scholarly journals Epoxy tooling: Technologies, developments, sustainability and future interest to industry 4.0

2021 ◽  
pp. 096739112110598
Author(s):  
Gorka Díez-Barcenilla ◽  
José L Gómez-Alonso ◽  
Koldo Gondra ◽  
Ester Zuza

The technology of epoxy tooling, at present under continuous development, is used for the rapid manufacture of cost-effective tools for small batch production. It is a valid alternative with no need for expensive investment in metallic moulds for the development of new products. Current investigations are focused on improvements to the production system, improved tool performance, the cost reduction of moulds and tool manufacturing sustainability. In this paper, both the advantages and the disadvantages of epoxy tooling in injection moulding, wax injection, metal stamping and hot embossing are compared with conventional techniques. Following a brief introduction of rapid tooling technologies, the latest advances of epoxy tooling and their implementation in different manufacturing processes are all analysed. These developments refer to the production of new ad-hoc epoxy composites, increased productivity using conformal cooling channels, the reduction of the tooling manufacturing costs through waste reuse and the emerging industry 4.0 technologies for smart manufacturing and tooling. The main objective is to identify both the challenges facing epoxy tooling techniques and future research directions.

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 377-385
Author(s):  
Volodymyr M. Lucenko ◽  
Dmytro O. Progonov

Reliable protection of confidential data processed in critical information infrastructure elements of public institutions and private organizations is topical task today. Of particular interest are methods to prevent the leakage of confidential data by localizing informative (dangerous) signals that both carry an informative component, and have a signal level higher than predefined threshold. The increase in signal energy from personal computers is caused by increasing of its transistors switching speed. Modern passive shielding methods for secured computers, similar to the well-known program TEMPEST, require either costly and large shielding units or technological simplification by using of low-cost fragmentary shielding of computer’s individual elements. Therefore, localization of side electromagnetic radiation produced by personal computer is needed. The paper presents a cost-effective approach to reducing the level of computer’s electromagnetic radiation by passive method. The radiation are localized and measured by its estimation on personal computer’s elements, namely unshielded communication lines between video processor and a monitor, fragments of electric tracks on motherboards, etc. During experiments authors used ad-hoc miniature electric (ball antenna) and magnetic (Hall sensor) antennas connected to selective voltmeters. This approach significantly reduces the cost of equipment and measurements as well as requirements to analytics’ qualification for improving computer’s protection. Also, the alternative approach for computer protection is proposed. The approach is based on image content protection by distorting the image on the monitor instead of reducing electromagnetic radiation caused by signals from the monitor. The protection includes image scrambling using Arnold transform that randomly “shuffle” the lines in each frame.


Author(s):  
Eleni Didaskalou ◽  
Petros Manesiotis ◽  
Dimitrios Georgakellos

Engineering concepts usually, are complex concepts, thus many times are difficult for infusing into curriculums or to be comprehensive for practitioners. A concept that still now is not fully understandable is that of Industry 4.0, an approach that increases the complexity of production systems. Nowadays production systems are facing new challenges, as physical productions systems and internet technologies are directly linked, hence increasing the complexity but also the productivity of the systems. The paper introduces an approach of visualizing the concept of smart manufacturing in the context of Industry 4.0, as the term is not clearly specified, although has attracted attention both academicians and businesses. Concept mapping is a method of capturing and visualizing complex ideas. Concept maps are graphical tools for organizing, representing and communicating complex ideas by breaking them into more key concepts. As Industry 4.0 is a factor that can boost innovation and competitiveness of business, all parties involved in shaping the strategy of an organization, should perceive the issues to be covered. Furthermore, learners must be prepared to meet these challenges and knowledgebuilding activities may enhance their process of learning. The paper makes an interesting and valuable contribution, by identifying key concepts within the subject of smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0, using the method of concept mapping. Taking into consideration these concepts a conceptual framework will be introduced, by using the software tool CmapTools. The map can be used as a basis for future research in constructing a more comprehensive framework and identifying the concepts that describe smart manufacturing in the context of Industry 4.0, in a more thorough manner.


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Dickinson ◽  
Johanne Dow ◽  
Grant Gibson ◽  
Louise Hayes ◽  
Shannon Robalino ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBackground:Psychosocial interventions for carers of people with dementia are increasingly recognized as playing an important role in dementia care. We aim to systematically review the evidence from existing systematic reviews of psychosocial interventions for informal carers of people with dementia.Methods:Thirty-one systematic reviews were identified; following quality appraisal, data from 13 reviews, rated as high or moderate quality, were extracted.Results:Well-designed, clearly structured multi-component interventions can help maintain the psychological health of carers of people with dementia and delay institutionalization of the latter. To be most effective, such interventions should include both an educational and a therapeutic component; delivery through a support group format may further enhance their effectiveness.Conclusions:Successful translation of evidence into practice in this area remains a challenge. Future research should focus on determining the most cost-effective means of delivering effective multi-component interventions in real-world settings; the cost-effective potential of technology-based interventions is considerable.


2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lanting Lu ◽  
Jaime Peters ◽  
Chris Roome ◽  
Ken Stein

Objectives:The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of alemtuzumab (CAMPATH-1H) compared with conventional chemotherapy in people with T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL).Methods:We developed a decision-analytic model to assess the costs and benefits of alemtuzumab or conventional therapy based on their effects on quality of life of patients. The main outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio incorporating costs per additional quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained over lifetime. Due to the limited data available, a large number of assumptions had to be made to construct the cost-utility model. One-way, multi-way, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSA) were conducted to explore the impact of these uncertainties. Expected values of perfect information were also calculated for four specific scenarios.Results:Depending on different key assumptions made, the PSA suggested distinct conclusions using a willingness-to-pay threshold of 30,000 GBP per QALY gained. Using this threshold, the probability that alemtuzumab would be cost-effective varies from 0 percent to 53 percent for the four modeled scenarios. Population expected value of perfect information analysis suggests that resolving the parameter uncertainty in the analysis for people with T-PLL in the United Kingdom would have considerable value—up to 5.3 million euro.Conclusions:Alemtuzumab appears more likely to be cost-effective if used earlier in the course of T-PLL and where it replaces the use of multiple alternative therapies. However, cost-effectiveness is highly uncertain and future research is clearly justified. Nevertheless, our analysis demonstrates the feasibility of considering the cost-effectiveness of an agent despite the presence of significant uncertainty to provide appropriate assessment information to policy makers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10139
Author(s):  
Vivek Warke ◽  
Satish Kumar ◽  
Arunkumar Bongale ◽  
Ketan Kotecha

The Fourth Industrial Revolution drives industries from traditional manufacturing to the smart manufacturing approach. In this transformation, existing equipment, processes, or devices are retrofitted with some sensors and other cyber-physical systems (CPS), and adapted towards digital production, which is a blend of critical enabling technologies. In the current scenario of Industry 4.0, industries are shaping themselves towards the development of customized and cost-effective processes to satisfy customer needs with the aid of a digital twin framework, which enables the user to monitor, simulate, control, optimize, and identify defects and trends within, ongoing process, and reduces the chances of human prone errors. This paper intends to make an appraisal of the literature on the digital twin (DT) framework in the domain of smart manufacturing with the aid of critical enabling technologies such as data-driven systems, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and deep learning. This paper also focuses on the concept, evolution, and background of digital twin and the benefits and challenges involved in its implementation. The Scopus and Web of Science databases from 2016 to 2021 were considered for the bibliometric analysis and used to study and analyze the articles that fall within the research theme. For the systematic bibliometric analysis, a novel approach known as Proknow-C was employed, including a series of procedures for article selection and filtration from the existing databases to get the most appropriate articles aligned with the research theme. Additionally, the authors performed statistical and network analyses on the articles within the research theme to identify the most prominent research areas, journal/conference, and authors in the field of a digital twin. This study identifies the current scenarios, possible research gaps, challenges in implementing DT, case studies and future research goals within the research theme.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 5725
Author(s):  
Anbesh Jamwal ◽  
Rajeev Agrawal ◽  
Monica Sharma ◽  
Antonio Giallanza

Recent developments in manufacturing processes and automation have led to the new industrial revolution termed “Industry 4.0”. Industry 4.0 can be considered as a broad domain which includes: data management, manufacturing competitiveness, production processes and efficiency. The term Industry 4.0 includes a variety of key enabling technologies i.e., cyber physical systems, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, big data analytics and digital twins which can be considered as the major contributors to automated and digital manufacturing environments. Sustainability can be considered as the core of business strategy which is highlighted in the United Nations (UN) Sustainability 2030 agenda and includes smart manufacturing, energy efficient buildings and low-impact industrialization. Industry 4.0 technologies help to achieve sustainability in business practices. However, very limited studies reported about the extensive reviews on these two research areas. This study uses a systematic literature review approach to find out the current research progress and future research potential of Industry 4.0 technologies to achieve manufacturing sustainability. The role and impact of different Industry 4.0 technologies for manufacturing sustainability is discussed in detail. The findings of this study provide new research scopes and future research directions in different research areas of Industry 4.0 which will be valuable for industry and academia in order to achieve manufacturing sustainability with Industry 4.0 technologies.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Janet K. Allen ◽  
Sesh Commuri ◽  
Jianxin Jiao ◽  
Jelena Milisavljevic-Syed ◽  
Farrokh Mistree ◽  
...  

Abstract This special issue is motivated by the trend of smart factories of the future towards the fourth Industrial Revolution, which makes it possible to better leverage capabilities and resources in a human-cyber-physical production environment. This emerging paradigm of Industry 4.0 poses new systems design problems at the interface of smart manufacturing, robust and flexible automation, distributed and reconfigurable production systems industrial IoT, and supply chain integration. Recent advances of design engineering in the age of Industry 4.0 are presented in this special issue. More than forty (40) papers were received and peer-reviewed, out of which thirteen (13) papers were selected for publication. These are both theoretical and practical, as well as state-of-the-art reviews, new perspectives, and outlook for future research directions in the field. The papers span a range of design aspects and Industry 4.0 technologies. There are three intersecting clusters in this category: design principles and techniques for Industry 4.0, smart manufacturing technologies, and machine learning and data-driven techniques for Industry 4.0.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Manetti ◽  
Giuseppe Turchetti ◽  
Francesco Fusco

Abstract Background Falls may lead to hip fractures, which have a detrimental effect on the prognosis of patients as well as a considerable impact on healthcare expenditures. Since a secondary hip fracture (SHF) may lead to even higher costs than primary fractures, the development of innovative services is crucial to limit falls and curb costs in high-risk patients. An early economic evaluation assessed which patients with a second hip fracture could benefit most from an exoskeleton preventing falls and whether its development is feasible. Methods The life-course of hip fractured patients presenting with dementia or cardiovascular diseases was simulated using a Markov model relying on the United Kingdom administrative data and complemented by published literature. A group of experts provided the exoskeleton parameters. Secondary analyses included a threshold analysis to identify the exoskeleton requirements (e.g. minimum impact of the exoskeleton on patients’ quality of life) leading to a reimbursable incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. Similarly, the uncertainty around these requirements was modelled by varying their standard errors and represented alongside population Expected Value of Perfect Information (EVPI). Results Our base-case found the exoskeleton cost-effective when providing a statistically significant reduction in SHF risk. The secondary analyses identified 286 cost-effective combinations of the exoskeleton requirements. The uncertainty around these requirements was explored producing further 22,880 scenarios, which showed that this significant reduction in SHF risk was not necessary to support the exoskeleton adoption in clinical practice. Conversely, a significant improvement in women quality of life was crucial to obtain an acceptable population EVPI regardless of the cost of the exoskeleton. Conclusions Our study identified the exoskeleton requisites to be cost-effective and the value of future research. Decision-makers could use our analyses to assess not only whether the exoskeleton could be cost-effective but also how much further research and development of the exoskeleton is worth to be pursued.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Savastano ◽  
Carlo Amendola ◽  
Francesco Bellini ◽  
Fabrizio D’Ascenzo

The digital transformation of manufacturing (a phenomenon also known as “Industry 4.0” or “Smart Manufacturing”) is finding a growing interest both at practitioner and academic levels, but is still in its infancy and needs deeper investigation. Even though current and potential advantages of digital manufacturing are remarkable, in terms of improved efficiency, sustainability, customization, and flexibility, only a limited number of companies has already developed ad hoc strategies necessary to achieve a superior performance. Through a systematic review, this study aims at assessing the current state of the art of the academic literature regarding the paradigm shift occurring in the manufacturing settings, in order to provide definitions as well as point out recurring patterns and gaps to be addressed by future research. For the literature search, the most representative keywords, strict criteria, and classification schemes based on authoritative reference studies were used. The final sample of 156 primary publications was analyzed through a systematic coding process to identify theoretical and methodological approaches, together with other significant elements. This analysis allowed a mapping of the literature based on clusters of critical themes to synthesize the developments of different research streams and provide the most representative picture of its current state. Research areas, insights, and gaps resulting from this analysis contributed to create a schematic research agenda, which clearly indicates the space for future evolutions of the state of knowledge in this field.


2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 503-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
John I Carruthers ◽  
Gudmundur F Ulfarsson

One of the principle criticisms of urban sprawl is that it undermines the cost-effective provision of public services. In this paper the authors examine whether or not this is true through an exploratory analysis of the influence that alternative development patterns have on twelve measures of public expenditure: total direct, capital facilities, roadways, other transportation, sewerage, trash collection, housing and community development, police protection, fire protection, parks, education, and libraries. The objectives of the analysis are threefold. First, the authors, through a background discussion, provide a brief overview of previous research on the relationship between urban development patterns and the cost of public services. Second, through empirical analysis, they examine how the character of urban development affects per capita public outlays in a cross-section of 283 metropolitan counties during the 1982–92 time period. A separate equation is estimated for each measure of expenditure, providing substantive evidence on how density, the spatial extent of urbanized land area, property value, and political fragmentation affect the cost of services. Finally, the authors use the results of the empirical analysis to develop a set of policy recommendations and directions for future research.


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