Evaluating the Social Aspect of Sustainable Construction for Pakistan via Analytical Hierarchy Process

Sustainability, Sustainable Development and Sustainable Construction have no universal definition. In the past decade researchers have presented models for sustainability and identified factors for different countries. Most of the definition related to sustainability, sustainable development, and sustainable construction relies on economy, environment and society. This makes social aspect (society) to be of prime importance. This paper focuses on the social aspects of the sustainable construction. Most of the sustainability studies are carried out through questionnaire or interviews. Similarly, this papers also uses the questionnaire for data collection.  The collected data is analyzed with Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The pair wise comparison (From To) charts are generated for mean, mode and median independently. The analysis on the basis of mean, mode and median are also carried out independently. The factors are ranked on the basis of their Eigen values obtained from AHP analysis

Key Performance Indicators Identification and Prioritization for Environmental Sustainability in the Cement Manufacturing Industry in Pakistan Using Analytical Hierarchy Process

This paper examines the role of Key performance Indicators (KPIs) that are believed to influence the environmental sustainability of cement production in Pakistan. Environmental sustainability decision requires a scientific approach of identifying and prioritization of KPIs. The cement industries are confronted with challenges to implement sustainable manufacturing processes. The data gathered through questionnaire distributed among 213 respondents representing 24 cement plants was analyzed using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The proposed KPIs are supposed to assist the decision makers in achieving environmental sustainability. Among the 11 KPIs identified, the KPI “Total amount of Emissions in Metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year” was identified as having the highest impact on environmental sustainability.&nbsp

CYCLE TIME OPTIMIZATION FOR IMPERFECT MANUFACTURING SETUP FOCUSING WORK-IN-PROCESS INVENTORY

Imperfect production processes have been focused during recent decades for optimum lot size calculation based on average cost minimization. However, cycle time optimization has been ignored relatively when processes are imperfect and inspection as a process is considered. Furthermore, the role of work-in-process inventory with respect to cycle time has always been signifcant. Hence, this paper integrates work-in-process inventory and imperfect production setup in order to optimize cycle time based on average cost minimization. A mathematical model is developed that incorporate rework operation, rejected products produced, and inspection processes in addition to work-in-process inventory. Cycle time is optimized based on total system cost minimization. Numerical example is also used to illustrate the impact of the developed model as compared to the previously developed model. The impact of work-in-process inventory and processes imperfection on optimum cycle time is highlighted by an example

FACTORS IDENTIFICATION FOR COAL BRIQUETTES MANUFACTURING USING STATISTICAL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN APPROACH

Coal briquettes are mostly manufactured through conventional methods in developing countries including Pakistan. Shortages of energy resources across the globe have pushed companies to manufacture those products with least possible costs by using signifcant factors. Indeed, the role of statistical design of experiment in general and factorial design in particular is vital in identifying these signifcant factors in comparison to the conventional techniques. This paper provides a statistical approach towards manufacturing of coal briquettes in Northern Province of Pakistan. Binder composition, pressure, particle size, and coal type are analyzed for higher calorifc value and compressive strength simultaneously. Experiments are conducted in order to obtain the response of desired variables for the given three levels of each factor. Full factorial design approach with analysis of variance (ANOVA) is deployed to get the optimum values of the response variables under the given conditions

DEVELOPMENT OF OPTIMIZED MAINTENANCE SYSTEM FOR VEHICLE FLEET

Vehicle fleet holds a frm ground in both manufacturing and service industry. Fleet management plays a substantial role in an organization’s growth. Maintenance of vehicle fleet is critical in terms of cost, availability and customer satisfaction. The major cause for delays is inefcient and ineffective maintenance procedures. To avoid major market losses, an efcient maintenance model is required. This research proposed a maintenance system that integrates the flow of information by incorporating different maintenance strategies. The analysis is carried out on the basis of likelihood of the failures. Five Why Analysis is used to identify the root cause. The model incorporates the inspection method by using checklists and maintenance schedules. The system is capable to provide the basis for an advance system development

Waste reduction of polypropylene bag manufacturing process using Six Sigma DMAIC approach: A case study

In the current study, minimization of waste in terms of sack rejection at a polypropylene bag manufacturing process is achieved. The Six Sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) approach is adopted which results in 50% waste reduction and a considerable cost saving. The sack rejection is brought to 1.20% from the previous average waste of 2.80% using DMAIC. It is found that this high rejection rate of 2.80% is due to the low fabric strength obtained at the weaving section, which in turn occurred due to the lower tape tenacity values obtained from the extrusion section. Hence, experimental design is conducted at the extrusion department and it is found that the two interacting factors are playing a significant contribution to the process variation and hence result in lower tape-tenacity (i.e., less than 6 g/denier). The two interacting factors included the “water bath temperature” and “line speed” of the extrusion process, with a p-value less than 5%. By further analysis, the optimal level of these significant factors is found. They are 300 m/min for “line speed” and 40⁰C for “water bath temperature. At these settings, the extrusion process produces optimal tape-tenacity results (i.e., at least 6 g/denier), which ultimately results in minimum waste in terms of sack rejection waste. The objective of the study includes finding the significant factors contributing to the process variation. Also controlling those factors to the optimal levels to achieve minimum wastage and considerable cost saving. The methodology and findings of the present study can be generalized to the polypropylene bag manufacturing plants and the process efficiency can be enhanced.</p

MAINTENANCE SYSTEM FOR HEAVY EARTH MOVING EQUIPMENT

Heavy earth moving equipment’s are critical for completion of any developmental projects. Dams, schools, bridges or any mining related initiations are part of these infrastructure development projects. Usually the delays are due to the inefcient and ineffective maintenance procedures of the heavy earth moving equipment’s. Poor record keeping and un-systemized maintenance procedures leads to reducing the machine effective life cycle. To avoid catastrophic losses in production and, market share, a maintenance model for such equipment is developed. Heavy equipment availability is mandatory on site. Their movement is critical and usually limited. The data collected includes both manufacturer and operator requirement. Usually such equipment is treated as normal machine irrespective of the rough environment it works in. The analysis includes segregation, Pareto analysis and Five Why analysis. A dedicated maintenance model is proposed which includes checklist and proper maintenance schedule

Modular Product Architecture for Sustainable Flexible Manufacturing in Industry 4.0: The Case of 3D Printer and Electric Toothbrush

Integrating sustainability, a flexible manufacturing system, and Industry 4.0 resolves the issues of fluctuating market demand arising from customization requirements. Modular products allow flexibility to adapt to changing requirements and optimize resource utilization. In this study, a method was proposed and applied to two products, i.e., a 3D printer and an electric toothbrush featuring modular architecture, multiple product versions, and customization, to contribute to the development of sustainable flexible manufacturing systems. From the results of the two case studies nine modules were identified that contain specific functions and related interface information. From these modules, one platform was developed that comprises common entities used in all variants of the products. This platform was further extended to product families. From the modules, product architecture was developed that supports the product and process relationships. These relationships can be developed concurrently, enabling product features to be linked to the manufacturing setup. Thus, when a modular architecture is developed, the factory has to be reorganized accordingly, or reconfiguration is possible. Hence, the main aim of the research was to develop modular product architecture to identify product and process relationships for a sustainable flexible manufacturing system

SINGLE FACILITY LOCATION SELECTIONPROBLEM FOR A PAKISTAN BASED ICE CREAM COMPANY: A CASE STUDY

The facility location optimization problems are economically justifable and play a critical role in reducing the overall running cost. An optimal facility location is directly proportional to traveling cost between facility and destinations. In past decade, extensive research has beencarried out in this feld. Most of the facility location optimization techniques provide optimum or near optimumsolution. In this paper, an optimization technique median method is applied to a real world problem of a multinational ice cream company’s factory located in Lahore, Punjab (province) Pakistan, with an objective of minimum overall cost between a warehouse and destinations. The company wanted to locate the warehouse in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), province in order to meet the demand in KPK on time and reduce the travelling cost between the warehouse and destinations. Moreover, using Contour line technique a generic computer based simulation model is developed using MATLAB in order to draw an ISO cost contour line around the optimum location. The model is successfully developed and provides encouraging results. The cost analysis of each potential location is also presented in this paper

Global variation in postoperative mortality and complications after cancer surgery: a multicentre, prospective cohort study in 82 countries

© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licenseBackground: 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods: This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03471494. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation: Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit