for a flexible manufacturing system will usually initially be more expensive than traditional equipment and the prices normally run into millions of dollars. This cost is popularly known as the Risk of Installation. Maintenance costs are usually higher than traditional manufacturing systems because FMS employs intensive use of preventive maintenance, which by itself is very expensive to implement. Energy costs are likely to be higher despite more efficient use of energy. Increased machine utilization can result in faster deterioration of equipment, providing a shorter than average economic life. Also, personnel training costs may prove to be relatively high. Moreover there is the additional problem of selecting system size, hardware and software tailor made for the FMS. Cost of automation in the form of computer integration is the most significant cost in a flexible manufacturing system. The components require extensive computer control. Also, the costs of operation are high since a machine of this complexity requires equally skilled employees to work or run it. Adaptation Issues There is limited ability to adapt to changes in product or product mix. For example, machines are of limited capacity and the tooling necessary for products, even of the same family, is not always feasible in a given FMS. Moreover, one should keep in mind that these systems do not reduce variability, just enable more effective handling of the variability. Equipment Utilization Equipment utilization for flexible manufacturing systems is sometimes not as high as expected. Example, in USA, the average is ten types of parts per machine. Other latent problems may arise due to lack of technical literacy, management incompetence, and poor implementation of the FMS process. It is very important to differentiate between scenarios where FMS would be beneficial (ex, where fast adaptation is the key) and those where it wouldnt (ex where a firms competency is based on minimizing cost). Product/Job Costing  [16]   Arguably the biggest disadvantage of flexible manufacturing systems is the difficulty faced by the company in allocating overhead costs to jobs. Usually, several products share the same resources with different consumption characteristics. Ideally, the overhead allocation should be directly proportional to the resource consumption. But this becomes complicated in the case of flexible manufacturing systems since it is very difficult to estimate which product used which machine for which purpose and for how long. Often this leads to under costing of some products and consequently over costing of others. In systems that use FMS, usually the fixed costs are quite high due to the following reasons: The machines are costly, material handling is more expensive and the computer controls are state of the art, thereby leading to a higher depreciation than seen in traditional manufacturing systems. A lot of items which are otherwise usually treated as direct costs are counted under indirect costs in case of flexible manufacturing systems. For example, labour is normally attributed to the job directly done, but in FMS, the same workers work on machines that usually run two jobs simultaneously. Hence even labour costs are to be treated as overhead or indirect costs. In order to ensure smooth running of the flexible manufacturing systems, a lot of support activities carried out by engineers and technicians. Keeping the above points in mind, we can infer that in order to cater to these scenarios, Activity Based Costing techniques are used with FMS to reduce distortion of product costs. FMS Adoption in Automobile Industry The Flexible manufacturing system has been adopted extensively in the manufacturing industry in this day and age. It addresses the issue of automation and process technology which is a key area for concern of manufacturing management along with inventory production planning and scheduling and quality. One industry which has extensively adopted this system is the Automobile Industry. Almost all global giants now follow the Flexible Manufacturing system and many have developed their own manufacturing system keeping FMS as an integral part of it. The Big Three of the American Automotive Industry namely General Motors, Ford Motors and Chrysler Motors enjoyed a monopolistic environment for a very long time. This in some way inhibited their innovation capabilities as there was no competition in the market which could drive them to innovate. These companies, therefore, maintained production facilities that were suitable for mass production of any single model, which ensured economies of scale and plant profitability. But gradually as Asian car makers gained prominence in the automotive market, the Big Three of the United States faced huge challenges across all product lines. The main Asian competitors that came into picture were Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi from Japan and Hyundai from South Korea. With these Asian countries exporting vehicles to the United States of America, competition heightened and the profitability of the Big Three decreased. To improve its profitability and maintain its market share Chrysler Corporat ion, General Motors and Ford Motor Company employed Flexible Manufacturing System in their production lines following what had been started in Japan. The essential driving force for adoption of FMS in Automobile industry is The emphasis on increasing product variety and individualization has created a strong need to develop a flexible manufacturing system to respond to small batches of customer demand. Cost savings were required to be more competitive. Newer varieties needed to be introduced in lesser time and at lesser cost. Given below are examples of some companies and their motive for adopting FMS as well as the benefits that they have achieved through it Japanese Companies and Latest FMS Toyota Toyota has been at the forefront of adopting flexible manufacturing system which has been in place since 1985. In 2002, Toyota unveiled its Global Body Line (GBL), a radical, company-wide overhaul of its already much-envied FMS.  [

A Comparison of Death in The Scarlet Letter and My Antonia Essay

Importance of Death in The Scarlet Letter and My Antonia It is universally acknowledged that one who comes into this world must also leave. Just like everything else, even life and death is a binary composition. You cannot have one without the other. Although not many people like to think about it, death is a very important factor not only in life, but also in literature. Most often, death is portrayed as evil or gruesome, especially in commercial fiction. However, there are literary texts, which portray death through other factors. Through the depiction of the deaths of Arthur Dimmesdale and Mr. Shimerdas in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and Willa Cather's My Antonia, respectively, the reader is able to associate the significance of such issues as guilt, revenge/murder, religion, and the consequences of the two deaths. It may seem odd that instead of concentrating on the central female characters to portray these important issues, I have chosen two male characters. However, it is through the deaths of the male chara cters that the central females, Hester and Antonia are able to shine as women. In both these novels, the death scenes of the characters are ambiguous. In relation to one issue or another there is always something vague or missing, which leaves the readers to judge for themselves. The death scene in The Scarlet Letter is very powerful and full of remorse . Arthur collapsing into the arms of his loved one, after pleading with the people to look at Hester's scarlet letter once again, showing Roger how he had sinned as well, acknowledging Pearl and relieving her of her "...errand as a messenger of anguish" (Hawthorne 222) by kissing her, and fin... ...moil and keep her father's past alive. Both deaths also imply more than what meets the eye. While Arthur's death is surrounded by the possibility of revenge, Mr. Shimerdas' death is encircled by the likelihood of murder. The two deaths also highlight the importance of religion. Arthur, being a Reverend, is given the strength by God to confront his sins, while Mr. Shimerdas, also a Reverend of sorts, is buried and forced to live an afterlife of uncertain paths due to his faith. Lastly, the aftermaths of these deaths, is what makes The Scarlet Letter and My Antonia two great works of literature. Through Arthur's death, Hester is once again able to display her inner strength by making her own choices and standing by her love, whereas Antonia through the death of her father is able to excel in a man's world, while not forgetting her womanhood.