The aim with this study was to investigate the effects a change of manufacturing process would have on the mechanical properties of drill bits made of a WC/Co composite used for stone cutting. The method used today is sintering, where the material is heated in a conventional sintering oven. The other method was microwave sintering, where the material is heated by radiation in the microwave region. Also an investigation of the manufacturing cost were made.The main difference between the two heating methods is that the conventional way is a rather slow process and the microwave method is very fast. The material is also heated homogeniously in the method with mirowaves, aposed to the case with the conventional sintering where the material is heated from the outside in.This makes the material harder and more wear resistent.

During the summer of 2005 a number of steer producers in Skåne, Sweden, found that their animals graded less favourable according to the EUROP carcass grading system when slaughtered, than ordinary. The aim with this project was to determine factors that affects the production result in steer production and to find the reason to the lower classification. The project was initiated by Anita Persson, LRF, Skåne and was preformed with supervision from Ingemar Olsson, SLU, and Jens Fjelkner, Skånesemin. Ten producers of dairy steers located in Skåne was chosen for this study. The producers were interviewed to collect information about their steer production with respect to their planning and results.

The quality of bread wheat is a large subject to study. The quality rests on two legs. The first one is the inheritance of specific characters, which can be influenced through plant breeding and type of cultivar. The other one is the environmental influences, such as crop rotation, nutrition, harvest and storage. The latter factors are possibly to affect through cultivation practices, while other factors are not possible to influence on for the grower, such as seasonal changes of weather and the soil content.

This bachelor thesis is intended to gather the knowledge and experimental data on the winter wheat crop production relevant for Swedish conditions, with focus on sowing time, row spacing and seed rate. This essay is a literature study with a minor component based on interviews with farmers producing winter wheat. The work is divided into a background part where basic knowledge of winter wheat physiology, development and environment interactions are described and one part where results of field trials studies are presented. Optimal date of sowing winter wheat depends on annual weather variations. Because it is difficult to forecast the weather the choice of sowing date should be based on weather statistics, production experience and previous results depending on sowing date.

The purpose of this report was to compare two different options for expanding of an existing pig farm. For the time being there are low prices within the agricultural market of pig production, and it is interesting to see if it is worth expanding or not. The two different options this report is based on are: expanding from a herd with 50 sows in breeding gilt production to a herd with 100 sows in breeding gilt production (option 1), or expanding to a herd with 140 sows in breeding gilt production (option 2). The number of pregnant gilts produced per year will stay the same for both alternatives; about 300 pregnant gilts per year. The rest of the breeding gilts will be sold at a weight of 25 kg. The pigs that are not sold as breeding gilts (e.g. castrates, and female pigs that are too small or that have disorders) will be kept on the farm as growing-finishing pigs until 120 kg of live weight, and then sold to the slaughter house. By using the existing buildings, even after the expanding, the investment costs, and thereby costs for housing, were kept as low as possible.

The tribo system ice-curling stone was investigated in order to understand the mechanisms behind the stones' behavior on the ice sheet. The problem with non-identical stones should also be addressed.The stone curls, that is, its sliding path deviates from a straight line to the right for a clock-wise rotation and to the left for a anti-clock-wise rotation. Several mechanisms to explain this behavior have been proposed over the years but none has been successful.By carrying out experiments at the local curling rink and studying silicon castings of ice- and stone-surfaces with scanning electron microscopy and vertical scanning interferometry, it has been decided that the curl is not due to dry friction, ice-debris or the difference in friction on the left and right side of the stone. The side force comes from the fact that the friction is higher at the back of the stone than at the front.The contact between stone and ice is never completely dry, nor in the hydrodynamic lubrication regime. It is probably a combination of hydrodynamic lubrication and a contribution from mechanical scratching of the ice.

Tritordeum is the result of a cross between a wild barley (Hordeum chilense) and durum wheat (Triticum turgidum). Tritordeum have high viscosity and a nice yellow colour. The objective of this thesis was to evaluate Tritordeum lines HT 354, HT 361, HT 437, HT 2218 (JB3) and HT 1608 (JB1) for use as a new raw material within the food industry. Analyses made were on dietary fibre, fructan, ash, water content and colour. Compilation of data from analyses made for Agrasys an Agri-Food company in Barcelona having the commercial rights to Tritordeum, included Lutein and rheological properties.

Background: The valuation of growing crops is problematic partly due to weather conditions. 2011 showed that of all cultivated crops 42% were autumn sown which makes up a significant proportion of the total arable land in Sweden. This presented an opportunity to investigate more closely the methods and options used in the inventory valuation of biological assets. Problem: What options are there in the valuation of own-produced inventory specifically in the form of growing crops? Objective: This study's aim is to create an increased understanding of an agricultural company's options for inventory valuation of biological assets. In the survey of the options this study has found two main categories: rule-and principle-based accounting. Methods: A qualitative study with an abductive approach.

This report deals with the performance of a batch flow treatment of landfillleachate compared with a continuous flow system. The parameters in focus were total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), BOD5 and COD. The pilot-scale experiment used eight barrels with a volume of 150 liters. Each barrel was constructed differently concerning its flow, its bed material grain size and its presence of plants or not. Four of the barrels worked in batch mode, thus four in continuous flow mode.

Konkurrensen inom detaljhandeln blir allt hårdare, både från andra butiker men även från e-handeln, vilket sätter press på fysiska butiker att ha nöjda kunder som fortsätter handla i butiken. Ett tillvägagångssätt för att möta den hårdnande konkurrensen är att ha en butiksmiljö s.k. servicescape som är utformad efter kundernas behov, vilket dock förutsätter att handlarna vet vilka behov sina kunder har. Har handlarna en felaktig uppfattning om kundernas behov föreligger det ett gap som minskar chansen att kunderna blir nöjda och därmed butikens konkurrenskraft. En avgränsning gjordes till klädbutiker, då klädbutiker är bland de butikstyper som är mest konkurrensutsatt.Syftet med uppsatsen var att kartlägga hur kundernas behov överensstämmer eller skiljer sig från handlarnas uppfattning om deras behov.

The study of the French market for softwood has been done in collaboration with VIDA AB. The aim of the study was to investigate important product quality and service quality dimensions, the customers? perception of the offering and generally describe the French market and present actors. The market for softwood around the world changes over time and new markets can mean opportunities for the sawmilling industry. The French market is the second biggest European market for softwood, has had presence of actors with sourcing of raw material from the Nordic countries for decades and there is a growing interest for building with wood. Theory being used is about the different dimensions that make up the total quality of softwood, together with intangible dimensions making up the total offering that helps the sawmilling industry to create positive perceived value for the customers. Methodological approach in the study was a case study research design, aimed at providing knowledge about one specific subject in one context. The general description was mostly carried out by literature studies and data from various statistics sources.

This study investigates how nutrients from source-separated human urine from Gothenburg properties can be used as fertiliser in agriculture or for parks or sports fields. The initiator is the Department of Sustainable Water and Waste Management at the City of Gothenburg. Today urine-diverting systems are installed in two apartment buildings and two public-use buildings. Urine recycling is expected to lead to less exploitation of natural resources and less eutrophicating discharges into water recipients. In the study the urine?s market potential is investigated, for which practical handling issues, business aspects and acceptance of customers, employees and visitors have proved to be important.

Interest in alternative energies is high in Sweden today, particularly in the agricultural sector. According to the Swedish lantbruksbarometern (2009), almost all respondents consider the use of some form of alternative energy from the farm. While interest in alternative energies is large, attention to the alternative energy straw has fallen and is almost nowhere mentioned in the literature today. Three years ago, in the Lantbruksbarometern nearly 44% of the farmers would be willing to invest in straw as heating system on the farm. How do the farmers decide to invest in alternative energies? With this information a problem is presented for this paper.

The work thesis was performed at Assalub a company which is situated in Åtvidaberg. The company works with developing, manufacturing and marketing equipment for handling of lubricants for light and heavier industry. The work thesis it is based on a inquiry Assalub got from MacGregor which is a company within cargo solution, from port to offshore system.For unloading grain and other material from the ship cargo it is used combined inlet feeder and screw conveyor, there the inlet feeder is drilling down through the cargo and feed the screw conveyer with material to further destination. At the bottom of the screw conveyer and the inlet feeder there is a bearing that keep the parts together. However the lubrication of the bearing must be made manually.

Increased trade and eased policy restrictions have brought markets closer together. Prices at different locations are much likely to affect each other to a certain extent. Since the adaption of Common Agricultural Policy in 1995 the Swedish wheat market has been exposed to the world market and Swedish farmers are facing new challenges. A broader knowledge about market integration and price transmission will facilitate Swedish farmers, banks and politicians in making rational decisions. Therefore the aim of this research is to explain how global wheat prices are transmitted on Swedish wheat prices.