169,965 research outputs found
Individual Differences, subjective well-being, and job satisfaction: The mediating role of workaholism
No full textThe aim of this research was to test a model where the workaholism dimensions, identified by Spence and Robbins (1992), have been considered as mediators of the relationships between individual differences (personality traits and personal values) and personal or professional outcomes such as subjective well-being and job satisfaction. Individual dispositions have been recognized as relevant predictors of work addiction, however, only few empirical evidence is available about the role of personal values. Participants were employees who completed a battery of scales. Results indicated that two workaholism dimensions played a mediational role between predictors and criterion variables. Specifically, work enjoyment mediated the relationships between antecedents and the two outcome variables while drive to work mediated only those with well-being. Moreover, results indicate that openness to change and selfenhancement values have relevant and opposed effects on the different facets of workaholism
Performance evaluation of multi-stage manufacturing systems operating under feedback and feedforward quality control loops
No full textIn manufacturing, the essential product characteristics are often created through multiple stages. Coupling product data obtained through inspection and controllers based on decision models with prediction capabilities enables quality control loops, enhancing both feedback and feedforward mechanisms. This paper proposes a methodology to merge the formulation of feedback and feedforward quality control loops into a performance evaluation model for multi-stage manufacturing systems. This approach evaluates quality control loop impacts system-wide, aiding in configuring and reconfiguring quality gates. A case study illustrates how allocating inspection technologies and efficient decision models improves overall system performance through effective feedback and feedforward control loops
Advancing zero defect manufacturing: A state-of-the-art perspective and future research directions
No full textZero Defect Manufacturing is a disruptive concept that has the potential to entirely reshape the manufacturing ideology. Building on the same quality management philosophy that underpins both lean production and Six Sigma, the Zero Defect Manufacturing paradigm has in recent years developed significantly, given the onset of Industry 4.0 and the increasing maturity of its digital technologies. In this paper, we review contemporary advances in Zero Defect Manufacturing using structured literature review. We explore emergent themes and present important directions for future development in this continuously emerging field of research and practice. We highlight two specific Zero Defect Manufacturing strategy types: defect prevention, and defect compensation; as well as identify two important themes for future ZDM research, namely advancing ZDM research (particularly with a view to progressing from zero-defect processes to zero-waste value chain strategies) and overcoming the global application challenges of ZDM (with emphasis on cyber-security and the extension of defect prevention and compensation strategies to less explored manufacturing processes)
Reference architecture for the industrial implementation of zero-defect manufacturing strategies
No full textIn recent years, digitalization has enhanced the implementation of more complex architectures for the management and control of manufacturing systems. In particular, Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) acquired relevance as central software module for the application of advanced Zero-Defect Manufacturing (ZDM) strategies, aiming at achieving improved production quality performance at industrial level. ZDM-strategies ground on the gathering of production and quality data from heterogeneous sources and on their integration with information at multiple factory levels. This paper presents a reference architecture and the related software modules to properly support the implementation of advanced ZDM strategies in complex industrial contexts
Exploiting High Voltage Fragmentation to Enable Demand-Driven Recycling of End-of-Life Wind Blades
No full textIn recent years, the number of installations of wind turbines significantly increased, driven by the necessity for a transition to a sustainable economy to achieve EU goals of carbon neutrality. However, considering their life of 20-25 years, it is urgent to fnd innovative solutions for End-of-Life (EoL) treatment. Among their components, one of the most critical elements is the blade, made in composites, particularly glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP). Currently, EoL wind blades are going to disposal (where possible), incineration, or they are used in low-value applications, mainly due to uncontrolled mechanical recycling processes, which result in the reduction of their mechanical properties, limiting their reuse in high-added value products. High-Voltage Fragmentation (HVF) is an innovative technology that creates localized shockwaves at the interface between two different materials through the generation of electric discharges within a product. This study focuses on the application of HVF to EoL wind blades. Experimental results demonstrate that this technology can act as a feasible recycling solution, both to remove impurities and to recycle GFRP, as a highly-controlled shredding process. This opens up interesting prospects for the reuse of the material itself in high-quality, high-added value products, following a demand-driven approach
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Multi-objective early-stage design of automotive hybrid assembly lines
No full textHybrid assembly lines include multiple assembly technologies, such as RSW (Resistance Spot Welding) and RLW (Remote Laser Welding). The early-stage design of these automotive assembly lines is a critical, multi-objective task. The design process is typically carried out in industry by continuous iterations between the process design department and the simulation and systems engineering department. This results in a time consuming and cost-inefficient procedure. This paper presents a novel approach and a software platform to support the early stage design of hybrid assembly lines. It relies on the integration of a Process Concept Generator and a System Configuration Module, which is based on analytical performance evaluation models, thus drastically reducing the overall time and cost of the design procedure. The effectiveness of the proposed approach in industrial settings is shown by a real door assembly line in the automotive industry, analyzed within the EU FP7 funded project RLW Navigator
Automated identification of circular value chains and synergies
No full textA human-driven procedure able to identify cross-sectorial and cross-regional circular economy value-chains was co-created by 17 European regions within the H2020 SCREEN project. This paper explains how such a procedure has been translated into an automated service able to be inserted in a digital platform overcoming current information asymmetry among value-chain stakeholders, currently under development within the H2020 DigiPrime project. The open innovation approach adopted for the translation enables local companies to directly insert their data and to be directly notified about circular business opportunities. The advantage of the automated identification mechanism consists in avoiding the support of a circular economy expert for the first identification of value chains and synergies matching, thus leaving the regional officer more freedom; the lower accuracy of the automated mechanisms will be compensated by the large number of data that will be available once the DigiPrime platform will be fully operating
Effect of work-force availability on manufacturing systems operations of job shops
No full textIn manufacturing systems characterized by job shop architectures, long lead times, and multiple part types, operators are important resources of the system, because they supervise and actively support the technical operations of machines. However, Industry 4.0 tools, as digital twins of manufacturing systems, rarely consider the human aspect. As a consequence, the real impact of workforce on production performance cannot be assessed precisely. In this paper, the effect of work-force availability on manufacturing systems operations is shown, with a special focus on job-shop systems. Results show that there is a strong relation between the operators management and the short-term production planning. The method is applied and validated within a real industrial case in the aeronautics sector, characterized by high value-added complex parts
Reconfiguration of Quality Gates Based on Part Variation Modes in Multi-stage Manufacturing Systems
No full textThe growing production of high-tech, high-value products in strategic European sectors blended with the perception of zero-defect manufacturing (ZDM) set a premium on defect management strategies in multi-stage systems. The state-of-art end-of-line quality gate mechanisms face the challenge of variability and error accumulation from heterogenous sources, originated in up-stream process stages. On the contrary, the adoption of in-line monitoring and data-gathering systems allow defect detection and prevention with lower complexity and higher efficiency. However, the implementation of such stages, especially into mass-production environments, requires a comprehensive product- to system-level analysis. In this context, the integration of product-driven knowledge at system-level can be pursued by means of part variation modes (PVMs), which represent synthetic characterization of product deviation patterns. Therefore, the collected set of information can be further exploited to identify the quality fault root-causes and effects on the process sequence. This paper introduces a novel methodology for the evaluation of quality gates allocation in multi-stage high-volume production lines. The method integrates the quality information provided by PVMs with performance evaluation of production system based on the system dynamics. Preliminary results are provided for a real industrial case study from the automotive sector, demonstrating the significant advantages of proposed approach
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