#High Quality Conveying Machines

[mitchelindustri]

Streamlining Your Business with Labelling Machines

Optimising productivity and efficiency is crucial for success in today’s fast-paced and competitive business landscape. One area where businesses can significantly improve their operations is in the labelling and decorating process. Traditional manual labelling methods are time-consuming and prone to human errors, which can lead to costly mistakes. Thankfully, labelling or decorating machines have emerged as a game-changer, revolutionising how businesses handle their labelling needs. This comprehensive guide will explore the benefits of labelling machines and how they can streamline your business operations while saving time and resources.

Understanding the Power of Labelling or Decorating Machines

Enhanced Productivity and Efficiency

Labelling machines are designed to automate the labelling process, eliminating the need for manual application. These machines can label products at a much higher speed and with greater precision than human workers. For example, a high-speed labelling machine can label hundreds of products per minute, while manual labelling may take considerable time and labour. With increased throughput, businesses can meet higher demands and efficiently handle larger order volumes, ultimately improving productivity.

Reduced Errors and Improved Accuracy

Human errors during labelling can significantly affect businesses, including wasted resources, product recalls, and dissatisfied customers. Labelling machines reduce the likelihood of errors by automating the application process and ensuring precise label placement on each product.

Some labelling machines have built-in sensors that detect product positioning and automatically adjust the label application to match the product’s size and shape. It minimises the risk of misaligned labels and ensures accurate placement every time. Furthermore, labelling machines can integrate with barcode and RFID systems, enhancing product traceability and inventory management, which further reduces the chances of errors and improves overall accuracy.

Cost Savings

While labelling machines require an initial investment, they are cost-effective in the long run. One of the primary cost-saving benefits is the reduction in material wastage. Manual labelling often leads to misprints, label misplacement, and label damage, which results in wasted labels and additional expenses. Labelling machines ensure minimal wastage by applying labels accurately and consistently, optimising the use of label rolls or sheets.

Flexibility and Versatility

Labelling machines are highly versatile and can accommodate various label sizes, shapes, and materials. Whether businesses require adhesive labels, shrink sleeves, wraparound labels, or heat-transfer labels, these machines can handle them all. Some labelling machines offer quick changeover capabilities, allowing businesses to swiftly switch between different products or label designs.

Streamlined Regulatory Compliance

In industries with strict regulatory requirements, compliance with labelling standards is essential. Labelling machines can be programmed to ensure compliance with specific regulations, such as ingredient listings, nutritional information, and hazard warnings. Businesses can avoid legal penalties, maintain consumer trust, and uphold their brand reputation by automating the compliance process.

Improved Branding and Aesthetics

In today’s competitive market, product branding is vital in attracting consumers and building brand recognition. Labelling machines can add decorative elements, brand logos, and appealing designs to product labels, making them more visually appealing to customers.

Adaptability to Industry Demands

Labelling machines cater to various industries, including food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, etc. Different industries have unique labelling requirements, and labelling machines can adapt to meet these specific needs.

Choosing the Right Labelling Machine for Your Business

Label Types and Sizes

Before selecting a labelling machine, businesses should identify the types of labels they need to apply and their sizes. Some labelling machines specialise in specific label types, such as self-adhesive labels. In contrast, others offer greater versatility, accommodating a variety of label materials, including shrink sleeves and in-mould labels.

Production Volume

The production volume is crucial in determining the appropriate labelling machine for a business. High-speed labelling machines are ideal for large-scale production facilities, where a high volume of products needs to be labelled quickly. Conversely, smaller businesses or those with lower production volumes may find more cost-effective solutions in mid-range or semi-automatic labelling machines.

Automation and Integration

Automation features are essential for optimising the labelling process and reducing manual intervention. Advanced labelling machines can feature auto-adjusting settings, label position correction, and label presence sensors. These functionalities ensure that labels are applied accurately and consistently, even when dealing with products of different shapes and sizes.

Maintenance and Support

When selecting a labelling machine, consider the ease of maintenance and the availability of technical support from the manufacturer or supplier. Regular maintenance is essential to keep the machine in optimal working condition and prevent unexpected breakdowns.

Conclusion

Plastics Processing Machinery in Australia have transformed how businesses handle their labelling needs, offering increased productivity, reduced errors, and improved efficiency. By investing in a suitable labelling machine that aligns with their business requirements, companies can streamline their operations, save valuable time and resources, and position themselves for success in today’s competitive market.

Automation and technology continue to shape the future of Plastics Processing Machinery in Australia with advancements in precision, speed, and integration capabilities. As businesses seek to optimise their labelling processes, staying informed about the latest trends and industry innovations is essential to remain competitive and meet consumer demands effectively. Embrace the power of labelling or decorating machines, and take your business to new heights of efficiency and success.

[the-heaminator]

hbggg wanna write America and Australia asking old ppl (Scotland and prussia, china maybe) about the first high explosives which ends in them making fulminating gold and silver in scotlands garage, they get out the aqua reigis it's a fucking blast (ba dum tss).

But I don't have the chemistry knowledge

[ultrakdramamama]

240129 smtown 샤이니 키, ‘2024 키랜드’로 특별함의 정점 찍었다!

벤딩 머신의 스위치가 켜지면서 시작되는 오프닝, 콘셉추얼하고 유니크한 연출, 앞서 활동한 타이틀 곡들의 의상을 변주한 스타일링, 무엇보다 밴드 세션의 풍성한 연주와 함께한 완성도 높은 라이브 퍼포먼스까지!

“많이 사랑해 주셔서 감사하다. 이번 공연의 기억이 살아갈 힘과 에너지가 되면 좋겠다.” 진심 어린 소감 전해… 앞으로도 다양한 활동을 이어갈 것 예고

#KEY#키@bumkeyk #SHINee#샤이니@shinee #2024KEYLAND#ONANDON

[eng tran]

SHINee Key has reached the peak of specialness with ‘2024 Key Land’!

The opening begins when the bending machine switch is turned on, the conceptual and unique production, the styling that changes the outfits of the previous title songs, and above all, the high-quality live performance with the rich performance of the band session!

"Thank you for your love and support. I hope the memory of this concert gives me strength and energy to live." Please convey your sincere thoughts... We will continue various activities in the future #KEY#키@bumkeyk #SHINee #SHINee @shinee #2024KEYLAND#ONANDON

[aranarumei]

the anomalous agate (part one) *updated

hey guys. some of you probably wanted to see "two" written there! that'll take a little more time.

for those of you who don't know what the title's about at all, this is my crossover fic for the case files of jeweler richard and sasaki to miyano. specifically, this asks the question of "what if hanzawa masato visited jewelry étranger?"

i wrote the original version of this chapter in like, four days, and this is me doing an actual editing pass. it's not required to read it, as I don't actually add any new information, but I would recommend it. this fic is also posted on ao3, so you can read the updated chapter there, as well

edit: part two | part three | part four | epilogue

without further ado, I'll leave the fic under the cut!

case 2-x: the anomalous agate (part 1)

The longer I worked for the shop, the fewer days arrived when there were no appointments scheduled. As always, Richard seemed unfazed by the lack of customers. I supposed it made sense—this was a shop that only existed on the weekends, after all. He had hired me, but had the two of us not met by chance, it was likely he wouldn’t have hired anyone at all.

Perhaps the reason my employer seemed so content was the fact that he was currently cutting into a delicate slice of tiramisu crepe cake. He ate with almost ethereal grace, and as I somehow hadn’t thought to grab a slice for myself, my mind wandered to the circumstances that had led me to the purchase.

The week before, I had been making Richard’s royal milk tea as usual—I felt somewhat confident in my skills at this point, but there really was no matching a master—and asked him if there was a reason we didn’t serve coffee to customers. It was a common feature of many cafés, after all, and though this place was no longer a café, we still offered things like tea and snacks to customers.

Richard had stared at me like he was waiting for me to figure something out on my own, and after wracking my brain for possibilities, I tried, “We have barley tea and green tea, so it can’t be because you think anything except for royal milk tea won’t do…”

I received a deep sigh for my efforts. Richard arched an eyebrow. “Do you know how much is involved in the process of making coffee?” he asked.

As the coffee I most regularly consumed came from a can, there wasn’t a single response I could give.

That night, I searched up the process of manufacturing and brewing coffee, and quickly found myself beginning to develop a headache. Not only were there many places where coffee beans were grown, the different ways in which coffee was then brewed and what it was paired with felt almost limitless. Searching for espresso machines brought prices well over 15,000 yen, and it was at that point that I began to understand what Richard had conveyed in a single sentence.

Instant coffee could be made without any sense of technique or equipment, but the kind of coffee that set one’s mind at ease was probably the kind that only a real café was capable of. Or a coffee enthusiast, and I was neither. I tried to conjure the image of being offered canned or instant coffee at Jewelry Étranger, and immediately wrinkled my nose. Coffee at a café was meant to be pleasant; I had no desire to remind myself of what it felt like to work night shift after night shift as a security guard. Any comfort the scent had brought was overwhelmed by its bitter necessity. The caffeine might have kept me awake, but it had worsened the quality of my sleep.

Still, though I had given up the idea of introducing coffee to our drink selection, I must not have completely forgotten about it, because the next time I stepped into a bakery, their offering of a tiramisu crepe cake caught my immediate attention.

I’d had tiramisu only once during a birthday in junior high. Birthdays when I was younger were a melancholy affair—they were small, intimate celebrations that reminded me of the insignificance of my life. It was the same feeling as lighting a candle in pure dark—loneliness shined more under small points of light. But my mother had always remembered to buy a cake year after year, no matter the circumstances. While she had already developed a taste for coffee, I still considered it something that was a bitter, awful drink that adults actually enjoyed. But after some firm persuasion from my mother, I reluctantly dug in.

Add enough sugar, and bitter mellows into sweet. I knew that now, but as a child I had been given an experience akin to magic. Even years after the fact, I could still recall the light and sweet taste accompanied by the delicate hints of coffee and chocolate.

Remembering it now, it was hard to explain why I hadn’t had one in such a long time, but I hadn’t developed the habit of searching out cafés, bakeries, and sweet shops until I started working at Jewelry Étranger, either. Food simply tasted better as of late.

This bakery in particular was a favorite of mine—it felt like every time I entered, there was still some sweet I had yet to try. And encounters like these, where it felt like little parts of my life were slotting together in serendipitous fashions, were becoming far more common. It was obvious in the way I’d found out about Tanimoto-san’s love for rocks and minerals, as well as her friend Shinkai-san’s dance company, or, in a more negative light, Hase-san visiting at the exact time I happened to be in the back of the shop, but when I told Richard this, he simply brushed it off.

“The more knowledge and experience you acquire, the more the world reveals itself to you,” he said. “Department stores existed before you began working here, but only once you took an interest in diamonds did you notice the kinds of jewels they sold. The girl you wish was your girlfriend had an interest in minerals long before you began to. That was not fate—it was the fact that the more you learned, the more you could find commonalities or points of connection in the world around you.” He paused. “You, in particular… I would guess that you run into so many coincidences because you’re unable to turn your back.”

He was correct. The more people that visited Richard’s store, the more that I came to knew about the world. I had liked Tanimoto-san before I had met Richard, and she had loved rocks and minerals for far longer. But because I had been able to meet with Richard—and that was an encounter that could have only been fate—I’d gained awareness of a part of the world that had always existed, just not in my eyes. The more I learned about jewels, the more I treasured various things.

So that Saturday, I entered the bakery again, bought a slice, and arrived at Jewelry Étranger with an offering.

“…I still won’t give you a raise, you know,” Richard said.

As always, he looked beautiful. I had the feeling that he’d be annoyed if I told him the purchase was due to a bottomless kind of gratitude.

“I know.” At this point, I wondered if I needed to directly tell him how he paid far more than what I earned as a security guard. But I’d already turned down a job offer to stay here, so he must have known that I felt as if the work I was doing here was infinitely more valuable.

Since we’d had this kind of exchange quite a few times before, Richard tried the tiramisu crepe cake without much fuss. It was obvious he was enjoying it—perhaps his face hadn’t cracked out into a smile or anything of the sort, but there was always a serene look on his face when he was enjoying sweets.

As he ate, a question popped to mind: “Say, Richard, have you had real tiramisu in Italy before?”

Richard paused between bites. “Do you mean to ask if I’ve had authentic tiramisu?”

“Well, you just seem as if you’ve been everywhere in the world…”

Rather than tell me if he’d spent time in Italy or not, Richard began to speak about the conflicted meaning of the word ‘authentic.’

“Tiramisu is Italian in origin, but the exact nature of how it was first produced is still up for debate. As we recognize it today, it certainly does not come in the nature of a crepe cake, but—” He paused again. “Grab yourself a fork, would you?”

I stared at him blankly as he deliberately placed his fork down on his plate. The last few bites of the tiramisu crepe cake remained untouched, and only when he tilted his head in confusion did I rush to the kitchen in realization.

When I returned, Richard continued speaking without commenting on my lack of wits. “Something being authentic indeed means it is the real thing—a genuine article. Authenticity is also related to truth—in art, the style of realism is grounded in an attempt to depict life authentically, without alterations or embellishments. For gemstones this is a fairly simple thing to classify—jewels are mined from specific places, so we designate that which is naturally-occurring as authentic. This runs in opposition as to imitation jewels, which are made from a different material, and approximate the look of a jewel without matching its innate qualities. The question of authenticity also is relevant when looking at heat treatment—pigeon blood rubies that haven’t undergone heat treatment are more valuable, because they have acquired the color naturally, yes?”

I nodded in agreement, reminded of Tanimoto-san’s opinion on heat treatment. She probably prized the authenticity of a gem—the one-of-a-kind nature each jewel had. I understood her feelings, but I also thought there was some kind of wonder in the process of polishing and cutting and heat treatment—each step gave a jewel a special kind of shine. But beauty was the kind of thing where opinions differed often.

I couldn’t imagine anyone disagreeing about Richard’s beauty. “You’ve forgotten to actually put your fork to use,” he said, and I startled out of my daze to hurriedly take a bite. 

As expected, the tiramisu crepe cake was both light and sweet. The texture of crepes was certainly different from what I’d eaten as a child, but both carried that sense of pure delicacy—each layer felt like cotton-candied air. Though it didn’t smell like coffee, there was indeed the warm, rich undertone of what I’d come to understand as coffee’s flavor. If I could spend a birthday just like this… it would be a treasure of a memory.

Richard’s lips curled. “How is it?”                      

I made sure to properly swallow before I replied. “It’s delicious,” I marveled. “I don’t know why I’d forgotten the taste.”

“When you make rice at home, would you consider that rice real or authentic?” Richard asked. When I nodded, still chewing on my final bite of cake, he then asked, “Why?”

Maybe I would buy tiramisu on the way home. Or gift some to Hiromi—I could only assume that my birthday all those years ago was the last time she’d had tiramisu, too. “Well, because it’s rice,” I said. “I bought the rice grains, didn’t I? They were grown naturally. And then I cooked them.”

“If you acquired the exact ingredients required for tiramisu, and followed the same exact process as the original—though there are debates at to what the original is—would you still say that was authentic?”

I frowned. “I… suppose I would? Since everything is exact.” Was there a loophole I was missing?

“Perhaps,” Richard said. “Because it is hard to pinpoint its specific origins, what tiramisu qualifies as authentic can be hard to judge. Though the base components and methods are the same, the exact specifics differ—some may consider any tiramisu that follows the general process to be authentic, while others may not. In the case of champagne, unless what you think of champagne is made in the Champagne region of France, it cannot legally be called by that name. Even if the sparkling wine that is created is similar in taste, or uses the same process and ingredients, if the grapes are not sourced from that region, it will not be champagne.”

“Even though it’s possible to make an equivalent product?”  

“You could, indeed, make a very close match,” Richard said. “But it would legally not be authentic. Can you think of a reason why someone might want a name of a food protected?”

When phrased like that, the answer arrived to me immediately. “Brand protection,” I said. “Because the idea of champagne is precious, if other winemakers started selling something labelled as champagne, it would lose some of its prestige. By controlling what can be called champagne, they retain control over the production and image of champagne.”

“Good for you,” Richard said, and I bit down a smile. “Authenticity holds a different value for many people and many things. All that aside… this tiramisu crepe cake remains delicious.”

“It is,” I agreed, and then began to make him tea.

The rest of the day passed by in peace. Richard read from his collection of books, blond hair glittering under the sharp sun. I busied myself by cleaning the kitchen and running out to complete a few errands. The movement was helpful; the chill of autumn had settled in, and I had made the mistake of dressing far more lightly than Richard. His choice of wear likely made it easy for him to sit still, but I thought that even if he was wearing his suit in a blizzard or a tropical summer, he would seem as even-keeled as ever. That was the beauty of jewels—they were something that was gorgeous from all angles.

Around a half hour before closing time, the intercom buzzed.

Richard set down his book, and I went to let in our surprise customer.

Accompanied by a brush of cold wind, a young man stepped into the shop. He had a slim frame, but despite being dressed as lightly as I was, showed no signs of being sensitive to the cold. His hair was slightly long in the front, bangs barely cropped above his eyes, but it was trimmed evenly. He was dressed casually yet neatly in a simple powder-blue sweater, gray slacks, and loafers.

The door closed behind him, and he glanced around the room once before asking, “This is a jeweler’s store, correct?”

“You’d be right,” I said, guiding him to sit in one of the red armchairs.

His hesitant expression curved into a full-faced smile. As he sat down, the awkward lines of his body began to bleed away, and he relaxed into the chair with an air of steady self-assurance. His pose remained polite, though—he kept his hands carefully folded over his lap, and his ankles were loosely crossed.

Originally, I had wanted to give him something to soothe his nerves, but it looked like that was unneeded. Still, I asked, “Would you like something to drink?” 

“Ah… that milk tea would be nice, if you don’t mind,” the man said, gesturing to Richard’s teacup.

Richard returned from the bookshelf, taking over the process of greeting our newest customer, and I headed back to the kitchen. Both men spoke in clear tones, so even though they spoke at a medium volume, their voices carried well enough.

“…Richard Ranasinghe de Vulpian? Is it alright to call you Richard-san, then?” He spoke the name slowly, but he pronounced Richard’s full name without fumbling.

“Yes, that’s alright. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Richard-san. I’m Hanzawa Masato. Apart from gemstones, do you also sell jewelry at this place?”

“Indeed, we do. Is there something in particular you’re looking for?”

I returned to see Hanzawa-san wearing a thoughtful expression on his face. His gaze flickered towards me as I reentered the room. “I was hoping to look at stud earrings… and I’d prefer if they weren’t prohibitively expensive, I suppose. Is there anything else I should specify?”

“Are there any kinds of stones you’re interested in looking at? Or a particular occasion or style this is meant for?”

When I drew close enough, Hanzawa-san turned to face me and accepted my tea, eyes still curved in a pleasant smile. “It’s something like a birthday gift, I suppose. As for stones… I’m not too knowledgeable regarding them.” He paused in contemplation.

Choosing a gift was always a complicated thing, in my opinion. For a gift, the trouble never ended at the purchase—it was always at the gifting that the issues arose. Would they understand the gift with the same meaning that I had in mind when I picked it? I thought about my grandmother and mother choosing my name. Was I the type of person they’d had in mind? I could only hope that was the case.

“I guess… something neutral would be best? The kind of earring fit for daily work wear.”

“Are you interested in looking at birthstones?”

Hanzawa-san sipped his tea, eyes fluttering shut in thought. “Not particularly.”

I had spent enough time with Richard to catch the traces of concern on his face, but not enough to understand the reason. “It will take some time for me to bring my selections out. Please enjoy your tea while you wait,” he said, and then he was off, a determined crease to his brows.

Though I didn’t know exactly what was troubling him, I could learn. Surely Richard wouldn’t mind if I made some small talk?

“Might you also be a university student, Hanzawa-san?”

Hanzawa-san waved dismissively. “It’s only my first year, so I think I’m younger than you. I know I’m a customer, but there’s no need to be formal. Your name is…?”

“Nakata Seigi,” I said. “I’m in my second year.”

“I was right, then,” Hanzawa said. He’d passed over both Richard and my name without comment. I’d expected him to end the conversation there, staying as restrained as he had with Richard, but he spoke to me freely. “Would I be right in saying you seem more interested in jewels as compared to jewelry?” At my confusion, he gestured to my neck, ears, and hands, which were bare of any accessories. “You don’t seem to wear any, so I’d wondered…”

“I suppose it’s the jewel itself that interests me,” I admitted. “Is it the opposite thing for you?”

“Most likely,” Hanzawa said. “It’s what I have experience in, anyways.”

At my once-again befuddled expression, Hanzawa brushed back his hair, and I caught sight of six piercing holes in his left ear.

“I see…” I replied, a little stunned. Now that I knew what to look for, it was easy to spot a few of his piercing holes even when his hair wasn’t brushed back.

Richard had probably noticed them from the moment he’d walked in.

Now that I thought about it clearly, a birthday gift could be presented to oneself, couldn’t it? Just like Yamamoto-san trying to buy herself a garnet. Guys with piercings weren’t all that uncommon in my university, too, but none of them seemed like the type to buy jewels in Richard’s store. Then again, Hanzawa looked so mild-mannered that the existence of his piercings alone was a surprise, so I took this fact in stride. 

In the same way that I’d only noticed the tiramisu in that bakery after asking Richard about coffee, it was only now that I realized the reason for Richard’s concern. If it was a present for himself, the uncertainty to Hanzawa’s answers was troublesome.

“If I could ask…” I prompted as Richard returned to the table.

Richard set down his tamatebako with a harder than usual thud. He was still frowning, though maybe more obviously than before. 

“Sure.”

“Is there a reason a guy as young as you has so many piercings?”

Before I could get a response, I jumped at the sharp click that sounded at my side. Richard had opened up his tamatebako.

Hanzawa kept smiling up at me. He took a long sip of his tea, and then directed his attention towards what Richard had selected.

I leaned over to take a look. As I did, Richard shot a pointed glare towards me. What? I mouthed back, but he ignored me.

The stones Richard had picked were split between gemstones with faceted cuts and cabochons. The studs themselves were made of a simple silver backing, with the stone fitted on top in a rounded or squared shape. The exceptions to this were the studs fitted with lapis lazuli, which were backed with gold. While I recognized the diamond and amethyst, there were a few colored stones in faceted cuts that I wasn’t certain I could identify. But the ones that caught my attention were the larger stud earrings, which were fitted with polished stones that didn’t sparkle but had bands of red, terracotta, and peach striped across its surface. Others had the same banding pattern but in soft grays and whites.

“These are beautiful,” Hanzawa said, smile fading into a look of deep consideration. He leaned forward to study each one. “Diamonds are a classic choice,” he mused.

“You mentioned that you might prefer a neutral color,” Richard explained, “The clear color of a diamond is well-suited to that purpose. They might be a little above your price point, but if you enjoy the look of them, there are various alternatives you can seek out.”

“I see,” Hanzawa said. He gestured to the rest of the jewels. “I recognize the amethyst. And the… lapis lazuli, yes? Seeing it in person, it certainly is a vivid kind of blue,” he commented. “But I’m a little unfamiliar with the rest of these gems. Would you mind explaining them?”

“Of course,” Richard said. “The green stone you see here is peridot, and the stones in yellow and orange shades here are citrine. Like amethyst, it is a type of quartz. This”—he pointed to a deep orange stone— “is heat-treated amethyst, which looks quite similar. The banded stones are agate. They are a mix of quartz and moganite—both have an equivalent chemical composition, but different crystal structures.”

I hadn’t heard of moganite until now—unless I was mishearing morganite, but Richard had such wonderful pronunciation I thought that was impossible. 

Despite the overload of information, all Hanzawa did was nod in understanding. “Peridot,” he repeated to himself, a curious look in his eyes. “I don’t think I’ve seen any before.”

The stone he was looking at was a sparkling kind of lime green. “It’s like the color of spring,” I said. 

“Yes,” Hanzawa agreed, and bowed his head, suddenly bashful. “It’s… well, it’s a color I’m fond of,” he admitted.

“Spring is a wonderful descriptor,” Richard said. “Peridot tends to come in lighter shades than most emeralds, and it far more affordable. Would you like to see more?”

Hanzawa shook his head. “…No, it’s not really… well-suited for me.” After considering the other stones before him, he pointed to the lapis lazuli. “What does this get its gold flecks from?”

“Lapis lazuli is composed of several different minerals, and a common one happens to be pyrite, which is what creates that gold color. As you mentioned, the blue of lapis lazuli is quite vivid, which is why, historically, it was ground to create ultramarine. Before a synthetic alternative was created, it was an extremely expensive and prized paint.”  

Hanzawa smiled down at the stones. “I’ve heard of ultramarine. Isn't it what provides the blue shades in many of Johannes Vermeer’s works?”

I made a note to ask Richard who Johannes Vermeer was later. Richard’s clients often spoke of things I wasn’t knowledgeable about, but this was the first time it had happened with someone so close to my age—though it wasn’t like people my age often visited this shop in the first place.

“You would be correct. Blue pigments were otherwise hard to come by, so his work is well-known for his use of ultramarine.” After a pause, Richard added, “If you are looking for something neutral, blue tends to be a color that pairs well with others.”

“Oh, that’s—I’ll keep it in mind,” Hanzawa said. Haltingly, he asked, “Is jewelry made of lapis lazuli—is it quite common?”

“Compared to the rest of these stones, it’s a bit of a more delicate material,” Richard allowed, “so it has to be carefully looked after. But historically, lapis lazuli has been used in all kinds of jewelry.”

“…Is that so.”

Silence dragged on between them. Hanzawa seemed unbothered by it, though it was hard to see much of his expression from above. Even face to face, his bangs and lashes expertly obscured his eyes without actually hiding them. 

“…This agate. I feel like I’ve seen stones with this banding before.”

“Banding is characteristic but not exclusive to agate,” Richard said. “It has been used for carvings as well as jewelry and remains popular today. Each piece of agate has differences in how exactly the banding occurs, so one could say that each piece is truly unique.”

“Unique…” A ghost of uncertainty appeared on Hanzawa’s face, but it was gone in a flash. “Does it come in any other colors?”

“Oftentimes agate will be dyed into various colors, but there are some other colors present in naturally occurring agates. Would you like to see them?”

“Surely that dyed agate is prettier, huh?” Hanzawa murmured, so low I barely heard him. Apropos of nothing, he then straightened up, looking flustered. “Sorry,” he said. “I think—I think I’m a little in over my head.” He drank the last of his tea in disconcerting silence. “And it’s near closing, anyways,” he added. 

“If you’d like to come back, we take appointments,” I said.

“…Right,” Hanzawa said, eyes still fixed on the sets of earrings before him. He set his teacup down on the table. “What would be a good time?”

“Sunday, 4PM?” Richard suggested, and Hanzawa agreed.

With that settled, Hanzawa thanked me for the tea, bid a polite goodbye to us both, and exited the shop, leaving another gust of crisp air in his wake.

Hanzawa had been right—it was now closing time. I went to collect the now empty teacups, only to find Richard looking up at me expectantly.

“What?” I asked.

He sighed. “Nothing that concerns you, I suppose.”

“By the way, who’s Johannes Vermeer?” I asked, ignoring the faint irritation in his voice.

“Have you ever seen a picture of Girl with a Pearl Earring?” Richard asked.

A vague portrait sprang to mind. “He was the artist?” I confirmed, and then went to wash the teacups.

When I returned, Richard hadn’t moved from his seat. Rather than close it and return to his room of jewels, he was staring at his open tamatebako. 

I took a seat next to him. “Thinking about our client?”

“…Jewels reflect the inner feelings of a person,” he said after a long silence. “I wonder how to convey that truth to a person like him.”

“Is it harder because he’s young?” I asked, unsure what Richard thought Hanzawa was like. I didn’t even have enough information to describe Hanzawa as like anything. “Well, Hajime-kun was much younger, but his circumstances were different…”

“You’re quite young yourself,” Richard commented dryly. “Aren’t you two the same age?”

“If we went to the same university, I’d be his senpai,” I said. “Still. It’s rare. I thought he’d be more nervous.”

“…I don’t think he wasn’t nervous,” Richard said, but when I prodded him for an explanation, he didn’t elaborate.

“Well,” I said, wondering how I could clear those worry lines from his face, “we’ll see him next week.”

“Maybe,” Richard said, and this, I didn’t need him to explain.

If Hanzawa Masato came in next week at the appointed time, or if he had disappeared out that door for forever, it was impossible to know.

[discar]

HZD Terraforming Base-001 Text Communications Network

Chapter 3 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

Zo: GAIA, I had a question about the data we've been studying.

ADMIN [GAIA]: Of course. How may I help?

Zo: Where did it all come from? You told me that you don't have access to APOLLO or any other Old World archives. This seems like far more data than what Aloy could have found on a few scattered devices.

Zo: I scanned some devices around the base and only found a few lines in each.

ADMIN [GAIA]: Before the Faro Plague, even the most commonly available devices could store libraries worth of text and hundreds of hours of high-resolution video. While most people rarely filled their devices to capacity, they would often be filled with many incidental articles and video clips related to their favorite topics. Time and inevitable data corruption rendered many of those files difficult or impossible to read; however, the last file the device accessed has minimal corruption and is most intact. With time, your Focus can restore many corrupted files, and I can accelerate this process. The restored files are then placed in an archive.

Erend: I WAS WONDERING HOW ALOY FOUND SO MUCH OF THIS CONCRETE BEACH PARTY STUFF.

ADMIN [GAIA]: Yes, she found several devices with many hours of their music. The redundancy is also why I was able to ensure the final archive versions were of such high quality.

Erend: NO COMPLAINTS HERE!

Varl: Many complaints here.

Zo: I suppose that explains why so much of the data is entertainment and history, rather than more directly useful information, such as farming.

Erend: I FOUND STUFF ON HOW THOSE FARO MACHINES WERE BUILT. I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT, THESE WERE THE THINGS THAT WERE ENDING THE WORLD, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF TECHNICAL SPECS IN THERE. HARDER TO READ THAN THE CRAZIEST TINKER'S BLUEPRINT. AND I'VE SEEN SOME CRAZY TINKERS.

Erend: WHAT, DID ALOY JUST FIND SOME TINKER'S JOURNAL SOMEWHERE AND DOWNLOAD ALL HIS DATA?

ADMIN [GAIA]: That is not impossible. However, I do not believe I have properly impressed upon you how easy it was to access information. Once the threat of the Faro Plague became clear, all information on their design, weaknesses, and specifications was available for public perusal, and anyone could choose to download such information from the global data net at a moment's thought. Many of the devices Aloy scanned had gigabytes of data on the Faro Plague.

Erend: GIGA WHAT?

Zo: It's a measure of information. It should have been in one of the first files GAIA gave you, the terminology file.

Erend: UH, I SKIMMED THAT.

Zo: Sigh.

Varl: Did you just typed sigh?

Zo: It's difficult to convey tone and expression in a text.

Varl: I think the Old Ones must have had some way, considering how much they texted. I'll loom into it.

Erend: SO WHAT'S A GIGABYTE? LIKE, HOW MUCH DATA IS IT?

Aloy: A byte is eight bits, or the amount of data required to encode a single character of text. It's basically the smallest measurable amount of data.

Varl: Aloy? You were listening? Or reading?

Aloy: I have a minute. I can text while I ride.

Zo: That doesn't seem safe.

Erend: OKAY, OKAY, BYTE IS ONE LETTER, GOT IT. SO WHAT'S A GIGABYTE?

Aloy: Ten to the ninth power bytes.

Varl: What?

Zo: I don't understand either.

Erend: OH, MATH. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN IT WOULD BE MATH.

Erend: SO IT'S A STUPIDLY BIG NUMBER. BUT, I MEAN... HOW MANY BOOKS IS THAT?

Aloy: One gigabyte of pure text is probably more books than you could read in a lifetime.

Erend: SO, WHAT, THREE?

Aloy: I'm glad I took time out of my busy day to explain this to you.

Erend: I AIM TO PLEASE!

Chapter 3 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

[eggrobo]

what r ur thoughts on metal sonic

God, he's so cool. Metal Sonic is an effortlessly sleek character. His design has aged so well. In both conception and execution, he's fascinating. If there weren't so many good Sonic characters competing for my attention already, he'd be one of my favourites.

Metal Sonic is the original not-Sonic. He was designed by Doctor Eggman to be this perfect weapon --- to take Sonic's finest qualities and not only turn them against him, but improve upon them. Machines do not tire, or sass you, or possess pesky little things like "free will". That's the idea, anyways.

Of course, Metal Sonic isn't really better than Sonic, is he?

He is a real threat. He can easily go toe-to-toe with Sonic. But he's only a simulacrum of the original. A copy. No matter how many times he fights Sonic, no matter how hard he or Eggman try to improve upon his programming, he'll never quite measure up. Sonic will always win in the end.

This ties in nicely with the environmentalist themes of the Sonic series. As a robot, Metal Sonic is undermined by the very things thought to make him an improvement. He does not have Sonic's level of free will, or his thirst for adventure, or his love of helping others, all of which empower Sonic to keep fighting when things are down to the wire. Sonic's speed is a natural part of him, whereas Metal Sonic is propelled by circuitry and engines, things particularly susceptible to overheating and self-destruction when ran at high speeds over a long period of time.

Metal Sonic was created to destroy Sonic, and yet, he never will be able to fulfill this purpose. He'll never be "as good" as the real thing. This leaves him in a bit of an existential pickle. He externalizes these feelings of existential dread by challenging Sonic, attempting to surpass and defeat him, and to prove himself superior to his progenitor once and for all. He pursues this goal with a ruthless vengeance. My favourite Metal Sonic content, though, is the stuff that approaches Metal from a more introspective angle.

"Reflections" from the IDW 2020 annual comes to mind immediately when talking about quality Metal Sonic content. I'm not breaking new ground with this take, but it's absolutely worth mentioning anyways. Written by Caleb Goellner with art by Aaron Hammerstrom and Reggie Graham, it's this incredibly striking little story with almost no dialogue. It conveys Metal's mental state and existential discomfort with being an inhuman copy of Sonic really well! Just thinking about it is giving me shivers. AAH.

LOOK AT IT! LOOK AT HIM! The poor little guy... er, I mean, the poor little evil killer robot.

Oh well. I adore the "guy who has identity issues over being not being Sonic" trope to no end. It gets me every time. A lot of my feelings surrounding Metal are amplified in the context of, say, Shard, who's this Metal Sonic trying to define himself and be a hero in his own right (despite that fact that he has a limited understanding of how to do that beyond copying Sonic). Now there's a poor little guy for you. But Shard is a can of worms that could deserve his own post entirely.

Anyways, I love Metal. He's a really neat dude with a lot of potential. I hope more Sonic writers moving forwards take advantage of the more introspective angles to his character. I always enjoy seeing that kind of thing explored in media. Thank you for the ask!

[hitechpcb]

What is PCB Assembly ?

PCB Assembly manufacturer - Hitech Circuits Co., Limited

 It’s the step in the manufacturing process in which you populate a blank board with the electronic components needed to make it into a functional printed circuit board. It’s these components that make a board into the circuit that enables an electronic product to function. PCB assembly typically takes place via one of two processes:

1. Surface-mount technology

SMT: SMT stands for “Surface Mount Technology“.  The SMT components are very small sizes and comes in various packages like 0201, 0402, 0603, 1608 packages for resistors and capacitors. Similarly for Integrated circuits ICs we have SOIC, TSSOP, QFP and BGA.

The SMT components assembly is very difficult for human hands and can be time taking process so it is mostly done by automated pick and place machine.

2. Through-hole manufacturing

THT: THT stands for “Through hole Technology”. The components with leads and wires, like resistors, capacitors, inductors, PDIP ICs, transformers, transistors, IGBTs, MOSFETS are example.

The component has to be inserted on one side of PCB and pulled by leg on other side and cut the leg and solder it. The THT components assembly is usually done by hand soldering and is relatively easy.

Printed Circuit Board Assembly Techniques

There are only two common PCBA techniques available for use by a PCB designer. The methods are:

1. Automated PCB Assembly Techniques

Generally, this technique employs the use of state of the art machines, which are fully automatic. For example, the surface mount components are worth positioning with the aid of an automated pick and place machine.

Again, reflow soldering is commonly for surface mount components usually done in a reflow oven. An automated solder stencil is also used to apply the solder paste on the PCB.

Finally, high tech inspection machines are used to confirm and check the quality of the PCBA. Some of which include: Automated optical inspection machine (AOI), X-ray inspection machines, etc.

Above all, due to the precise monitoring, control of soldering, no human input and versatile machines.

This technique ensures utmost efficiency, output consistencies, and limits defects.

2. Manual PCB Assembly Techniques

This method is favorite for use with through-hole parts, which needs manual placement on the board. Besides, with these through-hole parts, it’s advisable you use wave soldering. Note that in the through- hole assembly process, you need to place the components and electronics on the PCB.

After that, you use wave soldering to solder the leads. Typically, you will need an individual to insert a component into a marked PTH. Once done, transfer the PCB to the next station where the next person will be on standby tasked with fixing another part.

What are the Benefits of SMT PCB Assembly?

SMT assembly provides many benefits and some of them are as follows:

It can be used to incorporate small components.

In SMT, the components can be placed on both sides of the board.

It assures high component densities.

Fewer holes need to be drilled for surface mounting than through-hole.

It require low initial costs and time for setting up the mass production.

SMT is the simpler and faster-automated assembly when compared to through-hole.

Errors regarding the component placement can be easily rectified. 

Surface mount  PCBs feature strong joints, which can easily withstand vibrations. 

What are the techniques used in Surface Mount Technology?

There are several techniques for the reflow process. After applying the solder paste or a flux mixture on the board and after placing the components, the boards are conveyed to a reflow soldering oven. The techniques used for reflowing soldering include infrared lamps, hot gas convection, fluorocarbon liquids with a high boiling point, and so on.

What are the different testing methods used in SMT PCB Assembly?

Hitech Circuits as the PCB assembly manufacturer, we perform the following testing and inspection to ensure the quality of surface mount PCBs.

Automated Optical Inspection (AOI): This is performed before and after the soldering to identify the component placement, presence, and solder quality.

X-ray Testing: In this type of testing, the operator relies on the X-ray images of the PCB to check the solder joints and lead-less components such as Quad Flat Packs and ball grid arrays, which are generally not visible to naked eyes.

In-Circuit Testing (ICT): This method is used to detect manufacturing defects by testing the electrical properties in the SMT Assembly.

What type of files or documents should I send for SMT PCB Assembly? 

Gerber Files: The file contains all details of physical board layers including solder masks, copper layers, drill data, legends, and so on.  

Bill of Materials (BOM): This contains information on the list of items needed for the PCB manufacturing and the instructions of manufacturing. 

Pick and Place File: This file contains information on all components to be used in the PCB design and their rotation and X-Y coordinates.

The whole process of PCB Assembly

1. Bare board loader machine

The first step in the PCB assembly is to arrange the bare boards on the rack, and the machine will automatically send the boards one by one into the SMT assembly line.

2. Printing solder paste

When PCB on the SMT production line, firstly, we have to print solder paste on it, and the solder paste will be printed on the pads of the PCB. These solder pastes will be melt and solder the electronic parts to the circuit board when it passes through the high-temperature reflow oven.

In addition, when testing new products, some people will use film board/adhesive cardboard instead of solder paste, which can increase the efficiency for adjusting the SMT machines.

3. Solder paste inspection machine(SPI)

Since the quality of solder paste printing is related to the quality of welding of subsequent parts, some SMT factories will use optical machine to check the quality of solder paste after printed the solder paste in order to ensure stable quality. If there any poorly printed solder paste board, we will wash off the solder paste on it and reprint, or remove the excess solder paste if there is redundant solder paste on it.

4. High speed SMT machine

Usually, we will put some small electronic parts (such as small resistors, capacitors, and inductors) to be printed on the circuit board first, and these parts will be slightly stuck by the solder paste just printed on the circuit board, so even if the speed of printing is very fast and the parts on the board will not fall away. But large parts are not suitable for use in such high speed SMT machines, which will slow down the speed of small parts assembly. And the parts will be shifted from the original position due to the rapid movement of the board.

5. Universal SMT machine

Universal SMT machine is also known as "slow machine", it will be assembled some large electronic components, such as BGA IC, connectors, etc., these parts need more accurate positions, so the alignment is very important. Use a camera to take a picture to confirm the position of the parts, so the speed is much slower than High speed SMT machine we taked before. Due to the size of the components here, not all of them are packed in tape and reel, and some may be packed in trays or tubes. But if you want the SMT machine to recognize the trays or tube-shaped packaging materials, you must configure an additional machine.

Generally, traditional SMT machines are using the principle of suction to move electronic parts, and in order to place the parts successfully, and there must be the flat surface on these electronic components for the suction nozzle of the SMT machine to absorb. However, for some electronic parts don’t have a flat surface for these machines, and it is necessary to order special nozzles for these special-shaped parts, or add a flat tape on the parts, or wear a flat cap for thees electronic parts.

6. Manual parts or visual inspection

After assembled all parts by the high speed SMT machine or Universal SMT machine and before going through the high-temperature reflow oven, and we will set up a visual inspection station here and to pick out the deviation parts or missing components boards etc., because we have to use a soldering iron to repair if there are still defectives boards after passing the high-temperature oven, which will affect the quality of the product and will also increase the cost. in addition, for some larger electronic parts or traditional DIP parts or some special reasons cannot be processed by the SMT machine before, they will be manually placed on pcb here.

7. Reflow oven

The purpose of reflow oven is to melt the solder paste and form a non-metallic compound on the component feet and the circuit board, that means to solder electronic components on the circuit board. The temperature rise and fall curves often affect the soldering quality of the entire circuit board. According to the characteristics of the solder materials, usually the reflow oven will set the preheating zone, soaking zone, reflow zone, and cooling zone to achieve the best soldering effect.

For example, the melting point for SAC305 solder paste with lead-free is about 217°C, which means that the temperature of the reflow oven must be higher than the melting points to remelt the solder paste. What's more, the maximum temperature in the reflow furnace should not exceed 250°C, otherwise many parts will be deformed or melted because they cannot withstand such a high temperature.

Basically, after the pcb passed through the reflow oven, the assembly for the entire circuit board is almost complete. If there are hand-soldered parts, we need to transfer to DIP process, and then we have to check the quality after reflow oven by QC department.

8. Automatic optical inspection(AOI)

The main purpose of setting up AOI is because some high density boards can’t be process the following ICT test, so we used AOI inspection to replace it. But even using AOI inspections, there still have the blind spots for such checking, for example, the solder pads under the components cannot be checked by AOI. At present, it can only check whether the parts have side standing issue, missing parts, displacement, polarity direction, solder bridges, lack of soldering etc., but cannot checking the BGA solderability, resistance value, capacitance value, inductance value and other components quality, so far AOI inspection can’t completely replace ICT test.

Therefore, there is still some risk if only AOI inspection is used to replace ICT testing, but ICT test is also not 100% make sure the good quality, we suggest these two ways can be combined with together to make sure the good quality.

9. PCB unloader machine

After the board is fully assembled, it will be retracted to the unloder machine, which has been designed to allow the SMT machine to automatically pick and place the board without damaging the quality for PCB.

10. Visual inspection for finished products

Normally there will be a visual inspection area in our SMT production line whether there is an AOI station or not, and it will help to check if there are any defectives after completed assembled the pcbs. If there is an AOI station, it can reduce the visual inspection worker on our SMT line, and to reduce the potential cost, and because it is still necessary to check some places that cannot be judged by AOI, many SMT factories will provide the mainly visual inspection templates at this station, which is convenient for visual inspection worker to inspect some key parts and polarity for components.

11. DIP process

DIP process is a very important process in the whole PCBA processing, and the processing quality will directly affect the functional for PCBA boards, so it is necessary to pay more attention to the DIP process. There are many preliminary preparations for DIP process. The basic process is to re-process the electronic components first, like to cut the extra pins for some DIP components, our staff received the components according to the BOM list, and will check whether the material part numbers and specifications are correct or not, and performs pre-production pre-processing according to the PCBA samples. The steps are: Use various related equipment (automatic capacitor pins cutting machine, jumper bending machine, diode and triode automatic forming machine, automatic belt forming machine and other machines) for processing.

12. ICT test

Printed Circuit board open/short circuit test (ICT, In-Circuit Test), The purpose of ICT test is mainly to test whether the components and circuits on the printed circuit board are open or short issues. It can also measure the basic characteristics of most components, such as resistance, capacitance, and inductance values to judge whether the functions of these parts are damaged, wrong parts or missing parts etc. after passing through the high-temperature reflow oven.

ICT test machines are divided into advanced and basic machines. The basic ICT test machines are generally called MDA (Manufacturing Defect Analyzer). It’s just to measure the basic characteristics of electronic components and judge open and short circuits issue we talked above.

In addition to all the functions of the basic ICT test machines, for advanced ICT test machine can also test the whole PCBA by using power, start to testing the PCBA boards by setting the program in the test machine. The advantage is that it can simulate the function of the printed circuit board under the actual power-on condition, this test can partly replace the following functional test machine (Function Test). But the cost for the test fixture of this advanced ICT test can probably buy a car, it’s too expensive and we suggest it can be used in mass production products.

13. PCBA function test

Functional testing is to make up for the ICT test, because ICT only tests the open and short circuits on the the PCBA board, and other functions such as BGA and other fuctions are not tested, so it is necessary to use a functional testing machine to test all functions on the whole PCBA board.

14. Cutting board (assembly board de-panel)

Normally, printed circuit boards will be produced in panel, and it will be assembled to increase the efficiency of SMT production. It means several single boards in one panel, such as two-in-one, four-in-one etc. After finished all the pcb assembly process, it needs to be cut into single boards, and for some printed circuit boards with only single boards also need to cut off some redundant board edges.

There are several ways to cut the printed circuit board. You can design the V-cut using the blade cutting machine (Scoring) or directly manually break off the board (not recommended). For more high density circuit boards, it will be used the professional splitting machine or the router to split the board without any damage the electronic components and printed circuit boards, but the cost and working hours will be a little longer.

Why Choose Hitech Circuits PCB Assembly Manufacturer for Your PCB Assembly Projects?

There are several PCB manufacturers specializing in PCB assemblyservices. However, Hitech Circuits PCB Assembly stands out owing to the following:

Assistance in Material Procurement: 

Technically, in PCB assembly services, the quality of parts is the responsibility of the OEM; however, we ease your job by assisting you to make the right selection. We can help you procure all your parts of the same type own a single part number, thanks to our supply chain and vendor network as well as experience. This saves time and cost that goes in ordering single parts as you plan.

Testing procedures: 

We are very focused on quality and thus implement stringent testing procedures at each stage of the assembly and after completion.

Fast Turnaround Times: 

Our well-equipped facility and the right tools enable us to complete your requirements well before time, and without compromising on the quality or functioning of the PCBs. For simple designs we revert in 24 to 48 hours.

Cost Effectiveness: 

While PCB assembly is a cost-effective alternative, we go a step further and assure that the parts you list are of a good quality and suitable for your requirement. Also, you can control the part flow and replenish them as needed. This eliminates the need to buy extra stock and store it.

Quick Quote: 

We offer a quick quote based on your BOM. All you need is a detailed BOM, Gerber files, your application requirement sheet, and quantity.

We’re not one to stand still, which is why we use the latest equipment and the finest minds to create your PCB projects. We’re constantly keeping our finger on the pulse of the latest trends. And as a result, we know how to deliver the highest standards of PCB assembly to meet all your requirements.

Our dedicated, friendly customer service team also means that we support you every step of the way. Offering our expert guidance to ensure a complete PCB project that you’re happy with.

Contact us today

No matter what your printed circuit board assemblyneeds are, we always aim to deliver efficient, dependable solutions. For more information about our services, do not hesitate to get in touch with us today for a no-obligation quote

[lenixsocial]

"Now and Then": an honest review.

From an honest source: me.

I've been a Beatles fan forever, practically. I have dissected their songs, read all the books, seen all the films. I feel qualified to deliver the following review.

If you haven't heard the newest Beatles track, stop now. Go do that. It's literally everywhere.

Music: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: The music is excellent. The song opens on a piano melody played by Paul. That they chose to wipe John's original piano may be suspect, but one only needs to listen to "Real Love" to fully grasp why you'd rather have a newly recorded piano. While on that track John's vocals sound creepy and thin due to magnetic tape degradation, the piano suffers even more and warbles along as another piano is laid on top to strengthen the sound. The choice to overdub strings is brilliant as well because Beatles ballads and string sections go together like cookies and milk. Ringo's drumming is as sure footed as ever, albeit a touch rattling as the largeness of the room he's in is conveyed by the presence of his kit from time to time. Paul's bass recalls figures from "You Never Give Me Your Money" in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment which honestly lends the song even more Beatles credibility. George Harrison plays rhythm guitar which is honestly a shame because that's just not using your talents to their maximum. But George disliked this song due to its 60 cycle hum and poor audio quality during the 1995 sessions, so all he did was play rhythm guitar. And honestly it's sort of buried in the mix. What we do get is Paul playing slide in George's style. Honestly it took me about four listens to appreciate it for what it is: Paul's apology to George. Nobody could play like him, he was an iconic slide player. Now all Paul can do is try and get his sound. There's no replacing George. Even if Paul contemplated it back in the late 60's. He truly misses him and of that I have no doubt. Again: the music is beautiful and it's the thing I have the least gripes with.

Lyrics: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: The lyrics are pretty damn tepid. Pretty safe. Pretty dull if I'm being honest. I think most people were hoping Paul would write something more profound seeing as how the title is reportedly the last lines John ever spoke to him. What we get is a syrupy take on old friends, long since departed. Perhaps keeping with the ethos of 'keep it simple, stupid' Paul went a decidedly basic route working off the lyrics that already were there. The song itself wasn't much to begin with lyrically and we must remember: these were John's DEMOS. The earliest buds of a song. Likely these would've been transformed into great works through multiple rewrites. Overall I'm giving the lyrics a solid 'good' rating. It does what it needs to despite being perhaps overly simple.

Vocals: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: I was going to give it only three but it's John's vocals that gave it another star. They are pristine. In a way that no Lennon vocal has ever been. And I think John would've absolutely HATED it. He loved effects on his voice and probably would've really dug the tape warble on the other two 90's era reunion tracks. Here, Peter Jackson used machine learning to take the original vocals, remove the hum and hiss, and train it on what John's voice sounded like. What we get are the cleanest, clearest, most unencumbered Lennon vocals, ever. They are mixed so high however that it occasionally interferes with some of the other instrumentation. Elsewhere Ringo and Paul sing together on backing vocals (an interesting choice which I feel is long overdue on a Beatles track), and vocals from older Beatles tunes are 'flown in' to the mix so that John Paul and George can harmonize together again (this sounded like it was going to be cheap as hell until you hear it and then you understand why it's absolute genius).

Artwork: ⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: It's bad. Look, I get what it's trying to do: it's supposed to be the outlines of the balconies as seen on the Red and Blue albums, but with the Beatles replaced by words. The font is a poor choice, it's dull. The colors are dull. The back cover should've been the front cover, and there's nary a Beatles logo on it. It's a fail in the artwork department (despite the artist being responsible for McCartney III, a truly inventive cover).

Promotion: ⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: This was the single most disorganized campaign ever concocted by Apple Corps. We started out with rumor. Fine. Then Paul's old clip saying he was going to complete "Now and Then". Alright. Cool. Then Paul announces that AI helped make it smack dab in the middle of the summer news cycle where Actors in SAG were fearful of having AI copy their voices. Was this even the real John Lennon? What was going on? Paul was silent. Ringo too. Then Paul had to walk it back and explain. Then we had absolutely no time to prepare for its release. It was PLONK it's getting put out on this day. Deal with it. It was all very slapdash last second feeling and it isn't like Apple Corps to not really handle releases well with months of build up and promos. This was well...fairly ham fisted if I'm being honest. Paul's AI comment by the way really confused the older demographic who still contend that it's a computer singing John's part, not John. Also, it didn't help that the AI Beatles YouTube page went up shortly after Paul's AI announcement further muddying the waters.

Music Video: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: Here's where Peter Jackson shined on this project. It took me five rewatches to appreciate the video. Seeing them all together on stage performing again was tear-inducing for sure. The music works well as a companion in the video for sure. John directing the orchestra with his silly affectations, and just the way in which they were all so neatly removed from old footage to appear alongside current Paul and Ringo was beautiful. And let's not forget that end: The Beatles take a bow and they disappear as the band's name goes opaque on the blocks behind them. Their career is officially over. All the songs have been sung. They might disappear, but the memories and their music will last forever. Genius ending.

Value for Money: ⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: If this would've come out on Volume 3 of a newly minted and remastered Anthology, I don't think the public would have had an issue. But it didn't. It came out as a horribly expensive single, and will be included on the remastered Blue Album. Oddly the same album doesn't include Free as a Bird or Real Love, which further angers fans. It is a disaster in the same way the promotion for the record was a disaster.

B-Side: ⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: They could have put nearly ANYTHING on the flip and chose their first single. Which OK. I get it. Bookends. Now and Then. Cute. But it's absolutely JARRING to go from modern recording techniques to 1962 recording techniques. It's a decent mix I suppose, but it just doesn't make sense and if you're wanting to make new Beatles fans, at least put something more contemporary like "Here Comes The Sun" on the obverse. Kids love that song. Look on Spotify. The sound of that song is early 60's. I don't see a lot of Gen Z'ers calling it a bop.

Verdict: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: A good song, with a terrible promotion and single release coupled with a tearjerker of a video and a chance to hear our heroes one last time. Its positives outweigh its negatives for me, and after a few listens it's as much a Beatles tune as any other. Definitely worth listening to, and cherishing for years to come.

[papillon82fluttersby]

Eurovision 2023 - My ranking

Phew, I had to rush to whip up this ranking before @docholligay ’s two-day event. (Starting tomorrow! Don’t miss it!!)

I based my ranking on the stage performances when available, as I think they are closer to the final products. Let's do this!

37. Denmark - Reiley - Breaking My Heart

Are 12-year-olds allowed in the adults’ competition now? Baby-faced cutie pie got his heart broken by his meanie girlfriend. Never mind the kid’s heart, the excessive use of autotune and choppy chorus is breaking my brain 😖. Last place due to sheer auditory discomfort.

36. Ireland - Wild Youth - We Are One

We’re all different but we all live together and ain’t that beautiful blah blah blah. So trite. A snoozefest. (But we're wearing masks! Isn't that cool? No. Not nearly as cool as last year's space wolves.)

35. Romania - Theodor Andrei - D.G.T. (Off and On)

Skin on stage. I think if you feel the need to put largely-naked dancers on stage as ‘entertainment’ for the audience, it doesn’t speak well of the quality of your song.

34. San Marino - Piqued Jacks - Like an Animal

Menagerie on the dancefloor, or man woos his ladylove with such enticing lyrics as “I can smell you like an animal” – classy. C’mon, baby, let’s romp in the zoo. 🐍🦋🐒🐘🐫🦌🐙🦤

33. Poland - Blanka - Solo

High school girl clique strives to imitate trendy American pop idols – and fails spectacularly due to lack of vocal or dancing talent (the national final performance is particularly painful to watch and listen to).

32. Georgia - Iru - Echo

I have two working theories here: either the song actually means something in Georgian and they used a machine translator that turned it into nonsensical English; or they picked random words in a dictionary and vaguely connected them in a semblance of sentences.

31. Serbia - Luke Black - Samo mi se spava

A tormented lock-in gamer’s anguish about the scary world outside. The staging is just as jumbled and jarring as the electro sounds.

30. Israel - Noa Kirel - Unicorn

This song is about harnessing the power of a unicorn, which apparently entails heavy use of autotune, acrobatic dance moves, and transformation into a centaur (the music video producers really need to shape up on their mythical creatures).

29. Lithuania - Monika Linkyté - Stay

This song about overcoming difficulties doesn’t have much for itself. The mantra repeated during the chorus gets quickly annoying. The lady singer looks very sweet and earnest, though.

28. Switzerland - Remo Forrer - Watergun

Young man has a grand realization and acknowledges that real war is nothing like playing pretend as a kid. Well duh.

27. Cyprus - Andrew Lambrou - Break a Broken Heart

Poor guy got dumped by mean girlfriend and is sad 😢. But worry not, he will overcome this hardship because “you can’t break a broken heart.” That’s about as deep as the lyrics go.

26. Greece - Victor Vernicos - What They Say

Self-pitying guy hates everything and himself. Don’t listen to this one if you’re already feeling low. There’s a real tonal shift between the downright depressing lyrics and the rather upbeat tempo. Also, throughout the music video, my main thought is that I want to give the guy an umbrella and a plumber’s contact details to save his flooded sitting room. ☔

25. Latvia - Sudden Lights - Aija

Indie rock band aims to soothe his weary listeners’ hearts who ache from being confronted to the big bad world out there. (And apparently, based on the music video, the main singer gets drowned by his followers for his efforts.) Sleep-inducing, which, admittedly, is the whole point of the song.

24. Slovenia - Joker Out - Carpe Diem

Group of young people dances all night long to forget about their everyday’s boring routine. The song does a good job translating daytime dreariness into music, but the chorus is too one-tone to convey night-time exuberance. Generally boring.

23. Netherlands - Mia Nicolai & Dion Cooper - Burning Daylight

Existential angst about screwing up and rising again. Since this is a male and female duo, I think they could have done something much more interesting with both of their voices by giving them different melodic lines that would complement each other instead of having them sing either individually or in unison. A missed opportunity.

22. Iceland - Diljà - Power

If ESC 2022 was the year of heartbreak, 2023 is the year of toxic relationships – this is the third song on this theme (after Denmark and Cyprus, and we can also add the UK). This one is kind of underwhelming at first, but does pick up power over time. Singer is cute as a button and has a nice energy on stage.

21. Armenia - Brunette - Future Lover

Sweet little girl makes a wishlist about what she’d like in a future boyfriend. The song starts off sweet and cute, then picks up pace in the middle, but the chorus is incredibly repetitive.

20. Azerbaijan - TuralTuranX - Tell Me More

A song about the importance of communication in a relationship. Evidently a worthy aim. For which we needed to resurrect the Beatles, interspersed with rap segments. The trouble is that the resurrected Beatle keeps asking his BF to share his feelings while saying nothing about his own, and though his rapper boyfriend does express himself, I fail to understand what his actual feelings are. Not so great communication after all.

19. Austria - Teya & Salena - Who the Hell is Edgar?

Satiric critique of the music industry. The chaotic energy is strong in this one. Fun, though.

18. Albania - Albina & Familja Kelmendi - Duje

Distraught daughter laments the loss of family time caused by the vagaries of modern life. Said daughter’s family perform as backup singers on stage. Heavens, Albina is SO dramatic, she would rip her heart out on stage and offer it to us still pulsing and bleeding if she could. Meanwhile, some of the accompanying family members look vaguely uncomfortable, like they’re wondering what they’re doing there. Rather hilarious on the whole.

17. Croatia - Let 3 - Mama ŠČ!

PUTIN EAT MY A** TRAAAKKKTOOORRRRR. Charlie Chaplin’s The Dictator meets the Village People. It’s a whole thing.

16. Czechia - Vesna - My Sister’s Crown

Woman empowerment anthem. I’m really curious what the staging will be like for this one.

15. Belgium - Gustaph - Because of You

LGBTQ+ inspirational anthem put to 1990s retro sounds.

14. Malta - The Busker - Dance (Our Own Party)

Kid who’s uncomfortable with noise and crowds leaves large venue to continue the party with a select few friends in a more comfortable setting (honestly, that’s me). Sax-heavy jazzy/funky tunes. They’re doing some interesting stuff with the staging, using props a little bit like a theatre play.

13. Moldova - Pasha Parfeny - Soarele și luna

Local shaman is planning his wedding to his destined bride, blessed by the sun and moon – all very mystical. Between the chanting women and the ethnic flute, it’s difficult not to see this as a mix of France’s and Ukraine’s entries from last year, although this is hardly the only number inspired by folklore over the years.

12. United Kingdom - Mae Muller - I Wrote a Song

Young woman who was wronged by a dirty cheater redirects her energy towards a creative outlet instead of giving in to her negative and destructive feelings. Fun and peppy britpop.

11. Finland - Käärijä - Cha Cha Cha

Crazy person on a boxing ring invites you to a night of boozing and getting smashed. Did I mention the crazy? This song is a terrible influence: the more I listen to it, THE MORE IT GROWS ON ME, SEND HELP!

10. Germany - Lord of the Lost - Blood & Glitter

Glam metal rock band sings about the multifaceted nature of humankind. Or something. This is absolutely not the kind of music that appeals to me, and yet I can recognise that the song has its merits – it’s not all one-tone loudness, and the singer has a nice voice when he deigns to sing rather than screech.

9. Ukraine - Tvorchi - Heart of Steel

Unsurprisingly, Ukraine sings about resisting in the face of adversity. Honestly I would have been happier with Ukraine winning last year with this song instead of Stefania. The Ukrainian lyrics look like they’ve been thrown in like an afterthought though. The staging uses some interesting visuals, although the crossed-out nuclear symbols are very much on the nose; I’m sure there would be a way to convey the same idea more elegantly.

8. Australia - Voyager - Promise

Australia invites you to go out and explore the world. They’re not trying to out-eurovision everyone else with grandiose performances this year and it’s working out for them.

7. Estonia - Alika - Bridges

The lady can sing. Self-reflexion is good for the soul, says the lady. The song starts soft and ends up strong, with some changes in pacing in-between. I like the melodic line, particularly in the lower registers, as well as the “round and round” effect of the chorus, like a carousel.

6. Sweden - Loreen - Tattoo

This is SO formatted for Eurovision. It’s not like it’s a bad song but I feel like I’m being spoonfed pre-packed expected winner material. Also, the melody of the opening lines reminds me very much of ABBA’s The Winner Takes It All. Coincidence? Homage? Poaching?

5. France - La Zarra - Evidemment

La grande glam queen. I’m still bitter that she was just nominated by the French Eurovision organisation, robbing us of an evening’s fun and the opportunity to vote. O the irony of going to Canada to pick an artist who claims to sing, quote, “la Grande France” (as if that is even a thing). But, okay, I’ll admit that she has a great voice. And the song is a good mix of oldie tunes and modern sounds.

4. Spain - Blanca Paloma - Eaea

Poetry on stage. Haunting in the best possible way. And they're doing interesting stuff with the staging. Love it.

3. Portugal - Mimicat - Ai coração

Woman falls into madness waiting for her lover. The successively increasing and lowering pace gives a lot of dynamic to this number that looks like it could belong to a musical. The staging and dancing is laid out like clockwork. Very engaging and entertaining. (How did this rank so high? I liked the song okay when I first listened to it, but to make it to the top three…)

2. Norway - Alessandra - Queen of Kings

A banger. I dare you to listen to this song and not be ready to run to battle with a cutlass between your teeth. A rousing anthem that takes its roots in sea shanties and female empowerment. For some reason, the music video took inspiration from the flurry of dystopian YA books and movies from a few years ago. Go figure.

1. Italy - Marco Mengoni - Due vite

When I started listening to the songs to do this ranking, I fully expected that the struggle for top place would be a battle of queens between Norway, Spain, France and Estonia (Portugal sneaked up on me). And yet here comes Italy. Damn it, Mengoni could sing whatever he likes with this dulcet voice full of emotion and this luscious language – I would follow. The Pied Piper of San Remo! One remark though: the video from the national performance is 4 minutes long whereas the Eurovision piece will have to be cut down to 3 minutes – what will that do the flow of the song? We'll have to wait and see.

So there you go, that’s my ranking! Happy Eurovision season, everyone!

[caixinliang]

Practice 1:

Assignment 1, Concept Art - Creating "Concepts".

. Blog post 01

Last Wednesday, we attended our first concept art lesson. This class aimed to demonstrate our established abilities in conveying visual concepts through art. Our Professor, Leonardo, permitted us to select three to five inspirational terms and utilize them to execute our first project.

I chose cyberpunk, sci-fi, Chinese martial arts elements, and loneliness.

Cyberpunk

Cyberpunk is distinguished by its striking visual elements, including neon lights illuminating city streets, iconic advertisements lining urban thoroughfares, and towering skyscrapers. The typical color palette associated with cyberpunk aesthetics comprises black, purple, green, blue, and red. These elements collectively contribute to the distinctive ambiance of the genre.

The cyberpunk theme was chosen as I had not previously created any designs relating to this subject matter. I aim to explore new ideas throughout this project.

Bionic human designs are a common motif in cyberpunk works. For example, I have a strong affinity for characters such as Motoko Kusanagi from "Ghost in the Shell" (see images 1, 2, and 3 on the left). Furthermore, in "Cyberpunk 2077", a large number of character designs (see Figures 4, 5, and 6 on the right) feature bionic elements. These designs are characterized by the extensive use of prosthetic enhancements, novel materials, and an intricate network of connecting cables, which together contribute to a distinct and futuristic technological ambiance.

science fiction

There are several different branches of science fiction literature, each representing a unique vision and exploration of the future as it was imagined by people at a particular time in history. For example, the cyberpunk theme is a typical branch of science fiction that reflects the pessimistic visions of the future held by the general public during the 1970s and 1980s, especially when computer technology became popular. Cyberpunk literature usually presents itself as an anti-utopian prediction depicting technological overdevelopment and social degradation, usually accompanied by themes of high levels of urbanization, information control, and the fusion of humans and machines. These works highlight the ethical and social issues that technology can raise, as well as the complex relationship between humans and technology. The emergence of this branch reflected the concerns and explorations of the time about the future direction of technology and society.

Chinese martial arts elements or wuxia elements

Characters in wuxia works often wear traditional Chinese costumes, such as robes, ancient Chinese armor, and hanboks. For example, in the film "Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon" (Figures 1, 2, and 3 on the left), these costumes often reflect the styles of different historical dynasties and regions. Martial arts movements and weaponry weapons combat weapon fighting are important visual features in martial arts works. Wuxia characters use a variety of weapons, such as swords, knives, clubs, darts, and other cold weapons, to demonstrate exquisite martial arts skills. I would like to incorporate elements of Tang Dynasty armor into my work this time, such as the two pictures in the middle.

Loneliness

Loneliness has always been a major spiritual core of the cyberpunk theme, and in the cyberpunk setting people's quality of life has not improved as a result of higher technological levels, but instead has made the rich class richer and the poor class more flatulent and impoverished. Body modification technology and consciousness-uploading technology have made human beings blur the boundaries of individuality.

I'd like to create a female warrior character, a reference to Malenia（As shown in the image below), Blade of Miquella, the goddess from Elden Ring, who guards a city alone and can only be awakened by an intruder.

Reference:

Ghost in the Shell 1 (18 November 1995) Directed by Mamoru Oshii [adult animated neo-noir cyberpunk thriller film ]. Japan United Kingdom:Shochiku (Japan) Metrodome Distribution Manga Entertainment (United Kingdom) .

CD Projekt (10 December 2020) Cyberpunk 2077 [Video game]. CD Projekt Available at: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1091500/_2077/ (Accessed: 30 October 2023).

FromSoftware (February 25, 2022) Elden Ring [Video game]. Bandai Namco Entertainment JP: FromSoftware Available at: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1245620/_/ (Accessed: 30 October 2023).

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (29 September 2010) Directed by Tsui Hark [action-adventure gong'an film ]. China Hong Kong: Emperor Motion Pictures .

[mitchelindustri]

10 Convincing Reasons to Embrace Recycling Machines

In today’s changing world, there’s an ever-growing concern and worry for environmental sustainability. With the global population increasing, waste generation and environmental impact have escalated significantly.

One must undertake recycling as a crucial practice to address these challenges, but conventional methods might not be sufficient. That’s where investing in recycling machines proves to be a smart and forward-thinking choice.

Such advanced machines revolutionise waste management and offer many benefits beyond just being environmentally friendly.

What is a Recycling Machine?

A recycling machine processes recyclable materials into reusable products or raw materials. Its main job is to reduce waste and conserve valuable resources. It is available in multiple sizes and types according to the user’s needs. Also, plastic automation machine systems for recycling are present in the market to ease the process and reduce waste.

Why is a Recycling Machine Crucial?

Cost-Effectiveness

Investing in recycling machines can significantly reduce waste disposal costs for businesses and municipalities alike. By recycling on-site materials, companies can avoid the expenses of transporting waste to distant landfills or recycling centres.

Recycling machines can process various materials, turning them into valuable resources. These include plastics, metals, paper, and glass. These recycled materials provide ample benefits to the manufacturers. They can sell and reuse them, potentially creating a new business revenue stream.

Environmental Advantages

Recycling machines remove waste from landfills. These reduce their environmental impact and preserve valuable land space.

By enabling the recovery and reuse of valuable resources like metals and paper, recycling machines lessen the need for raw material extraction. This conservation of natural resources helps protect biodiversity and minimises habitat destruction.

Energy Efficiency

Extracting raw materials from nature demands significant energy inputs. In contrast, recycling materials generally consume less energy, making it a more sustainable option.

Recycling machines contribute to lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to producing materials from scratch. It plays a crucial role in combating climate change and reducing industries’ carbon footprints.

Waste Volume Reduction

Recycling machines come equipped with features like compaction and shredding, significantly reducing waste volume. This compacting effect results in more efficient storage and transportation of waste materials.

Smaller waste volumes achieved through recycling machines allow businesses and municipalities to optimise waste storage and transportation, leading to cost savings and reduced emissions. Also, the recycling process becomes simpler if you have plastic automation machine systems.

Flexibility and Versatility

Recycling machines can handle various materials, from plastics and paper to glass and electronics. Their adaptability makes them suitable for diverse recycling needs.

Each recycling operation may have unique requirements. Recycling machines come with customisable settings, making it possible to tailor the recycling process to specific materials and goals.

Improved Waste Sorting

Recycling machines incorporate advanced sorting technologies, such as optical sensors and AI-driven algorithms, ensuring precise and efficient separation of recyclable materials.

Contamination in recycled materials can compromise their quality and usability. One can minimise contamination using cutting-edge plastic automation machine systems, resulting in higher-quality recycled products.

Job Creation and Economic Impact

Investing in recycling machines is an excellent way to promote environmental sustainability while stimulating the green economy’s growth. By utilising recycling machines, we can reduce waste and minimise the impact on landfills, which helps preserve natural resources.

We can also strengthen the regional economy by supporting local recycling initiatives through these machines. This is because the machines require skilled labour to operate and maintain, providing employment opportunities for local workers. Furthermore, promoting recycling and sustainability can foster a sense of community responsibility, encouraging individuals to preserve the environment actively.

Compliance with Regulations

Many regions have strict regulations regarding waste management and recycling. Investing in recycling machines helps businesses comply with these regulations and avoid potential penalties.

Recycling regulations are there for every entity to follow. If you do not adhere to the legislature, it will bore hefty fines and legal consequences.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Investing in advanced recycling machines is an example of a company’s unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability. It is pivotal in the present world.

Companies foster a positive reputation and brand image by adopting a solid corporate social responsibility strategy. It is a significant factor in attracting new customers and retaining existing ones.

Additionally, customers will support businesses placing a high value on environmental preservation. When businesses invest in recycling machines, they show their commitment to the environment. Ultimately, by prioritising environmental sustainability, companies can substantially impact their bottom line while contributing to a healthier planet for future generations.

Summing Up

Embracing recycling machines offers a multitude of benefits that extend beyond simple recycling efforts. Incorporating machines into waste management can have numerous benefits. These include cost-effectiveness, environmental advantages, energy efficiency, and job creation. These machines are critical in shaping a better future and can help businesses and communities contribute to a cleaner, greener, and more prosperous world.

[birdhaunt]

1992 Chronicle Books Installation by Gee + Chung design. Source: https://geechungdesign.com/case-studies/chroniclebooks-05.html

Chronicle Books is an innovative publisher of high-quality illustrated books on design, food, literature, collectibles, pop culture, and travel. At the American Booksellers Association Show, Chronicle sought to convey they are a publisher who “sees things differently.” Our solution for the publisher’s 30' x 30' cross-aisle exhibit represented a striking departure from the typical rows of bookshelves and backlit light boxes attendees normally walk right by, instead creating a retail-like environment which invites visitors to come in, pick up the books, and linger. Each display represented the values Chronicle stood for, using a giant gear, ladder, staircase, and abstract figure as metaphors for work, progress, attainment, and humanity.

These symbolic elements combined to form a highly engaging environment for attendees, using a Constructivist aesthetic and simple, industrial materials to create a “machine” for the display of books. Natural maple and galvanized aluminum panels provide the ideal neutral backdrops to highlight Chronicle’s colorful collection. The eye-catching tradeshow became a must-see for show attendees, as the booth broke new ground in what a booksellers booth could be, and what an exhibit could convey about a company. The distinctive exhibit helped the San Francisco-based publisher stand out within the New York dominated publishing industry as a firm who “sees things differently,” and was instrumental to creating a unique market niche for the specialty publisher.

[excelmike]

June 6, 2023

QUESTION 1:

Does a human need to review a translation generated by AI or MT?

ChatGPT’s response:

“Yes, it is recommended to have a human review a translation generated by AI or machine translation (MT) systems. While AI and MT have made significant advancements in recent years, they still have limitations and can produce translations that may contain errors, inaccuracies, or lack proper context or fluency.

Here are some reasons why human review is important:

Quality Assurance: Human review helps ensure the accuracy, clarity, and overall quality of the translation. Professional human translators possess linguistic expertise, cultural knowledge, and contextual understanding that enable them to refine and improve the output of AI or MT systems.

Contextual Understanding: AI and MT systems may struggle with understanding specific nuances, cultural references, idiomatic expressions, or domain-specific terminology. Human translators can provide the necessary context and ensure that the translation accurately conveys the intended meaning.

Adherence to Guidelines: Human reviewers can ensure that the translation aligns with the desired style, tone, and specific guidelines provided by the client. They can make necessary adjustments to ensure that the translation meets the client's requirements and preferences.

Localization and Cultural Sensitivity: Human reviewers can adapt the translation to the target audience and culture, taking into account local conventions, sensitivities, and preferences. They can ensure that the translation is culturally appropriate and resonates with the intended audience.

Post-Editing for Fluency and Readability: Human review helps refine the fluency, flow, and readability of the translation. Translations generated by AI or MT systems may have grammatical or stylistic issues that can be addressed and improved by human translators.

While AI and MT systems can provide a useful starting point and accelerate the translation process, human review adds the necessary human touch, linguistic expertise, and cultural understanding to produce high-quality translations. The combination of AI/MT and human review often results in the best balance between efficiency and translation quality.”

[aranarumei]

the anomalous agate (part 1)

edit: there's an updated version of this here

so. a few days ago i floated the idea of a crossover of hanzawa to tashiro and the case files of jeweler richard to the illustrious @dirtbra1n, and after talking about it i. could not stop thinking about it. here is that. you will notice above it says part 1, and that is because I spiralled a bit out of control. this is so long (4.3k) that I thought it merited me posting it on ao3 as well, if you'd prefer to read it there. there's also some notes about the fic contained there, none of which I feel like repeating, except i do have to credit the line of dialogue where seigi asks hanzawa why he has so many piercings to @dirtbra1n. that's entirely their genius.

without further ado, under the cut:

case 2-x: the anomalous agate (part 1)

The longer I worked for the shop, the fewer days arrived when there were no appointments scheduled for the day. As always, Richard seemed unfazed by the lack of customers. I supposed it made sense—this was a shop that only existed on the weekends, after all. He had hired me, but had the two of us not met by chance, it was likely he wouldn’t have hired anyone at all.

Perhaps the reason my employer seemed so content was the fact that he was currently cutting into a delicate slice of tiramisu crepe cake. He ate with almost ethereal grace, and as I somehow hadn’t thought to grab a slice for myself, my mind wandered to the circumstances that had led me to the purchase.

The week before, I had been making Richard’s royal milk tea as usual—I felt somewhat confident in my skills at this point, but there really was no matching a master—and asked him if there was a reason we didn’t serve coffee to customers. It was a common feature of many cafés, after all, and though this place was no longer a café, we still offered things like tea and snacks to customers.

Richard had stared at me like he was waiting for me to figure something out on my own, and after wracking my brain for possibilities, I tried, “We have barley tea and green tea, so it can’t be because you think anything except for royal milk tea won’t do…”

I received a deep sigh for my efforts. Richard arched an eyebrow. “Do you know how much is involved in the process of making coffee?” he asked.

As the coffee I most regularly consumed came from a can, there wasn’t a single response I could give.

That night, I searched up the process of manufacturing and brewing coffee, and quickly found myself beginning to develop a headache. Not only were there many places where coffee beans were grown, the different ways in which coffee was then brewed and what it was paired with felt almost limitless. Searching for espresso machines brought prices well over 15,000 yen, and it was at that point that I began to understand what Richard had conveyed in a single sentence.

Instant coffee could be made without any sense of technique or equipment, but the kind of coffee that set one’s mind at ease was probably the kind that only a real café was capable of. Or a coffee enthusiast, and I was neither. I tried to conjure the image of being offered canned or instant coffee at Jewelry Étranger, and immediately wrinkled my nose. Coffee at a café was meant to pleasant; I had no desire to remind myself of what it felt like to work late night after late night as a security guard. While I felt coffee had a warm, comforting scent, I knew all too well that it was also a bitter necessity. I was thankful that the caffeine had kept me awake, but it only worsened the quality of my sleep.

Still, though I had given up the idea of introducing coffee to our drink selection, I must not have completely forgotten about it, because the next time I stepped into a bakery, their offering of a tiramisu crepe cake caught my immediate attention.

I’d had tiramisu only once during a birthday in junior high. Birthdays when I was younger were a melancholy affair—they were small, intimate celebrations that reminded me of the insignificance of my life. It was the same feeling as lighting a candle in pure dark—loneliness shined more under small points of light. But my mother had always remembered to buy a cake year after year, no matter the circumstances. While she had already developed a taste for coffee, I still considered it something that was a bitter, awful drink that adults actually enjoyed. But after some firm persuasion from my mother, I reluctantly dug in.

Add enough sugar and it can turn bitter into sweet. I knew that now, but as a child I had been given an experience akin to magic. Even now, I could still recall the light and sweet taste accompanied by the delicate hints of coffee and chocolate.

Remembering it now, it was hard to explain why I hadn’t had one in such a long time, but I hadn’t developed the habit of searching out cafés, bakeries, and sweet shops until I started working at Jewelry Étranger. Food tasted better as of late.

This bakery in particular was a favorite of mine—it felt like every time I entered, there was still some sweet I had yet to try. And encounters like these, where it felt like little parts of my life were slotting together in serendipitous fashions, were becoming far more common. It was obvious in the way I’d found out about Tanimoto-san’s love for rocks and minerals, as well as her friend Shinkai’s dance company, or Hase-san visiting at the exact time I happened to be in the back, but when I told Richard this, he simply brushed it off.

“The more knowledge and experience you acquire, the more the world reveals itself to you,” he said. “Department stores have existed before you began working here, but only once you took an interest in diamonds did you notice the kinds of jewels they sold. The girl you wish was your girlfriend had an interest in minerals long before you began to. That was not fate—it was the fact that the more you learned, the more you could find commonalities or points of connection in the world around you.” He paused. “You, in particular… I would guess that you run into so many coincidences because you’re unable to turn your back.”

He was correct. The more people that visited Richard’s store, the more that I came to knew about the world. I had liked Tanimoto-san before I had met Richard, and she had loved rocks and minerals for far longer. But because I had been able to meet with Richard—and that was an encounter that could have only been fate—I’d gained awareness of a part of the world that had always existed, just not in my eyes. The more I learned about jewels, the more I treasured various things.

So that Saturday, I entered the bakery again, bought a slice, and arrived at Jewelry Étranger with an offering.

“…I still won’t give you a raise, you know,” Richard said.

As always, he looked beautiful. I had the feeling that he’d be annoyed if I told him the purchase was due to a bottomless kind of gratitude.

“I know.” At this point, I wondered if I needed to directly tell him how he paid far more than what I earned as a security guard. But I’d already turned down a job offer to stay here, so he must have known that I felt as if the work I was doing here was infinitely more valuable.

Since we’d had this kind of exchange quite a few times before, Richard tried the tiramisu crepe cake without much fuss. It was obvious he was enjoying it—perhaps his face hadn’t cracked out into a smile or anything of the sort, but there was a serene look on his face when he was enjoying sweets.

As he ate, a question popped to mind: “Say, Richard, have you had real tiramisu in Italy before?”

Richard paused between bites. “Do you mean to ask if I’ve had authentic tiramisu?”

“Well, you just seem as if you’ve been everywhere in the world…”

Rather than tell me if he’d spent time in Italy or not, Richard began to speak about the conflicted meaning of the word ‘authentic.’

“Tiramisu is Italian in origin, but the exact nature of how it was first produced is still up for debate. Tiramisu as we recognize it today certainly does not come in the nature of a crepe cake, but—” He paused to take another bite. “Grab yourself a fork, would you?”

I stared at him blankly as he deliberately placed his fork down on his plate. The last few bites of the crepe cake remained untouched, and only when he tilted his head in confusion did I rush to the kitchen in realization.

When I returned, Richard continued speaking without commenting on my lack of wits. “Something being authentic indeed means it is the real thing—a genuine article. Authenticity is also related to truth—in art, the style of realism is grounded in an attempt to depict life authentically. Without alterations or embellishments. For gemstones this is a fairly simple thing to classify—jewels are mined from specific places, so we designate that which is naturally-occurring as authentic. This runs in opposition as to imitation jewels, which are made from a different material, and approximate the look of a jewel without matching its innate qualities. The question of authenticity also is relevant when looking at heat treatment—pigeon blood rubies that haven’t undergone heat treatment are more valuable, because they have acquired the color naturally, yes?”

I nodded in agreement, reminded of Tanimoto-san’s opinion on heat treatment. She probably prized the authenticity of a gem—the one-of-a-kind nature each jewel had. I understood her feelings, but I also thought there was some kind of wonder in the process of polishing and cutting and heat treatment—each step gave a jewel a special kind of shine. But beauty was the kind of thing where opinions differed often.

“You’ve forgotten to actually put your fork to use,” Richard said, and I startled out of my daze to hurriedly take a bite. Well, no one would disagree about his beauty.

As expected, the tiramisu crepe cake was both light and sweet. The texture of crepes was certainly different than what I’d eaten as a child, but both carried that sense of pure delicacy—each layer felt like cotton-candied air. Though it didn’t smell like coffee, there was indeed the warm, rich undertone of what I’d come to understand as coffee’s flavor. If I could spend a birthday just like this… it would be a treasure of a memory.

Richard’s lips curled. “How is it?”                      

I made sure to properly swallow before I replied. “It’s delicious,” I marveled. “I don’t know why I’d forgotten the taste.”

“When you make rice at home, would you consider that rice real or authentic?” Richard asked. When I nodded, still chewing on my final bite of cake, he then asked, “Why?”

Maybe I would buy tiramisu on the way home. Or gift some to Hiromi—I could only assume that my birthday all those years ago was the last time she’d had tiramisu, too. “Well, because it’s rice,” I said. “I bought the rice grains, didn’t I? They were grown naturally. And then I cooked them.”

“If you acquired the exact ingredients required for tiramisu, and followed the same exact process as the original—though there are debates at to what the original is—would you still say that was authentic?”

I frowned. “I… suppose I would? Since everything is exact.” Was there a loophole I was missing?

“Perhaps,” Richard said. “Because it is hard to pinpoint its specific origins, what tiramisu qualifies as authentic can be hard to judge. Though the base components and methods are the same, the exact specifics differ—some may consider any tiramisu that follows the general process to be authentic, while others may not. In the case of champagne, unless what you think of champagne is made in the Champagne region of France, it cannot legally be called by that name. Even if the sparkling wine that is created is similar in taste, or uses the same process and ingredients, if the grapes are not sourced from that region, it will not be champagne.”

“Even though it’s possible to make an equivalent product?”  

“You could, indeed, make a very close match,” Richard said. “But it would legally not be authentic. Can you think of a reason why someone might want a name of a food protected?”

When phrased like that, the answer arrived to me immediately. “Brand protection,” I said. “Because the idea of champagne is precious, if other winemakers started selling something labelled as champagne, it would lose some of its prestige. By controlling what can be called champagne, they retain control over the production and image of champagne.”

“Good for you,” Richard said, and I bit down a smile. “Authenticity holds a different value for many people and many things. All that aside… this tiramisu crepe cake remains delicious.”

“It is,” I agreed, and then began to make him tea.

The rest of the day passed by in peace. Richard read from his collection of books, blond hair glittering under the sharp sun. I busied myself by cleaning the kitchen and running out to complete a few errands. The movement was helpful; the chill of autumn had settled in, and I had made the mistake of dressing far more lightly than Richard. His choice of wear likely made it easy for him to sit still, but I thought that even if he was wearing his suit in a blizzard or a tropical summer, he would seem as even-keeled as ever. That was the beauty of jewels—they were something that was gorgeous from all angles.

Around a half hour before closing time, the intercom buzzed.

Richard set down his book, and I went to let in our surprise customer.

Accompanied by a brush of cold wind, a young man stepped into the store. He had a slim frame, but despite being dressed as lightly as I was, showed no signs of being sensitive to the cold. His hair was slightly long in the front, bangs barely cropped above his eyes, but it was trimmed evenly. He was dressed casually yet neatly in a simple powder-blue sweater, gray slacks, and loafers.

The door closed behind him, and he glanced around the room once before asking, “This is a jeweler’s store, correct?”

“You’d be right,” I said, guiding him to sit in one of the red armchairs.

His hesitant expression curved into a full-faced smile. As he sat down, the awkward lines of his body began to bleed away, and he relaxed into the chair with an air of steady self-assurance. His pose remained polite, though—he kept his hands carefully folded over his lap, and his ankles were loosely crossed.

“Would you like something to drink?” I asked. Originally, I had wanted to give him something to soothe his nerves, but it looked like that was unneeded.

“Ah… that milk tea would be nice, if you don’t mind,” the man said, gesturing to Richard’s teacup.

Richard returned from the bookshelf, taking over the process of greeting out newest, customer, and I headed back to the kitchen. Both men spoke in measured tones, so even though they spoke at a medium volume, their voices carried well enough.

“…Richard Ranasinghe de Vulpian? Is it alright to call you Richard-san, then?” He spoke the name slowly, but he pronounced Richard’s full name without fumbling.

“Just Richard is fine, too.”

“Nice to meet you too, Richard-san. I’m Hanzawa Masato. If I’m not incorrect, you sell jewelry at this place?”

“Indeed we do. Is there something in particular you’re looking for?”

I returned to see Hanzawa-san wearing a thoughtful expression on his face. His gaze flickered towards me as I reentered the room. “I was hoping to look at stud earrings… is there anything else I should specify? I would prefer if it wasn’t prohibitively expensive…”

“Are there any kinds of stones you’re interested in looking at? Or a particular occasion or style this is meant for?”

When I drew close enough, Hanzawa-san turned to face me and accepted my tea, eyes still curved in a pleasant smile. “It’s something like a birthday gift, I suppose. As for stones… I’m not too knowledgeable regarding them.” He paused to contemplate.

Choosing a gift was always a complicated thing, in my opinion. For a gift, the trouble never ended at the purchase—it was always at the gifting that the issues arose. Would they understand the gift with the same meaning that I had in mind when I picked it? I thought about my grandmother and mother choosing my name. Was I the type of person they’d had in mind? I could only hope that was the case.

“I guess… something neutral would be best? The kind of earring fit for daily work wear.”

“Are you interested in looking at birthstones?”

Hanzawa-san sipped his tea, eyes fluttering shut in thought. “Not particularly.”

I had spent enough time to catch the traces of concern on Richard’s face, but not enough time to understand his worries. “It will take some time for me to bring my selections out. Please enjoy your tea while you wait,” he said, and then he was off, a determined crease to his brows.

Though I didn’t know exactly what was troubling him, I could learn. Surely Richard wouldn’t mind if I made some small talk?

“Might you also be a university student, Hanzawa-san?”

Hanzawa-san waved dismissively. “It’s only my first year, so I think I’m younger than you. I know I’m a customer, but there’s no need to be formal. Your name is…?”

“Nakata Seigi,” I said. “I’m in my second year.”

“I was right, then,” Hanzawa said. He’d passed over both Richard and my name without comment. I’d expected him to sound as restrained as he had with Richard, but he spoke freely. “Would I be right in saying you seem more interested in jewels as compared to jewelry?” At my confusion, he gestured to my neck, ears, and hands, which were bare of any accessories. “You don’t seem to wear any, so I’d wondered…”

“I suppose it’s the jewel itself that interests me,” I admitted. “Is it the opposite thing for you?”

“Most likely,” Hanzawa said. “It’s what I have experience in, anyways.”

At my once-again befuddled expression, Hanzawa brushed back his hair, and I caught sight of six piercing holes in his left ear.

“I see…” I replied, a little stunned. Even when his hair wasn’t brushed back, it was easy to see a few of his piercing holes.

Richard had probably noticed them from the moment he’d walked in.

Now that I thought about it clearly, a birthday gift could be presented to oneself, couldn’t it? Just like Yamamoto-san trying to buy herself a garnet.

I’d seen guys in my college with piercings, but none who bought any with jewels like the ones in Richard’s store. It was a kind of flashy choice for someone who looked so mild-mannered, but so were piercings in general.

In the same way that I’d only noticed the tiramisu in that bakery after asking Richard about coffee, I realized the reason for his concern. If it was a present for himself, the uncertainty in his answers could prove troublesome.

“If I could ask…” I prompted, as Richard returned with his tamatebako.

Richard set down his tamatebako with a harder than usual thud. He still looked concerned, but there was a different note to it.

“Sure.”

“Is there a reason a guy as young as you has so many piercings?”

Richard opened up his tamatebako with a sharp click.

Hanzawa kept smiling up at me. He took a long sip of his tea, and then directed his attention towards what Richard had selected.

I leaned over to take a look. As I did, Richard shot a pointed glare towards me. What? I mouthed back, but he ignored me.

The stones Richard had picked were split between gemstones with faceted cuts and cabochons. The studs themselves were made of a simple silver backing, with the stone fitted on top in a rounded or squared shape. The exception to this was the studs fitted with lapis lazuli, which were backed with gold. While I recognized the diamond and amethyst, there were a few colored stones in faceted cuts that I wasn’t certain how to identify. But the ones that caught my attention were the larger stud earrings, which were fitted with polished stones that didn’t sparkle but had bands of red, terracotta, and peach striped across its surface. Others had the same banding pattern but in soft grays and whites.

“These are beautiful,” Hanzawa said, smile dropping into a look of deep consideration. He leaned forward to study each one. “Of course, diamonds are a classic choice,” he sighed to himself.

“The clear color of a diamond is indeed well-suited to various shades of any outfit you might choose.”

“I see,” Hanzawa mused. He gestured to the rest of the jewels. “I recognize the amethyst. And the… lapis lazuli, yes? Seeing it in person, it certainly is a vivid kind of blue,” he said. “But I’m a little unfamiliar with the rest of these gems. Would you mind explaining them?”

“Of course,” Richard said. “The green stone you see here is peridot. The yellow, orange, and brown stones you see here are citrine. Like amethyst, it is a type of quartz. This”—he pointed to a deep yellow-orange stone— “is heat-treated amethyst, which looks similar to citrine, with minor differences. The banded stones are agate. They are a mix of quartz and moganite—both have an equivalent chemical composition, but different crystal structures.”

I hadn’t heard of moganite until now—unless I was mishearing morganite, but Richard had such wonderful pronunciation I thought that was impossible. Despite all of the information, all Hanzawa did was nod in understanding.

“Peridot,” Hanzawa repeated to himself. “I don’t think I’ve seen any before.”

The stone he was looking at was a sparkling kind of lime green. “It’s like the color of spring,” I said.

Hanzawa bowed his head, suddenly bashful. “Yes. It’s… well, it’s a color I’m fond of,” he admitted.

“Would you like to see more?”

He shook his head. “…No, it’s not really… well-suited for me.” After a moment of contemplation, he pointed to the lapis lazuli. “How does this one get its gold flecks?”

“Lapis lazuli is composed of several different minerals, and a common addition happens to be pyrite, which is responsible for that gold color. As you mentioned, it is a very vivid blue, which is why, historically, it was ground to create ultramarine. Before a synthetic alternative was created, it was an extremely expensive and prized paint.”  

Hanzawa smiled down at the stones. “I’ve heard of ultramarine. Isn't it what provides the blue shades in many of Johannes Vermeer’s works?”

I made a note to ask Richard who Johannes Vermeer was later.

“That’s correct.” After a pause, Richard added, “If you are looking for something neutral, blue tends to be a color that pairs well with others.”

“Oh, that’s—I’ll keep it in mind,” Hanzawa said. Haltingly, he asked, “Is jewelry made of lapis lazuli—is it quite common?”

“Compared to the rest of these stones, it’s a bit of a more delicate material,” Richard allowed, “so it has to be carefully looked after. But historically, lapis lazuli has been used in all kinds of jewelry.”

“…Is that so.”

Silence dragged on between them. Hanzawa seemed unbothered by it, though it was hard to see much of his expression, with both his bangs and lashes obscuring his eyes.

“…This agate. I feel like I’ve seen stones with this banding before.”

“Banding is characteristic but not exclusive to agate,” Richard said. “It has been used for carvings as well as jewelry and remains popular today. Each piece of agate has differences in how exactly the banding occurs, so one could say that each piece is truly unique.”

“Unique…” A ghost of uncertainty appeared on Hanzawa’s face, but it was gone in a flash. “Does it come in any other colors?”

“Oftentimes agate will be dyed into various colors, but there are some other colors present in naturally occurring agates. Would you like to see some blue lace agate?”

“Surely that dyed agate is prettier, huh?” Hanzawa murmured, so low I barely heard him. Apropos of nothing, he then straightened up, looking flustered. “Sorry,” he said. “I think—I think I’m a little in over my head.” He drank the last of his tea in disconcerting silence.

“If you’d like to come back, we take appointments,” I said.

“…Right,” Hanzawa said, eyes still fixed on the earrings before him. He set his teacup down on the table. “What would be a good time?”

“Sunday, 4PM?” Richard suggested, and Hanzawa agreed.

With that settled, Hanzawa thanked me for the tea, bid a polite goodbye to us both, and exited the store, leaving another gust of crisp air in his wake.

As it was now closing time, I went to collect the now empty teacups, only to find Richard looking up at me expectantly.

“What?” I asked.

He sighed. “Nothing that concerns you, I suppose.”

“By the way, who’s Johannes Vermeer?” I asked.

“Have you ever seen Girl with a Pearl Earring?” Richard asked.

“He was the artist?” I confirmed, and then went to wash the teacups.

When I returned, Richard was staring at his open tamatebako.

I took a seat next to him. “Thinking about our customer?”

“…Jewels reflect the inner feelings of a person,” Richard said after a long silence. “I wonder how to convey that truth to a person like him.”

“It was strange to see someone so young here,” I agreed. “Well, Hajime-kun was much younger, but his circumstances were different.”

“You’re quite young yourself,” Richard commented dryly. “Aren’t you two the same age?”

“If we went to the same university, I’d be his senpai,” I said. “Still. It’s rare. I thought he’d be more nervous.”

“…I don’t think he wasn’t nervous,” Richard said, but when I asked him what he meant, he didn’t elaborate.

“Well,” I said, wondering how I could clear those worry lines from his face, “we’ll see him next week.”

“Maybe,” Richard said, and this, I didn’t need him to explain.

If Hanzawa Masato came in next week at the appointed time, or if he had disappeared out that door for forever, it was impossible to know.

[phillipsgustavsen74]

Exploring the Power of 3D Animation in Industrial Training with Industrial 3D

In the dynamic landscape of industrial training, technology continues to play a significant role in driving innovations and enhancing efficiency. One of the transformative technologies that have revolutionized training is 3D animation. Industrial 3D, a pioneer in the realm of 3D animation production, leverages this technology to offer an unprecedented training experience in the industrial sector. 3D animation in industrial training is not a mere trend but a strategic tool that has successfully proven its worth by tackling various challenges faced by traditional training methods. It opens up new possibilities, effectively breaking down complex processes into comprehensible visual narratives. This article takes you on an exploration of the power of 3D animation in industrial training, showcasing how Industrial 3D has harnessed this technology to transform learning experiences. The Age of 3D Animation in Industrial Training The advent of 3D animation has created a paradigm shift in industrial training. Traditional training methods often struggle to present intricate machinery and complex processes in a way that is easy to understand. This is where 3D animation comes in, offering clear, detailed visuals that effectively convey complex concepts, processes, and systems. Industrial 3D harnesses this potential, creating immersive, realistic 3D animations that offer a comprehensive understanding of processes, machine operations, and safety procedures. The power of these animations lies in their ability to create an engaging, interactive, and immersive learning environment, far beyond the capabilities of traditional 2D diagrams or written descriptions. Advantages of 3D Animation in Industrial Training The benefits of integrating 3D animation into industrial training are manifold. Some of these advantages, capitalized upon by Industrial 3D, include: Enhanced Understanding: 3D animations bring abstract concepts to life, illustrating complex machinery and processes with ease. It offers a visual and interactive way to comprehend complicated ideas, promoting better understanding and retention of information. Safety Training: In industries such as oil and gas, construction, and manufacturing, where safety is paramount, 3D animations offer an effective tool for demonstrating safety procedures. With Industrial 3D’s safety training animations, trainees can visualize potential hazards and learn correct safety procedures without being exposed to actual risks. Cost-Efficient: 3D animation can significantly reduce the costs associated with physical training models, as it eliminates the need for expensive equipment and materials. In addition, it minimizes downtime by allowing training to take place anytime, anywhere. Immersive Learning Experience: With 3D animation, learners are not passive recipients of information but active participants in their learning journey. Industrial 3D’s animations create a realistic, immersive environment that fosters engagement and improves retention. graphic design : Leading the Way in 3D Animation for Industrial Training At the forefront of this transformative approach to training is Industrial 3D. With a keen understanding of both the industrial sector's needs and the capabilities of 3D animation technology, Industrial 3D creates tailored solutions that transform the learning process.

Industrial 3D’s animations are characterized by their high quality, attention to detail, and realistic representation of industrial processes. The company's expertise extends beyond just creating stunning visuals; they create animations that serve as practical tools for knowledge transfer. Their 3D animations are utilized by leading corporations to train their employees on new equipment, industrial processes, safety protocols, and more. One key aspect that sets Industrial 3D apart is their ability to accurately represent the intricacies of machinery and processes. They achieve this through their deep-rooted knowledge of the industrial sector and their proficiency in the latest 3D technology. This marriage of industry-specific expertise and technical know-how results in animations that not only look good but also perform well in educating and informing. Case Study: 3D Animation in Action To further illustrate the effectiveness of 3D animation in industrial training, let's look at a real-life application of Industrial 3D's work. A major player in the oil and gas industry approached Industrial 3D with a challenge: they needed a way to effectively train their staff on a new, complex drilling technology. Traditional training methods were falling short, and the learning curve was steep. Industrial 3D stepped in with a comprehensive 3D animation that visualized the entire drilling process. This included the machinery's detailed internal structures and how different parts interacted. The result? A dramatic improvement in comprehension and shorter training periods. The 3D animation successfully facilitated understanding and retention of the complex process, proving to be a game-changer in the client's training program. The Future of Industrial Training As 3D technology continues to evolve, so too will its applications in industrial training. Looking ahead, Industrial 3D is poised to continue its pioneering work, embracing new developments like virtual reality and augmented reality to provide even more immersive and interactive training solutions. In the future, we can expect to see even greater realism in 3D animations, allowing for more intricate detailing and complexity in visualizations. The line between the digital and the physical world will blur, creating an immersive, interactive environment that closely mimics real-world conditions. Conclusion As we've explored in this article, 3D animation holds immense potential in industrial training. It offers a way to break down complex concepts, enhance understanding, improve safety training, and provide an immersive learning experience. At the helm of this revolution is Industrial 3D, leveraging their industry-specific knowledge and technical expertise to provide cutting-edge 3D animation solutions. The integration of 3D animation into industrial training is not merely a trend but a transformative shift that's here to stay. As Industrial 3D continues to innovate and lead in this space, we can look forward to even more enhanced, efficient, and effective training solutions that prepare industries for the challenges and opportunities of the future. With 3D animation, the possibilities are truly limitless.

[arvindrubberindia]

Rubber roll grinding machine: Importance, benefits, and advantages for manufacturer

Over the years, the manufacturing industry has witnessed sweeping changes. Machines and technology which were once the core of manufacturing are no more in use as these have become redundant. Instead of helping industry, outdated machines and technology increase production costs. Therefore, the use of the latest technology has assumed significance.

Roll grinding machine has also changed dramatically in the last few years riding on innovation and modern technology. Popular Roll grinding machine manufacturers in Ahmedabad are also taking advantages of the modern technology. And why not!      

In this manufacturing industry-centric blog, as it has been indicated through introductory lines, we are going to focus on rubber roll grinding machine, its importance, benefits and advantages, etc.

Before we move forward, it makes sense to learn about the machine which is transforming the rubber roller manufacturing industry across Ahmedabad, India. It help readers to relate better with the content.      

What is a roll grinding machine?    

It is a mechanized machine used in the process of grinding. With an abrasive wheel, the grinding process takes place. Thus abrasive machine acts as the cutting tool. A small chip from the workpiece gets cut by each grain present and embedded in the abrasive wheel’s surface through shear deformation.          

Functions and applications of the grinder may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer although fundamentals remain the same. This machine was developed keeping in view certain tasks and challenges wherein heavy and large workpieces can be loaded for processing.      

Roll length

The rubber roll grinder has the competency to grind rolls of different lengths and dimensions, ranging from a few centimeters to six meters. The finished product has an incredible finish, ready to be used in a wide range of industries.  Best rubber roller grinding machine India offers an excellence-driven machine.      

Construction of a rubber roll grinder

As far as the configuration of a rubber roll grinding machine is concerned, it comprises:      

Crusher

Blower

Pulverizer

Automatic feeding mechanism

Automatic convey mechanism

Automatic grinding

Automatic screening

Automatic collecting mechanism Water cooling mechanism

Driving system

Electrical control system

Automatic dust removal.

Let’s now for a moment, bring our focus on the construction of a grinder. As far as the external construction is concerned, the industrial grinder comprises:

Bed with a fixture to guide and clamp the workpiece in place

Grinding wheel

Main motor for grinding  

Salient features

No skilled operator required

The precision achieved of 30 microns

Easy loading and unloading of rollers

Time-saving by in-house

Saves transportation time

Special attachment for Grinding wheel dressing

Easy to install and use

Dust collector for suction of rubber dust

The accuracy achieved by Servo Drives

User-friendly HMI Display

Application of the rubber roll grinding machine

This is an incredible machine with plenty of applications, including:  

Textile rubber roller Grinding

Chambering (crowning)

Step down processes

Need for grinding of rubber rollers  

Grinding is an exclusive process. It is carried out to finish workpieces that must yield brilliant surface quality. Means? It means the workpiece must demonstrate low surface roughness and high accuracy of dimension and shape.                                  

Let’s join hands

Driven by a visionary approach, Arvind Rub-Web Controls Ltd. made a humble beginning in 1984. From a modest foray, over the years, the excellence-focused company has established itself as an indisputable industry leader with several industries first to its credits.

Our quality-focused, industry-centric product range includes industrial rubber/ebonite/metal rollers, bow rollers (rubber/metal expanders), ink pumps, edge guider, bottom cutting shaft, rubber sleeve, hcp rollers, air expandable shaft, rubber roller grinding machine, and core saver/core restorer among others. If you are searching for one of the roll grinding machine manufacturers, then end your search with Arvind Rub-Web Controls Ltd