Applications In Electrical Industries Research Articles

Untargeted Screening of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFASs) in Airborne Particulate of Three Italian E-Waste Recycling Facilities

Poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) are widely used in the electrical and electronic appliance industry to the point that waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), also known as e-waste, creates significant potential for PFAS exposure (by inhalation, ingestion, or dermal exposure) for people handling and recycling e-waste. The aim of this work was the development of an untargeted analytical approach in order to detect the presence of possible unknown PFASs in particulate matter collected in three Italian e-waste facilities through liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HR-MS/MS) in negative ionization mode. By means of three acquisition experiments, nine compounds were detected as candidate PFASs, and three were definitively confirmed by comparison with their authentic standards. Among these, bistriflimide (bis (trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide), an ionic liquid with several promising technological applications, was the most abundant compound detected in all three recycling plants. This is the first study associating the presence of fluorinated ionic liquids with e-waste, and as these chemicals are not only toxic and persistent but also highly mobile, our results indicate the need to include them in future PFAS research. Only further data on their actual environmental diffusion will determine whether they are emerging pollutants or not.

Comparison of penetrated MnS grains by steel matrix in variously loaded free-cutting steels with/without Pb as one of the workability parameters

The free-cutting steel is one of the essential structural steels in electrical appliance industry and automotive industry. Most of the steel contains Pb, as solid lubricant, chip breaker, tool edge stabilizer and tool life extender. MnS grains also play the same role of Pb. However, Pb is toxic so that it will be prohibited to add to the steel in near future. Steel industry has tried to replace Pb with other element(s) and/or compound(s). The trials are still going on. This study proposes a candidate of the workability parameters for free-cutting steels with/without Pb. Investigated steels were loaded quasi-statically (strain rate: 1×10-3 s-1) and dynamically (1×103 s-1) up to fracture. Half of the specimens were pre-fatigued to form easier slip situation in steel matrix. After fracture, thin steel matrix penetrated into plenty of MnS grains. For the steel with Pb, the ratios of the number of such penetrations to those of total grains maintained almost the same value for all loading conditions. The ratios were varied with the loading conditions for the steel without Pb. These facts meant that Pb was a key element for easier slip of steel matrix. Therefore, this ratio had a feasibility to be one of the workability parameters for the free-cutting steel.

A Brief Overview on Influence of Financial Factors on Stock Prices of Listed Company An Case Study of Chinese Home Electrical Appliance Industry

This study aims to investigate the effect of financial factors on stock prices, and find out which factors are most statistically significant to the change of stock prices. Based on the information of 16 listed companies in Chinese home electrical appliance industry, three simple linear models are built and compared. The final model suggests that earnings per share, operating income per share, debt-to-asset ratio are statically significant to a company’s stock price. Besides, intrinsic diversity between companies contribute to difference in their stock prices.

An evaluation of the international trade-related CO2 emissions for China's light industry sector: A complex network approach

The aim of this paper is to evaluate China's local implied carbon emission (ICE) caused by the international trade of light industrial products. To do that, a multiregional-multisectoral evaluation model was proposed based on complex network theory. We constructed weighted network of China's imports and exports of light industrial products, and calculated the ICE associated with the trade flows. Then an evaluation index system was proposed based on four indicators: in-strength, out-strength, implied CO2 in import, and implied CO2 in export. Next, three multi-attribute decision-making methods and the minimum-deviation method were used to form a multiregional-multisectoral evaluation model, obtaining the level of the ICE coming from trade. We found that the United States, India, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Mexico were the five countries that caused the most serious ICE in China. Within the light industry sector, the most significant light industries responsible for China's local carbon emissions was the household electrical appliances industry. Such results may provide a reference for formulating light industry strategies to have a positive impact on the socio-economic landscape and encourage sustainable development.

Gissmo Failure Modelling for Crashworthiness Analysis Using Different Test Specimens

The demand for lightweight products to reduce CO2 emissions and high safety requirements is an increasing trend, especially in the vehicle and electrical appliance industry. The use of high-strength steels instead of conventional mild steels by using predictive modeling methods in finite element analysis plays a major role. Moreover, physical full-scale crash tests are time-consuming as well as expensive. Crash tolerance analysis in the finite element environment depends on the accuracy of the damage and the definition of the material model parameters. This study examines the damage model GISSMO-Generalized Increasing Stress State-induced damage model and the onset of fracture was calculated by sample optimization via finite element analysis in this study. This research presents the modeling of a specific region of the material fracture curve using the different geometric samples. The results of the numerical simulations are validated by comparing the experimental data of the optimized test samples with their measurements.

Patent management and the globalization of firms: the case of Siemens (1890–1945)

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss how multinational enterprises have historically managed global patenting and to what extent the localization of patent management has supported the expansion of these enterprises. This study focuses on the electric appliance industry (one of the first industries to see the emergence of global companies) and consider the case of Siemens, a German multinational company, comparing it to General Electric (GE), an American company.Design/methodology/approachThe work adopts a global business history approach. Taking GE’s global patent-management model, described by Nishimura (2004, 2009, 2016), as the benchmark, this study analyzed Siemens’ worldwide control of its intellectual property rights between 1890 and Second World War, using German, Japanese and American primary sources.FindingsPatent management is a common means for firms to globalize and transfer technology internationally, but it can take various forms. While GE transferred patent management to its foreign subsidiaries (a process known as localization), Siemens kept worldwide patent management at its headquarters – except in Japan, where in time it transferred this activity to a joint venture. The transfer of production called for localization of patent management while focusing on exporting to other markets made it possible to keep patent management at headquarters.Originality/valuePatents are usually a source for quantitative surveys. This paper uses them to discuss how multinational companies manage property rights globally. It is the first paper to address this issue by comparing two major actors in a similar industry.

Roles of supply chain network centralities on firm performance: an explorative study on Tokyo manufacturing industries

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the impact of supply chain centralities on sales performance moderated by reputation and stock listing.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data on supply chain relationships were drawn from the context of electronics and electrical appliance industries in Tokyo, sourced from Teikoku Data Bank in year 2017–2018. On average, the authors analyzed an industrial network of 4,181 focal firms with 3.6 and 3.8 supplier and customer ties, respectively, using social networks and moderated regression analyses.FindingsThe authors find that in-(out-)degree, closeness and betweenness centralities are positively related to the focal firm’s annual sales performance. Hubs and authorities as ways of measuring reputation are found to not directly affect performance; hubs negatively moderate the relationship between betweenness and performance. Stock-listing was also found to negatively moderate the relationship between in-degree centrality and performance.Originality/valueThis study adds to existing literature by conducting a supply network analysis in a new industrial context, introducing a new method for assessing firm reputation in supply networks and showing how the structural characteristics of supply networks influence business performance.

Microstructure evolution and mechanical property of Cu-15Ni-8Sn-0.2Nb alloy during aging treatment

Aging treatment of Cu-based alloys is essential to enhance their strength that is desirable for their extensive engineering applications in electrical industry, whereas the underlying mechanism of strengthening is essential for massive manufacturing of these alloys. Here, the microstructure evolution of a supersaturated solid solution Cu-15Ni-8Sn-0.2Nb alloy aged at 400 °C for different time was characterized at atomic scale using state-of-the-art transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and the corresponding mechanical property was also measured. The results reveal that the modulated structure, DO22/L12 ordering, and discontinuous precipitation (DP) appeared in the advances of aging time. At the early stage of aging treatment, component modulation waves and satellite spots appeared from spinodal decomposition and the modulation wavelength was identified in the range of 1–7 nm. Subsequently the modulated structures formed -poor-rich solute regions, of which DO22 ordering was present in the Ni-poor region while L12 ordering appeared in the Ni-rich region. The sequence of ordering precipitates was further verified by density functional theory (DFT) simulations. Furthermore, orientation relationships and interfacial structures between DO22, L12 phases and the parent matrix were determined. The measured hardness of alloy reached a maximum value of 335 HV after aging for 120 min due to the coherence between the two ordering phases and matrix. These results illustrated the importance of aging on structural evolution and mechanical property of Cu-15Ni-8Sn alloy at various heat treatment stages, which could potentially help in manufacturing promising alloys for their extensive engineering applications.

Productivity improvement of an electrical appliance industry by implementing lean manufacturing tools and a low-cost intervention (A case study)

The focus of lean manufacturing tools is the cost reduction by eliminating non-value added activities (waste, i.e., Muda), thus, enables continuous improvement. The purpose of this paper is to address the importance of value stream mapping (VSM) in a lean manufacturing environment in an Indian electrical appliance industry. This research aims to highlight how lean tools can be utilised to reduce the bottleneck, meet customer demand and increase productivity. A current state mapping study was conducted to find the areas of improvement. Several lean tools were implemented to determine the production pace. The study reveals that the wiring and connection workstation had maximum bottleneck value; hence, the customer demand was not met. Furthermore, wireless connection as an intervention was introduced in the production process to reduce the bottleneck in the cycle time. The improvement can be visualised through future state VSM. Lean tools along with some small interventions could play a significant role in improving the productivity of the company.

Productivity improvement of an electrical appliance industry by implementing lean manufacturing tools and a low-cost intervention (a case study)

The focus of lean manufacturing tools is the cost reduction by eliminating non-value added activities (waste, i.e., Muda), thus, enables continuous improvement. The purpose of this paper is to address the importance of value stream mapping (VSM) in a lean manufacturing environment in an Indian electrical appliance industry. This research aims to highlight how lean tools can be utilised to reduce the bottleneck, meet customer demand and increase productivity. A current state mapping study was conducted to find the areas of improvement. Several lean tools were implemented to determine the production pace. The study reveals that the wiring and connection workstation had maximum bottleneck value; hence, the customer demand was not met. Furthermore, wireless connection as an intervention was introduced in the production process to reduce the bottleneck in the cycle time. The improvement can be visualised through future state VSM. Lean tools along with some small interventions could play a significant role in improving the productivity of the company.

The impact of modular design and innovation on new product performance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a modular product design system and a product development roadmap (PDR), which can help to improve modular design (MD) and product innovation capabilities, respectively. Their relationships with product newness (PN) and new product performance are also assessed. Design/methodology/approach The proposed model was tested through structural equation modelling using data from a survey of 153 manufacturers in the electronic and electrical appliance industries in China. Findings The findings reveal that the proposed modular product design system and PDR can improve MD and product innovation capabilities. The authors also explore the conflicting relationships of MD and product innovation capability with PN. Research limitations/implications The findings contribute to the literature by showing that MD can constrain PN while product innovation can improve it. The study provides new empirical evidence of these relationships and has strategic implications. In addition, this study identifies two product development techniques that can improve MD and innovation capability, respectively. Originality/value The authors provide new evidence of the relationship between MD and innovation capability at product level, and confirm a side effect of pursuing both in terms of new product development. Through empirical testing, the authors first verify two product development techniques for implementing modular product design and product innovation.

Mechanical and wear properties of friction stir welded dissimilar AA6101-T6 and AA1350 alloys: Effect of offset distance and number of passes

AA6101-T6 and AA1350 aluminum alloys have wide-spread applications in electrical industries, especially in bus bar conductors. Hence, joining of these two alloys is inevitable. Main invention of friction stir welding is joining lightweight structures. We investigated the impact of number of passes and changes in location of tool from retreating side to advancing side on the welding properties of AA6101-T6 and AA1350 alloys. For analyzing the welding properties, tensile, bending, wear, micro hardness and microstructural tests were carried out. We found that double pass and offset distance in advancing side exhibits better welding properties, whereas single pass and offset distance in retreating side exhibit poor welding properties. From the analysis of variance (ANOVA), we also determined that offset distance is the most influencing welding parameter than the number of passes.

Management of shock loads wastewater produced from water heaters industry

Water heater manufacturing represents one sector of household electrical appliance industry. It includes several batch processes which resulted in a highly polluted wastewater as shock loads. The objective of this study was to manage the shock loads wastewater with a simple and cost-effective approach prior to final discharge into municipality. To achieve this objective, two approaches were studied. The first approach was the chemical treatment of the accumulated shock loads wastewater using alum and an anionic polymer. Although this approach produced a very high-quality effluent, it was economically and technically infeasible. The second approach was a controlled release of the shock loads to the normal daily discharge in a way that guarantees the compliance of the end-off-pipe with the National Regulatory Standards. This solution required establishment of an equalization tank for normal daily flow and a holding tank for controlled release of the shock loads. Mathematical calculations were carried out to determine the most violating parameters in order to calculate the mixing ratio the of shock loads with the normal daily flow. Full engineering design of the proposed solution was carried out. This approach was implemented and proved to be simple, easy to operate, cost-effective and can be replicated in similar batch processing manufacturing plants.

Use of master curves based on time-temperature superposition to predict creep failure of aluminium-glass adhesive joints

Advancements in materials technology and the use of innovative designs have led to extensive application of adhesive bonding techniques in the electric appliance industry. While the static strength of such joints is sufficient for the intended applications, long term durability remains a major concern, mainly due to creep effects. Conventional creep testing can be performed at the service temperature but it is a long test that can take decades, although it can be accelerated using high temperatures. In this work, glass-aluminium joints were studied under static and creep loads. Glass-aluminium specimens were subjected to creep testing at various temperatures. Using the time temperature superposition principle, the results of these individual creep tests were combined in a master curve that approximates the creep behaviour of the adhesive joint in a long time period. These master curves were used to guarantee a minimum service life of the joint.

Development of Electrohydraulic Forming Process for Aluminum Sheet with Sharp Edge

Electrohydraulic forming (EHF), high-velocity forming technology, can improve the formability of a workpiece. Accordingly, this process can help engineers create products with sharper edges, allowing a product’s radius of curvature to be less than 2 mm radius of curvature. As a forming process with a high-strain rate, the EHF process produces a shockwave and pressure during the discharge of an electrical spark between electrodes, leading to high-velocity impact between the workpiece and die. Therefore, the objective of this research is to develop an EHF process for forming a lightweight materials case with sharp edges. In order to do so, we employed A5052-H32, which has been widely used in the electric appliance industry. After drawing an A5052-H32 Forming Limit Diagram (FLD) via a standard limiting dome height (LDH) test, improvements to the formability via the EHF process were evaluated by comparing the strain between the LDH test and the EHF process. From results of the combined formability, it is confirmed that the formability was improved nearly twofold, and a sharp edge with less than 2 mm radius of curvature was created using the EHF process.

Concept for Analysing Product Sustainability Regarding Eco-related Product Perception and Efficiency Within a Product Spectrum

Sustainability and environment-related criteria of consumer products become key sales arguments in modern product development. While the customer expects reduced resource consumptions and improved eco-friendly characteristics of the product, the manufacturer aims to replace the product in the market considering an eco-friendly perception in comparison to similar competitor products. This paper outlines a concept to analyse the sustainability measures of products by using two complementary approaches. Cluster analytics is utilized to identify devices with similar characteristics within a product group and resulting clusters are assessed based on sustainability parameters. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is applied to describe the efficiency of these devices based on input and output parameters which are selected with regard to sustainability issues. The application of the methodology is illustrated by a case study using data obtained from electric household appliance industry.

Closed-Loop supply chain activities in Japanese home appliance/personal computer manufacturers: A case study

We investigate the impact of the home appliance recycling law on closed-loop supply chain activities in the electric home appliance industry of Japan. The recycling rates have experienced a basically constant growth since the home appliance recycling law went into effect in April 2001. This implies that the extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme compelled the home appliance manufacturers to make efforts toward the efficient recycling of their end-of-life products. The results support Michael Porter's hypothesis that "properly designed environmental standards can trigger innovations that lower the total cost of a product or improve its value." We also conducted semi-structured interviews with five major home appliance/personal computer (PC) manufacturers. All the managers agreed that although the recycling business is not profitable for home appliance/PC manufacturers in Japan, government legislation and corporate social responsibility (CSR) force them to be active in the recycling of their products.

How to interact with knowledge-intensive business services: A multiple case study of small and medium manufacturing enterprises in China

AbstractEmpirical support for the process and mechanism of interactions with knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) is scarce, particularly with regard to small and medium manufacturing enterprises (SMMEs). Our study investigated how four SMMEs in China’s electrical appliance industry cluster attained high performance through interactions with KIBS. For our research, knowledge integration can be understood as knowledge identification, knowledge accession, and knowledge utilization. We investigated the mechanism involved in interactions between SMMEs and KIBS by tentative multiple case studies, and found that interactions with technology-based KIBS improved the performance of SMMEs by influencing their knowledge accession and knowledge utilization. Interactions with traditional professional KIBS, however, mainly influence SMMEs’ knowledge identification and knowledge accession. technology-based KIBS generally acts as a knowledge source and professional KIBS as a knowledge bridge for SMMEs. Interaction with technology-based KIBS is a kind of complementary interaction, while interaction with professional KIBS is a kind of supplementary interaction.

A study of high-strength bolts after dephosphoring

A wide variety of fasteners are produced, including those for the automobile industry, household electrical appliances industry, architectural engineering, and even the aviation industry. The effects of the high-tensile bolt dephosphoring process on the entire fastener manufacturing process and its organizational characteristics and mechanical properties are analyzed and discussed in this study. Our experimental results reveal that the bolt dephosphoring process must be completed before heat treatment, which can be confirmed with a dephosphoring reagent or metallographic observation. Once bolt heat treatment is completed, bolts without dephosphoring appear to be coated with δ ferrite (delta ferrite) composed of a phosphate coating and a phosphatizing coating, which are not easily removed. Heat treatment with phosphorus results in grain boundary segregation, causing embrittlement and a reduction in lattice bonding forces and resulting in a high risk of fracturing when bolts are used in high-temperature environments or undergo multiaxial stresses.

An integrated model for green partner selection and supply chain construction

Stricter governmental regulations and rising public awareness of environmental issues are pressurising firms to make their supply chains greener. Partner selection is a critical activity in constructing a green supply chain because the environmental performance of the whole supply chain is significantly affected by all its constituents. The paper presents a model for green partner selection and supply chain construction by combining analytic network process (ANP) and multi-objective programming (MOP) methodologies. The model offers a new way of solving the green partner selection and supply chain construction problem both effectively and efficiently as it enables decision-makers to simultaneously minimize the negative environmental impact of the supply chain whilst maximizing its business performance. The paper also develops an additional decision-making tool in the form of the environmental difference, the business difference and the eco-efficiency ratio which quantify the trade-offs between environmental and business performance. The applicability and practicability of the model is demonstrated in an illustration of its use in the Chinese electrical appliance and equipment manufacturing industry.