Batch Production Research Articles

Paper sludge saccharification for batch and fed-batch production of bacterial cellulose decorated with magnetite for dye decolorization by experimental design

Cellulosic wastes represent a great environmental challenge, with potential conversion to product-added value through microbial fermentation. Currently, bacterial cellulose (BC) is considered a promising natural polymer for multiple applications. However, the high production cost challenges its wide application. Hence, the current study evaluated the applicability of paper sludge as a cost-effective medium for both cellulases and BC production. The local isolate Streptomyces rochei revealed the highest cellulase production titer (about 3 U/mL) at optimized conditions. For BC production, batch and fed-batch fermentation strategies were evaluated using enzymatically hydrolyzed paper sludge. The results asserted the advantage of fed-batch fermentation for advanced BC production (3.10 g/L) over batch fermentation (1.06 g/L) under the same cultivation conditions. The developed BC membranes were characterized through different instrumental analyses, which revealed an increase in fiber diameters and crystallinity under fed-batch fermentation. Furthermore, BC/magnetite (BC/Fe3O4) nanocomposite was developed by an in-situ approach. The newly developed composite was evaluated for dye removal applications, using methyl orange (MO) as a model. The dye removal conditions were optimized through Box Behnken design (BBD), which indicated maximal MO removal (83.5%) at pH 3.0 and BC/Fe3O4 concentration of 0.1 mg/dL after 60 min. Therefore, the current study asserts the good applicability of enzymatically hydrolyzed paper sludge as a medium for cost-effective BC production and the high capacity of BC/magnetite nanocomposite for MO decolorization. The study paves the way for the cost-effective implementation of BC/magnetite nanocomposite for dye removal.Graphical

The Effect of Learning on Assembly Line Balancing: A Review

Classical assembly line balancing (ALB) models assume constant cycle times during production. However, this assumption oversimplifies the actual situation, especially in small batch production of up to a few hundred units, since employees can significantly improve their performance thanks to the learning effect, causing task times to decrease. Several researchers have realised the importance of the effect of learning in ALB. However, only a limited number of papers have so far addressed this issue. This is problematic, since ignoring the learning effect in ALB may lead to inaccurate results and by extension misleading conclusions. This study summarises the main contributions in the field of ALB that focus on the learning effect. First, assembly lines (ALs) and ALB problems are characterised. Next, the importance of the learning effect in ALB is highlighted, and the main learning curve (LC) models are introduced. Finally, an exhaustive review of the main contributions in the field of ALB and learning effect is provided. The results highlight that many problems in this area need to be investigated further, in relation to both conceptual model building and the development of algorithms for solving practical size problems.

Enhancing salmon freshness monitoring with sol-gel cellulose nanocrystal colorimetric paper sensors and deep learning methods

Accurate shelf-life estimation of food products has the potential to improve the safety, reliability, and sustainability of food supply chains. Here, a scalable system for accurately indicating the freshness-related information of salmon for consumers was developed and characterized. The system comprises two parts, an optically changeable colorimetric sensor by dye incorporated with sol-gel functionalized paper sensor and a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN)-based freshness estimation system based on images. The paper sensor was produced based on paper and immersed, coated, or printed with (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTMS) and tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) sol-gel particles and indicators (e.g., pH indicator, ammonia gas indicator, oxidation indicator, and other volatile organic compounds indicators). After being augmented by machine learning, the limit of detection reaches as low as 17.1 ppm for ammonia detection and the accuracy achieved up to 99.2% for salmon freshness estimation, which satisfied the application in food supply chains. The system balanced the trade-off between detection sensitivity, stability, and cost with the ability for scalable batch production.

CANNABIS THIN LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY (TLC) CHEMO TYPING: HOW ACCURATE IS TLC COMPARED TO HIGH PRESSURE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY?

Problem: Brazilian Cannabis Associations (BCA) search for methods of reducing their costs and increasing their quality control of Cannabis spp. Oil and extracts. The significant difficulties presented by ABRACAM (Associação Brasileira Cannabis Medicinal) to UFPI professors were to standardize cannabinoids profiles of its plants and guarantee the same levels of cannabinoids on its artisanal extracts. ABRACAM has difficulty standardizing plant cannabinoids profiles due to Cannabis spp. Phenotypic plasticity, or the ability of Cannabis spp. to change attributes like the size of leaves, levels of secondary metabolites, stems structures, flowering period, among others. The second problem is that artisanal extract combines different production batches of non-tested extractions. It is necessary to quantify and qualify each cannabinoid and how much is on artisanal Cannabis production. Aiming to solve the ABRACAM production problem, UFPI and CANNAPI suggested manual testing practices to test cannabis and its derivates. This article results from validation tests performed at ABRACAM to determine how precise manual methods are to quantify cannabinoids. Methods: This research compared the cannabinoids results of an off-the-shelf Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) cannabinoids profile test kit with the results of a High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). UFPI perfect the method from the vendor manual after running sixty quantifications from one sample. Results: The TLC error compared to HPLC was between approximately 0,5% and 1%. ABRACAM differentiated the Chemotype Profile of its High THC varieties and High CBD varieties. For High CBD variety, the outdoor cultivation proportionated greater cannabinoids levels. Conclusions: The comparison pointed that TLC may be used as testing equipment for this Brazilian Association due to its artisanal production license. This article concludes that precision is the key to medication production, and the TLC error may be accepted for artisanal production but not as a standard for precision. For scientific purposes, TLC is a strong hypothesis builder, and for agriculture, purposes may be a vital tool point the right time to harvest.

PSV-3 Evaluation of Functional Properties of Chitin as a Novel Non-Meat Ingredient for Manufacturing Meat Emulsions

Abstract There has been a growing demand for developing naturally occurring non-meat ingredients, which could replace or reduce synthetic additives that have been used extensively in manufacturing processed meat products. Chitin, which is a major component of crustacean shells and a precursor of chitosan, is the second most abundant polysaccharide followed by cellulose. While some functional properties of chitin such as water/fat binding capacity and emulsifying ability have been reported, there are almost little to no studies determining the efficacy of chitin as a non-meat ingredient. The objective of this study was to evaluate the functional properties of chitins as a novel non-meat ingredient for manufacturing emulsified sausages. Fresh pork hind leg and pork back fat from 9 carcasses at 4 d postmortem were obtained. The trimmed pork hind legs were randomly assigned into three independent batches for emulsion and sausage production. Chitins were extracted from chitin-like material (CLM) from two different crustacean shell sources, such as crawfish (CF) and blue crab (BC). The CLM were extracted and used in the following order: drying-deproteinization (1% calcium oxide)-demineralization (2N HCl)-deacetylation (6M NaOH). For the emulsion and sausage manufacturing, control was prepared with 70% raw meat, 18% backfat, 10% water, 1.5% sodium chloride and 0.5% sodium phosphate. The treatments were prepared with 70% raw meat, 18% backfat, 10% water, 1.5% sodium chloride, 0.2% phosphate, and 0.5% CLM. The functional properties of CLM were evaluated by measuring binding capacity, emulsion capacity, and color attributes. For the evaluation of meat batter and emulsified sausage products, instrumental color, texture profile analysis, emulsion stability, cooking loss, and pH were measured. The data analysis was conducted by mixed model, and least squares means for all traits were separated (F-test, P < 0.05) by using least significant differences. No significant difference in the color attributes of meat batter between the control and the treatments (CF and BC) was found. The chitin added products from both CF and BC had a greater emulsion stability, where the treatment showed about two time greater in emulsion stability compared with control (P < 0.05). In particular, chitin extracted from CF showed greater water and fat binding capacity than CB (P < 0.05). In the emulsified sausage, the treatments showed significantly greater redness and hardness than control (P < 0.05). In particular, the CF showed greater cohesiveness and gumminess than control or BC (P < 0.05). The results of the present study showed the beneficial impacts of chitin addition for meat emulsions. The chitin inclusion improved the quality characteristics of emulsified sausage such as textural properties and emulsion stability, while less amount of phosphate was added compared with control. Additionally, chitin from crawfish had superior functional properties to that from blue crab, indicating different chitin functionality between crustacean shell sources.

Optimalisasi Keuntungan Penjualan Pada Usaha Pabrik Tempe Pak Bibit

Optimizing Sales Results Using the Simplex Method in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) for Tempe Production. Linear programming is a mathematical formulation method that employs linear equations to determine optimal values while maximizing or minimizing the objective function within certain constraints. In this study, linear programming is applied to SMEs engaged in tempe production, particularly at Tempe Pak Bibit SME. In their production process, SMEs often face challenges in determining the daily tempe production quantity and prioritizing production items that yield maximum profits. This research aims to provide valuable insights to assist the decision-making process in optimizing tempe production, achieving optimal production results, and maximizing sales profits for Tempe Pak Bibit SME. The results obtained through the simplex method indicate a cost of Rp. 749.454,5, with a production of 58 round-shaped tempe units and 4 square-shaped tempe units per production batch.

An ERP implementation on a beekeeping and honey value chain

Goal: This research represents a case study on the selection and implementation of ERP systems in the beekeeping and honey production sector, developing a decentralized and digital system accessible to every stakeholder in a cooperative based in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Methodology: The work develops an in-depth analysis of the beekeeping activities and how farmers participate and interact with the cooperative. This enables to distinguish the main features and specifications that an ERP system must have to give proper support to the business functions within the cooperative. Results: This implementation made it possible to make the production process more flexible, improve the traceability of production batches, and reduce costs in the business operation. Limitations: To generalize the results, other experiences from similar organizations should be incorporated. In addition, it would be convenient to reassess the situation when the implementation is fully developed, since this article presents the implementation of essential and critic modules for the operation of the organization. Practical implications: A special feature of this study is that the organization is structured as a cooperative, then each producer is a stakeholder in the system meaning that the decision-making processes are decentralized and transparent to each stakeholder. Originality: This study represents a novel development in using cloud and digital technologies to leverage and foster horizontal organizations such as cooperatives. Digitalization enables to share the information and decisions made by each of the stakeholders, something that strengthens the main purpose of cooperatives. As far as we know, there are no previous studies on developing ERP systems for an agricultural cooperative.

Analisis Kontaminasi Logam Berat dan Mikroba Pada Gula Aren Sesuai Standar Pangan Indonesia di Pusat Produksi Desa Menggala Lombok Utara

Palm sugar is widely produced in the North Lombok region, but the production process is still conventional. Consequently, the probability of metal contamination and microbial contamination is very high. This study aims to assign the safety characteristics of palm sugar in Menggala Village, North Lombok, in guaranteeing public health by analyzing the possible contamination. The requirements of factors are based on SNI 3743-2021 for metal contamination and SNI 7388:2009 for microbial contamination. This study used samples from Menggala Village, North Lombok, in November 2021. Samples were taken from one batch of the final product at the production house center, as much as 2 kg from 5 kg of total production. Heavy metal content was analyzed using AAS and ICP-OES. Analysis of Total Viable Count (TVC) and Total Yeast and Mold Count (TYMC) used the pour-plate TPC method, while the coliform test was analyzed using the Most Probable Number (MPN) method. The results of heavy metal contamination meet the SNI 3743:2021 standard. So, the palm sugar is free from these. The results of the TVC and TYMC meet the SNI 7388:2009 standard. However, the palm sugar does not meet the established criteria of SNI 7388:2009 for coliforms. The amount of presence above the threshold is the possible presence of pathogenic microbes that are harmful to human health. The cleanliness factor is the main factor causing the high value of coliform analysis. Several recommendations can be implemented, namely improving hygiene and sanitation facilities for workers, maintaining worker hygiene such as washing hands before and after processing, going to the toilet, handling dirty materials, and wearing clean clothes with head coverings, gloves, masks, or work shoes. Training and education programs are required, and incentives for workers to comply with these standards.

Research on digital twin framework for customized product manual assembly systems

With the increasing demand for personalized products, customization has become increasingly popular. To achieve customization and efficiency, products are always the same as those in batch production in the former stages but different in the assembly stage. Consequently, assembly is the key stage in customized production, and manual operations are necessary. Compared with automated operations, manual operations still have problems such as easy misassembly and low efficiency. The digital twin (DT) technology has the potential to monitor and solve these problems. This study proposes a framework for production line reconstruction and intelligent monitoring of customized product manual assembly based on DT. To meet the requirements of DT modeling for customized product manual assembly systems, a progressive multidimensional DT modelling method is proposed. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed modelling method and framework is verified through a case study of a customized control valve assembly system in an instrument manufacturing enterprise.

Определение основных подходов к созданию гибкого мелкосерийного микроэлектронного производства в России

The article considers the place and role of the microelectronics industry in the world economy, its integration with other manufacturing industries. The priority importance of microelectronic products, which are not classi-fied as high-tech, for ensuring technological security and defense capability of the country is stated. The study of approaches to ensure the flexibility of production necessary for small-batch production is carried out: techno-logical approach, consisting in the transition to more flexible technologies, for which the changeover to another type of product (another integrated circuit) requires less time and additional technological operations; organiza-tional, based on the distribution of production between several integrated enterprises, as well as the reorgani-zation of production for small batch production. Current production of integrated circuits in Russia, including full-cycle production facilities, is assessed. The main financial and economic indicators of Russian manufac-turers of microelectronic products are given.

Cold spray forming: a novel approach in cold spray additive manufacturing of complex parts using 3D-printed polymer molds

The solid-state additive manufacturing (AM) process cold spraying (CS) offers advantageous properties such as melt-free near-net-shape part fabrication and high deposition rates. Compared to other metal-based AM processes such as the powder bed fusion of metals (PBF-LB/M) or directed energy deposition (DED) processes such as laser metal deposition (DED-LB), CS features lower part resolution. One solution to increase the achievable level of detail is spraying onto removable molds. No study exists that investigates the general feasibility and manufacturing boundaries, from which design guidelines could be derived. In this paper, the applicability of material extruded and thermally bonded polymer (MEX-TRB/P) shapes, which is especially suitable for flexible low-cost production of small batches, as molds for cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM) is investigated. For this purpose, material extruded thermoplastics are examined regarding their suitability for the CS process. Furthermore, geometrical and thus constructive restrictions of this new approach “Cold Spray Forming” (CSF) are analyzed using an industry-relevant use case. It was shown that the feasibility of this approach could be determined by the material value hardness of the sprayed polymer substrates.

Pave the way to the batch production of SWNT arrays for carbon-based electronic devices

Pave the way to the batch production of SWNT arrays for carbon-based electronic devices

Possibility Assessment of Automatic Formation of Technological Processes in Small Batch Production

The work is devoted to urgent problem solution of lack of convenient tools with functional capabilities of the system of route technological process automated design, adapted to small-scale production. The estimation of potential possibility of automatic small-scale production formation by means of estimation of efficiency and expediency technological processes of automation of key stages of design of production technological preparation, such as equipment selection, selection of cutting modes, workpiece, cutting and measuring tools and tooling selection is given. The key stages of technological process development are considered and characterized, such as selection of technological bases, type of workpiece and equipment, formation of route technological process, calculation of cutting modes, selection of allowances and so on. The paper shows both the relevance and necessity of analyzing approaches to automation and their correct adaptation to production needs to achieve maximum efficiency and resource savings for small batch production, and the high relevance for small-batch production of the automatic formation of route technological processes. At the same time, the paper shows the lack of automated systems adapted to the specifics of small-batch production. The existing approaches to the formation of stages are analyzed, as well as the possible methods of automation of stages and the existing limitations of these methods are considered, the efficiency of the considered approaches is evaluated. The methods of automation of separate stages of technological preparation of production are analyzed and the efficiency of the considered approaches is evaluated. The original concept of solving the problem of automation for small-scale production by using a combination of a limited number of standard solutions, represented as a set of technological parameters or knowledge base, with individual solutions, adapted to the specifics of enterprises and industry, is proposed and the potential effectiveness of this approach is shown.

Good practices for the automated production of 18F-SiFA radiopharmaceuticals

BackgroundThe positron emitting isotope fluorine-18 (18F) possesses almost ideal physicochemical properties for the development of radiotracers for diagnostic molecular imaging employing positron emission tomography (PET). 18F in its nucleophilic anionic 18F− form is usually prepared by bombarding an enriched 18O water target with protons of various energies between 5 and 20 MeV depending on the technical specifications of the cyclotron. Large thick-target yields between 5 and 14 GBq/µA can be obtained, enough to prepare large batches of radiotracers capable to serve a considerable contingent of patients (50 + per clinical batch). The overall yield of the radiotracer however depends on the efficiency of the 18F labeling chemistry. The Silicon Fluoride Acceptor chemistry (SiFA) has introduced a convenient and highly efficient way to provide clinical peptide-based 18F-radiotracers in a kit-like procedure matching the convenience of 99mTc radiopharmaceuticals.Main bodyA radiotracer’s clinical success primarily hinges on whether its synthesis can be automated. Due to its simplicity, the SiFA chemistry, which is based on isotopic exchange (18F for 19F), does not only work in a manual setup but has been proven to be automatable, yielding large batches of 18F-radiotracers of high molar activity (Am). The production of SiFA radiotracer can be centralized and the radiopharmaceutical be distributed via the “satellite” principle, where one production facility economically serves multiple clinical application sites. Clinically validated tracers such as [18F]SiTATE and [18F]Ga-rhPSMA-7/-7.3 have been synthesized in an automated synthesis unit under good manufacturing practice conditions and used in large patient cohorts. Communication of common guidelines and practices is warranted to further the dissemination of SiFA radiopharmaceuticals and to give easy access to this technology.ConclusionThis current review highlights the most recent achievements in SiFA radiopharmaceutical automation geared towards large batch production for clinical application. Best practice advice and guidance towards a facilitated implementation of the SiFA technology into new and already operating PET tracer production facilities is provided. A brief outlook spotlights the future potential of SiFA radiochemistry within the landscape of non-canonical labeling chemistries.

Adaptation of a CAD System for Technological Process Formation for Part Manufacturing in Small-Series and Single Production

The task of automating the system of technological preparation of production, including the stage of technological process design, is currently gaining special relevance. Implementation of re-engineering programs within the framework of solving the problems of ensuring technological independence and safety implies rapid deployment of production capacities and effective development of new production facilities. As a consequence, reliable and correct for application in various forms of production enterprises automation systems are required. The existing systems of automated design of technological processes remain poorly adapted for single and small batch productions, so they are practically not applicable for multi-nomenclature productions of small or medium-sized enterprises. Functioning of modern domestic systems of computer-aided design of technological process is based on algorithms adapted and applied in conditions of large series, when production has greater stability of production of products. Consequently, it is necessary to adapt the algorithms of technological process design to work at a small-scale enterprise. The general scheme of technological process design for serial systems of automated technological process design is considered, the possibilities of its unification and subsequent adaptation for single and small batch productions are shown and evaluated. On the basis of the analysis of the obtained unified functional scheme the adaptation of the algorithm of formation of the technological process of part manufacturing is carried out. Taking into account the existing limitations and requirements to the peculiarities of functioning of the systems of computer-aided design of technological process in single and small batch production, a new functionality of the subsystem of initial information preparation is formed and proposed. The proposed algorithm of forming the technological process of part manufacturing includes three fundamental blocks: preparation of initial information, construction of the technological model of the part and its analysis, formation and issuance of technological documentation. Thus, the proposed adapted algorithm of technological process formation in the conditions of single and small batch production of products has a simpler form, understandable structure.

Strategic Optimization of the Flushing Operations in Lubricant Manufacturing and Packaging Facilities.

Commercial lubricant industries use a complex pipeline network for the sequential processing of thousands of unique products annually. Flushing is conducted between changeovers to ensure the integrity of each production batch. An upcoming product is used for cleaning the residues of the previous batch, resulting in the formation of a commingled/mixed oil that does not match the specifications of either of the two batches. The existing operations are based on the operator's experience and trial and error. After a selected flush time, the samples are tested for their viscosity to determine the success of a flush. The approach results in long downtime, the generation of large commingled oil volumes, and huge economic losses. Hence, to overcome the drawback, our work introduces a solution strategy for systematically optimizing flushing operations and making more informed decisions to improve the resource-management footprint of these industries. We use the American Petroleum Institute-Technical Data Book (API-TDB) blending correlations for calculating the mixture viscosities in real-time. The blending correlations are combined with our first-principles models and validated against well-designed experimental data from the partnered lubricant facility. Next, we formulate an optimal control problem for predicting the optimum flushing times. We solve the problem using two solution techniques viz. Pontryagin's maximum principle and discrete-time nonlinear programming. The results from both approaches are compared with well-designed experimental data, and the economic and environmental significance are discussed. The results illustrate that with the application of a discrete-time nonlinear programming solution approach, the flushing can be conducted at a customized flow rate, and the necessary flushing volume can be reduced to over 30% as compared to the trial-and-error mode of operation.

A GMP-Compliant Procedure for the Generation of Gene-Modified T cells.

The field of Adoptive Cell Therapy (ACT) has been revolutionized by the development of genetically modified cells, specifically Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cells. These modified cells have shown remarkable clinical responses in patients with hematologic malignancies. However, the high cost of producing these therapies and conducting extensive quality control assessments has limited their accessibility to a broader range of patients. To address this issue, many academic institutions are exploring the feasibility of in-house manufacturing of genetically modified cells, while adhering to guidelines set by national and international regulatory agencies. Manufacturing genetically modified T cell products on a large scale presents several challenges, particularly in terms of the institution's production capabilities and the need to meet infusion quantity requirements. One major challenge involves producing large-scale viral vectors under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines, which is often outsourced to external companies. Additionally, simplifying the T cell transduction process can help minimize variability between production batches, reduce costs, and facilitate personnel training. In this study, we outline a streamlined process for lentiviral transduction of primary human T cells with a fluorescent marker as the gene of interest. The entire process adheres to GMP-compliant standards and is implemented within our academic institution.

Rational scale-up of catalytic hydrogenation involving slowly dissolving reactants

Based on an experimental campaign, a model is developed for scaling up a fed-batch catalytic hydrogenation, characterized by a slow dissolution of the reagent. The model considers all mass transfer rates across the 4 phases, with solid reagent dissolution identified as the limiting factor. Chemical kinetics were identified for 7 reactions using laboratory scale data with transients in temperature and stirring. The model developed at 0.5 L scale, accounts for reactor size and impeller type; validation was performed from data from a 170 L reactor. Sensitivity analysis on product purity, batch and dissolution time at pilot scale was performed. Higher temperature shortens both times, but promotes formation of undesirable intermediates. Stirring positively affects solid dissolution and batch time, with more impact at lower temperatures. The optimal operating point was found at a temperature of 65% of the maximum allowed (80°C), allowing for lower stirring rate and reduced power consumption.

Testability design of power distribution system considering noise immunity characteristics

MOSFET-based power electronics systems have high-reliability requirements, and a high-accuracy fault diagnosis method is necessary. However, imperfect conditions such as severe signal noise and poor consistency exist in actual products. Conventional fault diagnosis methods are difficult to identify faults accurately. This paper describes a simulation-based testability design method for batch products considering noise immunity. First, the components' soft and hard fault models are determined with failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), and the circuit simulation model is constructed. Then, the fault injection simulation is performed to structure the dependency matrix. The test points scheme is selected and optimized by extracting noise immunity characteristics of different types of signals. Finally, a power distribution system is taken as a case study for the testability design method, and the effectiveness of the test points is evaluated through simulation and experiment verification.

DATA ENGINEERING IN CRISP-DM PROCESS PRODUCTION DATA – CASE STUDY

The paper describes one of the methods of data acquisition in data mining models used to support decision-making. The study presents the possibilities of data collection using the phases of the CRISP-DM model for an organization and presents the possibility of adapting the model for analysis and management in the decisionmaking process. The first three phases of implementing the CRISP-DM model are described using data from an enterprise with small batch production as an example. The paper presents the CRISP-DM based model for data mining in the process of predicting assembly cycle time. The developed solution has been evaluated using real industrial data and will be a part of methodology that allows to estimate the assembly time of a finished product at the quotation stage, i.e., without the detailed technology of the product being known.