scholarly journals Project-Based Learning

Author(s):  
Júlia Oliveira ◽  
Leonardo Panontim ◽  
Vitor Hugo Fonseca ◽  
Pedro Gonçalves ◽  
Diovana Napoleão ◽  
...  

One of the problems that concerns engineering courses in Brazil is the students low level of motivation in regarding the type of teaching and, as a consequence, low academic performance. This article encourages the introduction of active methods in Engineering teaching, emphasizing the methodologies of Project Based Learning. The approach used was proposing a project for students to analyze important aspects in the production of cylindrical cans. The students applied calculus concepts and developed a model for the optimal dimensions of the cylinder and the utilization of the plates used. Characteristics of two materials used in the manufacture of these cans (tinplate and aluminum) were also gotten. Such aspects are relevant for both environmental sustainability and production costs. Concepts of application of derivatives and Fermat's theorem were used, learned in the discipline of Differential and Integral Calculus, in order to obtain the maximum and minimum values of an established function which relates the dimensions of the can and the amount of material needed. The dimensions obtained theoretically proved to be close to the real values found in cans available on the market. After analyzing the resistance to corrosion, the cost, the decomposition time and the mechanical resistance, it was concluded that the most appropriate material for the production of cans was the tinplate. In this context, teaching with Project Based Learning methodologies may contribute to innovative teaching practices in the training of engineering professionals, overcoming the limitations of traditional teaching methods.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12692
Author(s):  
Alexandre L. N. Vieira ◽  
Raul D. S. G. Campilho ◽  
Francisco J. G. Silva ◽  
Luís P. Ferreira

Thermoplastic injection is currently employed in different industrial fields. This process has significantly evolved over the years, and injection machine manufacturers are continuously forced to innovate, to improve the energetic efficiency, aiming to reduce costs, improve competitiveness, and promote environmental sustainability. This work focuses on the development of a novel, profitable, and environmentally friendly plastic over-injection equipment of small metallic parts for the automotive industry, to be applied in a bowden cable production line, to cover the zamak terminations with plastic, or produce terminations entirely made of plastic. The work is based on an over-sized existing solution. The operating parameters required for the work are quantified, and all machine parts are designed separately to achieve the required functionality. Known approaches are finally used to perform the cost analysis, calculate the return on investment (ROI), and energetic efficiency, to substantiate the replacement of the current solution. The new equipment was able to increase the energetic efficiency of the current assembly line while keeping the required injection rates. An efficient and sustainable solution was presented, with a ROI of 1.2 years over the current solution. The proposed design is also applicable to different automated production lines that require this technology. Nowadays, this concept can be extended to all fields of industry that employ injection molding in their processes, enabling to integrate new manufacturing systems, and increasing energetic efficiency while reducing production costs.


El Dinar ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Zen Nufus Segawati

The purpose of this study was to determine the application of JIT as inventory of planning to maximize profit at the karya perdana. This study used decriptive qualitative approach. Analysis of the data used the production cost analysis. Then, the analysis of the implemetation of JIT used the MPR for scheduling the purchaseof raw materials, the analysis of performance with line balancing to make improvements and production efficiencies. After that, compared the cost of production beforeand after implementing of JIT. The results showed that a decline in production costs after the implementation of JIT methods. By using the method of JIT, companies just made the purchase of raw materials used only as needed per day. This causes raw material costs decreased by 8.51%. with JIT method was also carried out repairs of production of cycle time for production effeciency at the cost of direct labor costs but no change whereas the use of engine-related electricity costs in overhead costs were calculated based on the actual production of cycle time thus causing a decrease in cost of 2.53%, as result of a decrease in these costs, the company had increased earnings by 6.67% comapared with the methods applied by the company without it


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (20) ◽  
pp. 4419
Author(s):  
Felipe Gordillo-Fuenzalida ◽  
Alex Echeverria-Vega ◽  
Sara Cuadros-Orellana ◽  
Claudia Faundez ◽  
Thilo Kähne ◽  
...  

The cost of cellulase enzymes is a main contributor to the operational cost of a biorefinery producing ethanol from lignocellulosic material. Therefore, onsite production of enzymes using low-value substrates might be an option to make a bio-based facility more economical, while improving environmental sustainability. Food manufacturing wastes (FMWs), such as olive mill solids, tomato pomace, and grape pomace, are some of the main wastes produced by the food industry in Chile. FMWs are mostly composed of lignocellulosic material, which is primarily made of cellulose. A fungal strain obtained from olive stones was identified as a Trichoderma sp. and characterized by molecular and morphological techniques. This strain was able to grow on three FMWs in both liquid and solid cultures. In liquid cultures, cellulase and β-glucosidase activities from the culture supernatants were quantified. Identification of extracellular proteins using mass spectrometry revealed the presence of endoglucanases, exoglucanases, and β-glucosidases. Cellulase production from agroindustrial residues could be an excellent opportunity to utilize FMWs as well as decrease enzyme production costs in biorefinery processes.


The article is devoted to reengineering of technological processes - a method of their qualitative transformation on an innovative basis, which in turn assumes the availability of tools that make it possible to establish the economic efficiency and technical capability of such transformations of construction production, to identify the effect of their implementation. In this regard, the problem of forming a parametric model of reengineering of construction technological processes, which involves four enlarged groups of indicators that reflect the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the processes: materials used, working time, machine time, spatial organization, is considered. It is established that parameters can have either an absolute (physical, cost) or relative (point, percentage) expression and also make their own decomposition. The practical significance of the provisions given in the article is determined by the development of methods of technical rationing, which leads to a reduction in the cost and duration of construction.


Author(s):  
SAFITRI NURHIDAYATI ◽  
RIZKI AMELYA SYAM

This study aims to analyze whether the difference that occurs in the cost of raw materials, direct labor, and factory overhead costs between the standard costs and the actual costs in PLTU LATI is a difference that is favorable or unfavorable. Data collection techniques with field research and library research. The analytical tool used is the analysis of the difference in raw material costs, the difference in direct labor costs and the difference in factory overhead costs. The hypothesis in this study is that the difference allegedly occurs in the cost of raw materials, direct labor costs, and factory overhead costs at PT Indo Pusaka Berau Tanjung Redeb is a favorable difference. The results showed that the difference in the cost of producing MWh electricity at PT Indo Pusaka Berau Tanjung Redeb in 2018, namely the difference in the price of raw material costs Rp. 548,029.80, - is favorable, the difference in quantity of raw materials is Rp. 957,216,602, - is (favorable) , the difference in direct labor costs Rp 2,602,642,084, - is (unfavorable), and the difference in factory overhead costs Rp 8,807,051,422, - is (favorable) This shows that the difference in the overall production cost budget is favorable or profitable. This beneficial difference shows that the company is really able to reduce production costs optimally in 2018.  


2019 ◽  
Vol 290 ◽  
pp. 02007
Author(s):  
Radu Dan Paltan ◽  
Cristina Biriş ◽  
Loredana Anne-Marie Rădulescu

Of many techniques that are used to optimize production and costs, the studies conducted within a profile company lead to our choice for testing the 6Sigma method (the most used method in the automotive industry) in view of the economic efficiency applied in the wood Industry company. This method measures how many flaws exist in a process and determines in a systematic way how to improve it by technical overhauling and eliminating or minimizing the process for efficiency. This research article aims to study the state of research on the optimization of the production process through technical overhauling for panels reconstituted from solid wood and ways to make production more efficient by cutting costs through technical overhauling. From preliminary research, we estimate that all the items founded and others that will result from further research will result in a significant decrease in production costs that are reflected in the cost of the finished product and consequently in increasing the yield of the company by maximizing its profit. At the same time it may be the basis of future research studies in the field. The easier it is to maximize profits, the lower the operating costs are and the higher recovery rate of investments are, that will result a change in the operating mode: “working smarter not harder”.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Ejiro Nwaefuna ◽  
Karl Rumbold ◽  
Teun Boekhout ◽  
Nerve Zhou

AbstractBioethanol from abundant and inexpensive agricultural and industrial wastes possesses the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Bioethanol as renewable fuel addresses elevated production costs, as well as food security concerns. Although technical advancements in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation have reduced the cost of production, one major drawback of this technology is that the pre-treatment process creates environmental stressors inhibitory to fermentative yeasts subsequently reducing bioethanol productivity. Robust fermentative yeasts with extreme stress tolerance remain limited. This review presents the potential of dung beetles from pristine and unexplored environments as an attractive source of extremophilic bioethanolic yeasts. Dung beetles survive on a recalcitrant lignocellulose-rich diet suggesting the presence of symbiotic yeasts with a cellulolytic potential. Dung beetles inhabiting extreme stress environments have the potential to harbour yeasts with the ability to withstand inhibitory environmental stresses typically associated with bioethanol production. The review further discusses established methods used to isolate bioethanolic yeasts, from dung beetles.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 2232
Author(s):  
Huiwen Wan ◽  
Zhangyin Hu ◽  
Gang Liu ◽  
Jiadong Xiao

Electrical properties are one of the essential parameters of cement-based materials used in suspension porcelain insulators. This paper studied the electrical properties of aluminate cement adhesives (ACA) containing silica fume (SF), as well as their compressive strength and porosity. The results indicated that the addition of silica fume improved the resistivity of ACA under a saturated state (relative humidity is 50%). This was mainly attributed to the decrease of the ACA’s pore connectivity due to the SF’s filling effect. However, the early compressive strength of ACA was slightly reduced by the addition of SF. Under an unsaturated state, the ACA’s resistivity without the SF gradually exceeded that with the SF at the extension of drying time. The nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) results indicated that the addition of SF content increased the ACA’s porosity; for the tiny pores especially, (the size less than 25 nm), this increased by 3.4%. Meanwhile, the addition of SF increased the tortuosity of the ACA’s conductive channels, which could improve its resistivity. Therefore, SF is recommended to be used in cement-based adhesives on insulators to lower the cost and improve the resistivity.


1999 ◽  
Vol 89 (3) ◽  
pp. 585-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen W Salant ◽  
Greg Shaffer

Oligopoly models where prior actions by firms affect subsequent marginal costs have been useful in illuminating policy debates in areas such as antitrust regulation, environmental protection, and international competition. We discuss properties of such models when a Cournot equilibrium occurs at the second stage. Aggregate production costs strictly decline with no change in gross revenue or gross consumer surplus if the prior actions strictly increase the variance of marginal costs without changing the marginal-cost sum. Therefore, unless the cost of inducing second-stage asymmetry more than offsets this reduction in production costs, the private and social optima are asymmetric. (JEL D43, L13, L40)


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-244
Author(s):  
Thomas P. West

This review examines the production of the microbial polysaccharide gellan, synthesized by Sphingomonas elodea, on dairy and plant-based processing coproducts. Gellan is a water-soluble gum that structurally exists as a tetrasaccharide comprised of 20% glucuronic acid, 60% glucose and 20% rhamnose, for which various food, non-food and biomedical applications have been reported. A number of carbon and nitrogen sources have been tested to determine whether they can support bacterial gellan production, with several studies attempting to optimize gellan production by varying the culture conditions. The genetics of the biosynthesis of gellan has been explored in a number of investigations and specific genes have been identified that encode the enzymes responsible for the synthesis of this polysaccharide. Genetic mutants exhibiting overproduction of gellan have also been identified and characterized. Several dairy and plant-based processing coproducts have been screened to learn whether they can support the production of gellan in an attempt to lower the cost of synthesizing the microbial polysaccharide. Of the processing coproducts explored, soluble starch as a carbon source supported the highest gellan production by S. elodea grown at 30 °C. The corn processing coproducts corn steep liquor or condensed distillers solubles appear to be effective nitrogen sources for gellan production. It was concluded that further research on producing gellan using a combination of processing coproducts could be an effective solution in lowering its overall production costs.


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