Method engineering to increase labor productivity and eliminate downtime

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to present a method based on the application of method engineering, in order to eliminate downtime and improve the manufacturing cell. Design/methodology/approach: The research strategy employed was a case study applied to a manufacturing company to explore the causes of excessive dead time and low productivity. The methodology used was divided in five steps. The first corresponds to the analysis of the lathe and grinding process; the second is the elaboration of the man-machine diagram to identify dead times; the third is the application of the improvement proposal; the fourth is the redistribution of the cell to optimize the process; the fifth is to conclude from the results obtained. Findings: With the proposed method, the downtime was reduced by 41% and only 50% of the available labor is required, therefore, it is concluded that the method can be used to redesign manufacturing cells. Research limitations/implications: This research was limited to analyzing and improving humanmachine interaction, since work is not just the machine, or the individual alone, or the individual manipulating the machine, therefore, no other tools were used to improve the time of machines operation. Practical implications: Designing a manufacturing cell that allows the operator to do his job with less fatigue and not adapt the operator to the job, as commonly happens. Social implications: Companies must show a greater interest in occupational health by including human capital in their optimization plans to avoid future harm to workers. Originality/value: The key contribution of this paper focused on developing a novel and practical methodology to design or re-design manufacturing cells to improve productivity considering the human factor, inspired by the main concepts of method engineering.Peer Reviewe

Methodology for the Successful Integration of an Energy Management System to an Operational Environmental System

Despite the fact that the implementation of ISO 50001 has helped organizations to successfully accomplish energy saving policies, there is still a significant disparity in the number of companies certificated under ISO 50001 compared with other standards such as ISO 14001. Considering the compatibilities between both standards, a potential sector is identified for the integration of ISO 50001 in organizations that operate under ISO 14001 systems. The cost and time associated with the development and implementation of the Energy Management System are identified as being amongst the most important obstacles, restricting the number of companies that are inclined to this energy certification. As an attempt to overcome this limitation, in this work, both standards were analyzed in detail and their coincidences identified and organized to propose a novel methodology that allows companies to naturally integrate an Energy Management System based on ISO 50001 into an ISO 14001 already in operation. The results provide evidence of a strong compatibility among the energy and environmental management systems, allowing enterprises to integrate the former with minimum investment and resources. In order to validate the proposed methodology and to demonstrate the agreement between both programs, these procedures were applied in a manufacturing company of the automotive sector, considered as a high energy consumer according to the classification made by the National Commission for the Efficient Use of Energy in Mexico

Real-Time Generation of Operational Characteristic Curves for Municipal Water Pumping Systems: An Approach to Energy Efficiency and Carbon Footprint

Water supply represents a significant electrical load worldwide. The operation of inefficient pumps contributes to increased energy demand and carbon footprint. Current methods for evaluating industrial water pumps present technical and economic challenges that need to be addressed. For these reasons, we developed a practical and cost-effective virtual instrument called the Pumping Evaluation System (PES). The PES tool performs real-time monitoring of electrical, hydraulic, and efficiency data, as well as the Operating Characteristic (OC) curves. The PES tool was implemented on a vertical pump currently used by a municipal water distribution plant in Mexicali, Mexico. A comparative analysis between the experimental data and the manufacturer’s data revealed potential energy savings of 361,455 kWh/year (24.35%) and an equivalent carbon footprint reduction of 157,233 kg of CO2eq/year if the old pump is replaced by a new one, which is the lowest cost alternative according to a Life Cycle Cost (LCC)

Assessment of a container terminal expansion using simulation

The paper presents a methodology to construct a Discrete Event Simulation model to assess the expansion of a container terminal. The methodology was applied to the Ensenada International Terminal located in Mexico. The simulation integrates all the operations of the container terminal including the arrival of vessels, trucks, and storage of containers. The expansion plan included the addition of anew berth, and additional storage yard space. The expansion model was evaluated under different demand increments. Recommendations were provided on the level of demand that the expansion may be able to serve. As a result, the additional berth will increase the capacity, but the projected storage space will support up to a 140% increase in demand with a 20% in reserve. The terminal must consider additional storage space either in the terminal or at an external facility for additional demand greater than 140%, or for having a larger storage reserve.El artículo presenta una metodología para construir un modelo de simulación de eventos discretos para evaluar la expansión de una terminal de contenedores. La metodología fue aplicada a la Terminal Internacional de Contenedores de Ensenada ubicada en México. La simulación integra todas las operaciones de la terminal de contenedores, incluida la llegada de embarcaciones, camiones y almacenamiento de contenedores. El plan de expansión incluyó la incorporación de un muelle adicional y espacio adicional de almacenamiento en el patio. El modelo de expansión se evaluó bajo diferentes incrementos en la demanda. Se proporcionaron recomendaciones sobre el nivel de demanda capaz de servir. Como resultado, el muelle adicional aumentará la capacidad, pero el espacio de almacenamiento proyectado soportará hasta un 140% de aumento en la demanda con un 20% de reserva. La terminal debe considerar espacio de almacenamiento adicional, ya sea en la terminal o en una instalación externa para una demanda adicional mayor al 140% o para tener una mayor reserva de almacenamiento

Comprehensive analysis and insights gained from long-term experience of the Spanish DILI Registry

Altres ajuts: Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER); Agencia Española del Medicamento; Consejería de Salud de Andalucía.Background & Aims: Prospective drug-induced liver injury (DILI) registries are important sources of information on idiosyncratic DILI. We aimed to present a comprehensive analysis of 843 patients with DILI enrolled into the Spanish DILI Registry over a 20-year time period. Methods: Cases were identified, diagnosed and followed prospectively. Clinical features, drug information and outcome data were collected. Results: A total of 843 patients, with a mean age of 54 years (48% females), were enrolled up to 2018. Hepatocellular injury was associated with younger age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] per year 0.983; 95% CI 0.974-0.991) and lower platelet count (aOR per unit 0.996; 95% CI 0.994-0.998). Anti-infectives were the most common causative drug class (40%). Liver-related mortality was more frequent in patients with hepatocellular damage aged ≥65 years (p = 0.0083) and in patients with underlying liver disease (p = 0.0221). Independent predictors of liver-related death/transplantation included nR-based hepatocellular injury, female sex, higher onset aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and bilirubin values. nR-based hepatocellular injury was not associated with 6-month overall mortality, for which comorbidity burden played a more important role. The prognostic capacity of Hy's law varied between causative agents. Empirical therapy (corticosteroids, ursodeoxycholic acid and MARS) was prescribed to 20% of patients. Drug-induced autoimmune hepatitis patients (26 cases) were mainly females (62%) with hepatocellular damage (92%), who more frequently received immunosuppressive therapy (58%). Conclusions: AST elevation at onset is a strong predictor of poor outcome and should be routinely assessed in DILI evaluation. Mortality is higher in older patients with hepatocellular damage and patients with underlying hepatic conditions. The Spanish DILI Registry is a valuable tool in the identification of causative drugs, clinical signatures and prognostic risk factors in DILI and can aid physicians in DILI characterisation and management. Lay summary: Clinical information on drug-induced liver injury (DILI) collected from enrolled patients in the Spanish DILI Registry can guide physicians in the decision-making process. We have found that older patients with hepatocellular type liver injury and patients with additional liver conditions are at a higher risk of mortality. The type of liver injury, patient sex and analytical values of aspartate aminotransferase and total bilirubin can also help predict clinical outcomes