Rational reduction of work in progress when assembling parts of a product using the group interchangeability method

The article discusses the method for interchangeability method. To reduce the volume of work in progress, the design of a fixed combined compensator is developed, which provides stepwise regulation. The article reducing the work in progress by stepwise regulation in multilink dimension chains when assembled using the group proposes a rational technology for the use of combined compensator, taking into account the peculiarities of the group interchangeability method. In order to reduce the work in progress during assembly using the group interchangeability method, two ways of using the combined compensator have been developed: 1 - the inclusion of a compensator in each dimensional chain collected by the group interchangeability method; 2-application of the compensator only at the stage of formation of work in progress during group assembly by replacing one of the parts with it. The peculiarity of the methods is the use of the informational advantage of group assembly — information about the actual dimensions necessary for sorting parts into groups. This eliminates the step of measuring the closing link during assembly and simplifies the design of the compensator, reducing the number of control steps.

Simulating the benefit of disruption prevention in assembly

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the benefit of pre-emptive disruption management measures for assembly systems towards the target dimension adherence to delivery times. Design/methodology/approach The research was conducted by creating simulation models for typical assembly systems and measuring its varying throughput times due to changes in their disruption profiles. Due to the variability of assembly systems, key influence factors were investigated and used as a foundation for the simulation setup. Additionally, a disruption profile for each simulated process was developed, using the established disruption categories material, information and capacity. The categories are described by statistical distributions, defining the interval between the disruptions and the disruption duration. By a statistical experiment plan, the effect of a reduced disruption potential onto the throughput time was investigated. Findings Pre-emptive disruption management is beneficial, but its benefit depends on the operated assembly system and its organisation form, such as line or group assembly. Measures have on average a higher beneficial impact on group assemblies than on line assemblies. Furthermore, it was proven that the benefit, in form of better adherence to delivery times, per reduced disruption potential has a declining character and approximates a distinct maximum. Originality/value Characterising the benefit of pre-emptive disruption management measures enables managers to use this concept in their daily production to minimise overall costs. Despite the hardly predictable influence of pre-emptive disruption measures, these research results can be implemented into a heuristic for efficiently choosing these measures.

Fraktionsausschluss. Zum Urteil des Verfassungsgerichtshofs Rheinland-Pfalz vom 29. Januar 2019 – VGH O 18/18

A member of the Rhineland-Palatine state parliament failed in his appeal to the state Constitutional Court against his expulsion from the parliamentary group AfD (Alternative for Germany) . His parliamentary group had excluded him due to his contacts to right-wing extremists . Expulsions of this type are subject to a decision by the political group assembly, which must be taken in accordance with a minimum procedure under the rule of law and must be free from arbitrariness . The Constitutional Court regarded these conditions as given and emphasized that the parliamentary group had considerable room for maneuver in this respect which is not subject to constitutional control . This applies both to the investigation and to the assessment of the facts underlying the expulsion from the group .

Protein moonlighting elucidates the essential human pathway catalyzing lipoic acid assembly on its cognate enzymes

The lack of attachment of lipoic acid to its cognate enzyme proteins results in devastating human metabolic disorders. These mitochondrial disorders are evident soon after birth and generally result in early death. The mutations causing specific defects in lipoyl assembly map in three genes, LIAS, LIPT1, and LIPT2. Although physiological roles have been proposed for the encoded proteins, only the LIPT1 protein had been studied at the enzyme level. LIPT1 was reported to catalyze only the second partial reaction of the classical lipoate ligase mechanism. We report that the physiologically relevant LIPT1 enzyme activity is transfer of lipoyl moieties from the H protein of the glycine cleavage system to the E2 subunits of the 2-oxoacid dehydrogenases required for respiration (e.g., pyruvate dehydrogenase) and amino acid degradation. We also report that LIPT2 encodes an octanoyl transferase that initiates lipoyl group assembly. The human pathway is now biochemically defined.