Dynamic behaviour of woven bio fiber composite

The effect of weaving pattern and natural filler addition on the dynamic properties of composite structure was investigated. The reinforcement effect of plain, basket, and twill weave were compared with randomly oriented natural fiber in short form. An experimental modal analysis was used to determine the fundamental natural frequency and modal damping factor of composite structure. The results for a woven reinforced composite were compared with those of a randomly oriented short fiber composite. Reinforcement with woven form enhanced the fundamental natural frequency, while randomly oriented short fiber enhanced the damping factor of composite material. In addition, mechanical properties, such as tensile and flexural behavior, were examined to understand the effect of reinforcement on the composite material. The sisal bio fiber with woven form enhanced the properties of the composite material

Blockchain technology for enhancing traceability and efficiency in automobile supply chain: a case study

A robust traceability system would help organizations in inventory optimization reduce lead time and improve customer service and quality which further enables the organizations to be a leader in their industry sector. This research study analyzes the challenges faced by the automotive industry in its supply chain operations. Further, the traceability issues and waiting time at different nodes of the supply chain are considered to be priority issues that affect the overall supply chain efficiency in the automotive supply chain. After studying the existing blockchain architectures and their implementation methodology, this study proposes a new blockchain-based architecture to improve traceability and reduce waiting time for the automotive supply chain. A hyper ledger fabric-based blockchain architecture is developed to track the ownership transfers in inbound and outbound logistics. The simulation results of the proposed hyper ledger fabric-based blockchain architecture show that there is an improvement in the traceability of items at different nodes of the supply chain that enhances the Inventory Quality Ratio (IQR) and the mean waiting time is reduced at the factory, wholesaler, and retailer, which thereby improves the overall supply chain efficiency. The blockchain embedded supply chain is more capable to eliminate the risks and uncertainties associated with the automotive supply chain. The benefits of adopting blockchain technology in the automotive supply chain are also described. The developed blockchain-based framework is capable to get more visibility into goods movement and inventory status in automotive supply chains

Developing a strategic sustainable facility plan for a hospital layout using ELECTRE and Apples procedure

Today healthcare globally is growing at a rapid pace and despite the huge technological advancement, healthcare still faces primitive challenges and hence results in the poor service and facility to the needy. Layout planning acts as one major reason which requires improvements for the effective and efficient working of the healthcare facilities. This research aims at optimizing several quantitative criteria related to economic, technology and society which are taken into consideration for the decision-making during the evaluation, analysing and selection of the best layout for an existing healthcare facility. Critical areas for the improvement were found out using statistical analysis based on a survey questionnaire and Apple’s layout procedure is utilised to design the different possible layouts for an efficient facility. The seven criteria namely inter-departmental satisfactory level, the average distance travelled and the average time required for staff flow, the average distance travelled and the average time required for patient flow, the average distance travelled and the average time required for material flow were taken into consideration. The ELECTRE methodology was used as multi-criteria decision making based on decided seven criteria for comparing the different layout by methodical and orderly thinking.N/

Mechanical, Chemical and Morphological Analysis of Crab shell/Sisal Natural Fiber Hybrid Composites

Natural fiber-reinforced hybrid composites find wide applications in recent decades owing to its biodegradability, low density, and low-cost benefits. The work reported investigates, the effect of adding crab shell particles over sisal-reinforced epoxy hybrid composites in different weight percentages such as 0 wt.%, 2 wt.%, 4 wt.%, and 6 wt.%. Mechanical properties, morphological characters, X-ray diffraction analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were carried out for prepared hybrid composites. The inclusion of up to four weight percentage of crab shell particles exhibited considerable improvements in tensile (50%) and flexural strength (38%) in contrast to other combinations. Addition of more than 4 wt. % of crab shell particles in the polymer composites showed decreasing properties, due to the agglomeration effect between fiber and matrix. This clearly showed that the inclusion of crab shell particles into the polymer matrix considerably improves the flexural and tensile strength of hybrid composites. Morphological behavior of fractured surface confirmed the existence of better bonding between the fiber and matrix. Functional groups of sisal fiber and crab shell particles were identified using FTIR. The crystallinity index (CI) and crystallinity percentage of sisal fiber and crab shell particles are 0.43, 0.44 and 63.76%, 63.95%, respectively

Dataset for evaluating fitness index using Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System

With the current global downturn, the organizations need to develop new strategies and innovative approaches to ensure that every aspect of sustainability is achieved. For this purpose, the organizations need an indicator that measures the fitness if an organization. The purpose of this project is to analyze the ‘Fitness’ of an organization using the dataset related to leanness, agility and sustainability in ANFIS (Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System) in order to determine whether the company is fit enough to sustain in global markets or not. The project does so by integrating both neural networks and fuzzy logic principles with lean, agility and sustainability principles. FIT manufacturing is the integration of Lean, Agile and sustainability manufacturing in one system as a whole which would help in attaining maximum output and sustain effectively in global markets. FIT Manufacturing adopts an integrated approach towards the use of Lean, Agility and Sustainability to achieve a level of fitness that is unique to each company. The database in the paper contains lean, agile and sustainable indices reviewed by experts. FIT does not prescribe that every aspect of Lean, Agile and Sustainability methodologies must be applied to every company, but a selective mix of components will provide the optimum conditions for a company to prosper

Feasibility Analysis of Compact-Mobile Biomass Pallet Technology as Renewable Fuel for Small and Medium Industries

Wood or biomass pallets as renewable energy are possible to use like B20 to meet small and medium industries (SMEs). This research aims to analyze the feasibility of the compact-mobile wooden pallet biomass production to meet the needs of a case study on Food SMEs.  Specifically analyzed aspects of raw materials and supply chains, market and marketing, compact-mobile pallet technology, and financial feasibility.  The data collected consists of primary and secondary data.  Primary data is obtained through expert interviews related to recommendations, while secondary data is compiled from relevant company report results, production and consumption data, investment data, and operational costs.  The compact-mobile wood pallet supply chain starts from raw materials, processing, transportation, and end-use.  The compact-mobile wood pallet industry is designed to have 5 tons/hour with a defect rate of 5%.  The capital cost requirement is projected to be IDR 30 billion.  The BEP is at a minimum capacity of 2.82 tons of compact-mobile wood pellet per hour.  Financially, the compact-mobile pallet industry deserves a WACC of 10.95%, NPV value of IDR 28.94 billion, IRR 21.82%, and 6-year PBP.  The simulation results from the pallet's selling price at least IDR 1,038,145 per ton but the PBP increased to 11 years.  The development of a wood pellet industry is related to the efforts of diversification and saving the use of fossil energy fuels; therefore, the form of infrastructure that must be prepared is not only physical needs

Study of Various Properties of Chemically Treated Lignocellulosic Cissus quadrangularis Stem Fiber for Composite Reinforcement

The increasing demand for natural fiber-reinforced composites has opened up the market for inexpensive, lightweight, bio-renewable, and environment-friendly plant fibers. The chemical treatments on fiber lead to the reduction of lignin and hemicellulose contents which helps in better adhesion with the matrix. The objective of this work is to do various chemical treatments on Cissus quadrangularis Stem Fiber (CQSF) and perform its characterization. The natural fibers are first extracted from the Cissus quadrangularis stem using the retting process. The fibers are then chemically treated with magnesium carbonate (MgCO3), sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), and calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2). The characterization of single fibers is investigated by single-fiber tensile test, chemical composition, thermogravimetric analysis, and field emission scanning electron microscope. Characterization results show that the MgCO3-treated CQSF has improved mechanical and thermal properties. Thus, MgCO3-treated CQSF is suggested for biocomposite preparation due to its promising mechanical properties and thermal properties

Impact behaviour of hybrid composites for structural applications: a review

Recently published research indicates that natural fibre based polymer composites have limited applications in advanced structural systems due to their low impact performance. However, natural fibres have great potential for reducing the product weight, lowering material cost, and renewability. Hybrid composites made from a combination of natural/synthetic fibres, natural/natural fibres, or synthetic/synthetic fibres are also receiving attention from both researchers and the industry for structural applications owing to the tailored mechanical and impact properties of these materials. The hybridisation process is one of the paramount and more efficient ways to strengthen and improve the performance of composite materials. This review paper examines the impact properties of hybrid composites manufactured with the aim of improving their structural characteristics, and in particular, is focused on the impact resistance and penetration behaviour of hybrid composites reinforced with natural and synthetic fibres as well as their suitability for modern structural applications