Orientador: Kléber Pereira Lanças / Banca: Ulisses Rocha Antuniassi / Banca: João Eduardo Guarnetti dos Santos / Banca: Luciano Shozo Shiratsuchi / Banca: Pedro Castro Neto / Resumo: A compactação do solo é um problema que atinge a maioria das áreas agricultáveis do Brasil, sendo provocada por diversos fatores, tais como o excesso de carga e o tráfego intenso de máquinas, uso de pneus inadequados para a carga aplicada e pressões de inflação fora do recomendado, tráfego de máquinas no campo com o teor de água do solo não recomendado e vários outros problemas. Existem disponíveis vários modelos e sistemas de medição da compactação do solo no Brasil; porém, os sensores desses equipamentos necessitam de processamento e interpretação dos dados. O objetivo deste trabalho foi projetar e avaliar um protótipo de hastes instrumentadas para identificar as camadas compactadas dos solos agrícolas em tempo real e em profundidades variáveis. O equipamento foi desenvolvido para ser montado na parte frontal do trator "tendo o movimento vertical, para introdução no solo", controlado pelo sistema hidráulico central do trator. As partes constituintes do protótipo frontal são o chassi, hastes, células de carga, coletor de dados, GPS, sensor de posição e controlador de fluxo de óleo que comanda o escarificador, acoplado na traseira do trator que é utilizado para descompactar o solo. O protótipo frontal do trator envia os dados de tensão do solo lidos pelas células de carga, sendo armazenados e sincronizados com os arquivos vindos do GPS e enviados por um coletor de dados, ao controlador de fluxo de óleo do escarificador, de acordo com os dados do sensor de posição, considerando o limite de tensão programado para que o escarificador atue, ou seja, penetre no solo na profundidade indicada, quando for maior ou igual a 2 MPa, promovendo a movimentação vertical do escarificador quando necessário. A calibração... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The soil compaction is a problem that affects most of agriculture fields in Brazil, aggravated for many factors, for example excess weight in the traffic and intense traffic machinery, tires used inadequately for the load weight applied and calibration pressures not recommended, the machineries enters on the field with water content in soil not recommended, and there are others problems. There are several models and systems available to measure the compaction in the soil in Brazil, but the data of equipment sensors need to be interpreted and processed. The objective of this work was to design and evaluate a prototype to indentify the compacted layers in the agricultural soil in real time and on the go in various depths. The equipment was design to be mounted in front of the tractor with vertical movement, to be introduced in the soil, controlled by central hydraulic system of the tractor. The constituent parts of frontal sensor are chassis, tines, load's cells, electronic system to collect files, GPS, position sensors, and oil flow controllers that transfers the command to the chiseled that is mounted behind the tractor and is used to mobilize the soil. The frontal sensor of tractor feeds together with the GPS files the pressure files of the soil read by load cells and this files are stored and sent by one data collector and to controller's oil flow of chisel according by positions sensor considering the programmed limit to the moves of chisel. In other words introduce the soil in initial depth if the pressure is equal or bigger than 2 MPa for initiate the vertical movement of the chisel, when needed. The equipment's calibration was made in area from the NEMPA's test track - Núcleo de Ensaio de Máquinas e Pneus Agrícolas - used as calibrator of the detector equipment of compaction a penetrometer and the Cone Index (IC) was inserted in the data... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Esta tese tem por objetivo estudar a precisão de uma nova estrutura robótica para operações de fresamento, em substituição às convencionais maquinas-ferramentas seriais, especialmente as fresadoras e os centros de usinagem CNC. A estrutura proposta está baseada no conceito da cinemática paralela, tendo a análise da precisão sido realizada em função do mapeamento dos erros de posicionamento da ferramenta de corte dentro do espaço de trabalho disponível, durante operação de fresamento de acabamento, aplicando modelagem matemática. A motivação está na busca por altos desempenhos e as estruturas robóticas paralelas possuem diversas vantagens perante as estruturas seriais: construção modular, massa reduzida, altas velocidades/acelerações. Por outro lado, há ainda problemas a serem solucionados, como: garantia da precisão, otimização do espaço de trabalho e redução/eliminação de singularidades. A metodologia aplicada no desenvolvimento deste trabalho compreende quatro etapas: a proposta de uma nova estrutura robótica desenvolvida a partir de métodos de síntese existentes; o desenvolvimento de modelos matemáticos para caracterizar o seu comportamento cinemático; a identificação das fontes de erro que influenciam no desvio de posição da ferramenta; a elaboração de modelos matemáticos e algorítmos computacionais para analisar o grau de influência de cada fonte de erro identificada. Desenvolvemos uma estrutura robótica de topologia assimétrica 2UPS+PRP, com as seguintes características: mobilidade 3 com três translações no espaço, reduzido número de componentes e movimento na direção z independente dos movimentos nas direções x e y. Apresentamos os algoritmos computacionais para mapear os erros cinemáticos, geométricos e elásticos através da discretização do espaço de trabalho disponível, baseado nas matrizes Jacobianas e no princípio do trabalho virtual. Com relação aos mapeamentos dos desvios de posição da ferramenta obtidos, chegamos a algumas conclusões. Os maiores erros cinemáticos ocorreram quando as imprecisões impostas aos dois membros motores laterais tinham sinais contrários. Os erros geométricos com tolerâncias dimensionais na classe de trabalho IT5, foram os mais relevantes dentre os erros considerados. Os erros elásticos, considerando forças de usinagem de acabamento, foram os menos relevantes entre os erros considerados, sendo expressiva a influência da rigidez das juntas universais e esféricas. A utilização do princípio do trabalho virtual, com parâmetros de rigidez concentrados, mostrou ser eficaz e eficiente, comparado ao SMA (análise da matriz estrutural) e ao FEM (método dos elementos finitos), devido ao menor trabalho para o desenvolvimento da sua formulação e ao tempo computacional reduzido para o seu processamento. / This thesis has the purpose to study the precision of a new robotic structure for milling operations, in substitution to the conventional serial machine-tools, specialy the CNC milling machines and cutting centers. The proposed structure is based on the parallel kinematics concept and the precision analysis was realized, applying mathematical models, to obtain the positioning errors mapping of the cutting tool in the available workspace, during finishing milling operations. The motivation is on the search higher performances and the parallel robotic structures have several advantages to the serial structures: modular construction, lightness, high velocities/acelerations. Otherwise, there are still problems to be solved, like: guaranty of precision, workspace optimization and reduction/elimination of singularities. The methodology applied for the development of this work involves four steps: the proposal of a new robotic structure developed using existing synthesis methods; the development of mathematical models to characterize its kinematic behavior; the error sources identification that influences the deviation of the tool position; the elaboration of mathematical models and computer algorithms to analyse the influence level of each identified error source. We developed one assymmetric robotic structure 2UPS+PRP, with the following characteristics: mobility 3 with three translations in the space, reduced number of componentes and displacement in z direction independent from the displacents in the x and y directions. We presented the computer algorithms to map the kinematic, geometric and elastic errors, throw the discretization of the available workspace, based on the Jacobian matrices and the virtual work principle. With regard to the tool position deviation mappings obtained, we reach to some conclusions. The major kinematic errors occurred when the imprecisions imposed to the two lateral actuatores had opposed signals. The geometric errors with dimensional tolerances in the IT5 work class, were the more relevant among the considered errors. The elastic errors, considering finishing manufacturing forces, were the less relevent among the considered errors, being expressive the influence of the rigidity of the universal and spherical jounts. The utilization of the virtual work principle and concentrated rigidity parameters, showed to be efficacious and efficient, compared to the SMA (astructural matrice analisis) and the FEM (finite elements methode), because of the minor work to develop its formulations end the reduced computer time to its prosecution.

Com o objetivo de avaliar a acurácia, a precisão e a robustez de diferentes indicadores internos na predição da digestibilidade aparente total da matéria seca (MS), matéria orgânica (MO), proteína bruta (PB), energia bruta (EB) e fibra em detergente neutro (FDN) para equinos, foi realizado um experimento no Setor de Equideocultura da Prefeitura do Campus de Pirassununga da Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos em parceria com o Laboratório de Fermentabilidade Ruminal, no qual foram utilizadas cinco éguas em mantença, alojadas em baias individuais, dispostas em quadrado latino 5x5 (cinco dietas e cinco animais) sendo as formulações isoproteicas e isoenergéticas. Os alimentos e as fezes deste experimento foram usados para a comparação dos dados estimados com os dados calculados através do experimento in vivo de coleta total de fezes. A determinação das frações indigestíveis foi feita após incubação in vitro com inóculo fecal equino diluído e tamponado. As amostras foram incubadas por 168 horas, retiradas, lavadas e então realizadas as análises dos nutrientes e estimativas da digestibilidade aparente, corrigida pela taxa de recuperação dos indicadores internos. A acurácia foi avaliada pela comparação do viés médio (dado predito - dado observado) entre os indicadores; a precisão, por meio da raiz quadrada do erro de predição e do erro residual; e a robustez, pelo estudo da regressão entre o viés e o consumo de matéria seca, consumo do indicador e peso vivo. Observando as taxas de recuperação (TR), pode-se dizer que a celulose indigestível (CELi) e a fibra em detergente neutro indigestível (FDNi) tiveram melhores TR, uma vez que sua recuperação média não diferiu de 100% (P>0,05). O viés médio obtido com FDNi não difere do viés médio obtido pela lignina em detergente ácido indigestível (LDAi). Por consequência de uma menor TR, os indicadores FDNi e LDAi possuem vieses negativos e diferentes de zero (P<0,05), mostrando que estes são menos acurados e subestimam o coeficiente de digestibilidade da MS. Quanto à precisão, as variâncias dos vieses (RQMEP2) para os indicadores CELi e LDAi foram maiores que a dos demais indicadores avaliados, pelo teste de Barllet. Não houve diferença significativa entre os coeficientes angulares da regressão dos vieses dos indicadores e as variáveis consumo de matéria seca, consumo de indicador e peso vivo (P>0,05). Nas condições em que o trabalho foi realizado, pode-se concluir que os indicadores mais acurados foram FDAi e CELi, seguidos da FDNi e LDAi. Quanto à precisão, FDAi e FDNi foram mais precisos que CELi e LDAi, sendo todos os indicadores robustos quanto a consumo de matéria seca, consumo de indicador e peso vivo. / Aiming to evaluate the accuracy, precision and robustness of different internal markers to predict total digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), gross energy (GE) and detergent fiber neutral (NDF) in horses, an experiment was carried out at the Horse Breeding Sector of the Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering in partnership with the Laboratory of Rumen Fermentability, in which five maintenance mares were used, housed in individual pens, arranged in a 5x5 Latin square design (five treatments and five animals) with isoproteic and isocaloric formulations. Feeds and faeces from this experiment were used to compare estimated and observed data obtained by the in vivo assay with total faecal collection. The determination of indigestible fractions was done after in vitro incubation with buffered diluted equine faecal inoculum. The samples were incubated for 168 hours, removed, washed and then conducted to the analysis of nutrients and the estimative of apparent digestibility, corrected by the recovery rate of internal markers. The accuracy was evaluated by comparing the mean bias (predicted data - observed data) between indicators; the precision by means of the square root of the prediction error and the residual error, and the robustness, by the study of regression between the bias and dry matter intake, marker intake and body weight. Observing the recovery rates (RR), it is possible to see that indigestible cellulose (CELi) and indigestible acid detergent fibre (ADFi) had better RR, since their average recovery did not differ of 100% (P>0.05). The mean bias obtained with indigestible NDF (NDFi) was not different of mean bias obtained by indigestible acid detergent lignin (ADLi). By consequence of lower RR, the markers NDFi and LDAi have negative biases and different of zero (P<0.05), showing that they are less accurate and underestimate the coefficient of DM digestibility. For precision, the variances of the biases (RQMEP2) for markers CELi and ADLi were higher than the other markers (Barllet test). There was no significant difference between the slopes of the regression of the biases of markers and the variables dry matter intake, markers intake and body weight (P>0.05). In conditions in which the work was done, it can be concluded that the most accurate indicators were ADFi and CELi followed by NDFi and ADLi. For precision, ADFi and NDFi were more precise than CELi and ADLi, and all markers were robust for dry matter intake, markers intake, and body weight.

A sustentabilidade dos sistemas de produção agrícolas envolve fatores ambientais, econômicos e socioculturais. Um dos componentes essenciais do sistema de produção agrícola é a prática da fertilização. Portanto o uso de fertilizantes pode contribuir para o aumento da produção sustentável em diversas culturas. A Agricultura de Precisão por meio da técnica de aplicação de fertilizantes em taxa variável permite o uso de diferentes doses de insumos segundo as exigências da cultura e solo. Com isso pode ser possível otimizar as aplicações, aprimorando assim o retorno econômico e a conservação do ambiente. Contudo, existe a necessidade de conferir os benefícios desta técnica. As análises de energia e econômica permitem avaliar a eficácia desta técnica, já que determinam a disponibilização e eficiência energética de um sistema produção, e a lucratividade para condições particulares de cada produtor. Assim, o objetivo do trabalho foi analisar a viabilidade energética e econômica da aplicação em taxa variável de fertilizantes, a fim de avaliar seus efeitos sobre as culturas. Estabeleceu-se um algoritmo para as operações efetuadas na fertilização (amostragem de solo e aplicação de fertilizantes). Dessa forma, analisou-se a viabilidade energética e econômica por meio de indicadores (energia incorporada e lucro da técnica). O modelo foi verificado com estudos de caso em culturas de café e laranja. Determinou-se que a técnica de aplicação de fertilizantes em taxa variável apresentou viabilidade energética para a maioria das áreas avaliadas, para as culturas de café e laranja se obtiveram reduções na energia incorporada de 25.551 MJ ha-1 e 15.368 MJ ha-1 respectivamente, demostrando melhor aproveitamento dos fertilizantes usados. Do mesmo modo se determinou viabilidade econômica em todas as áreas de estudo, por meio dos cenários estabelecidos no modelo. Determinaram-se aumentos de lucro para a cultura de café e laranja até de 1.319 R$ ha-1 e 1.031 R$ ha-1 respectivamente, em relação à aplicação convencional ou em taxa fixa. Concluiu-se que a técnica de aplicação de fertilizantes em taxa variável apresentou viabilidade energética e econômica para a maioria das áreas avaliadas. / The sustainability of agricultural production systems involves environmental, economic and sociocultural factors. One of the essential components of the agricultural production system is the practice of fertilization. Therefore, the use of fertilizers can contribute to increase the sustainability of agricultural production. Precision Agriculture through the variable rate application of fertilizer allows the use of different doses of inputs according to the requirements of the crop and soil. It may be possible to optimize applications, thereby improving the economic return and environmental conservation. However, there is a need to assess the benefits of this technique. The analysis of energy and economic permit the assessment of the efficacy of this technique, since they determine the availability and energy efficiency of a production system, and profitability for particular conditions of each producer respectively. The aim of the study was to analyze the energy and economic viability of the variable rate application of fertilizers in order to evaluate its effects on crops. An algorithm was established for the calculation carried out in fertilization (soil sampling and fertilizer application). In this way, was analyzed the energy and economic viability through indicators (energy embodiment and profit technical). The model was verified with case studies on coffee and orange crops. It was determined that the variable rate fertilizer application technique presented energy viability for most of the evaluated areas for coffee and orange cultures were obtained reduction in embodied energy of 25,551 MJ ha-1 and 15,368 MJ ha-1 respectively, demonstrating better use of fertilizers used. Likewise, it was determined economic viability in all areas of study through the scenarios set out in the model. They were determined profit increases for coffee and orange cultures up to 1.319 R$ ha-1 and 1.031 R$ ha-1, respectively, compared to conventional application or fixed rate. It was concluded that the fertilizer application technique in variable rate showed energy and economic viability for most areas assessed.

Este trabalho trata do desenvolvimento de uma mesa angular rotativa, para o microposicionamento de peças anesféricas durante a usinagem de ultraprecisão, para atender as tolerâncias nanométricas. Este microposicionamento angular é alcançado com o emprego de atuadores piezelétricos. Por se tratar de um tipo de sistema com movimento de rotação, relata-se o problema encontrado para energizar os atuadores. Este problema é abordado mostrando a alternativa encontrada destacando pontos relevantes, como: a) energização através de anéis coletores deslizantes, de cobre revestidos em prata, fixados no diâmetro externo do dispositivo; b)isolação elétrica entre os anéis e a peça; c) ligação do cabo coaxial vindo dos atuadores piezelétricos; d) aterramento dos cabos coaxiais, utilizando apenas um anel coletor deslizante. Explica como acontece a transmissão do sinal de corrente elétrica do aparelho de controle para os anéis deslizantes e posteriormente aos atuadores piezelétricos, utilizando contatos através de escovas, com 65% de prata e 35% de grafite, com molas duplas para garantir a pressão do contato, fixadas numa base rígida externa ao dispositivo. Destaca-se que a confiabilidade no microposicionamento da peça está na preservação da transmissão de uma corrente elétrica de 50mA para os atuadores. Conclui que é possível realizar o microposicionamento angular da peça que está sendo trabalhada, durante a usinagem de ultraprecisão, garantindo assim suas tolerâncias nanométricas / This work deals with a rotating tilt stage. It considers the micropositioning of aspheric workpieces during high precision machining, in order to obtain nanometric accuracies. It defines this angular micropositioning with the use of piezoelectric actuators. The problem found to energize the actuators, because it is a rotating driving mechanism is discussed. The chosen solution is presented and import points are highlighted, such as: a) to energize through sliding ring collectors, of copper coated in silver, fastened to the external diameter of the device; b) electric isolation between the rings and the workpiece; c) connection of the coax cable of the piezoelectric actuators; d) to ground the coax cables, just using a sliding ring collector. The transfer of electric current of the control system to the sliding rings and piezoelectric actuators is explained. Contacts with 65% of silver and 35% of carbon, with double springs to guarantee the pressure of the contact, fastened to a rigid base are used. The reliability in the micropositioning of a workpiece depends on the preservation of the electric current of 50mA to the actuators. It is shown that it is possible to realize the angular micropositioning of workpiece, during high precision machining, guaranteeing nanometric accuracies

Allteftersom forskningen inom Human Computer interaction (HCI) fortskrider konstrueras det allt fler innovativa sätt att interagera med spelkonsoller. Då fler sätt att interagera med spelkonsoller utvecklas förbättras även förutsättningarna för spelbranschen att öka interaktionen i spelen. Den senaste generationen av spelkonsoller har kommit fram med egna lösningar och innovativa sätt att öka spelupplevelsen och interaktionen. Nintendo Wii har t.ex. en rörelsesensor som reagerar på rörelserna av handkontrollen, och Xbox Kinect reagerar med hjälp av en kamera som läser av kroppens rörelser och Playstation Move reagerar på en kombination av en kamera och en kontroll med sensorer. Handkontrollens design har inte förändrats mycket under de senaste konsol-generationerna om man bortser från Nintendo Wii som formade sin kontroll som en stav. Kontrollen har haft en bumerangform, som med tiden har fått fler knappar och i senare generationer analoga spakar. Kontrollen ligger bra i handen och designen ger en bra spelupplevelse i vissa genrer av spel. I vissa spel ökas interaktionen med tillbehör, som t.ex. musikinstrument för karaokespel som underlättar för spelaren. Undantaget är FPS-genren, där precisionen kompenseras med hjälp av mjukvara. Frågeställningen i denna avhandling är om man med hjälp av en ny handkontrollsdesign i formen av en sfär kan öka precisionen i FPS-spel. Designen avviker från den traditionella, och i kontrollen används modern teknologi för att kunna registrera lutningar av handkontrollen. Med hjälp av intervjuer kan jag utvisa huruvida kontrollen förbättrar precisionen och spelkänslan, och vilka områden som behövs förbättras. Slutsatsen blev att testerna inte var tillräckliga för att rättvist kunna säga om det misslyckades eller lyckades då respondenterna som var missnöjda med känsligheten trots allt gillade styrningen.

Traditional teaching methods use accuracy-only criterion when teaching students a specific skill, but more and more students are being left behind in classrooms because they are not mastering the skill. Using fluency, a combination of speed and accuracy, as a mastery criterion has shown to improve both retention and mastery. Previous research suggested that frequency scores closer to the predicted frequency aim produced greater retention. It is unclear at what frequency aim a decay in retention begins to occur. The purpose of the present study was to examine the differential effects of retention on preschool participants’ reading first grade Dolch sight words once the skill had been strengthened to 3 frequencies (i.e., 15 correct words/min, which is 25% of the accepted fluency aim, 30 correct words/min, which is 50% of the accepted fluency aim, and 60 correct words/min, which is 100% of the accepted fluency aim) using fluency training and the Precision Teaching method. Three preschool age participants were assessed for retention 2 weeks and 6 weeks after reaching criterion. All participants maintained teaching frequencies of correct responding 2 weeks after reaching mastery for all 3 frequency aims. Six weeks after teaching, 1 out of 3 participants showed retention for the 15 correct words per min criterion, all participants showed retention for the 30 correct words per min criterion, and all participants showed a decay in retention of correct responding for the 60 correct words per min criterion. Limitations and future research were discussed.

Master of Science / Department of Computing and Information Sciences / William H. Hsu / The goal of this research is to present a comparison between different clustering and segmentation techniques, both supervised and unsupervised, to detect plant and crop rows. Aerial images, taken by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), of a corn field at various stages of growth were acquired in RGB format through the Agronomy Department at the Kansas State University. Several segmentation and clustering approaches were applied to these images, namely K-Means clustering, Excessive Green (ExG) Index algorithm, Support Vector Machines (SVM), Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM), and a deep learning approach based on Fully Convolutional Networks (FCN), to detect the plants present in the images. A Hough Transform (HT) approach was used to detect the orientation of the crop rows and rotate the images so that the rows became parallel to the x-axis. The result of applying different segmentation methods to the images was then used in estimating the location of crop rows in the images by using a template creation method based on Green Pixel Accumulation (GPA) that calculates the intensity profile of green pixels present in the images. Connected component analysis was then applied to find the centroids of the detected plants. Each centroid was associated with a crop row, and centroids lying outside the row templates were discarded as being weeds. A comparison between the various segmentation algorithms based on the Dice similarity index and average run-times is presented at the end of the work.

Lameness is a painful disorder that decreases performance and is highly recognized as one of the most important health and welfare concerns for dairy cattle. Visual gait scoring is the most common way to detect gait change in dairy cattle. However, this is not only subjective, but is also time consuming and costly. A need to remove the subjective assessment of human observation exists. Therefore, automatic gait change detection for continuous monitoring by precision dairy monitoring technologies may be beneficial. The first objective of this research was to characterize behavior and production variables as cow gait changed to evaluate potential usefulness in gait change detection across two different studies. Weighted gait score was a significant (P < 0.05) predictor of rumination time for study 1. Rumination time decreased as weighted gait score increased. However, for study 2, numbers of steps and feeding time were significant predictors (P < 0.05). Number of steps increased as weighted gait score increased. Time at the feedbunk and feedbunk visits decreased as cows weighted gait score increased. The second objective was to compare behavior and production variables for each individual gait aspect in increasing gait scores to evaluate potential usefulness in gait change detection across two different studies. For study 1, milk yield, rumination, and neck activity decreased as cows as tracking score increased. For study 2, lying time decreased as cow’s general symmetry score increased. Feedbunk visits decreased as cows tracking score increased. Number of steps increased as cow’s spine curvature score increased. Time active increased as cows head bobbing score increased. Activity increased as cows speed score increased. Lying time decreased as cow’s abduction/adduction score increased. The third objective was to detect gait change utilizing multiple precision dairy monitoring technologies in two different studies. For study 1, 56% of predicted gait scores were within 0.25 points of the actual weighted gait score and for study 2, 41% of predicted gait scores were within 0.25 points of the actual weighted gait score. Pearson Correlation for study 1 and 2 was 0.43 and 0.46, respectively. For both studies, the Pearson Correlation yielded results in the low category, when evaluating goodness of fit.

The development of a disintegrating core-body for use in an art bronze foundry, which employs the ceramic shell investment process, begins with an investigation of four principal materials that will constitute the core formula. The specifications for the disintegration of the designed core-body formula fall within the parameters that are normally set and used in the ceramic shell art bronze casting process. The raison d’ être for the disintegrating formula is based on the premise that cement breaks down (spalling) after being subjected to heat above a certain temperature. It was shown that pure cement in the form of naked test bars 100 mm x 20 mm x 20 mm does indeed break down into separate pieces when fired to and above 9000C; where 9000C is the lowest recommended temperature required for sintering the ceramic shell investment mould. The addition of calcium carbonate to pure cement in the form of naked test bars, produced a more unified formula that did not break into separate pieces when fired to 9450C. However this combination of cement and calcium carbonate had a slow setting time of 12 hours and a shrinkage value of 2,3%, which were both above the parameters being sought for a quick-setting formula with a shrinkage value of below 1%. The combination of cement, plaster of paris and silica produced formulae that set within six hours and had shrinkage values of less than 1% but did not disintegrate within 72 hours. It was only after the addition of calcium carbonate to the these mixes that formulae resulted that set within six hours, had relatively low shrinkage values and showed signs of breaking up after 60 hours. It was further shown that by altering the ratios of cement, plaster of paris, calcium carbonate and silica, that the parameters for quick-setting formulae with shrinkage values of 1% and below, that also disintegrated within 55 hours, could be achieved. xvi It was also proved by subjecting these formulae to higher relative humidity conditions that the disintegrating times could be reduced and brought to below 48 hours. Selected formulae were then subjected to temperatures of between 9000C and 10000C. It was found that as the temperatures were increased so the disintegration times were reduced and were even further reduced under higher relative humidity conditions. It was found from the above experiments that the selected formula determined to be suitable in all respects as a disintegrating core-body was too difficult to remove from the hollow bronze cast when subjected to an actual bronze pour. Further experimentation using increased proportions of silica in the formula resulted in a final core-body that could be quickly and easily removed from its bronze cast as soon as the core-body had cooled to room temperature. The selected core-body formula (F21D) that was used in the final set of bronze casting procedures was found to function optimally when fired to a temperature of 9000C and could be quickly and easily removed from the bronze casts leaving a clean inner bronze surface, free from any remnants of the fired core. The document concludes by recording the delimitations and advantages of the final core-body formula F21D, as well as making recommendations based on these parameters for further study relating to disintegrating core-body formulations.