scholarly journals Digital technology application among Malaysian value-added wood products manufacturers

BioResources ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 2876-2890
Author(s):  
Jegatheswaran Ratnasingam ◽  
Florin Ioras ◽  
Lim Choon Liat ◽  
Jegathesan Ayenkaren ◽  
Lee Yan Yi ◽  
...  

The application of digital technologies (DT) has been on the increase within the manufacturing industries since a decade ago. It has been widely suggested that the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of DT in manufacturing industries worldwide, as countries have tried to contain and mitigate the spread of infection through lockdowns and stringent standard operating procedures (SOPs). Hence, a study was undertaken to evaluate this trend in the Malaysian wood products industry, and to identify the key DT used. A questionnaire-based survey was implemented and targeted at the furniture, moldings, and builder’s joinery and carpentry sub-sectors, with the assistance of the relevant trade associations. A total of 477 responses were obtained, and it was found that digital technologies, such as computer aided design (CAD), computer numerical control (CNC), digital communication, digital marketing, and enterprise resources planning (ERP) systems, were highly adopted, but they did not significantly differ in terms of company size or product type. However, the rate of adoption was not uniform, as 5% of the respondent companies did not adopt any digital technologies. The study revealed that wood products companies adopted digital technologies that boosted their production and marketing, while those with limited DT adoption were more severely impacted during the pandemic.

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 3819
Author(s):  
Ting-Hsun Lan ◽  
Yu-Feng Chen ◽  
Yen-Yun Wang ◽  
Mitch M. C. Chou

The computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) fabrication technique has become one of the hottest topics in the dental field. This technology can be applied to fixed partial dentures, removable dentures, and implant prostheses. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of NaCaPO4-blended zirconia as a new CAD/CAM material. Eleven different proportional samples of zirconia and NaCaPO4 (xZyN) were prepared and characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and Vickers microhardness, and the milling property of these new samples was tested via a digital optical microscope. After calcination at 950 °C for 4 h, XRD results showed that the intensity of tetragonal ZrO2 gradually decreased with an increase in the content of NaCaPO4. Furthermore, with the increase in NaCaPO4 content, the sintering became more obvious, which improved the densification of the sintered body and reduced its porosity. Specimens went through milling by a computer numerical control (CNC) machine, and the marginal integrity revealed that being sintered at 1350 °C was better than being sintered at 950 °C. Moreover, 7Z3N showed better marginal fit than that of 6Z4N among thirty-six samples when sintered at 1350 °C (p < 0.05). The milling test results revealed that 7Z3N could be a new CAD/CAM material for dental restoration use in the future.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 168781402110027
Author(s):  
Byung Chul Kim ◽  
Ilhwan Song ◽  
Duhwan Mun

Manufacturers of machine parts operate computerized numerical control (CNC) machine tools to produce parts precisely and accurately. They build computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) models using CAM software to generate code to control these machines from computer-aided design (CAD) models. However, creating a CAM model from CAD models is time-consuming, and is prone to errors because machining operations and their sequences are defined manually. To generate CAM models automatically, feature recognition methods have been studied for a long time. However, since the recognition range is limited, it is challenging to apply the feature recognition methods to parts having a complicated shape such as jet engine parts. Alternatively, this study proposes a practical method for the fast generation of a CAM model from CAD models using shape search. In the proposed method, when an operator selects one machining operation as a source machining operation, shapes having the same machining features are searched in the part, and the source machining operation is copied to the locations of the searched shapes. This is a semi-automatic method, but it can generate CAM models quickly and accurately when there are many identical shapes to be machined. In this study, we demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed method through experiments on an engine block and a jet engine compressor case.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5545
Author(s):  
Wai-Ming To ◽  
Peter K. C. Lee ◽  
Antonio K. W. Lau

Shenzhen has been established as the technology and innovation center in China. The study reviews its economic development and environmental change over the past four decades. Specifically, it tests whether environmental Kuznets curve relationship between haze as a proxy indicator of environmental condition and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita holds in Shenzhen. The study also examines the contribution of Shenzhen’s secondary sector to its GDP and highlights some changes in the computer, communication and electronic product manufacturing industries over the years. We collected the official data from the Shenzhen Municipal Government. Economic, social and environmental changes in Shenzhen were identified using tables and stacked graphs. Environmental Kuznets curve revealed that the worst environmental condition appeared in Shenzhen during the period 2003–2004. Environmental analysis showed that Shenzhen’s computer, communication and electronic product manufacturing industries consumed 52,595 TJ of energy and produced 10.1 million tons CO2-eq in 2019. As gross output value of the industries was USD 336 billion in 2019, the industries had an energy efficiency of 156,716 MJ/million USD and an emission efficiency of 30.6 tons CO2-eq/million USD, improving by 74% and 65%, respectively, since 2008. Nevertheless, the industries should focus more on high value-added and low energy-intensive technologies and innovations. Additionally, the Shenzhen Government shall increase the use of clean energy sources such as nuclear, wind and solar power in order to sustain the continual improvement of energy and emission efficiencies for all industries.


2020 ◽  
Vol 174 ◽  
pp. 01048
Author(s):  
Elena Kassikhina ◽  
Vladimir Pershin ◽  
Nina Rusakova

The existing structures of the steel sinking headgear and permanent headframe do not meet the requirements of resource saving (metal consumption and manpower input at installation), and the present methods of the headframe designing do not fully reflect recent possibilities of applying of the advanced information technologies. Technical level of the modern software makes it possible for designers to set up multiple numerical experiments to create a computer simulation that allows solving the problem without field and laboratory experiments, and therefore without special costs. In this regard, a mathematical simulation has been developed and based on it, software to select cross-sections of multi- purpose steel headframe elements and to calculate proper weight of its metal structures depending on the characteristics and hoisting equipment. A headframe drawing is displayed, as the results of the software work, including list of elements, obtained optimal hoisting equipment in accordance with the initial data. The software allows speeding up graphic work and reducing manpower input on calculations and paper work. The software allows developing a three-dimensional image of the structure and its functional blocks, based on the obtained initial parameters, as well as developing control software for units with numerical control (NC) in order to manufacture multi-purpose headframes.


Author(s):  
L Q Tang ◽  
D N Moreton

The timing scroll is an important feeding mechanism on packaging lines. As packaging line speeds have increased and the shape of containers has become more diverse, the techniques used for the design and manufacture of such timing scrolls have become critical for successful packaging line performance. Since 1980, various techniques have evolved to improve scroll design, manufacture and the associated line performance. In recent years, as CAD (computer aided design), CAM (computer aided manufacture) and CNC (computer numerical control) techniques have evolved, scroll design and manufacturing techniques began to be linked with computer techniques. In this paper, a scroll design and manufacturing package is presented which can be run on a minicomputer, such as a μ-VAX on an IBM PC clone. This scroll package can produce a timing scroll for any type of container with a correct pocket shape and good dynamic characteristic. Tests using carefully chosen containers have been made using this package and the results indicate that the scrolls obtained by this package have the correct pocket shape and good line performance. However, the design of a good pick-up geometry for some container shapes remains a problem.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 168781401771038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isad Saric ◽  
Adil Muminovic ◽  
Mirsad Colic ◽  
Senad Rahimic

This article presents architecture of integrated intelligent computer-aided design system for designing mechanical power-transmitting mechanisms (IICADkmps). The system has been developed in C# program environment with the aim of automatising the design process. This article presents a modern, automated approach to design. Developed kmps modules for calculation of geometrical and design characteristics of mechanical power-transmitting mechanisms are described. Three-dimensional geometrical parameter modelling of mechanical power-transmitting mechanisms was performed in the computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing/computer-aided engineering system CATIA V5. The connection between kmps calculation modules and CATIA V5 modelling system was established through initial three-dimensional models – templates. The outputs from the developed IICADkmps system generated final three-dimensional virtual models of mechanical power-transmitting mechanisms. Testing of the developed IICADkmps system was performed on friction, belt, cogged (spur and bevel gears) and chain transmitting mechanisms. Also, connection of the developed IICADkmps system with a device for rapid prototyping and computer numerical control machines was made for the purpose of additional testing and verification of practical use. Physical prototypes of designed characteristic elements of mechanical power-transmitting mechanisms were manufactured. The selected test three-dimensional virtual prototypes, obtained as an output from the developed IICADkmps system, were manufactured on the device for rapid prototyping (three-dimensional colour printer Spectrum Z510) and computer numerical control machines. Finally, at the end of the article, conclusions and suggested possible directions of further research, based on theoretical and practical research results, are presented.


Author(s):  
Fernando Rangel ◽  
Jami J. Shah

This paper discusses the issues of integrating the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) programs in commercial software. Integration was achieved through implementation of a computer-aided process planning (CAPP) system within the commercial software. The part model was imported into, or designed in, the commercial CAD system. Manufacturing information was then extracted from the part model by the CAPP system using commercial Application Programming Interfacing (API) methods. The CAPP system then uses the extracted information to produce a process plan consistent with the requirements of the commercial CAM module to produce Numerical Control (NC) code. The internal integration was accomplished using commercial API methods that dynamically bind the CAD, CAPP, and CAM into a single continuous application. These APIs are implemented using the Orbix middleware following the CORBA standard. A case study demonstrating the integration is presented. Strengths and weaknesses of integrating the CAD and CAM domains using APIs and middleware are discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Jiang ◽  
Yi-Chung Hu ◽  
Ghi-Feng Yen ◽  
Hang Jiang ◽  
Yu-Jing Chiu

As a crucial part of producer services, the logistics industry is highly dependent on the manufacturing industry. In general, the interactive development of the logistics and manufacturing industries is essential. Due to the existence of a certain degree of interdependence between any two factors, interaction between the two industries has produced a basis for measurement; identifying the key factors affecting the interaction between the manufacturing and logistics industries is a kind of decision problem in the field of multiple criteria decision making (MCDM). A hybrid MCDM method, DEMATEL-based ANP (DANP) is appropriate to solve this problem. However, DANP uses a direct influence matrix, which involves pairwise comparisons that may be more or less influenced by the respondents. Therefore, we propose a decision model, Grey DANP, which can automatically generate the direct influence matrix. Statistical data for the logistics and manufacturing industries in the China Statistical Yearbook (2006–2015) were used to identify the key factors for interaction between these two industries. The results showed that the key logistics criteria for interaction development are the total number of employees in the transport business, the volume of goods, and the total length of routes. The key manufacturing criteria for interaction development are the gross domestic product and the value added. Therefore, stakeholders should increase the number of employees in the transport industry and freight volumes. Also, the investment in infrastructure should be increased.


2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 1703-1715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Crespell ◽  
Eric Hansen

Innovativeness can help companies differentiate themselves, with the ultimate goal of securing survival and improving performance. Modern theories in organizational behavior look at innovation as something that starts with individual creativity but that is also affected by the work environment. Using one broad industry sector, the US forest products industry, this study attempts to integrate into a unifying model the concepts of work climate, innovativeness, and firm performance using structural equation modeling. Results support the proposed theoretical model, with some modifications, finding a positive and significant relationship among all factors. Having innovation as a core part of a company’s strategy and fostering a climate for innovation positively affects the degree of innovativeness and performance of a company. This is especially true for secondary or value-added wood products manufacturers. A climate for innovation is characterized by high levels of autonomy and encouragement, team cohesion, openness to change and risk taking, and sufficient resources available to people. Lack of a validation sample suggests treating the model as tentative until further testing.


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