The increasing needs of using aluminum epoxy composite as a replacement to solid metal rapid prototyping has opened to interests in optimizing its machining processes. This paper reported on the success of optimizing the surface roughness of aluminium epoxy composite using milling process along with a new finding on the best combination parameters. Taguchi method was used as the optimization method whereas spindle speed, feed rate, and depth of cut were set as input factors using an L9 Orthogonal Array. Analysis of Variance was used to identify the significant factors influencing the surface roughness. Experiment was conducted in dry condition using a vertical milling machine and the surface roughness after the machining was evaluated. Optimum combination of cutting parameters was identified after the finest surface roughness (response) based on the signal-to-noise ratio calculated. Cutting parameters selected after preliminary testing are cutting speeds of (2000, 3000 and 4000) rpm, feed rate (300, 400 and 500) mm/min, and cutting depth (0.15, 0.20, and 0.25) mm. The result showed that cutting speed had the largest percentage contribution to surface roughness with 69% and the second highest contribution was feed rate with 22% and depth of cut at 9%. The spindle speed was found as the most significant factor influencing the quality of surface roughness. The result is significant particularly in providing important guidelines for industries in selecting the right combination of parameters as well as to be cautious with the most significant factor affecting the milling process of metal epoxy composite.

The outdoor pot experiments on the influence of weeds' growth stage and climate conditions on herbicides' effect were carried out in the Danish Institute of Agriculture Science in 2000-2001. The experiment concerning growth stage took into consideration three phases of Galium aparine: l, 2 and 3 whorls. The influence of temperature was performed using climate simulator running at three temperatures: 8/2°C, l 6.5/8°C, 24/16°C. The rain was applied using rain simulator 1, 3 and 6 hours after herbicides' treatment. Herbicides: Grody! 75 WG (amidosulfuron 750 g*kg-1), Aurora Super 61,5 WG (mecoprop 600 g=kg' + carfentrazone-ethyl 15 g*kt1), Lintur 70 WG (dicamba 65.9 g=kg', triasulfuron 4.1 g=kg') and Chwastox Trio 540 SL (dicamba 40 g*r1, MCPA 200 g"l', mecoprop 300 g*r') were applied in four doses: full recommended, 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 of full dose on G. aparine. Grody! 75 WG and Aurora Super 61,5 WG were the most efficient to the youngest plants of G. aparine. Differences in susceptibility among three growth stages (1, 2, 3 whorls) to Grody! 75 WG were higher than to Aurora Super 61,5 WG. Effectiveness of tested herbicides tended to increase as temperature rose. The addition of adjuvant improved activity of herbicide Lintur 70 WG that showed satisfactory weed control even at four time reduced dose independently from temperature. The rain treatment 1, 3 and 6 hours after spraying caused reduction of Aurora Super 61,5 WG activity at 1/4 and 1/8 doses. The half dose gave a good result only when rain was applied 6 hours after treatment. Herbicide Grody! 75 WG was efficient after rain application (1, 3, 6 HAT) only at full dose.