The Role of Total Quality Management in the National Health Service Essay - 1

The Role of Total Quality Management in the National Health Service - Essay Example The researcher of this essay states that in the last couple of decades, there has been an increasing interest in the application of quality management into healthcare organisations around the globe. It appears that the healthcare system, in general, have largely embraced total quality management. One of this organizations, that are aimed to improve themself is the National Health Service (NHS). It is stated that the drive for total quality management began early in the 1980s as a fall out of the Griffiths Report. Since then, and over the following years, ‘quality’ has become a buzz word in the NHS. This essay intends to look at this developing importance of total quality management in the healthcare sector. And using the NHS as a guide, this article reviews the critical elements of total quality management, the different factors that come to play in promoting these elements and how these can be better put to use to improve the overall quality of service delivery in the N HS. The next section of the essay attempts a detailed explanation of the term 'total quality management', to establish a background understanding of the topic at hand. This is followed by a look at the several elements of TQM, the factors driving these elements and how they inter-play to enhance service delivery and improve competitive advantage. In conclusion, the researcher discusses how total quality management has affected the National Health Service recently and what improvements were reached by it's managers.

The Subconscious in Characters in Gordimers Essay Example for Free

The Subconscious in Characters in Gordimers Essay She feels bewitched and cut off from reality. Marlow experiences a similar sense of insecurity as he travels up the Congo, a journey he describes as a timeless voyage back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings (30). He feels lost and insignificant in his surroundings, which irritates his pressure of being European. Marlow refers to himself and his boatload of pilgrims as wanderers who could have fancied ourselves the first men taking possession of an accursed inheritance We could not understand because we were too far and could not remember, because we were traveling in the night of the first ages, of those ages that are gone, leaving hardly a sign and no memories (44). Bam and Maureen also experience this psychological transportation from one reality to another. This would explain their unconsciously developed habit of speaking about life outside of the village in the past tense: Whites in the pass offices and labor bureau who used to have to seal with blacks all the time across the counter-speaking an African language was simply a qualification, so far as they were concerned, thats all. Something you had to have to get the job. What are you lecturing about? -But he hadnt noticed he had spoken of back there in past tense (Gordimer, 44). Nature provides an important influence the development of the subconscious in both novels. Conrad depicts Europe as the conquered earth, whereas Africa is described as monstrous and free. The unfamiliarity and immensity of Africas nature to the Europeans heightens their sense of insecurity. Maureen often stares into the wild expanse of the bush, the borders of her freedom, feeling lost and pathetic, a cat at a mouse-hole, before that immensity (Gordimer, 43). During the night, she feels that even the moon and stars had been stifled and the dense bush that hid everything was itself hidden (Gordimer, 47). Marlow also remarks on how the vastness of nature causes him to feel small and lost: Trees, trees, millions of trees, massive, immense, running up high; and at their foot, hugging the bank against the stream, crept the little begrimed steamboat, like a sluggish beetle crawling on the floor of a lofty portico. It made you feel very small, very lost (Conrad, 104). As Marlow is recounting a spiritual voyage of self-discovery, the Smales, particularly Maureen, also take a journey into the hidden self. For Maureen, the end result of having to live a life on mere necessity uncovers the selfishness and darkness within. Eventually, she becomes less and less of a wife and mother and drifts apart from the family. When the helicopter is heard at the end of the story, Maureen is more vibrant and happy than shes ever been since she arrived in the village, and runs for the helicopter, forgetting her family whom she no longer loves or feels obligated to. Little consideration is taken into the consequences she might bring upon her family or to Julys people. Marlows deep psychological journey into his own darkness leads him to the confrontation of the impulsive savagery in his unconsciousness he had never acknowledged while in the deceptive milieu of a civilized existence. Much of this reflection is based upon Marlows final meeting with the power-hungry egomaniac Kurtz, in which he describes him as lack[ing] restraint in the gratification of his various lusts, that there was something wanting in him (Conrad, 133). The modern odyssey the characters take toward the center of the Self within the primitive wilderness of Africa uncovered much of the characters personality the personality that had been hidden under the influence and pressure of being European. The African experience stirred the unconscious forces within the self, bringing out all the true, repressed dark aspects of the personality. Word Count: 1,490 Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness, New York: Dover, 1990. Gordimer, Nadine. Julys People, London: Penguin Books, 1981. McLynn, Frank. Hearts of Darkness: The European Exploration of Africa. New York: Carol Gey, 1992. Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Joseph Conrad section.

Why Do Females Ask Males The Question They Do? :: essays research papers

Every day males are faced with questions that, in a females perspective, are punishable by death if answered incorrectly. Why do they do this to us and what can males do to evade them? The questions seem basic enough at first glance. When examined further, the questions are without a resolution. They are questions like â€Å"What are you thinking,† â€Å"Do you love me,† â€Å"Do I look fat,† and â€Å"Does she look prettier than me?† We know the acceptable answers to these questions, but when faced with them a blank look comes over our faces and all intelligent thoughts exit our minds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"What are you thinking?† The obvious answer is â€Å"I was just thinking about what a warm, wonderful, thoughtful, caring, and intelligent woman you are, and how fortunate I am to have you.† Of course, that is not what we are thinking at all. If, and I emphasize if, because most of the time were not thinking anything at all, its more along the lines of â€Å"Football, sex, baseball, or how much prettier that woman is than you.† These are the types of answers that can get you a nice little place to sleep on the couch.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Do you love me?† This question always screws us up. If she ask us this she most likely loves us. This makes the answer, and delivery, all that more important. The obvious answer is â€Å"Yes,† spoken with feeling. Eye contact is important. You can even change it up with â€Å"Yes, baby.† Contrary to popular belief males do feel love and when we do, at least from my own experience; we let the girl know it. When we don’t feel it answers like â€Å"I suppose so† come out. Here’s a little tip, never use the word suppose in a sentence when talking about love. Other answers would include â€Å"That depends on what you mean by love,† â€Å"Does it matter,† or â€Å"Who me?† None of these should pass your lips without expecting some sort of retaliation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Do I look fat?† This question is another one of the biggies. A good answer would go along the lines of â€Å"Of course not!† Incorrect answers sound like â€Å"Compared to what,† â€Å"I wouldn’t call you fat, but your not exactly thin,† â€Å"A little extra weight looks good on you,† and a definite Freudian slip â€Å"I’ve seen fatter.† Once again, what we say and what we think does not always match, and honesty is not always the best policy.

The Greatest Of These Is Love Essay -- Gods Love for Mankind

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13) No matter how anointed we are in our preaching, teaching, evangelizing, ministering, etc ... there is no greater evidence of our knowledge of God than how we LOVE one another. Love comes from God and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows Him. (1 John 4:7) The indwelling of God's love in us perfects our human character. Without it, we have no foundation on which to build our Christian lives. Love is not just an attribute of God's character ... It IS God! (1 John 4:16) It is the very essence of God's being. In John 13:34-35, we are commanded to love one another. This command is not referring to a physical affection or emotion, but a purposeful, voluntary SPIRITUAL affection; an unselfish concern for the well-being of others whether or not we feel they are deserving of our love. Even our enemies are to receive our love despite their attitude, or behavior toward us. (Luke 6:27-28) For despite our unworthiness, God loved us and made the greatest sacrifice to prove it. God's Love for Mankind "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) God loves us so intensely that He purposed His Son to be unmercifully tortured, beaten, scorned, scrutinized and murdered ... all in the name of Love. He has bestowed His perfect love upon us, seeking those who are deemed the most wretched and alienated from Him that they may be saved. His is a redeeming love manifested in mercy and grace, for He cares for and help us when we are in need, and He accepts us and loves us even though we don't deserve it. "But be... ...adulthood, our spouses can turn away from us in anger or frustration, our friends and relatives turn away for a multitude of reasons. But we can rejoice in the fact that there is ONE relationship where we will always find love ... our relationship with God. There is nothing that can separate us from God's love -- His love endureth forever! (Psalms 118) Thanking God: Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your mercy, grace and above all ... Your love. Without it we have no hope ... we have no future ... we have no life! We thank You for Your ability to look beyond our faults, and see our needs. We rejoice in Your mercy, for it has "made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions"; Your grace, for "it is by grace that we have been saved"; and Your love, for in love You "sent Your one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him."

Mrf Tyre Suggestions

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 0. 1 0. 1. 1 GENERAL Nylon Tyre Cord: Nylon tyre cord is made from high tenacity continuous filament yarn by twisting and plying. There are two major types of nylons used as tyre cord, i. e. nylon-6 and nylon-6,6. The properties of nylon-6 and nylon-6,6 vary marginally and are controlled by the manufacturing process, type of stabilisers and additives used. In India only nylon-6 is produced commercially for tyre cord. Thetypesofnylon-6tyrecordusedinIndiaare840/2,1260/2,1260/3, 1680/ 2 and 1890 / 2 where number indicates denier of ply / no. of plies in the cord.The denier per filament is 6. 0. 1. 2 Tyre Cord: The other materials used as tyre cord are cotton, rayon, polyester, fibre glass, steel,aromatic polyamides. Each of these materials has its own merits and demerits. The major criteria for acceptance of any material in tyre are its tensile strength, dimensional stability, durability, thermal stability, hysteresis and adhesion. Tests and actual application conditio ns have shown that although other cord materials meet one or more specific requirements, nylon by and large meets the desirable requirements for almost all the performance criteria. . 1. 3 Tyres: The tyre cord fabric provides the tyre its fundamental properties such as shape, size, load carrying capacity, abrasion resistance, fatigue resistance, etc. A tyre is a composite of cord and rubber. There are three varieties of tyres viz. bias-angle tyres, radial tyres and bias-belted tyres. They differ in the way the tyre fabric plies are laid inside the tyre. 0. 1. 4 Manufacturing Process: The manufacturing process for nylon-6 tyre cord can be broadly divided into following production steps: (a) Polymerisation of caprolactam to manufacture nylon chips. (b) Extraction and drying of chips. (c) Melt spinning of chips to manufacture nylon tyre yarn. (d) Preparation ofcordfrom tyre yarn by twisting and plying. (e) Recycling of nylon-6 waste. 0. 1. 5 Polymerisation: Nylon is made by polymerisat ion of caprolactam with certain additives like amino acids and dicarboxylic acid salts and certain heat stabiliser such as copper based organic compounds. The polymerisation process involves ring opening polycondensation and polyaddition reactions. All the three polymerisation reaction steps are equilibrium reactions.A typical process of polymerisation of nylon can be either a batch or a continuous process. The continuous process, developed after the batch process was commercialised, offers simplicity of design, ease of operation and control and high capacity. An optimal polymerisation process would involve two stages, wherein, the first stage involves pressure at high initial water concentration. In the second stage a rapid transition from high water content to a low water content is achieved by release of pressure and subsequent application of vacuum. Industrial grade nylon-6 with relative viscosity 3. 2 to 3. has higher degree of polymerisation compared to textile grade nylon-6 w ith relative viscosity 2. 2 to 2. 6. 0. 1. 6 Extrusion and Drying of Chips: The nylon chips are washed to remove water soluble impurities and then dried. The process maybe batch or continuous. 0. 1. 7 Melt Spinning: The polymer chips are melt in extruder. The molten polymer is then spun through a spinnerette. The molten filaments are quenched or cooled by a laminar flow of air. The spin finish is applied on filament and then wound on spin bobbins and drawn to make tyre yarns. In the conventional process, the spinning and drawing was done in two steps.In the spin-draw process, a step is reduced compared to 2-step conventional process. As a consequence, some sources of process disturbances are eliminated which results in improved yarn uniformity. 0. 1. 8 Preparation of Cord: Nylon tyre yarns are then twisted in S or Z direction and plied having 2 or 3 plies to form a tyre cord. 0. 1. 9 Recovery of Nylon-6 Waste: Depending on the quality of waste, any of the following method may be use d for recycling of nylon waste. Direct use of fibre waste RegrannulationPolymer Powderi) without melting ii) with melting. i) deploymerisationandfilteration i) precipitation from solutions Recovery of caprolactam by deploymerisation. Recovery of amino caproic acid. The first three processes require relatively purer and undegraded form of waste. Amongst the last two, caprolactam recovery is mostly adopted by Indian industry due to ease of purification of recovered caprolactam. 0. 1. 10 Raw Materials, (Catalysts, Additives, Spin Finish Etc. ): For nylon-6, the only major raw material required is caprolactam. Water is required as an initiator for ring opening during polymerisation. Nitrogen gas is required for blanketing, drying and conveying of polymer. 0. 1. 1 Additives/Catalysts: Aminoacids and diamine dicarboxylic add salts which provide water on condensation have been found to be useful for enhancing the rate of polymerisation. 0. 1. 12 Stabilisers: Nylon is susceptible to degrada tion by Lght, heat, oxygen etc. To make it suitable for the purpose of tyre cord, stabilisers are added. The light stabilisers used are manganous chloride + hypophosphorous add and imidazoles. Diphenylamine and acetone condensates give excellent resistance to heat. Copper complexes as halides, acetate, phosphates, salts of higher fatty adds like stearates, palmitates, laurates, etc. re quite effective as heat and light stabilisers. Spin Finish: The functions of spin finishes are to reduce friction to get proper filament cohesion and to provide static protection. Lubricants used to reduce friction are usually mineral oils, fatty glycerides. The antistats used to provide static protection are surface active organic compounds. In case of nylon tyre cord, where molten polymer is drawn in yarn stages and fabric is dipped at a very high temperatures (upto 210Â ° C), preference has been towards the use of non-fuming type spin finishes. 0. . 14 Major Capital Equipments: The major capital e quipments for each section of the plant viz polymerisation, spinning, cord making and caprolactam recovery are listed in para 1. 7. 0. 1. 15 Development of Technology: The developments in technology canbe grouped into the following: Product development. Development in the polymerisation process. Development in extraction and drying. Development in melt spinning process. A. Product Development: Till 1937, cotton used to be the only tyre cord material throughout the world. Thereafter rayon became popular.Subsequently with the advent of synthetic fibres, the use of nylon increased, which continues to be used in both the developed and developing countries, Other materials used are polyester introduced in 1962, fibre glassin 1967 and steelin 1970. NTC was earlier spun as 210 d-yarn and then plied to give 840 d tyre cord. With the development of technology, now, directly 840 d yarn can be spun and then plied to get denier ranges of 1260, 1680 and 1890 tyre cord. The denier per filament ha s however remained^ fe though some attempts have been made to use 8 deniers filaments also. It has been possible to increase tenacity from 8 gpd to9. gpd. B. Developments in Polymerisation Process: In early process, a relatively crude batch autoclave reactor was used for polymerisation. The V K tube reactors for continuous polymerisation, were introduced during early 50s. Initially, V K tube reactor had capacities of 1. 5 TPD which has now been increased upto 40 TPD. Over a period of time, number of stages of polymerisation has also increased from one to seven. Continuous developments have also taken place for modifying the design of reactors to achieve plug flow condition and uniform flow and temperature gradient, improve residence time, conversion rate and quality of products.The details of some such developments are discussed in para 1. 8. C. Developments in Extraction and Drying: In this area also, batch type extraction and drying process have been replaced by continuous process es. Chips are now stored in S. S. tanks and conveyed pneumatically to spinning section. D. Developments in Spinning Process Melting of chips was done by oil heated grids in the pre-world war era, then by electrically heated grids. In the late fifties a short barrel screw extruder was introduced which is now replaced by longbarrel extruder.Another development is increase in the spinning capacity by increased number of spinning positions and also increased number of ends per spinning position. Other improvements are in yarn solidification and quenching process, spin finish application methods etc. During late seventies, the spin-drawn process was introduced to get higher productivity and better product. During the same period, high speed spinning with take up speed of 3,000 to 4,000 mtrs/min (as compared to upto 1500 mtrs/ min in case of conventional process) was developed. 0. 2 . 2. 1 STRUCTURE OF INDUSTRY AND STATE OF THE ART: Structure of Industry: Licensed and Installed Capacity T he total licensed and installed capacity of NTC in India at present is around 29,500 TPA and 22,500 TPA respectively, as per the details given in para 2. 1. 10. LOI / IL have been issued which cover capacity of 54,200 TPA. Production: The production of NTC in India started in 1971 with 595 tonnes and increased to around 23,600 tonnes in 1985. NTC has replaced rayon tyre yarn as tyre cord yarn and market share of NTC at present is 75%.Capacity Utilisation: The licensed and installed capacity is based on certain denier while production is of different deniers and the product-mix of all manufacturers varies depending on market requirements. However, the overall average capacity utilisation ofNTCinIndiahasbeenaorundl05%duringthelastfiveyears. Distribution of Units: Active NTC manufacturers are public limited companies spread almost all over India with average capacity of 4000 TP A. Performance of Industry: The production, sales, net fixed assets, net worth of all the NTC manufacturers s how an upward trend.There is a general growth rate of 20% per annum on sales turnover during last five years. Import/Export: Import of NTC increased from 1677 tonnes in 1980-81 to 5295 tonnes in 198384 The price of NTC at international level is just half of the price in India. This is mainly due to high cost of raw materials, higher conversion costs due to old technologies and small size of Indian plants as compared to the plants in developed countries. Due to this, export of tyre yarn from India is negligible. Sources of Technology and their Broad Performance: Unitika, Japan has supplied technology and plant to three out of five Indian manufacturers of NTC.The other two manufacturers started with imported plants. The details of these collaborations are given in para 2. 15. 2. Performance of all the collaborations is satisfactory. Though, indigenous technology comprising of batch polymerisation and conventional spinning process have been developed, none of the NTC plants in India ha s yet started with such indigenous technology. The latest technologies comprising of multi-stage continuous polymerisation, continuous extraction and drying of chips, spin draw technology or high speed spinning process are not yet available indigenously.The recent trend in India to look to the ‘east' for technology may be due to the availability of technology comparable to those available from the west at a lower know how fees and lower plant costs. 2. 2 Technological Status of Indian Industry (Unit wise): The comparison of installed capacities, actual production and capacity utilisation and financial analysis in terms of net sales, net fixed assets, net profit and net worth over the period of last five years and present specific raw materials and utilities consumptions, wastage generation and recovery etc. for the following selected units is given in para 2. . J. K. Synthetics Ltd. National Rayon Corpn. Ltd. Shri Ram Fibres Ltd. Nirlon Synthetics Fibres & Chemicals Ltd. Barod a Rayon Corporation Ltd. Details of the historical background, sources of technology, research and development efforts, results achieved, etc. for each of the above units are summarised hereunder. a) J. K. Synthetics Ltd: J. K. Synthetics Limited, pioneer in the manufacture of NTC, have absorbed to a great extent the conventional technology over the last 2 decades. The company has its own research insitute—The Sir Padampat Research Centre (SPRC) and has recently floated a company—Jaykay Tech. hich can supply the conventional technology. As far as horizontal transfer is concerned, conventional technology developed and absorbed by J. K. has little commercial relevance. J. K. ‘s licenced and installed capacities are 6000 to 5000 TPA respectively. The company has recently entered into technical collaboration with M/s Tong Yang of south Korea for their latest Spin-Draw technology. The new unitwithacapacityofl2. 5TPDiscomingup. b) The National Rayon Corporation Ltd. (N ational Rayon): National Rayon commenced production of rayon tyre cord in 1961 and nylon tyre cord in 1976.The company has a technical collaboration for the latter with Unitika, who have supplied the technology and plant. The company had installed indigenously developed equipment for conversion of polymer waste to granules of spinnable grade. They have successfully indigenised manufacturing of all additives through in-house research as well as developing other suppliers. National Rayon's licensed and installed capacities are 5,000 and 5,250 TPA respectively. The company's performance during 1983 and 1984 had been adverse due to closure of plant because of labour problems.The production during 1985 to 1988 is more than the licensed capacity. As a part of modernisation and expansion programme they have installed spin-draw machines. The spin-draw yarn produced and made into fabric has alreadybeenapprovedbythecustomers. National Rayon have a fullfledged R centre approved by the Governme nt of India and is engaged in import substitution, technology absorption, machinery development and trouble shooting. National Rayon have developed process technology for polypropylene industrial yarn of high tenacity and has been regularly supplying polypropylene yarn for market development.It has also developed rayon industrial yarn, an industrial fabric for non tyre applications. National Rayon have recently installed, for the first time in India, air jet looms for making tyre fabrics of high quality. c) Shri Ram Fibres Limited (SRF): SRF' s plant for manufacture of nylon tyre cord and yarn was commissioned in 1974 in technical collaboration with Unitika. Company's present capacity is 6,335 TPA. SRF has a full-fledged Research and Development Laboratory and is constantly updating process methods and technology for product development.SRF have an independent research institute too. A very recent process developed and patented is that for polymerisation of nylon-6,6. d) Nirlon Synt hetic Fibres & Chemicals Ltd. (Nirlon) Nirlon commenced production of nylon filament yarn and tyre cord in 1962. The company had recently gone into technical collaboration with Zimmer for an expansion of their nylon tyre cord plant. Their present capacity is 5,000 TPA. Zimmer's design is based on multi polycondensation process and single stage spin draw process. Nirlon has a well established research and development base.The company had absorbed the conventional technology for manufacture of nylon tyre cord and is concentrating in developing and acquiring more modern manufacturing process. e) The Baroda Rayon Corporation Ltd. (Baroda Rayon) Baroda Rayon commenced production of rayon in 1962. Subsequently, the company commenced production of nylon tyre cord in 1981 in technical 8 collaboration with Unitika. Their present installed capacity is 2,000 TPA. Expansion of their plant to 4,000 TPA is under implementation and is expected to be commissionedby end 1987. f) The following new un its likely to come up in the near future.The present status / each of these projects is given in detail in para 2. 1. GarwareNylons Limited: Presently the company manufactures nylon and polyester filament yarn and is expanding its activities to manufacture nylon tyre cord, nylon tyre and industrial fabric in collaboration with Allied Corporation, U. S. A. , the largest producer of tyre cord in the world. Century Enka Limited: The company's major activity is manufacture of nylon and other man made fibres and plastics. Century Enka has a collaboration with their principals Enka International of Holland for the technology for manufacture of nylon 6 tyre cord.The production has commenced recently. Ballarpur Industries Ltd. andE. I. Du Pont Nemours & Co. of U. S. A. : They have jointly proposed to promote a Rs. 130 crores joint venture company to produce nylon-6,6 tyre cord for the first time in the country in collaboration with economic development corporation of Goa. An annual producti on of 16,700 tonnes of nylon-6,6 tyre yarn is envisaged. Kanoria Alkalies & Plastics Ltd: They have entered into collaboration for technical know-how, plant and machinery for manufacture of nylon tyre cord with Unitika which has been approved by Government of India. 0. 2. Status of Raw Material Industry: At present only Gujarat State Fertiliser Corpn. Ltd. , Baroda manufacture caprolactam with the capacity of 20,000 TPA in India. Three LOI have been issued by the government with a total capacity of 2,20,000 TPA. The demand projections for caprolactam made by the Committee for Perspective Planning of Petrochemical Industry by 2000 AD are 1,16,000,1,96,000 and 3,02,000 TPA for year 1989-90,1994-95 and 1999-2000 respectively. Hence, till the units who have LOI go into production, imports of caprolactam is unavoidable. The quality of indigenous caprolactam in terms of its permanganate no. nd also in terms of consistancy between various batches of manufacture is not comparable to that of imported caprolactam. 0. 2. 4 Status of Tyre Industry International: There are three types of tyre construction viz. , bias, bias-belted and radial. Radial and bias belted construction are more efficient than simple bias construction. In the world tyre market, radial tyres dominate. They were first inroduced in passenger cars then in commercial vehicles, buses and truck respectively. In U. S. A. market, no rapid change over from bias to radial tyres took place because of the tremendous capital investment required.Instead, belted bias tyres which could be manufactured on existing equipments were developed. The current trends in tyre design and manufacturing include: Use of fewer fabric plies in tyres by utilising larger and stronger cords. Use of special treatments in yarn manufacturing of the cord processing to reduce the creep of cords in tyre. Use of newer fibres such as polyester and modified nylons etc. 0. 2. 5 Status of Tyre Industry -Indian: The installed capacity of Indian t yre industry is 12 million nos. per annum, the estimated demands of tyres by 1989-90 and 1994-95 are around 21 and 31 million nos. espectively, as per estimates of Automobile Tyre Manufacturers' Assocation (ATM A). Preference so far has been towards bias angle, because of the practice of overloading; practically no care of tyres by owners / drivers and poor road conditions. However, some radial passenger car tyres have also been introduced in the market. Due to the higher melting point of nylon-6,6 and polyester as compared to that of nylon-6, the tyre curing temperature can be increased to 250Â ° C from 210Â ° C (for nylon-6). This would make curing of tyres faster and hence reduce curing cycle.This would result in higher output and also higher productivity. In practice, howevr, fast curing is not realisable in case of heavy duty tyres as the thicklayer of tread rubber will get distortedby fast curing. To take advantage of this higher productivity, the tyre manufacturers will hav e to install higher capacity curing furnaces, which will require substantial investment. Hence, before tyre manufacturers decide to install such furnaces, they would like to confirm regular availability of nylon-6,6 tyre cords at reasonable prices preferably from more than one supplier. 10The switch over from nylon-6 to nylon-6,6 would also result in more down time in tyre manufacturing. Similarly switch over from nylon to polyester requires change in dip condition, double dip processing and more downtime. Hence, whatever nylon they use, they will use it for 100 % of their requirements. 0. 2. 6 Tyre Cord and its Suitability for Various Types of Tyres: Different types of tyres require tyre cords with different properties, indicated in para 2. 12. Radial tyre or belted tyre designs take adavantage of these different requirements by placing different types of cords in the belt and in the carcass.As per the test carried out by one of the Indian radial tyre manufacturers, nylon-rayon was found to be the best combination for Indian conditions. 0. 2. 7 Status of Tyre Cord Industry -International: Major varieties of cords suitable for tyres are cotton, rayon, nylon, polyester, steel, glass fibres and aromatic polyamides. Although flat spotting shown by nylon was originally objected to strongly, nylon has continued to be the preferred tyre cord material because of its price and its superior thermal and fatigue resistance.Nylon-6 is used in Europe and other developing countries while nylon-6,6 is more prominent in U. S. A. mainly due to the manufacturing facilities established and availability of basic raw material. During the last ten to twelve years development have been largely of evolutionary nature aiming to overcome limitations of existing tyre fibres and to make them acceptable for wideruse. 0. 2. 8 Status of Tyre Cord Industry in India: Tenacity of NTC available to Indian tyre manufacturers locally varies from 8. 4 to 9. 4 with average value of 9. 2 gpd.The pres ent demand of NTC in India is around 25,000 TPA which is likely to grow to 40,000,50,000 and 61,000 TPA by 1990,1995 and 2000 AD respectively. At least for next 10-15 years, even in case of radial tyres, nylon would continue to remain as one of the components either in carcass or as belt material. With the existing manufacturing facilities, the type of vehicles in use and existing road conditions, nylon-6 will remain the material of choice except for a small quantity of radial tyres for passenger vehicles where polyester may prove to be superior.At present very little nylon-6,6 is used in India, both for textiles and industrial applications. Besides nylon-6,6 is not produced indigenously. Nylon-6,6 is costlier than nylon-6 worldwide and is likely to be more so in India. Nylon-6,6 is unlikely to be used by tyre companies for their bus and truck tyres 11 (weightage 80%) in near future, mainly due to generation of high shoulder temperature. In view of the above, establishment of fresh production capacities for nylon-6,6 industrial yarn in India may not have much scope considring interest of industry as well as the end-users. . 2. 9 State ofthe Art Scene (International) Twenty five leading manufacturers of NTC in the world are listed in para 2. 15. 1. SalientFeatures of Contemporary Technologies: The technology for manufacture of NTC is standardised as far as polymerisation process is concerned. Product characteristics of different technologies may vary marginally depending upon the type of additives and stabilisers used, design of equipment and control method of production parameters. However, design of spinning plants differs from supplier to supplier.Salient features of contemporary technologies of the following technology suppliers who have supplied/offered technologies to India are discussed in detail in para 2. 15. 2. Zimmer A . G. , West Germany. Lurgi GMBH, West Germany. Unitika Ltd. , Japan. E. I. DuPontDeNemours&Co. ,U. S. A. SniaBPD, Italy. Some importa nt features of these technology suppliers are described in subsequent paragraphs: Zimmer A. G. : Zimmer offers production of nylon-6 in continuous polymerisation operation. The specific Zimmer design allows lower water/chip ratio resulting in a high extract content in washing water, thus saving energy to caprolactam recovery plant.The company offers economic standard design for production capacities of 10 to 50 TPD for high viscosity polymer (tyre cord grade). For caprolactam recovery, Zimmer prefers batch operation for higher flexibility regarding quality and capacity. The plant is specifically designed for low caprolactam concentration in waste water, so that it can be either reused in polymerisation plant, or discharged as innocuous waste. 12 For spinning and drawing, Zimmer offers both, the two step separate process and the one step spin draw process. The former process favours production of: i) lower deniers economically i) low shrinkage yarns iii) large variety of yarn types. The one step spin draw process favours continuous production of heavier denier yarns in large capacities. It results in improvedyarn uniformity. .Lurgi GmbH: Lurgi offers both continuous polycondensation and batch polycondensation route for nylon-6 for use in tyre cord and other technical/ industrial yarn. Lurgi also offers caprolactam recovery unit deploymerisation and condensation plant and equipment for evaporation of the extracted water, treatment of concentrated caprolactam water and distillation.The company offers technology for conventional speed spinning as well as high speed spin draw process. Untika Ltd. , Japan: Unitika offers continuous polymerisation process having a pre-polymeriser coupled with continuous extraction, washing and drying of chips. It also offers caprolactam recovery process. In its polymerisation process, Unitika claims 50% saving in polymerisation time. Viscosity of melt can be adjusted as per requirement during pre-polymerisation. The spinning process offered is both conventional spinning and drawing as well as spin draw process. E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Co. U. S. A. : Du Pont's industrial yarn process is based on nylon-6,6 salt i. e. hexamethylene diammonium adipate. The company has practised the continuous polymerisation technology and has developed conditions which maximise conversion, maintain precise viscosity control and ensure extended service life. Nylon-6,6 is produced continuously in a series of five vessels – evaporator, reactor, flasher, separator and finisher. Streamlined design of polymer vessels and distribution system minimises gel formation, recapture of heat and diamine and hence reduces cost of operating system. 3 Preferred Du Pont technology is based on coupling the spinning machine directly to the continuous polymeriser. It also utilises coupled spindraw. The advantages are elimination of chip making, handling, drying and remelting as also provision of maximum polymer uniformity. Du Pont offers exten sively developd quality control and laboratory testing procedures and a single, specially formulated fibre finish for all products. SNIABPD: SNIA is an Italian company giving process knowhow, plants and equipments for manufacture of nylon filament yarn and tyre cord.The company has the spin draw technology. 0. 2. 10 Latest Developments in Manufacturig Process/Design of Equipment: Product Development: Recent developments have been in the areas of improved dimensional stability of the cord, higher tenacity of tyre cords and improved heat stabiliser formulations to reduce the mechanical loss due to heat generation in tyres. Improvements in Polymerisation Process: Recent developments in this area include attainment of higher molecular weight by vacuum finishing, solid phase poymerisation to get final polymer free of extractables etc. addition of chain – coupling agents. Other significantadvances includes: For removal of unconverted monomer For lower level of water extractables in nylon polymer For improved flow and temperature distribution For transferring heat to the centre of the reactor and also to equalise flow rates Improvements in Spinning Process: The developments are directed to achieve higher spinning output upto 97% and to spin NTC of high molecular weight and melt viscosity to have high tenacity tyre cord upto 10 gpd. 0. 2. 1 Critical Evaluation of Contemporary Technology: During initial stage the technology of the synthetic fibre remained with only a 14 Falling film / spray reactors, reactorsworkingundervacuum. Organic polymer coating, internally, ofVK tube reactors. Incorporation of a tubular heat exchangerinthereactor. Provision of perforated plates and vertical aluminium partitions. few giants in the category of front line producers. Because of their conservative attitudes, no rapid technology changes were forth coming.However, the role played by the independent engineering companies which took the risks has been a great boon in the developme nt of technology. Technology suppliers can be broadly classified as front line suppliers having production back up like Unitika, Du Pont etc. and engineering companies like Zimmer, Lurgi, etc. Technology from front line producers is superior technology, requiring less time and wastage generation during production stabilisation at plant commissioning stage. However, know-how fees of these suppliers is higher compared to that of engineering companies.Engineering companies have vast experience in plant erection, basic and detailed engineering. Know-how fees of these companies are comparatively lower. The present trend is to look to the East for technology compatible with that of western countries as it is more economical, although of late, they too are becoming expensive. A project profile based on the typical offer of contemporary technology for a 6,000 TPA NTC project is placed at Annexure I. Instead of putting up many small size plants, it would be advisable to put up a few large si ze plants for economy of scale.The improvement in quality of polymer is a developmental activity which is continuous at international level. Indian companies should also endeavour to improve quality by adopting new engineering and equipment development either through their own R department or through their technical collaborations. New and better type of additives and catalysts development at international level should be incorporated by the Indian companies. Spinning plants having higher spinning efficiency and compactness, are always advisable for a country like India,to reduce the cost of production.One step process of very high spinning speed to make full drawn yarn may not be relevant in India, as at present most of the weaving and cord preparatory processes are of conventional type. So the ideal thing would be to change over to readily available higher throughput equipment. 0. 3 0. 3. 1. TECHNOLOGY ABSORPTION AND GAPS: R Efforts in National Laboratories/Institutions and Their Tie Up With Industry: Institutions like IIT, S ASMIRA, MANTRA etc. , private research institutions like 15 Sir Padampat research Centre, Shri Ram Institute of Industrial Reserach etc. nd in-house R centres of manufacturing industry are engaged in minor research projects for optimisation of production parameters or improvement of product characteristics. Developing countries like India although gradually laying more emphasis on its research and development, have not been able to catch up with their developed or advanced counterparts i. e. there is a considerable time lag between adoption of any particular process in some advanced part of the world and its commissioning in India. The efforts made to bridge this gap in the following areas are as folio ws: Indigensation of capital equipments, spares etc.Indigenisation of raw materials. Modifications and improvements in process, plant and equipments. The major constraint faced by manufacturers of indigenous equipments and spares are: non -availability of design and detailed engineering drawings. patented designs of proprietary equipments by technology suppliers, sources of capital equipments recommended by technology suppliers, limited indigenous demand of such equipments. 0. 3. 2 Indian Standards Specification: As a part of standardisation, the Bureau of Indian Standards has developed IS Specifications for methods of tests for tyre yarns as per the following details.IS:4910 Parti Part II Partlll Part IV Part V PartVI Tyre yarns, cords and tyre cord fabrics made from man made fibres, methods of tests for. Linear density. Breaking load, elongation at break and tenacity. Dippickup Heat shrinkage and heat shrinkage force. Wet contraction and wet contractive force. Definitionofterms. 16 Part VII Part VIII Part IX PartX Part XI Heat degradation. Thickness (gauge) Sampling Growth Commercial weight. The specifications of polyamide tyre cord warp-sheet for automotive tyres published by the bureau is, IS 11926:1987. The spec ifications are given in Table 4. . 3. 3 Profitability of Indian Industry and its Relationships with Technology: At present the profit margins of NTC manufacturers are fairly satisfactory, even with the present conventional technologies and small capacity plants. Interaction with user industry by NTC manufacturers is also quite good. However, the constraints in respect of technology absorption faced by Indian NTC industry are: low capacities of plant. imported capital equipments, parts and spares, non-availability of trained technological manpower, poor labour – management relations. . 3. 4 Export Performance Due to high cost of raw materials and also higher conversion costs due to small capacity plants based on older technologies, the Indian NTC industry has not been able to contribute in the export market. 0. 3. 5 Comparison of Product Specification Between Units: In India, the product range and specifications of all the manuacturing units is almost identical. 0. 3. 6 Modern isation Need: As mentioned earlier, cost of production of Indian NTC industry is higher due to small capacity plants based on older technologies.There is an urgent need to modernise these plants to adopt most advanced technologies and a much higher level of operations. 17 However, for such modernisation substantial funds willlbe required. Financial Institutions are giving soft loans under technology development funds and industries have started taking advantage of this scheme. 0. 3. 7 Technology Gap: Technology gaps in following areas have been identified and discussed in para 3. 9 Product developments Plant capacity Polymerisation process Melt spining process Indigenous manufacture of plant and equipments Indigenous availability of raw materials, additives and spin finishes etc.Internationally, cords with yams having 8 deniers per filament and upto 3,000 deniers of cords and 11 gpd tenacity are available, while in India cords with yarns having only 6 deniers per filament and 9. 2 g pd tenacity are manufactured. The average plant capacity of NTC in India, till 1983, was 2,000 TP A against the defined economic size of plant of 6,000 TP A. Polymerisation: Since the modern continuous polymerisation, extraction, washing and drying systems are suited to large capacity, till recently only conventional batch processes were used.Further, continuous polymerisation lines eliminating chip formation (especially in nylon-6,6) and remelting are not in use at preesent, in India. Melt spinning: More efficient large capacity spinning equipments are being used in the world. These have sophisticated yarn sensing and monitoring systems and hence the quality of yarn is much better with higher throughput. Such latest spinning processes are not available in the country and such technology is now being imported. 18 Reasons for technological gaps are: seller's market situation large number of small capacity plants. otalabsence of exportmarket. good financial performance of Indian Indus try even with the available technologies. general / absence of R&D efforts and know-why exercises, limited developments in the Indian automobile industry, lackof product upgradation at tyre manufacturer's end. To bridge the technological gaps, import of latest spinning equipments and process know-how for spin draw and high speed spinning process, designs and drawings for modernisation of existing polymerisation processes are required. 0. 4. 0 SUGGESTED: STEPS TO BRIDGE TECHNOGICAL GAPThe following suggestions are made to bridge the technological gap: a) Latest technology comprising of continuous polymerisation in two stage V K Tube reactors, continuous extraction and drying of chips, spin draw technology or high speed spinning processes for fully oriented yarn may be imported and horizontally transferred in India. Although some pilot units have been installed by spinners, the industry seems to be waiting for customers' acceptance. b) Develop indigenous manufacture of selected equipm ents, wherever it is economically viable and import only latest plant and equipments on selective basis. ) Develop basic and detailed engineering expertise in Indian engineering companies to necessitate import of only design and drawings for new plants rather than package import. An engineering organisation having expertise in basic and detailed engineering should be encouraged for development and transfer of technology for NTC and related products. d) Widen R&D efforts both at industry and research institutions level with active association and close cooperation between them. e) Provide necessary incentives to indigenous development of manufacture of plant and equipment. 9 f) Permit only large sized plants. g) Provide incentives for intensified research activities at industry level with close monitoring of such incentives. Establish a central tyre research institute with facilities to test developments in new designs of tyres, new tyre cord materials and modifications in tyre cord materials. Develop skills in technical personal, by arranging training abroad or by arranging traimng programmes by institutions like IIT, S ASMIR A, etc. and constant interaction with foreign experts. 20

Coming of Age in Mississippi (The Story of Anne Moody)

Coming of Age in Mississippi (The Story of Anne Moody) Free Online Research Papers Coming of Age in Mississippi was an excellent autobiography about the unforgettable personnel story of a remarkable young woman named Anne Moody. In this story, Anne details the sights, smells and suffering growing up in a racist society and the daily risks she encountered to challenge it. This was an extremely accurate portrait of black family life in the rural south and inspirational account of a young girl becoming a woman right in front of the reader’s eyes. This book explains how it was to grow up black in Mississippi in the forties and fifties and to have survived with pride and courage intact. Throughout the book Anne discusses the challenges that African Americans in the south had to deal with on a daily basis. The challenges which faced the black community affected them in terms of economic prosperity, affordable housing and the lack of nutrition. Economically it was hard for African Americans in Centerville and all of Mississippi for that matter to get ahead and live comfortable lives. Anne throughout the book had numerous jobs as a domestic house cleaner, a waitress, an assembly worker at a chicken factory, a field hand, a civil rights activist and a few more to add as well. Her employment status was like a revolving door changing multiple times throughout the book. Anne was not the only African American affected by this pattern; she followed in her mother’s footsteps when it came to multiple jobs. Her mothers 2nd husband Raymond was employed through the government, since he was enlisted in one of the branches of the military throughout the book. Some of the more successful Negros in the book owned their own cafes and were supported by the black community. Just as employment was ever so changing for Anne so was the housing situation. As you read the book it seems as if Anne and her family are outlaws running away from authorities with the given amount of places they lived. Anne lived with a countless number of relatives, Anne stayed in multiple houses, but none of them felt like home for her. Anne and her family stayed with wealthy white folk as well, this transpired because Anne and her mother were usually doing domestic work for the given home owner. The nicest house form a physical standpoint Anne stayed in was the one Raymond built but that house was not a home due to the fact that Raymond was a sick and frustrated individual. The smallest thing can make a house a home like a nice meal with great conversation with family and the warmth you receive form that experience. Throughout the book Anne describes the lack of malnutrition she encountered throughout her struggle to become influential. Usually Anne’s daily meal consisted of beans and bread, the only time she encountered meat was when the wealthy white people she was working for offered her leftovers. The topic of food later in the book was a stepping stone to what was to be of Anne Moody when she boycotted the food in the college cafeteria because the grits supposedly had maggots in them. These challenges which were presented to African Americans on top of discrimination from whites accumulated into psychological effects which still exist today. One of the pieces in the book which best describes the result of mental battering is the excerpt which involves Wilbert, Emma’s sister Janie’s husband who has a loaded shotgun ready to be used for destruction. Wilbert was in a fight with Janie and Emma got involved and was accidentally shot in the foot. Emma did not feel hate toward s Wilbert but blamed the white man, stating that none of this would have happened if a black man can keep a job in this town then he wouldn’t be fighting with his wife about money. Another example of discrimination affecting the psychology of African Americans in the south was the separate but equal school systems which weren’t necessarily equal. Anne always excelled in school she always had black students and teachers around her. When Anne went to college she was intimidated by the white teachers and she ended up not going to LSU because of this, she was afraid of â€Å"white teachers† who she thought had to prove a point of being a â€Å"white teacher†. The last psychological effect I’m going to note is that of all African Americans with the right to vote. Anne mentioned in the book that the African American voters who were much older were brainwashed form years and years of neglect and were now content with what they had. Anne understood this so she targeted the youth of the African American community the ones whose minds weren’t polluted and who were willing to be open to new things such as sit-ins and picketing. Legal examples of racism and discrimination within the bindings of this book are vast and extremely ignorant. To make blacks stay away from voting polls, states put tests at the voting station which were biased and did not favor African Americans one bit. This is why it was extremely hard for Anne to motivate fellow blacks to vote because it was pretty disheartening going to vote and being shutdown because you misspelled or misprounced something from the state constitution. Plessey vs. Ferguson states separate but equal, but that was not the case when it came to school conditions; from grade school to college conditions were harsh, this law was also evident at the movie theaters where blacks sat in the balcony and whites on the lower level. Black farmers were also mistreated, cotton was the main crop in Mississippi but for most black farmers they never had a study income. While blacks were struggling as basically sharecroppers white farmers were making a profit the state which would have usually given them grants. The last legal means of discrimination on African Americans in the south was used through the media. A big part why the movement was so difficult to attain was the unification of black civil rights groups was not there, the reason for this was the white media would make up false headlines which other African Americans would read then they would become discouraged and bail out of the movement for equal rights. Along with the legal tactics intended to keep blacks in the dark white southerners used terror to keep African Americans submissive. In keeping the African Americans hopes downs white southerners used tactics such as intimidation, murder, arsine and blacklisting. During one of the nights at the freedom house Anne and a couple of civil rights activists were trying to sleep but the flashlights and dogs from the police officers were keeping her up all night this was one of many intimidation tactics. Murder, was the case of a man who was shot with a double barrel shotgun because he was supposedly involved with the NAACP. Arsine occurred in Centerville when the Taplin’s house was burned to the ground because word around town was that a black male (Mr. Banks) was having relations with a white woman. Anne who had made quite a name for herself in the movement was always afraid of her family members being blacklisted back in Centerville. When sending letters back home Anne was extremely hesitant to reveal a detailed analysis of her plans for the movement. On the topic of lists Anne was on a list which sent a chill up her spine, the Klan’s Hit List. While reading Coming of Age in Mississippi Anne notes many significant historical events which transpired in her quest of civil liberties for African American people. Anne who was an active member of C.O.R.E during her college years was involved in some groundbreaking protests for African Americans. Anne’s most famous act for justice was the Woolworth sit-in where Anne and a few other black protesters wanted to get served equally at a dining hall. This event was a huge success the NAACP days after started protests and issued a list of demands which included hiring of black policemen, removal of segregation signs and integration of public facilities. History as we know is not always pretty there were many ugly and tragic historical events stated in this book. Some of the whores of the racist society which existed in the rural south were evident in the Birmingham church bombings were four young black children were killed, on the topic of brutal murders on black children Emit Til ls murder was also a low point in United States history. The last historic event I’m going to highlight which occurred in the text was the assassination of JFK a young and dynamic president who was dedicated to the civil rights movement. The reason why people like Anne and JFK were so motivated to make America a better place was because they witnessed complacency among all American citizens when it came to inequalities among blacks and whites. The reason Anne was so motivated to achieve something better for her when those around her weren’t was that things could really not get any worse for her she did not see a future for herself or the youth of blacks. Anne was an extremely independent individual residing all over the south and she did not rely on others to determine her destiny that’s what made her such a unique individual for her time she was a trendsetter, a revolutionist. During my completion of reading this book I found two passages which were extremely moving. The first passage which I’m going to chronicle is from Anne’s time when she was involved in the movement. Anne was organizing a voter registration drive and if eligible African Americans voters registered they would receive a supply of clothes. The response was great and lot of voters showed and picked up clothes but know one registered, which frustrated Anne as well as myself. The thing which was lacking in my eyes during the movement was the lack of accountability among African Americans on other African Americans. The second passage I’m to comment on is also from the movement it has to do with the imitative of the given civil rights groups. During the time of the protests numerous black students were thrown in jail for rioting and bailed out of jail by given negro organizations. My question is why a student like Anne Moody who is a bright minded scholar is struggling to pay for tuition but has no problem getting money to be bailed out of jail? I don’t know all the circumstance which occurred but, I feel like education is the ultimate investment and that did not seem apparent in this given situation. If I had read this book in 1968 I would have gotten involved in the Civil Rights Movement. One of the men I admire most in this world is Jim Brown the former Browns running back who is an icon in both the white and black community. One of Jim Brown’s selling points to the black community is his outspokenness about historical knowledge on civil rights. Brown explains to the black community that no movement in this country towards black equal rights was not possible without a white person putting their neck on the line. One of the examples Mr. Brown often brings up is Branch Rickey initiating the arrival of Jackie Robinson as the first African American major league baseball player. I believe if more white people like Branch Rickey put their neck on the line racial parody would become a reality. Research Papers on Coming of Age in Mississippi (The Story of Anne Moody)19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayTrailblazing by Eric AndersonThe Masque of the Red Death Room meaningsHip-Hop is ArtEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenCapital PunishmentMind TravelThe Hockey Game

Battle of Paardeberg in the Second Boer War Battle

Battle of Paardeberg in the Second Boer War Battle Battle of Paardeberg - Conflict and Dates: The Battle of Paardeberg was fought between February 18-27, 1900, and was part of the Second Boer War (1899-1902). Armies Commanders: British Field Marshal Frederick RobertsLieutenant General Herbert Kitchener15,000 men Boers General Piet CronjeGeneral Christiaan de Wet7,000 men Battle of Paardeberg - Background: In the wake of Field Marshal Lord Roberts relief of Kimberley on February 15, 1900, the Boer commander in the area, General Piet Cronje began retreating east with his forces. His progress was slowed due to the presence of a large number on noncombatants that had joined his ranks during the siege. On the night of February 15/16, Cronje successfully slipped between Major General John Frenchs cavalry near Kimberley and Lieutenant General Thomas Kelly-Kennys British infantry at the Modder River fords. Battle of Paardeberg - Boers Trapped: Detected by mounted infantry the next day, Cronje was able to prevent elements from Kelly-Kennys 6th Division from overtaking them. Late that day, French was dispatched with approximately 1,200 cavalry to locate Cronjes main force. Around 11:00 AM on February 17, the Boers reached the Modder River at Paardeberg. Believing that his men had escaped, Cronje paused to allow them to rest. Shortly thereafter, Frenchs troopers appeared from the north and began firing on the Boer camp. Rather than attack the smaller British force, Cronje inadvisably decided to form a laager and dig in along the banks of the river. As Frenchs men pinned the Boers in place, Roberts chief of staff, Lieutenant General Horatio Kitchener, began rushing troops to Paardeberg. The next day, Kelly-Kenny began planning to bombard the Boer position into submission, but was overruled by Kitchener. Though Kelly-Kenny outranked Kitchener, the latters authority on the scene was confirmed by Roberts who was in bed ill. Possibly concerned about the approach of Boer reinforcements under General Christiaan De Wet, Kitchener ordered a series of frontal attacks on Cronjes position (Maps). Battle of Paardeberg - The British Attack: Ill-conceived and uncoordinated, these assaults were beaten back with heavy casualties. When the days fighting ended, the British has suffered 320 dead and 942 wounded, making it the single costliest action of the war. In addition, to make the attack, Kitchener had effectively abandoned a kopje (small hill) to the southeast that was occupied by De Wets approaching men. While the Boers suffered lighter casualties in the fighting, their mobility had been further reduced by the death of much of their livestock and horses from British shelling. That night, Kitchener reported the days events to Roberts and indicated that he planned to resume attacks the next day. This roused the commander from his bed, and Kitchener was dispatched to oversee the repair of the railroad. In the morning, Roberts arrived on the scene and initially desired to recommence assaulting Cronjes position. This approach was resisted by his senior officers who were able to convince him to lay siege to the Boers. On the third day of the siege, Roberts began to contemplate withdrawing due to De Wets position to the southeast. Battle of Paardeberg - Victory: This blunder was prevented by De Wet losing his nerve and retreating, leaving Cronje to deal with the British alone. Over the next several days, the Boer lines were subjected to an increasingly heavy bombardment. When he learned that women and children were in the Boer camp, Roberts offered them safe passage through the lines, but this was refused by Cronje. As the shelling continued, nearly every animal in the Boer lines was killed and the Modder became filled with the dead carcasses of horses and oxen. On the night of February 26/27, elements of the Royal Canadian Regiment, with assistance from the Royal Engineers, were able to construct trenches on high ground approximately 65 yards from the Boer lines. The following morning, with the Canadian rifles overlooking his lines and his position hopeless, Cronje surrendered his command to Roberts. Battle of Paardeberg - Aftermath: The fighting at Paardeberg cost the British 1,270 casualties, the majority of which were incurred during the February 18 attacks. For the Boers, casualties in the fighting were relatively light, but Cronje was forced to surrender the remaining 4,019 men in his lines. The defeat of Cronjes force opened the road to Bloemfontein and severely damaged Boer morale. Pressing towards the city, Roberts routed a Boer force at Poplar Grove on March 7, before taking the city six days later.