Fraunhofer Chalmers Research Centre for Industrial Mathematics
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TOWARDS A COMMON GOAL Exploring an Interdisciplinary Design Method for Sustainable Building
No full textThe potential cost savings of utilizing machine data A study of the possibilities of using Real- Time SPC in production for potential cost reduction in a threading process
No full textMachines are becoming more and more complex and the tasks they are expected to complete are of similar complexity. If the machines are expected to take more complex jobs from humans, then they need to become more like humans. The machines need to be adaptable to their surroundings. They need to be able to “see” and adapt to what they “feel”. This intelligence is a cornerstone in the formation of Industry 4.0. The steps to get fully adaptive machines, or as it is called in this report, real-time statistical process control (real-time SPC), is not that far in the future.
Can tool breakage be predicted? Is it possible to detect tool wear? What are the potential cost savings if tool breakage and tool wear is predicted?
The findings of this thesis showed that only by measuring the torque within the spindle, and predicting the breakage and tool wear, significant payoffs can become a reality. The findings of the interviews along with the conducted analysis of the threading process, showed that predicting thread tap breakage and extending tool life is possible. If the tool life is extended by 25%, the cost savings for only this element is approximately 350 000 SEK annually. If all the thread tap breakages can be prevented and the life length of the tools are extended by 25%, the cost savings are instead approximately at least 600 000 SEK based on numbers from production year 2018. This is without considering the insights gained of the process and the contribution towards designing future systems for Industry 4.0. The value which emerges from taking small steps towards improving and expanding data collection are immense and any manufacturer that values their competitive edge should have started yesterday…Can tool breakage be predicted? Is it possible to detect tool wear? What are the potential cost savings if tool breakage and tool wear is predicted?
The findings of this thesis showed that only by measuring the torque within the spindle, and predicting the breakage and tool wear, significant payoffs can become a reality. The findings of the interviews along with the conducted analysis of the threading process, showed that predicting thread tap breakage and extending tool life is possible. If the tool life is extended by 25%, the cost savings for only this element is approximately 350 000 SEK annually. If all the thread tap breakages can be prevented and the life length of the tools are extended by 25%, the cost savings are instead approximately at least 600 000 SEK based on numbers from production year 2018. This is without considering the insights gained of the process and the contribution towards designing future systems for Industry 4.0. The value which emerges from taking small steps towards improving and expanding data collection are immense and any manufacturer that values their competitive edge should have started yesterday
The changed division of labour - Coping with increasingly complex production environment in the construction industry
No full textSolar PV coupled with electricity storage in Sweden - The factors aiding the transition
No full textWith growing amounts of the worlds electricity supply coming from renewable sources, the intermittent nature of these sources demand an increase of energy storage. In addition to the need for energy storage on grid level, storage also provides possibilities for individual households to use larger amounts of their own produced electricity. The aim of this study was to examine what barriers the households that install battery storage systems in Sweden encounter, and to investigate how they use the storage systems. The objective was achieved by collecting and analyzing interview data from households with solar PV coupled with battery systems, as well as survey data from households with only solar PV installed. The findings further highlight barriers that have been previously identified for early adopters of solar PV in Sweden, with the relative value of producing electricity not reaching a level where the significant investment cost is justified. In the case of the battery system, the gap in value between using the produced electricity from the solar panels through the battery compared to selling it to the grid is not substantial enough to make the investment worthwhile. A major factor creating this situation is the tax reduction of 60 öre/kWh received for selling produced electricity to the grid. Information retrieval was not perceived as a major barrier for owners of solar PV and battery systems since this group of people possess a relatively high level of technical know-how. Improvements regarding available information on back-up power usage of batteries as well as a way of easily comparing offers from companies was requested by study participants. The batteries are usually charged with electricity from the solar panels that is not directly consumed. By charging the battery from the grid at times of low electricity prices the financial situation of an investment in a battery system could be somewhat improved, with some battery owners requesting this usage to be automatic in the future. Simplified and long-term legislative frameworks would further encourage adoption. Development of business models that could handle administrative work and guarantee revenue streams would also be of benefit
SYNTEXTURE - natural - synthetic texture composites ( re ) formatting a nation a lboundary
No full textIncreased productivity by improved information flow in the NPD Process
No full textThe project is carried out as a case study at an international company that is responsible for manufacturing premium construction equipment, with its head quarter in Gothenburg. The presented study focuses on the New Product Development (NPD) process and especially on the Concept Development study phase that takes place in the plants of Arvika and Braås. The outcome of the Concept Development phase is to provide the later phases of the NPD with a design drawing that includes the first changes for the update of an already existing product or for the development of a new one. The design drawing that is a CAD model will be passed on to the phases of the NPD until it will reach the industrialization and realization phase. Along the process new updates will occur to the design drawing but the Concept Development phase is responsible of setting the base and exploring if the changes or new features to be implemented to the new product are possible.
The study examines the Concept Development process in terms of variation and noise factors that influence the information flow between the different departments that are involved in that process. The factors with high contribution to the information flow were determined through interviews, observations through meetings and design reviews and the use of ideas generation tools. The basis theory of the project was the foundation of Six Sigma (SS) which have been used as a guideline to arrange the next steps. The aim of the project is to determine the critical-to-quality factors that is creating variation in the information flow of the concept loop of the Concept Development process, as well as to examine how alternations in the data visualization in the concept loop can stimulate discussion that will possibly lead to the free up of time in the departments of design engineering, quality and manufacturing engineering. According to previously conducted studies in the company, the welding process has been mapped and the concept loop was identified together with the recognition of inconsistency between the communication interactions between the departments.
The findings of the study lead to the identification of the critical factors responsible for the variation in the information flow which were: (i) lack of information sharing (ii) not fully understood and integrated cross-functionality and (iii) lack of common language and point of view. All of the above mentioned, has a connection with data visualization, although it is not an obvious observation, and it has been investigated by the study how a change in the data visualization can pose as a conversation starter and change the point of view of the discussion and provide a start from product oriented point of view to a more process oriented. To examine that, a pilot study has been carried out based on the analysis from an on-going thesis study in order to examine the effects that a different data visualisation can have. The project demonstrated that a change in that domain can be a conversation starter and influence the point of view. It has also indicated possible factors that can enhance the cross functionality concerning the procedures the company has already in place for NPD project execution. One of the most beneficial were the possible use of the different representation from the pilot study in the processes of the company for the closing of the feedback loop in the Concept development phase and the possible economic profit the company will possibly enjoy
