Quality Control Technology Research Articles

Use of the smart technology for water quality control: feedback from large-scale experimentation

The main purpose of drinking water network is to ensure safe quality of water to users. However, accidental contamination and malicious attacks in water networks can degrade the water quality. Such critical events threat the human health and lead to harmful diseases. Water utilities are concerned by the control of water quality. Since conventional methods based on laboratory analyses require several days, online control technology presents good opportunity to rapid detection of any water contamination. Devices based on smart technology have been developed for real-time control of the water quality. However, the use of these devices is recent and yet requires investigations. This paper presents feedback of the use of the smart technology in a large-scale experimentation conducted at the campus of Lille University within the European project “SmartWater4Europe”. Two devices are used: S::CAN, which measures various parameters such as Conductivity and Turbidity and EventLab, which measures the variation of the refractive index. This paper presents the implementation of these devices, data storage and management as well as analysis of recorded data.

Trifunctional C@MnO Catalyst for Enhanced Stable Simultaneously Catalytic Removal of Formaldehyde and Ozone

The key challenge for controlling low concentration volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is to develop technology capable of operating under mild conditions in a cost-effective manner. Meanwhile, ozone (O3) is another dangerous air pollutant and byproducts of many emerging air quality control technologies, such as plasma and electrostatic precipitators. To address these multiple challenges, we report here a design strategy capable of achieving the following trifunctions (i.e., efficiently VOCs adsorption enrichment, ozone destruction, and stable VOCs degradation) from the synergistic effect of adsorption center encapsulation and catalytic active sites optimization using 2D manganese(II) monoxide nanosheets decorated carbon spheres with hierarchical core–shell structure. Carbonous residues in the as-synthesized MnOx matrices played a key role for in situ generating homogeneous dispersed unsaturated MnO during the annealing of the as-synthesized C@MnOx in the flow of argon under a proper calcination temperatur...

Analysis of Quality Control and Safety Management in Electrical Engineering

In the development process of the society nowadays, electrical engineering has been widely used with remarkable results, but there are still some problems in the course of actual management, which requires effective technical measures to control the quality in electrical engineering and the enhancement of safety management work. Therefore, in order to better ensure safety management requirements in electrical engineering and strengthen related trainings and thus better carried out safety management and quality control to meet respective requirements in the real world, in this paper, a brief analysis is conducted in quality control and safety management in electrical engineering.

Current status and perspectives of fungal entomopathogens used for microbial control of arthropod pests in Brazil.

Entomopathogenic fungi play a central role in Brazil's biopesticide market. Approximately 50% of registered microbial biopesticides comprise mycoinsecticides and/or mycoacaricides consisting of hypocrealean fungi, with most based on Metarhizium anisopliae sensu stricto (s. str.) and Beauveria bassiana s. str. These fungi are mainly used to control spittlebugs in sugarcane fields and whiteflies in row crops, respectively, with annual applications surpassing three million hectares. Research also emphasizes the potential of fungal entomopathogens to manage arthropod vectors of human diseases. Most registered fungal formulations comprise wettable powders or technical (non-formulated) products, with relatively few new developments in formulation technology. Despite the large area treated with mycoinsecticides (i.e., approx. 2 million ha of sugarcane treated with M. anisopliae and 1.5 million ha of soybean treated with B. bassiana), their market share remains small compared with the chemical insecticide market. Nevertheless, several major agricultural companies are investing in fungus-based products with the aim at achieving more sustainable IPM programs for major pests in both organic and conventional crops. Government and private research groups are pursuing innovative technologies for mass production, formulation, product stability and quality control, which will support cost-effective commercial mycoinsecticides. Here, we summarize the status of mycoinsecticides currently available in Brazil and discuss future prospects.

A Novel Approach to Improve Quality Control by Comparing the Tagged Sequences of Product Traceability

Quality control is an essential issue for manufacture, especially when the manufacture is towards intelligent manufacturing that is associated with “Internet of thing”(IOT) and “Artificial Intelligence”(AI) to speed up the rate of product line automatically nowadays. To monitor product quality automatically, it is necessary to collect and monitor the data generated by sensors, or to record parameters by machine operators, or to save the types (brands) of materials used when producing products. In this study, it is assumed that the sequences of the traceability of unqualified products are different from that of qualified ones, and these different values (or points) within the sequences result in these products qualified or unqualified. This approach extracts maximal repeats from the tagged sequences of product traceability, and meanwhile computes the class frequency distribution of these repeats, where the classes, e.g. “qualified” or “unqualified”, are derived from the tags. Instead of inspecting all of the sequences of product traceability aimlessly, quality control engineers can filter out those maximal repeats whose frequency distributions are unique to specific classes and then just check the corresponding processes of these repeats. However, from the practical point of view, it should be estimated as a big-data problem to extract these maximal repeats and meanwhile compute their corresponding class frequency distribution from a huge amount of tagged sequential data. To have this work practical, this study uses one previous work that is based on Hadoop MapReduce programming model. and has been applied for an U.S.A patent (US Patent App. 15/208,994). Therefore, it is expected to be able to handle a huge amount of sequences of product traceability. With this approach that can narrow down the range for identifying false points (processes) within product line, it is expected to improve quality control by comparing tagged sequences of product traceability in the future.

HCViewer: software and technology for quality control and processing raw mass data of preventive screening

AbstractA prototype automated system for the analysis and processing raw data of mass population screening in the Russian health centers (HCs), software program HCViewer, is developed. In it, essential elements of big data, including data filtering (i.e., detection and removal of outliers and fraud cases), statistics and spatial visualization are implemented. Testing HCViewer on the datasets of knowingly reliable, unreliable, and partially reliable bioimpedance body composition data has shown high diagnostic specificity (95.2–98.9%) and sensitivity (94.5–99.2%) of the filtering criteria. Retrospective analysis of the HCs’ bioimpedance database revealed rapid growth in the proportion of fraud cases, from 5–7% in 2009 to 43–45% in 2013–2014 (with the correction for false alarm rate), and the high level of heterogeneity in data quality, so that 80.3% of the incorrect data were generated in 20% of the HCs. This indicates inefficient management of the Russian preventive screening system and suggests incomparability and, therefore, uselessness of the related health statistics from some regions without a preliminary filtering of the underlying raw data. Our results show the potential utility of HCViewer for the dynamical quality control of the preventive screening data, as well as for the online health monitoring and modelling potential effects of various control measures aimed at the prevention of non-communicable diseases. After application of the selection criteria, a cross-sectional 2009–2015 database of bioimpedance measurements of 1.27 million individuals aged 5–96 years was formed for the assessment of population health. On the whole, fraud prevention should become the responsibility of the Russian health care system to ensure an efficiency of its function.

Application Research of Quality Control Technology of Asphalt Pavement based on GPS Intelligent

Due to the difficulty of steel deck pavement asphalt layer compaction caused by the effect of the flexible supporting system (orthotropic steel deck plate), it is usually hard and difficult to control for the site compactness to reach the design goal. The intelligent compaction technology is based on GPS control technology and real-time acquisition of actual compaction tracks, and then forms a cloud maps of compaction times, which guide the roller operator to do the compaction in accordance with the design requirement to ensure the deck compaction technology and compaction quality. From the actual construction situation of actual bridge and checked data, the intelligent compaction technology is significant in guaranteeing the steel deck asphalt pavement compactness and quality stability.

Microchip capillary gel electrophoresis combined with lectin affinity enrichment employing magnetic beads for glycoprotein analysis

Due to the constant search for reliable methods to investigate glycoproteins in complex biological samples, an alternative approach combining affinity enrichment with rapid and sensitive analysis on-a-chip is presented. Glycoproteins were specifically captured by lectin-coated magnetic beads, eluted by competitive sugars, and investigated with microchip capillary gel electrophoresis (MCGE), i.e., CGE-on-a-chip. We compared our results to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) data, which turned out to be in very good agreement. While SDS-PAGE offers the possibility of subsequent mass spectrometric analysis of captured and separated analytes, MCGE scores with time savings, higher throughput, and lower sample consumption as well as quality control (QC) and process analytical technology (PAT) applicability. Due to these advantages, a lectin-based glycoprotein capture protocol can easily be optimized. In our case, two different types of magnetic beads were tested and compared regarding lectin binding. The selectivity of our strategy was demonstrated with a set of model glycoproteins, as well as with human serum and serum depleted from high-abundance proteins. The specificity of the capturing method was investigated revealing to a certain degree an unspecific binding between each sample and the beads themselves, which has to be considered for any specific enrichment and data interpretation. In addition, two glycoproteins from Trichoderma atroviride, a fungus with mycoparasitic activity and only barely studied glycoproteome, were enriched by means of a lectin and so identified for the first time.Graphical abstractGlycoproteins from biological samples were detected by microchip capillary gel electrophoresis after lectin affinity enrichment using magnetic beads and elution with respective competitive monosaccharides

Identification of species- and tissue-specific proteins using proteomic strategy

Proteomic technologies have proven to be very effective for detecting biochemical changes in meat products, such as changes in tissue- and species-specific proteins. In the tissues of cattle, pig, horse and camel M. longissimus dorsi both tissue- and species specific proteins were detected using two dimensional electrophoresis. Species-specific isoforms of several muscle proteins were also identified. The identified and described proteins of cattle, pig, horse and camel skeletal muscles (including mass spectra of the tryptic peptides) were added to the national free access database “Muscle organ proteomics”. This research has enabled the development of new highly sensitive technologies for meat product quality control against food fraud.

Study on the Design and Construction Quality Control of AC-13 Rubber Asphalt Pavement

In recent years, as a new type of asphalt mixture, rubber asphalt mixture has a lot of excellent road performance, and is being widely used, but the rubber asphalt quality control measures are still in the exploratory stage. How to control the quality of rubber asphalt pavement, and provide technical support for more and more rubber asphalt pavement construction is particularly important. This article mainly analyzes and summarizes from raw material selection of rubber asphalt mixture, mix proportion design of rubber asphalt mixture and measures of construction quality control, forming a set of construction quality control technology of rubber asphalt pavement

Detecting changes in real-time data: a user's guide to optimal detection.

The real-time detection of changes in a noisily observed signal is an important problem in applied science and engineering. The study of parametric optimal detection theory began in the 1930s, motivated by applications in production and defence. Today this theory, which aims to minimize a given measure of detection delay under accuracy constraints, finds applications in domains including radar, sonar, seismic activity, global positioning, psychological testing, quality control, communications and power systems engineering. This paper reviews developments in optimal detection theory and sequential analysis, including sequential hypothesis testing and change-point detection, in both Bayesian and classical (non-Bayesian) settings. For clarity of exposition, we work in discrete time and provide a brief discussion of the continuous time setting, including recent developments using stochastic calculus. Different measures of detection delay are presented, together with the corresponding optimal solutions. We emphasize the important role of the signal-to-noise ratio and discuss both the underlying assumptions and some typical applications for each formulation.This article is part of the themed issue 'Energy management: flexibility, risk and optimization'.

Prediction of thermal and mass loss behavior of mineral mixture using inferential stochastic modeling and thermal analysis measurement data

Characterization methods of material are widely used in different steps of quality control in material sciences and engineering. Such methods are relatively complex according to the considered case. This paper is concerned by a characterization method for mineral material analysis using thermal analysis i.e. Differential Scanning Calorimetric. The thermal analysis is a physical method based on the heating; the sample is heated using a ramped set point of the input temperature, according to its properties, the sample gives a thermal response qualified by endothermic and exothermic reactions: Such responses are fundamental for phase’s identification.In mineral industry, different material mixture is used in different stage of manufacturing process; the thermal behavior prediction of mixture between two or more materials is very interesting. The thermal mixture behavior is predicted in basis of individual thermal behavior of each input element and the mixture ratio.A mathematical modeling based on artificial neural network is designed to have a soft sensor for predicting the thermal and mass behavior of the mixture, validation using measurement and prediction uncertainties is also considered.Using such approach, the prediction of the mineral mixture characteristics is given by an implementation of the obtained model using the individual behavior and the mixture proportion of the inputs elements.

Trends in Bioprocess Automation: Quality Control and Process Analytical Technology in High Demand

Trends in Bioprocess Automation: Quality Control and Process Analytical Technology in High Demand

The key quality control technology of main cable erection in long-span suspension bridge construction

Main cable is one of the most important structure of suspension Bridges, which bear all the dead and live load from upper structure. Cable erection is one of the most critical process in suspension bridge construction. Key points about strand erection are studied in this paper, including strand traction, lateral movement, section adjustment, placing into saddle, anchoring, line shape adjustment and keeping, and tension control. The technology has helped a long-span suspension bridge in Yunnan Province, China get a ideal finished state.

Quality optimization and control technology for a full field-of-view imaging surface using a stationary phase method and an ambiguity function method

A stationary phase method and ambiguity function (AF) method were used to conduct an analytical study of a modulation transfer function (MTF). From the perspective of mathematic models, there was a double integral relationship between the MTF and system wave aberrations. Based on the stationary phase and AF methods, the wave aberration term in the MTF expression was analytically discussed to achieve an aberration function derivation and extreme point analysis, thereby obtaining the analytical expressions of an every field-of-view (FOV) MTF and defocusing distance (i.e., the deviation of an MTF optimal imaging plane from an axial imaging plane) in the full FOV of an optical system. From the obtained image quality evaluation function, the defocusing distance and system image quality could be effectively controlled in a full FOV, which was verified using the examples.

Study on Process Parameters and Control Technology of One-Step Shaping for Thin Layer Paving of Polymer Concrete

In order to make thin layer paving one-step shaping during polymer concrete pavement construction, the relationship model between vibration parameters, structure parameters and the degree of compaction is established in this paper. Based on the resonance theory, this model is integrated with a mathematical model to study the dynamic properties and the interaction mechanism between vibration mechanism and paving material during compaction. The model represents the structure parameters, vibration parameters, driving speed, degree of compaction and the interaction between them. Combining real engineering with adequate quality control technology, the pavement is finished by only one step paving. The results show that, when the vibrating frequency is greater than the optimal vibration frequency and driving speed the driving speed is less than the speed threshold as well as between 2.5~3m/min, the initial compaction degree of the paving is more than 96%. Thereby improving construction efficiency and guaranteeing the construction quality. Thus, the optimal range about vibrating frequency and speed can serve as a valuable reference for one-step shaping of thin layer paving and the dynamic model can also be used to study the compaction process of pavements during the construction.

Study on Quality Management of Software Development of Measure and Control System

Based on parameters of software of big complex measure and control system, the layered model of technology and method of quality control are presented here. This technology can be applied into quality control of software development of complex system to solidify the technology state of software. Then, the reliability of software is enhanced. With real applications of command and control system, the feasibility of the method is validated.

Smart supramolecular sensing with cucurbit[n]urils: probing hydrogen bonding with SERS.

Rigid gap nano-aggregates of Au nanoparticles formed using cucurbit[n]uril (CB[n]) molecules are used to investigate the competitive binding of ethanol and methanol in an aqueous environment. We show it is possible to detect as little as 0.1% methanol in water and a ten times higher affinity to methanol over ethanol, making this a useful technology for quality control in alcohol production. We demonstrate strong interaction effects in the SERS peaks, which we demonstrate are likely from the hydrogen bonding of water complexes in the vicinity of the CB[n]s.

A strategy of constructing the technological system for quality control of Chinese medicine based on process control and management

The current situation, bottleneck problems and severe challenges in quality control technology of Chinese Medicine (CM) are briefly described. It is presented to change the phenomenon related to the post-test as the main means and contempt for process control in drug regulation, reverse the situation of neglecting the development of process control and management technology for pharmaceutical manufacture and reconstruct the technological system for quality control of CM products. The regulation and technology system based on process control and management for controlling CM quality should be established to solve weighty realistic problems of CM industry from the root causes, including backwardness of quality control technology, weakness of quality risk control measures, poor reputation of product quality and so on. By this way, the obstacles from poor controllability of CM product quality could be broken. Concentrating on those difficult problems and weak links in the technical field of CM quality control, it is proposed to build CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls) regulation for CM products with Chinese characteristics and promote the regulation international recognition as soon as possible. The CMC technical framework, which is clinical efficacy-oriented, manufacturing manner-centered and process control-focused, was designed. To address the clinical characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and the production feature of CM manufacture, it is suggested to establish quality control engineering for CM manufacturing by integrating pharmaceutical analysis, TCM chemistry, TCM pharmacology, pharmaceutical engineering, control engineering, management engineering and other disciplines. Further, a theoretical model of quality control engineering for CM manufacturing and the methodology of digital pharmaceutical engineering are proposed. A technology pathway for promoting CM standard and realizing the strategic goal of CM internationalization is elaborated.

Six Sigma evaluation using process capability and <i><span style="text-decoration: overline">X</span></i> control chart for reducing variance in oil density characteristic: a study in Yemen

This paper presents Six Sigma evaluation based on process capability with -X control chart to reduce variations in the oil density characteristics in an oil refinery process in Aden, Yemen. Twenty-five oil density samples with normal distribution were randomly collected, and each sample consisted of four items. Analysis indicated that the levels of sigma employed in Aden refinery are less than 3 σ. The results of this study suggested that the -X chart based on six sigma estimation method is significant to reduce variance in the oil density characteristic. In addition, the sigma levels increase when the process capability increases. Thus, the increment in sigma levels leads to improvements in the performance of the process refinery of oil density characteristic. Finally, this paper provides the necessary fundamentals and knowledge for quality control researchers and engineers to reduce variances by using Six Sigma.