Simulation-Based Business Case for PSS: A System Dynamics Framework

Many potential business benefits have been widely associated with the implementation of PSS. Still, several significant challenges for transitioning to PSS persist, especially in regards to materializing the business benefits. To tackle such difficulty, this paper suggests a theory-driven concept of a business case for PSS implementation and management, based on a System Dynamics simulation framework. With a maturity-oriented theoretical perspective and the associated capability concepts, the study provides insights into how the development of PSS capabilities can potentially affect corporate performance over time. The paper's preliminary results identify the potential for managers and other decision-makers to use the business case simulator to assessing PSS-related business benefits and responding to multiple implementation scenarios and strategies

Embracing Circular Economy: a journey seen through the perspective of Sustainability Maturity

Circular Economy has been progressively acknowledged as a promising and consistent approach to maximizing value by increasing resource productivity, while minimizing resource consumption and related waste. Manufacturing companies operating on a linear fashion are faced with a wealth of potential business benefits derived from a circular economy. However, this transition requires a systemic change mindset, encompassing a wide array of organizational processes and functions: from strategy and business models to take-back and end-of-life management. With a view to supporting the transition of manufacturing companies towards Circular Economy, this article presents a maturity-based approach that supports manufacturing companies to develop and implement strategic roadmaps and action plans for the transition. An analysis of twelve key management practices to manage the transition towards Circular Economy is presented and briefly discussed. Industrial applications of the proposed maturity approach indicate that the maturity approach can effectively strengthen companies’ abilities to embrace the beneficial prospects of the Circular Economy.<br/

Additive Manufacturing Cost Analysis Compared to Conventional Production Methods

Additive manufacturing has been identified as a technology that could revolutionize the production processes and change currently employed production strategies. However, additive manufacturing is still mainly used in the production of prototypes, in which high flexibility and low costs for specific tooling are required. The trend is that the additive manufacturing gradually becomes part of the production processes for final products as it reaches higher levels of quality, such as dimensional accuracy, finishing and tolerances, besides lower production costs, moving closer to those existing in the large-scale production. In this scenario, this paper aims to analyze and compare costs for a standard piece produced by additive manufacturing and conventional production methods, analyzing the feasibility of implementing the technology as an essential part of production processes. This research also provides the establishment of a standard piece, its design features and typical production volumes - from which periodic analysis should be conducted to evaluate costs, given the increasing scale and the learning curve consolidation in the production of additive manufacturing equipment.A manufatura aditiva tem sido apontada como a tecnologia capaz de revolucionar os processos produtivos das empresas e de alterar as estratégias de produção atualmente empregadas. No entanto, hoje a manufatura aditiva ainda é essencialmente utilizada na produção de protótipos, em que se requer alta flexibilidade e baixos custos de ferramental específico. A tendência é que a manufatura aditiva passe a ser gradativamente utilizada como parte dos processos produtivos de produtos finais à medida que atinja maiores níveis de qualidade, tais como precisão dimensional, acabamento e tolerâncias, além de menores custos de produção, aproximando-se mais daqueles existentes na produção em larga escala. Neste cenário, este artigo visa analisar e comparar custos de produção para uma peça padrão produzida por meio de manufatura aditiva e por métodos convencionais de produção, analisando a viabilidade de implementação da tecnologia como parte essencial dos processos produtivos de empresas. A pesquisa proporciona também o estabelecimento de um padrão – peça padrão, suas características de projeto e volumes típicos de produção – a partir da qual análises periódicas possam ser realizadas ao longo dos próximos anos para avaliação de custos, com o aumento da escala e a consolidação da aprendizagem na produção dos equipamentos de manufatura aditiva

Formación en español con objetivos académicos: aspectos teóricos y metodológicos de la interculturalidad y la intersubjetividad en la enseñanza de lenguas

Introducción: contextos del surgimiento de la enseñanza de LEcon objetivos específicosLa Enseñanza de Lengua Extranjera para Fines Específicos (ELEPFE) surgióen la década de 1960 y se consolidó en las décadas siguientes con distintosnombres. De acuerdo con algunos autores (Chaves 2006, Ferreira y Rosa 2008,Celani 1997), el contexto de su nacimiento está relacionado al contexto desurgimiento del abordaje comunicativo, pero no se confunde totalmente con él.Así como el abordaje comunicativo, la ELEPFE surgió a causa de grandeshechos sociales e históricos, además de los cambios teóricos y metodológicosproducidos dentro del campo del estudio de la lengua. El primero de ellos fue eldesplazamiento del eje económico hacia los EEUU durante las décadas de 1950 y1960, como consecuencia del apoyo económico dado a los países europeos quesufrieron la destrucción de su parque industrial y la pérdida de una partesignificativa de trabajadores durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. El segundo fueel desarrollo de investigaciones en el área de la lingüística y adquisición delenguas. El tercero fue la creación del Marco Común Europeo de Referencia paralas Lenguas, en la década de 1970.El primer aspecto a ser analizado es que, según Hobsbawn (1995: 44), laSegunda Guerra Mundial estableció entre los países participantes, rehenes oaliados de cada uno de los bloques, un vínculo económico y político. De acuerdocon el autor, los países involucrados en este conflicto mundial pueden serclasificados en dos grupos: al primero pertenecen aquellos países europeos quefueron el escenario de la guerra y que por eso sufrieron pérdidas devastadoras ensus poblaciones, principalmente de trabajadores. Además de eso, sufrieronpérdidas en su infraestructura, creando una momentánea incapacidad económica.Del otro lado, en el segundo grupo, tenemos los países que participaron en l

Transition Radiation by Neutrinos

We calculate the transition radiation process $\nu \to \nu \gamma$ at an interface of two media. The neutrinos are taken to be with only standard-model couplings. The medium fulfills the dual purpose of inducing an effective neutrino-photon vertex and of modifying the photon dispersion relation. The transition radiation occurs when at least one of those quantities have different values in different media. The neutrino mass is ignored due to its negligible contribution. We present a result for the probability of the transition radiation which is both accurate and analytic. For $E_\nu =1$ MeV neutrino crossing polyethylene-vacuum interface the transition radiation probability is about $10^{-39}$ and the energy intensity is about $10^{-34}$ eV. At the surface of the neutron stars the transition radiation probability may be $\sim 10^{-20}$. Our result on three orders of magnitude is larger than the results of previous calculations