A Comprehensive Approach to Off-line Advanced Error Troubleshooting in Intelligent Manufacturing Systems

The errors recovery in the production systems will be always an open issue. Therefore, the FMSs have to be endowed with tools and techniques allowing an automatic recovery of errors. The objective of this work consists in proposing an off-line version of the software framework for error troubleshooting in a flexible manufacturing system [1]. The main difference between the on-line and off-line version is that the error database is stored on the mobile device and the frame marker device is connected directly to the FMS components without the need of the PC.). Our framework system is designed to solve the failures in the functioning of the FMS and to generate self-training from previous experience

Design and Operation of Constructions: A Healthy Living Environment-Parametric Studies and New Solutions

The problem of the environment in the inhabited area, in particular of the hygienic-sanitary comfort, are current topics of concern for the builders. The interest of the authors meets the requirements of the tenant. In general, it seems that the cause of the hygienic-sanitary discomfort of the inhabited environment would be the faulty execution of the construction or an inconsistent architectural conception; the current paper presents several factors that cause this discomfort, the tenant being just one of them. The result of faulty operation/utilization of living spaces is inadmissible for those who live there, both materially and with repercussions on their health. Additionally, this paper demonstrates the deficiency of the existing energy performance certificate. The results of our research offer real solutions in eliminating, solving, and correcting the hygienic-sanitary discomfort of the environment inside the buildings; this can be achieved by designing, executing and operating spaces correctly, adequately and optimally, ensuring a healthy environment. The authors propose to improve the norms of protection of the built environment, by modifying the related energy performance legislation/certificate; moreover, new and real practical solutions have been suggested by the authors for the prevention and remediation of hygienic-sanitary discomfort

Proactive risk assessment via fuzzy approach in a decisional process of consignment stock program adoption

The idea of adopting the consignment stock concept has enriched the landscape of efficient supply chains and their organizations, due to its major benefits in reducing inventory, compressing delivery time and increasing flexibility towards achieving agility and enhanced market responsiveness. The decision making process is a complex one, as besides the benefits and the economical and administrative aspects, there are also risks that must be identified, measured, assessed and managed. There is little research in the literature concerning the risks and constraints of consignment inventory implementation, while consignment contracts are widely applied in both physical and virtual supply chains. This paper introduces a model of proactive risk assessment via a fuzzy approach, allowing a sensitivity analysis of the identified risks in the matrix, in terms of probability to happen, degree of severity, impact and potential consequences, as well as mitigation. A fuzzy inference system is used to serve as assessment instrument, to fairly and more rigorously evaluate the risks, in order to avoid critical situations during or after program adoption, or even implementation failure. Fuzzy logic theory has been chosen to capture the uncertainty that usually occurs when dealing with risks and decision making. We believe that having these risk assessment insights at hand, managers and practitioners can achieve a better understanding of the challenges that come along with a new consignment program adoption, while allowing them to make the right and justified decision, in accordance with both benefit and risk considerations

New solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency of buildings of special importance – Hospitals

International audienceSaving energy has an important role in the concerted actions to protect the planet from the effects of globalwarming, particularly the energy consumed by the existing buildings (with various energy consuming functions,inefficient energy), by implementing environmentally friendly solutions. The present paper emphasizes the needto include elements to stimulate the renovation of the existing buildings and of their energy efficiency in the national strategies, these constructions being important energy consumers. The research started with two casestudies (2 hospital buildings) dating from 70–80s, with the aim to be energy efficient and modern constructionsin Eastern Europe. In the presented best practice model, significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, primary energy consumption along with the use of renewable energy have been achieved by transforming someenergy-inefficient buildings into intelligent buildings. Thus, the authors propose a new stake: “70-70-70” for similar buildings

Informatics development of technologies in machine building

The complexity of operative fabrication planning, especially in the case of series production, requires a high volume of calculation. The frequent changes of batches require the recalculation of the fabrication cycles with time-consuming operations. In this paper we developed a new algorithm which allows the calculation of the fabrication cycles directly on a component level without the necessity of operation level calculations. In order for this to work it is crucial to memorize on a component level information about the component’s technology. Like this the fabrication cycle can be calculated online for any type of fabrication batch. The algorithms can be used in the contractual phase in order to estimate the delivery timeline, in the fabrication preparation phase in order to estimate the required capacity and workforce, as well as in the fabrication programming and reprogramming phase when different simulation can be made with different priority variants, different capacity allocations with variance efficiency analysis. Through the definition of specific data structures for the presented relations, we demonstrate that the computer assisted operative programming approach is possible in the machine building industry, even on an enterprise level. With these conditions it is ensured a superior quality of the decision system, the accumulated experience is suggesting the realization of a methodological framework in this field

3D MODELING OF DRIVE SHAFT OF A MONORAIL CONVEYOR

The conveyors are used to transport various products in successive steps until they reach their destination and to ensure cargo volumes to balance the flow buffer. The conveyors monorail type are used for the transfer of the products, piece by piece and they can be suspended and can operate at heights and different tasks. In this paper is presented a method for the design of the drive shaft of a monorail conveyor, by using CAD-CAE applications

Improving the Performance of Composite Hollow Fiber Membranes with Magnetic Field Generated Convection Application on pH Correction

The membranes and membrane processes have succeeded in the transition from major technological and biomedical applications to domestic applications: water recycling in washing machines, recycling of used cooking oil, recovery of gasoline vapors in the pumping stations or enrichment of air with oxygen. In this paper, the neutralization of condensation water and the retention of aluminum from thermal power plants is studied using ethylene propylene diene monomer sulfonated (EPDM-S) membranes containing magnetic particles impregnated in a microporous propylene hollow fiber (I-PPM) matrix. The obtained membranes were characterized from the morphological and structural points of view, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution SEM (HR-SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis (EDAX) and thermal gravimetric analyzer. The process performances (flow, selectivity) were studied using a variable magnetic field generated by electric coils. The results show the possibility of correcting the pH and removing aluminum ions from the condensation water of heating plants, during a winter period, without the intervention of any operator for the maintenance of the process. The pH was raised from an acidic one (2–4), to a slightly basic one (8–8.5), and the concentration of aluminum ions was lowered to the level allowed for discharge. Magnetic convection of the permeation module improves the pH correction process, but especially prevents the deposition of aluminum hydroxide on hollow fibers membranes

pH and Design on n–Alkyl Alcohol Bulk Liquid Membranes for Improving Phenol Derivative Transport and Separation

Regardless of the type of liquid membrane (LM) (Bulk Liquid Membranes (BLM), Supported Liquid Membranes (SLM) or Emulsion Liquid Membranes (ELM)), transport and separation of chemical species are conditioned by the operational (OP) and constructive design parameters (DP) of the permeation module. In the present study, the pH of the aqueous source phase (SP) and receiving phase (RP) of the proposed membrane system were selected as operational parameters. The mode of contacting the phases was chosen as the convective transport generator. The experiments used BLM-type membranes with spheres in free rotation as film contact elements of the aqueous phases with the membrane. The target chemical species were selected in the range of phenol derivatives (PD), 4–nitrophenol (NP), 2,4–dichlorophenol (DCP) and 2,4–dinitrophenol (DNP), all being substances of technical-economic and environmental interest. Due to their acid character, they allow the evaluation of the influence of pH as a determining operational parameter of transport and separation through a membrane consisting of n–octanol or n–decanol (n–AlcM). The comparative study performed for the transport of 4–nitrophenol (NP) showed that the module based on spheres (Ms) was more performant than the one with phase dispersion under the form of droplets (Md). The sphere material influenced the transport of 4–nitrophenol (NP). The transport module with glass spheres (Gl) was superior to the one using copper spheres (Cu), but especially with the one with steel spheres (St). In all the studied cases, the sphere-based module (Ms) had superior transport results compared to the module with droplets (Md). The extraction efficiency (EE) and the transport of 2,4–dichlorophenol (DCP) and 2,4–dinitrophenol (DNP), studied in the module with glass spheres, showed that the two phenolic derivatives could be separated by adjusting the pH of the source phase. At the acidic pH of the source phase (pH = 2), the two derivatives were extracted with good results (EE > 90%), while for pH values ranging from 4 to 6, they could be separated, with DCP having doubled separation efficiency compared to DNP. At a pH of 8 in the source phase, the extraction efficiency halved for both phenolic compounds