Production Run Research Articles

New insights in the mechanisms of the reaction 3.65 Å phase = clinoenstatite + water down to nanoscales

Abstract. The reaction of 3.65 Å phase <=> clinoenstatite + water was investigated in five experiments at 10 GPa, 470–600 ∘C, using a rotating multi-anvil press. Under these P/T conditions, clinoenstatite exists in its high-pressure modification, which, however, is not quenchable to ambient conditions but transforms back to low-pressure clinoenstatite. The quenched run products were characterized by electron microprobe analyses (EMPA), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) on focused ion beam (FIB)-cut foils. We bracketed the reaction in the T range 470 to 510 ∘C (at 10 GPa). The hydration of clinoenstatite to the 3.65 Å phase at 470 ∘C was very sluggish and incomplete even after 96 h. Clinoenstatites range in size from less than 1 to up to 50 µm. Usually clinoenstatite has a very small grain size and shows many cracks. In sub-micron-sized broken clinoenstatite, an amorphous phase (0.91Mg:1.04Si, with about 20 wt % H2O) was observed, which further transformed with increasing reaction time into the 3.65 Å phase (1Mg:1Si, with 34 wt % H2O). Thus, the sub-micron-sized fractured clinoenstatite transformed via an amorphous water-bearing precursor phase to the 3.65 Å phase. The dehydration to clinoenstatite was faster but still incomplete after 72 h at 600 ∘C. From the backscattered electron images of the recovered sample of the dehydration experiment, it is obvious that there is a high porosity due to dehydration of the 3.65 Å phase. Again, the grain size of clinoenstatite ranges from less than 1 up to 50 µm. There are still some clinoenstatite crystals from the starting material present, which can clearly be distinguished from newly formed sub-micron-sized clinoenstatite. Additionally, we observe a water-rich crystalline phase, which does not represent the 3.65 Å phase. Its Raman spectra show the double peaks around 700 and 1000 cm−1 characteristic for enstatite and strong water bands at 3700 and 3680 cm−1. The Mg:Si ratio of 0.90:1.04 was determined by EMPA, totalling to 81 wt %, in accordance with its high water content. Diffraction patterns from high-resolution images (fast Fourier transform – FFT) are in agreement with an orthoenstatite crystal structure (Pbca). The surprising observation of this study is that, in both directions of the investigated simple reaction, additional metastable phases occur which are amorphous in the hydration and crystalline in the dehydration reaction. Both additional phases are water rich and slightly deviate in composition from the stable products 3.65 Å phase and clinoenstatite, respectively. Thus, as a general remark, conventional investigations on reaction progress should be complemented by nanoscale investigations of the experimental products because these might reveal unpredicted findings relevant for the understanding of mantle processes. The extreme reduction in grain size observed in the dehydration experiments due to the formation of nanocrystalline clinoenstatite rather than the slowly released fluids might cause mechanical instabilities in the Earth's mantle and, finally, induce earthquakes.

PERANAN SISTEM INFORMASI AKUNTANSI PERSEDIAAN BAHAN BAKU DALAM MENUNJANG KELANCARAN PRODUKSI PADA PT. DASKO DAVITEK PERSADA

Inventory of raw materials plays an important role for the company, because it isan element of company assets that have material value in a relatively large amountand value, as well as assets that are sensitive to time, decline in market prices,damage and excess costs caused by errors in handling. The formulation of theproblem in this study is whether the application of the accounting informationsystem for raw material inventory at pt. Dasko davitek persada has beenimplemented effectively and efficiently and how is the role of the accountinginformation system for inventory of appropriate raw materials so that it can supportthe smooth running of production at pt. Dasko davitek persada. Pt. Dasko davitekpersada has been implemented effectively and efficiently, as well as to determinethe role of the appropriate raw material inventory accounting information systemin supporting the smooth production process at pt. Dasko davitek persada.Keywords : Accounting Information System, Raw Material Inventory, Smoo

Input Quantity Decision and Coordination Mechanism with Two Production Chances and Yield Uncertainty

Conducting a second production run can improve the company’s capability of meeting the market demand. Few works examine optimal input quantity decisions under the mode with two production chances considering demand and yield uncertainty. We propose a vendor-managed inventory (VMI) supply chain with one supplier and one retailer. The supplier has two production chances and faces yield uncertainty in each production run. It is necessary for the supplier to make trade-offs between the cost and benefit of the second production run, then decide whether to conduct the second production run. We investigate the supplier’s optimal input quantity decision in each production run and obtain the supply chain members’ expected profits. As a comparison, the mode with one production chance is also developed. We find that two production chances can help improve the performance of the supply chain under yield uncertainty. A revenue-sharing contract is introduced to coordinate the supply chain with two production chances, and efficient profit allocation is achieved through adjusting the revenue-sharing ratio and the wholesale price. An extension is conducted for a sensitivity analysis of unit punishment cost on the supplier’s input quantity decisions.

Comparison of short runs control chart and T2 Hotelling control chart for monitoring sunergy glass production process

In recent years, the manufacturing industry has tended to reduce mass production and produce in small quantities, which is called “Short Run Production”. In such a situation, the course of the production process is short, usually, the number of productions is less than 50. Therefore, a control chart for the short run production process is required. This paper discusses the comparison between multivariate control chart for short run production (V control chart) and T2 Hotelling control chart applied to sunergy glass data. Furthermore, a simulation of Average Run Length (ARL) was carried out to determine the performance of the two control charts. The results obtained are that the production process has not been statistically controlled using either the V control chart or the T2 Hotelling control chart. The number of out-of-control on the control chart V using the the EWMA test is more than the T2 Hotelling control chart. Based on the ARL value, it shows that the V control chart is more sensitive than the T2 Hotelling control chart.

Effect of midday pasteurizer washing on thermoduric organisms and their progression through Cheddar cheese manufacturing and ripening

Thermoduric bacteria are known to affect the quality of Cheddar cheese, with manifested defects including slits, weak body, and blowing. Thermoduric bacteria are likely to increase in numbers during cheese-making, as in-process conditions are conducive to proliferation. The present study was conducted to track thermoduric bacterial progression during an 18- to 20-h Cheddar cheese production run and during ripening when the pasteurizer was washed at midway through the production day. This study also correlated a broad range of chemical changes to the growth of thermoduric bacteria during ripening. Three independent cheese trials were performed at 3.5- ± 0.5-mo intervals. Samples were drawn in duplicates at 4 different times of the day: at the start of the run (vat 1), prior to a midday wash of the pasteurizer (vat 20), after the midday wash of the pasteurizer (vat 21), and at the end of the run (vat 42) for raw milk, pasteurized milk, and cheese. Cheeses were also tested during ripening for 6 mo. Results showed that raw milk total bacterial counts comprised 0.24% thermoduric mesophiles (TM) and 0.12% thermoduric thermophiles (TT). The thermoduric thermophilic bacterial counts increased by log10 1.23 during the pasteurizer run of 9 to 10 h, indicating a buildup of thermoduric thermophilic bacteria during the pasteurization process itself. Midday washing reduced thermophilic counts by log10 1.36, as evident by pre- and post-midday wash counts. However, a thermophilic buildup during post-midday wash was again noticed near the end of the 20-h run. We found that TT bacteria decreased in the first 60 d of ripening, whereas TM bacteria increased during the same period. However, TT bacteria increased later during 60 to 180 d of ripening. Bacillus licheniformis was the most frequently isolated bacteria in this study and was recovered at all production stages sampled during the cheese-making and ripening. We observed a significant increase in the level of orotic and uric acids in the vat made at the end of the day. No significant difference in the overall chemical composition, proteolysis, sugar, or other organic acids was observed in cheese made at the start versus the end of the production run.

FullControl GCode Designer: Open-source software for unconstrained design in additive manufacturing

A new concept is presented for the design of additive manufacturing procedures, which is implemented in open-source software called FullControl GCode Designer. In this new design approach, the user defines every segment of the print-path along with all printing parameters, which may be related to geometric and non-geometric factors, at all points along the print-path. Machine control code (GCode) is directly generated by the software, without the need for any programming skills and without using computer-aided design (CAD), STL-files or slicing software. Excel is used as the front end for the software, which is written in Visual Basic. Case studies are used to demonstrate the broad range of structures that can be designed using the software, including: precisely controlled specimens for printer calibration, parametric specimens for hardware characterisation utilising hundreds of unique parameter combinations, novel mathematically defined lattice structures, and previously inconceivable 3D geometries that are impossible for traditional slicing software to achieve. The FullControl design approach enables unconstrained freedom to create nonplanar 3D print-paths and break free from traditional restrictions of layerwise print-path planning. It also allows nozzle movements to be carefully designed - both during extrusion and while travelling between disconnected extrusion volumes - to overcome inherent limitations of the printing process or to improve capabilities for challenging materials. An industrial case study shows how explicit print-path design improved printer reliability, production time, and print quality for a production run of over 1000 parts. FullControl GCode Designer offers a general framework for unconstrained design and is not limited to a particular type of structure or hardware; transferability to lasers and other manufacturing processes is discussed. Parametric design files use a few bytes or kilobytes of data to describe all details that are sent to the printer, which greatly improves shareability by eliminating any risk of errors being introduced during STL file conversion or due to different users having inconsistent slicer settings. Adjustable parameters allow GCode for revised designs to be produced instantly, instead of the laborious traditional routine using multiple software packages and file conversions. The FullControl design concept offers new opportunities for creative and high-precision use of additive manufacturing systems. It facilitates design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) at the smallest possible scale based on the fundamental nature of the process (i.e. assembly of individual extrusions). The software and source code are provided as supplementary data and ongoing updates to improve functionality and the user interface will be available at www.fullcontrolgcode.com .

Occurrence of Clostridium perfringens vegetative cells and spores throughout an industrial production process of black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens)

The main use of black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) is currently as an animal feed ingredient. While the bacterial community of the larvae has been characterised repeatedly via sequencing, microbiological safety assessment based on culture-dependent techniques is still scarce. This study focused on the occurrence of the spore-forming foodborne pathogen Clostridium perfringens during rearing and consecutive processing of the larvae, based on observations in a single rearing facility. C. perfringens vegetative cells and spores were determined, in addition to total viable counts, total aerobic spore counts and intrinsic parameters including pH, water activity and moisture content. All samples were obtained from an industrial production plant. In a preliminary experiment, substrate ingredients and dried larvae were analysed, but the larvae were produced with a previous batch of the substrate mixture. A second, more detailed, experiment was performed where all samples were collected sequentially from the same production run (substrate ingredients, substrate mixture, starting larvae, harvested larvae, residue, dried larvae and stored dried larvae). In the two experiments, (presumptive) C. perfringens, as determined on tryptose sulphite cycloserine agar, was found at low numbers in the ingredients and in the second experiment it was also found in the substrate mixture. Over the two experiments, total C. perfringens counts (i.e. vegetative cells plus spores) ranged between 3.0±0.1 and <1.2±0.5 log cfu/g and C. perfringens spores ranged between 2.5±0.1 and <1.0±0.0 log cfu/g. Interestingly, vegetative cells and spores of C. perfringens were below the detection limit in all larvae samples. Therefore, it appears that at this production site and based on the samples investigated, the pathogen did not colonise the larvae. However, these results indicate that insect producers should monitor this pathogen among others, and install good hygiene practices to avoid contamination.

FourPhonon: An extension module to ShengBTE for computing four-phonon scattering rates and thermal conductivity

FourPhonon is a computational package that can calculate four-phonon scattering rates in crystals. It is built within ShengBTE framework, which is a well-recognized lattice thermal conductivity solver based on Boltzmann transport equation. An adaptive energy broadening scheme is implemented for the calculation of four-phonon scattering rates. In analogy with thirdorder.py in ShengBTE, we also provide a separate python script, Fourthorder.py, to calculate fourth-order interatomic force constants. The extension module preserves all the nice features of the well-recognized lattice thermal conductivity solver ShengBTE, including good parallelism and straightforward workflow. In this paper, we discuss the general theory, program design, and example calculations on Si, BAs and LiCoO2. Program summaryProgram Title:FourPhononCPC Library link to program files:https://doi.org/10.17632/jjcwt5436h.1Developer's repository link:https://github.com/FourPhononLicensing provisions: GNU General Public License version 3Programming language: Fortran 90, MPINature of problem: Calculation of lattice thermal conductivity and related quantities, determination of both three-phonon and four-phonon scattering ratesSolution method: Four-phonon scattering rates at RTA level, adaptive broadening schemeAdditional comments including restrictions and unusual features: For a productive run, one needs to use High Performance Computing facilities and it takes several hours to several days to finish calculations

PENINGKATAN KOMPETESI MELALUI SELF-CONCEPT PARA PENGRAJIN TAHU TEMPE PRIMKOPTI SWAKERTA, SEMANAN JAKARTA BARAT

<em>The decline in the turnover of tofu and tempe craftsmen in the Semanan area, Kali Deres sub-district, West Jakarta, has caused the tofu and tempeh craftsmen to have to think of strategies to keep their production running and increase sales. In addition, craftsmen are forced to reduce the amount of production compared to usual to prevent oversupply due to a decrease in demand. In addition, the price of the tofu and tempe was also increased from usual to cover the losses received. Among the various factors that can cause it, one important factor is increasing the competence of craftsmen through self-concept. This aspect concerns the positive values and attitudes of tofu and tempeh craftsmen related to the business. The community service carried out aims to increase competence through self-concept in the tofu and tempeh craftsman group in this region. The community service method is carried out using online counseling by providing material and question and answer (Q&A) discussions. The service was carried out smoothly. The measurement of the effectiveness of this abdimas uses a simple descriptive-quantitative by explaining the increase in insight into the competence of the craftsmen in terms of self-concept. In addition, the results of the service carried out were able to provide increased insight into tofu and tempe craftsmen in this region regarding self-concept-based competencies. The most significant improvement was found on a fairly good achievement scale (from 0% to 48%) where 5-6 items were answered correctly by the participants. The importance of the ability to manage creative marketing and sales strategies by utilizing online (digital) media is a recommendation for the next abdimas topic.</em>

Optimizing the Tolerance for the Products with Multi-Dimensional Chains via Simulated Annealing

The assembly is the last process of controlling the product quality during manufacturing. The installation guidance should provide the appropriate assembly information, e.g., to specify the components in each product. The installation guidance with low quality results in rework or the resource waste from the failure products. This article extends the dimensional chain assembly problem proposed by Tsung et al. to consider the multiple dimensional chains in the product. Since there are multiple dimensional chains in a product, the installation guidance should consider inseparability and acceptability as computing the installation guidance. The inseparability means that the qualities of all dimensional chains in the part should be evaluated together without separation, while the acceptability stands for that the size of each product should be satisfied with the specification. The simulated annealing (SA) algorithm is applied to design the assembly guidance optimizer named as AGOMDC to compute the assembly guidance in the dimensional chain assembly problem with multiple dimensional chains. Since SA has high performance in searching neighbor solutions, the proposed approach could converge rapidly. Thus, proposed AGOMDC could be applied in real-world application for the implementation consideration. The simulations consist of two parts: the feasibility evaluation and the algorithm configuration discussion. The first part is to verify the inseparability and acceptability that are the hard constraints of the assembly problem for the proposed AGOMDC, and the second one is to analyze the algorithm configurations to calculate the assembly guidance with 80% quality. The simulation results show that the inseparability and acceptability are achieved, while the proposed AGOMDC only requires more than two seconds to derive the results. Moreover, the recommended algorithm configurations are derived for evaluate the required running time and product quality. The configurations with product quality 80% are that the temperature descent rate is 0.9, the initial temperature is larger than 1000, and the iteration recommended function is derived based on the problem scale. The proposed AGOMDC not only helps the company to save the time of rework and prevent the resource waste of the failure products, but is also valuable for the automatic assembly in scheduling the assembly processes.

Accurate Binding Configuration Prediction of a G-Protein-Coupled Receptor to Its Antagonist Using Multicanonical Molecular Dynamics-Based Dynamic Docking.

We have performed dynamic docking between a prototypic G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) system, the β2-adrenergic receptor, and its antagonist, alprenolol, using one of the enhanced conformation sampling methods, multicanonical molecular dynamics (McMD), which does not rely on any prior knowledge for the definition of the reaction coordinate. Although we have previously applied our McMD-based dynamic docking protocol to various globular protein systems, its application to GPCR systems would be difficult because of their complicated design, which include a lipid bilayer, and because of the difficulty in sampling the configurational space of a binding site that exists deep inside the GPCR. Our simulations sampled a wide array of ligand-bound and ligand-unbound structures, and we measured 427 binding events during our 48 μs production run. Analysis of the ensemble revealed several stable and meta-stable structures, where the most stable structure at the global free energy minimum matches the experimental one. Additional canonical MD simulations were used for refinement and validation of the structures, revealing that most of the intermediates are sufficiently stable to trap the ligand in these intermediary states and furthermore validated our prediction results. Given the difficulty in reaching the orthosteric binding site, chemical optimization of the compound for the second ranking configuration, which binds near the pocket's entrance, might lead to a high-affinity allosteric inhibitor. Accordingly, we show that the application of our methodology can be used to provide crucial insights for the rational design of drugs that target GPCRs.

Determination of phase relations of the olivine\u2013ahrensite transition in the Mg2SiO4\u2013Fe2SiO4 system at 1740\xa0K using modern multi-anvil techniques

The phase relations of iron-rich olivine and its high-pressure polymorphs are important for planetary science and meteoritics because these minerals are the main constituents of terrestrial mantles and meteorites. The olivine–ahrensite binary loop was previously determined by thermochemical calculations in combination with high-pressure experiments; however, the transition pressures contained significant uncertainties. Here we determined the binary loop of the olivine–ahrensite transition in the (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 system at 1740 K in the pressure range of 7.5–11.2 GPa using a multi-anvil apparatus with the pressure determined using in situ X-ray diffraction, compositional analysis of quenched run products, and thermochemical calculation. Based on the determined binary loop, a user-friendly software was developed to calculate pressure from the coexisting olivine and ahrensite compositions. The software is used to estimate the shock conditions of several L6-type chondrites. The obtained olivine–ahrensite phase relations can also be applied for precise in-house multi-anvil pressure calibration at high temperatures.

The Human Performance Impact on OEE in the Adoption of New Production Technologies

The initial adoption phase of new production technologies is the period between the first production run or technology reconfiguration and the achievement of a stable target output. This time frame is generally characterized by productivity unsteadiness, quality performance variability, and unexpected machine failures together with increasing production volumes due to the process setup and instability, which inevitably affects production output. In this context, human performance represents an additional source of variability and process instability that is dependent on the workers’ productivity, learning curve and related training activities. Hence, to effectively assess the ramp-up phase of new production technologies, an appropriate evaluation of human performance is required. This paper proposes a comprehensive framework and criteria to perform a consistent assessment of the initial adoption phase of new production technologies by introducing two OEE measurement methodologies that distinguish between human performance, process configuration and technical features of the production technology. The proposed framework is then applied to and validated by a case study concerning the introduction of a semi-automatic packaging machine in a primary multinational company in the logistics industry. This case study shows the difference between the two OEE measures, along with the values interpretation and useful insights for achieving a stable production output.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of Near-Real-Time and Research Products of IMERG Precipitation over India for the Southwest Monsoon Period

Precipitation is one of the integral components of the global hydrological cycle. Accurate estimation of precipitation is vital for numerous applications ranging from hydrology to climatology. Following the launch of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory, the Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) precipitation product was released. The IMERG provides global precipitation estimates at finer spatiotemporal resolution (e.g., 0.1°/half-hourly) and has shown to be better than other contemporary multi-satellite precipitation products over most parts of the globe. In this study, near-real-time and research products of IMERG have been extensively evaluated against a daily rain-gauge-based precipitation dataset over India for the southwest monsoon period. In addition, the current version 6 of the IMERG research product or Final Run (IMERG-F V6) has been compared with its predecessor, version 5, and error characteristics of IMERG-F V6 for pre-GPM and GPM periods have been assessed. The spatial distributions of different error metrics over the country show that both near-real-time IMERG products (e.g., Early and Late Runs) have similar error characteristics in precipitation estimation. However, near-real-time products have larger errors than IMERG-F V6, as expected. Bias in all-India daily mean rainfall in the near-real-time IMERG products is about 3–4 times larger than research product. Both V5 and V6 IMERG-F estimates show similar error characteristics in daily precipitation estimation over the country. Similarly, both near-real-time and research products show similar characteristics in the detection of rainy days. However, IMERG-F V6 exhibits better performance in precipitation estimation and detection of rainy days during the GPM period (2014–2017) than the pre-GPM period (2010–2013). The contribution of different rainfall intensity intervals to total monsoon rainfall is captured well by the IMERG estimates. Furthermore, results reveal that IMERG estimates under-detect and overestimate light rainfall intensity of 2.5–7.5 mm day−1, which needs to be improved in the next release. The results of this study would be beneficial for end-users to integrate this multi-satellite product in any specific application.

Life cycle assessment of contemporary Canadian egg production systems during the transition from conventional cage to alternative housing systems: Update and analysis of trends and conditions

The supply-managed Canadian egg industry produces over 789 million dozen eggs per year, the majority of which are produced in conventional cages (∼60%). Recently, the industry committed to a complete transition to alternative (i.e. enriched cage, single- and multi-tier free run, free range, and organic) production systems by 2036. This transition may have significant sustainability implications. Here, we present updated (i.e. based on 2019 data) LCA models and results representing the cradle to farm gate environmental impacts of Canadian egg production systems based on a much expanded data set compared to previous models.Generally, input and emission levels decreased across all housing systems, with few exceptions, compared to previously reported levels. Acidifying and GHG emissions decreased across most housing systems due to increases in feed- and pullet-use efficiency, while eutrophying emissions increased across all housing systems modeled due to differences in manure management systems. Feed inputs represented the greatest contributor to most impact categories (∼18% - 84%), followed by pullet production and manure management (∼ 10% - 37% and ∼0.01% - 62%, respectively). Organic production systems had the lowest impacts in nine of the ten categories assessed, while free range systems generally performed the worst. Conventional cages generally had lower impacts than all non-organic systems. However, it can be expected that as farmers gain experience with alternative systems resource-use efficiency levels will increase and environmental impacts will decrease. Continued monitoring of environmental performance of Canadian egg production systems is therefore imperative to ensure net-positive outcomes during this housing system transition.

A reversed redox gradient in Earth's mantle transition zone

The Earth's mantle hosts a variety of reduced and oxidized phases, including iron-bearing alloys, diamond, and sulfide and carbonate melts. In the upper mantle, increasing pressure favors the stabilization of reduced iron-bearing phases via disproportionation of ferrous iron into ferric and metallic iron. Pressure-driven disproportionation is thought to continue into the transition zone, based on the extrapolation of experiments conducted at lower pressures. To test this hypothesis, we performed high-temperature and high-pressure experiments on basaltic and peridotitic compositions at pressures of 10 to 20 GPa, buffered at different oxygen fugacities. Under these conditions, majoritic garnet is the dominant ferric-iron bearing phase. We analyze our experimental run products for their ferric iron concentrations with EELS and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Contrary to expectations, results show that at iron saturation, ferric iron content of majorite peaks in the upper transition zone and then decreases between 500 and 650 km depth, destabilizing and resorbing reduced phases. This peak can be explained by decreases in the effective volume of ferrous minerals in transition zone assemblages. We also show that natural diamond-hosted majorite inclusions that equilibrated in the sublithospheric mantle grew from variably reduced fluids. These results are consistent with the idea that these diamonds formed during progressive reduction of an originally carbonatitic melt.

Analysis of a discrete production workstation

This paper introduces discrete production systems where units are produced one at a time. These systems exist in industry but to the best of our knowledge, they have not been addressed in the open literature. Manufacturing of large iron castings and special precast panels are examples of such production systems. We consider the case where the production process is imperfect resulting in non-conforming units that would be reworked. We assume that the rework process is imperfect and repeated as many times as needed until a conforming unit is produced or the production run ends. The outcomes of this process can be presented by a tree where each branch represents a sequence of production and rework attempts. We call each branch a scenario. The possible number of branches/scenarios is enormously huge, even for reasonable production periods. We employ novel ideas to characterize all branches/scenarios in order to develop the probability mass function for the number of conforming units produced in a given length of the production period. We also, find the expected number of production attempts and rework attempts and the net cost of producing a conforming unit.

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Welcome to online-only production of Parasitology and future-proofing of the journal's academic standards.

After an unbroken production run, first starting in March 1908, the hardcopy of the Cambridge University Press (CUP) journal Parasitology will cease in December 2021. From January 2022 onwards, all published articles will be online only, though we will continue the regular production cycle of 14 issues per year, a nod to the proud printed press tradition. Each issue typically groups together 10-15 papers, with two earmarked as Special Issues. The latter are commissioned by John Ellis, Deputy Editor-in-Chief & Special Issue Editor. For their easier perusal, the 28 Special Issues from the last decade now feature more prominently on our CUP website (see https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/parasitology), allocated their own navigation tab, alongside a tabbed virtual collection of other articles selected post-production. These are drawn together upon certain #World_Day_Themes to promote their broader academic appeal and impact.

Concept and Case Study for a Generic Simulation as a Digital Shadow to Be Used for Production Optimisation

Optimising an existing production plant is a challenging task for companies. Necessary physical test runs disturb running production processes. Simulation models are one opportunity to limit these physical test runs. This is particularly important since today’s fast and intelligent networking opportunities in production systems are in line with the call of Industry 4.0 for substantial and frequent changes. Creating simulation models for those systems requires high effort and in-depth knowledge of production processes. In the current literature, digital twins promise several advantages for production optimisation and can be used to simulate production systems, which reduce necessary physical test runs and related costs. While most companies are not able to create digital twins yet, companies using enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have the general capability to create digital shadows. This paper presents a concept and a case study for a generic simulation of production systems in AnyLogic™ to create digital shadows as the first step towards a full digital twin. The generic simulation visualises production systems automatically and displays key performance indicators (KPIs) for the planned production program, using representational state transfer (REST) interfaces to extract product and production data from an ERP system. The case study has been applied in a learning factory of the University of Applied Life Sciences Emden/Leer. The results prove the presented concept of the generic simulation and show the limits and challenges of working with generic simulation models.