Product Quality In Order Research Articles

Hot‐Air Drying Characteristics of Soybeans and Influence of Temperature and Velocity on Kinetic Parameters

AbstractThe kinetics of the hot‐air drying of soybeans was modeled in order to evaluate the influence of temperature and velocity on the kinetic parameters. A convective dryer with air temperature from 30 to 195C and air flows of 0.75, 1.35, 2.0 and 2.5 m/s was used. Three different mathematical models were applied to simulate the drying process (two empirical equations, exponential and Page's, and Fick's diffusion model) and the diffusivity coefficient increased from 2.5 × 10−11 to 6.69 × 10−10 m2/s for a range of air temperature between 30 and 195C. Both temperature and velocity influenced drying rate. The differential evolution optimization method was used toward parameter estimation. The goodness of fit of the proposed models, evaluated using linear regression coefficient (R2), chi‐squared parameter (χ2) and root mean square error, indicated a satisfactory validation, mainly regarding to the exponential and Page's models.Practical ApplicationsAlthough biological materials are dried to improve shelf life, reduce packaging costs and enhance sensorial aspects, they are highly susceptible to quality deterioration during dehydration if the processing parameters are not well adjusted. The mathematical modeling of food drying provides results about the influence of process parameters on energy efficiency and final product quality in order to help the optimization and upscale application. Given that up to 40% of the agro‐industrial production is lost in developing countries due to the lack of processing and that an energy efficiency improvement of 1% may result in 10% increase in profit, it is important to explore the potential of mathematical tools to properly study drying processes under an energy and qualitative approach.

Environmentally friendly as a new dimension of product quality

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to extend the existing dimensions of product quality to cover ecological phenomena. It proposes adding a new dimension – environmentally friendly – to the existing dimensions of product quality in order to help solve environmental issues. Design/methodology/approach – The main focus of the literature review is on product quality dimensions. The authors discuss each dimension separately to clarify whether there is any consideration given to producing environmentally friendly products which can directly contribute to product quality dimensions. The population of this study was chosen from consumers, since their demands and expectations play a significant role in producing green products. A stratified sampling method was used and the sample size was selected according to the Morgan table of sampling. Factor analysis was conducted on the collected data to determine the underlying factors of product quality. Findings – The results indicate that consumers are more concerned about environmental issues in recent decades, and they responded that environmentally friendly is an important part of a product along with other dimensions of product quality which should be considered by manufacturers and producers. Originality/value – This research is one of the first studies which explores consumers’ opinions on the demand side to examine environmentally friendly capability as a new dimension of product quality.

An assessment of greenhouse gas emissions: implications for the Australian cotton industry

SUMMARYThe majority of cotton produced in Australia is exported. The Australian cotton industry must maintain product quality in order to remain globally competitive. In addition, carbon-conscious consumers need reassurance that the system used to grow the product is environmentally sustainable. The aim of the present study was to estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to various farm inputs in three common types of cotton farming systems on the Darling Downs region, southern Queensland. Analysis revealed that GHG emissions for dryland solid-plant and dryland double-skip cotton farming systems are similar, but emissions are much higher for irrigated solid-plant cotton farming (1367, 1274 and 4841 kg CO2e/ha, respectively). However, if comparisons of GHG emissions are based on yield (per tonne), the positions of dryland double-skip farming and dryland solid-plant farming are reversed, but the position of irrigated cotton farming still remains as the highest GHG emitter. If the cotton industry comes under the Australian Government Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) without any subsidies and preconditions, and with a carbon price of A$25/t CO2e, the costs borne by each system would be A$66.8/t for the irrigated cotton industry, A$39.7/t for the dryland solid-plant cotton industry and A$43.6/t for the dryland double-skip cotton industry. This suggests that irrigated cotton would be more profitable in financial terms but with heavy environmental sustainability costs.

Kinematic Analysis of Dimensional Variation Propagation for Multistage Machining Processes With General Fixture Layouts

Recently, the modeling of variation propagation in complex multistage manufacturing processes has drawn significant attention. In this paper, a linear model is developed to describe the dimensional variation propagation of machining processes through kinematic analysis of the relationships among fixture error, datum error, machine geometric error, and the dimensional quality of the product. The developed modeling technique can handle general fixture layouts rather than being limited to a 3-2-1 layout case. The dimensional error accumulation and transformation within the multistage process are quantitatively described in this model. A systematic procedure to build the model is presented and validated. This model has great potential to be applied toward fault diagnosis and process design evaluation for complex machining processes. Note to Practitioners-Variation reduction is essential to improve process efficiency and product quality in order to gain a competitive advantage in manufacturing. Unfortunately, variation reduction presents difficult challenges, particularly for large-scale modern manufacturing processes. Due to the increasing complexity of products, modern manufacturing processes often involve multiple stations or operations. For example, multiple setups and operations are often needed in machining processes to finish the final product. When the workpiece passes through multiple stages, machining errors at each stage will be accumulated onto the workpiece and could further influence the subsequent operations. The variation accumulation and propagation pose significant challenges to final product variation analysis and reduction. This paper focuses on a systematic technique for the modeling of dimensional variation propagation in multistage machining processes. The relationship between typical process faults and product quality characteristics are established through a kinematics analysis. One salient feature of the proposed technique is that the interactions among different operations with general fixture layouts are captured systematically through the modeling of setup errors. This model has great potential to be applied to fault diagnosis and process design evaluation for a complex machining process

Comparing quality signals as tools of consumer protection: are warranties always better than advertisements to promote higher product quality?

Firms use different instruments to convey product quality in order to counteract market failures due to lack of information on behalf of consumers. We will give a brief overview on the two main types of quality signals. Then an economic model is developed to determine which offers better incentives to provide for higher production quality. The results are applied to the present legislation on warranty law and on misleading advertisement.

Phytochemical Assays of Commercial Botanical Dietary Supplements.

The growing popularity of botanical dietary supplements (BDS) has been accompanied by concerns regarding the quality of commercial products. Health care providers, in particular, have an interest in knowing about product quality, in view of the issues related to herb-drug interactions and potential side effects. This study assessed whether commercial formulations of saw palmetto, kava kava, echinacea, ginseng and St. John's wort had consistent labeling and whether quantities of marker compounds agreed with the amounts stated on the label. We purchased six bottles each of two lots of supplements from nine manufacturers and analyzed the contents using established commercial methodologies at an independent laboratory. Product labels were found to vary in the information provided, such as serving recommendations and information about the herb itself (species, part of the plant, marker compound, etc.) With regard to marker compound content, little variability was observed between different lots of the same brand, while the content did vary widely between brands (e.g. total phenolic compounds in Echinacea ranged from 3.9–15.3 mg per serving; total ginsenosides in ginseng ranged from 5.3–18.2 mg per serving). Further, the amounts recommended for daily use also differed between brands, increasing the potential range of a consumer's daily dose. Echinacea and ginseng were the most variable, while St. John's wort and saw palmetto were the least variable. This study highlights some of the key issues in the botanical supplement market, including the importance of standardized manufacturing practices and reliable labeling information. In addition, health care providers should keep themselves informed regarding product quality in order to be able to appropriately advise patients utilizing both conventional and herbal medicines.

Quality-delivery system: A conceptual framework of attribute level-value linkages

A new method of quality-delivery system (QDS) based on the logic of means- end chain (MEC) theory is proposed to explore the relationship between product design and consumer preference. The QDS framework provides marketers with new insights into which attribute levels of a product consumers prefer, and how those attribute levels can satisfy consumer demands for value in a targeted market. This article uses a toothbrush as an example to confirm the linkages between a product's attribute levels and the consumer's concept of value. The purpose of this article is twofold: to provide practical guidelines for product design and to improve product quality in order to enhance the competitiveness of a business.

Comparing Quality Signals: Are Warranties Better Than Advertisements To Promote Higher Product Quality?

Firms use different instruments to convey product quality in order to counteract market failures due to lack of information on behalf of consumers. We will give a brief overview on the two main types of quality signals. Then an economic model is developed to determine which offers higher incentives to provide incentives for higher production quality. The results are applied to the present legislation on warranty law and on misleading advertisement.

Product innovation and contestability

This article deals with the introduction of product innovation in a contestable market model. Investment contestability describes a benchmark case of competition by introducing sunk entry-deterring investment in a free entry framework. Aside from careful price setting, suppliers adopt investment in product quality in order to deter entry. Zero-profit pricing and increased quality point to a partial second-best outcome of market behaviour.