Applications in geodesy and engineering surveying require the determination of the heights of the vertical control points in the national and local networks using different techniques. These techniques can be classified as geometric, trigonometric, barometric and Global Positioning System (GPS) levelling. The aim of this study is to analyse height differences obtained from these three techniques using precise digital level and digital level, total station (trigonometric levelling) and GPS which collects phase and code observations (GPS levelling). The accuracies of these methods are analysed. The results obtained show that the precise digital levelling is more stable and reliable than the other two methods. The results of the three levelling methods agree with each other within a few millimetres. The different levelling methods are compared. Geometric levelling is usually accepted as being more accurate than the other methods. The discrepancy between geometric levelling and short range trigonometric levelling is at the level of 8 millimetres. The accuracy of the short range trigonometric levelling is due the reciprocal and simultaneous observations of the zenith angles and slope distances over relative short distances of 250 m. The difference between the ellipsoidal height differences obtained from the GPS levelling used without geoid and the orthometric height differences obtained from precise geometric levelling is 4 millimetres. The geoid model which is obtained from a fifth order polynomial fit of the project area is good enough in this study. The discrepancy between the precise geometric and GPS levelling (with geoid corrections) is 4 millimetres over 5 km.

While analyzing shape accuracy of ferroalloy precision castings in terms of ceramic moulds physical anisotropy, low-alloy steel castings

("cover") and cast iron ("plate") were included. The basic parameters in addition to the product linear shape accuracy are flatness

deviations, especially due to the expanded flat surface which is cast plate. For mentioned castings surface micro-geometry analysis was

also carried, favoring surface load capacity tp50 for Rmax = 50%.

Surface load capacity tp50 obtained for the cast cover was compared with machined product, and casting plate surface was compared with

wear part of the conveyor belt. The results were referred to anisotropy of ceramic moulds physical properties, which was evaluated by

studying ceramic moulds samples in computer tomography equipment Metrotom 800.

The paper presents the properties of plastics under the trade names of PMMA and Midas, and of Formowax, Romocast 305 and Romocast 930 casting waxes. Their effect on the quality of foundry patterns used in the manufacture of ceramic moulds for precision casting is also discussed. From the selected materials for foundry patterns, samples were made for testing using the following methods: (i) 3D printing in the case of plastics, and (ii) conventional method based on tooling in the form of metal moulds (dies) in the case of casting waxes.

The most important physico-mechanical properties of materials for foundry patterns were determined, i.e. linear shrinkage, softening temperature, relative elongation and coefficient of thermal linear expansion. Bending tests were carried out on samples of patterns printed and made in metal moulds, including determination of the surface roughness of patterns.

After the process of melting out patterns from the cavities of ceramic moulds in an autoclave, the degree of their melting out was visually assessed (i.e. the residues from pattern removal were evaluated). The ash content after burning out of foundry patterns was also determined. The conducted tests allowed comparing the important parameters of materials used for foundry patterns and assessing the suitability of selected plastics as a material for foundry patterns used in the manufacture of high-quality precision castings.

On the basis of induction heating, radiation heating and liquid nitrogen refrigeration, high-temperature, medium-temperature, normal-temperature and low-temperature heating/refrigeration furnaces were designed, respectively. An apparatus with a wide temperature range and high accuracy applied to test oxidation resistance of materials has been developed based on the thermogravimetric method and the heat transfer principle. The apparatus consists of four heating/cooling systems, a specimen fixture positioning unit, a laser positioning unit, vertical and horizontal moving guide rails, and a high-precision weighing balance. The apparatus, based on the thermogravimetric method, is able to test oxidation resistance of materials. In the test, the temperature range was −180∼3000◦C (the highest temperature is determined by material properties). The temperature control accuracy was ±5◦C. The accuracy of on-line weighing was ±0:1 mg. The measurement uncertainty was 0.2 mg. Compared with other relevant devices, this apparatus has its own advantages: simple operation, wide heating/cooling temperature range, sufficient specimen heating, high sensitivity and precision, and short heating/cooling time. The experimental results show that the developed apparatus presented in this study not only can be used for isothermal thermogravimetric tests, but also for thermal cycling tests and multi-step oxidation tests. With the effective integration of multiple heating apparatus and refrigeration apparatus, the apparatus breaks through the limitations of the heating/cooling temperature range of the existing devices, accomplishes the high-precision oxidation resistance test of materials in a wide temperature range, and will play a great role in improving the research of materials.

A set of sound power assessments was performed to determine measurement precision in specified conditions by the comparison method in a reverberation room with a fixed position array of six microphones. Six blenders (or mixers) and, complementary, a reference sound source were the noise sources. Five or six sound power calculations were undertaken on each noise source, and the standard deviation (sr) was computed as “measurement precision under repeatability conditions” for each octave band from 125 Hz to 8 kHz, and in dB(A). With the results obtained, values of sr equal 1.0 dB for 125 Hz and 250 Hz, 0.8 dB for 500 Hz to 2 kHz, and 0.5 dB for 4 kHz and 8 kHz. Those can be considered representative as sound power precision for blenders according to the measurement method used. The standard deviation of repeatability for the A-weighted sound power level equals 0.6 dB. This paper could be used for house or laboratory tests to check where their uncertainty assessment for sound power determination is similar or not to those generated at the National Metrology Institute.

Inconel 713C precision castings are used as aircraft engine components exposed to high temperatures and the aggressive exhaust gas

environment. Industrial experience has shown that precision-cast components of such complexity contain casting defects like

microshrinkage, porosity, and cracks. This necessitates the development of repair technologies for castings of this type. This paper

presents the results of metallographic examinations of melted areas and clad welds on the Inconel 713C nickel-based superalloy, made by

TIG, plasma arc, and laser. The cladding process was carried out on model test plates in order to determine the technological and materialrelated

problems connected with the weldability of Inconel 713C. The studies included analyses of the macro- and microstructure of the

clad welds, the base materials, and the heat-affected zones. The results of the structural analyses of the clad welds indicate that Inconel

713C should be classified as a low-weldability material. In the clad welds made by laser, cracks were identified mainly in the heat-affected

zone and at the melted zone interface, crystals were formed on partially-melted grains. Cracks of this type were not identified in the clad

welds made using the plasma-arc method. It has been concluded that due to the possibility of manual cladding and the absence of welding

imperfections, the technology having the greatest potential for application is plasma-arc cladding.

In the external target experiment for heavy ion collisions in the HIRFL-CSR, Multi-Wire Drift Chambers are used to measure the drift time of charged particles to obtain the track information. This 128-channel high precision time measurement module is designed to perform the time digitization. The data transfer is based on a PXI interface to guarantee a high data rate. Test results show that a 100 ps resolution with a data transfer rate up to 40 MBps has been achieved; this module has also been proven to function well with the detector through a commissioning test.

The paper deals with analysis of samples made of Inconel 718 nickel superalloy, produced using direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), known as “sintering”, and precision casting technologies. The theoretical part is focused on the characteristics of producing samples of the nickel superalloy by modern additive methods (those for processing metallic materials) and by the conventional technology of precision casting. The practical part involves the investigation of the mechanical properties and texture of the surfaces of the tested samples. A significant part of this study is devoted to analysis of fracture surfaces and EDX experimental testing of TEM lamella by using of electron microscopy methods. The conclusions of this paper include a discussion, evaluation and explanation of both technologies applied on tested samples. Finally, the main benefits of using modern additive technologies in the design and production of heat-resistant components of turbochargers are discussed.

At the current stage of diagnostics and therapy, it is necessary to perform a geometric evaluation of facial skull bone structures basing upon virtually reconstructed objects or replicated objects with reverse engineering. The objective hereof is an analysis of imaging precision for cranial bone structures basing upon spiral tomography and in relation to the reference model with the use of laser scanning. Evaluated was the precision of skull reconstruction in 3D printing, and it was compared with the real object, topography model and reference model. The performed investigations allowed identifying the CT imaging accuracy for cranial bone structures the development of and 3D models as well as replicating its shape in printed models. The execution of the project permits one to determine the uncertainty of components in the following procedures: CT imaging, development of numerical models and 3D printing of objects, which allows one to determine the complex uncertainty in medical applications.

The process of enrichment in a jig has usually been described and analysed using particle density as a separation feature. However, a degree of particle loosening in the jig bed is affected by, inter alia, the terminal particle free settling velocity which in turn is affected by the size, density and shape of a particle. Therefore, the terminal particle settling velocity clearly characterises the feed transferred to a jig for the enrichment process. Taking the comprehensive particle geometric (particle size and shape) and physical properties (particle density) into account comes down to the calculation of the terminal particle settling velocity. The terminal particle settling velocity is therefore a complex separation feature which comprises three basic particle features (particle density, size and shape). This paper compares the effects of enrichment of coal fines in a jig, for two cases: when the commonly applied particle density is separation feature and for the particle settling velocity. Particle settling velocities were calculated in the selected three particle size fractions: –3.15+2.00, –10.00+8.00 and –20.00+16.00 mm based on the industrial testing of a jig for coal fines and detailed laboratory tests consisting in determining particle density, projective diameter and volume and dynamic particle shape coefficient. The calculated and drawn partition curves for two variants, i.e. when particle density and particle settling velocity were taken into account as the separation argument in selected particle size fractions, allowed to calculate and compare separation precision indicator. With the use of a statistical test, the assumption on the independence of random variables of the distribution of components included in the distribution of the particle settling velocity as a separation feature during enrichment in a jig was verified.

Nowadays, the technological innovations affect all human activities; also the agriculture field heavily benefits of technologies as informatics, electronic, telecommunication, allowing huge improvements of productivity and resources exploitation. This manuscript presents an innovative low cost fertigation system for assisting the cultures by using dataprocessing electronic boards and wireless sensors network (WSN) connected to a remote software platform. The proposed system receives information related to air and soil parameters, by a custom solar-powered WSN. A control unit elaborates the acquired data by using dynamic agronomic models implemented on a cloud platform, for optimizing the amount and typology of fertilizers as well as the irrigations frequency, as function also of weather forecasts got by on-line weather service.

Virtual reality (VR) has become a realistic alternative to conventional learning methods in numerous fields including military training. Accurate and precise tracking of a user wearing a head-mounted display is necessary to achieve an immersive VR experience. The widely available SteamVR system, where licensed users can design and construct trackers optimized for a given application can be an alternative to very expensive professional motion tracking. This paper presents the complete design process of a SteamVR tracker dedicated to a shooting simulation in a VR environment.We describe the optimization and simulation of the tracker’s shape and configuration of the sensors. In the simulation phase the developed model had better parameters than its commercial counterparts. Next, the optimized prototype was constructed and configured. The dedicated and automated measuring arrangement provided experimental verification of the tracker’s performance. Tracking performance as well as the accuracy and precision of both position and orientation measurements were determined and compared with simulations, which proved that the simulation software can accurately predict selected properties of the proposed tracker.

The study presents the results of the investigations of the effect of Cu, Ni, Cr, V, Mo and W alloy additions on the microstructure and

mechanical properties of the AlSi7Mg0.3 alloy. The examinations were performed within a project the aim of which is to elaborate an

experimental and industrial technology of producing elements of machines and devices complex in their construction, made of aluminium

alloys by the method of precision investment casting. It was demonstrated that a proper combination of alloy additions causes the

crystallization of complex intermetallic phases in the silumin, shortens the SDAS and improves the strength properties: Rm, Rp0.2,HB

hardness. Elevating these properties reduces At, which, in consequence, lowers the quality index Q of the alloy of the obtained casts.

Experimental casts were made in ceramic moulds preliminarily heated to 160 °C, into which the AlSi7Mg0.3 alloy with the additions was

cast, followed by its cooling at ambient temperature. With the purpose of increasing the value of the quality index Q, it is recommended

that the process of alloy cooling in the ceramic mould be intensified and/or a thermal treatment of the casts be performed (ageing)(T6).

Inconel 713C alloy belongs to the group of materials with high application potential in the aerospace industry. This nickel alloy has excellent features such as high strength, good surface stability, high creep and corrosion resistance. The paper presents the results of metallographic examinations of a base material and padding welds made by laser beam on the Inconel 713C alloy. The tests were made on precisely cast test plates imitating low - pressure turbine blades dedicated for the aerospace industry. Observations of the macro- and microstructure of the padding welds, heat-affected zone and base material indicate, that the Inconel 713C alloy should be classified as a hard-to-weld material. In the investigated joint, cracking of the material is disclosed mainly in the heat-affected zone and at the melted zone interface, where pad weld crystals formed on partially melted grains. The results show that phases rich with chromium and molybdenum were formed by high temperature during welding process, which was confirmed by EDS analysis of chemical composition.

The study discusses the issues connected with the production of thin-walled ceramic slurry in the replicast cs technology. In the ceramic mould production process, a special role is played by the liquid ceramic slurry used to produce the first layer of the mould. The study examines selected technological properties of liquid ceramic slurries used to produce moulds in the replicas cs technology. The ceramic slurries for the tests were prepared based on the binders Ludox Px30 and Sizol 030, enriched with Refracourse flour. The wettability of the pattern's surface by the liquid ceramic slurry and the dependence of the apparent viscosity on the ceramic flour content in the mixture were determined. The wettability of the pattern surface by the liquid ceramic slurry was determined based on the measurement of the wetting angle. The angle was determined by means of an analysis of the computer image obtained with the use of a CDC camera.