Additive Manufacturing: Possible Problems with Indoor Air Quality

n/

Lean Six Sigma for the improvement of company processes: the Schnell S.p.A. case study

Purpose – The aim of this study is to develop an in-depth case study on the implementation on Lean six sigma (LSS) in Schnell S.p.A., Italian company leader of an important multinational industrial group, highlighting the benefits that can be achieved from a careful application of this method, the main challenges and organizational learning from its implementation. Design/methodology/approach – The study has been developed with a qualitative approach, creating a single in-depth case study, with the participant observation of researchers in the project which lasted 4 months. Periodic weekly meetings were done with the working group to exchange feedback on the development of the project to share opinions and data. Findings – A project has been developed to stabilize the procurement process of a pull-type production cell, which experienced delays in supply lead times. The causes of the problems in their process of managing the supply of the production cell were found and some inefficiencies in the internal process of fulfillment of supply orders have been intercepted, the optimization of which has allowed the generation of an automatic system for sending supply orders, coming directly from the production line. Originality/value – This study described the path and dynamics of the transformation process that business organizations undertake for optimizing their profitability and competitive advantage, placing emphasis on an innovative methodology for conducting business process improvement projects, which constitutes its operating philosophy on the effective and efficient use of company resources and skills, to guarantee to the company the achievement of a lasting and defensible competitive advantage over time

WoodCircus, Underpinning the vital role of the forest-based sector in the Circular Bioeconomy. D2.2 Resource Efficiency, Side Streams and Value Chain Analysis – WP2 Final Report

202

An Overview of Honeybee Colony Losses in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are essential for the ecosystem, so their loss threatens biodiversity and agriculture. Several factors have been proposed as possible causes of both massive losses and Colony Collapse Disorder. In August 2017 episodes of colony losses were registered in General Alvear, Buenos Aires province. The aim of the present study was to find possible causes of these events. The samples were screened for presence of several pathogens and the determination of maternal lineages was also performed. Seven out of ten colonies were positive for pathogens, but there was no high prevalence of any of them. It will be necessary to carry out a standardization of studies, and delineate boundaries that allow comparing cases in order to discriminate different types of mortality of colonies that occur worldwide.Fil: Genchi García, María Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Microbiología. Cátedra de Virología; Argentina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Plischuk, Santiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores; ArgentinaFil: Bravi, Claudio Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; ArgentinaFil: Reynaldi, Francisco José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Departamento de Microbiología. Cátedra de Virología; Argentin

The ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System Standard: Companies' Drivers, Benefits and Barriers to Its Implementation

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate companies' perception of the latest version (2015) of ISO 9001 in terms of motivations that pushed companies to the implementation of a Quality Management System.Methodology: The research was conducted through a questionnaire proposed to 3,975 ISO 9001 certified companies, making a simple random sampling among the 150,143 Italian companies certified in 2018. Among the companies contacted, 493 participated in the survey and gave shape to the reference sample.Findings: The results of the study show that the "culture of quality" is rooted in Italy and mainly in the North, which represents the most economically advanced area. With regard to the evolution of the standard from ISO 9001:2008 to 2015, companies seem to have perceived the main changes introduced with the latest revision, that helps to easily adopt its principles in companies.Research Limitation: The main limitation of the study lies in the fact that the focus of the research was based on Italian companies. It would be important for future research to consider also other European countries, and make a comparison between them, in order to consider if companies of different markets have different motivations for implementing the standard and perceive different benefits and barriers to its implementation.Value of paper: Few researches have focused on the latest version of the ISO 9001 standard; therefore this study gives a broad vision of how companies that have had to deal with the new standard consider it in relation to the previous version, highlighting the main strengths and weaknesses

The importance of Fab Labs in the development of new products toward mass customization

The idea of developing Fab Labs (Fabrication Laboratories) was originated by Neil Gershenfeld of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center for Bits and Atoms in 2006, where it signaled the start of a new era that is changing the world economy by breaking down the boundaries between the digital and physical worlds. The Portuguese Fab Labs are analyzed and a subsequent comparison with others European countries and in the USA was made. This comparison is based on aspects of the profile, the knowledge, the services, and the users. The survey was made by questionnaire, where the Portuguese version of it was adapted from another one disseminated at European level and in the USA, created in connection with a doctoral thesis in Italy. There are 25 active Fab Labs in Portugal, of which 16 responses were obtained and considered valid, so they represent the sample of our study. The results show that the Portuguese Fab Labs are in an embryonic phase with few associated or registered users. Portuguese Fab Labs have areas of work and investment capacity in machinery and technology similar to those of other European countries. However, in terms of turnover, there is a big difference between Portugal and some of the European countries, with American Fab Labs having completely different realities from the European ones. This work is relevant because it compares the Fab Labs of developed countries with those of Portugal. To overcome the difference in good practices existing in other countries, the Portuguese Fab Labs need: (1) better publicity, as well as more support for volunteer workers at Fab Labs, so that more ideas will appear and therefore more products; (2) the facilitation of the use of Fab Labs to have more volunteer workers, who must receive experimental courses, in order to make the best use of the available equipment; (3) evolution, from the current subtractive manufacturing to the additive manufacturing looking for innovation; (4) improved quality, ergonomics, and safety in the design of their own products; (5) and on the part of those responsible, therecognition, dissemination, and celebration of the best ideas that have turned into good products, in order to spread good practices

Native Male Founder Lineages of America

Native-American males carry a Y-chromosome lineage characterized by one base-pair polymorphism (M3). All populations from Alaska to the MagellanÕs Strait present this lineage in frequencies higher than 60%. This lineage was considered the ÒfounderÓ, but further information shows that M3 occurred in America, or Siberia shortly before migration to America and so it is actually considered autochthonous. It belongs to the Q haplogroup, shows derivate state for M242, M346, and M3 polymorphisms, and is named subhaplogroup Q1a3a. Another lineage, paragroup Q1a3*, entered America showing derived states for M242 and M346 polymorphisms, and ancestral for M3. It is present in Eurasia and is more frequent in North than in South America. Though found at low frequency, it has not been possible to rule out a genetic bottleneck occurrence during the migration to South America.Fil: Ramallo, Virginia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; ArgentinaFil: Muzzio, Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; ArgentinaFil: Santos, María Rita. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; ArgentinaFil: Motti, Josefina María Brenda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; ArgentinaFil: Jurado Medina, Laura Smeldy. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; ArgentinaFil: Bravi, Claudio Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; ArgentinaFil: Bailliet, Graciela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Celular; Argentin

Síndrome de despoblamiento de colmenas: estudio de caso en la provincia de Buenos Aires

Las abejas melíferas (Apis mellifera) cumplen un rol importante como polinizadores de diversos cultivos y contribuyen con los ecosistemas, su disminución amenaza a la polinización tanto de plantas silvestres como cultivadas, poniendo en peligro la biodiversidad, el alimento y la producción agrícola (Simon-Delso et al. 2014). El Síndrome de despoblamiento de colmenas (SDC) es un fenómeno que afecta a las poblaciones de abejas y que se caracteriza por la pérdida masiva de sus colonias, en especial durante la temporada invernal (van Engelsdorp et al., 2009). En 2017 se registró un posible caso de SDC en el que 170 colmenas pertenecientes al partido de General Alvear, provincia de Buenos Aires, nucleadas en 3 colmenares, habían sufrido la pérdida masiva de sus abejas. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue determinar las posibles causas de dicho episodio a partir del estudio de presencia de patógenos en esas colmenas.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria