This master thesis deals with the use of measuring stations in an automatic machining lines. An overview of the methods of measuring engineering products in engineering practice with a focus on automation of measurement is described. The basic principles of function of these machines, their construction and materials are described. The largest part describes coordinate measuring machines, which continue to evolve and offer more and more possibilities for automatic measurement. The practical part is aimed at documenting the sample situation of measurements on this type of equipment and evaluating the possibility of its integration into the automatic machining line.

Med BIM- (Building Information Modeling) är målet att effektivisera anläggningsbranschen i Sverige. För att BIM ska uppfylla dessa mål och generera maximal lönsamhet måste arbetsmetodiken anpassas därtill.  VDC – Viritual Design and Construction, är en koordinerad projektmetodik där BIM tillämpas på organisation, process och produkt. Hur denna metodik, VDC, ska utnyttjas och användas för att generera så stor lönsamhet som möjligt är en intressant och komplex fråga. Det är därför av stor vikt att ha en förståelse för de olika delarna i metoden, och hur de samverkar med varandra. Studiens syfte är att med utgångspunkt i VDC-Scorecard undersöka vad som kan mätas i denna metod för att få fram ett mått på arbetets effektivitet. Genom att anpassa VDC-Scorecard till projekteringsskedet i anläggningsbranschen och sedan konvertera det, ska arbetets effektivitet i uppdrag hos Sweco Civil kunna mätas.  Studien behandlar forskning kring VDC- Scorecard, vilken kopplas samman med en fallstudie över VDC- arbetet på Sweco. Resultatet av studien visar på delar som konsultföretaget kan påverka för att effektivisera sitt arbete och därför är relevanta att mäta. Resultatet visar även på vad man kan mäta under delarna samt vilka samband som finns dem emellan. Detta sammanställs i VDC- Metrics. “Measurement is the first step that leads to control and eventually to improvement. If you can´t measure something, you can´t understand it. If you can´t understand it, you can´t control it. If you can´t control it, you can´t improve it.” – H. James Harrington / Is BIM- (Building Information Modeling) used in the most efficient and practical way in the infrastructure industry today? The difficulty in implementing BIM as a method throughout the process and organization in an industry that always relied on its traditions is one of the main subjects of the Swedish Transport Administration. Therefore they have elaborated a long-term plan with a primer objective that in the year 2015 have established a requirement that there future project shall require a certain involvement of BIM. What if there was a measurement tool that could evaluate all the aspects of a project using BIM as a tool and then compare it to other projects in purpose to value where in the organization, technology and process things could have been better. Wouldn’t the process and all aspects of it evolve a lot faster if conclusions could be drawn of the up- and downsides on earlier projects and experiences could be gained from other practices? In USA such a tool has been developed and named the VDC- (Virtual Design and Construction) Scorecard which was created by researchers working for CIFE (Center for Integrated Engineering) in Stanford University. With grander influence as a helping tool for that industry it´s in the authors interests to create a similar tool, but different in the way that it would be adapted to a particular part of the process; the projecting. This could later on be in great use for the consultant company to who the authors are collaborating with. The objective must be to create a measurement tool that in a neutral manner can value both the project in general and the importance of each aspect. By study how the VDC Scorecard was built and immerse into the general projecting process of infrastructure projects a fundament for this measurement tool will be built.

The primary goal of this study was to develop a preliminary tool to determine caregivers’ needs regarding the management of a person with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), during the acute rehabilitation period. The potential impact of TBI on family dynamics, interpersonal relationships and functional independence is well documented.To facilitate achievement of the main goal this study was divided into two phases. In the first phase, caregivers’ needs were determined by means of both qualitative and quantitative measurements in the form of structured and unstructured observations, the implementation of a “Needs Questionnaire”, a focus group and semi-structured interviews. The results obtained during this phase indicated that caregivers have needs for support from professionals and the community, as well as needs regarding the general management of the person with a TBI and the management of the potential communication difficulties associated with TBI. Based on these needs, a preliminary tool, namely the “Needs questionnaire for caregivers of a person with a traumatic brain injury”, was developed. During the second phase of the study, this tool was administered to caregivers of individuals with TBI before and after the presentation of a workshop to determine whether there is a change in caregivers’ needs once they have received information. A pretest-posttest, experimental design was thus implemented during the second phase of this study. Although further research is required for the qualitative and quantitative validation of this tool, the use of this tool has implications for providing a better understanding of caregivers’ needs during the acute rehabilitation period after TBI. The results of this study further emphasize that improved service delivery in the South African context is reliant on the early identification, by the professional team, of the needs that caregivers of individuals with TBI have. / Dissertation (M (Communication Pathology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / unrestricted