Model for a sustainable energy transition in Spain. Case study in a district of the Basque Country

The current energy model available in Spain is obsolete due to various circumstances, some technological, others social, economic or environmental. This supposes a tension in the economic and social model of the country. Changing the current energy model to an alternative one requires a period of transition. This transition, in turn, requires a planned action and implies the identification of available energy in the vicinity, the awareness and commitment of citizens, the mobilization of technical, technological and economic resources and the design of a generation model and Proximity distribution, efficient. In this new model, compliance with environmental commitments (reduction of GHG emissions) together with the generation of economic activity and the guarantee that the transition will not give rise to any uncertainty regarding the availability and security of supply, must be unquestionable commitments. This document summarizes a research carried out in the Basque Country (Spain), which aims to promote the change of energy model. It presents the different phases of the study carried out, the methodology used, the conclusions, the road map of the transition process, the legislative situation in Spain and some reflections on the research carried out and the results obtained. Also, the study has analyzed the model of energy transition made by five European countries, studying their particularities and the factors that have contributed to the transition and the change of the energy model in them. Models of good practices in Spain have also been studied

Implementation of project-based learning for design of experiments using 3D printing

Purpose: This paper aims to present how the project-based learning (PBL) methodology was implemented in the Faculty of Engineering of Mondragon Unibertsitatea in the second year of the Engineering in Industrial Organisation degree to help integrate statistical knowledge related to the design of experiments (DOE) and the use of advanced technologies, such as additive manufacturing (AD; also known as 3D printing). Design/methodology/approach: The methodology applied was PBL, which enables learners to apply theoretical concepts to a controlled real-world environment and to make decisions based on practical experience. PBL was applied in a team setting involving 51 students divided into 12 teams. Findings: The improvement in academic results demonstrate an improvement in the acquisition and assimilation of technical knowledge of the use of statistical tools through experimentation in a semi-industrial environment. In addition, the results of the satisfaction surveys show an increase in the motivation and commitment of the students during the project. Originality/value: The value of the work lies in the integration of advanced technologies (AM or 3D printing) and statistical knowledge in DOE through the PBL methodology in a higher education environment

Framework to evaluate continuous improvement process efficacy: a case study of a capital goods company

Purpose: This document describes a continuous improvement process assessment system (CIPAS). A continuous improvement process (CIP) was developed to progress through the levels of continuous improvement (CI) defined by Bessant, Caffyn and Gallagher (2001), and the CIPAS was developed to measure this evolution. The CIP and the CIPAS were tested in a mature industrial small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) cooperative company (Basque Country, Spain) that works in the capital goods sector. Methodology/Approach: The study was developed according to an ‘action research’ strategy (Coughlan and Coghlan, 2002) over a period of two years. The action research team includes the authors and managers of several areas of the studied company. Findings: The assessment identified critical elements and related routines for the effective execution of the CIP in this company. In addition, the evaluation system allowed for a visualisation of the company’s CI maturity level progression. Research Limitation/implication: The assessment system was designed in an ad hoc manner for this CIP and this industrial company, but it may be possible to adapt these to other types of companies by using the steps followed and indicators defined as an example. Originality/Value of paper: The CIPAS is used to identify the key CI elements, to measure the evolution of CI routines, and to identify a CI maturity level of the company in which the CIP is applied. It can be applied to any type of company and serves to define future actions for its evolution. Category: Case stud

Continuous improvement framework to develop cultural change: case study, capital goods company

In this study, a frame of reference was developed to adapt and execute a continuous improvement process (CIP) for reinforcing a continuous improvement (CI) culture in an organisation. The study was undertaken in a mature capital goods company that did not succeed in institutionalising CI despite deploying many CI tools over the years. The organisation thus needed a model that was adapted to its reality and strengthened the aspects of CI through cultural changes at the organisational level. Action research was used to implement the CIP, and this research method was reinforced using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to analyse the results. The CIP was validated in four units of analysis within the organisation. For the validation, aspects relevant to organisational cultural change and their metrics were identified. The results showed that the main barriers to the development of CI in the case organisation were lack of teamwork and poor assimilation of new CI routines. The study was applied only in one organisation. Therefore, results cannot be generalized, although the process and methodology followed to adapt and implement the CIP could be applied within other organisations The paper presents a CI frame of reference and describes how a CIP applied to a small and medium-sized industrial enterprise generated cultural changes and promoted organisational excellence in the pursuit of CI by using a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology approach

Modelling of an Additive 3D-Printing Process Based on Design of Experiments Methodology

Purpose: The implementation of additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D-printer manufacturing for technical prototyping, preproduction series and short production series can bring benefits in terms of reducing cost and time to market in product development. These technologies are beginning to be applied in different industrial sectors and have a great possibility of development. As these technologies are still in development, there is a need to define the capacity of the 3D machines to establish minimum standards for producing high-quality parts. Methodology/Approach: The proposed methodology is based on a design of experiments (DOE) approach, which serves as a guide for engineers when it comes to executing any experimental study. The following steps were followed (Unzueta et al., 2019): Phase 1: define; Phase 2: measure; Phase 3: plan; Phase 4: execute experimentation; Phase 5: analyse the results; Phase 6: improve via confirmation experiments; Phases 7-8: control and standardise. Findings: The proposed methodology is based on a design of experiments (DOE) approach, which serves as a guide for engineers when it comes to executing any experimental study. The following steps were followed (Unzueta et al., 2019): Phase 1: define; Phase 2: measure; Phase 3: plan; Phase 4: execute experimentation; Phase 5: analyse the results; Phase 6: improve via confirmation experiments; Phases 7-8: control and standardise. Originality/Value of paper: This study uses a methodological approach to demonstrate how the 3D printing technology can be enriched with statistical testing techniques (DOE). It defines numerical prediction models to obtain high-quality parts with a new AM technology, using a planning process with a minimum amount of experimentation

Fundamento y diseño de un proyecto de evaluación de la integración educativa de los niños con necesidades especiales por su deficiencia visual

Este artículo pretende dar a conocer una investigación de evaluación de la educación integrada con niños ciegos y deficientes visuales en España que se está realizando por la O.N.C.E. con un grupo de profesores de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. En él se hace un resumen de los objetivos y naturaleza de la investigación evaluativa emprendida, valorativa, iluminativa y formativa, y un análisis del diseño, variables y metodología usada en la investigaciónThis article feports a research work on the evaluation of educational integration with blind and visually handicapped children in Spain. The research is being conducted by the O.N.C.E. in collaboration with a group o teachers of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. It outlines the objectives and nature of the evaluative study undertaken (valuative, instructive and formative) and analyzes the design, thé variables and the methodology used in the stud

Association of candidate gene polymorphisms with chronic kidney disease : Results of a case-control analysis in the NEFRONA cohort

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major risk factor for end-stage renal disease, cardiovascular disease and premature death. Despite classical clinical risk factors for CKD and some genetic risk factors have been identified, the residual risk observed in prediction models is still high. Therefore, new risk factors need to be identified in order to better predict the risk of CKD in the population. Here, we analyzed the genetic association of 79 SNPs of proteins associated with mineral metabolism disturbances with CKD in a cohort that includes 2,445 CKD cases and 559 controls. Genotyping was performed with matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. We used logistic regression models considering different genetic inheritance models to assess the association of the SNPs with the prevalence of CKD, adjusting for known risk factors. Eight SNPs (rs1126616, rs35068180, rs2238135, rs1800247, rs385564, rs4236, rs2248359, and rs1564858) were associated with CKD even after adjusting by sex, age and race. A model containing five of these SNPs (rs1126616, rs35068180, rs1800247, rs4236, and rs2248359), diabetes and hypertension showed better performance than models considering only clinical risk factors, significantly increasing the area under the curve of the model without polymorphisms. Furthermore, one of the SNPs (the rs2248359) showed an interaction with hypertension, being the risk genotype affecting only hypertensive patients. We conclude that 5 SNPs related to proteins implicated in mineral metabolism disturbances (Osteopontin, osteocalcin, matrix gla protein, matrix metalloprotease 3 and 24 hydroxylase) are associated to an increased risk of suffering CKD

3D Printing Optimization for Environmental Sustainability: Experimenting with Materials of Protective Face Shield Frames

The motivation for research on 3D printing of protective face shields was the urgent societal demand for healthcare in the fight against the spread of COVID19 pandemic. Research is based on a literature review that shows that objects produced by additive technologies do not always have consistent quality suitable for the given purpose of use. Besides, they have different effects on the environment and leave different footprints. The overall goal of the research was to find out the most suitable thermoplastic material for printing shield frames in terms of mechanical properties, geometric accuracy, weight, printing time, filament price, and environmental sustainability. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology was used for 3D printing, and three different filaments were investigated: polylactic acid (PLA), polyethylene terephthalate (PETG), and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). The weighted sum method for multi-objective optimization was used. Finally, PHA material was chosen, mainly due to its environmental sustainability, as it has the most negligible impact on the environment

Industrial eco-productivity tool: A case study of industrial SMEs

[EN] This paper presents a new, unified method to measure and increase production and environmental performance in industrial SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises), which have very limited resources, by identifying areas to improve and forming related projects. This structured, easy-to-apply method is based on standard systems to measure waste production efficiency and eco-efficiency and unifies them in a single reference value. In addition, a case study is shown where the industrial eco-efficiency of the company is obtained with the developed tool.Urain, I.; Justel, D.; F. Mendoza, JM.; Eguren, JA. (2023). Industrial eco-productivity tool: A case study of industrial SMEs. International Journal of Production Management and Engineering. 11(1):43-52. https://doi.org/10.4995/ijpme.2023.18979435211