Research on the Impact of Digital Transformation on the Performance of Manufacturing Enterprises

To address the challenges faced by manufacturing enterprises in digital transformation,this paper analyzes the relationship between digital transformation and enterprise performance.Using panel data from domestic A-share-listed manufacturing enterprises from 2012 to 2022,two hypotheses were proposed.The analysis and verification revealed that digital transformation in manufacturing enterprises can enhance performance and reduce costs.Based on the impact of digital transformation on manufacturing enterprise performance,optimization suggestions are proposed to guide future digital transformation and performance improvement efforts in these enterprises.

Enhancing the Quality of Low-Light Printed Circuit Board Images through Hue, Saturation, and Value Channel Processing and Improved Multi-Scale Retinex

To address the issue of deteriorated PCB image quality in the quality inspection process due to insufficient or uneven lighting, we proposed an image enhancement fusion algorithm based on different color spaces. Firstly, an improved MSRCR method was employed for brightness enhancement of the original image. Next, the color space of the original image was transformed from RGB to HSV, followed by processing the S-channel image using bilateral filtering and contrast stretching algorithms. The V-channel image was subjected to brightness enhancement using adaptive Gamma and CLAHE algorithms. Subsequently, the processed image was transformed back to the RGB color space from HSV. Finally, the images processed by the two algorithms were fused to create a new RGB image, and color restoration was performed on the fused image. Comparative experiments with other methods indicated that the contrast of the image was optimized, texture features were more abundantly preserved, brightness levels were significantly improved, and color distortion was prevented effectively, thus enhancing the quality of low-lit PCB images.

Design and implementation of low-cost geomagnetic field monitoring equipment for high-density deployment

The observation of geomagnetic field variations is an important approach to studying earthquake precursors.Since 1987,the China Earthquake Administration has explored this seismomagnetic relationship.In particular,they studied local magnetic field anomalies over the Chinese mainland for earthquake prediction.Owing to the years of research on the seismomagnetic relationship,earthquake prediction experts have concluded that the compressive magnetic effect,tectonic magnetic effect,electric magnetic fluid effect,and other factors contribute to preearthquake magnetic anomalies.However,this involves a small magnitude of magnetic field changes.It is difficult to relate them to the abnormal changes of the extremely large magnetic field in regions with extreme earthquakes owing to the high cost of professional geomagnetic equipment,thereby limiting large-scale deployment.Moreover,it is difficult to obtain strong magnetic field changes before an earthquake.The Tianjin Earthquake Agency has developed low-cost geomagnetic field observation equipment through the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei geomagnetic equipment test project.The new system was used to test the availability of equipment and determine the findings based on big data..

Wearable Inflatable Massage Chair:The Future of Comfort

With the continuous advancement of science and technology,our lifestyles are undergoing significant changes,with wearable technology emerging as a captivating trend.In this digital era,there is a growing demand for solutions that cater to people’s needs for health and comfort.The wearable inflatable massage chair represents one such innovation designed to meet these evolving needs.This project is focused on creating a“wearable and portable massage chair”that is both convenient and lightweight.It serves as a massage solution particularly beneficial for the elderly and sedentary individuals.This innovative chair can be used by the elderly during outings or errands,as well as by office workers on business trips,while driving,or commuting via subway.Users can simply lean against the seat or a wall,enjoying moments of relaxation amid the busy and fast-paced modern era.

Performance Evaluation of Low-Cost Dual-Frequency GNSS Receivers for Precise Positioning in Senegal: Issues and Challenges

The development of this technology has favored the advances noted in recent years in the field of precise positioning. It has also paved the way for a wide range of research into the evaluation of their performance and reliability, their potential use in different fields, the improvement of performance and combined systems, etc. Single-frequency GNSS receivers, which for a long time remained the only category of low-cost GNSS receivers, often limited by their level of accuracy (metric) mainly due to their single-frequency nature, have been joined in the last decade by dual-frequency GNSS receivers developed by certain manufacturers of positioning equipment. These receivers now offer possible alternatives to the relatively expensive conventional (topographic quality) or geodetic receivers and. In this study, the performance of these low-cost dual-frequency receivers was evaluated in static and real-time kinematic GNSS positioning modes. Static positioning was carried out on three points with sessions of 2 h and 4 h over three days with antenna swapping (CHC i50, Leica GS14 and Emlid Reach RS2+). Real-time observations were carried out on eleven (11) points in open, poorly open and not at all open environments, in order to assess not only performance but also receiver sensitivity in environments with a high risk of multipath. The results obtained showed an average agreement of 2 cm in planimetry between the low-cost Emlid RS2+ receiver and the Leica GS14 and CHC i50 receivers. The differences in altimetry are nevertheless greater (sometimes up to decimetres for certain points). Real-time positioning results provided an average convergence of around 1 cm on the E, N and H components with the results from the low-cost Emlid Reach RS2+ and Ublox ZED-F9P receivers and the CHC i50 receiver. Analysis of the results obtained has enabled us to highlight the various issues and challenges associated with this new generation of GNSS receivers, with a view to enhancing their appropriation and optimal integration in the professional and research worlds.

Amine-functionalized low-cost industrial grade multi-walled carbon nanotubes for the capture of carbon dioxide

Industrial grade multi-walled carbon nanotubes(IG-MWCNTs) are a low-cost substitute for commercially purified multi-walled carbon nanotubes(P-MWCNTs). In this work, IG-MWCNTs were functionalized with tetraethylenepentamine(TEPA) for CO2capture. The TEPA impregnated IG-MWCNTs were characterized with various experimental methods including N2adsorption/desorption isotherms, elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Both the adsorption isotherms of IGMWCNTs-n and the isosteric heats of different adsorption capacities were obtained from experiments. TEPA impregnated IG-MWCNTs were also shown to have high CO2adsorption capacity comparable to that of TEPA impregnated P-MWCNTs. The adsorption capacity of IG-MWCNTs based adsorbents was in the range of 2.145 to 3.088 mmol/g, depending on adsorption temperatures. Having the advantages of low-cost and high adsorption capacity, TEPA impregnated IG-MWCNTs seem to be a promising adsorbent for CO2capture from flue gas.

Effect of silicon and prior deformation of austenite on isothermal transformation in low carbon steels

Isothermal transformation （TTT） behavior of the low carbon steels with two Si contents （0.50 wt pct and 1.35 wt pct） was investigated with and without the prior deformation. The results show that Si and the prior deformation of the austenite have significant effects on the transformation of the ferrite and bainite. The addition of Si refines the ferrite grains, accelerates the polygonal ferrite transformation and the formation of M/A constituents, leading to the improvement of the strength. The ferrite grains formed under the prior deformation of the austenite become more homogeneous and refined. However, the influence of deformation on the tensile strength of both steels is dependent on the isothermal temperatures. Thermodynamic calculation indicates that Si and prior deformation reduce the incubation time of both ferrite and bainite transformation, but the effect is weakened by the decrease of the isothermal temperatures.

Thermal Stability of Low Cost Nd-Fe-B Magnets

1.IntroductionSince the Nd-Fe-B magnets appearedin 1983,researchers,producers and users ofthe permanent magnetic materials have paidgreat attention to them.Because the mag-nets have low Curie temperature Tc andbad thermal stability as well as easeoxidation,their applications are limited insome fields.The researchers are greatly in-terested in increase energy product

Low-cost synthesis of nanoaggregate SAPO-34 and its application in the catalytic alcoholysis of furfuryl alcohol

Silicoaluminophosphate-34(SAPO-34) molecular sieves have important applications in the petrochemical industry as a result of their shape selectivity and suitable acidity. In this work, nanoaggregate SAPO-34 with a large external surface area was obtained by dissolving pseudoboehmite and tetraethylorthosilicate in an aqueous solution of tetraethylammonium hydroxide and subsequently adding phosphoric acid. After hydrolysis in an alkaline solution, the aluminum and silicon precursors exist as Al(OH)4-and SiO2(OH)-, respectively;this is beneficial for rapid nucleation and the formation of nanoaggregates in the following crystallization process. Additionally, to study the effect of the external surface area and pore size on the catalytic performance of different SAPO-34 structures, the alcoholysis of furfuryl alcohol to ethyl levulinate(EL) was chosen as a model reaction. In a comparison with the traditional cube-like SAPO-34, nanoaggregate SAPO-34 generated a higher yield of 74.1% of EL, whereas that with cube-like SAPO-34 was only 19.9%. Moreover, the stability was remarkably enhanced for nanoaggregate SAPO-34. The greater external surface area and larger number of external surface acid sites are helpful in improving the catalytic performance and avoiding coke deposition.

Low-Cost Stormwater Filtration System to Improve Urban Water Quality: The Case of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Urbanization in developing countries often negatively impacts water re-sources by polluting surface waters. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is currently experiencing rapid urbanization accompanied by significant water shortages, unmanaged stormwater, and increasing river water pollution. To supplement the need for non-potable water and address stormwater runoff pollution, we constructed a low cost stormwater filtration system. The filtration system is comprised of a sedimentation area followed by three gravel grain sizes arranged horizontally from coarse to medium to fine filter media. We compared the quality of pretreatment water with post-treatment water by measuring physicochemical parameters, heavy metals and nutrients. We found that the filtration system reduced turbidity by 87%, TSS by 80%, Cu by 87% and Zn by 90%. Further, it positively increased the concentration of DO by 42%. However, the filtration system did not remove nitrates and nitrites. Implementing this system at outfalls in the rapidly expanding condominium housing areas can increase residents’ supply of non-potable water and reduce the amount of polluted stormwater entering nearby streams and rivers.

Effects of formaldehyde on fermentable sugars production in the low-cost pretreatment of corn stalk based on ionic liquids

Low cost processing of lignocellulosic biomass is of great importance for sustainable chemistry and engineering.Herein,a low cost system composed of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride([C_(4)C_(1) im]Cl),HCl and formaldehyde(FA)was developed for the pretreatment of corn stalk at 80℃.The efficiency of this technology was compared with that in dioxane system or without FA addition.Due to FA stabilization,the extent of acid-hydrolysis of carbohydrate fraction can be significantly decreased while 70%above of lignin was removed with the pretreatment of[C_(4)C_(1) im]Cl/HCl/FA system at 80℃for 2 h.A maximum reducing sugar yield of 93.7%and glucose concentration of 7.0 mg·ml^(-1) were subsequently obtained from enzymatic hydrolysis of the slurry.There were great differences in compositions of small molecule degraded products obtained with FA addition or not.The present[C_(4)C_(1) im]C_(l) based system exhibits great potential of substituting volatile organic solvents(i.e.dioxane)in developing low cost lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment at low temperature.Also,this work would gain insight into understanding on the roles of stabilization methods on the economic improvement of IL based biomass processing.

Improving the fatigue performance of longitudinal welded joints by low transformation temperature electrodes

For a longitudinal welded joint, the tensile residual stresses are as high as the yield stress of the metal, so that the weld toes are sensitive to fatigue load. In this case a low transformation temperature electrode (LTTE) is one of the most useful methods used to improve the fatigue strength of the longitudinal welded joint, because the tensile residual stress is reduced or changed into compressive stress. Three kinds of longitudinal welded joints were selected to conduct fatigue tests. The tests results show that the fatigue strengths at 2×10 6 cycles of the joints welded with LTTE were improved by 41%, 47% and 59% respectively compared with those of the joints welded with E5015, and the fatigue lives at 162 MPa were improved by 9.9 times, 9.6 times and 46.8 times respectively. Furthermore, the LTTE method is not necessary to add process after welding and so that it can be valuable method to improve the fatigue performance of longitudinal welded joints.

Example Use of Low-Cost System for Capturing the Kinetic Parameters of Sperm Cells in Atlantic Salmon (<i>Salmo salar</i>)

A spermiogramme is an analysis performed to assess the quality of semen. Motility parameters are primarily obtained by subjectively observing samples or by using complex systems, such as computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA). Here, we describe an easy and low-cost analysis system for obtaining quantifiable kinetic observations using Salmo salar semen model. In this work, we observed and captured video images of both fresh and stored Atlantic salmon semen to describe the possibility of analysis using the ImageJ CASA plug-in application for the kinetic parameters obtained from the videos. The semen is exposed to “powermilt”, a commercial activating solution, and the curvilinear velocity (VCL), straight line velocity (VSL), average path velocity (VAP) values are described. When the samples were activated after having been stored, differences were detected in sperm quality, using the low-cost plug-in application. However, this system was not able to detect small variations in the same recorded sample, suggesting limits in sample observation. The results indicate that it is possible to quantify the kinetic parameters of semen samples using a low-cost video system and free software.

Investigation into the stress-strain curves of deformation-induced ferrite transformation in a low carbon steel

A series of tests of deformation-induced ferrite transformation （DIP-T） in a low carbon steel were carried out by the Gleeble-3500 hot simulation machine at a temperature range of Ae3-Ar3. The overall stress-strain curves during DIFT can be divided into three typical types： ＂double-humped＂,＂ single-humped＂ and ＂transitional＂. The peaks exhibited in the curve are involved with deformation-induced transformation which happened in grains or at the grain boundaries. According to the stress-time curve and strain-time curve, strain capacity dramatically postponed the strain-induced transformation, which leads to the start of the transformation right ahead of the finish of deformation and the majority of the ferrite transformation process mainly happened after the deformation. Deformation-induced transformation is a metadynamic transformation process with dynamic nucleation.

Predicting the martensite transformation start-temperature of low alloy steel based on fuzzy identification

A method of fuzzy identification based on T-S fuzzy model was proposed for predicting temperature Ms from chemical composition, austenitizing temperature and time for low alloy steel. The degree of membership of each sample was calculated with fuzzy clustering algorithm. Kalman filtering was used to identify the consequent parameters. Compared with the results obtained by empirical models based on the same data, the results by the fuzzy method showed good precision. The accuracy of the fuzzy model is almost 6 times higher than that of the best empirical model. The influence of alloying elements, austenitizing temperature and time on Ms was analyzed quantitatively by using the fuzzy model. It is shown that there exists a nonlinear relationship between the contents of alloying elements in steels and their Ms, and the effects of austenitizing temperature and time on Ms temperature cannot be neglected.

Low-Cost Sustainable Technologies for the Production of Clean Drinking Water—A Review

Water has always been an important and life-sustaining drink to humans and is essential to the survival of all known organisms. Over large parts of the world, humans have inadequate access to drinking water and use water contaminated with disease vectors, pathogens or unacceptable levels of toxins or suspended solids. Drinking such water or using it in food preparation leads to widespread, acute and chronic illnesses and is a major cause of death and misery in many countries. The UN estimates that over 2.0 billion people have limited access to safe water and nearly 800 million people lack even the most basic supply of clean water. The main issue is the affordability of water purifying systems. Many people rely on boiling water or bottled water, which can be expensive. Therefore, technologies that are cost effective, sustainable, ease of operation/maintenance and the treatment processes with locally available materials are required. In this article, some unique low-cost sustainable technologies available/or in-use, i.e. natural filtration, riverbank filtration, biosand filtration, membrane filtration, solar water disinfection technique, biologically degradable materials such as moringa powder, scallop powder treatment, and biosand pitcher treatments have been discussed.

Standardization in Construction as a Tool to Reduce Cost of Housing for the Low-Income Families in Jordan

Providing a decent housing is a major challenge for governments and development authorities in Jordan and Arab countries. Nevertheless, the growing number of population falling under poverty put more demand on low cost housing options. The goal of the research was to find ways of rationalizing the cost and determine the appropriate standards and models that achieve an acceptable equation between cost and performance, and that during design and construction phases. The study follows the method of investigation and analysis to get factors that reduce the cost of the house construction for poor families by means of the concept of standardization in traditional （popular） buildings system. The research confirms that the traditional system has many advantages that could strengthen towards development a low-cost building system by applying the principles of standardization through architectural, structural and electro-mechanical considerations of design. Research recommends taking on studies for low cost building system through comprehensive analytical study of local building experiences.

A Multi-Criteria Decision Support System for the Selection of Low-Cost Green Building Materials and Components

The necessity of having an effective computer-aided decision support system in the housing construction industry is rapidly growing alongside the demand for green buildings and green building products. Identifying and defining financially viable low-cost green building materials and components, just like selecting them, is a crucial exercise in subjectivity. With so many variables to consider, the task of evaluating such products can be complex and discouraging. Moreover, the existing mode for selecting and managing, often very large information associated with their impacts constrains decision-makers to perform a trade-off analysis that does not necessarily guarantee the most environmentally preferable material. This paper introduces the development of a multi-criteria decision support system (DSS) aimed at improving the understanding of the principles of best practices associated with the impacts of low-cost green building materials and components. The DSS presented in this paper is to provide designers with useful and explicit information that will aid informed decision-making in their choice of materials for low-cost green residential housing projects. The prototype MSDSS is developed using macro-in-excel, which is a fairly recent database management technique used for integrating data from multiple, often very large databases and other information sources. This model consists of a database to store different types of low-cost green materials with their corresponding attributes and performance characteristics. The DSS design is illustrated with particular emphasis on the development of the material selection data schema, and application of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) concept to a material selection problem. Details of the MSDSS model are also discussed including workflow of the data evaluation process. The prototype model has been developed with inputs elicited from domain experts and extensive literature review, and refined with feedback obtained from selected expert builder and developer companies. This paper further demonstrates the application of the prototype MSDSS for selecting the most appropriate low-cost green building material from among a list of several available options, and finally concludes the study with the associated potential benefits of the model to research and practice.

Influence of Choice of Structural System &In-Fill Masonry on the Embodied Energy &Cost of a Low-Rise Residential Urban-Building Indian Case Study

In the urban residential building stock, a major proportion is constituted by low-rise individual buildings. In addition to cost, quality and duration, energy consumed for the project needs to be accounted in the decision making process. Minimizing the cost of construction without compromising on the architectural and structural requirements is the primary objective of the residential buildings of stake-holders, especially the owners. The choice of structural system and the materials used for construction play a crucial role in this effort. This means that the use of expensive and/or voluminous materials such as cement, steel, masonry etc. is optimized. This could lead to significant reduction in embodied energy as well, if the choice of the structural system is prudently made. In this paper, an attempt has been made to quantify the cost and embodied energy benefits for a low-rise residential building by choosing two different structural systems, namely moment resisting framed (MRF) construction system and the partly load-bearing (PLB) system. The influence of choice of materials, contributing to reduction of cost and/or energy is discussed. It is clearly noticed that, when the structural system is re-configured as a PLB system from the existing MRF system there is significant reduction in cost and embodied energy without changing the architectural form.