Actual Product Research Articles

Carbide Precipitation during Tempering and Its Effect on the Wear Loss of a High-Carbon 8 Mass% Cr Tool Steel.

In this paper, the precipitation of carbide and wear loss of high-carbon 8 mass% Cr tool steel at two tempering conditions (i.e., 773–803 K and 823–853 K) were studied by INCA Steel, EPMA-1720H, XRD, and ML-10 tester. The results show that the particles of test steels include the carbides (Cr7C3 and Cr23C6) and carbides nucleated on Al2O3. When carbides are of the same size, the number of carbides in test steel at a tempering temperature of 773–803 K is greater than that at a tempering temperature of 823–853 K, especially when the size of carbides is less than 5 μm. Compared with the test steel tempered at 823–853 K, the distance between adjacent actual particles reduced by 80.6 μm and the maximum amount of reduction was 9.4% for single wear loss at the tempering temperature of 773–803 K. It can be concluded from thermodynamics results that Al2O3 inclusions began to precipitate in liquid, and the precipitation of carbides was at the solid–liquid region. Al2O3 can be used as the nucleation interface of carbide, thus promoting the formation of carbides. During the cooling of molten steel, a lower temperature can increase the difference of actual solubility product bigger than equilibrium solubility product, thus promoting the carbide formation.

C&EN’s Year in Pharma

New science set the tone for the drug industry this year. It can be credited for a wave of investment as well as progress in finally translating long-standing technology into actual products. Notable developments in 2018 include the approval of the first RNA interference therapeutic, the uneven advance of the gene-editing tool CRISPR, a renewed interest in oncolytic viruses, and real momentum in developing gene therapies for a wide swath of diseases. Whether it came from venture capital firms or the public markets, investment in the biotech industry soared in 2018. The rush of cutting-edge science—novel ways to harness the immune system, a proliferation of gene-editing tools, and new ideas for how to access previously out-of-reach drug targets—has pulled billions of dollars of venture capital into start-ups that hope to one day be the next Genentechs or Amgens of the world. Biotech initial public offerings also hit a recent record,

Strategic planning of a multi-product wood-biorefinery production system

Products derived from crude oil form the basis for large segments of energy and production systems. However, the availability of crude oil is limited and the combustion of fossil fuels contributes to global warming. Biorefineries can produce a product portfolio similar to that of crude-oil refineries from renewable resources and thus promote transformation towards a more sustainable bioeconomy. The actual product portfolio of a given biorefinery, however, depends on the choice and capacity of the production units used to upgrade raw materials to marketable products. Thus, to improve biorefinery product competitiveness, we apply an algorithm that combines an exact optimization algorithm nested in an Evolutionary Strategy with Geographic Information Systems to determine a wood-based biorefinery's optimal configuration, capacity, and location within the Cariboo District in Canada. The results indicate that there are numerous locations with similarly attractive economic potentials for biorefineries with 450,000 to 550,000 tons of biomass input capacity in the investigated area.

Curvature area prediction for the deep drawing-ironing process of a cylindrical cup using finite element method and regression analysis

Products with long, cylindrical or rectangular can-shaped sidewalls are manufactured using a deep drawing-ironing (DDI) process. The volume of a typical cylindrical, axisymmetric product after the DDI process can be broadly divided into bottom, curvature, and side wall portions. In sheet metal forming, the volume of a product before and after forming is easily calculated from the law of volume constancy. Cylindrical, axisymmetric products can be represented as a two-dimensional axisymmetric problem, thus converting the volume calculation to an area calculation in two dimensions. The curvature area of an axisymmetric product can be geometrically expressed using a formula obtained by subtracting the area of a circle from the area of an ellipse. However, the geometrical curvature area obtained using this formula differs from the curvature area of the real product. Therefore, in this study, a finite element analysis is performed under the same condition as the actual product to which the DDI process is applied, and the validity of the analysis is verified by comparing the data. Finally, a regression analysis is conducted on the data obtained from the finite element analysis to derive an equation to predict the curvature area. In addition, the proposed method is verified by comparing with the data pertaining to a real part.

Performance-related specification and payment modifiers in highway construction projects

PurposeThe ability to measure and assess “quality” is essential in building and maintaining a safe and effective transportation system. Attaining acceptable quality outcomes in transportation projects has been a reoccurring problem at both the federal and state levels, at least partially, as a result of poorly developed, inefficient or nonexistent quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) processes. The purpose of this paper is to develop and implement a new QA/QC process that focuses on a novel double-bounded performance-related specification (PRS) and corresponding pay factor policy that includes both lower and upper quality acceptance and payment reward boundaries for bridge concrete.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use historical data to design different payment scenarios illustrating likely industry responses to the new PRS, and select the single scenario that best balances risk between the agency and industry. The authors then convert that payment scenario to a pay factor schedule using a search heuristic and determine statistical compliance with the PRS using percent-within-limits (PWL).FindingsThe methodology offers an innovative approach for developing an initial set of pay factors when lifecycle cost data are lacking and the PRS are new or modified. An important finding is that, with a double-bounded PRS, it is not possible to represent pay factors using the simplified table PWL currently employed in practice because each PWL value occupies two separate positions in the payment structure – one above the design target and one below it. Therefore, a more detailed set of pay factors must be employed which explicitly specify the mean sample value and the design target. The approach is demonstrated in practice for the Agency of Transportation in state of Vermont.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors demonstrate a novel approach for developing a double-bounded PRS and introduce a payment incentive/disincentive policy with the goal of improving total product quality. The new pay factor policy includes both a payment penalty below the contracted price for failing to meet a specified performance criterion as well as a payment premium above the contracted price that increases as the sample product specification approaches an “ideal” design value. The PRS includes both an upper and lower acceptance boundary for the finished product as opposed to only a lower tail acceptance boundary, which is the traditional approach.Practical implicationsThe authors illustrate a research collaboration between academia and a state agency that highlights the role academic research can play in advancing quality management practices. The study involves the use of actual product performance data and is operational as opposed to conceptual in nature. Finally, the authors offer important practical insights and guidance by demonstrating how a new PRS and pay factor policy can be developed without the use of site-specific historical lifecycle cost (LCC) data that include detailed manufacturing, producing and placement cost data, as data related to product performance over time. This is an important contribution, as the development and implementation of pay factor policies typically involve the use of historical LCC data. However, in many cases, these data are not available or may be incomplete.Social implicationsWith the new PRS and pay factor schedule, the Agency expects shrinkage and cracking on bridge decks to decrease along with overall maintenance and rehabilitation costs. A major focus the new PRS is to actively involve industry partners in quality improvement efforts.Originality/valueThe authors focus on a major modification to an existing QA/QC process that involves the development of a new PRS and an associated pay factor policy undertaken by the Vermont Agency of Transportation. The authors use empirical data to develop a novel double bounded PRS and payment schedule for concrete and offer unique operational/practical insight and guidance by demonstrating how a new PRS and pay factor policy can be developed without the use of site-specific historical LCC. Typically, PRS for in-place concrete have only a lower tail acceptance boundary.

Combustion stability study of partially premixed combustion with low-octane fuel at low engine load conditions

The study aims to investigate the sensitivity of combustion stability to the intake air temperature for partially premixed combustion (PPC). The experiments were carried out in a full view optical engine at low load condition. The ω shape optical piston crown as same as the actual product piston, rather than the flat crown piston used in the previous study, was employed for the present experimental test. The continuous-fire mode rather than the skip-fire mode was used to run the optical engine ensuring the similarity to the actual engine operating conditions. The interaction among fuel spray jets, piston and cylinder wall was visualized by fuel-tracer planar laser-induced fluorescence. The high-speed combustion images were processed to determine the combustion stratification based on the natural flame luminosity. The combustion phasing, maximum in-cylinder pressure, and indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) were compared at various intake temperatures. The results showed that the lower intake temperature could be used for achieving better combustion stability at low load condition along with the retarded CA50, the lower maximum in-cylinder pressure, and the higher IMEP. 70 °C was the lower limit of intake temperature to achieve stable PPC operation with the single-injection strategy. The same trend of the combustion characteristics with respect to the start of injection timing was confirmed at various intake temperatures. The combustion stratification analysis indicated more inhomogeneous low-temperature combustion with decreased natural flame luminosity and increased soot emission when the intake temperature reduced from 120 °C to 70 °C. Nitrogen oxides emission decreased when compared to the higher intake temperature cases at the expense of increased unburned hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions at PPC mode. The fuel tracer measurements showed that most of the injected fuel hit on the piston top and only less amount of fuel was injected into the piston crown bowl at PPC mode due to the wider spray umbrella angle. The fuel trapped in crevice zone was verified as an important source for the unburned hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions at PPC mode. The injector dribbling during the late stage of combustion attributed to soot formation. The injector with a relatively narrow spray umbrella angle was suggested for optimized interaction among the fuel spray jets, piston and the cylinder wall at PPC mode.

Double optical wedge optical axis pointing adjustment technology

Because the double-wedge system can accurately adjust the orientation of the optical axis, it has the advantages of simple and compact structure, fast adjustment speed, and large adjustment angle. In order to meet the needs of a certain product, optical axis adjustment trajectories of concentric circles and zigzags are realized. Based on the existing theories, this paper establishes the corresponding formula by establishing the relationship between the optical axis deflection angle and the bi-wedge rotation angle model, and combines the Matlab simulation, the fitting and the actual product testing, and designs the use of ARM and computer-controlled bi-optical wedges to adjust the orientation of the optical axis. The results show that the error of the optical axis pointing adjustment of the scheme is less than 0.5°, and the expected trajectory can be achieved to meet the requirements of actual products.

A study of factors which restrain consumers from online shopping in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh

E-commerce has made it easier for small business owners, artists and entrepreneurs to sell online from an online store or website. It is easy for the customers to compare products online than at malls or physical stores and there is a lot of information available online regarding products so why not use this vast information. This study will help the e-tailers to change their course of action, logistics or marketing strategies to attract more customers online and win their trust with lesser complains and increased profit for the firm. Samples were selected by convenient and purposeful sampling from a large number of customers at Lucknow. The sample size was 150 and people were interviewed from various areas of Lucknow to get diversity in the sample. The data was analysed by using percentage method. Out of 150 respondents 29 face the problem of not getting products delivered at their door step which represents 19 per cent of respondents. 52 per cent respondents find high prices of a product (when compared to the price of the same product offline) a major reason to abstain them from purchasing online. There has been a small number (12 out of 150 respondents) of respondents who have experienced a change in colour of the actual product yet that number counts and because of this these respondents do not want to shop online with those particular websites and lose their trust on most shopping sites. Out of 150 respondents 77 have received poor or low quality of products which did not match to their expectation and so they now do not want to continue shopping online with particular websites because of such products received through online purchase. This number shows 52 per cent of respondents who have already lost their trust on various e-tailers. Around 7 per cent respondents abstain from shopping online as they do not want to disclose their account number or debit/credit card details to websites which cannot be trusted for personal details and do not provide COD facility.

Free Shipping Is Not Free: A Data-Driven Model to Design Free-Shipping Threshold Policies.

Online retailers often offer free shipping threshold policies: customers who purchase more than a threshold amount are not charged an additional fee for shipping. This paper provides a data-driven analytical model to (i) assess the profitability of a retailer’s current shipping threshold policy and (ii) identify the best freeshipping threshold policy for a retailer. The model is estimated from actual transaction and product return data. The model explicitly accounts for changes in customer shopping behavior due to a free shipping threshold, including strategically adding items to a shopping basket to receive free shipping, which we call orderpadding, and the subsequent adjustment in product return decisions. Roughly speaking, according to our model, a retailer that offers a free shipping threshold policy should set the threshold slightly abovethe average shopping basket amount. We calibrate our model to data from an online apparel retailer and determine that its decision to offer a lower free shipping threshold reduced its profitability considerably.This result is robust to a number of assumptions regarding the impact on long-run sales and possible price adjustments. We conclude that free shipping threshold policies are profitable only under a limited set of restrictive conditions.

Taste matters most: Effects of package design on the dynamics of implicit and explicit product evaluations over repeated in-home consumption

Package design influences consumers’ expectations of a product’s sensory properties and expected healthiness and/or tastiness, and potentially also changes actual product perception during consumption. The robustness of these effects is far from clear, however. This study investigated the influence of package cues signalling either hedonic or healthy product properties on expectations and subsequent product evaluation over repeated consumption.In a between-subjects design, 92 participants evaluated product expectations and taste perceptions of a chocolate-sesame flavoured biscuit with a package emphasizing either its healthy (n = 44) or hedonic (n = 48) aspects, both at a central location (CLT) and during six home use tests (HUT), using both explicit (questionnaires) and implicit (IAT) measures.Package design significantly affected (p < 0.05) consumers’ expectations of the product. They expected the biscuit to be tastier, less attractive and less healthy in the hedonic package condition, and less tasty, more attractive and healthier in the healthy package condition. However, these effects did not transfer to actual product evaluations upon tasting, either blind or tasting in combination with viewing the package during the HUTs. Implicit attitudes did change as a result of repeated exposures, depending on the package consumers were provided with, indicating product-package interactions over time (p < 0.05).In conclusion, package design influences product expectations and associations with its healthiness and attractiveness, which is of relevance in product choice and purchase settings. However, at the stage of (repeated) consumption, intrinsic (sensory) properties become the dominant drivers of products’ sensory and hedonic evaluations, and the impact of package cues seems less potent.

Development and validation of a new instrument to measure perceived risks associated with the use of tobacco and nicotine-containing products

BackgroundMaking tobacco products associated with lower risks available to smokers who would otherwise continue smoking is recognized as an important strategy towards addressing smoking-related harm. Predicting use behavior is an important major component of product risk assessment. In this context, risk perception is a possible factor driving tobacco product uptake and use. As prior to market launch real-world actual product use cannot be observed, assessing risk perception can provide predictive information. Considering the lack of suitable validated self-report instruments, the development of a new instrument was undertaken to quantify perceived risks of tobacco and nicotine-containing products by adult smokers, former smokers and never-smokers.MethodsInitial items were constructed based on a literature review, focus groups and expert opinion. Data for scale formation and assessment were obtained through two successive US-based web surveys (n = 2020 and 1640 completers, respectively). Psychometric evaluation was based on Rasch Measurement Theory and Classical Test Theory.ResultsPsychometric evaluation supported the formation of an 18-item Perceived Health Risk scale and a 7-item Perceived Addiction Risk scale: item response option thresholds were ordered correctly for all items; item locations in each scale were spread out (coverage range 75–87%); scale reliability was supported by high person separation indices > 0.93, Cronbach’s alpha > 0.98 and Corrected Item-Total Correlations > 0.88; and no differential item functioning was present. Construct validity evaluations met expectations through inter-scale correlations and findings from known-group comparisons.ConclusionsThe Perceived Risk Instrument is a psychometrically robust instrument applicable for general and personal risk perception measurement, for use in different types of products (including cigarettes, nicotine replacement therapy, potential Modified Risk Tobacco Products), and for different smoking status groups (i.e., current smokers with and without intention to quit, former smokers, never smokers).

Optimization of thin-walled sealing structure based on mechanical simulation

In the hydraulic and gas pipelines, even thin-walled cylinder device, the built-in elastomeric O-rings are widely used to ensure their sealing. Unfortunately, a case of excessive radial contact pressure will lead to leakage risk. At the same time, the aging of elastomeric O-ring will result in decrease of radial contact pressure, which can also bring about leakage risk. To increase the life of the seal structure, the external shape memory alloy (SMA) sealing ring is subsequently developed for the actual product. However, excessive contact pressure will cause the leakage risk with the lateral deformation at the outside of the sealing interface of the thin-walled cylinder. Based on mechanical simulation, a proposal for the optimization design of seal structure with thin-walled cylinder is given. That is, the radial contact seal on the inner and outer side of the thin-walled cylinder can simultaneously made by SMA. Results gained show that the theoretical value of the resultant force from the SMA at the inside and outside of the sealing interface of the thin-walled cylinder is zero. The bilateral seal structure with SMA ring can avoid the leakage risk caused by the unilateral force and deformation on the thin-walled cylinder, and effectively prolong the service life of the sealing device.

Immunonutrition for patients undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer.

Patients with head and neck cancer are often malnourished. Surgery for such cancers is complex and may be undertaken after a course of radiotherapy. As a result, patients may have postoperative complications such as fistulae and wound infections, as well as more generalised infections such as pneumonia. One possible way to enhance recovery, and reduce the incidence of these complications, is by improving nutrition. Nutritional formulas that deliver basic nutrients as well as amino acids (arginine and glutamine), ribonucleic acid (RNA) and/or lipids (omega-3 fatty acids) are known as immunonutrition. To assess the effects of immunonutrition treatment, compared to standard feeding, on postoperative recovery in adult patients undergoing elective (non-emergency) surgery for head and neck cancer. The Cochrane ENT Information Specialist searched the ENT Trials Register; Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); PubMed; Ovid Embase; CINAHL; Web of Science; ClinicalTrials.gov; ICTRP and additional sources for published and unpublished trials. The date of the search was 14 February 2018. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing immunonutrition given either preoperatively, postoperatively or perioperatively to adult patients (18 years of age or older) undergoing an elective surgical procedure for head and neck cancer, compared with a control group receiving either standard polymeric nutritional supplements or no supplements. We used the standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. The primary outcomes were: length of hospital stay (days), wound infection, fistula formation and adverse events/tolerance of feeds, as defined by trial authors. Secondary outcomes were: all-cause mortality and postoperative complications (as defined by trial authors). We used GRADE to assess the quality of the evidence for each outcome; this is indicated in italics. We included 19 RCTs (1099 participants). The mean age of participants ranged from 47 to 66 years. Most studies (12/19) had fewer than 25 patients in each treatment group. Most studies (16/19) used immunonutrition formulas containing arginine, but there was variation in the actual products and amounts used, and in the length of intervention postoperatively. Follow-up time for outcome measurement varied considerably across studies, ranging from five days to greater than or equal to 16 months.Primary outcomesWe found no evidence of a difference in the length of hospital stay (mean difference -2.5 days, 95% confidence interval (CI) -5.11 to 0.12; 10 studies, 757 participants; low-quality evidence). Similarly, we found no evidence of an effect of immunonutrition on wound infection (risk ratio (RR) 0.94, 95% CI 0.70 to 1.26; 12 studies, 812 participants; very low-quality evidence). Fistula formation may be reduced with immunonutrition; the absolute risks were 11.3% and 5.4% in the standard care and immunonutrition groups, with a RR of 0.48 (95% CI 0.27 to 0.85; 10 studies, 747 participants; low-quality evidence). We found no evidence of a difference in terms of tolerance of feeds ('adverse events') between treatments (RR 1.33, 95% CI 0.86 to 2.06; 9 studies, 719 participants; very low-quality evidence).Secondary outcomesWe found no evidence of a difference between treatments in all-cause mortality (RR 1.33, 95% CI 0.48 to 3.66; 14 studies, 776 participants; low-quality evidence). Other postoperative complications such as pneumonia and urinary tract infections were not commonly reported. The risk of postoperative fistula formation may be reduced with immunonutrition, but we found no evidence of an effect of immunonutrition on any of the other outcomes that we assessed. The studies included in this review were generally small or at high risk of bias (or both). We judged the overall quality of the evidence to be low for the outcomes length of hospital stay and all-cause mortality, and very low for wound infection and adverse events. Further research should include larger, better quality studies.

More Than Meets the Eye: The Impact of Materialism on Information Selection During Luxury Choices.

Visual attention is an important condition for consumer decision-making. However, not much is known on individuals' determinants of this visual attention. Using eye tracking, this study investigated how psychological values (i.e., materialism) modulate visual attention to specific sources of information (i.e., product, brand and additional information) in the context of luxury consumption. Participants were asked to perform a forced-choice experiment, where products were randomly assigned with luxury and non-luxury brands (Experiment 1) and product information (Experiment 2). Experiment 1 revealed that materialism was related to relatively higher attention to luxury as opposed to non-luxury and higher choice proportion of products displayed with a luxury brand. Experiment 2 showed that when providing additional product information (e.g., regarding the material) in addition to the brand, all participants chose luxury products more often. Interestingly, choices seemed to be driven by enhanced attention to brand for participants with high levels of materialism when choosing luxury products. In contrast, choices were driven by text for participants with low levels of materialism for non-luxury products. This suggests that individuals with high levels of materialism may prefer luxury products for different reasons than individuals with low levels of materialism: while the first focus on the symbolic dimension conveyed by the brand (Experiment 1), the latter pay attention to the actual product characteristics (Experiment 2). Taken together, our results suggest that materialism as a psychological value has an impact on visual attention and information selection during decision-making in the context of luxury consumption.

Employees as a second audience: the effect of external communication on internal brand management outcomes

Although external communication affects both customers as external target groups and employees as internal target groups, internal brand management research regarding the effect of external communication on employee-related internal brand management outcomes remains limited. Therefore, this study seeks to shed light on the effects of external communication on internal brand management outcomes such as employees’ brand understanding, brand commitment, and brand citizenship behaviour. An empirical study with 790 respondents of a German tourism company suggests that external communication congruence, or the degree to which external communication is in line with actual products and services, actual values, and internal communication, positively affects all internal brand management outcomes with the strongest effect on brand understanding. These findings indicate how organizations can address important internal and external stakeholders with a single organizational practice, thus enhancing both the effectiveness and the efficiency of external communication. Managers must avoid exaggerating the externally communicated brand promises, ensure that the externally communicated values portray the firm’s actual values, and align the external communication with internal communication. In addition to several managerial implications, this study offers directions for further research.

Design and Simulation of a Novel Thermoelectric Micro-Device with Electrodeposited Bi-Te Alloys

A novel thermoelectric micro-device was designed with n-type and p-type Bi-Te materials alloys via a template electrodeposition process. The glass template including 250 holes in 10×10 mm2with a thickness of 200~ 400 µm. The diameter of the holes is 50~ 80 µm and the distance of adjacent centers of the holes is 200 µm. According to the design, the performance of heat transference and thermoelectric energy generation are simulated by COMSOL Multiphysics. In order to simplify model, there are 16 units in total, and each unit is made up of 16 (4 × 4) pillars. In the simulation, the largest temperature difference is 7.8K on the conditions of 500 W/m2K in convection heat transfer coefficients and the maximum output potential of the module is 21.7 mV. The maximum output power achieved 96.9 µW under 500 W/m2K of heat transfer coefficient and 10 mA of current. Under ideal conditions, the value of open circuit voltage and maximum output power increases to nine times as the model, but short circuit current remains the same. When the heat transfer coefficient is 500 W/m2K and the current density is 10 mA, the maximum output power of the actual product achieved 871.7 µW.

Large-format polymeric pellet-based additive manufacturing for the naval industry

Polymeric Pellet-Based Additive Manufacturing (PPBAM) systems are increasing in the field of 3D printing as a result of the evolution of additive technologies as their development process consolidates and expands. New opportunities for industrial integration of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies are identified, including AM of large polymeric parts. The PPBAM process consists of adapting a pellet-fed extrusion mechanism to a displacement system, either a Cartesian mechanism or a robotic arm system, building parts in a multi-layered approach. This use is justified by the extruded filament sizes required and the material costs when facing large-format prints. In this article, a pellet extrusion based printer prototype is presented together with a case study. The case study consists of the development of a two cubic meter capacity plastic part for the naval industry with a topology optimization design approach and material selection and validation methodology for a large-volume pellet based extrusion system. Two functional prototypes were developed with the selected materials from the explained methodology a PLA and a flame retardant ABS, and post processed to full fill the actual product´s specifications.

Polarized but illusory beliefs about tap and bottled water: A product- and consumer-oriented survey and blind tasting experiment

BackgroundDespite the rigorous control of tap water quality, substantial price differences, and environmental concerns, bottled water consumption has increased in recent decades. To facilitate healthy and sustainable consumer choices, a deeper understanding of this "water consumption paradox" is needed. Therefore, the aim of the two present studies was to examine health-related beliefs and risk perceptions and their accuracy by implementing a combined product- and consumer-oriented approach. MethodsAn online survey (N = 578) and a blind taste test (N = 99) assessed perceptions and behaviors for tap and bottled water within primarily tap and bottled water consumers in a fully crossed design. The combined product- and consumer-oriented approach yielded significant consumer × product interaction effects. ResultsThe two consumer groups showed “polarized” ratings regarding perceived quality/hygiene, health risks and taste for bottled and tap water, indicating that the two consumer groups substantially diverged in their beliefs. However, in the blind taste test, neither consumer group was able to distinguish tap from bottled water samples (consumer perspective). Moreover, tap or bottled water samples did not systemically vary in their ascribed health-risk or taste characteristics (product perspective). ConclusionsAlthough the two consumer groups differ greatly in their beliefs, the perceived health risk and taste differences seem to reflect illusionary beliefs rather than actual experiences or product characteristics. Public health campaigns should address these illusions to promote healthy and sustainable consumer choices.

Dual-Objective Program and Scatter Search for the Optimization of Disassembly Sequences Subject to Multiresource Constraints

The effective dismantling of discarded products regardless being used or not is critically important to their reuse, recovery, and recycling. However, the existing product disassembly planning methods pay little or no attention to resource constraints, e.g., limited numbers of disassembly operators and tools. Thus, a resulting plan when being executed may be ineffective in practice. This paper presents a dual-objective optimization model for selective disassembly sequences by considering multiresource constraints such that disassembly profit is maximized and time is minimized. A scatter search is adopted to solve the proposed dual-objective optimization model. It embodies the generation of diverse initial solutions, global assessment of objective functions, a crossover combination operator, a local search strategy for improved solutions, and a reference set update method. To analyze the effect of different weights on its performance, simulations are conducted on different products. Its effectiveness is verified by comparing its optimization results and those of genetic local search. Note to Practitioners —This work deals with a sequence modeling and planning problem of product disassembly. It establishes a novel dual-objective optimization model for product disassembly subject to multiresource constraints. Previously, such a problem is handled through a methodology based on the optimization of a single objective, i.e., disassembly time or cost. The resultant solution is insufficient without fully considering disassembly resources, e.g., labors and tools. Also, in an actual disassembly process, a decision-maker may want to maximize disassembly profit, as well as minimize disassembly time. This work considers both objectives and proposes scatter search to solve disassembly problems. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach can solve them effectively. The obtained solutions give decision makers some desired choices to select a right disassembly process when an actual product is disassembled.

The Role of Rapid Manufacturing Technology in Industrial Design

The “rapid manufacturing technology” solves the bottleneck problem of restricting R & D and trial production of industrial design as well as breaking the traditional mode of product design and development. When not open the mold, R & D personnel can achieve the production demands of small quantities and varieties of products. Using rapid manufacturing technology can obtain prototype almost exactly as the same as the quality of the actual product, which will help to put into mass production after the successful negotiation of transaction. At the same time, rapid manufacturing techniques facilitate the correction of possible design errors before opening the mold.