Simulating Primary Manufacturing Area (PMA) activities of fixed trailing edge panels production

Simulation clearly has the potential to play an important role in manufacturing decision-making at many levels. This simulation study is conducted at the local manufacturing plant that manufactures fixed trailing edge panels for the aerospace industry. The model focused on operational activities at the primary manufacturing area of cutting and laminating of aircraft’s composite parts. The model built was used to investigate a variety of issues, for example to determine the impact of a proposed change, without affecting production.The result shows that when production rate was increased by 20% to investigate the current plant capacity, the current resources capacity was unable to tolerate this increment. From the model experimentation, an increase of 60 minutes working time for ply cutter machines and 75 minutes of lay up operators found to be the best design to meet the expected production throughput and increase resources utilisation

Feedback-Rich Model for Assessing Feed-In Tariff Policy

The depletion of fossil fuels, environmental concerns, and security of supply risk has put an emphasis on renewable sources of electricity generation. However, the high cost of technology has compelled countries to develop support policies. Feed-in tariff (FIT), which has been successful in many countries, is one such policy. In this study, a qualitative model is presented. This model takes a holistic perspective in developing renewable power infrastructure. To do this, this model takes into account social, environmental, learning effect, and the FIT policy in scaling up the renewable energy capacity. The shortcomings of the FIT policy are highlighted along with improvements in policy structure. Developed from policy makers’ perspective, this model also incorporates investors’ perception of renewable market, in a Malaysian context. Modified structure suggests making the reduction in the FIT price a variable. An additional source of income—by introducing carbon tax on fossil fuel-based generation—is suggested. Furthermore, the government’s policy target has to be made variable subject to support funds availability. The developed model’s aim is to determine whether or not the goal of transforming electricity supply chain using FIT is achievable. This model also aims to show that the qualitative model would serve as a tool for future dialogue and policy improvements

Modeling production of audio systems using simulation

The manufacturing sector has become an essential sector in Malaysia. This sector needs to be efficient and sound in facing great competition. Reducing costs will ensure that manufacturing companies remain competitive in the market. This study was conducted in a manufacturing company that produces audio systems by using simulation technique. Simulation technique can help the management team in making the right decisions. The objectives of the study are to identify the problems arising in the system and to forecast the throughput based on several scenarios. The aim of these scenarios is to see the system performance. System performance is determined by looking at total output and cycle time. The percentage of resource utilization, waiting time and queue time is also taken into consideration. Three scenarios were built in order to see the performance of the system after the throughputs were increased. ARENAB software was used in modeling the system

A hybrid simulation approach in developing a risk quantification model for coal procurement in power generation

All energy systems provide some level of security to its consumers.However, the right or optimum level of security is very difficult to assess. In order to make a comparison between the cost of providing energy security and level of security, the quantified risks have to be in the common accounting platform of cost.Then, an optimum level of security and cost can be estimated using appropriate methods.Since no such attempts have been done to compare the risks and the cost in the same platform, i.e. monetary unit, it is unpractical to determine the optimum point between the risks and cost of providing security in any energy systems.The objective of this paper is to present a new hybrid simulation model in risk analysis which computes the total exposure of coal procurement in power generation through the summation of quantified supply shortage risk in monetary terms and the cost of coal procurement. The hybrid simulation model is made up of two main components: 1) Dynamic Risk Calculation Program (DR-P) which was developed in System Dynamics platform for capturing the effect of dynamics behavior of price toward coal procurement risk, and 2) Non-delivery Probability Table Program (NdPT-P) which was developed in Matlab platform for computing all possible shortage level and the probability of shortage in selected coal procurement portfolio.The result from this paper has shown that the risks of coal procurement were increased as the cost of coal procurement were decreased and vice versa.However, the summation of risk and cost which give the total exposure of coal procurement has provided more accurate information for selecting the best coal procurement portfolio option

Microworlds of the dynamic balanced scorecard for university (DBSC-UNI)

This research focuses on the development of a Micro worlds of the dynamic balanced scorecard for university in order to enhance the university strategic planning process.To develop the model, we integrated both the balanced scorecard method and the system dynamics modelling method. Contrasting the traditional university planning tools, the developed model addresses university management problems holistically and dynamically. It is found that using system dynamics modelling method, the cause-and-effect relationships among variables related to the four conventional balanced scorecard perspectives are better understand.The dynamic processes that give rise to performance differences between targeted and actual performances also could be better understood.So, it is expected that the quality of the decisions taken are improved because of being better informed.The developed Micro worlds can be exploited by university management to design policies that can positively influence the future in the direction of desired goals, and will have minimal side effects.This paper integrates balanced scorecard and system dynamics modelling methods in analyzing university performance. Therefore, this paper demonstrates the effectiveness and strength of system dynamics modelling method in solving problem in strategic planning area particularly in higher education sector

Simulating Primary Manufacturing Area (PMA) Activities of Fixed Trailing Edge Panels Production

Simulation clearly has the potential to play an important role in manufacturing decision-making at many levels. This simulation study is conducted at the local manufacturing plant that manufactures fixed trailing edge panels for the aerospace industry. The model focused on operational activities at the primary manufacturing area of cutting and laminating of aircraft’s composite parts. The model built was used to investigate a variety of issues, for example to determine the impact of a proposed change, without affecting production. The result shows that when production rate was increased by 20% to investigate the current plant capacity, the current resources capacity was unable to tolerate this increment. From the model experimentation, an increase of 60 minutes working time for ply cutter machines and 75 minutes of lay up operators found to be the best design to meet the expected production throughput and increase resources utilisation.

Exact Solutions of Accelerated Flows for a Generalized Burgers' Fluid, I: The Case

An analysis is presented to develop the exact solutions for the accelerated flows of a generalized Burgers' fluid when the relaxation time satisfying the condition 2 /4 . The corresponding expressions for the velocity field and associated tangential stress are obtained by using Laplace transform for the problems of flow induced by constantly accelerated plate. The obtained solutions are presented through simple or multiple integrals in terms of Bessel functions. The corresponding solutions for Burgers' fluid are recovered as special case of the solutions obtained here

Simulation model of resources allocation of container terminals

A large amount of capital is invested in developing container terminals in order to cope with the growth of trade and, at the same time, to increase the level of efficiency. Managing a container terminal becomes a difficult and challenging task due to its complexity. Simulation model has the potential of being extremely useful in assessing and analyzing different strategies in the planning and management of the terminal. The simulation model is also useful for forecasting the likely effects on system performance of any physical and policy changes. In this study an efficient simulation model for container terminal planning is developed. The model assists in making informed decisions 0n the logistic management of terminal operations and the optimal utilization of resources

Unsteady Boundary Layer Flow and Heat Transfer of a Casson Fluid past an Oscillating Vertical Plate with Newtonian Heating

In this paper, the heat transfer effect on the unsteady boundary layer flow of a Casson fluid past an infinite oscillating vertical plate with Newtonian heating is investigated. The governing equations are transformed to a systems of linear partial differential equations using appropriate non-dimensional variables. The resulting equations are solved analytically by using the Laplace transform method and the expressions for velocity and temperature are obtained. They satisfy all imposed initial and boundary conditions and reduce to some well-known solutions for Newtonian fluids. Numerical results for velocity, temperature, skin friction and Nusselt number are shown in various graphs and discussed for embedded flow parameters. It is found that velocity decreases as Casson parameters increases and thermal boundary layer thickness increases with increasing Newtonian heating parameter

E-commerce initiatives in the Malaysian shipping industry

Communication technology has always been important to a company.As this technology developed, it is increasingly being used as a strategic tool to re-engineer a business process and to gain competitive advantage.A majority of businesses and consumers have embraced electronic commerce (E-commerce) or “information exchange through an electronic means” to various extent.The electronic communications include E-mail, the internet, electronic fund transfer, electronic bulletin boards, file transfer protocols, barcodes for goods labeling and delivery, interactive voice response and electronic data interchange (EDI).EDI is about doing business and carrying out transactions with trading partners electronically.It is a paperless trading method and therefore an important foundation block for the implementation of Ebusiness. To harness the capability of EDI, Malaysian ports such as Port Klang was facilitated with the national EDI, Dagang*Net under the government’s trade facilitation program. The government hopes that EDI applications will bring about greater efficiency and productivity and also be able to respond to the needs and changing requirements of the trade if a port is to become a major port of call for shipping lines the world over. The advancement in information and communication technology (ICT) coupled with the intensification of ICT applications by all sectors prompted by the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) initiatives has propelled Malaysia into another level of technology exploitation – E-commerce.An understanding of their current status is essential for the success of any E-commerce initiatives in Malaysia.Thus this study seeks to provide such an empirical base.This study found that in the Malaysian shipping industry, EDI was primarily used in transactions with the Customs Department for duty payments and import/export declaration.The results indicated that EDI usage at Port Klang might be high in terms of volume. However, its use was still very low and limited in terms of diversity, breadth and depth. There was hardly any transaction between other business partners except the Customs Department.Although EDI has been introduced to the shipping community in the Port Klang area more than a decade ago, the port community has yet to fully realize the benefits that have been profusely talked about in literature and media.Generally, the three most cited benefits of EDI applications are the increase in efficiency, increase in data accuracy and increase in business image.This study also revealed that hidden computing costs, connectivity problems as well as network reliability and security were the major problems faced by these companies