Performance Improvement in Manufacturing Shop Floor Operations of Developing Countries Based on Three Characteristics of Information Flow

The management of information flow for production improvement has always been a target in the research. In this paper, the focus is on the analysis model of the characteristics of information flow in shop floor operations based on the influence that dimension (support or medium), direction and the quality information flow have on the value of information flow using machine learning classification algorithms. The obtained results of classification algorithms used to analyze the value of information flow are Decision Trees (DT) and Random Forest (RF) with a score of 0.99% and the mean absolute error of 0.005. The results also show that the management of information flow using DT or RF shows that, the dimension of information such as digital information has the greatest value of information flow in shop floor operations when the shop floor is totally digitalized. Direction of information flow does not have any great influence on shop floor operations processes when the operations processes are digitalized or done by operators as machines.

Effects of Dispersive Agent and Alumina Micropowder on Workability of Al_2O_3-MgO Castables for Steel Ladles

This work aims at enhancing the workability of Al2 O3-Mg O castables. Al2 O3-Mg O castables were prepared using tabular alumina particles（ 5-3,3-1,≤1 mm）,tabular alumina fines（ ≤0. 088 mm）,fused magnesia（ ≤1 mm）,reactive alumina micropowder（ PFR40,PBR,and CL） and calcined alumina micropowder（ AC34 B5 and CT） as the main starting materials,calcium aluminate cement（ Secar71） as the binder,and polycarboxylic acid water reducer WS,FS,and AD as the dispersive agent,respectively. Effects of three dispersive agents addition（ 0. 4 mass% WS,0. 2 mass% FS and 1 mass% AD）,two kinds of reactive alumina micropowder addition（ PFR40 and PBR）,composite alumina micropowder addition（ PFR40-AC34 B5 and CL-CT,the mass ratio from 9/0 to 3/6）on the flow value,apparent porosity,bulk density,cold crushing strength and cold modulus of rupture of Al2 O3-MgO castables were investigated. The results show that：（ 1） with PBR or PFR40,the castables with0. 4 mass% WS own better performance than those with0. 2 mass% FS or 1 mass% AD;（ 2） compared with the castables with CL-CT composite powder, the castables with PFR40-AC34 B5 composite powder have slightly higher flow value; with the decreasing ratio of PFR40 and AC34 B5,or the decreasing ratio of CL andCT,the castables have declined flow value and the dried castable specimens have decreased density but the mildly changed strength; in consideration of the high price of reactive alumina,a proper compositing ratio shall be selected.

Prediction of Marshall Parameters of Modified Bituminous Mixtures Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques

This study presents the application of artificial neural networks(ANN)and least square support vector machine(LS-SVM)for prediction of Marshall parameters obtained from Marshall tests for waste polyethylene(PE)modified bituminous mixtures.Waste polyethylene in the form of fibres processed from utilized milk packets has been used to modify the bituminous mixes in order to improve their engineering properties.Marshall tests were carried out on mix specimens with variations in polyethylene and bitumen contents.It has been observed that the addition of waste polyethylene results in the improvement of Marshall characteristics such as stability,flow value and air voids,used to evaluate a bituminous mix.The proposed neural network(NN)model uses the quantities of ingredients used for preparation of Marshall specimens such as polyethylene,bitumen and aggregate in order to predict the Marshall stability,flow value and air voids obtained from the tests.Out of two techniques used,the NN based model is found to be compact,reliable and predictable when compared with LS-SVM model.A sensitivity analysis has been performed to identify the importance of the parameters considered.

Non-Structural Mitigation Programs For Sediment-Related Disasters after the Chichi Earthquake in Taiwan

Following the Chichi Earthquake （ML=7.3） in 1999, sediment-related disasters, such as landslides and debris flows, have become more frequent in Taiwan. Because engineering structures cannot be fully and rapidly emplaeed, the government has initiated non-structural hazard mitigation programs. Initially, community debris flow evacuation drills were promoted in 2000. Typhoon Toraji caused numerous debris flow events in July 2001, and some communities evacuated according to the drills, significantly reducing the numbers of possible casualties. Based on that result, the government expanded the program for evacuation drills. Secondly, the early warning system created after the Chichi Earthquake will prevent many potential future casualties. Rainfall threshold values for debris flow warnings in different areas are determined from information received from local weather stations and modified for local geomorphologic situations. Real- time information is gradually being integrated to create a debris flow disaster warning system, the goal of which is to provide warnings to zones in which debris flows are likely. The warning system was launched in 2005 and has two levels of alarms： yellow and red. The final, red alarm triggers enforced evacuation. Overall, the decrease in casualties from debris flows during the decade after the Chichi Earthquake is not the result of a decrease in number or severity of sediment related disasters, but is more directly related to the gradually improved early warning and evacuation system. However, the compound hazards resulting from Typhoon Morakotin 2009 remind us of the ongoing need for improving the existing mitigation system.

The Building of Papermaking Enterprise's Recycling Economy Evaluation Index System Based on Value Flow Analysis

At present,the research on circular economy has made a lot of substantive results both at home and abroad.But for the papermaking enterprise,which is the representative of the light industry,few studies have analyzed the evaluation index system of circular economy.Since the current material flow analyses have limitations that the researchers cannot calculate materials with different units.The authors take advantage of the intrinsic correlation between the basic principle of value flow analysis and circular economy,and then analyze the dynamic changes of material flow and value flow through enterprises internal production process.Considering the resource output,the authors set up the layered structure of the evaluation index system,and then preliminarily determine the index form.Next,the authors use the frequency statistics analysis method to adjust indicators,forming a preliminary index system.After that,the principal component analysis and independent analysis are applied for screening.Finally,the authors build a circular economy evaluation index system for papermaking enterprise to provide scientific guidance for the process of circular economy.

Land Use Change and Its Effect on Environment Based on Farmers’Behaviors: A Case Study in Agricultural Areas of Tibet, China

In the case study in Agricultural Area of Tibet, the process and characteristics of farmers' land use were surveyed by semi-structural interview questionnaire. By comparing the change of land covers and farmers' land decision in two periods, the spatial connection of them was obtained. And the relations among farmers' land decision, land use change and environment were examined by calculating emergy and value flow. The results show that: hunting the maximal profits is the primary aim of farmers' land decision; farmers' land decision is incompatible with sustainable land use presently; farmers' land decision and land cover can be embodied spatially by each other; the change of farmers' land decision can be monitored by observing the change of land cover, and the sustainability of farmers' land decision can be appraised by calculating emergy and value flow.

An evaluation model of water-saving reconstruction projects based on resource value flows

Due to uncertainties in water supply,there is growing demand for water resource management in enterprises.In this study,we evaluated the effects of companies’water-saving reconstruction projects.We used Hina Advanced Materials Company as a case to construct an investment decision model to(1)calculate the internal and external costs of water resources based on circular economic value analysis theory,and(2)locate the level of water resources circulation.We adopted gray situation decision analysis to identify the typical problems that occur in water resource utilization.Moreover,we demonstrated optimization plans for different potential improvements,thereby providing guidance and references for water resource cost management and the comprehensive optimization of environmental benefits.We concluded that the circulation economic value analysis model can effectively display the flow and amount of value derived from water resource flows,thereby providing guidance and suggestions for optimizing water resource flows.

Robust Mesh Smoothing

This paper proposes a vertex-estimation-based, feature-preserving smoothingtechnique for meshes. A robust mesh smoothing operator called mean value coordinates flow isintroduced to modify mean curvature flow and make it more stable. Also the paper proposes athree-pass vertex estimation based on bilateral filtering of local neighbors which is transferredfrom image processing settings and a Quasi-Laplacian operation, derived from the standard Laplacianoperator, is performed to increase the smoothness order of the mesh rapidly whilst denoising meshesefficiently, preventing volume shrinkage as well as preserving sharp features of the mesh. Comparedwith previous algorithms, the result shows it is simple, efficient and robust.

Effect of Acupuncture at Acupoints Neiguan(PC 6)and Ximen(PC 4)on the Left Cardiac Function in the Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Purpose. This study is to investigate the influence of acupuncture at acupoints Neiguan （PC 6） and Ximen （PC 4） on the stroke volume and the flow rate of peak value of left ventricle ejection in the patients with coronary heart disease. Methods. 60 cases of coronary heart disease were divided into acupoint Neiguan （PC 6） group and acupoint Ximen （PC 4） group, and the stroke volume and the flow rate of peak value of left ventricle ejection were detected 3 min after manipulating needles and 20 rain after retaining needles respectively, then were compared with those before acupuncture. Results. 3 min after manipulating needles, the stroke volume and the flow rate of peak value of left ventricle ejection were enhanced in 46 cases, and 20 min after retaining needles, both the stroke volume andthe flow rate of peak value of left ventricle ejection were all enhanced in 34 cases. Conclusion. Puncturing acupoints Neiguan （PC 6） and Ximen （PC 4） could enhance the contractility of left ventricle wall, increase the stroke volume of the heart and improve the myocardial ischemia in the patients with coronary heart disease.