A New Methodology for Designing a Skull Implant

Cranioplasty is a surgery used to repair a bone defect in the skull caused by an injury. It involves lifting the scalp and restoring the contour of the skull with an implant usually manufactured by additive manufacturing. The cranial implant is a sensitive topic; thus, it must be manufactured to the highest standards. Medical implants are growing significantly due to industrial digitalization and the rapid development of industrial software. With the help of computed Tomography (CT) equipment, a spatial, rotating model of the patient's current state can be obtained quickly, even in minutes where the replacement part of the deficiency can be perfectly designed. Although this requires considerable routine, computational capacity, and time, but taking advantage of the latest software presented in our manuscript, the development time of the implant can be up to 50 times shorter with significant improvements in suitability and adaptability. Subsequently, we can produce more accurate implants with more accessible and faster manufacturing with our developed method. The development steps and methods of designing an implant are described in our article.

Influence of Replacement Part of Starch with Inulin on the Rheological Properties of Pastes and Gels Based on Potato Starch

The objective of the present study was to determine the influence of replacement part of starch with inulin on the rheological characteristics of pastes and gels obtained on the basis of potato starch. Replacement of the starch by inulin varied from 0 to 40%. Flow curves for pastes and gels were determined, and the viscoelastic properties were characterized using dynamic tests and creep and recovery tests. It was determined that the replacement of part of potato starch with inulin significantly modifies rheological properties of starch pastes and gels, weakening their structure. With the increasing amount of inulin, an increase of viscous properties was becoming more apparent. Moreover, an irregular influence of inulin addition on the parameters of rheological characteristics was determined. Initially, the differences were minor, and the differences at the lowest addition were typically statistically insignificant, followed by strong increase with local restrictions to structural weakening.

Implementation of Lean Manufacturing to Reduce the Delivery Time of a Replacement Part to Dealers: A Case Study

In today’s automotive industry, Lean production systems are used successfully to reduce delivery times. The current case study addresses a problem that affects an automotive company, which is the excessive delivery time of a spare part to its both national and international authorized dealers. In order to reduce the delivery time of this replacement part, the Lean Manufacturing methodology was used. For this purpose, the value stream mapping and the proposed A3 report are the tools used. With the use of these tools, activities that did not add any value are eliminated or modified; in addition, the logistical flow of the modules of the door-side trim panel delivery process is improved. As a result, added value is increased, the delivery time is reduced (for Mexico) and the number of product variants is reduced. Now, the painting process is done by the authorized dealers, and the number of pieces used for every spare part was estimated. The study demonstrates that the integration of value stream mapping administrative/productive in conjunction with the A3 report proposal allows to identify and eliminate waste in the delivery process.

Design and Construction of the Samuel De Champlain Bridge, Montreal, Canada

<p>The deteriorating condition and associated high maintenance costs of the existing Champlain Bridge prompted the accelerated need for its replacement. Part of the largest infrastructure project currently underway in North America, the Samuel De Champlain Bridge is a viaduct with a signature cable-stayed bridge. This life-line structure was designed to ensure 125 years of service life. The design-build team employed innovative pre- casting, modular segments, and non-traditional erection techniques and sequencing to meet the fast-track project schedule.</p>