Failure analysis and repair of the telescopic beam belonging to the spreader of a reach stacker for port operations

Reach stackers land equipment operating in ports of the Colombian Caribbean, are subject to several critical working conditions such as; corrosive environment, excess working hours, overload and lack of predictive maintenance. This work focuses on the failure analysis and the elaboration of the welding repair procedure of the telescopic beam belonging to the spreader of a Reach stacker that operates in a Colombian Caribbean seaport. Initially the fault zone was characterized; by mean a metallographic analysis and a hardness profile to identify the type of structural steel of which the beam is composed, obtaining an A514 grade C of 110KSI of tensile strength and 34HRC of hardness. The equipment manufacturer was verified and the established by the laboratory tests was corroborated. After identifying the material, the fracture area was analyzed where patterns of beach markings were found, typical of a fatigue failure which extended from the circumference of separating pins to the surface of the beam. The inclusion of the separators in the initial design generates stress concentrators in the welding of the pins which increases the fatigue zone combined with the excess load with which the equipment works. This fact could be verified with a technical bulletin published by the manufacturer brand "Taylor" where it indicates this type of failure for the telescopic beam of the Reach stackers. Successively, an FCAW type welding repair procedure is developed in accordance with AWS code D1.1, where the electrode to be used, the cords to be applied, the preheating, and the speeds and conditions recommended for filling the materials are selected cracks. Finally it could be concluded that the fault was generated by fatigue and overload in the welding of the telescopic beam separator pins and its repair will be carried out according to a welding procedure of the AWS code D1.1. The analysis of these types of cases will allow the company to take actions to minimize the new occurrence of the failure such as periodic reviews in that area after the work hours recommended by the manufacturer and the awareness of the equipment operators with the handling of loads on the dock.

How manufacturer brand erosion shapes consumer assortment perceptions

Purpose Recently, the popularity of store brands has resulted in some manufacturer brands being removed from shelves. The current literature lacks empirical work on the effect of manufacturer brand erosion on consumer assortment perception and repatronage intention. Based on signalling theory, the purpose of this paper is to manufacturer brands play a signalling role and contend that manufacturer brand erosion has detrimental effects on the assortment perception due to reduced signalling efficacy. Design/methodology/approach A 3 (low manufacturer brand erosion vs high manufacturer brand erosion vs manufacturer brand dominance) ×2 (assortment size: small vs large) between-subject experiment was conducted. Findings Manufacturer brand erosion exerts a negative effect on assortment attractiveness and consumers’ repatronage intention; the greater the erosion, the larger the negative effect. These negative effects are mediated by reduced consumer perceptions of assortment quality and variety. A large (vs small) assortment size attenuates the negative effect of manufacturer brand erosion by improving perceived assortment quality. Practical implications To engage in strategic positioning through efficient assortment management, retailers should cooperate with brand manufacturers, instead of promoting their own private labels. Nevertheless, a large assortment dominated by store brands signals that the retailer has built a strong private brand, which in turn gains a differentiation advantage. Originality/value This paper is among the first to take the signalling perspective and explicitly investigate whether and how manufacturer brand erosion exerts a significant impact on assortment perception.

The Clash of the Titans: On Retailer and Manufacturer Vulnerability in Conflict Delistings

The days of dominant manufacturers dictating the game to obedient retailers are long gone. When parties believe they have equal bargaining power, negotiations end in deadlock more frequently and result in conflict delistings wherein the manufacturers’ brands get removed from the retailers’ assortments. This might cause major sales losses as consumers are forced to change stores or brands. The authors study both parties’ vulnerabilities by investigating their market share shifts during a highly publicized real-life conflict delisting executed by a major retailer against a major manufacturer, involving multiple brands and categories. Generally, both parties lost sales, yet the retailer was the most vulnerable party. Manufacturer-brand and retailer-assortment characteristics moderated both parties’ vulnerability: the manufacturer and retailer became respectively less and more vulnerable when a high-equity brand was delisted in a small assortment. Both parties lost more in necessity than in impulse categories. The authors additionally investigate long-term consequences that occurred after the conflict was settled: the retailer's market share recovered to the predelisting level, whereas the manufacturer's share underwent a long-term level rise.