Acceptance sampling plan for multiple manufacturing lines using EWMA process capability index

The problem of developing a product acceptance determination procedure for multiple characteristics has attracted the quality assurance practitioners. Due to sufficient demands of consumers, it may not be possible to deliver the quantity ordered on time using the process based on one manufacturing line. So, in factories, product is manufactured using multiple manufacturing lines and combine it. In this manuscript, we present the designing of an acceptance sampling plan for products from multiple independent manufacturing lines using exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) statistic of the process capability index. The plan parameters such as the sample size and the acceptance number will be determined by satisfying both the producer's and the consumer's risks. The efficiency of the proposed plan will be discussed over the existing sampling plan. The tables are given for industrial use and explained with the help of industrial examples. We conclude that the use of the proposed plan in these industries minimizes the cost and time of inspection. Smaller the sample size means low inspection cost. The proposed plan for some non-normal distributions can be extended as a future research. The determination of sampling plan using cost model is also interested area for the future research. ? 2017 The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers.11Ysciescopu

Platform competition in two-sided markets: the case of payment networks

In this article, we construct a model to study competing payment networks, where networks offer differentiated products in terms of benefits to consumers and merchants. We study market equilibria for a variety of market structures: duopolistic competition and cartel, symmetric and asymmetric networks, and alternative assumptions about multihoming and consumer preferences. We find that competition unambiguously increases consumer and merchant welfare. We extend this analysis to competition among payment networks providing different payment instruments and find similar results.Payment systems ; Competition

Supplier Selection Based On Capabilities Index For Multiple Characteristics With One Sided Specification

Raw materials are a significant requirement in the production process for manufacturing companies. In meeting the needs of raw materials for the production process, most manufacturing firms rely on suppliers. Supplier selection is an essential part of manufacturing companies. From several supplier selection criteria, quality is one of the fundamental standards and is used in supplier assessment. Selecting suppliers based on the quality of their products will have a positive impact on manufacturing companies, such as increased profits through reduced operational costs and increased market share. The problem faced is the lack of accuracy in choosing qualified suppliers. In this study will compare two suppliers at manufacturing companies and pick one that has a higher capability value. Supplier selection is made by using multiple characteristic capability indexes. The Supplier will be selected by comparing the ratio of two suppliers. Numerical calculations are performed on leather suppliers in shoe companies based on bursting quality, tear strength, tensile strength and elongation. The result of the calculation can be seen that supplier B is chosen as a better supplier. Characteristics of quality will affect the production process and application of shoes

A theoretical and computational basis for CATNETS

The main content of this report is the identification and definition of market mechanisms for Application Layer Networks (ALNs). On basis of the structured Market Engineering process, the work comprises the identification of requirements which adequate market mechanisms for ALNs have to fulfill. Subsequently, two mechanisms for each, the centralized and the decentralized case are described in this document. These build the theoretical foundation for the work within the following two years of the CATNETS project. --Grid Computing

Quality of medicines commonly used in the treatment of soil transmitted helminths and Giardia in Ethiopia: a nationwide survey

Background: The presence of poor quality medicines in the market is a global threat on public health, especially in developing countries. Therefore, we assessed the quality of two commonly used anthelminthic drugs [mebendazole (MEB) and albendazole (ALB)] and one antiprotozoal drug [tinidazole (TNZ)] in Ethiopia. Methods/Principal Findings: A multilevel stratified random sampling, with as strata the different levels of supply chain system in Ethiopia, geographic areas and government/privately owned medicines outlets, was used to collect the drug samples using mystery shoppers. The three drugs (106 samples) were collected from 38 drug outlets (government/privately owned) in 7 major cities in Ethiopia between January and March 2012. All samples underwent visual and physical inspection for labeling and packaging before physico-chemical quality testing and evaluated based on individual monographs in Pharmacopoeias for identification, assay/content, dosage uniformity, dissolution, disintegration and friability. In addition, quality risk was analyzed using failure mode effect analysis (FMEA) and a risk priority number (RPN) was assigned to each quality attribute. A clinically rationalized desirability function was applied in quantification of the overall quality of each medicine. Overall, 45.3% (48/106) of the tested samples were substandard, i.e. not meeting the pharmacopoeial quality specifications claimed by their manufacturers. Assay was the quality attribute most often out-of-specification, with 29.2% (31/106) failure of the total samples. The highest failure was observed for MEB (19/42, 45.2%), followed by TNZ (10/39, 25.6%) and ALB (2/25, 8.0%). The risk analysis showed that assay (RPN = 512) is the most critical quality attribute, followed by dissolution (RPN = 336). Based on Derringer's desirability function, samples were classified into excellent (14/106,13%), good (24/106, 23%), acceptable (38/106, 36%%), low (29/106, 27%) and bad (1/106,1%) quality. Conclusions/Significance: This study evidenced that there is a relatively high prevalence of poor quality MEB, ALB and TNZ in Ethiopia: up to 45% if pharmacopoeial acceptance criteria are used in the traditional, dichotomous approach, and 28% if the new risk-based desirability approach was applied. The study identified assay as the most critical quality attributes. The country of origin was the most significant factor determining poor quality status of the investigated medicines in Ethiopia

Do rules control power? GATT articles and arrangements in the Uruguay Round

Many complain and offer evidence that in recent years the GATT system has become more power-oriented, less stable, and less equitable. A concern to reverse this drift was one of the motives that brought the international community to agree to undertake the Uruguay Round. Rules control power, assumed the signers of the Punte del Este declaration, therefore elaborating and extending GATT rules would move the international community toward a fairer, more stable international trading system. Finger and Dhar contend that the opposite is true. Particularly in the 1980s, the elaboration and application of GATT rules has been an exercise in the application of economic and political power, not in its control. GATT rules, in theory, are there to limit national trade restrictions. Finger and Dhar contend that in fact things work the other way around: national practice comes first, and determines what the GATT rules mean. GATT's rules do not put limits on national practices, but provide international santion for these practices. Such rules are not part of the thereforelution but are part of the problem. Theirs is a situation-specific argument, say Finger and Dhar, not a generic one. Their target is not"rules", nor is it"GATT". Rather, it is the GATT rules.Rules of Origin,TF054105-DONOR FUNDED OPERATION ADMINISTRATION FEE INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT,Common Carriers Industry,Transport and Trade Logistics,Trade Policy

Theoretical and Computational Basis for Economical Ressource Allocation in Application Layer Networks - Annual Report Year 1

This paper identifies and defines suitable market mechanisms for Application Layer Networks (ALNs). On basis of the structured Market Engineering process, the work comprises the identification of requirements which adequate market mechanisms for ALNs have to fulfill. Subsequently, two mechanisms for each, the centralized and the decentralized case are described in this document. --Grid Computing

Technical Design Report for the PANDA Micro Vertex Detector

This document illustrates the technical layout and the expected performance of the Micro Vertex Detector (MVD) of the PANDA experiment. The MVD will detect charged particles as close as possible to the interaction zone. Design criteria and the optimisation process as well as the technical solutions chosen are discussed and the results of this process are subjected to extensive Monte Carlo physics studies. The route towards realisation of the detector is outlined