Terms Of Product Quality Research Articles

The impact of product labels on green preferences and perceptions of customers: an empirical study of milk products in Japan

An investigation is presented on the impact of different environmental labels on customer perception of product value. The empirical study targeted consumers who frequently purchase milk for household consumption. A total of 618 consumers were asked to select their 'milk' based on three different environmental labels and their perceptions in terms of product quality and social value. Multinomial logistic regression was utilised to explore the influence of product labels on customer perception. The results show that different environment information leads to customers having different perceptions in terms of value. Knowledge is a significant factor for making a decision on food product purchasing. The environmental label clearly impacts the customer perception of the products. The major contribution of this study is to create a greater understanding of customer perceptions of green concepts on the basis of environmental knowledge and to help firms identify compatible information for sustaining their business.

Experimental investigations on micro scaled plastic deformation of bio-absorbable magnesium AZ80 alloy

During micro forming, the properties of grains in a deformation zone made inhomogeneous and difficult to predict its behavior. It affects the performance and product quality in terms of defect, dimensional accuracy and surface finish of the micro-formed metallic parts. This paper discusses the size effect related deformation behavior of magnesium AZ80 alloy which will help to understand the mechanisms and fundamentals in producing the micro implants using micro forward extrusion process. Further, the effects of micro scaling in terms of material behavior during forward extrusion are investigated using a forming assembly in conjunction with a loading set-up. The results reveal that the Mg AZ80 alloy of decreasing grain size increases the flow stress. Similarly, surface roughness by fine grains is better than the coarse grains due to lower friction between the die-specimen interfaces. The results also show that the process has great potential to develop into a promising method in manufacturing the high strength micro components and implants by controlling grain refinement.

Integrated ANN-GA Approach For Predictive Modeling And Optimization Of Grinding Parameters With Surface Roughness As The Response

Grinding, the commonly used final finishing process across various industries for preparation of surfaces, uses an abrasive cutting wheel. Surface finish is the most commonly used index of final product quality in terms of aesthetics, corrosion resistance and others. The final surface finish of the grounded components depends on the cutting conditions of the grinding wheel and the machining parameters. Grinding wheel loading and wheel wear are the significant factors that determine the cutting conditions of the grinding wheel. Grinding wheel dressing is usually carried out to restore the original cutting conditions of the wheel. Speed, feed and depth of cut are the various machining parameters that affect the final surface finish. This paper aims to develop a predictive as well as optimization model by integrating Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with Genetic Algorithm (GA). Experiments were conducted on cylindrical grinding machine with Silicon Carbide grinding wheel. Speed, feed and depth of cut were selected as the three machining parameters with three different levels. Multilayer Normal Feed Forward ANN model of type 3-5-1 was considered for the prediction of surface roughness. Predicted values using the ANN model showed good agreement with the experimental values of surface roughness. Using ANN model alone could have the drawback that local minima based on initial parameters/training can be mistaken for the global optimum. Integrating Genetic Algorithm (GA) with ANN model overcomes this to a great extent. Such a hybrid technique can result in global optimal point of the machining parameters thereby leading to minimum surface roughness. The experimental results show the feasibility of the proposed method in the predictive modeling and optimization of grinding parameters.

Software Architecture Solution Based on SDN for an Industrial IoT Scenario

The Industry 4.0 (I4.0) adoption comprises the change of traditional factories into smart using the ICTs. The goal is to monitor processes, objects, machinery, and workers in order to have real‐time knowledge about what is going on in the factory and for achieving an efficient data collection, management, and decision‐making that help improve the businesses in terms of product quality, productivity, and efficiency. Internet of Things (IoT) will have an important role in the I4.0 adoption because future smart factories are expected to rely on IoT infrastructures composed of constellations of hundreds or thousands of sensor devices spread all over the industrial facilities. However, some problems could arise in the massive IoT deployment in a medium‐high factory: thousands of IoT devices to cope from different technologies and vendors could mean dozens of vendor tools and user interfaces to manage them. Moreover, the heterogeneity of IoT devices could entail different communication protocols, languages, and data formats, which can result in lack of interoperability. On the other hand, conventional IT networks and industrial machinery are expected to be managed together with the IoT infrastructure, maybe using a tool or a set of tools, for orchestrating the whole smart factory. This work meets these challenges presenting an open‐source software architecture solution based on OpenDaylight (ODL), a Software Defined Network (SDN) controller, for orchestrating an industrial IoT scenario. This work is addressed by shedding light on critical aspects from the SDN controller architectural choices, to specific IoT interfaces and the difficulties for covering the wide range of communication protocols, popular in industrial contexts. Such a global view of the process gives light to practical difficulties appearing in introducing SDN in industrial contexts, providing an open‐source architecture solution that guarantees devices and networks interoperability and scalability, breaking the vendor lock‐in barriers and providing a vendor‐agnostic solution for orchestrating all actor of an I4.0 smart factory.

INFLUENCE OF SPRAY DRYING PROCESS ON THE QUALITY OF AVOCADO POWDER: A FUNCTIONAL FOOD WITH GREAT INDUSTRIAL POTENTIAL

Background: Colombia is the fifth largest producer of avocado and its agribusiness chain lacks value-added diversified products; therefore, at the governmental level, there has been promotion of internationalization policies aimed at opening up new markets and innovation with improved technology and food consumption patterns. The spray drying is an alternative conservation for avocado, a highly perishable fruit. Objectives: the aim of this study was to optimize the spray drying process for obtaining Hass avocado powder with better physicochemical properties and processing. Methods: an experimental design “Optimal” was used in the response surface methodology based on four factors: (A) maltodextrin (MD) concentration (2.81 to 11.25% w/w), (B) air inlet temperature (140-160°C), (C) outlet air temperature (80-90°C) and (D) atomizer disk speed (20000-26000 rpm). Results: the response variables where statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were found including: moisture, water activity, solubility, color coordinates (L*, a*, b*) hygroscopicity, wettability, extractable oil and deposit formation versus factors studied. Optimized value factors were: (A) 6.93% (B) 160°C (C) 84°C and (D) 26000 rpm. Conclusions: the experimental process optimization is presented as an effective tool for agribusiness, which improves product quality in terms of the factors that affect it, and in the case of avocado, allows the development of new value-added products, with potential uses in the food industry, pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical, among others.

Temperature-controlled microwave-vacuum drying of lactic acid bacteria: Impact of drying conditions on process and product characteristics

An efficient drying process for high-value products such as bacterial cultures is characterized by high retention of viability or activity, but low energy demand. Microwave-vacuum drying was tested in this work as a new technique for the preservation of probiotics and starter cultures, which has the potential to fulfill all of these requirements. The impact of chamber pressure (7, 15, 30 mbar), microwave power (1–5 W g−1) and maximum product temperature (30–50 °C) on drying time, drying rate, efficiency of microwave input and survival rate of the model strain Lactobacillus paracasei ssp. paracasei F19 (L. paracasei F19) was studied. Microwave drying time ranged from 50 to 240 min with microwave power as main influencing factor on drying behavior and efficiency. The maximum product temperature and vacuum pressure did not affect the drying time, absorbed energy and thus microwave efficiency significantly, but both parameters had a great impact on survival rate. The combination of 3 W g−1 microwave power input and 35 °C maximum temperature at a low chamber pressure of 7 mbar resulted in a very short drying time of 64 min, a high level of energy efficiency (27%) and also the best product quality in terms of survival rate (33%). Thus, a microwave-vacuum drying process is a potential alternative to conventional freeze or vacuum drying.

Effect of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Organizational Growth

Service quality and customer satisfaction are two very important concepts which plays crucial roles in organizational management and sustenance. The operating environments as well as high levels of competition are forces that are compelling organizational managers to adhere strictly to excellent services in order to achieve high level of customer satisfaction. Expectations in most cases do not match realities in terms of product quality and the services therein and organizational managers lacking behind in this often feel the impacts on their financial bottom line. This paper among others recommends total overhaul of the service qualities in all tiers of marketing management to ensure unmatched satisfaction thereby creating bigger market share.

Rheological and melting properties of sucrose-free dark chocolate

ABSTRACTIn this study, sugar-free dark chocolate was produced from isomalt and maltitol by βV seeding technique as an alternative to conventional tempering process. The effect of βV seed concentrations on the particle size distribution (PSD), textural, rheological and melting properties of the final products were examined and the results were compared with those of conventional sugar-free dark chocolates. For this aim, conched dark chocolates were melted and crystallised with βV seeds which were added at different concentrations (0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9 and 1.0%, m/m). According to the results PSD, hardness, rheological and melting properties were not influenced by seeding technique compared to conventional tempering method. On the other hand, inverse relation was observed between largest particle size and specific surface area of the samples. Hardness values of isomalt and maltitol including samples were found to change between 15.33–18.79 N. Casson model best described the flow behaviour of the sugar-free chocolates. As a result, seeding technique can be used as an alternative method in sugar-free dark chocolate production in terms of quality and physical properties.

Process optimization of metallurgical dust recycling by direct reduction in rotary hearth furnace

Direct reduction in rotary hearth furnaces (RHF) can be used for metallurgical dusts recycling considering its high efficiency in reducing iron oxides and separating heavy and alkali metal elements. However, there is still a lack of understanding on the relationship between in-pellet behaviour and in-furnace phenomena of a RHF. In our previous study (Wu et al., 2017), a model was developed and validated and typical in-furnace phenomena and in-pellet behaviour were described. In connection with the previous study, this paper reports a numerical study of process design and optimization using the integrated model under industrial-scale RHF conditions for evaluating the sensitivity of main operating and controlling parameters of the RHFs on product quality in terms of iron metallization and Zn/Pb/K/Na removal. It is found that the final iron metallization rate is most affected by furnace atmosphere, and other product indexes are more sensitive to furnace temperature and hearth rotary speed. Several new designs are proposed and numerically tested in this study. The results show that the new designs, such as ladder furnace heights and adjustable obstruction, are useful to improve gas flow and pressure distribution inside the furnace, favourable for pellet direct reduction. The optimization of furnace temperature and rotary speed of furnace hearth also shows a good effect in product assurance and energy conservation, when facing on-site changes in raw material composition, production schedule and product quality target. The model and numerical results provide a cost-effective tool to solve technical problems in RHF industrial practice.

Morphology, roughness and microhardness of nickel electrodeposits produced in sulfate media on 316 L SS or Ti cathodes

The current paper describes the effect of key operating variables (i.e. pH, presence of sodium sulfate, boric acid and sodium lauryl sulfate – SLS) on important features of nickel deposits by means of morphologic and surface roughness analyses and indentation hardness tests. Two substrates (cathodes) were used: 316L stainless steel (SS) or titanium (grade 2). Only changes of pH and additions of Na2SO4 and SLS to the electrolyte largely affected the morphology of the deposits, regardless of substrate type. At pH3, a condition in which relatively high values of current efficiencies were obtained, the addition of 155.9g L−1 of Na2SO4 or 10mg L−1 of SLS to the electrolyte lead to the production of Ni deposits with few hydrogen pits on the surface and regular edges. However, the presence of 155.9g L−1 of Na2SO4 in the electrolyte caused an increase of the average roughness of the deposits in the order of 27 and 54% when 316L SS or Ti cathodes were used, respectively. By adding 10mg L−1 of SLS to electrolyte containing 155.9g·L−1 of Na2SO4 and 8g L−1 of H3BO3, the surface roughness decreased about 24 and 17% when 316L SS or Ti cathodes were used, respectively, without any effect on the materials' microhardness. The results of this work suggest that only the replacement of 316L SS blank cathodes by Ti may not represent significant benefits in terms of product quality.

Continuous tubular microwave heating of particulate foods at high temperatures

ABSTRACTA pilot-scale process for continuous in-flow microwave processing of particulate pumpable foods, designed and implemented at RISE Agrifood and Bioscience, was evaluated for heat treatment of a particulate, viscous model food at high-temperature conditions at 2450 MHz. The microwave system has three consecutive cavities, one excited by the TM020 microwave mode that heats primarily in the centre of the tube, and two cavities fed by TM120 modes that heat primarily in the tube periphery. In this paper, combined TM020 and TM120 tubular microwave heating is evaluated as an alternative to high-temperature short-time (HTST) processing for a high-concentrated particulate model product. Rapidness in heating of the product was evaluated after tubular microwave heating for different time-temperature conditions, corresponding to the required microbiological inactivation for a model product intended for storage at ambient conditions. Moreover, the effects on product quality of the microwave heated model soup were investigated in terms of texture, piece integrity and colour. Microstructural analysis was used to gain an understanding of the effects of heating at a microscopic scale. It was found that the microwave-assisted HTST system results in large process flexibility. Additionally, it offers advantages in product quality in terms of piece integrity and texture.

Recovering Lost Capacity of Aged LiMn2O4 from Commercial Aqueous Battery By Direct Relithiation through Hydrothermal Treatment

So far, most industrial Li-ion battery recycling processes are conducted using the following two methods: hydrometallurgical method and pyrometallurgical method that completely decompose the electrodes to elemental constituents. Although improvements in term of product quality and process complexity have been made over the industrial Li-ion battery recycling processes, they are still considered to be process-intensive and energy-consuming, while also wasting the initial energy embodied during the production of the cathode materials system. 1-2 In this work, we demonstrate a novel approach to recycle LiMn2O4 as used in aqueous electrolyte batteries. LiMn2O4 cathode material was extracted from commercial aqueous battery that was cycled over several thousand cycles.3 The aged LiMn2O4 cathode material showed lower specific capacity than its uncycled counterpart. The material was then recycled by reacting it with a lithium source through two different methods: (a) solid-state reaction and (b) hydrothermal reaction. We recycled LiMn2O4 cathode material by directly relithiating the aged LiMn2O4 with a lithium source and without breaking it down into elemental form and re-synthesizing it. The advantages of this method are three folds: (1) it reduces usage of high temperature process to break down cathode materials into element form or other compound, (2) it decreases complexity of chemical process, and (3) it reduces usage of different chemicals for element refinement. This study shows the feasibility of recycling aged LiMn2O4through a simple and energy-efficient approach and recovering its lost capacity. The outcomes of the using these two recycling methods are compared in term of phase purity, morphology, and electrochemical capacity. Our results show that the hydrothermally recycled product had superior phase purity and electrochemical capacity, and compared favorably even with uncycled material The effect of process parameters in the hydrothermal process such as molar ratio of reactants, reaction temperature and reaction time is discussed and rated. The results show that by adjusting these process parameters, we are able to regenerate aged LiMn2O4through a simple hydrothermal reaction. Reference: 1. Xu, J.; Thomas, H. R.; Francis, R. W.; Lum, K. R.; Wang, J.; Liang, B., A review of processes and technologies for the recycling of lithium-ion secondary batteries. J Power Sources 2008, 177(2), 512-527. 2. Georgi-Maschler, T.; Friedrich, B.; Weyhe, R.; Heegn, H.; Rutz, M., Development of a recycling process for Li-ion batteries. J Power Sources 2012, 207, 173-182. 3. Whitacre, J. F.; Shanbhag, S.; Mohamed, A.; Polonsky, A.; Carlisle, K.; Gulakowski, J.; Wu, W.; Smith, C.; Cooney, L.; Blackwood, D.; Dandrea, J. C.; Truchot, C., A Polyionic, Large-Format Energy Storage Device Using an Aqueous Electrolyte and Thick-Format Composite NaTi2(PO4)(3)/Activated Carbon Negative Electrodes (vol 3, pg 20, 2015). Energy Technol-Ger 2015, 3 (8), 796-798. Figure 1

Using multi-criteria decision making for selection provinces for fattening farm

Turkey has a high potential in the field of agriculture and livestock production. Turkey has a long history in the production of livestock system, which became the “buffer” sector of economy and the “locomotive” sector of Turkey. Although nowadays pastures are decreased, Turkey has quite large pastures. Besides, the domestic demand for meat in Turkey is quite large and tend to a show considerable growth. Animal husbandry is carrying great importance in terms of protein source and fattening cattle in the red meat production. In this sense, the development of meat production in terms of quality and quantity is also very necessary in terms of the nutritional problem that arises parallel to the growing population. In this study, the causes of increase in meat prices in Turkey were investigated, and the findings showed that, the cause of the price increases made as inadequate animal fattening. As a result, it was decided to establish a new place for the production of cattle-raising. Before starting the construction of the fattening livestock farm, firstly the location of the establishment is considered. In the decision-making process, it is quite difficult to make choices because of the different alternatives in terms of various criteria's. For this purpose, the PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation) method, which is an easy and straightforward method of multi-criteria decision making techniques which are frequently used in researches in recent years, has been used to select the place of establishment in Turkey. The choice of fattening farm establishment site was evaluated in 81 provinces; cattle feed areas, demand on meat, urban development index value, average minimum temperature, average maximum temperature, precipitation amount and grant support criteria were evaluated with using the PROMETHEE method. The interactions between the criterion and the criteria that influence the process were determined as a result of the survey conducted. As a result of this survey study, criteria weights and criterion values were determined by Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method and solved by PROMETHEE method considering the results. As a conclusion, the most suitable and the less suitable provinces for fattening livestock farm are selected

Coaxial electrohydrodynamic atomization toward large scale production of core‐shell structured microparticles

In this work, a double‐nozzle coaxial electrohydrodynamic atomization (CEHDA) system was designed as an instructive case toward large‐scale production of core‐shell microspheres. The effect of nozzle‐to‐nozzle distance was investigated to reveal that the interference between neighboring nozzles significantly affect the product quality in terms of morphology and core‐shell structure. Optimal spacing indicated that ∼3000 nozzle/m2 packing density may be achieved with minimum interference of electric field from neighboring nozzle by adjusting the nozzle‐to‐nozzle distance greater than 0.018 m. The proposed multi‐scale model also showed that the X‐component of electric field strength (Ex) at the region near side nozzles increases with increasing nozzle number, and the bending of jets/sprays at the side may be reduced by using dummy nozzle at the edge side. The model could guide the design of multi‐nozzle CEHDA system for production of core‐shell microparticles in large‐scale. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 63: 5303–5319, 2017

Study on factors for pores and cladding shape in the deposition processes of Inconel 625 by the directed energy deposition (DED) method

Additive manufacturing has been utilized recently for prototyping and mass production of parts especially in the aerospace and medical industries. Most of the parts are processed by the powder bed fusion (PBF) method. On the other hand, the directed energy deposition (DED) method is attractive due to the high deposition speed. However, various parameters must be set for deposition processes and how these parameter settings affect the quality of products in terms of pores and machine properties have not been clarified. This paper studies factors contributing to pore generation in the deposition processes of Inconel 625 by the DED method. First, tests for deposition processes in single layer and multiple layers were conducted under various depositing conditions by changing the laser output and the amount of powder. The test results have clarified depositing conditions where less pores are generated, differences in hardness by deposited position, and the factors for those differences.

Merunut Potensi Kopi Arabika Sebagai Pengusung Utama Komoditas Ekpor Provinsi Bali

ABSTRACTTreating Arabica Coffee Potentials As A Main Sector Of The ExportCommodity Bali ProvinceThe last 5 years of Balinese economic growth has been stagnant (on average 5.5%), whileit is better than the national economic growth (5.02%). Given these facts, Balinese economicdevelopment needs to be directed to the source of new economic growth to create a progressive,inclusive and equitable acceleration of economic growth towards the equity of the wider society.In line with this intention, this study aims to map the potential industry which then becomes thecandidate for new economic growth.This study was using a descriptive research design, in which the researchers interactedintensely with key informants and various sources of reference, related to the field under study.Methodologically these assessment activities may include careful study (observation, fieldsurvey and documentary studies of the potential of arabica coffee that can be identified as futurebusiness opportunities.Coffee plants (Coffee Sp.) in addition to having a strategic value in the economicdevelopment of society, especially in rural areas. Its role is increasingly important consideringthe coffee garden place the highest position in terms of coffee ownership in the province of Bali.The development of the last 10 years, increased the area of planting area by 3.04%, productionby 27% per year, and the productivity (ose) an average of 1000 kg/ha/year. Until now Baliprovince ranks the top 10 coffee producers in Indonesia with planting area of 23,614 ha forRobusta and 9,448 ha for Arabica. The contribution of Arabica coffee to Bali’s coffee exportcommodity recently shows a significant increase in both quantity and quality. In terms of overallpotential in Bali (22,974 ha), most (20,840 ha) are located in 4 arabica coffee producer regencies,including: Bangli (12,589 ha); Karangasem (3,419 ha); Buleleng (3,400 ha) and Badung 1,413ha. However, in its development until 2014 the potential area can only be realized as acommunity plantation of 9,780 ha covering 3 regencies such as: Bangli, Buleleng and Badung,so there is still a potential remaining 46.4% of Bali's potential as a whole. In terms of productionquality, the three production centers have excellent taste quality (the test results are rated VeryGood-Excelent by the score 7-8), so it is now known as Balinese coffee and classified havingGeographical Indication with lemon flavor.Keywords: Economic growth; the potential of Arabica coffee, and; Balinese coffee

Comparison of body composition and sensory quality of wild and farmed whitefish (Coregonus macrophthalmus [Nüsslin, 1882

Summary This study compared the body composition (fillet yield, chemical composition and lipid quality of fillets) and sensory quality of captured wild (by gillnet in August 2011) with experimentally raised farmed (reared in concrete flow-through raceways, average water temperature 10 ± 3°C) whitefish, Coregonus macrophthalmus, from Lake Constance. The study was conducted in 2011 using 28 wild and 24 farmed market-sized fish of approximately equal total lengths (25.1 ± 1.21 and 25.6 ± 1.28 cm). Farmed female Coregonus macrophthalmus exhibited a 3.3% lower fillet yield resulting from larger gonads and a shallower body shape. The protein contents of farmed and wild fillets were equal (17.5% vs. 17.4%), but farmed fish fillets contained less moisture (76.1% vs.77.4%), less ash (1.2% vs. 1.6%), and more lipid (5.1% vs. 4.1%) than wild-caught specimens. Levels of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were higher in farmed fish (42.0 vs. 31.0 g/100 g lipid), as well as the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; 26.0 vs. 19.7 g/100 g lipid), in particular 22:6n−3 (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA; 7.3 vs. 2.1 g/100 g lipid). Conversely, wild fish fillets contained significantly more 20:4n−6 (arachidonic acid, AA; 1.6 vs. 0.4 g/100 g lipid) and 20:5n−3 (eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA; 4.1 vs. 3.2 g/100 g lipid). Sensory evaluation of odour, colour, texture and flavour by an experienced six-person panel revealed a significant preference for the colour (79% vs. 21%) of farmed fish fillets. In conclusion, farmed whitefish can be strong competitors to wild whitefish in terms of product quality, with higher levels of healthy fatty acids and a more attractive fillet colour. Farmed Coregonus macrophthalmus thus represents a promising and pragmatic approach, compensating for the current capture decline in the whitefish fisheries of Lake Constance.

Effect of maturation and freezing on quality and drying kinetics of beef

ABSTRACTThe quality of dried meat products and their drying kinetics significantly depends on the status of the raw material going into the drying process. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of meat status (fresh, mature, frozen–thawed) on the drying kinetics and the resulting quality in terms of color changes and spectrally deductible information. Drying tests were conducted using meat from organically raised bulls. In the fresh meat, freezing leads to a decrease in the drying rate, while for matured meat, the opposite is true. Aging and freezing have little effect on the end product quality in terms of final product color. However, water content can be detected hyperspectrally and resolved spatially for all stages of the process. With regard to water content prediction, the Monte-Carlo uninformative variable elimination-partial least square method performs best for the fresh and fresh frozen–thawed version with seven wavelengths, an r2 of 0.97 and 0.88, and RMSE (Root mean squared error) of 0.15 and 0.17 for the test set, respectively.

Near-reshoring your supplies from China: a good deal for financial motives too

PurposeReshoring, whether concerning back-reshoring or near-reshoring, is a quite recent phenomenon. Despite the economic and political interest of this topic, research questioning determinants and results of reshoring remain rare. The purpose of this paper is to help people to better understand reasons for reshoring.Design/methodology/approachTo better understand reasons for near-reshoring, the authors conducted a study among 215 French firms in spring 2016, including 197 of them sourcing manufactured goods from China.FindingsNear-reshoring is a recent but growing phenomenon: almost half of the companies sourcing in China chose over the past few years to near-reshore the supply of certain products initially purchased in China, and 10 per cent plan to do so soon. The authors determine main motives for near-reshoring and show that companies having reshored are very satisfied in terms of product quality, responsiveness between order and delivery, responsiveness between design and production, and in terms of total cost of ownership too.Originality/valueDespite the economic and political interest of the topic of reshoring, research questioning determinants and results of reshoring remains rare.

Enhanced Crystallization of Lysozyme Mediated by the Aggregation of Inorganic Seed Particles

We show that aggregation plays a major role in seeded growth of protein crystals. The seeded batch approach provides the opportunity to set the starting conditions for protein crystallization by adding a defined amount of well-characterized seed particles. The experimental observations for tetragonal hen egg-white lysozyme (LSZ) confirm the concept of the oriented aggregation of larger building blocks to form a protein crystal. It was shown that the aggregation of the seed particles/bioconjugates is advantageous for the product quality in terms of larger and more defined LSZ crystals and in terms of accelerated reaction kinetics. We present a population balance (PB) model for the seeded batch crystallization of LSZ considering the aggregation of growth units to form protein crystals. For the modeling of crystal growth, evolving particle size distributions (PSDs) of agglomerating LSZ molecules were measured by dynamic light scattering (DLS). Moreover, the aggregation of seed particles in LSZ solutions unde...