Analysis of manufacturing operations using knowledge- Enriched aggregate process planning

Knowledge-Enriched Aggregate Process Planning is concerned with the problem of supporting agile design and manufacture by making process planning feedback integral to the design function. A novel Digital Enterprise Technology framework (Maropoulos 2003) provides the technical context and is the basis for the integration of the methods with existing technologies for enterprise-wide product development. The work is based upon the assertion that, to assure success when developing new products, the technical and qualitative evaluation of process plans must be carried out as early as possible. An intelligent exploration methodology is presented for the technical evaluation of the many alternative manufacturing options which are feasible during the conceptual and embodiment design phases. 'Data resistant' aggregate product, process and resource models are the foundation of these planning methods. From the low-level attributes of these models, aggregate methods to generate suitable alternative process plans and estimate Quality, Cost and Delivery (QCD) have been created. The reliance on QCD metrics in process planning neglects the importance of tacit knowledge that people use to make everyday decisions and express their professional judgement in design. Hence, the research also advances the core aggregate planning theories by developing knowledge-enrichment methods for measuring and analysing qualitative factors as an additional indicator of manufacturing performance, which can be used to compute the potential of a process plan. The application of these methods allows the designer to make a comparative estimation of manufacturability for design alternatives. Ultimately, this research should translate into significant reductions in both design costs and product development time and create synergy between the product design and the manufacturing system that will be used to make it. The efficacy of the methodology was proved through the development of an experimental computer system (called CAPABLE Space) which used real industrial data, from a leading UK satellite manufacturer to validate the industrial benefits and promote the commercial exploitation of the research

A Methodological Approach to Knowledge-Based Engineering Systems for Manufacturing

A survey of implementations of the knowledge-based engineering approach in different technological sectors is presented. The main objectives and techniques of examined applications are pointed out to illustrate the trends and peculiarities for a number of manufacturing field. Existing methods for the development of these engineering systems are then examined in order to identify critical aspects when applied to manufacturing. A new methodological approach is proposed to overcome some specific limitations that emerged from the above-mentioned survey. The aim is to provide an innovative method for the implementation of knowledge-based engineering applications in the field of industrial production. As a starting point, the field of application of the system is defined using a spatial representation. The conceptual design phase is carried out with the aid of a matrix structure containing the most relevant elements of the system and their relations. In particular, objectives, descriptors, inputs and actions are defined and qualified using categorical attributes. The proposed method is then applied to three case studies with different locations in the applicability space. All the relevant elements of the detailed implementation of these systems are described. The relations with assumptions made during the design are highlighted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The adoption of case studies with notably different applications also reveals the versatility in the application of the method

Formulation approaches to pediatric oral drug delivery: benefits and limitations of current platforms

INTRODUCTION: Most conventional drug delivery systems are not acceptable for pediatric patients as they differ in their developmental status and dosing requirements from other subsets of the population. Technology platforms are required to aid the development of age-appropriate medicines to maximize patient acceptability while maintaining safety, efficacy, accessibility and affordability. AREAS COVERED: The current approaches and novel developments in the field of age-appropriate drug delivery for pediatric patients are critically discussed including patient-centric formulations, administration devices and packaging systems. EXPERT OPINION: Despite the incentives provided by recent regulatory modifications and the efforts of formulation scientists, there is still a need for implementation of pharmaceutical technologies that enable the manufacture of licensed age-appropriate formulations. Harmonization of endeavors from regulators, industry and academia by sharing learning associated with data obtained from pediatric investigation plans, product development pathways and scientific projects would be the way forward to speed up bench-to-market age appropriate formulation development. A collaborative approach will benefit not only pediatrics, but other patient populations such as geriatrics would also benefit from an accelerated patient-centric approach to drug delivery

Manufacturing Industrial Development for the Alternative Energy Systems-Final Report

NCMS identified and developed critical manufacturing technology assessments vital to the affordable manufacturing of alternative-energy systems. NCMS leveraged technologies from other industrial sectors and worked with our extensive member organizations to provide DOE with two projects with far-reaching impact on the generation of wind energy. In the response for a call for project ideas, 26 project teams submitted ideas. Following a detailed selection criteria, two projects were chosen for development: Advanced Manufacturing for Modular Electro-kinetic (E-K) Wind Energy Conversion Technology - The goal of this project was to demonstrate that a modular wind energy technology based on electrohydrodynamic wind energy principles and employing automotive heritage high volume manufacturing techniques and modular platform design concepts can result in significant cost reductions for wind energy systems at a range of sizes from 100KW to multi-MW. During this program, the Accio/Boeing team made major progress on validating the EHD wind energy technology as commercially viable in the wind energy sector, and moved along the manufacturing readiness axis with a series of design changes that increased net system output. Hybrid Laser Arc Welding for Manufacture of Wind Towers - The goal of this research program was to reduce the cost of manufacturing wind towers through the introduction of hybrid laser arc welding (HLAW) into the supply chain for manufacturing wind towers. HLAW has the potential to enhance productivity while reducing energy consumption to offset the foreign low-cost labor advantage and thereby enhance U.S. competitiveness. HLAW technology combines laser welding and arc welding to produce an energy efficient, high productivity, welding process for heavy manufacturing. This process leverages the ability of a laser to produce deep weld penetration and the ability of gas metal arc welding (GMAW) to deposit filler material, thereby producing stable, high quality, welds on joints with gaps and mismatches typical of those seen in heavy manufacturing. Wind towers utilize varying thicknesses of steel throughout their structures to meet the mechanical load requirements while keeping material costs low. A typical tower might have as many as twelve different material thicknesses. Joining each thickness requires a unique joint design and welding approach to enable the management of quality, productivity, and mechanical properties. In this program, laser joining of materials with thicknesses ranging from 12mm to 35mm were evaluated against the standard quality and mechanical requirements for General Electric wind tower components. The joining processes demonstrated showed the ability to meet key requirements with the appropriate process controls in place

Better medicines for children; elucidating patient acceptability to guide flexible solid oral dosage form design

A medicine will not elicit its desired therapeutic effect if the patient is not able or willing to take it. The specific needs of the target population must be taken into account in the design of medicines. Evaluation of the effect of formulation factors on patient’s acceptability could guide the development of better medicines for children. Flexible solid oral dosage forms, including multiparticulates and (oro)dispersible formulations, offer advantages over conventional solid and liquid dosage forms to meet the needs of paediatric patients. These advantages include favourable stability profile, suitability for taste masking, flexibility of dose titration and convenient administration. The overall aims of this research were to identify barriers for the development of acceptable medicines for children, to explore methodology for palatability and patient’s acceptability testing and to generate evidence of acceptability of flexible solid oral dosage forms. Methodological tools for the assessment of palatability and acceptability were developed and the use of such tools was explored through a series of investigations in healthy volunteers using model placebo formulations. Pharmaceutical formulation work was performed to optimise formulation design and choice of excipients, integrating manufacturability and patient’s acceptability criteria. A direct comparison between palatability and acceptability outcomes in children and adults was performed, which highlighted the value of conducting studies in adults to provide initial guidance on formulation design. Some of the key formulation factors that affect acceptability of flexible solid oral dosage forms were identified, which can be used to guide the development of more palatable and acceptable medicines. This research also evidenced methodological barriers in the assessment of palatability and patient’s acceptability which are thoroughly discussed in this thesis and will need to be overcome in the future. The knowledge generated by this research is applicable not only to the development of medicines for children, but also for other subsets of the population

Verification of knowledge shared across design and manufacture using a foundation ontology

Seamless computer-based knowledge sharing between departments of a manufacturing enterprise is useful in preventing unnecessary design revisions. A lack of interoperability between independently developed knowledge bases, however, is a major impediment in the development of a seamless knowledge sharing system. Interoperability, being an ability to overcome semantic and syntactic differences during computer-based knowledge sharing can be enhanced through the use of ontologies. Ontologies in computer science terms are hierarchical structures of knowledge stored in a computer-based knowledge base. Ontologies have been accepted by all as an interoperable medium to provide a non-subjective way of storing and sharing knowledge across diverse domains. Some semantic and syntactic differences, however, still crop up when these ontological knowledge bases are developed independently. A case study in an aerospace components manufacturing company suggests that shape features of a component are perceived differently by the designing and manufacturing departments. These differences cause further misunderstanding and misinterpretation when computer-based knowledge sharing systems are used across the two domains. Foundation or core ontologies can be used to overcome these differences and to ensure a seamless sharing of knowledge. This is because these ontologies provide a common grounding for domain ontologies to be used by individual domains or department. This common grounding can be used by the mediation and knowledge verification systems to authenticate the meaning of knowledge understood across different domains. For this reason, this research proposes a knowledge verification framework for developing a system capable of verifying knowledge between those domain ontologies which are developed out of a common core or foundation ontology. This framework makes use of ontology logic to standardize the way concepts from a foundation and core-concepts ontology are used in domain ontologies and then by using the same principles the knowledge being shared is verified. The Knowledge Frame Language which is based on Common Logic is used for formalizing example ontologies. The ontology editor used for browsing and querying ontologies is the Integrated Ontology Development Environment (IODE) by Highfleet Inc. An ontological product modelling technique is also developed in this research, to test the proposed framework in the scenario of manufacturability analysis. The proposed framework is then validated through a Java API specially developed for this purpose. Real industrial examples experienced during the case study are used for validation

Affordable identification and modelling of uncertain design specifications when introducing new technologies in space applications

When introducing new technologies in space products, both the uncertainties regarding technology feasibility and the way in which the technology affects the product development process hinder the early establishment of appropriate engineering specifications. Failing to establish product specifications during conceptual stages leads to problems discovered during later phases of the product development process, when design and process changes are the most expensive.This thesis proposes a digital holistic design platform and a method of constraints replacement for a cost- and time-efficient identification of specification uncertainties when designing space products with new technologies. The digital platform and methods have been developed and tested through industrial case studies featuring the introduction of new technologies for on-orbit applications. Most of these studies were performed in the context of, but are not limited to, the introduction of additive manufacturing.The platform and proposed constraints replacement method are based on function modeling strategies (for modeling product architecture and requirements during conceptual design phases), coupled with activity modeling strategies (for modeling the impact of product architecture on product development schedules and costs). The platform and method enable the identification and assessment of unknown uncertainties, thereby reducing the likelihood of expensive redesign processes during later development phases.Moreover, they enable the inclusion of multidisciplinary design trade-offs during conceptual stages and encourage the establishment of a culture of uncertainty seeking and effective data documentation and transfer

MilkGuard: Low-Cost, Polymer-based Sensor for the Detection of Escherichia coli in Donated Human Breast Milk

Breast milk, the gold standard for infant nutrition, could prevent up to 13% of child deaths worldwide. However, many mothers are unable to breastfeed due to health conditions and other factors. Because of this, a network of more than 500+ human milk banks, which collect and distribute donated breast milk to infants, have emerged worldwide. However, operational costs to ensure the safety of this milk remain time-intensive and costly. There are no existing diagnostics for rapid and on-site detection of bacterial contaminants in donated milk. Currently, many milk banks send samples to outside laboratories for bacterial culturing tests, which take 24-48 hours to receive results. In contrast, MilkGuard is an on-site detection method which ensures results in hours rather than days. To determine whether or not E.coli is present in donated milk, a drop of milk is deposited onto the sensor. If the milk is contaminated, the sensor will turn a blue color due to an enzyme-substrate reaction of the bacteria. The goal of the project is to create a cost and rapid alternative to traditional bacterial culturing testing to screen for E. coli bacteria in donated human breast milk. This will allow users to ensure that milk samples are sterile enough to provide to young infants, while also providing breast milk banks an alternative that will allow them to screen more samples in a shorter amount of time

Can One Teach Old Drugs New Tricks? Reformulating to Repurpose Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine

The outbreak of the novel corona virus disease, COVID-19, has presented health care professionals with the unique challenges of trying to select appropriate pharmacological treatments with little time available for drug testing. Given the development times and manufacturing requirements for new products, Value Added Medicines (repurposing – reformulation of existing drugs) could be one possibility to beat the COVID-19 outbreak. This review explores reformulation alternatives which could be progressed with chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine; two antimalarial drugs, that are being tested on a global scale as a potential therapeutic option. The key areas for improvement have been reviewed and the potential solutions to the problems and limitations of current formulations are discussed. The pharmaceutical challenges discussed are those of highly soluble drugs, needed to be given at high doses and presenting a real bitter taste challenge with significant gastrointestinal side effects that could be translated and repurposed into fit for purpose reformulations