A meta‐heuristic approach for supporting adaptive disassembly sequencing using a multi‐objective concept

One of the key features of environmentally conscious manufacturing has been the efforts to promote product recycling and remanufacturing. Efficient material re‐utilisation through product disassembly to retrieve the desired parts and/or subassemblies is one rational approach. This is because it can promote the conservation of both material and energy resources whilst concurrently reducing environmental impact. However, because manufactured products may be made from many components, disassembly load becomes a critical factor that may obstruct the recovery of materials. Accordingly, it is essential to develop a practical method for deriving a disassembly plan to decrease such load, and to endow a certain value to the product at the end of its life cycle. With this understanding, the authors have developed a practical procedure to produce an adaptive disassembly strategy. The authors have applied a meta‐heuristic method known as genetic programming (GP) as a search engine to derive the adaptive disassembly sequence together with a multi‐objective optimisation method termed MOON^2R. The authors have also proposed a hierarchical sequencing method to cope with large/complex products and added several ideas to increase the applicability associated with the interests in disassembly of hazardous and/or valuable parts, and alternative disassembly actions. Through numerical experiments, the authors examined the effectiveness of the proposed approach by showing its support for relevant planning and design decisions for product recycling and remanufacturing from various viewpoints.     

Application of TISM and MICMAC for analysis of influential factors of sustainable development of tablet devices: a case study

Abstract

With the advancements in technology and increase in demand for eco-efficient products, manufacturers are focusing on sustainable development of products. Enticing a huge demand over the recent years, sustainable development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products are a subject of interest for most practitioners and academicians. A number of factors are found to influence the sustainable development of ICT products. It is necessary to identify the most important factors and determine the dependencies of factors among themselves. In this regard, a case study has been conducted in the context of sustainable development of tablet devices. The most influential factors have been identified from literature and with experts input. The factor dependencies are established using Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (TISM) methodology. MICMAC analysis is used to classify the factors based on their ability to influence other factors. The output of TISM forms the input for MICMAC analysis. From the study, it was found that the factors, ‘Customer pressure’, ‘Government regulations’, ‘Competitiveness’, ‘Organization initiative’ and ‘Technological advancements’ are the most driving factors. Factors ‘Environmental impact’, ‘Energy efficiency’ and ‘Opportunities to upgrade’ were found to be dependent.     

Mapping out the design opportunities: pathways of sustainable behaviour

To advance the area of design for sustainable behaviour (DfSB), a common behaviour terminology is needed to enable comparisons of studies across application areas. Thus, the map of pathways of sustainable behaviour was created with the aim of charting different paths that users can follow to reduce environmental impact when interacting with artefacts. The construction of the map results from a comparative analysis of sustainable behaviours identified in previous studies in conjunction with a review of existing behaviour classifications. The proposed map of pathways gives a comprehensive overview of all artefact-related resource-consuming usage behaviours, organised according to a design perspective and divided with regard to aspects of use and obtainment, primary and secondary artefact, duration and type of effort. Through design, the user can be encouraged to take any of the five identified paths: choice of artefact, changed use, maintenance and repair, mediated use and regulated artefact. Using the map in a DfSB process can guide the exploration phase and highlight potential design opportunities when choosing target behaviour. If adopted by the DfSB community, the united typology of the map also provides means necessary to make rigorous comparisons and develop the field and its tools.     

Macroergonomic Analysis and Design for Improved Safety and Quality Performance

Abstract

Macroergonomics, which emerged historically after sociotechnical systems theory, quality management, and ergonomics, is presented as the basis for a needed integrative methodology. A macroergonomics methodology was presented in some detail to demonstrate how aspects of microergonomics, total quality management (TQM), and sociotechnical systems (STS) can be triangulated in a common approach, in the context of this methodology, quality and safety were presented as 2 of several important performance criteria. To demonstrate aspects of the methodology, 2 case studies were summarized with safety and quality performance results where available. The first case manipulated both personnel and technical factors to achieve a “safety culture” at a nuclear site. The concept of safety culture is defined in INSAG-4 (International Atomic Energy Agency, 1991). as “that assembly of characteristics and attitudes in organizations and individuals which establishes that, as an overriding priority, nuclear plant safety issues receive the attention warranted by their significance.” The second case described a tire manufacturing intervention to improve quality (as defined by Sink and Tuttle, 1989) through joint consideration of technical and social factors. It was suggested that macroergonomics can yield greater performance than can be achieved through ergonomic intervention alone. Whereas case studies help to make the case, more rigorous formative and summative research is needed to refine and validate the proposed methodology respectively.     

Macroergonomics and Total Quality Management: How to Improve Quality of Working Life?

Abstract

In this paper, we present a macroergonomic model of work design that is applied and tested to examine Total Quality Management (TQM) in the public sector. According to the model, TQM can influence different aspects of work design and quality of working life (QWL), Questionnaire data collected in 2 public sector organizations in the USA show that TQM can have both positive and negative impact on work design and QWL. The main positive impact of TQM was found on job content, job control and participation, and social relationships. The main negative impact of TQM was on workload, uncertainty, and clarity of job duties. The impact of TQM on QWL was mixed. Our results show that the impact of TQM on work design and QWL varied very much across the 6 participating departments, as well as within the departments. Further research is warranted to assess the human impact of TQM, in particular research on the linkage between various aspects of TQM, on one hand, and work design and QWL, on the other hand.     

Ergonomic design and evaluation of a diagnostic ultrasound transducer holder

Background. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are injuries and disorders that affect the body’s movement and musculoskeletal system. Awkward postures represent one of the major ergonomic risk factors that cause WMSDs among sonographers while working with an ultrasound transducer. This study aimed to design and evaluate a new holder for the ultrasound transducer. Materials and methods. In the first phase a new holder was designed for the transducer, considering design principles. Evaluation of the new holder was then carried out by electrogoniometry and a locally perceived discomfort (LPD) scale. Results. The application of design principles to the new holder resulted in an improvement of wrist posture and comfort. Wrist angles in extension, flexion, radial deviation and ulnar deviation were lower with utilization of the new holder. The severity of discomfort based on the LPD method in the two modes of work with and without the new holder was reported with values of 1.3 and 1.8, respectively (p?<?0.05). Conclusion. Overall, this study indicated that applying ergonomics design principles was effective in minimizing wrist deviation and increasing comfort while working with the new holder.     

Workplace Design for Manual Assembly Tasks: Effect of Spatial Arrangement on Work-Cycle Time

This article reports the results of an experimental study undertaken to investigate the effect of spatial arrangement of assembly board and parts bin in the normal work area on work-cycle time in manual assembly tasks. Operator performance was measured in terms of average work-cycle time taken to complete a laboratory-simulated manual assembly task. Results showed that both location and distance factors had significant effects on work-cycle time. Effect of the size of parts was also investigated in the study. Average observed work-cycle times were compared with the methods–time measurement (MTM) values. Repetitive manual assembly tasks are common in industry and are thought to lead to musculoskeletal disorders. The results of this research are important for ergonomic design of the workplace for assembly tasks, which would help to enhance operators’ efficiency.     

某大型商场性能化防火设计评估

利用FDS、Pathfinder软件对某大型商业建筑防火安全性能进行评估,实测火灾荷载数据,探究发生火灾情况下,能否满足人员安全疏散的要求。评估发现,大型商业建筑在采用一系列消防安全措施后,在消防设施正常工作情况下,疏散宽度可在现行规范规定基础上作适当放宽。     

Social sustainability and neighbourhood design: an investigation of residents' satisfaction in Delhi

Social and environmental goals are often mutually reinforcing. Urban forms may encourage social sustainability as well as social inclusion or may have the potential to create areas of crime and social exclusion. The issues of relationship between sustainable development and urban form have given birth to new paradigms of design approach such as new urbanism, the compact city and the eco-city. This paper examines the impact of urban form on social sustainability at the neighbourhood level. It seeks to better understand the relationship between urban form and social sustainability by comparing three neighbourhoods with dissimilar urban forms in Delhi, India. Household surveys and observation surveys in these three neighbourhoods were conducted, and it was found that the urban form of a neighbourhood plays a very important role in creating a socially sustainable residential neighbourhood. The study established that social interactions within the communities are higher when dwelling units are placed around the public realm or common open space. The study demonstrated that provision of high quality and well-located open space at the precinct level, mixed land use and good accessibility to the public realm and social infrastructure play an important role in increasing the social sustainability of the neighbourhood.     

The Concepts of Energy,Environment, and Cost for Process Design

Abstract

The process industries (specifically, energy and chemicals) are characterized by a variety of reactors and reactions to bring about successful process operations. The design of energy-related and chemical processes and their evolution is a complex process that determines the competitiveness of these industries, as well as their environmental impact. Thus, we have developed an Enviro-Energy Concept designed to facilitate sustainable industrial development. The Complete Onion Model represents a complete methodology for chemical process design and illustrates all of the requirements to achieve the best possible design within the accepted environmental standards. Currently, NOx emissions from industrial processes continue to receive maximum attention, therefore the issue problem of NOx emissions from industrial sources such as power stations and nitric acid plants is considered. The Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) is one of the most promising and effective commercial technologies. It is considered the Best Available Control Technology (BACT) for NOx reduction. The solution of NOx Emissions problem is either through modifying the chemical process design and/or installing an end-of-pipe technology. The degree of integration between the process design and the installed technology plays a critical role in the capital cost evaluation. Therefore, integrating process units and then optimizing the design has a vital effect on the total cost. Both the environmental regulations and the cost evaluation are the boundary constraints of the optimum solution.