Practical Use In Industry Research Articles

Engineering High-Performance Composite Cellulose Materials for Fast Hemostasis.

The development of an effective hemostatic agents is of vital importance for saving wounded individuals from uncontrolled hemorrhage, which is the main reason for preventable death after accidental injury. However, current high-performance hemostatic agents suffer from a cumbersome preparation procedures and poor biocompatibility. Here, we engineered a cellulosic-derived aerogel material by simply controlling the drying process of cellulose regeneration for fast hemostasis. Four different freeze-drying pretreatments were investigated. As compared with the other three, the cellulosic aerogel material prepared without freezing pretreatment exhibited the lowest crystallinity (21.3%) and the highest body fluid absorption capacity (20.3 times that of its own weight) due to its super hierarchical porous structure, which led to an excellent hemostatic performance in vitro blood coagulation (≈100 s). Moreover, the addition of gelatin and diatomite in the material could tune the functional groups and electrostatic properties of the aerogel and further enhance its hemostatic performance. Various characterizations, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray nanocomputed tomography (CT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and zeta potential analysis, were carried out to probe the structure-function relationship of the prepared material, and its mechanism of fast hemostasis was thereafter revealed. The results indicate that the developed aerogel is a cost-effective and feasibly scalable hemostatic material suitable for practical use in industry.

From Depths to Discoveries: Unraveling the Potential of Marine Biotechnology

With the oceans covering over 70% of our world, there is a lot of unrealized potential there. There is a wealth of marine life in these depths that presents a variety of opportunities for biotechnology. The most recent developments in marine biotechnology are helping us discover the mysteries of nature and are revolutionizing the fields of industry, sustainability, and healthcare to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Deep sea exploration has revealed a secret world full of many life forms, each of which may contain one or more special bioactive chemicals. Microalgae such as Chlorella and Spirulina offer a rich repository of bioactive compounds, from anti-inflammatory agents to proteins, enriching pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and nutritional supplements. Actinobacteria, notably Streptomyces, contribute significantly to antibiotic compounds critical in combating infections [1]. Marine-based food products are enhanced by fatty acids from marine sources, especially omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are found in fish and algae and provide special health benefits not available in land-based sources. Furthermore, because of their extraordinary qualities and capacity to withstand harsh environments, enzymes derived from marine creatures are indispensable in the food processing industry. While corals, sponges, and invertebrates boast bioactive substances, their practical use in industry and health care faces challenges due to sustainability concerns [2]. Although accessing deep waters can be challenging, innovative technology such as remotely operated vehicles, facilitates the collecting of samples. The complexity of analyzing and categorizing marine bacteria affects the development of new drugs. Weekly, thousands of possible bioactive compounds are tested using high-throughput approaches to overcome the limitations of traditional screening. Novel strategies that combine bioinformatics and enhanced screening work well to identify bioactive compounds obtained from marine sources. Drug development appears to be promising as genomics and metagenomics reveal genetic capacities and find bioactive components from previously uncultivable microbes [3]. The fusion of biology, technology, and the boundless oceans sparks unparalleled opportunities. It urges collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and industries to explore the sea's potential responsibly. Exploring the ocean's depths reveals scientific marvels but also provides the answer to a healthier and more sustainable future for coming generations.

Phytochemical profiling and biological activity of the extracts obtained from green biomass of three Miscanthus L. species using supercritical carbon dioxide extraction

Taxa belonging to the genus Miscanthus L. (silvergrass) are non-invasive plants that can grow on marginal land that are not suitable for food production. These species give high yields of lignocellulosic biomass, being a rich and renewable source of organic matter for the production of second-generation biofuels (ethanol) and for other practical purposes, such as raw material for paper production. The most promising species of the genus Miscanthus L., in terms of practical use in industry and agriculture, are M. sinensis, M. sacchariflorum and their hydride - M. × giganteus. In this study, extracts obtained from the green biomass of these Miscanthus L. species underwent detailed phytochemical investigation and multidirectional biological evaluation. The extracts were prepared using supercritical fluid extraction with water as co-solvent. The qualitative RP-HPLC/PDA analysis of the extracts after their purification with solid-phase extraction confirmed their similar phytochemical profiles. Six free phenolic acids ( p -hydroxybenzoic, isovanillic, syringic, p -coumaric, ferulic and isoferulic) and one trans -cinnamic acid derivative were identified and determined. The antimicrobial, antiviral, anthelmintic and anticancer activity of the supercritical extracts of Miscanthus L. species studied was revealed for the first time. Moreover, the extracts possessed low cytotoxicity against normal cells. This screening evaluation showed that, besides giving high yields of lignocellulosic biomass, these grasses could also be a source of valuable bioactive compounds for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. • Supercritical carbon dioxide extracts of silvergrasses had similar phenolic profiles. • All slivergrass extracts showed antibacterial and antifungal activities. • Amur and giant silvergrass extracts revealed anthelmintic (nematocidal) effects. • Chinese and giant silvergrass extracts inhibited herpes simplex virus type-1 cycle. • Amur silvergrass extract was selectively cytotoxic against melanoma cells.

Development of a systematic approach to the regulation and adjustment of high-frequency induction heating unit for the needs of electrothermy

Background: The development and implementation of a systematic approach to the regulation and mutual adaptation of sources and consumers of increased frequency electrical energy in induction heating equipment, based on the study of the relationships and patterns of changes in the main parameters of induction equipment, including uncontrolled changes that occur during the technological process, is an urgent task for improving production efficiency today in the Russian Federation and abroad.
 Aim: Creating an effective approach to the regulation and adjustment of equipment operation modes for a sustainable increase in the level of unification of induction heating equipment.
 Methods: Experimental study of operating modes of induction installations, computer modeling and CAD.
 Results: Description of the developed approach, introduction of a systematic approach, possibilities and prospects for application, recommendations for practical use in industry.
 Conclusion: Obtained results make it possible to deepen the understanding of the electrical processes occurring in induction heating installations and can be used in practice in industry to unify the applied high-frequency energy sources; may be of interest to researchers working in this field, as well as to developers of industrial equipment for induction heating.

Design and Deployment of a Generic Software for Managing Industrial Vision Systems

Computer vision systems have become a key element of modern companies. However, its implantation not only requires specialized hardware components but also software to control the correct performance of all these components. The purpose of this article is to present the design and deployment of a software created to manage the different computer vision systems of any company. First, using our experience in mechanization and industrialization of company processes, a general company specification will be proposed as well as the main software requirements that have to be satisfied. Then, a three-level modular design composed of the core, a configuration module, and user interfaces with functionalities capable of satisfying the defined requirements will be presented. Special attention will be given to time restrictions and components’ synchronization. In addition, the different tests that have been carried out to control the correct performance of the software will be shown. The development process will end with a generic, modular, and scalable software able to fit different industrial scenarios by simply modifying a set of input parameters. To illustrate the correct performance of the proposal, the details of its installation in four real companies with different needs will be presented. The proposed work has a practical use in industry and it also provides a thorough description of the main components involved in computer vision systems of real company environments and how to manage them. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Note to Practitioners</i> —The aim of the article is to provide a software solution to manage the computer vision systems of a company. The proposed software is simple enough to be controlled by company operators with no need for great expertise on the technical aspects, but rather on the industrial workflow to be controlled. To develop such a software, it has been necessary to know about all the elements involved in the industrial scenarios controlled by computer vision systems as well as their relationships. This article presents all these elements providing a global and complete view of the problem with special attention to synchronization, which is fundamental to satisfy industrial time restriction requirements. The software is presented from a technical point of view, but also from a practical one, since different examples of its application in real cases are given. These examples illustrate the adaptability of the proposal to different scenarios and also exemplify how the different elements are modified to fit the different situations. In addition, this article provides a comprehensive overview of real industrial situations, focusing on the most important issues faced during real installations.

Carbon dots as a superior building nanomaterial for enhancing the mechanical properties of cement-based composites

Carbon nanomaterials, such as graphene and its derivatives can act as a significant building nanomaterial for ameliorating the various properties of cement-based composites, but their poor water solubility lead to unevenly dispersed in the cement pore solution, and limits their effective application in cement-based materials. Moreover, the high price of these nanomaterials restricts the practical use in industry. Herein, in this study, the carbon dots (CDs), which was prepared by the improved microwave pyrolysis method, is demonstrated to own the superior performance in the enhancement of the cement-based composites mechanical properties for the first time. The X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and related structural characterizations are performed to prove the successful synthesis of CDs, and the compressive strength of cement-based composites increased by 16.8% after curing 28 days at the 0.08 wt% CDs dosage in comparison to the blank samples. Through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and mercury intrusion porosimeter (MIP) and XRD, it is proved that: i) the small nanometer size and good water solubility of carbon dots promote them easily filling into the pores of cement as a result of increasing its compactness; ii) the carbon dots act as much more nucleation sites to make the hydration products superimposed in a more dense room; iii) the surface of carbon dots possess many hydrophilic groups, including carboxyl and amide, these groups produce a strong adsorption on the cement particles and then affect the formation of hydration products. These joint effects effectively enhance the compressive mechanical strength for cement-based composites. Besides, the simple preparation of CDs with a low price is suitable for the industrial application. The CDs as the superior alternative nanomaterial for heightening the properties of cement-based composites show a great potential, and is significant for the exploitation of building nanomaterial with outstanding performances for cement.

A short review on cooling process using compressed cold air by vortex tube in machining

In machining hard surfaces the biggest challenge is the removal of heat produced during the machining operation and the lubrication required to reduce the frictional force at the machining zone. The present paper is divided into three sections. The first section describes the introduction concepts of heat removal along with different environmental conscious machining methods. The second section discusses about the compressed air cooling method by Ranque-Hilsch vortex tube and the popular theories related to the energy separation method in vortex tube. Finally, the third section discusses about various applications of compressed air-cooling method in machining with various materials along with different machining processes and comparison with other cooling methods. This paper concludes that the separation of fluid into cold and hot in vortex tube is due to several effects simultaneously and not a single theory is able to explain it completely. Cold air-cooling system is more environment friendly, decreases the cutting force, increases the tool life, increases the surface finish, eases the chip evacuation process, nonhazardous to operator and it has the ability to replace the traditional lubrication system and a more research is needed in this direction so that the device can be adopted in practical use in industry.

Froth image feature engineering-based prediction method for concentrate ash content of coal flotation

Machine vision and machine learning have been researched widely in froth flotation and the technology continues to benefit from advances in computer technology. The feature engineering leads to a predicted resistance in the machine learning pipelines, especially in coal flotation. This study sought to examine the performance of feature engineering of coal flotation froth image on ash content prediction with an industrial dataset. In order to evaluate the practical use in industry, the morphoscopic (3 features), statistical (gray levels histogram (5 features), gray level co-occurrence matrix (24 features), statistical modeling (48 features)) and color spaces (18 features) are used to prepare feature engineering. Correlation matrix are used to investigate the relationship between features and ash content. The support vector regression is used to predict ash content. The evaluation of the model performance shows that the principal component analysis can effectively improve the accuracy. When the feature dimension is reduced to 14 by the principal component analysis, the optimal RMSE is 0.6331, the R2 value is 0.78. The feature engineering of coal flotation froth image in this paper can make a good prediction of the coal flotation concentrate ash content. Furthermore, the results can be used as the theoretical basis for the intelligent construction of flotation.

Influence of the cutting condition on the wear and the surface roughness in the steel AISI 4140 with mixed ceramic and diamond tool

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the influence of the cutting conditions (cutting speed, feed rate and cutting depth) on the roughness (Ra) and on the flank wear (Vb) of the steel AISI 4140.Design/methodology/approachMixed ceramic (CC650) and polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) have been used to carry out straight turning tests under dry conditions.FindingsThe results indicate that PCBN is more efficient than mixed ceramic (Al2O3+TiC) used in terms of wear resistance regardless of the aggressiveness of the AISI 4140 at 50 hardness rockwell (HRC). Consequently, it is the most powerful. Surface quality attained with PCBN tool considerably compares with that of grinding. Even when the tool wear VB reached 0.3 mm, the majority of the recorded Ra values did not exceed 1 m at the various speeds tested. The correlation of tool wear Vb and surface roughness Ra established allows obtaining experimental empirical data on the cutting tool wear from measured surface roughness for practical use in industry. The values of constants and the coefficient of determinationR2of this mathematical model will be calculated. Mathematical models expressing the relation between the elements of the cutting regime and technological parameters (tool life and roughness) are proposed.Originality/valueMany works have been already made in the similar manner, but this study of CC650 and PCBN wear is the first. Through this study, we propose a mathematical model expressing the relation between the elements of the cutting regime, tool life and roughness.

Designing and deploying a business process for product recovery and repair at a servicing organization: A case study and framework proposal

The environmental concerns and the benefits associated with product recovery have influenced companies to focus on the remanufacturing and recycling of discarded products. Although associated with numerous benefits, this practice is still not largely applied in the service business. The purpose of this article is to present a framework for designing and deploying a business process for product recovery and repair at a servicing organization. The proposed framework comprises seven elements (Organization, Quality & Regulations, Information Technology, Purchasing, Finance, Processes, and Implementation), and their sequence corresponds to the actual steps towards designing and deploying a harvesting business process. The proposed framework was empirically validated for specific scenarios at a servicing organization in the Netherlands, illustrating how the business process for harvesting parts of medical equipment is enabled through SAP ERP transactions, while addressing elicited requirements. The tests executed in the SAP MBQ software environment showed that the proposed solution is supported in a real business environment, illustrating its practical relevance. This framework can easily be applied in different sectors. The work pursued has a scientific contribution and practical use in industry, providing a unique niche for researchers, practitioners, information technology managers and developers to make significant contributions, serving as a guiding tool, and supporting them in understanding the practical implications of deploying a harvesting business process and systematically managing it.

Self-Assembly, Thermotropic, and Lyotropic Phase Behavior of Guerbet Branched-Chain Maltosides.

Five synthetic β-d-maltosides derived from Guerbet branched alcohols, whose total hydrocarbon chain length ranged from C8 to C24, were synthesized to a high anomeric purity, and their thermal properties, liquid-crystalline phases, and structures were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, optical polarizing microscopy, and small-angle X-ray scattering. Thermal investigations of all anhydrous Guerbet maltosides showed that they do not form solid crystals but undergo a glass transition upon temperature change in the range of 35-53 °C. The glassy crystalline structure turns into the liquid-crystalline structure upon heating or addition of water. In thermotropic studies, the lamellar phase formation is prominent in shorter-chain-length analogues, whereas the longer-chain compounds exhibit a more frustrated form of self-assembly in the formation of a metastable state, polymorphism, and inverse bicontinuous cubic structure ( Ia3 d). The excess water conditions show that the phase formation is dominated by the lamellar phase for the longer-chain compounds. Normal micellar solution was observed in the shortest-chain-length maltosides because of the enlargement of hydrated maltose headgroups. The self-assembly of both dry and fully hydrated Guerbet maltosides, which exhibited glass-forming abilities and showed surface activity and also the ability to act as membrane-stabilizing compounds, makes them ideal candidates for practical use in industry as well as biomedical research.

Benchmarking hotel service quality using two-dimensional importance-performance benchmark vectors (IPBV)

PurposeImportance-performance analysis (IPA) is an effective tool for firms to prioritise service quality attributes, but has limitations in evaluating and enhancing service quality within a competitive environment. The purpose of this paper is to present an evolved model of IPA – importance-performance benchmark vectors (IPBV) – as a benchmarking tool and investigate its applicability in the context of hotel service quality.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical studies based on self-completion survey data from 150 customers of two full-service hotels in Taiwan were conducted in to examine the practical utility of IPBV.FindingsEight key benchmark typologies were identified and expressed as vectors in the IPBV model which are as follows: “sustainable advantage”, “potential strength”, “false advantage or outstanding advantage”, “cease-fire competition”, “false disadvantage or on-hand disadvantage”, “potential weakness”, “dangerous warning” and “head-on competition”.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper extends the methodology to more cases, and other service industries to test further the discriminatory power of the model and to explore the descriptors in the IPBV vector model. Alternative seven-point or nine-point Likert scales could be explored to test the discriminant validity using means. The alternative IPA diagonal approach focussing on GAP analysis may reveal alternative interpretations for the IPBV vector model. Other extended models of IPA, which include competitor analysis, should be compared in practice using a data set where both quantitative and qualitative data could be generated.Practical implicationsThe paper proposes the two-dimensional IPBV model which retains the advantages of IPA, but also includes competitor or benchmark comparisons which enable organisations to analyse their relative competitive position. The two-part model provides both quantitative information and qualitative interpretation of relativities. The graphical matrix models provide simple quantitative analysis of attributes, whilst the IPBV vector model provides qualitative interpretations of the eight competitive market positions. Vector analysis enables the development of competitive strategies relative to benchmarks, or within a competitive set. Importance is retained and means that organisations can benchmark against a range of competitors prioritising specific attributes for resource allocation.Social implicationsThe interpretive utility of the model should be explored with practitioners and decision makers in the service industries. The model has been designed for practical use in industry to inform operational and strategic decision making, its usefulness in practice should be explored and the attitudes of practitioners to the model should be tested.Originality/valueTraditional approaches to benchmarking have adopted a one-dimensional approach that does not include a measure of the relative importance of the service quality dimensions in specific markets. This research develops a two-dimensional advanced model of IPA, called IPBV, which is based on vector relationships between key attributes of service quality. These vectors are explored and described in competitive terms and the model is discussed with regard to its implications for industry, practitioners and researchers.

Industrial Application of Thixomet Image Analyzer for Quantitative Description of Steel and Alloy's Microstructure

Numerous examples of practical use in industry of the Thixomet image analyzer for quantitative description of the microstructure of steels and alloys have been described. More than 200 image analyzers have been installed at Universities, R&D labs, and plants during the twenty years of the Thixomet’s history. Sixty-five Thixomet plug-ins cover all Russian and most of International standards. The techniques of quantitative description of non-metallic inclusions, grain size, and all kinds of microstructural inhomogeneity in modern pipeline steels (such as microstructure banding, general anisotropy, blocks of a bainite with lath morphology, centerline segregation) have been developed, realized, and put into practice as a motorized hardware–software complex, Thixomet SmartDrive, at many enterprises. It was established that structural inhomogeneity evaluated by volume fraction and a blocks length of a bainite with lath morphology elongated along the rolling direction adequately described the mechanical properties of pipeline steels. The name of Thixomet was taken because of Greek “Thixis” (touch) and “Metrisi” (measurement), so an idea is “One Touch Measurement.” Measurement operations from capturing an image up to a generation of quantitative description of a structure as a report are actually performed by several evident actions that confirm the name of the product. Thixomet has succeeded in international interlaboratory Round Robin Test Programs and performed with the good results across worldwide Image Analysis systems. This was a cause to get an official metrological certificate from Russian State Metrological Committee which certified Thixomet as a measurement tool.

Biosynthesis of surface-active compounds by Bacillus genus bacteria

Biosurfactants – surface-active agents (surfactants) of bacterial origin with pronounced multifunctional properties. In this article presents the data in the literature about the ability of representatives of the genus Bacillus to the formation of surfactants and practical use in industry, biology and medicine. The characteristics of lipopeptide synthesized by representatives of the genus Bacillus.

Synthesis and Evaluation of Sulfonated Humic Acid-Acrylic Acid Graft Copolymer Applied as Dispersant in Coal-Water Slurry

A new type of graft copolymer, sulfonated humic acid-acrylic acid resin (SHA), was synthesized and developed as dispersant for highly-loaded coal water slurry (CWS) from Chinese Binchang coal. In this study, The formulation, stability and rheology of the slurry with SHA were investigated. The experimental results show that SHA can reduce effectively CWS viscosity at low dosage, and that the CWS with SHA has excellent stability within 48 h and exhibits shear-thinning apparent viscosity/shear rate behavior. Based on the above, SHA is a promising dispersant for highly-loaded CWS in the practical use in industry.

Special Properties of Coherence Scanning Interferometers for large Measurement Volumes

In contrast to many other optical methods the uncertainty of Coherence Scanning Interferometer (CSI) in vertical direction is independent from the field of view. Therefore CSIs are ideal instruments for measuring 3D-profiles of larger areas (36×28mm2, e.g.) with high precision. This is of advantage for the determination of form parameters like flatness, parallelism and steps heights within a short time. In addition, using a telecentric beam path allows measurements of deep lying surfaces (<70mm) and the determination of form parameters with large step-heights. The lateral and spatial resolution, however, are reduced. In this presentation different metrological characteristics together with their potential errors are analyzed for large-scale measuring CSIs. Therefore these instruments are ideal tools in quality control for good/bad selections, e.g. The consequences for the practical use in industry and for standardization are discussed by examples of workpieces of automotive suppliers or from the steel industry.

Evaluation of sulphonated acetone–formaldehyde (SAF) used in coal water slurries prepared from different coals

Abstract A new type of water-soluble polymer, sulphonated acetone–formaldehyde resin (SAF), was developed as dispersant for the preparation of highly-loaded coal water slurry (CWS). In this study, in order to evaluate the practical use in industry, the SAF and a naphthalene sulfonate formaldehyde condensate are used to prepare CWS using four Chinese coals with different coalification degrees. The evaluation of the properties of CWS shows that SAF has better ability in reducing CWS viscosity at lower dosage than naphthalene sulfonate formaldehyde condensate, and that the CWS prepared from SAF has excellent stability within 48 h and exhibits shear-thinning apparent viscosity/shear rate behavior at lower dosage. Based on the results, the SAF is an effective and promising dispersant for highly-loaded CWS.

Development of practical system for laser-induced plasma-assisted ablation (LIPAA) for micromachining of glass materials

The laser-induced plasma-assisted ablation (LIPAA) process developed by us, in which only a single conventional pulsed laser is used, makes it possible to perform high-quality and high-speed glass microfabrication. We developed the LIPAA system, which uses the second harmonic of a diode pumped Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, for practical use in industry. The system comprises two optical components, which are the objective lens for high-resolution microfabrication and the galvano mirror type scanner for high-speed patterning of complicated microstructures. In addition to surface microstructuring of the glass, selective metallization of the glass by the LIPAA process, followed by electroless Cu plating, is demonstrated .

A method for detecting tool wear on a CNC lathe using a doppler radar detector

Installing a non-contact in-process tool wear detection system on a computer numerical control lathe can help prevent product defects and improve product quality without impacting product cycle time. Many methods have been proposed for non-contact in-process tool wear detection. In particular, a recent international patent application describes a method for measuring the torque in a rotating axle using a high-frequency wireless transmitter/receiver and a vibrating string. The method has reportedly been used to detect cutting on a manual lathe. The authors present a new method for measuring tool wear using a high-frequency wireless transmitter/receiver alone, without a vibrating string. The high-frequency transmitter/receiver apparently responds to metal-metal contact noise rather than, or more strongly than, to signals generated by a vibrating string. The findings could help bring automated tool wear monitoring systems closer to the level of performance needed for practical use in industry.

보강링을 갖는 냉간 압출 금형 세트의 탄성해석

In this study, an axi-symmetric finite element program for elastic analysis of the die set shrink fitted in cold extrusion was developed. The geometrical constraint according to shrink fit was enforced by employing the Lagrange multiplier method. The numerical results for strain and stress distributions in the die set including single and multi stress rings assembled by shrink fit were compared well with the Lame's equation for thick-walled solution available in the literature. To extend the applicability of the analysis program developed, various cases without or with stress ring and with pre-stress applied on stress ring were numerically investigated as well. This numerical approach enables the optimization study to determine optimal dimensions of die set to improve tool life for practical use in industry.