Production Of New Generation Research Articles

THE PERCEIVED VALUE OF DESIGN FOR NEW PRODUCTS AT MICRO AND SMALL COMPANIES

The research aims to identify and promote improvements in the planning and development processes of new products with the insertion of the design. The study was developed in three micro and small furniture companies, which are located in the city of Santa Maria-RS. This market segment was chosen because it has changes in the execution of its productive processes and by the constant search of new products in order to meet the requirements of its customers. Based on the evaluations of the final consumers and the control of the information provided by the managers of the planning and production sectors, it was sought to qualify the products based on the design. A multiple case study was used in order to identify the main differences between visions in the generation of new products. Based on this, the quality evaluation matrix, Quality Function Deployment (QFD) was used to identify and quantify procedures that have a greater impact between the planning and execution of new tailored furniture. It was possible to detect difficulties in the insertion of the design in the Furniture Industries. It is necessary to overcome some obstacles to change the company’s culture regarding the management of new products

Smart concept design based on recessive inheritance in complex electromechanical system

Due to the substantial increase in users demand, the scale of complex electromechanical systems is rapidly enlarging when systems are rapidly merging, and the complexity of the system has been greatly increased. Even if the original system is running well, singular phenomena often occurs in the process of complex electromechanical systems integration, which leads to the failure of the functional requirements of the new generation of products. In the face of the singular phenomena of complex electromechanical systems, traditional solutions focus more on solving the problems existing in the current complex electromechanical systems, and do not deeply study the root causes of the singular phenomena in the design process of complex electromechanical systems. The singular phenomena of system has high concealment and is not easy to be detected at the design stage, and similar singular phenomena will appear repeatedly in multiple generations of the same product. These characteristics are very similar to the characteristics of recessive inheritance of biological systems. Therefore, the paper will compare complex electromechanical systems with biological systems, and propose a recessive inheritance mechanism of complex electromechanical systems that can be used in smart concept design by introducing the recessive inheritance mechanism of biological system into the complex electromechanical system design process. First, use function trimming to build a functional gene for new complex electromechanical systems. Second, combine the Length and Time dimension chart (L-T chart) and Computer Aided Innovation (CAI) to find the recessive parameters that may exist in the design of the new generation system and analyze the possible coupling phenomena between the recessive parameters. Then, using the Invention Problem Solving Theory (TRIZ) tools to solve the coupling relationship between recessive parameters to reduce the possibility of singular phenomena in the new generation system, forming a new generation of complex electromechanical system smart concept design theory framework. Finally, for the design example of the new generation of energy-saving surface platform, the proposed method is used to determine the design scheme, establish a 3D model and verify the feasibility and scientificity of the theory by Ansys analysis.

Warranty Claims Forecasting for New Products Sold with a Two-Dimensional Warranty

Warranty claims forecasting plays an increasingly important role not only for preparing financial plans but also for optimizing warranty policy and improving after-sale services. In the case of new products, an important feature is that the new generation of products often has a close connection with the previous generations of products it replaces. Thus, the warranty claims data of the previous generations of products can be used for extracting reliability information of new products. In this context, we propose a warranty claims forecasting model considering usage rate for new products sold with a two-dimensional warranty. The accelerate failure time model is introduced to investigate the effect of usage rate on product degradation. The non-homogeneous Poisson process is used to model failure counts of repairable products and the constrained maximum likelihood estimation method is used to estimate model parameters. The results of data experiments based on both simulation and real data collected from an automobile manufacturer in China show that the proposed model considering the varying usage rate outperforms the traditional models in forecasting the number of warranty claims.

Biodegradable, spun nanocomposite polymeric fibrous dressings loaded with bioactive biomolecules for an effective wound healing: A review

In recent years, spinning techniques have been highlighted for their capability of producing complex, fibrous and reticulated constructs with great potential for biomedicine. Indeed, biodegradable constructs based on polymeric fibers are desirable in wound healing due to their large surface area, interconnectivity, open pore structure, and controlled mechanical strength. Modern dressings made of spun biopolymers can incorporate active compounds within their matrix, which can be delivered topically, very beneficial to the healing process. In the present work, we explore the spinning techniques used to process polymers in the form of fibers, assess the properties of some of the most common biodegradable polymers used in wound dressing production, and highlight the potentialities of important biomolecules used in the production of new generation of bioactive wound dressings.

A Review of the Latest in Phosphorus Fertilizer Technology: Possibilities and Pragmatism.

The development of highly concentrated phosphorus (P) fertilizers, such as triple superphosphate, by the Tennessee Valley Authority helped mark the beginning of a revolution in the way we manage food crop nutrition. Since then, scientists, with the help of farmers, have made great advancements in the understanding of P fate and transport across many environments but largely have failed to produce a new generation of products and/or application techniques that are widely accepted and that vastly improve plant acquisition efficiency. Under certain conditions, important advancements have been made. For example, applying liquid formulations of phosphates in lieu of dry granules in some highly calcareous soils has dramatically reduced precipitation as sparingly soluble calcium phosphate minerals, but other attempts, such as the co-application of humic substances, sorption to layered double hydroxides, or use of nanoparticles, have not generated the kind of results necessary to continue economically increasing crop yields without further environmental cost. New sources of fertility will need to be affordable to produce, transport, and furnish P to soil solution in a manner well synchronized with crop demand. This paper provides a review of recent literature on cutting-edge phosphorus fertilizer technology. The goal is that this synthesis will be used as a starting point from which a larger discussion on responsible nutrient management and increased P use efficiency research can be built.

Considering constructive-functional optimization as a stage of product design in industrial practice

This paper is part of a product optimization study, conducted at the request and together with an important national and international economic agent in the automotive industry. The presented results are focused on highlighting how the design activity is influenced by technical and technological progress, by the specific knowledge of the design engineer and by the way they integrate into new generations of products on the one hand having constructive and functional features and on the other hand, minimized costs.

Optimal (re)manufacturing strategies in the presence of spontaneous consumer returns

Abstract Remanufacturing is a sustainable development strategy for recovering product value and extending original item lifetimes through collection, inspection, testing, and restoration activities. Remanufacturing activities are typically carried out on products that have been returned by consumers, and the increasingly high flow of products spontaneously returned by customers through marketing initiatives such as Money-Back Guarantee policies, false warranty claims, or end of life returns, is a growing source of products that can be easily remanufactured. In this paper, we develop a novel pricing model for a firm that produces and sells Generation 1 new products in the first period with a promise of Money-Back Guarantee on returned products regardless of reasons. Products returned in the first period can be remanufactured and sold as remanufactured products during the second period, alongside Generation 2 new products. The firm needs to determine the optimal pricing for its two generations of new products and its remanufactured products, based on demand derived from its customers' utility of purchasing either the new or the remanufactured products. We identify the firm's optimal production strategy. Numerical experiments are conducted to illustrate the key managerial insights derived from the model. This paper makes two contributions to the literature: 1) it links customer returns and closed loop supply chain management. Most studies on customer returns do not link remanufacturing with product returns, while most studies on closed loop supply chains assume that the source for remanufactured products is unlimited. 2) It is shown that although remanufacturing returned products may cannibalize new sales, it enhances overall sales, as the firm can differentiate prices for Generation 2 new products and remanufactured products in the second period to attract customers with different valuations on the products.

Geopolitics of reproduction: Investigating technological mediation of maternity tourism on the Russian web

Investigating maternity tourism to the United States from Russia through the lens of technological mediation, this study foregrounds the geopolitical patterns of human reproduction that shape, and are shaped by, individual choices of maternal healthcare in a neoliberal healthcare market. Following the history of a highly popular Russian-language forum, I demonstrate how this online community gets imbricated into communicative biocapitalism – a neoliberal logic that commodifies the voice of an online user, turning networked publics into markets for medical services. Adding to the literature on data colonialism, I explore a case in which data-driven algorithms effectively alter geographical distribution of reproductive bodies, outsourcing the production of new generations of neoliberal subjects through regimes of technological mediation.

Impact of Generational Commonality of Short-Life Cycle Products in Manufacturing and Remanufacturing Processes

AbstractShort-life cycle products are frequently replaced and discarded despite being resource-intensive. The short life span and the low utilization rate of the end-of-life products cause severe environmental problems and waste of resources. In the case of short-life cycle products, a new generation of products is released sooner than other products, therefore there are the opportunities to have various generations of products during the remanufacturing process. The commonality between generations increases the intergenerational component compatibility, which increases the efficiency of the manufacturing and remanufacturing processes, while at the same time weakening the performance difference between generations. This paper proposes a mathematical model to investigate the effect of commonality among generations on the overall production process. Based on various given new generation product designs with different commonality, we aim to propose optimal production planning and pricing strategies to maximize the total profitability and investigate how the results vary according to the commonality strategies between product generations.

Design of a prospective observational study on the effectiveness and real-world usage of recombinant factor VIII Fc (rFVIIIFc) compared with conventional products in haemophilia A: the A-SURE study

IntroductionHaemophilia A is a rare bleeding disorder caused by coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency. This is treated with factor VIII, conventionally using products with a half-life of 8–12 hours typically...

Closing the loop on platinum from catalytic converters: Contributions from material flow analysis and circularity indicators

AbstractIn this study, material flow analysis (MFA) is applied to quantify and reduce the obstacles for advancing a circular economy (CE) of platinum (Pt) from catalytic converters (CC) in Europe. First, the value chain and related stakeholders are mapped out in an MFA‐like model to both facilitate the assessment of stocks and flows, and get a comprehensive view of potential action levers and resources to close‐the‐loop. Then, through the cross analysis of numerous data sources, two MFA are completed: (i) one general MFA, and (ii) one sector‐specific MFA, drawing a distinction between the fate of Pt from (a) light‐duty vehicles, under the European Union's End of Life Vehicle Directive 2000/EC/53, and (b) heavy‐duty and off‐road vehicles. Key findings reveal a leakage of around 15 tons of Pt outside the European market in 2017. Although approximately one quarter of the losses are due to in‐use dissipation, 65% are attributed to insufficient collection and unregulated exports. Comparing the environmental impact between primary and secondary production, it has been estimated that halving the leakage of Pt during usage and collection could prevent the energetic consumption of 1.3 × 103 TJ and the greenhouse gases emission of 2.5 × 102 kt CO2 eq. Through the lens of circularity indicators, activating appropriate action levers to enhance the CE performance of Pt in Europe is of utmost importance in order to secure future production of new generations of CC and fuel cells. Moreover, the growing stockpile of Pt from CC in use indicates the need for better collection mechanisms. Also, the CC attrition during use and associated Pt emissions in the environment appears non‐negligible. Based on the scarce and dated publications in this regard, we encourage further research for a sound understanding of this phenomenon that can negatively impact human health.

Desenvolvimento do conceito de uma plataforma de acesso a piscinas para pessoas com mobilidade reduzida

Este trabalho aborda a metodologia de Desenvolvimento de Produto alinhada aos conceitos de ergonomia com o objetivo de desenvolver a concepção de uma plataforma de acessibilidade a piscinas para pessoas com mobilidade reduzida. A metodologia utilizada neste trabalho caracteriza-se por meio de pesquisa tecnológica, que busca a geração de novos produtos, esta inicia-se com definição da tarefa onde é apresentada uma declaração de escopo do projeto. Nesta etapa são levantadas as informações sobre as necessidades dos usuários através de uma pesquisa de mercado e uma análise de benchmark, posteriormente as informações são clarificadas através da matriz QFD. Na sequência é realizado o projeto conceitual onde a visão do mercado é transformada em um conceito tecnologicamente atrativo, nesta etapa é aplicada a matriz morfológica para levantar os princípios de solução atendendo as funções elementares do equipamento. Por fim é apresentado o projeto preliminar onde é criado o modelo conceitual do produto.

Insecticidal and Nematicidal Contributions of Mexican Flora in the Search for Safer Biopesticides.

Plant metabolites have been used for many years to control pests in animals and to protect crops. Here, we reviewed the available literature, looking for the species of Mexican flora for which extracts and metabolites have shown activity against pest insects and parasitic nematodes of agricultural importance, as well as against nematodes that parasitize domestic cattle. From 1996 to 2018, the search for novel and eco-friendly biopesticides has resulted in the identification of 114 species belonging to 36 botanical families of Mexican plants with reported biological effects on 20 insect species and seven nematode species. Most plant species with detected pesticide properties belong to the families Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Lamiaceae. Eighty-six metabolites have been identified as pesticidal active principles, and most have been terpenoids. Therefore, the continuation and intensification of this area of research is very important to contribute to the generation of new products that will provide alternatives to conventional pesticide agents. In addition, future studies will contribute to the recognition and dissemination of the importance of propagating plant species for their conservation and sustainable use.

Sensing, smart and sustainable technologies for Agri-Food 4.0

Currently, the agri-food sector takes advantage of modern machinery, tools and emerging information and communication technologies (ICTs) that consider the Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities. These implementations have given way to a new era of agri-food production called ‘Agri-Food 4.0’, where automation, connectivity, digitalisation, the use of renewable energies and the efficient use of resources are predominant in this sector. In this article, the ‘sensing, smart and sustainable (S3)’ concept is applied to develop new technologies that can respond to current challenges of agri-food industries. Therefore, this work focuses on describing how S3 technologies for the agri-food sector can be developed using a systematic process for new product development (NPD). The main objective of this work is to fill the gap vis-à-vis the current lack of design roadmaps that permit the development of this new generation of products in the context of agri-food 4.0. Finally, this work presents case studies of S3 technologies applied to the agri-food sector: an intelligent greenhouse, a sun tracker trajectory, an hexapod robot for field monitoring and an agricultural drone.

Dynamic pricing and time-to-market strategy in a service supply chain with online direct channels

Abstract Manufacturers’ operation strategies become considerably complicated due to more frequent product updating in the Internet economics. This paper deals with the multi-stage problem of pricing and time-to-market for multi-generation products sold through an online direct channel in a service supply chain with a manufacturer and a logistics service provider. The manufacturer introduces a new generation of products before the present one exits market. The old generation of product may or may not exit the market before the end of the sales period. The service provider is in charge of the logistics service from the manufacturer to the consumers. The manufacturer’s optimal pricing and introduction time strategies and the logistics service provider’s optimal service pricing strategy can be derived. When the substitution rate of a new product to an old one is closer to a threshold, the greater the competition between them, and therefore the lower their optimal prices and the sooner the old product exits market. Moreover, the optimal time-to-market for the new product is decreasing with the potential market share of two generations of products in the second stage. In addition, higher quality which leads to higher costs makes the product enter the market later. Finally, we use numerical examples to illustrate the strategies.

Marketing research and life cycle pricing strategies for new and remanufactured products

Unlike consumer durable goods, high technology products have shorter life cycles. Many companies launch new items at a fast rate of innovation. As a result, the latest products often compete in the same market with earlier-generation products. In addition to brand-new products, used products returned by early-adopting customers still have significant value. Returned products can be restored using the remanufacturing process and offered to other customers. Therefore, multiple generations of new products and remanufactured products can be available side-by-side in the marketplace. New products are affected by technology obsolescence, while the remanufactured products are affected by quality and technology obsolescence. The prices of each product should be adjusted according to the product value and the customer perceived value over time. This research paper discusses pricing considerations for new and remanufactured products across multiple generations. The iPhone is used as an example because it is a high-tech electronic product with a short life cycle. In this study, pricing data of the new and remanufactured products of different generations is extracted from eBay. Factors that influence pricing and interaction among these factors are identified. In addition, price trend functions with the average quality and the technology depreciation rates are proposed.

Noninvasive Inspection of Anisotropic Crystals: Innovative Photoelasticity-Based Methods

The mass production of new generations of high quality and very performant scintillating crystals requires sophisticated measurement systems and inspection tools in order to have reliable and precise data from such anisotropic materials. These measurement systems must be compatible with the industrial requirements and must be able to provide effective feedbacks aimed to the control of the crystals’ production quality. In this paper, a set of photoelasticity-based methods, solving the main limits of the presently available inspection systems, is presented. The main characteristics of such methods are the noninvasiveness, precision, and speed, which are well suited for their use in the industrial environment. This paper describes a set of measurement techniques and reports on real experimental data obtained on crystals having different cutting geometries with respect to the optic axes. The use of the proposed measurement methods, from laser conoscopy to laser sphenoscopy, along the optic axis and orthogonal to it, therefore provides a portfolio of noninvasive measurement techniques, and therefore, it is opening valuable space for the quality control of crystals in a production environment, optimizing important aspects such as the time duration of the inspection and its spatial resolution.

Exoskeletons – a review of industrial applications

Purpose This paper aims to provide details of the emerging families of robotic exoskeletons that are aimed at industrial applications. Design/methodology/approach Following an introduction, this paper considers the reasons for, and benefits of, using robotic exoskeletons in industrial applications. The paper then discusses a range of products and developments and their applications. Finally, brief concluding comments are drawn. Findings Following earlier military and medical developments, recent years have seen a huge upsurge in interest in industrial robotic exoskeletons. A new generation of products are under development in the USA, the Europe and the Far East by a growing number of companies, and some have entered production. The aim of developing industrial robotic exoskeletons is to assist workers in physically demanding tasks and, thus, reduce the incidence of industrial injuries and associated financial consequences. Several applications have been reported, most notably in the Far East, across a diverse range of industries. Originality/value New families of robotic exoskeletons are being developed, and these are poised to exert a major impact on many industries and constitute a significant market opportunity. This paper provides a timely insight into these developments.

Genetic Construction of Bacillus subtilis Recombinant Strain, Producing Anthrax Protective Antigen

Anthrax is a serious infectious disease with high mortality. The epidemiological security depends on the vaccination of susceptible animals and population at risk. But many of the existing anthrax vaccine strains possess low levels of protective antigen production and high reactogenicity. One of the most promising trends in production of new generation of vaccines is the cloning of particular determinants of immunogenicity of anthrax microbe for the creation of highly effective producers of Bacillus anthracis protective antigen. The aim of the article is to present the results of the study on the construction of recombinant Bacillus subtilis strain, producing B.anthracis protective antigen, promising for use in chemical anthrax vaccines technology. The pHT43PA plasmid containing the gene pag, providing the synthesis of protective antigen of the anthrax microbe and functioning stably in the cells of the recombinant strain Amy21(pHT43РА) of B. subtilis, was constructed on the basis of the shuttle vector pHT43. It is found out during the research, that the microbial cells of the recombinant strain Amy21(pHT43РА) of B. subtilis provide the production of immunologically active protective antigen in quantities, not inferior than anthrax vaccine strains. These data, as well as safety and simplicity of В. subtilis make it possible to continue the research of this recombinant strain as a producer of anthrax protective antigen, promising for use in vaccines production

Competitive Product Introductions in Technologically Dynamic Environments

New product development in several industries is driven by innovations in underlying technologies. Firms developing new generation products often face the following choice: they can either introduce a product based on a proven and immediately available technology, or delay product introduction to incorporate a superior, yet unproven, technology. In this paper, we study how competing firms introduce new products in such technologically fluid environments. We show that this technology selection decision for new-generation products depends on the evolution of technology trajectories, the additional risk involved in developing advanced versions and the competitive intensity in the end-product market. By staggering their new product introductions over time, firms are able to utilize introduction timing as an additional dimension to distance themselves from their rival. The optimal investment by a firm in product development, and its sensitivity with respect to competition, are also characterized. We also extend our analysis to consider the impact of market factors such as network effects and growth potential on the profitability of different introduction strategies.