Optimization of Steel Bar Manufacturing Process Using Six Sigma

Optimization of a manufacturing process results in higher productivity and reduced wastes. Production parameters of a local steel bar manufacturing industry of Pakistan is optimized by using six Sigma-Define, measure, analyze, improve, and controlmethodology. Production data is collected and analyzed. After analysis, experimental design result is used to identify significant factors affecting process performance. The significant factors are controlled to optimized level using two-level factorial design method. A regression model is developed that helps in the estimation of response under multi variable input values. Model is tested, verified, and validated by using industrial data collected at a local steel bar manufacturing industry of Peshawar（Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan）. The sigma level of the manufacturing process is improved to 4.01 from 3.58. The novelty of the research is the identification of the significant factors along with the optimum levels that affects the process yield, and the methodology to optimize the steel bar manufacturing process.

Impact of Urbanization and Industrialization upon Surface Water Quality:A Pilot Study of Panzhihua Mining Town

In order to investigate the impact of urbanization and industrialization on surface water quality, a pilot study of Panzhihua （攀枝花） mining town was carried out. The urbanization of Panzhihua region was dominated by industry development and population growth. The level of urbanization showed that it was 18.44% in 1965, and reached 45.99% in 1983. Then, it reached 53.71% in 2005, so the urbanization process was very rapid in Panzhihua region. In the process of industrialization, the level of industrialization was fluctuated at around 70% from 1965 to 2005, which was influenced by mining, extracting, and smelting production. In the processes of urbanization, population growth caused an increase in life pollution sources, and an amount of effluents bearing coliform, COD （chemical oxygen demand）, NH4^＋-N, and BOD5 （five-day biological oxygen demand） were released into Jinsha （金沙） River, which could cause decline in the surface water quality. While in the processes of industrialization （especially industrial scale expansion）, more effluent bearing heavy metals could cause degra- dation of surface water quality. Thus, the measures, such as adjusting industry structure, optimizing the cleaning technology, and controlling pollution sources, should be enhanced to alleviate the current state of water quality exacerbation.

Dynamic Comprehensive Assessment of Power Development Based on Provincial Data

Dynamic comprehensive assessment of regional power industry development levels is of paramount importance for understanding the development characteristics and potential of the local power industry.A tri-level evaluation index system is established,describing five aspects of the local power industry development level,specifically,the coordination degree between the power industry and economy/energy,power generation,power consumption,power supply and development potential.A combination of information entropy and the analytic hierarchy process(AHP)is used to establish a static evaluation model,and a blend of subjective opinions and objective data information is then realized.By aggregating the static evaluation model for each time period based on a time-ordered weighting vector calculated using time-ordered information entropy,a dynamic comprehensive evaluation model of power industry development level is established.By considering provincial data from China recorded during 2007 to 2016 as the sample set,through synchronic and diachronic comparisons of the evaluation results,the differences,characteristics and potential of local power industry development in China are explored.