Mechanical Engineering Companies Research Articles

Identification of dependencies between product parameters and process stakeholders

In today’s mechanical engineering companies, the rising interdisciplinarity of processes and development teams as well as distributed company locations leads to increased production times and more complex product development processes (PDP), although shorter development times are requested. Especially changes, e.g. component optimization or changed customer requirements, as well as parallel sub-processes, require increased planning to make dependencies visible and estimate expenses.When requesting a change to e.g. a component property, it is difficult to identify on the one hand which processes and technical parameters are affected and on the other hand which stakeholders have to be included in the decision making. It is not yet state-of-the art that stakeholders affected by a change in the PDP are identified and notified automatically by the IT-system. Furthermore, it is challenging to identify indirectly connected stakeholders, which are not linked to changing properties or processes, concerning the changes made.In this paper, a methodological approach is presented, that links the technical parameters with the processes and the different stakeholders, using the example of a PDP for light weight composite components.The procedure comprises the implementation of the PDP for light weight composite, including the process-dependent roles, in a product data management (PDM) system. The process structure is then linked to a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tool. By building a system model, the product parameters are linked to the processes and roles. Using the established system model, the direct and indirect dependencies between the technical parameters and the stakeholders are visualized.

World trends in the market of mechanical engineering

The article analyzes the main trends in the global market of mechanical engineering, in particular, in the branches of agricultural engineering, mechanical engineering for light industry, construction and road engineering, and energy engineering. It also addresses the structure and development trends of the mechanical engineering market by regions, changes in the business environment of the mechanical engineering industry, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the state and development of the global mechanical engineering market, new rules and requirements for manufacturers of mechanical engineering products, and technological innovations and trends. Mechanical engineering companies today are at the epicenter of technological transformation. The mechanical engineering industry creates individual digital capabilities and intelligently combined products. Innovative processes such as related production, forecast service and innovative service models are increasingly used in mechanical engineering. The use of modern digital technologies in mechanical engineering is becoming a necessity that prevents the risks of losing relevance in the market of modern industry. Although the basic principles of mechanical engineering, such as thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and machine design, still remain in force, the latest technologies are contributing to the rapid development of composites, mechatronics and nanotechnology. These new subject areas, which are the result of modern achievements, have become a prerequisite for the development of new and promising industries, including artificial intelligence and biomechatronics. The growing demand for increased production efficiency while minimizing operating costs has led to demand for new and innovative technologies. Based on the study of the introduction of new technologies in mechanical engineering and global trends in the industry, the author substantiates the feasibility of accepting the need for globalization in mechanical engineering as a new norm, taking into account costs, tax consequences, quality and delivery in planning the existing geographical location, supply chains, strategic partnerships; reduction of the general supply cycle for better adaptation to the changing environment; optimization of existing production facilities, automation and attraction of advanced digital technologies for the establishment of work processes; implementation of advanced technologies in mechanical engineering, such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, nanoengineering, advanced data analytics, automation of robotic processes, blockchain, robotics, cloud computing augmented reality, 3D printing, drones, 5G, etc.; raising the qualification level of mechanical engineering workers.

A sustainable manufacturing tool for the analysis and management of resource consumption within production processes

Reducing energy/resource consumption in production processes can significantly improve the environmental performance of manufacturing systems. This paper proposes a sustainable manufacturing method and tool and describes its application in a mechanical engineering company which produces automotive components. The tool allows to map the processes/activities and the related resources consumed, assess the efficiency through specific key performance indicators, identify process criticalities and thus set mitigation or improvement strategies.

EVALUATION OF RISK IMPACT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF INNOVATION PROJECTS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF MACHINE-BUILDING QUASI-INTEGRATION STRUCTURES

The risk management of innovation project can improve the level of risk control of quasi-integration structures (QIS), so as to make more effective decisions, reduce investment losses and achieve mutual benefit as well. Therefore, an assessment of the risk impact on implementation of innovation project makes this study relevance. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of market risks on the success of innovative QIS engineering projects with the involvement of an economic-probabilistic model based on a conjoint analysis. Research methodology. The article substances the feasibility and results of the application of the method of conjoint analysis – one of the methods of mathematical psychology – to assess the impact of risks on the effectiveness of innovative projects implemented within quasi-integration structures in the engineering complex. Findings. The most likely scenarios for implementing an innovative project in terms of the impact of risk events on the financial result had been found with a help of a conjoint procedure with a fractional factorial design. The relative impact of each risk on the success of the innovation project was evaluated. The rule of deciding on the eligibility of an innovative project by the participants of machine-building QIS was formulated on the basis of the technique of the internal rate of investment return (IRR). Research limitations. The developed methodology is proposed to be used in assessing the impact of risks on innovative projects within machine-building quasi-integration structures. The proposed method of assessing the impact of risks on the financial results of innovative projects within the machine-building QIS can be used in more general situations. Practical implications. The methodology was tested on the example of an innovation project within an innovation and technology cluster, which included six participants: mechanical engineering companies, a service company, a scientific institution and an educational institution. The market and specific inter-corporate risks that influence the results of innovative projects within machine-building QISs were identified and evaluated for operationalization. According to the results of implementation of the methodology, the feasibility of implementing an innovative project within the innovation-technological cluster was substantiated. Originality/value. The scientific novelty of this study is the use of a conjoint analysis methodology to assess the impact of market risks.

Состояние и перспективы развития машиностроения

The paper seeks to intensify innovation-driven development of Russian mechanical engineering enterprises and industries. The results of combined administrative and technological investigations unambiguously indicate the necessity and feasibility of restructuring the existing industrial system into large mechanical engineering companies and complexes. Integrating the efforts of every company department should ensure maintaining a competitive quality level and restoring the volume of engineering production, diversifying and modernising the manufacturing processes. Practical implementation of the investigation results in terms of substantiating the directions and steps involved in innovation-driven development will ensure not only high efficiency of introducing them into mechanical engineering and machine utilisation, but also the desired technological breakthrough in production, science and education

Product Elimination in German Industrial Companies: A Comparison Study with US and UK Industrial Companies

This paper focuses on the product elimination in German industrial companies, especially in the mechanical engineering sector. The Product Life Cycle (PLC) theory is based on the typical curve, which shows the different stages a product experiences over the time. The last stage, the so-called decline or elimination phase, is characterized with decreasing sales figures, low market share and shrinking profits. Therefore, it sounds logical that such products should be eliminated. This study is analyzing if these indicators really are the only reasons to start the elimination process of a product, or if there are other reasons triggering this decision too. This paper is based on results of personal structured interviews (n = 102) with representatives of German mechanical engineering companies. The data was processed with use of statistical software SPSS, mean values and standard deviations were calculated, and Spearman's rank order correlation value analysis was applied. The results of this study were then compared with other earlier studies: Avlonitis (1984), Hart (1988), and Mitchell et al. (1998). The main findings suggest that the data from the new German study are highly correlating with the data from the United States (Mitchell et al., 1998) and the United Kingdom (Avlonitis, 1984; Hart, 1988). The results show that the reasons to phase out a product have not changed over the time; neither are the reasons different in different economics.

Socially Inclined Engagement and Its Effect on CSR Perception Observed In Manufacturing Companies

The manufacturing industry majorly constitutes electrical, electronics, telecommunication, mechanical engineer-ing, and textile companies. This sector provides more employ-ment for the skilled level employee than that of service and in-formation technology sectors. Besides, the manufacturing indus-try significantly contributes to the economy. Hence, the employ-ees working in such companies are expected to be engaged with the goals of the company. A high level of engagement leads to productivity. This study aims to understand the level of socially inclined employee engagement and its impact on the perceived image of the company’s CSR activities. The study uses Partial Least Square – Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) to deter-mine the association between employee engagement and CSR activity. The results indicate that there exists a positive associa-tion between engagement level and positive perception of CSR activity. The instrument to measure this association is developed and supported with the evidence from reliability tests and validity test.

Managing knowledge and parameter dependencies with MBSE in textile product development processes

Abstract Today’s mechanical engineering companies are confronted with challenges like new material technologies, shorter product life cycles, increasing interdisciplinarity of the various departments as well as product development across distributed company locations. In the context of lightweight design, Tailored Textiles offer promising potentials to reduce product weight and manufacturing costs. Tailored Textiles are textiles with integrated local reinforcements whose textile properties can be adapted locally during the production due to the textile structures, so that process steps and therefore time and costs can be reduced. However, the production-oriented design of Tailored Textiles is currently very complex. One reason for this is the large number of stakeholders that are involved in the process. In order to make this complexity manageable, it is necessary to develop a common understanding of the textile process chain and to improve communication between different stakeholders. Another major challenge is the identification and management of technical parameter dependencies over the entire product development process (PDP). The aim pursued by this work is to link the technical parameter level of different expert models with the process level of Tailored Textiles PDP, so that expert knowledge is externalized to other stakeholders In this context, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) is a promising approach. Through the formalized application of modeling, MBSE allows the process accompanying development of a system model, which enables the visualization of the parameter dependencies within the product development process. In this paper, a methodological approach is presented which initially involves modeling the PDP for Tailored Textiles in a product data management system (PDMS). The process is then linked to a MBSE modeling tool. In the modeling tool, the analyzed parameters and their dependencies are set up and visualized. Following this procedure, the feasibility of the design will be evaluated based on a use case.

Evaluation of dynamics of related indicators of financial stability in machine-building enterprises in Ukraine and their impact on corporate culture

The article is devoted to the analysis and evaluation of the dynamics of relative indicators of financial sustainability at the enterprises of machine building in the country and their impact on corporate culture. It has been proved that the analysis of relative indicators of financial stability evaluation at the enterprises of mechanical engineering has been carried out in the following directions: comparison of actual values of coefficients with normative at the date of drawing up each balance, this contributes to the formation of a biased opinion on financial stability, insufficient financial stability, or financial instability of enterprises of mechanical engineering on the normative values of the indicator; comparison of the actual values of the coefficients in the dynamics for the significance of the trends in the change in the financial sustainability of the mechanical engineering industry: from the point of view of assessing the financial stability of the enterprises under analysis, it is necessary to formulate a conclusion on the improvement or deterioration of the financial condition of the engineering industry and to determine how this was affected by this relative indicator on enterprise strategy and corporate culture. It has been shown that using the coefficients analysis one can find strong and weak financial characteristics of mechanical engineering enterprises. The dynamics of relative indicators of financial sustainability can be used to control the activities of mechanical engineering companies, as well as to verify whether the company can meet its short-term obligations or to cover fixed income payments. Based on the values of indicators of financial stability, it is possible to build a credit policy in banking institutions, and also use it to compare advantages with other enterprises of mechanical engineering. It is proved that the positive dynamics of stocks is estimated on the basis of comparison with the dynamics of financial results of the enterprise. It is ascertained that if the growth rate of financial results of the enterprises of mechanical engineering exceeds the growth rates of stocks, this indicates an increase in the efficiency of their use.

The factors driving the synergy value in mergers of mechanical engineering companies in the Czech Republic

The factors driving the synergy value in mergers of mechanical engineering companies in the Czech Republic

DIGITAL IMAGE CORRELATION FROM COMMERCIAL TO FOS SOFTWARE: A MATURE TECHNIQUE FOR FULL-FIELD DISPLACEMENT MEASUREMENTS

Abstract. In the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in studying non-contact methods for full-field displacement and strain measurement. Among such techniques, Digital Image Correlation (DIC) has received particular attention, thanks to its ability to provide these information by comparing digital images of a sample surface before and after deformation. The method is now commonly adopted in the field of civil, mechanical and aerospace engineering and different companies and some research groups implemented 2D and 3D DIC software. In this work a review on DIC software status is given at first. Moreover, a free and open source 2D DIC software is presented, named py2DIC and developed in Python at the Geodesy and Geomatics Division of DICEA of the University of Rome “La Sapienza”; its potentialities were evaluated by processing the images captured during tensile tests performed in the Structural Engineering Lab of the University of Rome “La Sapienza” and comparing them to those obtained using the commercial software Vic-2D developed by Correlated Solutions Inc, USA. The agreement of these results at one hundredth of millimetre level demonstrate the possibility to use this open source software as a valuable 2D DIC tool to measure full-field displacements on the investigated sample surface.

Methods for automated semantic definition of manufacturing structures (mBOM) in mechanical engineering companies

The bill of materials (BOM), which involves all parts and assemblies of the product, is the core of any mechanical or electronic product. The flexible and integrated management of engineering (Engineering Bill of Materials [eBOM]) and manufacturing (Manufacturing Bill of Materials [mBOM]) structures is the key to the creation of modern products in mechanical engineering companies. This paper presents a method framework for the creation and control of e- and, especially, mBOM. The requirements, resulting from the process of differentiation between companies that produce serialized or engineered-to-order products, are considered in the analysis phase. The main part of the paper describes different approaches to fully or partly automated creation of mBOM. The first approach is the definition of part selection rules in the generic mBOM templates. The mBOM can be derived from the eBOM for partly standardized products by using this method. Another approach is the simultaneous use of semantic rules, options, and parameters in both structures. The implementation of the method framework (selection of use cases) in a standard product lifecycle management (PLM) system is part of the research.

The ‘Enterprise of Innovation’ in hard times: corporate culture and performance in Italian high-tech companies

ABSTRACTThis article deals with the strategies that Italian innovative manufacturing companies have deployed in recent years. Italy has, in fact, been hit particularly severely by the international crisis, which has induced a sharp decline in employment and a narrowing of the productive base. That said, we know very little about the strategies used by Italian entrepreneurs to cope with the economic downturn, especially the more innovative ones. To address this topic, the author has used a sample of over 400 Italian companies with European patents in the sectors of mechanical engineering and high technology (European Patent Office (EPO) companies), which were investigated by means of a panel survey: a longitudinal study carried out on the same companies at different times (2010 and 2012). The analysis conducted in this article has two main goals: (1) to describe the socio-economic and territorial characteristics of EPO companies and their strategies in the years of the crisis and (2) to examine the influence of a ‘collaborative corporate culture’ on company performance. What emerges from the research into EPO companies is the complementarity of resources useful for innovation and economic performance among (a) the internal and external relations of the organization; (b) the variety of knowledge and the cohesion of relationships and (c) the short and long networks of collaboration. In conclusion, successful company strategies are those which – thanks to a collaborative company culture – are able to exploit the ‘embedded complementarity of innovative resources’.

Rational and emotional factors of customer satisfaction and brand loyalty in a business-to-business setting

PurposeReaching customer satisfaction and brand loyalty in a business-to-business setting is still an area of rising interest to both researchers and practitioners. Compared to consumer branding, there is notably very little known about the success factors of industrial branding and how to convince buyers rationally and emotionally in business-to-business markets. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the success factors of branding in a business-to-business setting and analyze their performance impact on customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 258 buyers of mechanical and plant engineering companies participated in an online survey. Data analysis was performed by using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results reveal that rational brand quality consists of the three dimensions, product quality, service quality and distribution quality, whereas consistent advertising style, brand image, country-of-manufacture image and salesperson’s personality are dimensions of emotional brand associations. All dimensions positively influence customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.Originality/valueThis study offers a certain value compared to the relevant literature mentioned in literature review. Compared to a large majority of the papers, the integration of rational and emotional factors in an integrative and complex model implies novelty. For example, Davis et al. (2008) and Baumgarth and Binckebanck (2011) focus on specific exogenous factors in their studies, namely, brand awareness and brand image, respectively, sales force impact combined with product quality and non-personal communication. In contrast, Van Riel, Pahud de Mortanges and Streukens (2005), Chen et al. (2011) and Chen and Su (2012) conceptualized a more complex model but did not separate rational and emotional factors. Jensen and Klastrup (2008) were the only authors who made this separation, but they did not include well-known emotional success factors such as brand image or country-of-manufacture image in their research model. Furthermore, an endogenous causal chain representing an observable consumer behavior is missing. This paper fills this gap.

Contributions to risk assessment in the departments of welding mechanical engineering companies

The risk assessment professional should cover every activity and every workstation in an enterprise engineering, considering each component of the production system (the system working), each duty, work equipment and working environment. This represents an extremely complicated and complex problem because of production system that is a powerful polluting technology, especially of the atmosphere and soil. The formation of gas welding process is the result of electrodes burning, fluxes, and development of bath fused metal the welded seam. In welding processes, human operators are exposed to smoke and toxic gases, arising from the welding process, which can be dangerous to health. Many acute intoxication caused by to excessive exposure or short exposure to severe smoke and gases resulting from the welding process were studied the course of time. The paper focuses on smoke inhalation and calculate the score of danger each chemical agent score volatility of process. This conducts to collective protection so ultimately results in a score of inhalation S inh = 1000, or resulting risk moderate, requiring a set of protective and preventive measures that are proposed in this regard.

Efficiency of Mergers of Mechanical Engineering Companies in the Czech Republic

Abstract This paper presents the research results in the field of the efficiency of mergers and acquisitions in the mechanical engineering industry of the Czech Republic. The aim of this paper is to determine whether mergers taking place in mechanical engineering are successful, or possibly to identify factors which may be deemed as synergies sources. In our research, the success rate of mergers is identified on the basis of the increasing revenues and operating profit. It has been established that out of mergers completed in 2004 - 2011, success has been achieved in approximately half of them. For this reason, we have focused on identifying the factors which may serve as the reasons for such a difference. The selected indicators of the cost-to-revenue ratio and utilization of fixed assets, investments, and net working capital we analysed before and after the mergers in both groups of successful and unsuccessful mergers. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to test the results. The research results have demonstrated that synergies are not achieved due to the change in the market power of the merged companied but owing to operational efficiency which is reflected in a drop in labour costs and depreciation to revenues ratios and increasing asset utilization.

Analysis of internal personnel marketing in selected mechanical engineering company in Slovakia

The paper deals with the significance and analysis of internal personnel marketing in a given enterprise in Slovakia. The analyses arose from the internal documentation of the company, from the company results of projects realised within the field of personnel management and from the survey results. The target group comprises of the company staff themselves, therefore the key role of the internal personnel marketing is to ensure stabilisation of qualified and highly motivated employees, their advancement and correct leadership. In the analysis of various occupations in the analysed company, we focus on the application of marketing mix (product, price, place, and promotion) in the process of personnel management. In the conclusion we suggest some measures, based on individual analyses results, to improve internal personnel marketing of an enterprise.
 
 Keywords: internal personnel marketing, management, employees, marketing mix

Engineering Change Management Method Framework in Mechanical Engineering

Engineering changes make an impact on different process chains in and outside the company, and lead to most error costs and time shifts. In fact, 30 to 50 per cent of development costs result from technical changes. Controlling engineering change processes can help us to avoid errors and risks, and contribute to cost optimization and a shorter time to market. This paper presents a method framework for controlling engineering changes at mechanical engineering companies. The developed classification of engineering changes and accordingly process requirements build the basis for the method framework. The developed method framework comprises two main areas: special data objects managed in different engineering IT tools and process framework. Objects from both areas are building blocks that can be selected to the overall business process based on the engineering process type and change classification. The process framework contains steps for the creation of change objects (both for overall change and for parts), change implementation, and release. Companies can select singleprocess building blocks from the framework, depending on the product development process and change impact. The developed change framework has been implemented at a division (10,000 employees) of a big German mechanical engineering company.

Is 3D Printing Transforming the Project Management Function in the Aerospace Industry

Traditional manufacturing techniques fade into the background, while manufacturing systems require using additive technologies for rapid adaptation to current demand and reduction of production cycle duration. Many large mechanical and aircraft engineering companies have already adopted additive manufacturing technologies in their future production strategy. The general concept of 3D printers on the basis of e-manufacturing principles is aimed at the integration of computer models of physical objects and processes. This change requires a big transformation of the enterprise business model, affecting either core or support activities. For instance, additive manufacturing could also change project management practices. This paper aims to identify how additive manifacturing could transform the project management function for the aerospace industry. Results show that projects could improve their performance by integrating additive manufacturing; however, project managers could adapt their approach to a new paradigm for lifecycle management and for leaner supply chain management in aerospace industry.

Modeling of a data exchange process in the Automatic Process Control System on the base of the universal SCADA-system

In the present paper the authors discuss some ways of solving energy saving problems in mechanical engineering. In authors' opinion one of the ways of solving this problem is integrated modernization of power engineering objects of mechanical engineering companies, which should be intended for the energy supply control efficiency increase and electric energy commercial accounting improvement. The author have proposed the usage of digital current and voltage transformers for these purposes. To check the compliance of this equipment with the IEC 61850 International Standard, we have built a mathematic model of the data exchange process between measuring transformers and a universal SCADA-system. The results of modeling show that the discussed equipment corresponds to the mentioned Standard requirements and the usage of the universal SCADA-system for these purposes is preferable and economically reasonable. In modeling the authors have used the following software: MasterScada, Master OPC_DI_61850, OPNET.