Visit Malaysia

To know Malaysia is to love Malaysia

A bubbling, bustling melting pot of races and religions where Malays, Indians, Chinese and many other ethnic groups live together in peace and harmony.

Multiculturalism has not only made Malaysia a gastronomical paradise, it has also made Malaysia home to hundreds of colourful festivals। It's no wonder that we love celebrating and socialising। As a people, Malaysians are very laid back, warm and friendly. Geographically, Malaysia is as diverse as its culture. There are two parts to the country, 11 states in the peninsula of Malaysia and two states on the northern part of Borneo. Cool hideaways are found in the highlands that roll down to warm, sandy beaches and rich, humid mangroves.

One of Malaysia's key attractions is its extreme contrasts. Towering skyscrapers look down upon wooden houses built on stilts, and five-star hotels sit several metres away from ancient reefs.

For the perfect holiday full of surprises, eclectic cultures and natural wonders, the time is now, the place is Malaysia.

For more detail please click here : ABOUT MALAYSIA, TRULY ASIA

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Come 2007, Malaysia will celebrate 50 years of independence. The month of August will be filled with a myriad of parades, cultural performances, street shows and carnivals to commemorate the country's Independence or Merdeka Day on 31st August.

It was on 31st August 1957 when history was made as the Union Jack was lowered and the Malaysian flag hoisted, with the first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj leading the people in the famous shouts of Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! (Independence!) For more than 30 years, Merdeka Day celebrations have been marked by parades involving uniformed personnel, corporate players, school children, cultural dancers, athletes and Malaysians from all walks of life. However, in recent years, the event has grown into a much anticipated and exciting month-long celebration nationwide.

This forthcoming Golden Jubilee celebration marks a significant milestone in the history of the nation. Join the enthusiastic crowd at the Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur on the eve of Merdeka Day for the countdown to this momentous event. Another highlight of the year will be the Citrawarna or Colours and Flavours of Malaysia parade, an annual event showcasing the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the country. This will be the grandest celebration for this event yet.

Malaysia invites all visitors to share in the joy and excitement of this momentous occasion। Come and be mesmerised by a unique multicultural populace celebrating 50 years of nationhood in harmony and peaceful co-existance. You will truly be fascinated.

Density and Porosity Measurements Procedure

Note: This procedure can be used to calculate the density and porosity of alloys and composite materials. For this particular article, I concentrate on metal matrix composite that uses fly ash ceramic particles as reinforcement phase and aluminium alloy A356 as a matrix phase. The density of raw fly ash used in fabricating the composites was determined. First, a measuring cylinder was filled with distilled water to within 0.5 cm of the 100 ml line. It was placed in a bell jar and evacuated to a pressure of between -86 kPa to -96 kPa until the water stopped bubbling. This removes any entrapped voids. The flask was then removed and filled to the 100 ml mark with distilled water. The weight of the water filled flask was then recorded as WT2. 15-30 g of fly ash (WT1) was weighed into a flask. The sample was washed down in the flask with distilled water ensuring that the entire sample is under the water. The flask was filled to within 1-2 cm of the 100 ml line. The setup was then placed under a bell jar and evacuated to a pressure of -86 kPa to -96 kPa until the sample stopped bubbling. It was removed and filled to the 100 ml mark with distilled water. The weight of the flask with sample and distilled water was then recorded as (WT3). The density of the fly ash particles was then calculated from equation below. The same procedure was used in determining the bulk density of SiC particles.

The densities of the composites were determined by means of Archimedes’ principle. Archimedes’ principle states that when a body is immersed in a fluid, there is buoyant force acting upward on the body equal to the weight of the displaced fluid. The weight of the displaced fluid equals its volume when water is used (density of water = 1 g/cm3). The volume of water displaced is equal to the volume of the body immersed. All weights were obtained by means of an Ohaus ScoutTM Pro Balance SP2001 equipped with a spring balance. The as-cast material was suspended in air on the spring by means of a thin thread and its weight determined as W1. It was then completely submerged in a beaker of water and the new weight recorded as W2. Its density was then calculated from equation below.

Theoretical calculations, according to the rule of mixtures, were also used to determine the densities of the composites. This was obtained from rule of mixture equation as shown below [1]. where Vr is the weight ratio of fly ash, Pc the density of the composite, Pr is the density of fly ash and Pm the density of the unreinforced A356 alloy. The porosity of the test materials were also calculated from equation shown below [2]. References; 1. Smith, W.F., Hashemi. J. 2006. Foundations of Materials Science and Engineering.4th Ed. McGraw-Hill. New York 2. Indiana University. http://www.geology.iupui.edu/research/SoilsLab/procedures/bulk/Index.htm. Online on March 20, 2007.

Need further information? Go to http://srizam-expro.blogspot.com/

The Value of Failure Analysis

The value of failure analyses lie in their ability to identify corrective actions based on a determination of the root cause of the failure. These corrective actions, when properly implemented, will minimize future failures of the same type. The failure analysis is, thus, a tool that can be used to reduce maintenance costs, increase system availability, and reduce the potential losses involved in catastrophic failures. Potential savings will vary on a case by case basis. Instances in which savings of RM 1,000,000 or more have been achieved are common. Failure analyses can also be used to identify the party at fault. Financial losses resulting from a failure can often be recovered when deficiencies in design, workmanship or materials can be identified as the root cause of the failure. Copyright from R. A. Page. 2000. Guidelines For Forensic Analysis of Failed Parts. Technical Report (Report No. Tr 00-2).

Expectations from A Failure Analysis

The ability of a failure analysis to meet the three primary objectives described above depends on a number of factors, including the quality and quantity of the available failure evidence and the resources committed to the analysis. The failure analysis report should contain, at a minimum, a description of the failure mechanism, which is backed up by objective evidence obtained from examination of the failed component. More complete analyses will contain a description of the root cause of the failure. Typical causes of failure include inadequate design, defective material, improper assembly and unexpected service conditions. Identification of the root cause of the failure is, perhaps, the most important part of forensic analysis since recommendations to eliminate future failures are based on eliminating the root cause.

Copyright from;

R. A. Page. 2000. Guidelines For Forensic Analysis of Failed Parts. Technical Report (Report No. Tr 00-2).

Objectives of Failure Analysis

There are three primary objectives to a failure analysis. The first objective is to examine the objective evidence presented by the failed components and, from that evidence, determine the failure mechanism. The second objective is to determine the primary cause, or what is commonly called the root cause, of the failure. This is accomplished by examining design and operational issues to determine what specific factor, or factors, was responsible for the failure. The third objective, recommendation of corrective actions that will prevent similar failures, can be accomplished once the root cause of the failure has been identified. Copyright from; R. A. Page. 2000. Guidelines For Forensic Analysis of Failed Parts. Technical Report (Report No. Tr 00-2).

Definition of Failure Analysis

Failure analysis is the evaluation of information pertaining to the failure of a mechanical or structural component. The failure analysis carefully examines the failed component, its design, its fabrication and its operating history for clues that help explain how and why the component failed. Since metals make-up the vast majority of mechanical and structural components, a metallurgist trained in failure analysis generally heads the analysis effort. Additional areas of expertise, such as mechanical, structural and chemical engineering are included on an as needed basis to handle multidisciplinary aspects of the particular analysis.

Copyright from

R. A. Page. 2000. Guidelines For Forensic Analysis of Failed Parts. Technical Report (Report No. Tr 00-2).

Introduction Failure Analysis

Many mechanics and operators routinely dispose of failed parts without attempting to determine the cause of the failure. Of those that do pursue a failure to its root cause, the analysis is typically not initiated until sometime after the failure and the failed parts have not been adequately preserved, making failure diagnosis difficult. Because of these conditions, failure rates, and the costs associated with them, are high. The overall objective of this report is to provide background information on forensic analysis that can be used by gas industry compressor station and pipeline maintenance personnel and reliability engineers to develop guidelines for the forensic analysis of failed parts. The report is intended for those who have limited background in the analysis of failures. Discussion of the complex technical concepts associated with forensic analysis is attempted in relatively simple terms.

Details on what a forensic analysis can determine about the cause of failure are provided in Sections 2 through 6. Specifics on the preservation of direct and supportive evidence are provided in Section 7. The methods involved in a forensic analysis are discussed in Section 8 and information about the sources of failure is provided in Section 9. This information is intended to provide a framework that will enhance the effectiveness of forensic analyses for the gas distribution industry.

Copyright from;

R. A. Page. 2000. Guidelines For Forensic Analysis of Failed Parts. Technical Report (Report No. Tr 00-2).

The dictionary defines METALLURGY as “the science that explains methods of refining and extracting metals from their ores and preparing them”.

Today, the subject of metallurgy digs deeper into the hearts of metals than that. It is more than examining the refinement and extraction of metals from their ores. METALLURGY is the science that explains the properties, behaviour, and internal structure of metals. Metallurgy also teaches us what to do to metals to get the best use out of them.

The study of metallurgy actually explores what makes metals behave the way they do. The exploring is done by METALLURGISTS, who are scientists in metallurgy that probe deeply inside the internal structure of metal to learn what it looks like. They seek to understand why the metal changes its structure as it is heated and cooled under many different conditions.

METALLURGY involves all metals. However, the study of METALLURGY will deal mainly with iron and steel. Steel is made primarily from iron. Other alloys are added to the iron like a cook would mix in salt, pepper, and onion slices in preparing a mouth-watering stew. The are two reasons why this study of metallurgy is primarily concerned with iron and steel;

1. Steel is the most widely used metal in modern industry

2. The internal behaviour of steel can be predicted.

Forecasting the internal actions of steel during heating, quenching, annealing, tempering and other heat-treating processes is an exciting challenge. Not only because of the interesting changes has that steel gone through, but also because you – as a METALLURGIST – can predict what the steel will do when it is heat treated.

Copyright from; Daniel A. Brandt. 1985. Metallurgy Fundamentals. The Goodheart-Willcox Co. Inc. United States of America; 7-8.

About Metallurgical Engineering

Metallurgical Engineering is a broad field that deals with all sorts of metal-related areas. The three main branches of this major are physical metallurgy, extractive metallurgy, and mineral processing. Physical metallurgy deals with problem solving: You’ll develop the sorts of metallic alloys needed for different types of manufacturing and construction. Extractive metallurgy involves extracting metal from ore. Mineral processing involves gathering mineral products from the earth’s crust.

As a Metallurgical Engineering major, you’ll learn the fundamentals of all three fields, as well as the basics of engineering in general. We need metals to make our society function—metals make up important parts of cars, bikes, planes, buildings, even toothpaste tubes. Your knowledge of the production, design, and manufacturing of these metals and mineral products can be rewarding and exciting.

Most Metallurgical Engineering programs will offer the opportunity to participate in a cooperative education program, an arrangement in which students spend a semester or more doing engineering work with a metallurgical company. Many of these co-op jobs can become actual jobs after graduation, and the experience will make you a more valuable prospective employee.