Application of fuzzy QFD for enabling sustainability

Contemporary manufacturing organisations recognise sustainability as an important concept for survival. Environmental awareness and recycling regulations have been compelling manufacturers and consumers to evolve sustainable strategies. The modern customers' voices need to be translated with care into technical requirements. Quality function deployment (QFD) is a technique extensively used for this purpose. In order to cope with the vagueness associated with relationships and correlations in QFD, fuzzy numbers have been integrated within a QFD framework and fuzzy QFD has been used in this study. The study is concerned with the application of fuzzy QFD for enabling sustainability in an Indian modular switches manufacturing organisation. The approach is effective in the identification of sustainable competitive bases, sustainable decision domains, sustainable attributes and sustainable enablers for the organisation. The improvement in sustainability has been measured from three perspectives. The results gained as a result of the study indicated that fuzzy QFD could be used as an enabler of sustainability.     

腈纶污水处理厂污染物转化规律分析

对某腈纶污水处理厂的现有处理工艺进行了评估,考察了污染物的转化规律。结果表明,经一级生化处理后,废水中的COD、TOC和BOD₅去除率分别为51.1%、32.1%和98.1%,但二级生化处理对COD和TOC的去除没有贡献。一级生化处理过程中氨化作用显著,有机氮逐渐向氨氮和有机胺转化,含氰基的大分子逐渐降解为较小的分子,且可见光区类富里酸荧光物质向类腐殖酸荧光物质、紫外区类富里酸荧光物质转化,同时生化出水中新增溶解性微生物代谢产物。但一级生化出水中碳氮比很低,几乎没有可生化性,导致二级生化处理效果不佳。     

我国长管拖车安全技术发展综述

长管拖车作为专用气体储运装备实现国产化已有10余年时间,其关键部件——长管拖车气瓶(即大容积无缝钢瓶)由于充装介质多易燃、易爆、且具腐蚀性和毒性,具有较高的安全隐患和潜在危险,因此国家将其纳入特种设备进行全寿命安全监管。中国特种设备检测研究院作为长管拖车定期检验专业机构,累计检验长管拖车气瓶万余只,对其制造使用工况、典型失效模式和缺陷评定方法积累了大量数据。本文综述了我国长管拖车气瓶的制造使用现状、安全检验现状和发展趋势,为长管拖车在我国的安全使用及发展提供依据。     

Factors for implementing end-of-life product reverse logistics in the Chinese manufacturing sector

Dedicated, skilled and relatively cheap manpower coupled with efficient manufacturing techniques has elevated China’s status as the world’s factory. China is now capable of producing virtually any product, from cheap toys to some of the most sophisticated goods and equipment. The resultant economic benefits and associated enormous consumption due to rise in per capita income are accompanied by an equally unprecedented negative environmental impact arising from the huge increase of end-of-life (EoL) products. This study aims to understand and prioritise EoL product reverse logistics (RL) factors from Chinese manufacturing sector perspective. Multiple case studies in five different industries within the manufacturing sector have been carried out and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has been employed to prioritise the governing factors for the successful RL implementation in the Chinese manufacturing sector. Results indicate that Chinese firms are unlikely to embark on RL operations without external factors such as strict government legislation.     

Influence of eco-innovation on Indian manufacturing sector sustainable performance

Manufacturing firms are striving to improve their sustainable performance in order to satisfy multiple stakeholders. Eco-innovation is a promising approach that decreases environmental impact and helps firms to increase their business value. There are several antecedents which help the firms to innovate and improve their triple bottom line performance. Among the antecedents, management and innovative practices are directly related to eco-innovation. It is not well known what practices and innovations help the firms to eco-innovate as well as to improve sustainable performance. Hence, the research objective of this paper is to identify the suitable combination of management and innovative practices that help firms to eco-innovate as well as to achieve overall sustainable performance. The paper develops an eco-innovation conceptual model which relates the management and innovative practices (antecedents) and overall sustainable performance (consequences) of eco-innovation using institutional theory. Using Indian manufacturing sector’s empirical data and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach, this paper determines the effect of eco-innovation’s antecedents and consequences. In the Indian context, this study suggests that the role of management practice is more significant towards eco-innovation than innovative practices. The results reflect practitioners’ view on how to increase innovation rate and to focus more on social aspects. The finding suggests that training on environmental related practices could tackle innovation and social aspects in the Indian manufacturing sector context.     

Internal cycle modeling and environmental assessment of multiple cycle consumer products

Dynamic annual flow models incorporating consumer discard and usage loss and featuring deterministic and stochastic end-of-cycle (EOC) return by the consumer are developed for reused or remanufactured products (multiple cycle products, MCPs), including fast and slow cycling, short and long-lived products. It is shown that internal flows (reuse and overall consumption) increase proportionally to the dimensionless internal cycle factor (ICF) which is related to environmental impact reduction factors. The combined reuse/recycle (or cycle) rate is shown capable for shortcut, albeit effective, monitoring of environmental performance in terms of waste production, virgin material extraction and manufacturing impacts of all MCPs, a task, which physical variables (lifetime, cycling frequency, mean or total number of return trips) and conventional rates, via which environmental policy has been officially implemented (e.g. recycling rate) cannot accomplish. The cycle rate is shown to be an increasing (hyperbolic) function of ICF. The impact of the stochastic EOC return characteristics on total reuse and consumption flows, as well as on eco-performance, is assessed: symmetric EOC return has a small, positive effect on performance compared to deterministic, while early shifted EOC return is more beneficial. In order to be efficient, environmental policy should set higher minimum reuse targets for higher trippage MCPs. The results may serve for monitoring, flow accounting and comparative eco-assessment of MCPs. They may be useful in identifying reachable and efficient reuse/recycle targets for consumer products and in planning return via appropriate labelling and digital coding for enhancing environmental performance, while satisfying consumer demand.     

制造企业生产过程环境影响评估系统研究

制造企业生产过程环境影响评估系统是对产品车间生产过程绿色性进行评估的系统,通过分析产品在生产过程各阶段以及整体的资源消耗和环境排放情况,来评定产品的生产制造过程是否符合绿色制造要求,以及应该在哪些方面进行改进,它是绿色生产过程得以实现的关键之一。研究制造企业生产过程环境影响评估系统的结构,基于生命周期评价(LCA)及生态指数Eco-indicators99方法建立环境影响评估模型,探讨生产过程环境影响评估的理论及方法,最后通过在车间中电弧焊接过程为实例分析验证了评价模型的可行性。     

A methodology for electricity monitoring and targeting (M&T) in an Irish precision engineering SME

Abstract

Energy management in small to medium enterprises (SMEs) remains undeveloped due to competing priorities and a lack of specialist knowledge. However considerable savings can be demonstrated where companies take the time to investigate their energy use. Savings of over 20% can be achieved through changes to operational and behavioural practice. Additional benefits, such as improved production tracking and improved maintenance, can been seen which add to the value in undertaking an energy monitoring and targeting (M&T) plan. The method described involves the application of a series of ‘virtuous’ cycles of engagement and energy savings that can be applied from the highest factory level right down to a specific machine. The analysis of overall energy use from utility bills and the visualisation of typical machine power profiles aid in understanding the drivers of energy consumption and in engaging management in energy efficiency. The monitoring of specific machines in production highlights the significant consumption of electricity during non-productive times. The development of energy performance indicators is described for product variations which can be useful in tendering for business and selecting optimum production pathways. The approach is illustrated with data from a case study of a precision engineering SME based in Limerick, Ireland.     

Performance evaluation of lean sustainable systems using adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system: a case study

The modern manufacturing organisations have been adopting both lean and sustainable manufacturing paradigms to survive in the competitive environment. Lean and sustainable strategies aim at achieving productivity improvement by streamlined processes and waste elimination. The performance of such integrated lean sustainable system has to be assessed to ensure whether the strategic objectives are in line with customer value and to identify improvement opportunities that enable and enhance the competitive advantage of an integrated lean sustainable system. This paper presents the formulation of conceptual performance evaluation model to assess lean sustainable systems. Appropriate performance indicators have been identified and adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system approach is used to evaluate lean sustainability. A case of automotive component manufacturing firm in Indian scenario is exemplified. Based on the evaluation, lean sustainability index was computed and the firm was found to be ‘Averagely Lean Sustainable’. Further improvement actions to enhance the lean sustainable performance were planned and implemented. The developed performance evaluation model is capable of effectively evaluating the lean sustainable performance of manufacturing firms and has more practical relevance.     

扁袋除尘器在木工车间通风除尘中的应用

介绍了模块式扁袋除尘器的工作原理及技术特点.通过某木工制造厂木工车间通风除尘工程应用实践,证明该除尘器能满足木工车间通风除尘、劳动保护和环境保护的需要,并能取得良好的治理效果.