Abstract: A gear comprised of a tooth surface and a hard carbon film formed on at least a part of the tooth surface. When the gear is used in lubricant including a specific component, a friction of a tooth surface of the gear is largely decreased, and therefore the gear performs an excellent power transmission efficiency. Further, when the gear is employed in a planetary gear mechanism or speed reducing mechanism which has a plurality of meshing portions of gears, the power transmission efficiency of the mechanism is also improved.

Abstract: A low-friction sliding member in a transmission is at least one of sliding members which are in slidable contact with each other in presence of a transmission oil composition. The low-friction sliding member includes a base material having a sliding section. A hard carbon thin film is coated at a sliding surface of the sliding section of the base material. The hard carbon thin film contains hydrogen in an amount not more than 20 atomic %. The transmission oil composition contains at least one of organic oxygen-containing compound and aliphatic amine compound.

Abstract: A low friction sliding combination of a cam and a cam follower which are in slidable contact with each other in presence of a lubricating oil. The cam follower includes a cylindrical and hollow outer roller having an outer peripheral surface in slidable contact with the cam. A fixed pin is coaxially disposed inside the outer roller and rotatably movable relative to the outer roller. A diamond-like carbon material is coated on a sliding surface of at least one of the outer roller and the fixed pin. The lubricating oil contains at least one of ashless fatty acid ester friction modifier and ashless aliphatic amine friction modifier.

Abstract: A system and method for analyzing and managing business performance by designing and evaluating the performance of a business process model comprising a flow of business tasks and artifact sources that generate business artifacts. Business processes may be parsed to identify transformation opportunities meeting transformation conditions specified in a transformation knowledge. One or more identified transformation opportunities may be adopted, and parts of the process may be transformed according to transformation rules specified in a transformation knowledge. Analytics and computer simulation may be employed to evaluate business performance metrics of each of said transformed business processes. Iterative changes may be made to said business processes to manage business performance, reiterating transformation and evaluation steps until a satisfactory business process model is obtained.

Abstract: A Nd—Fe—B type anisotropic exchange spring magnet is produced by a method of obtaining powder of a Nd—Fe—B type rare earth magnet alloy which comprises hard magnetic phases and soft magnetic phases wherein a minimum width of the soft magnetic phases is smaller than or equal to 1 ?m and a minimum distance between the soft magnetic phases is greater than or equal to 0.1 ?m, obtaining a compressed powder body by compressing the powder, and obtaining the Nd—Fe—B type anisotropic exchange spring magnet by sintering the compressed powder body using a discharge plasma sintering unit.

Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine of an automotive vehicle. The piston has a piston ring and a piston skirt section each of which has a sliding section in slidable contact with a cylinder bore section of a cylinder block in presence of a lubricating oil. The cylinder bore section is formed of eutectic or hyper-eutectic aluminum alloy. Additionally, a hard carbon thin film is coated on the sliding section of the piston and contains hydrogen atom in an amount of not more than 1 atomic %. Here, the lubricating oil contains at least one selected from the group consisting of ashless fatty acid ester friction modifier, ashless aliphatic amine friction modifier, polybutenyl succinimide, derivative of polybutenyl succinimide, zinc dithiophosphate, and derivative of zinc dithiophosphate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for arranging a progress schedule of a project includes steps for causing a computer to execute multiple simulations of the project, to select the simulation results indicating that the project would not be complete by the deadline among all the obtained simulation results, to modify the schedule of the selected results by increasing the workload per day for each process so that the project would be completed by the deadline, and to present the increased workload per day as recommended workload per day for each process.

Abstract: A low-friction sliding mechanism includes first and second sliding members having respective sliding surfaces slidable relative to each other and a lubricant applied to the sliding surfaces of the first and second sliding members. At least the sliding surface of the first sliding member is made of a diamond-like carbon material, and at least the sliding surface of the second sliding member is made of either an aluminum-based alloy material, a magnesium-based alloy material or a diamond-like carbon material. The lubricant contains a base oil and at least one of an ashless fatty-ester friction modifier and an ashless aliphatic-amine friction modifier.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a lubricant for lubricating relatively movable, facing contact surfaces at least one of which is coated with DLC, a method of lubricating DLC contact surfaces with this lubricant, and a system having DLC contact surfaces. The lubricant fulfills the following conditions (a) and (b): (a) the lubricant contains a lubricant base oil containing, as a main component, a base oil composed at least one of a hydrocracked mineral oil, a wax-isomerized mineral oil, and a poly-?-olefin base oil. The base oil has a kinematic viscosity of 2 to 20 mm2/s at 100° C., a total aromatic content of not higher than 5 mass %, and a sulfur content of 0.005 mass %; and (b) the lubricant has a sulfur content of not higher than 0.2 mass %.

Abstract: A Nd—Fe—B type anisotropic exchange spring magnet is produced by a method of obtaining powder of a Nd—Fe—B type rare earth magnet alloy which comprises hard magnetic phases and soft magnetic phases wherein a minimum width of the soft magnetic phases is smaller than or equal to 1 ?m and a minimum distance between the soft magnetic phases is greater than or equal to 0.1 ?m, obtaining a compressed powder body by compressing the powder, and obtaining the Nd—Fe—B type anisotropic exchange spring magnet by sintering the compressed powder body using a discharge plasma sintering unit.

Abstract: A transition metal nitride comprises a first layer formed of a nitride of a stainless steel containing at least Fe and Cr and a second layer formed on the first layer and having an exposed surface. The second layer is formed of another nitride having contents of components that differ from those in the first layer. The first and second layers have a composition distribution in which a Cr concentration is continuously changed from the first layer to the second layer in a thickness direction of these layers, and the second layer has a nitride deposition protruding from a base portion of an exposed surface. A fuel cell separator comprises a base layer formed of a stainless steel containing at least Fe and Cr and a nitride layer formed of a transition metal nitride as described. Methods of forming transition metal nitrides and fuel cell separators are also included, as is a fuel cell vehicle including a fuel cell stack.

Abstract: A transition metal nitride comprises a first layer formed of a nitride of a steel containing at least Fe ad Cr and second layer formed on a first layer and having an exposed surface. The transition metal nitride has a composition distribution in which Cr concentration is continuously changed from the first layer to the second layer in a thickness direction of these layers. A fuel separator comprises a base layer formed of a stainless steel containing at least Fe and Cr and a nitride layer formed of a transition metal nitride as described. Methods of forming transition metal nitrides and fuel cell separators are also included, as is a fuel cell vehicle including a fuel cell stack.

Abstract: An impact of a change in design information is defined as a sum of an additional work amount that must be reworked in each design process referring to the design information. At a time of requesting an impact analysis of a design change, all processes referring to certain design information to be changed are extracted from a project monitoring unit. An impact of the change in the referred design information on each extracted process is calculated. With respect to design information created on the basis of the referred design information in each extracted process, the maturity levels at a time when the process makes a reference and at a time when the reference design information is changed are obtained. Then, the difference therebetween is determined as the work amount that may possibly become useless.

Abstract: A low-friction sliding mechanism includes first and second sliding members having respective sliding surfaces slidable relative to each other and a lubricant applied to the sliding surfaces of the first and second sliding members. At least the sliding surface of the first sliding member is made of a diamond-like carbon material, and at least the sliding surface of the second sliding member is made of either an aluminum-based alloy material, a magnesium-based alloy material or a diamond-like carbon material. The lubricant contains a base oil and at least one of an ashless fatty-ester friction modifier and an ashless aliphatic-amine friction modifier.

Abstract: A low-friction sliding member in a transmission is at least one of sliding members which are in slidable contact with each other in presence of a transmission oil composition. The low-friction sliding member includes a base material having a sliding section. A hard carbon thin film is coated at a sliding surface of the sliding section of the base material. The hard carbon thin film contains hydrogen in an amount not more than 20 atomic %. The transmission oil composition contains at least one of organic oxygen-containing compound and aliphatic amine compound.

Abstract: A sliding mechanism includes a contact area between at least two sliding members. A low friction coating is applied on at least a portion of one of the at least two sliding members at the contact area. The low friction coating is a hard carbon including a diamond like carbon material selected from the group consisting of diamond, amorphous a-C diamond like carbon (DLC), and amorphous a-C:H DLC. A grease is applied on the low friction coating, wherein the grease comprises a base oil selected from the group consisting of ester oils, ether oils and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A system for and method of supporting preparation of an operation schedule table for a development project, including an input accepting section for accepting, for each of a plurality of components to be developed, an input of a utilization method by which a first development project having a timetable already prepared is used in a second development project for which a new timetable is generated; a plan conversion section for converting, for each of the components, a plurality of operation processes planned in the first development project based on the utilization method for each of the components, to generate a plurality of operation processes for developing the components in the second development project; and a schedule section for scheduling the respective operation processes to generate a timetable for the second development project.

Abstract: There is provided a structure for connecting a piston to a crankshaft in an internal combustion engine, including a piston pin fitted into the piston, a crankpin integral with the crankshaft and a connecting rod having a piston pin bearing portion slidably engaged with an outer cylindrical portion of the piston pin and a crankpin bearing portion slidably engaged with an outer cylindrical portion of the crankpin. At least one of the piston pin bearing portion of the connecting rod and the outer cylindrical portion of the piston pin and at least one of the crankpin bearing portion of the connecting rod and the outer cylindrical portion of the crankpin have hard carbon coatings formed thereon with a hydrogen content of 20 atomic % or less.

Abstract: A fuel cell separator (1) of the present invention has a base material (5) formed of titanium, and a nitride compound layer (6) composed of titanium and nitrogen and provided on a surface of the base material (5). In the fuel cell separator (1), the contact resistance which occurs between a gas diffusion layer and the separator (1) is low, the corrosion resistance is excellent, and the separator (1) can be manufactured at low cost.

Abstract: The present invention provides a rare earth magnet superior in magnetic properties and thermal stability. In an aspect of the present invention, a production method of an alloy thin ribbon for a rare earth magnet includes a step to obtain a quenched thin ribbon by feeding a molten alloy containing praseodymium (Pr), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), titanium (Ti), boron (B), and silicon (Si) on a rotating roll and a step to apply heat treatment to the quenched thin ribbon at a heating rate within a range of 100° to 150° C./min to crystallize the quenched thin ribbon.