In recent years many companies have investigated the use of hybrid technology due to the potential of increasing the driveline’s efficiency and thus reducing fuel consumption. Previous studies show that hydraulic hybrid technology can be favourable to use in construction machinery such as wheel loaders, which often operate in repetitive drive cycles and have high transient power demands. Parallel as well as Series hybrid configurations are both found suitable for wheel loader applications as the hybrid configurations can decrease the dependency on the torque converter. This project has investigated a novel hydraulic hybrid concept which utilizes the wheel loaders auxiliary pump as a supplement to enable both Series and Parallel hybrid operation. Impact of accumulator sizes has also been investigated, for which smaller accumulator sizes resembles a hydrostatic transmission. The hybrid concept has been evaluated by developing a wheel loader simulation model and a control system based on a rule-based energy management strategy. Simulation results indicate improved energy efficiency of up to 18.80 % for the Combined hybrid. Moreover, the accumulator sizes prove to have less impact on the energy efficiency. A hybrid system with decreased accumulator sizes shows improved energy efficiency of up to 16.40 %.

Novas concepções de gestão empresarial têm surgido, baseadas no princípio que estabelece uma política de qualidade ambiental, incorporando à atividade industrial as bases da promoção da sustentabilidade do desenvolvimento. Objetivos: Avaliar o processo da certificação ISO 14001 em uma empresa do setor automotivo e o grau de conhecimento e envolvimento dos entrevistados, com relação ao processo de implantação, implementação, certificação e pós-certificação. Metodologia: um estudo de caso, com abordagem metodológica descritiva, quantitativa e qualitativa, de uma multinacional do setor automotivo, localizada no Município de São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo. Alguns dos critérios para o estudo foram: certificação em conformidade com a ISO 14001; SGA implementado e em funcionamento; liderança na área de meio ambiente em nível nacional e internacional; com participação junto às comunidades do entorno, no exercício da cidadania corporativa e que concordasse e permitisse a realização do estudo, com acesso às informações necessárias. Os dados foram observacionais e obtidos por meio de entrevistas com os indivíduos envolvidos. A análise dos dados foi feita utilizando o Método de Análise de Conteúdo de BARDIN (1995). Resultados: A empresa possui mais de 9.000 funcionários, 21 setores envolvidos no processo de implementação do SGA. A maioria dos entrevistados possui curso superior completo e destes, 68,2 por cento em engenharia. As principais motivações da empresa ao buscar a certificação foram, de acordo com 43,5 por cento das respostas, a preocupação e o comprometimento com o meio ambiente e, para 34,8 por cento dos entrevistados, as exigências de mercado e o controle sobre os impactos causados ao ambiente. Após a certificação, ocorreram mudanças significativas dentro da empresa na opinião de 82,6 por cento dos colaboradores. Com relação à minimização dos riscos de novas e futuras vulnerabilidades legais e à maior conscientização e percepção dos trabalhadores em relação à questão ambiental, 95,7 por cento das respostas foram positivas. Sobre as dificuldades e conflitos encontrados durante o processo de certificação, 52,2 por cento apontaram a conscientização em todos os níveis como sendo a maior delas. Os funcionários do chão de fábrica (47,5 por cento ) sabem dizer que a ISO é relacionada com o meio ambiente. Alguns dos principais benefícios obtidos, após 19 meses da certificação, são a responsabilidade ambiental, com 43,5 por cento , e a melhoria da imagem da empresa, com 21,7 por cento das respostas. A certificação trouxe ganho para a empresa, para os funcionários, para a sociedade em geral e para o meio ambiente, tendo sido considerada a maior conquista de todas a conscientização ambiental adquirida, na opinião de 50,0 por cento dos entrevistados. Conclusões: O SGA, embora não seja a única solução para a resolução de todas as questões ambientais de uma organização, ele é uma ferramenta muito importante para o diagnóstico e gerenciamento destas questões. / New conceptions of environmental management arise all the time, based on the principles that establish an environmental quality policy, incorporating the basis of a sustainable development to the industrial activities. Objectives: To evaluate the certification process in an industry of the automotive sector and how involved the employees of the company are. Methods: ISO 14001 implementation case study, with a descriptive, qualitative and quantitative methodology, in a multinational company located in São Bernardo do Campo - São Paulo. Some criterions used to choose this company were: having an ISO 14001 certificate; an effective EMS; leadership in the environmental issues; social work with the local communities; and, most of all, that would allow this study to happen. Data were obtained through a survey technique, and a questionnaire as the main tool of the research. Data analysis was carried out through contents analysis methods (BARDIN 1995). Results: The company has more than 9.000 employees and 21 internal divisions involved with the implementation process. Most of the employees are engineer (68,2 per cent ). The decision of going after the ISO 14001 certificate was based on the companys environmental commitment (43,5 per cent ), and according to 34,8 per cent of the answers, it was motivated by the attraction of new customers and markets (or at least retain access to customers and markets with EMS requirements) and to prevent pollution and conserve resources. After the certification, 82,6 per cent of the employees said that some significant changes were made inside the company, such as: enhance compliance and reduce/mitigate risks (95,7 per cent ); enhance awareness and involvement of the employee team (95,7 per cent ). You should note, however, that developing and implementing an EMS may have some difficulties. 52,2 per cent pointed out that the environmental education is the most difficult thing to achieve. The answers obtained with the working class show that they do know (47,5 per cent ) the meaning of ISO 14001. Once the system is implemented, it is possible to realize the most relevant benefits obtained through the certification, which are the environmental liability (43,5 per cent ); and enhance image with public, regulators, lenders, investors (21,7 per cent ). The ISO 14001 certification brings improvements in overall environmental performance and compliance. Conclusions: Although the EMS is not the solution for all environmental issues, it can result in both business and environmental benefits. The standard establishes a management framework by which an organizations\' impacts on the environment can be systematically identified and reduced.

The classical ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) tomato mutant bushy root (brt) was studied using a homozygous near isogenic line (brtNIL) in the Micro-Tom (MT) genetic background. The mutation has a pleiotropic phenotype comprising slow seedling development, which may be a consequence of a maternally-inherited small seed phenotype, and a more compact, smaller but not bushier, root phenotype. The number of lateral roots, total root length and taproot size are all smaller in brtNIL than the WT. The BRT locus was mapped to a 137 kbp region containing 9 candidate genes on chr 12; an InDel in the promoter region of Solyc12g014590 – containing two highly conserved pirin domains (Pirin_C and Pirin), was detected. Different expression patterns were confirmed by transcriptomic results, supporting Solyc12g014590 as the gene responsible for the brt phenotype. A naturally occurring recessive mutant named bifuricate (bif) shows an increase in inflorescence (truss) branching in comparison to the wild type (WT) control line, LAM183. In addition, the number of flowers per truss was 235% higher in bif plants than WT. Low temperature is known to increase truss branching, and so a four day low temperature treatment was applied and it was demonstrated that flowering increased significantly more in bif than in LAM183. The BIF locus was mapped to a 2.01 Mbp interval of chromosome 12 containing 53 genes. All coding region polymorphisms in the interval were surveyed, and two genes Solyc12g019420 (a BTB/TAZ transcription factor) and Solyc12g019460 (a MAP kinase) contained one stop codon predicted to disrupt gene function; both genes are excellent candidates for inflorescence branching control based on literature evidence. A newly developed introgression browser was used to demonstrate that the origin of the bif mutant haplotype is Solanum galapagense.

Novas concepções de gestão empresarial têm surgido, baseadas no princípio que estabelece uma política de qualidade ambiental, incorporando à atividade industrial as bases da promoção da sustentabilidade do desenvolvimento. Objetivos: Avaliar o processo da certificação ISO 14001 em uma empresa do setor automotivo e o grau de conhecimento e envolvimento dos entrevistados, com relação ao processo de implantação, implementação, certificação e pós-certificação. Metodologia: um estudo de caso, com abordagem metodológica descritiva, quantitativa e qualitativa, de uma multinacional do setor automotivo, localizada no Município de São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo. Alguns dos critérios para o estudo foram: certificação em conformidade com a ISO 14001; SGA implementado e em funcionamento; liderança na área de meio ambiente em nível nacional e internacional; com participação junto às comunidades do entorno, no exercício da cidadania corporativa e que concordasse e permitisse a realização do estudo, com acesso às informações necessárias. Os dados foram observacionais e obtidos por meio de entrevistas com os indivíduos envolvidos. A análise dos dados foi feita utilizando o Método de Análise de Conteúdo de BARDIN (1995). Resultados: A empresa possui mais de 9.000 funcionários, 21 setores envolvidos no processo de implementação do SGA. A maioria dos entrevistados possui curso superior completo e destes, 68,2 por cento em engenharia. As principais motivações da empresa ao buscar a certificação foram, de acordo com 43,5 por cento das respostas, a preocupação e o comprometimento com o meio ambiente e, para 34,8 por cento dos entrevistados, as exigências de mercado e o controle sobre os impactos causados ao ambiente. Após a certificação, ocorreram mudanças significativas dentro da empresa na opinião de 82,6 por cento dos colaboradores. Com relação à minimização dos riscos de novas e futuras vulnerabilidades legais e à maior conscientização e percepção dos trabalhadores em relação à questão ambiental, 95,7 por cento das respostas foram positivas. Sobre as dificuldades e conflitos encontrados durante o processo de certificação, 52,2 por cento apontaram a conscientização em todos os níveis como sendo a maior delas. Os funcionários do chão de fábrica (47,5 por cento ) sabem dizer que a ISO é relacionada com o meio ambiente. Alguns dos principais benefícios obtidos, após 19 meses da certificação, são a responsabilidade ambiental, com 43,5 por cento , e a melhoria da imagem da empresa, com 21,7 por cento das respostas. A certificação trouxe ganho para a empresa, para os funcionários, para a sociedade em geral e para o meio ambiente, tendo sido considerada a maior conquista de todas a conscientização ambiental adquirida, na opinião de 50,0 por cento dos entrevistados. Conclusões: O SGA, embora não seja a única solução para a resolução de todas as questões ambientais de uma organização, ele é uma ferramenta muito importante para o diagnóstico e gerenciamento destas questões. / New conceptions of environmental management arise all the time, based on the principles that establish an environmental quality policy, incorporating the basis of a sustainable development to the industrial activities. Objectives: To evaluate the certification process in an industry of the automotive sector and how involved the employees of the company are. Methods: ISO 14001 implementation case study, with a descriptive, qualitative and quantitative methodology, in a multinational company located in São Bernardo do Campo - São Paulo. Some criterions used to choose this company were: having an ISO 14001 certificate; an effective EMS; leadership in the environmental issues; social work with the local communities; and, most of all, that would allow this study to happen. Data were obtained through a survey technique, and a questionnaire as the main tool of the research. Data analysis was carried out through contents analysis methods (BARDIN 1995). Results: The company has more than 9.000 employees and 21 internal divisions involved with the implementation process. Most of the employees are engineer (68,2 per cent ). The decision of going after the ISO 14001 certificate was based on the companys environmental commitment (43,5 per cent ), and according to 34,8 per cent of the answers, it was motivated by the attraction of new customers and markets (or at least retain access to customers and markets with EMS requirements) and to prevent pollution and conserve resources. After the certification, 82,6 per cent of the employees said that some significant changes were made inside the company, such as: enhance compliance and reduce/mitigate risks (95,7 per cent ); enhance awareness and involvement of the employee team (95,7 per cent ). You should note, however, that developing and implementing an EMS may have some difficulties. 52,2 per cent pointed out that the environmental education is the most difficult thing to achieve. The answers obtained with the working class show that they do know (47,5 per cent ) the meaning of ISO 14001. Once the system is implemented, it is possible to realize the most relevant benefits obtained through the certification, which are the environmental liability (43,5 per cent ); and enhance image with public, regulators, lenders, investors (21,7 per cent ). The ISO 14001 certification brings improvements in overall environmental performance and compliance. Conclusions: Although the EMS is not the solution for all environmental issues, it can result in both business and environmental benefits. The standard establishes a management framework by which an organizations\' impacts on the environment can be systematically identified and reduced.

Personality disorders have traditionally been considered refractory to psychological interventions. Two of the most common, and potentially harmful personality disorders are antisocial personality disorder / psychopathy, and narcissism. Although a great deal of conceptual overlap exists between psychopathy and narcissism, the empirical study of these constructs has proceeded largely independently of one another. Further complicating the discrimination of these constructs is the identification of the bi-factorial nature of psychopathy - conceptualised as primary and secondary psychopathy - as well as the identification of two distinct forms of narcissism, overt and covert. The recent resurgence of interest in the sub-clinical manifestations of these two constructs has led to the development of a number of easily administered instruments to measure each of the psychopathy and narcissism constructs, as dimensional traits, within normal populations. This has provided empirically validated and reliable instruments to further explicate these two overlapping constructs. The first of the two studies reported sought to discriminate between psychopathy and narcissism through the recharacterisation of these constructs in terms of the early maladaptive schemas outlined in Young’s early maladaptive schema theory (Young, 1999). Two hundred and ninety one participants completed questionnaires measuring primary and secondary psychopathy, overt and covert narcissism, and early maladaptive schemas. Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that psychopathy and narcissism are discriminable in cognitive-interpersonal terms, as operationalised by early maladaptive schemas. Findings also call into question the earlier observed hierarchical structure of the Young Schema Questionnaire. The current analysis identified a two-factor structure to the schema questionnaire, rather than the previously stated 5-factors. Having demonstrated the usefulness of understanding psychopathy and narcissism in cognitive-interpersonal terms, the second study sought to further clarify the association between psychopathy and narcissism through the reconceptualisation of these constructs in cognitive terms, through the identification of the cognitive distortions operative in each disorder. One hundred and thirty two participants completed a cognitive distortions questionnaire developed by the author, along with the same measures of primary and secondary psychopathy, and overt and covert narcissism, as those administered in study 1. Findings were interpreted as providing support for the notion of psychopathy representing a sub-category of narcissism. Findings also provide further supportive evidence for the validity of the primary / secondary psychopathy, and overt / covert narcissism distinctions. The further clarification of the factor structure of the Young Schema Questionnaire, and the replication of the reliability and construct validity of the measure of cognitive distortions developed for this research are highlighted as areas for future research.

Notre travail qui sinscrit dans le cadre général de létude du développement embryonnaire de Phaseolus a pour objectif principal disoler et de caractériser des gènes différemment exprimés chez les embryons en voie davortement, et donc nécessaires au développment normal des embryons. Des embryons en cours de dégénérescence issus des hybridations interspécifiques et de la mutagenèse induite ont été analysés. Des ADNc différemment exprimés chez ces embryons ont été identifiés par les techniques de lHybridation Soustractive Suppressive (HSS) et de la dot blot. Les hybridations interspécifiques ont été réalisées entre lespèce P. vulgaris L. utilisée comme parent mâle et les espèces P. coccineus L. et P. polyanthus Greenm. utilisées comme parents femelles (formes sauvages et cultivées). La mutagenèse induite à lEthyl Méthyl Sulfonate (EMS) a été appliquée sur le génotype BAT93 de P. vulgaris, une variété améliorée du CIAT. Dans les croisements P. coccineus x P. vulgaris, 938 hybridations ont été effectuées et le taux de gousses avortées au-delà de 8 JAP est denviron 12%. Quatre gousses supposées hybrides ont été obtenues. Pour les croisements P. polyanthus x P. vulgaris, 733 hybridations ont été réalisées. Le taux de gousses avortées au-delà de 8 JAP est denviron 18% et une seule gousse supposée hybride a été produite. Les caractères hybrides dune plante de chacune des deux combinaisons interspécifiques ont été mis en évidence au moyen de caractères morphologiques des fleurs et des graines, mais aussi grâce à lutilisation dun marqueur moléculaire, le microsatellite BM160. La mise en évidence et la caractérisation des embryons en voie davortement ont été effectuées à partir de matériels issus des hybridations interspécifiques et de la mutagenèse à lEthyl Méthyl Sulfonate (EMS). Les observations, faites sur des embryons extraits et sur des coupes histologiques dovules, révèlent des malformations au niveau du suspenseur et des cotylédons et des retards de croissance. Les plantes issues de la mutagenèse et produisant des graines avortant avant la maturité ont été croisées avec des plantes normales. Lanalyse de la F2 effectuée sur 96 plantes révèle une proportion mendélienne 3:1 de plantes avec des graines normales et de plantes avec graines qui avortent. Ce résultat suggère un contrôle du caractère « avortement des graines » par une paire dallèles récessifs. La technique de lHSS a permis disoler des fragments dADNs complémentaires différemment exprimés dans les graines en voie davortement. Lanalyse des séquences de ces ADNs complémentaires montre quils codent pour plusieurs protéines intervenant dans les développements cellulaire et embryonnaire. Les principales protéines sont le cytochrome P450, la myo-inositol 1-phosphate synthase, la peroxydase cationique, le voltage-dependent anion channel et la sucrose synthase. A lexception du cytochrome P450, les niveaux dexpression des autres gènes sont plus faibles dans les graines en voie davortement issues de la mutagenèse par rapport aux graines normales. The main objective of this study was to isolate and to characterize cDNAs differentially expressed in Phaseolus degenerating embryos. Aborting embryos from interspecific hybridizations and induced mutation were analysed. cDNAs differentially expressed in these embryos were isolated using the Suppressive Subtractive Hybridization (SSH) and the dot blot techniques. The interspecific hybridizations were performed between P. vulgaris L. used as male parent and P. coccineus L. and P. polyanthus Greenm. used as female parents (wild and cultivated forms). The induced mutation was performed whith Ethyl Methyl Sulfonate (EMS) applied on the genotype BAT93 of P. vulgaris, a breeding line from CIAT. A total number of 938 crosses P. coccineus x P. vulgaris and 733 crosses P. polyanthus x P. vulgaris were carried out. In the crosses P. coccineus x P. vulgaris, the rate of pod abortion after 8 days after pollination (DAP) is 12%. Four putative hybrid pods were obtained. The rate of pod abortion after 8 DAP in the crosses P. polyanthus x P. vulgaris is 18% and one putative hybrid pod was produced. The hybrid nature of one plant from each interspecific combination was confirmed using morphological characters of flowers and seeds and molecular marker (microsatellite BM160). The isolation and the characterization of degenerating embryos were realised with materials from interspecific hybridizations and from chemical mutagenesis with EMS. The observations of these two materials revealed abnormalities mainly in suspensor and cotyledons; and the embryos failed to grow normally. Plants from mutagenesis which produce degenerating seeds were crossed with normal plants. Genetic analysis on 96 F2 plants revealed a 3:1 Mendel ratio of plants with normal seeds and plants with degenerating seeds. This result suggests the control of the seed abortion trait by a single recessive gene. The SSH technique was used to isolate cDNAs fragments differentially expressed in aborting seeds. Analysis of the cDNAs sequences revealed that these cDNAs encode for proteins involved in cellular and embryonic development. The main proteins are cytochrome P450, myo-inositol 1-phosphate synthase, cationic peroxidase, voltage-dependent anion channel and sucrose synthase. All the genes showed a reduction of their expression in developing seeds of the mutagenized plants, compared to those observed in wild-type plants.

Monitoring is an important tool for gaining insight into an organisation’s environmental performance and for learning about the environmental condition and the effectiveness of environmental management measures. Development of environmental monitoring has generally relied on research aiming at improving monitoring methodology, technique or practice within a particular management tool. Little empirical research has taken into account the organisation’s reality where several management tools are used in parallel. This thesis analyses the practice of environmental monitoring in public authorities with the aim of identifying barriers and possibilities for environmental monitoring as an instrument for improving environmental performance, using the Swedish Rail Administration as a case organisation. The study identified two different types of environmental monitoring: environmental performance measurement (EPM) and activity monitoring, both important for achieving environmental improvements. EPM involves gathering and evaluating data to determine whether the organisation is meeting the criteria for environmental performance set by the management of the organisation. EPM can further be used for judging the success and failure of environmental objectives and strategies. Activity monitoring provides each project of the organisation with information to minimise the negative effects on the natural environment or human health and to ensure that the organisation’s operations conform with regulations. Problems encountered comprised a variety of little co-ordinated monitoring activities, poor utilization of the monitoring results as well as limited internal feedback on monitoring results. Some of the problems identified seem to be an effect of the management transition from a traditional ‘command and control’ system to a self-administered organisation managed by economic incentives and voluntary management systems. This thesis suggests several improvements to make monitoring more efficient. Primarily, the monitoring systems must have a clear structure and be adapted to its specific function. The EPE system would benefit from being integrated with the organisation’s central performance measurement, presenting progress towards organisational strategic objectives as well as operational objectives. The system for activity monitoring must not only focus on inputs and outputs to the system but must also include the environmental condition of the system. In order to improve communication and learning, monitoring data within both EPE and activity monitoring must be better transmitted and utilised within the structure of the permanent organisation. Experience from all monitoring activities that now is scattered and inaccessible to the individuals of the organisation could beneficially be stored within a well-structured organisational ‘memory‘. Such a system would facilitate an iterative management process where the monitoring results and the knowledge gained are used for making future plans and projects more adaptive, thereby improving the environmental performance of the organisation. / QC 20100729

As open access market principles are applied to power systems, significant changes are happening in their planning, operation and control. In the emerging marketplace, systems are operating under higher loading conditions as markets focus greater attention to operating costs than stability and security margins. Since operating stability is a basic requirement for any power system, there is need for newer tools to ensure stability and security margins being strictly enforced in the competitive marketplace. This dissertation investigates issues associated with incorporating voltage security into the unbundled operating environment of electricity markets. It includes addressing voltage security in the monitoring, operational and planning horizons of restructured power system. This dissertation presents a new decomposition procedure to estimate voltage security usage by transactions. The procedure follows physical law and uses an index that can be monitored knowing the state of the system. The expression derived is based on composite market coordination models that have both PoolCo and OpCo transactions, in a shared stressed transmission grid. Our procedure is able to equitably distinguish the impacts of individual transactions on voltage stability, at load buses, in a simple and fast manner. This dissertation formulates a new voltage stability constrained optimal power flow (VSCOPF) using a simple voltage security index. In modern planning, composite power system reliability analysis that encompasses both adequacy and security issues is being developed. We have illustrated the applicability of our VSCOPF into composite reliability analysis. This dissertation also delves into the various applications of voltage security index. Increasingly, FACT devices are being used in restructured markets to mitigate a variety of operational problems. Their control effects on voltage security would be demonstrated using our VSCOPF procedure. Further, this dissertation investigates the application of steady state voltage stability index to detect potential dynamic voltage collapse. Finally, this dissertation examines developments in representation, standardization, communication and exchange of power system data. Power system data is the key input to all analytical engines for system operation, monitoring and control. Data exchange and dissemination could impact voltage security evaluation and therefore needs to be critically examined.

La cuticule, une matrice lipidique extracellulaire constituée de cires et d'un squelette de cutine, est la barrière de défense la plus externe des plantes face à leur environnement. Elle intervient dans de nombreuses propriétés agronomiques comme la conservation post récolte, les propriétés mécaniques ou bien l'aspect du fruit, dont la brillance. Afin d'isoler des mutants de cuticule, le criblage d'une collection de mutants EMS de tomate a été entrepris, en se basant sur la brillance des fruits, conduisant à la sélection de 24 mutants. Chez ceux-ci, des analyses biochimiques ont montré de fortes variations de charge et de composition de la cuticule, notamment chez les mutants de cutine. La caractérisation de 4 mutants remarquables a été entreprise afin d'identifier les mutations responsables des phénotypes de brillance. Le mutant le plus affecté, présentant une charge en cutine réduite de 85% par rapport au type sauvage, a révélé une mutation du gène SlGDSL2 codant pour une acylhydrolase à motif GDSL, responsable de la polymérisation de la cutine. Afin d'étudier la formation et la régulation de la cutine, la suite du travail a consisté à obtenir et à caractériser des simples et des doubles mutants affectés dans la synthèse des monomères de cutine, le transport apoplastique et la polymérisation de la cutine.

Planning of optimal toolpath, cutter orientation, and feed rate for 5-axis Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining of curved surfaces using a flat-end mill is a challenging task, although the approach has a great potential for much improved machining efficiency and surface quality of the finished part. This research combines and introduces several key enabling techniques for curved surface machining using 5-axis milling and a flat end cutter to achieve maximum machining efficiency and best surface quality, and to overcome some of the key drawbacks of 5-axis milling machine and flat end cutter use. First, this work proposes an optimal toolpath generation method by machining the curved surface patch-by-patch, considering surface normal variations using a fuzzy clustering technique. This method allows faster CNC machining with reduced slow angular motion of tool rotational axes and reduces sharp cutter orientation changes. The optimal number of surface patches or surface point clusters is determined by minimizing the two rotation motions and simplifying the toolpaths. Secondly, an optimal tool orientation generation method based on the combination of the surface normal method for convex curved surfaces and Euler-Meusnier Sphere (EMS) method for concave curved surfaces without surface gouge in machining has been introduced to achieve the maximum machining efficiency and surface quality. The surface normal based cutter orientation planning method is used to obtain the closest curvature match and longest cutting edge; and the EMS method is applied to obtain the closest curvature match and to avoid local gouging by matching the largest cutter Euler-Meusnier sphere with the smallest Euler-Meusnier sphere of the machined surface at each cutter contact (CC) point. For surfaces with saddle shapes, selection of one of these two tool orientation determination methods is based on the direction of the CNC toolpath relative to the change of surface curvature. A Non-uniform rational basis spline (NURBS) surface with concave, convex, and saddle features is used to demonstrate these newly introduced methods. Thirdly, the tool based and the Tri-dexel workpiece based methods of chip volume and cutting force predictions for flat-end mills in 5-axis CNC machining have been explored for feed rate optimization to achieve the maximum material removal rate. A new approach called local parallel slice method which extends the Alpha Shape method - only for chip geometry and removal volume prediction has been introduced to predict instant cutting forces for dynamic feed rate optimization. The Tri-dexel workpiece model is created to get undeformed chip geometry, chip volume, and cutting forces by determining the intersections of the tool envelope and continuously updating the workpiece during machining. The comparison of these two approaches is made and several machining experiments are conducted to verify the simulation results. At last, the chip ploughing effects that become a more serious problem in micro-machining due to chip thickness not always being larger than the tool edge radius are also considered. It is a challenging task to avoid ploughing effects in micro-milling. A new model of 3D chip geometry is thus developed to calculate chip thickness and ploughing volume in micro 5-axis flat-end milling by considering the minimum chip thickness effects. The research forms the foundation of optimal toolpath, cutter orientation, cutting forces/volume calculations, and ploughing effects in 5-axis CNC machining of curved surfaces using a flat-end mill for further research and direct manufacturing applications. / Graduate / 0548 / luoshan@uvic.ca