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Wednesday, March 11, 1987 / University Daily Kansar
Researchers strive to help updating of U.S. factories
By CAROLINE REDDICK
Staff writer
The National Bureau of Standards has awarded a $164,000 grant to the Kansas University Center for Research to continue research in the use of computers in manufacturing machine parts.
Bill Barr, director of the Computer Integrated Manufacturing Laboratory, said this was the fifth year that the lab had received the grant for research on developing and improving a work cell, or area, that can be used in parts. The laboratory is in KU's mechanical engineering department.
The work cell could be operated from long distances, Barr said.
"There may be a day when we'd make parts on the instructions of a company."
The KU work cell has three components controlled by one computer. The computer directs a milling machine that cuts metal, a fixture that holds the machine part in position and a robot that assembles the fixture and pushes the part into position. Each component is operated by a separate computer that takes directions from a main computer.
The KU research is part of a $7 billion project that has its main headquarters in Gaithersburg, Md. The project is a consortium of universities, industries and government agencies working to make the United States more competitive in the world
market, Barr said. Several companies and agencies finance the project, but the two principal backers are the National Bureau of Standards and the U.S. Navy.
"Over 100 scientists and engineers are working in Gaithersburg to put together the factory of the future, the concepts and architecture of the computer-integrated factory," Barr said.
"Gaithersburg is one of the first good cooperative endeavors of U.S. corporations. We've always been so competitive that companies couldn't work together like this. They were worried about restraint of trade.
"Now they're saying, '... if we're going to compete with the Japanese, we'll have to cooperate.'"
Three KU graduate students are serving internships at the Gaithersburg offices as part of the KU grant. Several other graduate students are working on the KU project.
Mike Carlyle, project manager at the KU mechanical engineering lab, said the research was helpful in preparing students for future jobs.
"It's providing them with essential insights into technology and some of the problems they'll run into in the workplace," he said. "It also gives them the opportunity to interact with high level researchers at the National Bureau of Standards.
value by being associated with the project," Carlyle said.
"Some of the students don't intern in Gaithersburg but still gain great
Barr said KU was the only university in the Midwest involved in the project. Nationally, 13 universities are involved in projects of the two largest university projects.
Barr said he expected to see factories that were almost automated in the next 10 to 20 years.
"There will definitely be change and restructuring of jobs because of things being done. We will make things better because robots do the heavy, dirty, messy work
"As for loss of jobs, there will be more people out of work if we don't do something to make our companies more competitive."
"The government keeps a royalty-free license arrangement where it has the rights to use the patent," he said. "After all, government money funded it, but the University has the right to commercialize it and the developers receive the money from it.
KU has received one patient on its research work. Barr said that if the patient was successful, KU and the patients who helped develop it might profit.
"Of course, a lot of patients never make a nickel, so nobody here is holding their breath that we've found the golden nugget. But there is potential."
Time bomb detonates in Laos
United Press International
BANGKOK, Thailand — A time bomb exploded at the Soviet information center in Vientiane, Laos, just 12 hours before Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shewardnadze was to visit the building, diplomatic sources said yesterday.
One Laotian was killed and another wounded in the blast, the sources said. They said the two may have been planting the bomb.
The bomb exploded at 7 a.m. Monday but was set to go off at 7 p.m. when Shewardnadze was scheduled to visit the center, Bangkok-based Asian and Western diplomats said, citing Laotian sources and their missions in Vientiane.
The building was not damaged, but the blast caused heavy damage to ears parked nearby, the sources said. It was not known whether the Soviet foreign minister went ahead with his visit to the information center Monday night.
Laietian and Soviet embassy spokesmen in Bangkok said they had no information on an explosion in the area, but Mr. Lai said the also did not mention any incident.
The diplomatic sources, who asked that their names be withheld, said the bomb probably was planted by anti-communists.
8:00 p.m. Monday, March 23, 1987 Gala Performance and Reception & 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 24
Crafton-Preyer Theatre, Murphy Hall University of Kansas
Tickets on sale at the Murphy Hall Box Office. Call (913) 864-3982 for further information. Funded by the KU Student Activity Fee.
DON'T "BREAK" WITHOUT THEM.
Textbooks are funny things.
They often sit unwanted on the Bookstore shelves until end-of-the-semester panic strikes. Although it's unfortunate, many spring semester textbooks are returned to the distributors because they are no longer needed to meet future demands. The switch all takes place while you're tanning on the beach or flying down the slopes.
Don't be a victim of "book-buying procrastination." Buy the books you'll need for finals before you leave for break.
Debate
Continued from p.1
expensive because the appeal process for people sentenced to death would be even longer than for those sentenced to life in prison, Gottlieb said.
He said he opposed the death penalty. Tonkovich said he neither supported nor opposed it. Both said they just wanted to put the reality of the death penalty on the table for legislators to hammer out.
Tonkovich said, "A lot of the proponents and opponents had emotional arguments. Everybody knows the emotional arguments."
He said capital punishment opponents other than Gottlieb allowed their emotions to cloud their thinking.
"Their moral zeal for this cause has resulted in a biased analysis," he said. "His (Gottlieb's) position on the issue is more based on reason, rather than emotion."
Most Kansans support the death penalty, several recent polls indicate. But Gottlieb said this support was based on misconceptions.
"People like the idea of capital punishment," he said. "I don't think
they're as comfortable with the reality."
Gottlieb and Tonkovich both have offices in Green Hall. They had a capital punishment debate in early February that drew an overflow crowd of students to a Green Hall classroom. But they both said their disagreement over the issue had not caused any friction between them.
"On this issue, we agreed to disagree," Tonkovich said.
Open debate and a diversity of open important for the University, they said.
SIR, YOUR PLANE IS WAITING
Fueled, armed, and ready to go from 0 to 200 in 3 seconds. This cockpit could be your own within one year after graduation from KU. You don't need a specific major nor a spectacular GPA. What do you need?
Simple, join NROTC. If you are a freshman or sophomore, you're eligible and there is no military obligation in the first year. You'll get the training and education you need to assume the responsibility of being a naval officer. you can also apply for a scholarship that could pay for all your tuition, books, and $100 a month. Upon graduation, you're ready for flight school. There is no practical limit on the number of graduates that the Kansas NROTC unit can send to flight school.
And then, you're in the cockpit. If you think you have the right stuff, call Lt. Bob O'Neil, University of Kansas Naval ROTC Unit, 864-3161.
All remaining winter sale merchandise $5.00- $15.00
Winter coats marked down even lower!
Sale ends Thursday
928 MASSMON.-SAT.10-5:30;THURS.10-8:30;SUN.12-4