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: 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 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: A sliding member is produced by forming hardening layers with two-layered structure on surface of a substrate metal with a Vickers hardness of not more than Hv300, such as aluminum or magnesium alloy for example, and then forming a DLC film having surface roughness defined as maximum height roughness Rz of 1 to 10 ?m further on the hardening layers. The above-described hardening layers are composed of a first hardening layer dispersed with heavy metal particles, preferably made of tungsten and/or tantalum in the substrate metal, and a second hardening layer formed under the first hardening layer.

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 such as a piston, a piston ring, a piston skirt section and a cylinder liner section of an internal combustion engine. The low-friction sliding member includes a base material having a surface. A hard carbon thin film is formed at at least a part of the surface of the base material. Here, a tribo-film having at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of ether linkage, oxido and hydroxyl group is formed on the hard carbon thin film when the hard carbon thin film is in slidable contact with an opposite member in presence of an organic oxygen-containing compound.

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 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: A rare earth magnet includes rare earth magnet particles; and amorphous and/or crystalline terbium oxide present at the boundary of the rare earth magnet particles and represented by the formula: TbOn, wherein 1.5<n?2. The rare earth magnet prevents decrease eddy current effectively.

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: A chain drive system includes a drive sprocket, a driven sprocket and a chain looped over the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket. The chain and the sprocket having respective sliding surfaces slidable relative to each other in the presence of lubricating oil, and any adjacent chain components of the chain having respective sliding surfaces slidable relative to each other in the presence of lubricating oil. At least one of the sliding surfaces between the chain and the sprocket and at least one of the sliding surfaces between any adjacent chain components have hard carbon coatings formed on base portions thereof. Each of the hard carbon coatings has a hydrogen content of 10 atomic % or less.

Abstract: [Object] A low friction assembly is desired. [Solving Means] The present invention relates to a new low-friction lubrication assembly comprising a first member relatively slidable against a second member, the first member having chemical affinity with an OH-group on its sliding surface; and one or more oxygen containing compounds, provided on the sliding surface of the first member and being able to produce a tribofilm attached to the sliding surface of the first member through hydrogen bond interactions. Preferably the second member comprises a similar OH-terminated sliding surface wherein an oxygen containing compound (lubricant)-supported interface between the first and second sliding surfaces results in a H- and/or OH-terminated interface developing repulsive forces thereinbetween.

Abstract: A transition metal nitride is obtained by a nitriding treatment of a surface of a base material including a transition metal or an alloy of the transition metal, and the transition metal nitride has a crystal structure of an M4N type and a crystal structure of an ?-M2˜3N type, and is formed over a whole area of the surface of the base material and continuously in a depth direction from the surface.

Abstract: [Summary] [Object] To provide a low-friction sliding mechanism capable of exhibiting an extremely excellent ultra-low friction characteristics at a sliding face existing in a variety of uses. [Solving means] A low-friction sliding mechanism is constituted by disposing a lubricant containing glycerol, at a sliding face formed between sliding members which have respectively hard carbon thin films. A low-friction sliding mechanism is constituted by disposing a lubricant containing hydroxyl group, at a sliding face formed between sliding members which have respectively hard carbon thin films, wherein a friction coefficient of smaller than 0.02 is exhibited in a sliding contacting condition under a boundary lubrication which exhibits a friction coefficient of 0.1 to 0.14 at a sliding face between a steel and a steel in presence of an engine oil. Each hard carbon thin film is formed of a-C or ta-C. Each hard carbon thin film has a hardness of 1500 to 5000 Hv in micro-Vickers hardness under a load of 10 g.

Abstract: A system and method which support determination of a design process order. The system includes: a storage device that stores constraint data indicating a strength of a constraint that is given to a respective design process from a respective of the other design processes; a detection unit that accesses the storage device to detect, from the constraint data, a loop of relationships concerning a design process receiving a constraint from another design process; a selection unit that accesses the storage device to select, from the detected loop, a pair capable of canceling the loop when the pair is deleted and having a minimum total constraint strength; and an output unit that deletes the selected constraint pair from the constraint data and outputs data indicating a constraint that is to be satisfied by each design process.

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: A fuel injection valve for an automotive internal combustion engine comprises a needle valve and an opposite member which are in slidable contact with each other in presence of fuel. A hard carbon thin film is coated on at least one of the sliding sections of the base materials of the needle valve and the opposite member. The hard carbon thin film has a surface hardness ranging from 1500 to 4500 kg/mm2 in Knoop hardness, a film thickness ranging from 0.3 to 2.0 ?m, and a surface roughness (Ry) (?m) which satisfies a relationship represented by the following formula (A): Ry<(0.75?Hk/8000)×h+0.0875??(A) where h is the thickness (?m) of the hard carbon thin film; Hk is the surface hardness in Knoop hardness (kg/mm2) of the hard carbon thin film.

Abstract: There is provided a sliding member including a base body and a hard carbon coating formed on the base body to define a sliding surface for sliding contact with an opposing member under lubrication according to one embodiment of the present invention. The hard carbon coating has an outermost surface portion lower in hydrogen content than a remaining portion thereof, or an outermost coating layer lower in hydrogen content than at least one other coating layer.

Abstract: [Object] Even when multiple work processes depending on one another progress in parallel, it is possible to appropriately manage the progress of the whole work that includes these work processes. [Solution] A work management system for managing the progress of work is provided with a process recording section which records, in association with at least one of multiple work processes, previous processes which are other work processes providing a product for the work process; and a reference maturity degree recording section which records, for each of the previous processes associated with one work process recorded in the process recording section, a reference maturity degree which is the maturity degree of the product of the previous process required to start the one work process. For each of the previous processes recorded in the process recording section in association with one work process, the maturity degree of the product of the previous process is acquired.

Abstract: There is provided a sliding member including a base body and a hard carbon coating formed on the base body to define a sliding surface for sliding contact with an opposing member under lubrication according to one embodiment of the present invention. The hard carbon coating has an outermost surface portion lower in hydrogen content than a remaining portion thereof, or an outermost coating layer lower in hydrogen content than at least one other coating layer.