Abstract: A slidably movable member such as an adjusting shim used in a valve operating mechanism of an internal combustion engine of an automotive vehicle. The slidably movable member is used in contact with lubricating oil and comprises a substrate. A hard carbon-based film is coated on a surface of the substrate. The hard carbon-based film has a surface section which contains at least one of nitrogen and oxygen in an amount ranging from 0.5 to 30 at % and/or hydrogen in an amount of not more than 10 at %.

Abstract: A sliding structure for an automotive engine includes a sliding member with a sliding portion and a lubricant applied to the sliding portion so that the sliding portion can make sliding contact with a counterpart member via the lubricant. The sliding member is either of a piston ring, a piston pin, a cam lobe, a cam journal, a plain bearing, a rotary vane and a timing chain. The sliding portion has a base made of a steel or aluminum material and a hard carbon film formed on the base to coat the sliding portion. The hard carbon film has a thickness of 0.3 to 2.0 ?m, a Knoop hardness of 1500 to 4500 kg/mm2, a surface roughness Ry (?m) satisfying the following equation: Ry<{(0.75?Hk/8000)×h+0.07/0.8}, where h is the thickness (?m) of the film; and Hk is the Knoop hardness (kg/mm2) of the film.

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.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and a computer system implementing the method of a business process transformation wizard leads a business analyst through a series of steps to invoke business transformation patterns, in order to analyze the results of those processes. The wizard first prompts the business analyst to specify business objectives of process transformation. Required parameters are added to the business process model guided by the business process transformation wizard until the business process model is completed. Once the model is completed, the wizard prompts the business analyst to select transformation techniques or patterns for optimizing process parameters and, for each selected transformation pattern, optimizes process parameters using a selected optimization technique.

Abstract: An engine piston-pin sliding structure includes a piston pin slidably engaged into a pin boss of an engine piston and having a base and a hard carbon coating formed on the base so as to define a sliding surface slidable over a bearing surface of the pin boss and a lubricant interposed between the sliding surface of the piston pin and the bearing surface of the pin boss. The hard carbon coating contains 25 atomic % or less of hydrogen, and the lubricant contains at least one of an ashless fatty-ester friction modifier and an ashless aliphatic-amine friction modifier.

Abstract: A laser peening apparatus for manufacturing a rotor using an electrical steel sheet with low iron loss for enabling high speed rotation of a motor. The laser peening apparatus includes a laser irradiating device for irradiating with a laser through a liquid the rotor made of an electrical steel sheet with low iron loss, and a drive device for moving the rotor relative to an irradiation spot of the laser so that the laser irradiates along a bridge side on an inner circumference of a magnet insertion window of the rotor.

Abstract: A rare earth magnet powder has a chemical composition which includes R: 5 to 20% (wherein, R represents one or two or more rare earth elements being inclusive of Y but exclusive of Dy and Tb), one or two of Dy and Tb: 0.01 to 10%, and B: 3 to 20%, with the balance comprising Fe and inevitable impurities; and an average particle diameter of 10 to 1,000 ?m, wherein 70% or more of the entire surface of the rare earth magnet powder is covered with a layer being rich in the content of one or two of Dy and Tb and having a thickness of 0.05 to 50 ?m.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system wherein a pair of relatively movable, facing DLC contact surfaces at least one of which is coated with a DLC film, are further lowered in friction, and the low friction property is stably maintained. The present invention also relates to a lubricant for the system, and a lubricating method. The lubricant for the system having the DLC contact surfaces contains lubricant base oil (A) mainly composed of base oil (X), and sulfur-containing molybdenum complex (B). The base oil (X) is at least one of hydrocracked mineral oils, wax-isomerized mineral oils, and poly-?-olefin base oils, and 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 total sulfur content of not higher than 0.005 mass %.

Abstract: A separator for a fuel cell comprises a corrugated or undulated gas flow path portion (4) formed on central portion (2) of a clad thin plate: and a flat portion (6) formed on an outer periphery of the central portion, wherein the clad thin plate is obtained by applying rolling work on a metal plate whose surface is covered with a precious metal layer at a draft of 5% to 15% to make clad, and a limit plate thickness residual rate indicating a boundary limit in which cracking of the precious metal layer in the clad thin plate and reduction of corrosion resistance due to exposure of the metal plate are negligible is obtained in advance, wherein regarding a sectional shape in a direction orthogonal to a flow path of the gas flow path portion (4), when a plate thickness of the thinnest portion of a rib shoulder portion is represented as t2 and a plate thickness of a peripheral portion of the separator is represented as t4, a relationship of t2?t4×limit plate thickness residual rate is satisfied.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to obtain a highly soluble and colorless acrylamide polymer having a high molecular weight. A method for producing such acrylamide polymer involves comprises steps of: hydrating acrylonitrile containing oxazole at a concentration of 5 mg/kg or less and hydrogen cyanide at a concentration of 1 mg/kg or less by an enzymatic method to yield acrylamide; andt polymerizing monomers containing acrylamide.

Abstract: A rare earth magnet has a sintered body including: rare earth magnet particles; and a rare earth oxide being present between the rare earth magnet particles, the rare earth oxide being represented by a following general formula (I): R2O3 ??(I) where R is any one of terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium. The rare earth magnet particle is constituted by a cluster of numerous crystal grains, and an electric resistivity of the rare earth magnet is within a range from 26.0 to 75.0 ??m.

Abstract: This rare earth magnet having high strength and high electrical resistance has a structure including an R—Fe—B-based rare earth magnet particles 18 which are enclosed with a high strength and high electrical resistance composite layer 12. The high strength and high electrical resistance composite layer 12 is constituted from a glass-based layer 16 that has a structure comprising a glass phase or R oxide particles 13 dispersed in glass phase, and R oxide particle-based mixture layers 17 that are formed on both sides of the glass-based layer 16 and contain an R-rich alloy phase 14 which contains 50 atomic % or more of R in the grain boundary of the R oxide particles.

Abstract: A valve train for an internal combustion engine is comprised of a lubricating oil, and a camshaft which is made of an iron-based material and comprises a cam lobe and a camshaft journal. The camshaft slidingly moves on a counterpart thereof through the lubricating oil. A hard carbon film is formed on at least one of a sliding portion of the camshaft and the counterpart made of an iron-based material. A hydrogen amount of the hard carbon film is 10 atomic percent or less.

Abstract: A rare earth magnet comprises rare earth magnet particles and a rare earth oxide being present between the rare earth magnet particles. The rare earth oxide is represented by a following general formula (I): R2O3??(I) where R is any one of terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium.

Abstract: The invention provides a low-friction sliding mechanism, a low-friction agent composition, a friction reduction method, a manual transmission and a final reduction gear unit that can exert very excellent low friction characteristics to sliding surfaces present under various applications, and, in particular, that have more excellent low friction characteristics than that of a combination of an existing steel material and an organic Mo compound. The low-friction sliding mechanism has an oxygen-containing organic compound or an aliphatic amine compound interposed between sliding surfaces that a DLC coated sliding member and a sliding member form. The low-friction agent composition contains an oxygen-containing organic compound or an aliphatic amine compound. The friction reduction method includes supplying the low-friction agent composition between sliding surfaces that a DLC coated sliding member and a sliding member form.

Abstract: There is provided a refrigerant compressor including compressor parts having sliding portions slidable relative to each other and a refrigeration oil applied to the sliding portions of the compressor parts. At least one of the sliding portions of the compressor parts has a hard carbon coating formed thereon with a hydrogen content of 20 atomic % or less.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to transition metal nitrides having a chemical formula (Fe100-x-y-zCrxNiyMoz)4Nw, wherein 0.8?w?1.7, 19?x?30, 11?y?19, and 0?z?3. The disclosure also relates to fuel cell bipolar plates, fuel cells, fuel cell assemblies, and fuel cell powered vehicles including the transition metal nitride, and methods of manufacturing fuel cell bipolar plates using plasma nitriding.

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 method (and system) for simulating an implementation model of a business solution includes simulating business artifacts that invoke the implementation model of the business solution, at least one of simulating and executing a component of the business solution during at least one intermediate stage of a development and integration lifecycle of the implementation model, and analyzing results from the simulation of the implementation model during said at least one intermediate stage of the development and integration lifecycle of the implementation model, thereby allowing a user to simulate an implementation model using both real solution components and simulated solution components.

Abstract: An exchange-spring magnet is prepared using a magnet alloy containing Ta and C in addition to Nd, Fe and B. This exchange-spring magnet uses the magnet alloy prepared by a liquid quenching method or a mechanical alloying method. Further, by subjecting the magnetic alloy having a part set in an amorphous state to heat treatment, an exchange-spring magnet exhibits good properties regarding magnetic flux density and coercive force.