Continuous Improvement In Design Research Articles

랜덤박스 캐릭터 디자인에서 감성적 디자인 평가요소 분석

Recently, there has been an expansion in the development of new products based on consumer data, highlighting the growing importance of emotional design elements. Companies are exploring new evaluation methods for innovative character designs. This study proposes a model to assess and improve the emotional aspects of random box character designs. The methodology involved identifying emotional design elements and analyzing their importance through expert surveys using the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) technique. The key elements identified were emotional empathy, creativity, sustainable value, and stability, each showing varying levels of importance. User satisfaction was measured using the IPA (Importance-Performance Analysis) technique and compared with AHP results, revealing that the 'HIRONO character' had higher satisfaction levels than the 'SOSKID character'. This research presents a systematic evaluation method for emotional design elements, expected to provide important guidelines for the development of innovative character designs and contribute to continuous design improvement.

Stress Analysis of Belt Conveyor Roller Tube

Material transmission plays a crucial role in the industrial sector's economic landscape, and belt conveyors have emerged as highly efficient systems for continuous material transportation. These conveyors utilize rubber belts that facilitate the horizontal or inclined movement of materials. The primary objective is to transport materials from the loading point to the unloading point. This study focuses on the analysis of belt conveyors, specifically examining the utilization of reels and the significance of selecting suitable belt speeds. By employing advanced simulation software such as Ansys, the behavior of the reel under specific conditions was analyzed, and exaggerated images were utilized to visualize reel deformations. The findings indicate that the most significant deformation occurs at the center of the roller, while the highest stress values are concentrated near the bearings. To ensure efficient material transportation, it is imperative to understand and optimize the performance of belt conveyors. The selection of appropriate reels, belt speeds, and materials is crucial to maintain smooth operations and extend the system's service life. The insights gained from this research can guide decision-making processes, allowing industries to enhance efficiency and minimize maintenance costs. In conclusion, the selection of suitable components and a comprehensive understanding of reel behavior are key factors in improving belt conveyor systems. By employing advanced simulation tools and implementing effective strategies, industries can optimize material transportation processes, increase productivity, and minimize operational disruptions. Continuous improvement in design and maintenance practices will lead to streamlined operations and improved performance of belt conveyors.

Phase Change Material Evolution in Thermal Energy Storage Systems for the Building Sector, with a Focus on Ground-Coupled Heat Pumps.

The building sector is responsible for a third of the global energy consumption and a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions. Phase change materials (PCMs) have shown high potential for latent thermal energy storage (LTES) through their integration in building materials, with the aim of enhancing the efficient use of energy. Although research on PCMs began decades ago, this technology is still far from being widespread. This work analyses the main contributions to the employment of PCMs in the building sector, to better understand the motivations behind the restricted employment of PCM-based LTES technologies. The main research and review studies are critically discussed, focusing on: strategies used to regulate indoor thermal conditions, the variation of mechanical properties in PCMs-based mortars and cements, and applications with ground-coupled heat pumps. The employment of materials obtained from wastes and natural sources was also taken in account as a possible key to developing composite materials with good performance and sustainability at the same time. As a result, the integration of PCMs in LTES is still in its early stages, but reveals high potential for employment in the building sector, thanks to the continuous design improvement and optimization driven by high-performance materials and a new way of coupling with tailored envelopes.

Designing and integrating purposeful learning in gameplay: What will it take to ensure sustainable learning and effectiveness outcomes?

This paper is in response to a manuscript entitled “Designing and integrating purposeful learning in game play: a systematic review” (1). Ke’s excellent review in this supplement highlights the ongoing need to apply more pedagogical rigor based on sound educational principles in the design and assessment of games. Ke calls for more robust implementation research about how to better apply learning integration in digital games to drive more meaningful learning effectiveness. The article demonstrates the rich methods and opportunities that researchers have used to map out better approaches to measuring and improving the complex arena of learning by game mechanics and game world design. Nearly all children and teens and many adults play video games daily and so it is important to understand how games can help improve learning outcomes. Further research is needed on the design and research of learning integration using continuous design improvement methods in advancing testable theories of game-based learning-play improvement. Maximizing learning effectiveness requires the gameplay to make sense to the learner and act as a catalyst for gradually growing insights and learning accountability by the learner.

Spalling in Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement in Texas

The performance of continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) in Texas has been quite satisfactory, primarily thanks to the continuous improvements in design and construction. However, severe spalling has been a major problem, and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has sponsored several research projects since 1985 to identify solutions for this serious problem. Even though the research efforts were successful in identifying spalling mechanisms, developing a policy that TxDOT could easily implement has been a challenge. To develop a more practical solution to this problem, TxDOT initiated a research study, and the research efforts consisting of identifying CRCP projects with severe and no spalling, obtaining and conducting materials testing on concrete cores from those projects, analyzing the testing data, and performing theoretical analyses to validate the testing results. Among the material properties evaluated, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of concrete proved to have the best correlation with spalling. Detailed analyses of mechanistic behavior of concrete conducted with an object-oriented finite element program (OOF2) and commercial finite element program verified the reasonableness of the field-testing results. All concrete cores from CRCP with severe spalling had a CTE larger than 5.5 microstrains/°F, whereas no spalling was observed in concrete with a CTE less than that value. Based on this finding, TxDOT now requires the use of coarse aggregate that will produce concrete with a CTE of less than 5.5 microstrains/°F for CRCP construction. It is expected that this implementation will reduce the spalling in CRCP substantially.

Agile Software Development Using Cloud Computing: A Case Study

Agile software development is successful due to self-organizing teams, adaptive planning, a cooperative environment with respect to communication with clients and team members, small development cycles, continuous design improvements, continuous delivery and feedback of clients. Cloud computing helps to reduce cost, enables scalability and enhances communication through its services. A generic framework with the conjunction of Agile Development and Cloud Computing (ADCC) proposed in an earlier study is evaluated in this study. The Malaysia Research and education network (MyRen) cloud is utilized to implement the framework. A case study is conducted to evaluate the framework. Before conducting the case study, the participants are educated on the ADCC framework. The results of the case study show that the performance of agile methods is improved with the usage of the ADCC framework. The improvement is measured in terms of local and distributed agile development environments.

USE OF GREEN BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING IN THE ASSESSMENT OF NET ZERO ENERGY BUILDING DESIGN

In the face of extreme climate, Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) represent a very high standard of building energy conservation. The design of NZEBs requires continuous design improvement and analysis in a decision-making process that seeks to meet energy conservation goals. This paper recommends the use of green Building Information Modelling (BIM) to support the design of zero-energy buildings. The design of NZEBs requires two sets of tasks: First, it requires determination of whether the building will offer high-energy efficiency, and, second, it lacks the installation of sufficient renewable energy equipment to meet the building’s load needs. After drawing on the spirit of the United States’ Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and considering the current situation in Taiwan, this paper recommends the use of electricity Energy Usage Intensity as a measurement unit providing a holistic indicator of energy usage and takes optimized energy performance as a performance target for various solutions. This study demonstrated procedural steps in the application of green BIM and analyzed restrictions on the implementation of green BIM to the analysis of NZEB design.

The Effect of Chemical Composition on Grain Size and Formability of the Free-Lead Cu-30Zn Alloy: A Short Review

The increasing demand for free-lead Cu30Zn alloy for all industrial applications has prompted to develop the grain size and formability. One of the major challenges facing the researcher and industry is decreasing the formability and machinability which requires continuous improvements in design and fabrication techniques. The current trend for free-lead Cu30Zn alloy in these categories is reviewed. Results show that developments in free-lead Cu30Zn alloy are affected by a lot of factors such as chemical composition, microstructure, grain size, strain and hardness. A highly developed system with characteristics of compromised decision making became more favorable and initiated an interesting intervention since the casting, cold working, and heat treatment is controlled.

Closed-loop design evolution of engineering system using condition monitoring through internet of things and cloud computing

Flexibility of a manufacturing system is quite important and advantageous in modern industry, which function in a competitive environment where market diversity and the need for customized product are growing. Key machinery in a manufacturing system should be reliable, flexible, intelligent, less complex, and cost effective. To achieve these goals, the design methodologies for engineering systems should be revisited and improved. In particular, continuous or on-demand design improvements have to be incorporated rapidly and effectively in order to address new design requirements or resolve potential weaknesses of the original design. Design of an engineering system, which is typically a multi-domain system, can become complicated due to its complex structure and possible dynamic coupling between domains. An integrated and concurrent approach should be considered in the design process, in particular in the conceptual and detailed design phases. In the context of multi-domain design, attention has been given recently to such subjects as multi-criteria decision making, multi-domain modeling, evolutionary computing, and genetic programing. More recently, machine condition monitoring has been considered for integration into a scheme of design evolution even though many challenges exist for this to become a reality such as lack of systematic approaches and the existence of technical barriers in massive condition data acquisition, transmission, storage and mining. Recently, the internet of things (IoT) and cloud computing (CC) are being developed quickly and they offer new opportunities for evolutionary design for such tasks as data acquisition, storage and processing. In this paper, a framework for the closed-loop design evolution of engineering systems is proposed in order to achieve continuous design improvement for an engineering system through the use of a machine condition monitoring system assisted by IoT and CC. New design requirements or the detection of design weaknesses of an existing engineering system can be addressed through the proposed framework. A design knowledge base that is constructed by integrating design expertise from domain experts, on-line process information from condition monitoring and other design information from various sources is proposed to realize and supervise the design process so as to achieve increased efficiency, design speed, and effectiveness. The framework developed in this paper is illustrated by using a case study of design evolution of an industrial manufacturing system.

Effect of geometric factors on performance of a sodium to air heat exchanger in a fast breeder reactor

Prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) has a safety grade decay heat removal system whose performance depends on the effective functioning of natural convection heat exchangers called sodium to air heat exchangers. The development of Representative Elementary Volume (REV) model for the sodium to air heat exchanger is necessary to envisage its design and to study the effect of various factors for continuous improvement in design. With a Representative Elementary Volume, the hydrodynamic and heat transfer characteristics of the heat exchanger was studied and the results agree well with experimental data. The effect of longitudinal pitch and transverse pitch on the heat exchanger performance has been studied and an improvement of 22% in heat transfer is predicted.

The use of an Edge Load Profile static bench for the qualification of alpine skis

The work reports the results of several tests performed on a set of commercial skis ranging from racing to recreational skis by means of a special bench designed for evaluating the Edge Load Profile produced by a ski when pressed against a bed of calibrated load cells. The test bench is equipped with 21 uniaxial load cells of 100mm width and with a linear actuator able to press any type of alpine ski at edging angles ranging from 0¡ to +/- 70¡. The Edge Load Profiles were presented along a normalized ski length and their shapes were compared within each category of skis. The bench output was clearly revealing the presence of critical spots along the ski where either the contact to the ground was missing or some non-uniform peaks were present. The experiences here presented confirm the appropriateness of the Edge Load Profile bench as tool for the skis qualification process and its continuous design improvement.

HRD Practices in Indian Organizations and Their Impact on ‘Productivity’ of Human Resources: An Empirical Study

In the wake of globalization, liberalization and privatization on economic front, organizations are expected to make objective assessment of existing status of their HRD system and processes in order to evolve need based pragmatic HRD Agenda for the future. In this context the present study gives a concrete base and direction as it provides the empirical evidence as regards to current status of HRD Sub-systems & facilitators in relation to HR productivity with reference to Indian Private Sector and Public Sector Organizations. Almost all the selected sub-systems of HRD (except Employee Communication and Employees' Empowerment) have been found to be moderately effective. Concerns of the various stakeholders for HRD cause and practices of selected management styles have also been found at moderate level to facilitate HRD process. HR Productivity has also been found to be confined only to moderate level. The selected HRD sub-systems, concerns of various stakeholders for HRD cause and the selected management styles have been found to have significant impact on HR effectiveness. Such findings of the study indicate that in order to improve the level of HR effectiveness, there exists a dire need of continuous improvement in design and implementation of HRD subsystems (particularly Employee Communication and Employee Empowerment), also in level of concerns of various stakeholders, as well as in practice of the management styles. Research on earlier researches and case studies need to be taken up as it will give right direction in order to formulate action strategies for the future.

Endoprothesenregister und deren Beitrag zur Sicherheit der Patientenversorgung mit Gelenkimplantaten

The aims of a nationwide German arthroplasty registry are to contribute to continuous design improvement of implants by monitoring their long-term performance, to inform the public of the quality of the components used, and to form a database for further research in the field of epidemiology or the development of new devices and patient care concepts. A registry can in this way serve as an addition to the existing vigilance system and can help to further minimize risks for patients with respect to design weakness or inferiority. As a contribution to the safety of patient care, the establishment of a German arthroplasty registry is welcomed.

Blood Flowrate and Dialysis Adequacy in Patients with Permanent Central Venous Catheters

Vascular access efficiency is a major determinant of an adequate dialytic treatment and reports from literature indicates a growing interest in the field of central venous catheterisation as permanent vascular access for hemodialysis. The main reasons are the continuous improvement in design and biomaterials along with the increased number of patients with failure of their vascular beds. In this paper it is presented and commented a series of negative crucial factors which can reduce the quality of the hemodialysis treatment: the problem of re-circulation and the catheter related (and the patient related) causes of inadequate flowrate. Finally the Authors conclude with a short presentation of their clinical experience in the field.

The TERI fixed dome biogas plant model—A case study of development through user interaction and field research

SYNOPSIS Several variations of the fixed dome biogas plants were constructed and monitored for performance in an attempt to improve the reliability and functionality of the plant and to optimise the plant design. Plants were constructed on selected user sites so that user response was obtained along with performance data. The data collected thus represented accurately the field conditions and was used for continuous improvements in design. A total of 46 plants were constructed in different locations with as many as eight different design variations and about 32 plant-years of gas production data was accumulated. The process of evolution from one prototype to another was, however, not smooth and organised due to the very nature of field based development.

The modern Alpine ski

The work reports the results of several tests performed on a set of commercial skis ranging from racing to recreational skis by means of a special bench designed for evaluating the Edge Load Profile produced by a ski when pressed against a bed of calibrated load cells. The test bench is equipped with 21 uniaxial load cells of 100 mm width and with a linear actuator able to press any type of alpine ski at edging angles ranging from 0¡ to +/- 70¡. The Edge Load Profiles were presented along a normalized ski length and their shapes were compared within each category of skis. The bench output was clearly revealing the presence of critical spots along the ski where either the contact to the ground was missing or some non-uniform peaks were present. The experiences here presented confirm the appropriateness of the Edge Load Profile bench as tool for the skis qualification process and its continuous design improvement.

Advanced technologies for CANDU reactors

The inherent features of a reactor based on multiple pressure tubes, rather than a single pressure vessel, provide CANDU with considerable flexibility for continuous design improvements. Of particular significance is the presence of a large volume of cool heavy-water moderator within the core. This can act as a heat sink for passive heat rejection during high-temperature accidents. We describe elements of our R&D program that are aimed to exploit this benefit. Similarly, safety, reliability and economy are the focus for our exploration of advanced technologies in the areas of advanced fuel and fuel channels, improved heavy-water production and computer-based systems that facilitate reactor design, construction and operation.

Trends in the Automobile and Aircraft Industries

YOUR PROGRAM this week covers many interesting subjects, but this evening alone is devoted to the automobile and aircraft industries, which are of such vital interest to many of us. The privilege of speaking to your entire group tonight makes me feel like the man who remarked to his friend, I got up at dawn to see the sunrise. To which his friend replied, You couldn't have chosen a better time for it. Americans came out of the last war rich in savings, desires, and designs. With materials again available, business was anxious to build new products, and to expand. Automobile manufacturers found a starved market, which since the war has absorbed 39 million new cars and 11 million trucks, embodying continuous improvement in design and accessories. It is quite true that many cars were scrapped during that time, their designed life having expired. New plants have been built, housing the latest in modern equipment, for, when one company takes such action, others have followed for fear of falling behind technologically. We are all preparing for years-but what is a normal year? There have been none in the past forty years, and, with present world tension, any forecast at this moment could be changed overnight.