Survey on Additive Manufacturing, Cloud 3D Printing and Services

Cloud Manufacturing (CM) is the concept of using manufacturing resources in a service oriented way over the Internet. Recent developments in Additive Manufacturing (AM) are making it possible to utilise resources ad-hoc as replacement for traditional manufacturing resources in case of spontaneous problems in the established manufacturing processes. In order to be of use in these scenarios the AM resources must adhere to a strict principle of transparency and service composition in adherence to the Cloud Computing (CC) paradigm. With this review we provide an overview over CM, AM and relevant domains as well as present the historical development of scientific research in these fields, starting from 2002. Part of this work is also a meta-review on the domain to further detail its development and structure

PREDVIĐANJE KLJUČNIH PARAMETARA KVALITETE KOKSNOGA UGLJENA U STVARNOME VREMENU POMOĆU NEURONSKIH MREŽA I UMJETNE INTELIGENCIJE

High quality coke is a key raw material for the metallurgical industry. The characteristics of the coal have a significant influence on the parameters of the coke produced and, consequently, on the valuation of coal deposits and the economic assessment of mining projects. Predicting the quality of coking coal allows for the optimisation of production processes, including the planning and management of operations and the early detection of quality problems. In this study, using the principles of a smart mine, it is proposed to determine the quality of coal based on the combination of mining and geological conditions of mineral deposits and its quality indicators. Possible interrelationships between the quality of the coal in the deposit and the characteristics of the final product have been identified. A neural network is used to determine the priority of individual indicators that have a significant impact on the quality of coking coal. An important part of the research is its practical implementation in the conditions of the Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa SA. Qualitative and quantitative parameters of coking coals were obtained for each mine of the region by the method of sampling and statistical processing of data such as: degree of metamorphism, thickness, deviation of volatile substances, presence of phosphorus, ash content, etc. For their evaluation, the Group Method of Data Handling was used to compare the factors of quality indicators depending on the priority of influence on the final characteristics of the coking coal. Based on the results obtained, it is shown that not all coal quality indicators have a significant impact on the quality of the final product. The study shows that it is possible to predict the main indicators (CRI – Coke Reactivity Index, CSR – Coke Strength after Reaction) of coke quality using neural networks based on a larger number of coal quality parameters and to eliminate parameters that have virtually no influence on the value of the final product. This method can also be used to improve the results of economic valuation of a deposit and to better plan exploration and mining operations.Koks visoke kvalitete ključna je sirovina u metalurškoj industriji. Svojstva ugljena imaju velik utjecaj na kvalitetu proizvedenoga koksa, a time i na vrednovanje ležišta ugljena i ekonomsku ocjenu rudarskih projekata. Predviđanje kvalitete ugljena za koksiranje omogućuje optimizaciju proizvodnih procesa uključujući planiranje i upravljanje procesima te rano otkrivanje problematične kvalitete. U ovoj studiji korištenjem načela pametnoga rudnika predlaže se određivanje kvalitete ugljena na temelju kombinacije rudarsko-geoloških uvjeta ležišta mineralnih sirovina i njegovih pokazatelja kakvoće. Utvrđeni su mogući međuodnosi između kvalitete ugljena u ležištu i svojstava konačnoga proizvoda. Neuronskom mrežom utvrđuje se prioritet pojedinih pokazatelja koji imaju znatan utjecaj na kvalitetu koksnoga ugljena. Važan je dio istraživanja njegova praktična provedba u kompaniji Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa SA. Metodom uzorkovanja i statističkom obradom podataka dobiveni su kvalitativni i kvantitativni parametri koksnoga ugljena za svaki rudnik kao što su: stupanj metamorfizma, debljina, odstupanje hlapljivih tvari, prisutnost fosfora, sadržaj pepela itd. Pomoću grupne metode obrade podataka uspoređeni su pokazatelji kvalitete ovisno o prioritetu utjecaja na konačna svojstva ugljena za koksiranje. Na temelju dobivenih rezultata pokazalo se da svi pokazatelji kakvoće ugljena nemaju znatan utjecaj na kvalitetu konačnoga proizvoda. Studija pokazuje da je moguće predvidjeti glavne pokazatelje (CRI – indeks reaktivnosti koksa, CSR – čvrstoću koksa poslije reakcije s CO2) kvalitete koksa korištenjem neuronskih mreža na temelju većega broja parametara kvalitete ugljena i eliminirati parametre koji nemaju praktički nikakav utjecaj. na vrijednost konačnoga proizvoda. Ova se metoda također može koristiti za poboljšanje rezultata ekonomskoga vrednovanja ležišta i za bolje planiranje istražnih i rudarskih radova

Biopsychosocial Assessment and Ergonomics Intervention for Sustainable Living: A Case Study on Flats

This study proposes an ergonomics-based approach for those who are living in small housings (known as flats) in Indonesia. With regard to human capability and limitation, this research shows how the basic needs of human beings are captured and analyzed, followed by proposed designs of facilities and standard living in small housings. Ninety samples were involved during the study through in- depth interview and face-to-face questionnaire. The results show that there were some proposed of modification of critical facilities (such as multifunction ironing work station, bed furniture, and clothesline) and validated through usability testing. Overall, it is hoped that the proposed designs will support biopsychosocial needs and sustainability

Energy efficiency in discrete-manufacturing systems: insights, trends, and control strategies

Since the depletion of fossil energy sources, rising energy prices, and governmental regulation restrictions, the current manufacturing industry is shifting towards more efficient and sustainable systems. This transformation has promoted the identification of energy saving opportunities and the development of new technologies and strategies oriented to improve the energy efficiency of such systems. This paper outlines and discusses most of the research reported during the last decade regarding energy efficiency in manufacturing systems, the current technologies and strategies to improve that efficiency, identifying and remarking those related to the design of management/control strategies. Based on this fact, this paper aims to provide a review of strategies for reducing energy consumption and optimizing the use of resources within a plant into the context of discrete manufacturing. The review performed concerning the current context of manufacturing systems, control systems implemented, and their transformation towards Industry 4.0 might be useful in both the academic and industrial dimension to identify trends and critical points and suggest further research lines.Peer ReviewedPreprin

Management, Technology and Learning for Individuals, Organisations and Society in Turbulent Environments

This book presents the collection of fifty two papers which were presented on the First International Conference on BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY ’08 - Management, Technology and Learning for Individuals, Organisations and Society in Turbulent Environments, held in Ofir, Portugal, from 25th to 27th of June, 2008. The main motive of the meeting was the growing awareness of the importance of the sustainability issue. This importance had emerged from the growing uncertainty of the market behaviour that leads to the characterization of the market, i.e. environment, as turbulent. Actually, the characterization of the environment as uncertain and turbulent reflects the fact that the traditional technocratic and/or socio-technical approaches cannot effectively and efficiently lead with the present situation. In other words, the rise of the sustainability issue means the quest for new instruments to deal with uncertainty and/or turbulence. The sustainability issue has a complex nature and solutions are sought in a wide range of domains and instruments to achieve and manage it. The domains range from environmental sustainability (referring to natural environment) through organisational and business sustainability towards social sustainability. Concerning the instruments for sustainability, they range from traditional engineering and management methodologies towards “soft” instruments such as knowledge, learning, creativity. The papers in this book address virtually whole sustainability problems space in a greater or lesser extent. However, although the uncertainty and/or turbulence, or in other words the dynamic properties, come from coupling of management, technology, learning, individuals, organisations and society, meaning that everything is at the same time effect and cause, we wanted to put the emphasis on business with the intention to address primarily the companies and their businesses. From this reason, the main title of the book is “Business Sustainability” but with the approach of coupling Management, Technology and Learning for individuals, organisations and society in Turbulent Environments. Concerning the First International Conference on BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY, its particularity was that it had served primarily as a learning environment in which the papers published in this book were the ground for further individual and collective growth in understanding and perception of sustainability and capacity for building new instruments for business sustainability. In that respect, the methodology of the conference work was basically dialogical, meaning promoting dialog on the papers, but also including formal paper presentations. In this way, the conference presented a rich space for satisfying different authors’ and participants’ needs. Additionally, promoting the widest and global learning environment and participativeness, the Conference Organisation provided the broadcasting over Internet of the Conference sessions, dialogical and formal presentations, for all authors’ and participants’ institutions, as an innovative Conference feature. In these terms, this book could also be understood as a complementary instrument to the Conference authors’ and participants’, but also to the wider readerships’ interested in the sustainability issues. The book brought together 97 authors from 10 countries, namely from Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Sweden and United Kingdom. The authors “ranged” from senior and renowned scientists to young researchers providing a rich and learning environment. At the end, the editors hope and would like that this book will be useful, meeting the expectation of the authors and wider readership and serving for enhancing the individual and collective learning, and to incentive further scientific development and creation of new papers. Also, the editors would use this opportunity to announce the intention to continue with new editions of the conference and subsequent editions of accompanying books on the subject of BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY, the second of which is planned for year 2011.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lean manufacturing e ergonomia na industria metalúrgica: uma abordagem integrada para a melhoria de desempenho

Due to an increasingly competive market, most companies can only survive through continuous improvement, by increasing their productivity and reducing costs. The Lean Production System (SPL) is more and more often used for this purpose.However, the workers' well-being is often neglected, leading to musculoskeletal problems and other occupational diseases. Several authors have identified a gap in the literature regarding the identification of the best practices in the integration of the prevention of musculoskeletal diseases in an SPL. The main objective of this thesis is to clarify the relationship between Ergonomics and LPS and provide the necessary tools for practitioners to implement an ergonomic LPS in their production areas. To achieve this objective, a systematic review was performed and case studies were conducted in four production areas in a metallurgical company using Lean concepts, ergonomic analysis and simulation. From the results found in the literature, which were validated by the four case studies, we can conclude that the integration of Ergonomics during an SPL implementation has the potential to result in gains in productivity and simultaneously improve working conditions. To potentiate these results, several components must be taken into account, namely: the integration of ergonomics in the design of the workstation, the tools for monitoring and evaluation, training and the automation of the manual tasks. Beyond the results obtained and the lessons learned from the case studies, two important tools were developed and validated which were a great support to the implementation of future studies in different areas or sectors: the methodology flowchart and ErgoSafeCI (a tool to evaluate and monitor the LPS implementation while taking into account the ergonomic and safety aspects of a production area). This work offers a valuable contribution for researchers and professionals because it demonstrates how the integration of ergonomics into an SPL increases productivity by providing the necessary tools which make it possible to replicate the procedure in other production areas or sectors.Atualmente, devido ao mercado cada vez mais competitivo, a maioria das empresas só sobrevive através da melhoria contínua, aumentando a produtividade e diminuindo os custos. O Sistema de Produção Lean (SPL) é cada vez mais usado com esse objetivo. No entanto, o bem estar dos trabalhadores é muitas vezes negligenciado, levando a problemas músculoesqueléticos e a outras doenças profissionais. Diversos autores identificam uma falha na literatura quanto à identificação das melhores práticas na integração da prevenção das doenças músculoesqueléticas num SPL. O objetivo principal desta tese é clarificar a relação entre a Ergonomia e um SPL e desenvolver as ferramentas necessárias para ajudar os profissionais na implementação de um SPL ergonómico nas suas áreas produtivas. Para atingir esse objetivo foi realizada uma revisão sistemática à literatura e foram desenvolvidos casos de estudo em quatro áreas produtivas numa empresa metalúrgica onde foram usados vários conceitos Lean, análises ergonómicas e a simulação. Através dos resultados encontrados na literatura e validados nos casos de estudo, concluímos que a integração da ergonomia durante a implementação de um SPL resulta em ganhos de produtividade e simultaneamente melhora as condições de trabalho. Para potenciar estes resultados, diversos fatores devem ser considerados, nomeadamente: a integração da ergonomia no desenho do posto trabalho, nas ferramentas de monitorização e avaliação, na formação e a automatização das tarefas manuais. Para além dos resultados obtidos através dos casos de estudo, e da identificação de algumas “best practices” através das lições aprendidas ao longo deste trabalho, foram ainda desenvolvidas e validadas duas ferramentas importantes no apoio à implementação de futuros estudos em diferentes áreas produtivas e setores: a ErgoSafeCI (ferramenta para avaliar e monitorizar a implementação de um SPL considerando os aspetos ergonómicos e de segurança numa área produtiva) e uma proposta de metodologia geral para abordar a questão da integração das práticas Lean com as práticas de ergonomia. Este trabalho apresenta um contributo, que se espera valioso, para investigadores e profissionais por demonstrar como a integração da ergonomia num SPL potencia a produtividade fornecendo as ferramentas necessárias para a replicação da metodologia proposta noutras áreas produtivas.Programa Doutoral em Engenharia e Gestão Industria