Manufacturing Software Research Articles

A-390 Implementation of the New GEM Hemochron 100 Point-of-care Coagulation System for Heparin Monitoring During Cardiopulmonary Bypass Procedures

Abstract Background The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has monitored the administration of unfractionated heparin (UFH) during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) procedures with the activated coagulation time test, using the Hemochron Signature Elite (Elite) instrument (Werfen) with the ACT+ cartridge. An assessment was conducted to evaluate the performance of the newest Hemochron model, the GEM Hemochron 100 (Werfen), to upgrade current instruments. Methods Precision and Methods Comparison studies were conducted with nine GEM Hemochron 100 systems. Each GEM Hemochron 100 instrument was analyzed with two levels of directCHECK liquid quality control, five replicates, over four days. The Method Comparison study compared the results from one Elite system's result, against the average result reported from one to three GEM Hemochron 100 systems. This methodology was repeated in multiple groups, using different Elite and GEM Hemochron 100 systems. All tests were performed with the ACT+ assay, which is sensitive to UFH from 1–6 IU/mL. Results Precision: All nine GEM Hemochron 100 instruments yielded: Level 1 CV ≤ 9.5%, and Level 2 CV ≤ 2.5%. Method Comparison: Total datasets 66; range 94–902 seconds; estimated bias at the 300, 420, and 480 second ACT+ clinical decision points were 1.6, 3.2, 4.1 seconds respectively; correlation (r) 0.97; slope 1.01; average CV across GEM Hemochron 100 systems 6.0%. Conclusion The performance of the new GEM Hemochron 100 system demonstrated acceptable agreement compared to the Elite system during CPB, maintaining existing ACT+ procedural target times. Results of system performance were consistent with the manufacturer's package insert, as well as previously published data. Based on the clinical performance, GEM Hemochron 100 systems have been implemented into our surgical suites.

Methodology for testing and monitoring artificial intelligence-based software for medical diagnostics

BACKGROUND: The global amount of investment in companies developing artificial intelligence (AI)-based software technologies for medical diagnostics reached $80 million in 2016, rose to $152 million in 2017, and is expected to continue growing. While software manufacturing companies should comply with existing clinical, bioethical, legal, and methodological frameworks and standards, there is a lack of uniform national and international standards and protocols for testing and monitoring AI-based software.
 AIM: This objective of this study is to develop a universal methodology for testing and monitoring AI-based software for medical diagnostics, with the aim of improving its quality and implementing its integration into practical healthcare.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: The research process involved an analytical phase in which a literature review was conducted on the PubMed and eLibrary databases. The practical stage included the approbation of the developed methodology within the framework of an experiment focused on the use of innovative technologies in the field of computer vision to analyze medical images and further application in the health care system of the city of Moscow.
 RESULTS: A methodology for testing and monitoring AI-based software for medical diagnostics has been developed, aimed at improving its quality and introducing it into practical healthcare. The methodology consists of seven stages: self-testing, functional testing, calibration testing, technological monitoring, clinical monitoring, feedback, and refinement.
 CONCLUSION: Distinctive features of the methodology include its cyclical stages of monitoring and software development, leading to continuous improvement of its quality, the presence of detailed requirements for the results of the software work, and the participation of doctors in software evaluation. The methodology will allow software developers to achieve significant outcomes and demonstrate achievements across various areas. It also empowers users to make informed and confident choices among software options that have passed an independent and comprehensive quality check.

Trajectory Generator System for a UR5 Collaborative Robot in 2D and 3D Surfaces

In Industry 4.0., robots are regarded as one of the key components. In recent years, collaborative robots (cobots) have risen in relevance and have been included in the industry to perform tasks alongside humans. Robots have been used in many applications in manufacturing processes; for the scope of this paper, the emphasis on these applications is centered on welding and gluing. These applications need to be performed with specific speed, efficiency, and accuracy to attain optimal welding or bonding to the pieces. An operator cannot maintain such conditions consistently, with minimum variations, for an extended period; hence, robots are a more suitable option to perform those tasks. The robots used for these applications need to be instructed to follow a trajectory to either weld or apply the glue. This path must be programmed on the robot by an operator, and depending on the complexity of the trajectory, it can take up to extended periods of time to set all the required waypoints. There are specialized software environments that contribute to the automation of these tasks; however, the overall cost of the licenses is not affordable if the scale of the project only requires developing and programming trajectories a few times. This paper contains a proposal for an open-source Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software to automatically generate the trajectories needed for the aforementioned welding and gluing applications. The procedure to develop the software starts by selecting the surface that will be welded or to which glue will be applied. The surface determines the model of the trajectory to be followed. Next, a processing system is fed with the individual points that make up the trajectory provided by their selection over the Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) model. This system then creates a program based on URScript® that can be directly uploaded to and executed on the robot. A set of tests is presented to validate the applications and to demonstrate the versatility of the developed trajectory generation system.

A morphometric analysis of the retinal arterioles with adaptive optics imaging in RPE65-associated retinal dystrophy after treatment with voretigene neparvovec.

To investigate the changes in retinal arterial architecture after treatment with voretigene neparvovec in patients with retinal dystrophy caused by bi-allelic mutations in the RPE65 gene. Sixteen eyes treated with voretigene neparvovec at the University Eye Clinic in Tuebingen, Germany, underwent adaptive optics ophthalmoscopy (AO) imaging at baseline and 2 weeks, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment. Follow-up was performed in six eyes of four patients. For each eye, five different positions at arterial vessels were selected and the wall-to-lumen ratio (WLR), the lumen diameter (LD) and the wall cross-sectional area (WCSA) were measured by the manufacturer's software over the observational period. Vast retinal atrophy dominated all gained AO images. WLR fluctuated in the observation period without statistically significant change. LD and WCSA changed significantly after 2 weeks from the baseline examination and returned to values similar to baseline thereafter. There were no signs of inflammation such as macrophages or perivascular accumulated fluid visible. AO imaging of the retinal vessels in RPE65-associated retinal dystrophies (IRD) is challenging. There was no change in the retinal arterial vasculature over the observation period of 12 months that would indicate inflammatory changes. Decrease of the LD and WCSA shortly after treatment might be caused by the perioperative prednisolone intake. AO of retinal vessels can be used as a diagnostic module to complement monitoring the disease and effects of genetic treatments if the acquisition is possible in selected cases.

The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy-based method as a new typing tool for Candida parapsilosis clinical isolates.

The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy-based IR Biotyper is a straightforward typing tool for bacterial species, but its use with Candida species is limited. We applied IR Biotyper to Candida parapsilosis, a common cause of nosocomial bloodstream infection (BSI), which is aggravated by the intra-hospital spread of fluconazole-resistant isolates. Of 59 C. parapsilosis isolates studied, n = 56 (48 fluconazole-resistant and 8 fluconazole-susceptible) and n = 3 (2 fluconazole-resistant and 1 fluconazole-susceptible) isolates, respectively, had been recovered from BSI episodes in 2 spatially distant Italian hospitals. The latter isolates served as an outgroup. Of fluconazole-resistant isolates, n = 40 (including one outgroup) harbored the Y132F mutation alone and n = 10 (including one outgroup) harbored both Y132F and R398I mutations in the ERG11-encoded azole-target enzyme. Using a microsatellite typing method, which relies on the amplification of genomic short tandem repeats (STR), two major clusters were obtained based on the mutation(s) (Y132F or Y132F/R398I) present in the isolates. Regarding IR Biotyper, each isolate was analyzed in quintuplicate using an automatic (i.e., proposed by the manufacturer's software) or tentative (i.e., proposed by us) cutoff value. In the first case, four clusters were identified, with clusters I and II formed by Y132F or Y132F/R398I isolates, respectively. In the second case, six subclusters (derived by the split of clusters I and II) were identified. This allowed to separate the outgroup isolates from other isolates and to increase the IR Biotyper typeability. The agreement of IR Biotyper with STR ranged from 47% to 74%, depending on type of cutoff value used in the analysis. IMPORTANCE Establishing relatedness between clinical isolates of Candida parapsilosis is important for implementing rapid measures to control and prevent nosocomial transmission of this Candida species. We evaluated the FTIR-based IR Biotyper, a new typing method in the Candida field, using a collection of fluconazole-resistant C. parapsilosis isolates supposed to be genetically related due to the presence of the Y132F mutation. We showed that IR Biotyper was discriminatory but not as much as the STR method, which is still considered the method of choice. Further studies on larger series of C. parapsilosis isolates or closely related Candida species will be necessary to confirm and/or extend the results from this study.

Feasibility of 8-Shaped Motion Test for Five-Axis Machining Center

ISO 10791-7, which specifies the machining accuracy test standard for machining centers, and ISO 10791-6, which specifies the interpolation motion test standard, were revised in 2014 to include five-axis machining centers (5-axis MCs). In addition, cone frustum test, which has been used as the National Aerospace Standard (NAS), was revised and introduced in these ISO standards. However, prior to the establishment of these standards, an aircraft manufacturing company in China proposed S-shaped machining test to measure the accuracy of the test piece of an aircraft. This was adopted as an informative annex of ISO 10791-7 in 2020. Furthermore, in 2019, China proposed a method related to S-shaped machining test and a method of 8-shaped interpolation motion test. Since the S-shaped test requires high acceleration and deceleration in some sections, the test results depend on the performance of the computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software; therefore, it is not efficient in determining the accuracy of the machine tools. In contrast, in the 8-shaped motion test, the tip of the spindle moves based on a sine curve; consequently, high acceleration/deceleration does not occur. Since the tip of the cutting tool is fixed, a device called R-test is used to measure the position of the center of reference ball using three displacement sensors. In this study, we have discussed the feasibility and problems of the 8-shaped motion test. First, the motion of the machine in the figure “8” motion test is clarified. Next, the definition of the parameters necessary to create the NC programs is outlined. In addition, we have proposed a method in which suitable conditions are set for simultaneous 5-axis feed on a 5-axis MC. Finally, the results of an actual test are applied to the 5-axis MC to confirm that no major problems exist.

Assessment of prerequisite programs implementation at food packaging manufacturing companies and hygiene status of food packaging in a developing country: Cross-sectional study

Food packaging has a critical role in all food types and along the food chain from product preservation to transportation, distribution, storage, retailing, and end-use. However, it can become a source of contamination and transfer of microorganisms to the packed food when its hygienic status is not well maintained. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Prerequisite programs (PRPs) implementation in 5 food packaging companies across Mount Lebanon through on-site inspections and to assess the compliance of contact surfaces, employee hands and packaging materials to microbiological specifications. Following on-site inspection, none of the companies achieved a full total score of 100% and scores ranged from 25 to 62%. Regarding the assessment of hygienic status of contact surfaces, non-conforming results (acceptable limit ≤0.6 log colony forming units (CFU)/cm2) were observed in 50% (5/10) of the surfaces for total viable count (TVC). For the employee hands, none of the hand swab samples (10/10) was conforming for TVC that was present in all samples above the acceptable limit. Highest and lowest reported values were 4.4 and 1.7 log CFU/hands respectively. For packaging samples collected during on-site inspections, TVC and yeasts and molds were detected in 20% (2/10) of the samples. However, the samples collected from the retail market, had higher contamination rates of 95% (19/20) and 65% (13/20) for TVC and yeasts and molds, respectively. As for Enterobacteriaceae, it was not detected in all tested contact surfaces, employees' hands, and packaging samples. PRPs assessment and related verification activities showed the need for companies to strengthen their hygienic programs and highlighted the importance of food safety management systems (FSMS) implementation not only in food companies but also in food packaging companies. Additionally, the effectiveness of PRPs implementation should be assessed on planned routine basis.

Literature review on waste management of online food delivery industry in China

Meituan Waimai, which was officially launched in November 2013, has created a huge market for food delivery in China. After years of development, China’s online food delivery market reached RMB 664.62 billion in 2020. In 2022, Meituan Waimai and Ele.me, two food delivery platforms, have created a duopoly in China’s food delivery industry. Due to the success of the food delivery industry, a significant amount of food delivery packaging waste has caused far-reaching harm. This literature review primarily organizes the research on the impact of online food delivery packaging from the perspective of environmental protection. It uses the criterion layer index of online food delivery waste management ecosystem to analyze the impact of the government, environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs), garbage recycling processors, consumers, online food delivery platforms, takeaway merchants, and takeaway packaging manufacturers. The review shows that scholars generally believe that takeaway waste management is a complex process involving multiple factors. The implementation of policies at the government level is inadequate, and studies at the environmental NGO level are scant. At the consumer level, more environmental awareness education is required. Online food delivery platforms and takeaway merchants should assume greater corporate social responsibility, and manufacturers of takeaway packaging need prioritize the substitution of environmentally friendly materials. There is a consensus that paper-made and recyclable packaging boxes are more environmentally friendly than degradable packaging, which is not as environmentally friendly as is commonly believed. The academia and the industry have conducted various studies and pilot projects on recyclable packaging. If all levels cooperate well, this will be an effective way to manage takeaway packaging garbage. At last, we propose the following assumptions for future research: Besides environmental hazards, takeaway garbage has caused direct or indirect physical harm to humans and animals. Increasing consumer awareness may increase their propensity to participate in governance. Additionally, existing food delivery platforms may need to improve their corporate social responsibility awareness to provide environmentally conscious consumers with sufficient and effective plastic reduction guidance measures during the ordering process. Moreover, will biodegradable plastic products face the same ironic situation as biofuels? That is, the initial intention of technology development is to improve the environment, but the actual process of production or processing may controversially aggravate the environment.

An Overview of Oral Thin Film Drug Delivery Systems with Fast Dissolving Films

Fast-dissolving oral thin films (OTFs), rather than tablets, are the product of choice for many pharmaceutical businesses. The benefits of tablets (precise dose, simple administration) and liquid dosage forms (easily swallowed, quick bioavailability) are all present in films. Four out of five patients, according to statistics, prefer orally disintegrating dose forms over traditional solid oral dosage forms. Children, the elderly, people who are bedridden, people who are emetic, and those who have CNS illnesses have trouble swallowing or digesting solid dose forms. Many of these individuals refuse to take solid dose forms because they are afraid of choking. OTFs are immediately moistened by saliva when put on the tongue's tip or base. Because of this, OTFs quickly hydrate before dissolving or disintegrating to release the drug for local or systemic absorption. This technology offers a solid foundation for the creation of patent-compliant items and for extending the patent protection of currently available goods. Fast-dissolving oral thin films can be used for a variety of purposes, including gastroprotective and sublingual delivery systems in addition to buccal fast-dissolving systems. This study emphasizes the composition, detailing the numerous natural and synthetic polymer kinds, diverse manufacturing processes, packaging materials, and assessment tests for OTFs.

Developing an I4.0 Cyber-Physical System to Enhance Efficiency and Competitiveness in Manufacturing

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) grants businesses in the manufacturing sector significant benefits in terms of productivity and efficiency; however, industries must strive to reach a level of technological readiness and acquire the necessary expertise to implement and integrate I4.0 technologies to enhance their processes. This paper presents a framework designed to provide guidance to businesses within the manufacturing industry to improve efficiency and productivity. The framework was developed and refined in collaboration with a leading cold-chain insulated packaging manufacturer based in Melbourne, Australia. The proposed framework was designed and implemented utilising off-the-shelf sensing, processing, and visualisation components, which can be integrated into existing machinery, thereby achieving a cost-effective retrofit. Experimental results showed that a system developed using the proposed framework can accurately measure material consumption in terms of length. The system provides the building blocks for the manufacturer to avoid downtime by preventing the machine from running out of raw materials.

Penyusunan Paket Wisata, Produk Wisata, dan Pemasaran Wana Wisata Berbasis Alam serta Pemberdayaan Masyarakat di Kawasan Nagara Puntang, Kabupaten Bandung

Mount Puntang is located in the Cimaung Village Area, Bandung Regency. The potential of tourist attractions is natural and historical tourism from the Dutch heritage. The potential that is owned has not been able to be managed and utilized optimally. For this reason, it is essential to carry out community service activities by organizing activities and assistance related to the preparation of tour packages, preparation of tourism products, training in marketing nature-based ecotourism, as well as related to further empowerment, namely the preparation of tourism products, the manufacture of tour packages, and the evaluation of tour packages. I already made it. The activity was implemented on May 30, 2023, with 20 target community participants. As a result, the target community gives a positive appreciation and hopes for sustainability with a different theme.

Design and multilevel structuring of shape memory polymers for pleochroism control

AbstractBrands and products counterfeiting, and falsification are global problems for the development and distribution of high‐tech industrial and food products, which affect world economies. One way to solve these problems is to develop original packaging with protection elements and labeling against counterfeiting, which excludes the possibility of replication and forgery by printing or other methods. The most reliable way to protect packaging from counterfeiting is the use of new materials with unique optical properties and constantly updated technologies for packaging manufacturing and labeling. This paper proposes a new multi‐level technology for the design, manufacture and hidden labeling of polymer packaging made from several layers of transparent polymer films. The design and marking of the multilayer films are combined with perforation, thermal treatment and heat sealing of the package. The reliability of the proposed markings is based on the characterization of optical pleochroism effects in transparent multilayer polymer materials with shape memory. The thermomechanical and optical properties of films made of bulk thermoplastics (polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride and polyethylene) were characterized in polarized light. The modification and combination of these films provide a high color difference and sufficient contrast of hidden markings, allowing to identify genuine products by bar codes formed from shape memory films in sealing seams of flexible polymer packaging.

Protocolization of Analgesia and Sedation Through Smart Technology in Intensive Care: Improving Patient Safety.

The risk of medication errors in intensive care units is high, primarily in the drug administration phase. Management of high-alert medications within intensive care units in the study institution varied widely. The aim of this quality improvement project was to protocolize and centralize the management of high-alert medications in acute care settings and to implement smart intravenous infusion pump technology in intensive care units. The project was conducted in 4 phases: (1) protocolization and standardization of intravenous mixtures, (2) centralization of intravenous mixture preparation in the Pharmacy Department, (3) programming of the smart pumps, and (4) dissemination and staged implementation of intravenous mixture protocols. Smart pumps (Alaris, CareFusion) were used to deliver the medicines, and the manufacturer's software (Alaris Guardrails, CareFusion) was used to analyze data regarding adherence to the drug library and the number of programming errors detected. Morphine, remifentanil, fentanyl, midazolam, dexmedetomidine, and propofol were included. After implementation of the smart pumps, 3283 infusions were started; of these, 2198 were programmed through the drug library, indicating 67% compliance with the safety software. The pumps intercepted 398 infusion-related programming errors that led to cancellation or reprogramming of drug infusions. Protocolization and centralization of the preparation of high-alert sedative and analgesic medications for critically ill patients and the administration of these drugs using smart pump technology decrease variability of clinical practice and intercept potentially serious medication errors.

Clinical evaluation of the agreement between virtual and clinical occlusal registrations: A comparative clinical study

The accuracy of virtual interocclusal records has been evaluated, but clinical studies comparing the clinical output to the virtual design are lacking. The purpose of this clinical study was to evaluate the agreement between the virtual occlusal scheme designed by a computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing software program and the occlusal scheme obtained clinically on the definitive prosthesis assessed with articulating paper. The virtual occlusal scheme design of 20 single monolithic crowns and their adjacent teeth was obtained by using an intraoral scanning system in 17 participants. These registrations were compared with conventional occlusal records obtained by applying articulating paper in 2 stages: first with 200-μm blue film and the second with 12-μm metallic red articulation tape. The analysis included both the quantity and the quality of the contacts of the conventional occlusal records referred to as the standard method. For accuracy analysis, virtual record sensitivity was calculated per crown as the percentage of true positive virtual contacts of the actual contacts identified by articulating paper. Specificity was also calculated as the percentage of true negative virtual contacts of the actual sites of clearance. The virtual record sensitivity was 98.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] 96-100) for the crowns and 95 (95% CI 85-100) for the adjacent teeth. The virtual record specificity was 88.6 (95% CI 82.4-94.8) for the crowns and 82.6 (95% CI 77.5-87.6) for the adjacent teeth. The agreement between the clinical and virtual contact intensities on the crowns was 83 (95% CI 73-93) and 67.3 (95% CI 56-78.7) for the adjacent teeth. The positive predictive value was 72.83 (95% CI 60-86). The negative predictive value was 100% (95% CI 100-100). The intraoral scanning system provided clinically sufficient sensitivity and specificity for identifying the occlusal surface contacts of monolithic crowns. A slight decrease was detected in the system's sensitivity and specificity in identifying contacts on adjacent teeth and a larger decrease identifying the intensity of these contacts.

A hybrid framework for manufacturing feature recognition from CAD models of 3-axis milling parts

With the rapid development of computing technologies, the CAX software are widely used in mechanical engineering. The part model is designed in computer-aided design (CAD) software, the planning process is planned in computer-aided process planning (CAPP) software, and the machining process is simulated in computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software. However, there are still digital gaps between design, process, and manufacturing, which affect the integration and efficiency of engineering information. Manufacturing features are considered digital carriers that can bridge the gap. The knowledge of design, process, and manufacturing can be integrated on manufacturing features to achieve the information flow across different engineering applications. However, the existing approaches cannot solve the feature recognition problem very well. The recognition criterion of these approaches do not have the generalization ability. And they also do not deal with the interacting features appropriately. To improve the performance of feature recognition of 3-axis milling parts, this paper proposed a hybrid feature recognition framework based on graph approach and rule approach. The hybrid framework solves the recognition problem of interacting features with the layered decomposition method. And the general wire criterion is proposed to improve the robustness. In addition, the general calculation method of adjacency attributes is also the original contribution. The final experimental results show that the proposed hybrid framework works well and can be applied to the actual engineering applications.

The Dangers of Analyzing Thermographic Radiometric Data as Images.

Thermography is probably the most used method of measuring surface temperature by analyzing radiation in the infrared part of the spectrum which accuracy depends on factors such as emissivity and reflected radiation. Contrary to popular belief that thermographic images represent temperature maps, they are actually thermal radiation converted into an image, and if not properly calibrated, they show incorrect temperatures. The objective of this study is to analyze commonly used image processing techniques and their impact on radiometric data in thermography. In particular, the extent to which a thermograph can be considered as an image and how image processing affects radiometric data. Three analyzes are presented in the paper. The first one examines how image processing techniques, such as contrast and brightness, affect physical reality and its representation in thermographic imaging. The second analysis examines the effects of JPEG compression on radiometric data and how degradation of the data varies with the compression parameters. The third analysis aims to determine the optimal resolution increase required to minimize the effects of compression on the radiometric data. The output from an IR camera in CSV format was used for these analyses, and compared to images from the manufacturer's software. The IR camera providing data in JPEG format was used, and the data included thermographic images, visible images, and a matrix of thermal radiation data. The study was verified with a reference blackbody radiation set at 60 °C. The results highlight the dangers of interpreting thermographic images as temperature maps without considering the underlying radiometric data which can be affected by image processing and compression. The paper concludes with the importance of accurate and precise thermographic analysis for reliable temperature measurement.

A conceptual model for food industry views on the commercialisation of active and intelligent packaging

AbstractThis paper presents a conceptual model, identifying the factors that impact the supply chain commercialisation of active and intelligent packaging across various food product types. The model was derived from interviews conducted with marketing and technical personnel across various food exporters, packaging manufacturers, relevant government agents and industry bodies with global perspectives based in New Zealand. The conceptual model theorises the relationships among the macro, sector and business factors that characterise an organisation, the perceived benefits of commercialising active or intelligent packaging, and the perceived barriers preventing commercialisation. Interactions between commercialising active and intelligent packaging and needing to meet packaging sustainability objectives were also identified. Developers of active and intelligent packaging can utilise the findings of this research to prioritise and refine their innovations better to suit the industry's needs within a sustainability framework.

Environmental impact assessment of the manufacturing of glass packaging solutions: Comparative scenarios in a developing country

The manufacturing of glass packaging is an energy and resource intensive process and the demand for glass packaging is increasing because of rising world population, especially in the developing countries. However, although a significant amount of glass packaging is produced in developing countries, there is limited research focused on the environmental impact assessment and analysis of the glass manufacturing activities. Thus, in order to fill this research gap, this paper reports a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) for the manufacturing of glass packaging in Pakistan. The LCA was conducted for three different types of glass (amber, flint and green) packaging solutions. The study was based on cradle-to-gate perspective, while considering 1-ton of glass produced as the functional unit. The primary data were collected from a well-known glass industry located in one of the dedicated industrial zones in Pakistan. SimaPro V 9.2. was used as the software tool and environmental impacts were quantified at midpoint and endpoint levels using ReCiPe 2016 method. The results indicated that extraction and processing of raw materials, and the plant-based glass production process cause worst impacts on the environment. More specifically, the consumption of natural gas for glass melting and the electricity from the national grid are the most contributing elements at the plant level. At midpoint level, comparatively green glass has the highest impact in various impact categories, such as global warming, fresh water ecotoxicity, marine ecotoxicity, etc. At endpoint level, human health is mainly impacted among various areas of protection. Overall, green glass remains the dreadful option for human health in comparison with other glass types. Alternative scenarios were also generated for all three packaging solutions by changing the energy-mix, especially to see the difference in greenhouse gas emissions. The study also outlines various important implications. As this is the first such study, it may be used as a benchmark for further environmental impact assessment studies for glass packaging industry, especially in developing countries.

Pemodelan Biaya Reverse Logistics Pada Pengelolaan Kemasan Minyak Goreng

Indonesia is listed as the second largest contributor to plastic waste in the world. The problem currently faced is the increasing amount of plastic waste which is one result of the business processes of companies using plastic packaging or plastic packaging manufacturers, one of the plastic packaging waste that comes from cooking oil packaging. The method to solve the problem of processing cooking oil packaging waste carried out in this study is to modify the existing system into a reverse logistics system. Currently, cooking oil companies have not implemented reverse logistics to reduce plastic packaging production. The reverse logistics system applied in this study is to modify cooking oil packages into packages that can be used repeatedly. The reverse logistics system that is applied is then modeled linerly to find out the minimal costs in implementing reverse logistics for the packaged cooking oil. Based on the development of the packaged cooking oil waste management model, it is known that the results of determining the model solution with the linear programming model are the minimal costs for reverse logistics of packaged cooking oil. The model is designed to do a sensitivity analysis by making changes to the reverse logistics cost parameters, changes in the reverse logistics cost parameters resulting in changes to the results that are directly proportional. The designed model is implemented using PT. XYZ which has a similarity with the designed system.

Designing Sustainable Polymer Blends: Tailoring Mechanical Properties and Degradation Behaviour in PHB/PLA/PCL Blends in a Seawater Environment

Biodegradable polyesters are a popular choice for both packaging and medical device manufacture owing to their ability to break down into harmless components once they have completed their function. However, commonly used polyesters such as poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and polycaprolactone (PCL), while readily available and have a relatively low price compared to other biodegradable polyesters, do not meet the degradation profiles required for many applications. As such, this study aimed to determine if the mechanical and degradation properties of biodegradable polymers could be tailored by blending different polymers. The seawater degradation mechanisms were evaluated, revealing surface erosion and bulk degradation in the blends. The extent of degradation was found to be dependent on the specific chemical composition of the polymer and the blend ratio, with degradation occurring via hydrolytic, enzymatic, oxidative, or physical pathways. PLA presents the highest tensile strength (67 MPa); the addition of PHB and PCL increased the flexibility of the samples; however, the tensile strength reduced to 25.5 and 18 MPa for the blends 30/50/20 and 50/25/25, respectively. Additionally, PCL presented weight loss of up to 10 wt.% and PHB of up to 6 wt.%; the seawater degradation in the blends occurs by bulk and surface erosion. The blending process facilitated the flexibility of the blends, enabling their use in diverse industrial applications such as medical devices and packaging. The proposed methodology produced biodegradable blends with tailored properties within a seawater environment. Additionally, further tests that fully track the biodegradation process should be put in place; incorporating compatibilizers might promote the miscibility of different polymers, improving their mechanical properties and biodegradability.