Relative Production Costs Research Articles

Optimizing integrated distributed flexible job-shop scheduling and customer order delivery

ABSTRACT This study addresses the Distributed Flexible Job-Shop Scheduling Problem (DFJSP) while considering the delivery of customer orders and transportation time. To tackle the problem, a mathematical model is presented, and a novel variant of the Genetic Algorithm (GA), called Time-Travel GA (TTGA), is developed. The optimization objectives include minimizing the total orders’ delivery time to the related customers, reducing transportation and production costs, reducing manufacturing pollution, and maximizing the quality of completed orders. The performance of TTGA is tested by implementing it in a real-life manufacturing setting. Additionally, TTGA results are compared with those of four other algorithms over a set of test problems. Furthermore, the solutions obtained by TTGA are compared with the optimal solutions obtained by a commercial solver for small-size problems. The results of these comparisons collectively demonstrate the promising performance of TTGA in addressing the DFJSP.

Influence of parameter variation and interlayer temperature control in wall angle, curvature and measurement methodology of ER70S-6 parts obtained by WAAM

Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing is characterized for the high deposition rates, enabling the manufacturing of big, complex parts, with smaller relative production cost. However, once the part receives high heat inputs, leading to geometry variation and deformations, it is important to properly measure the part characteristics. Therefore, this work contributes with a measurement methodology for inclined walls deposited by Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing and its application on walls deposited with different parameters. The main parameter of influence was the use of interlayer temperature control, which increased the angle in 71.0%, and the curvature in 90.3%, lower part.

Perovskite versus Standard Photodetectors.

Perovskites have been largely implemented into optoelectronics as they provide several advantages such as long carrier diffusion length, high absorption coefficient, high carrier mobility, shallow defect levels and finally, high crystal quality. The brisk technological development of perovskite devices is connected to their relative simplicity, high-efficiency processing and low production cost. Significant improvement has been made in the detection performance and the photodetectors' design, especially operating in the visible (VIS) and near-infrared (NIR) regions. This paper attempts to determine the importance of those devices in the broad group of standard VIS and NIR detectors. The paper evaluates the most important parameters of perovskite detectors, including current responsivity (R), detectivity (D*) and response time (τ), compared to the standard photodiodes (PDs) available on the commercial market. The conclusions presented in this work are based on an analysis of the reported data in the vast pieces of literature. A large discrepancy is observed in the demonstrated R and D*, which may be due to two reasons: immature device technology and erroneous D* estimates. The published performance at room temperature is even higher than that reported for typical detectors. The utmost D* for perovskite detectors is three to four orders of magnitude higher than commercially available VIS PDs. Some papers report a D* close to the physical limit defined by signal fluctuations and background radiation. However, it is likely that this performance is overestimated. Finally, the paper concludes with an attempt to determine the progress of perovskite optoelectronic devices in the future.

Automation and value-chain embedment: evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore how the digital technology revolution, brought about by industrial robots, affects the integration of Chinese firms into the global value chain. Utilizing a high-dimensional fixed-effects model, we examine matched data from the database of Chinese industrial firms and customs from 2006 to 2015. We reveal the positive impact of automation on the export domestic value-added of Chinese manufacturing firms, indicating that automation promotes the embedding of firms into the global value chain. Event study methodology finds that the unexpected increase in automation in 2009 significantly boosted firm participation in the value-chain division of labour. The role of automation in driving value-chain embedding is associated with improvements in productivity levels and reductions in relative labour production costs. This impact varies noticeably across different industries, regions, technological levels, and types of value chains, with labour-intensive industries being the most affected. Moreover, we find that automation is driving more Chinese firms to enter and continually integrate into the global value chain, although the current level of industrial automation in China has not yet reached its optimal level.

Low CO2 emission cement from alkali-activated gravel wash mud and quartzite dust

High CO2 emissions and rising energy costs result in an increasing demand for innovative, environmentally friendly and energy-efficient construction materials. Gravel wash mud (GWM) is a widely available industrial by-product from gravel mining which may be used as an aluminosilicate source in the production of cementitious materials. In this study, GWM from Eifel in the SW Germany was used for the synthesis of alkali-activated cement. A high NaOH leachable Si and Al content and fine grain-size makes this material particularly applicable for synthesis of alkali-activated cements and geopolymers. Silicate dust from quartzite mining in Saarland is other industrial by-product used to improve the physical properties of the cement. Both materials were thermally and mechanically processed prior to chemical activation. A single-compound activator of NaOH solution was used, leading to no addition of soluble silicates. The main advantages of the new cement are zero CO₂ emissions from raw materials during calcination, comparatively low energy demand due to short grinding time, low temperature of calcination and low demand of alkali activator/no need for soluble silicates and valorisation of GWM and quartzite dust from aggregate mining. Experiments show that calcined kaolinite clay acts as a very effective binder in the cement formulation with quartzite dust. Consequently, a very small quantity of metakaolinite in the cement mixture is necessary, which allows for a reduced quantity of alkali-activator and related production costs of the cement. Consequently, the alkali-activated cement can provide an environmentally-friendly and cost-effective material for special applications with a high heat resistance or resistance to aggressive environments.

Sustaining family bakeries in Pakistan: The role of internal marketing and entrepreneurship

Nowadays, climatic change challenges, consumer expectations, and concerns toward sustainability lead firms to consider responsible strategies for internal marketing and entrepreneurial orientation that contribute to competitive advantage and economic and environmental performance. This paper analyses the direct impact of internal marketing and entrepreneurial orientation on innovation and sustainability within the context of family businesses in the manufacturing sector in bakeries in Sindh Province in Pakistan. Information and data were obtained from 404 questionnaires applied in these firms during 2023. The methods include Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling to evaluate the measurement, structural models, and respective variables. Results confirm a significant direct influence of internal marketing on entrepreneurial orientation and innovation towards the sustainability of bakeries firms and emphasise the mediating role of entrepreneurial orientation toward sustainability. Despite that, the firms haven’t improved significantly sustainable production practices during the last three years. On the other hand, the unit cost of bakery production hasn’t decreased during this period due to the reduction of energy or water use. Other results also confirm a significant concern with the customer’s needs, but without putting in practice more quality in the production process or reducing the relative production costs (at constant prices). However, bakeries firms must directly address sustainability in all production and customer sales processes, namely reducing energy inputs and meeting consumers’ needs concerning sustainable needs and goals. This study’s significance lies in its contribution to the existing body of literature by illuminating the intricate pathway of relationships between internal marketing, entrepreneurial orientation toward sustainability, and innovation and sustainability. A future direction involves extending this model’s applicability by examining its validity in other industries and service sectors, enriching the breadth of understanding beyond manufacturing industries.

Wygd Study on prediction method of drilling pressure in low permeability oilfield

During the high water cut development stage of low permeability in M block, the overall recovery degree is low, there has 100 infilling wells been drilled since 2020 to improve the development effect. Before drilling, in order to avoid the risk of pressure safety, it is necessary to shut down the peripheral water injection wells to relieve the pressure, at the same time.Since the M Block reservoir is a low permeability reservoir, the pressure relief time after drilling off is long, which increases the impact on the production of developing wells and increases the fluid transportation and the related production costs, while there is no uniform standard for the time, pressure and distance of drilling off. In order to control the production loss of developing wells and save the shut-in cost. This paper applies numerical simulation and reservoir engineering method, by establishing fine geological model, optimizing simulation technology, considering the influence of start-up pressure gradient, establishing theoretical formula and mathematical model of drilling pressure, clarifying the law of drilling-off pressure relief and pressure drop, calculating the formation pressure of single well in the whole area, forming the drilling-off limit and rapid pressure prediction method, through comparison and verification, the overall deviation is 3.8%, and the method is accurate and reliable.

Investigating make-or-buy decisions and the impact of learning-by-doing in the semiconductor industry

ABSTRACT Learning-by-doing is an important concept in economics as it is one of the main driving forces of economic progress. However, corporate learning is a slow process, so outsourcing manufacturing can override the long-term benefits of accumulating productivity knowledge. Semiconductor industry is also strongly featured by the learning effect, however, due to high capital requirements of building fabs, there are companies that fully outsource, while others try to keep production in-house. The chosen business model now gets further importance due to bottlenecks and supply issues perceived in the industry since the COVID-19 outbreak. Accordingly, we model the make-or-buy decision problem of a firm that decides on the optimal mix of outsourcing and in-house production, considering productivity gain via learning-by-doing and the economic impact of resilience. By presenting numerical simulations, we aim to capture the pre-pandemic and the current state of the semiconductor industry. Our model highlights that tendencies of being fabless were reasonable in the past. Although recent industry conditions have made in-house production more beneficial, this optimal strategy may be fragile due to changes of relative production costs or the extent of economic impact of chip shortages, which may underline the relevance of government incentives aiming to revitalise semiconductor industry.

Digital advertising spillover, online-exclusive product launches, and manufacturer-remanufacturer competition

Manufacturers launch and advertise new generations of products through e-retailers. However, this advertising effort also benefits independent remanufacturers selling the previous generation of the same product online because of product recommendation algorithms and consumer category search. Through a stylized game-theoretic model, we investigate how independent, arm’s-length, and cooperative digital advertising strategies by a manufacturer and e-retailer unintentionally displace the sales of a new product to the benefit of an independently remanufactured alternative due to digital advertising spillover. We consider the manufacturer’s and remanufacturer’s relative production costs, the degree of substitutability between the two products, and the degree to which advertising spillover from the new product to the remanufactured product occurs. Further investigating the latter issue, we also consider that the remanufacturer’s advertising may spill over to the new product’s benefit, although at a comparatively weak level. Our results explore the optimal digital advertising strategy and effort in different conditions. We give recommendations to the manufacturer to maximize profits, which sometimes, unintuitively, involves sacrificing sales quantity and wholesale price under a cooperative advertising strategy to reduce advertising expenditures that would otherwise significantly benefit the remanufacturer’s product. A numerical analysis shows our findings to be robust and in an extension we explore the scenario that the manufacturer possesses its own direct channel.

Current status and future perspectives on the biological production of polyhydroxyalkanoates

AbstractNowadays, the environmental pollution caused by conventional petroleum‐based plastics is one of the most serious problems facing mankind, and it is of great significance to look for alternative plastics with biodegradable feature. Notably, the bioplastics based on polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) have been a focus on research and development during the past several decades. In this review, the recent advances on the biological production of PHA were summarized, mainly including biosynthetic pathways and methods, followed by the extraction processes. Furthermore, the current status on PHA production using industrial waste streams was also discussed. For the moment, the relative higher production cost hindered the large‐scale biological production of PHA. Therefore, some insightful strategies were presented about the future research and scale production on biological production of PHA.

Assessing the viability of decarbonising India's nitrogenous fertiliser consumption

The fertiliser sector in India is essential to its economy and for its food security. Despite being the second largest global producer of fertilisers, substantial imports of raw materials and fertilisers are required to bridge the demand gap for N–P–K fertilisers in India. Islanded green ammonia production in India shows significant potential to provide a carbon-free source of nitrogen for fertiliser production that will reduce India's imports of both nitrogenous fertilisers and the raw materials required for its production. Green ammonia production also carries many socioeconomic benefits compared to conventional production, such as enhanced job creation, reduced feedstock importation and air pollution. Using an existing islanded green ammonia production model, and applying it across India at a 1.0° (110.6 km) resolution using ERA5 (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Reanalysis 5th Generation) solar irradiance, windspeed and temperature data as an input. A heatmap of the achievable levelized cost of ammonia (LCOA) is then created, identifying areas which show strong potential for green ammonia production. Three scenarios for the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) reduction are considered and a more detailed analysis is performed on five locations of particular economic and social interest. These results are then used as the present value of ammonia to benchmark the cost of islanded production of ‘green urea’ against conventional means. The major price distortions in the Indian coal and gas markets are identified and stripped out to compare the relative costs of urea production. By 2030, urea produced from green ammonia can be cost-competitive with urea produced from natural gas and even coal with a modest price of carbon and when fossil-fuel price distortions are stripped out.

Does Seasonal Influenza Related Hospital Occupancy Surge Impact Hospital Staff Sickness Presenteeism and Productivity Costs?

Background—The workload of public hospital staff is heightened during seasonal influenza surges in hospitals serving densely populated cities. Such work environments may subject staff to increased risk of sickness presenteeism. Presenteeism is detrimental to nurses’ health and may lead to downstream productivity loss, resulting in financial costs for hospital organizations. Aims—This study aims to quantify how seasonal influenza hospital occupancy surge impacts nurses’ sickness presenteeism and related productivity costs in high-intensity inpatient metropolitan hospitals. Methods—Full-time nurses in three Hong Kong acute-care hospitals were surveyed. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) was applied to account for clustering in small number of hospitals. Results—A total of 71.3% of nurses reported two or more presenteeism events last year. A 6.8% increase in hospital inpatient occupancy rate was associated with an increase of 19% (1.19, 95% CI: 1.06–1.34) in nurse presenteeism. Presenteeism productivity loss costs between nurses working healthy (USD1983) and worked sick (USD 2008) were not significantly different, while sick leave costs were highest (USD 2703). Conclusion—Presenteeism prevalence is high amongst acute-care hospital nurses and workload increase during influenza flu surge significantly heightened nurse sickness presenteeism. Annual presenteeism productivity loss costs in this study of USD 24,096 were one of the highest reported worldwide. Productivity loss was also considerably high regardless of nurses’ health states, pointing towards other potential risk factors at play. When scheduling nurses to tackle flu surge, managers may want to consider impaired productivity due to staff presenteeism. Further longitudinal research is essential in identifying management modifiable risk factors that impact nurse presenteeism and impairing downstream productivity loss.

Market competition and strategic choices of electric power sources under fluctuating demand

This study investigates the effects of the introduction of a competitor on the behavior of an incumbent electricity producer who used to be a local monopolist. We especially focus on its implications for the incumbent's decision of capacity choice between two different electric power sources: one with a relatively high production cost (peak-load technology), which is represented by gas-fired power generation, and the other with a relatively high capacity-building cost (base-load technology), which is represented by nuclear power generation. We assume that the entrant does not have access to the latter technology, and also that demand fluctuates over time, as is typically the case with any electricity market. We show that the introduction of a competitor increases the capacity of nuclear power generation if and only if the nuclear power capacity is sufficiently costly to establish, in comparison with the marginal production cost of a gas-fired plant. This result also implies that the competition tends to decrease the nuclear capacity when the level of carbon tax, which raises the relative production cost of gas-fired power generation, is sufficiently high.

On-Farm Composting Using Two Different Windrow Methods: A Stochastic Budgeting Analysis

Two commercial-scale windrow composting methods were investigated for their relative costs of production and value for the horticulture industry, including: (i) aerobic (or thermophilic) composting; and (ii) fermentative (or static pile inoculated) composting. Economic costs, including opportunity costs, were estimated and analyzed using data from a case study on-site compost production for tree and shrub nursery production in British Columbia, Canada. Deterministic and stochastic budgeting models were used to determine breakeven prices and short-run shut-down prices (SRSDP), and testing for potential economies of scale. Monte Carlo simulations were used to assess the sensitivity of costs to uncertainty in key output variables. The composting methods used demonstrate that the composts produced are of satisfactory quality, with physical and chemical properties within typical recommended ranges for agricultural use. Total cost of producing a tonne of fermentative compost (CAD$23) was lower than for thermophilic compost (CAD$37). Short-term shutdown price was higher for thermophilic than for fermentative compost produced by CAD$11 tonne−1. Economies of scale were more apparent for thermophilic than the fermentative composting system. Conclusions from the stochastic analysis were consistent with results from the deterministic cost analysis. The empirical economic cost estimates are useful for a wide variety of audiences, including policy makers and decision makers interested in capital and operating costs of composting, and cost-based pricing strategy for compost produced. Breakeven prices fill an industry knowledge gap regarding profitability of compost production given prevailing market prices.

Competitiveness of the Sudan Live Sheep Exports in the Saudi Market

The strong and growing demand for live sheep in the Saudi market enhanced the state of competition among the exporting countries of Sudan, Syria, Jordan, Romania, Australia, New Zealand and others.The aim of this paper was to assess the competitiveness of the Sudanese live sheep exports in the Saudi market vis-à-vis the competitors. Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) analytical approach was applied toachieve the paper objective. Data from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations International Trade Statistics Yearbook (UNITS), for the period 1992- 2013, were used to calculate the RCA index. The results showed an increasing trend in the market share of Sudanese live sheep in the world market, despite the clear fluctuations, as it increased from 4% in 1992 to 22% in 2013. Also, the results of the calculated RCA index for live sheepexports indicated that Sudan had a revealed comparative advantage as a major exporter of this commodity compared to other competitors (RCA>100) as well as a comparative advantage over the other Sudaneseexport commodities. Such comparative advantage was due to low relative costs of production, dependence on natural grazing and differences in non-price factors. This is regardless of the fluctuations in the RCA index in some years. Based on the findings, the paper recommends giving priority in the strategy for promoting live sheep exports through, for example, revoking all types of taxes levied on animals moved from areas of production en-route to export outlets, improving the infrastructure suchas establishing modern quarantines and stringent health measures. These measures would strengthen and enhance the revealed comparative advantage. Moreover, the revealed strong competitive advantage should be exploited to promote the Sudanese live sheep in international markets in general and the Saudi market in particular.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTIONS AND SHIFTING OF GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS

Industrial revolutions marked rapid structural transformation in the manufacturing sector making changes to production processors and products while reshaping the lifestyle across the world. Industrial revolutions redefined the product identity of every individual economy with the changes of specializations acquired through different manufacturing sectors. Similarly, new sets of countries emerged as industrial input providers as well as output buyers. At the same time, the world specialization in the manufacturing sector diversified along with the expansion of global value chains. As a result, the final product is assembled in one location while a multitude of components is produced globally by different countries. The intention of the article is to examine the shift of global competitiveness throughout the last two decades with the emergence of the Fourth Industrial Revolutionary implications especially among Developed Economies and Newly Industrial Economies. The international competitiveness of a country is mainly decided by the relative cost of production. The relative cost is again decided by the productivity, availability of quality resources including labor, cost of doing business, favourable macroeconomic factors, and institutional factors. The main objective of this study is to focus the attention on the reshaping of the global competitiveness map along the timeline as a result of technological spikes known as industrial revolutions paying special attention to the fourth industrial revolution. The secondary sources are tapped for the necessary information and mixed-method is applied to analyze the gathered data. The implications of the fourth industrial revolution show the reshaping of the global competitiveness landscape faster than the previous industrial revolutions. Countries with more commercialized innovations, intellectual property rights, and adopting key technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, the internet of things, cloud computing, 3D printing, and simulations in production are at the forefront of the competitiveness in the manufacturing sector.

In Vitro and In Vivo Anti-Candida Activity and Structural Analysis of Killer Peptide (KP)-Derivatives.

The previously described decapeptide AKVTMTCSAS (killer peptide, KP), derived from the variable region of a recombinant yeast killer toxin-like anti-idiotypic antibody, proved to exert a variety of antimicrobial, antiviral, and immunomodulatory activities. It also showed a peculiar self-assembly ability, likely responsible for the therapeutic effect in animal models of systemic and mucosal candidiasis. The present study analyzed the biological and structural properties of peptides derived from KP by substitution or deletion of the first residue, leaving unchanged the remaining amino acids. The investigated peptides proved to exert differential in vitro and/or in vivo anti-Candida activity without showing toxic effects on mammalian cells. The change of the first residue in KP amino acidic sequence affected the conformation of the resulting peptides in solution, as assessed by circular dichroism spectroscopy. KP-derivatives, except one, were able to induce apoptosis in yeast cells, like KP itself. ROS production and changes in mitochondrial transmembrane potential were also observed. Confocal and transmission electron microscopy studies allowed to establish that selected peptides could penetrate within C. albicans cells and cause gross morphological alterations. Overall, the physical and chemical properties of the first residue were found to be important for peptide conformation, candidacidal activity and possible mechanism of action. Small antimicrobial peptides could be exploited for the development of a new generation of antifungal drugs, given their relative low cost and ease of production as well as the possibility of devising novel delivery systems.

Provisions of the marginal utility theory in the solution of bus servicing issues in the Arctic zone of Russia

Improving the effectiveness and quality of maintenance and repair of road vehicles is one of the primary tasks in the Arctic zone of Russia. The paper analyzes international experience in solving these problems. It provides a description of a system ensuring the operability of buses with a division into subsystems. The marginal utility theory in conjunction with a system of maintenance and repair of motor vehicles is presented. The following relationships are addressed: the fleet utilization coefficient vs. the relative cost of production and technical facilities, the technical readiness coefficient of vehicles vs. the relative cost of production and technical facilities, the specific capital investments in production and technical facilities vs. the scale of the enterprise, the technical readiness coefficient and the consumption of spare parts vs. the mechanization level. In the course of the study, we considered the structure of the operational and repair cycle of vehicles. Besides, we compared the effectiveness of different options for improving the production and technical facilities of bus servicing. It was proved that one of the most important effectiveness indicators (vehicle utilization rate) reaches the maximum level with a rational combination of servicing centralization, specialization, and cooperation.

Prospects for the implementation of autonomous power supply systems of agro-industrial production

Annotation Purpose. Improving the efficiency of agricultural production by creating a reliable autonomous power supply system based on natural and own renewable energy sources. Methods. Methods of system analysis and design of technical systems. Results. Principles of building an effective system for the use of natural and own renewable energy sources in agriculture. The general structure and parameters of the energy supply system of agricultural production. Conclusions 1. According to the energy strategy, Ukraine by 2030 should increase the share of renewable energy in its overall energy balance by almost 3 times – from 8 to 25%. 2. One of the real ways to increase the reliability and efficiency of electricity supply of agricultural facilities is the transition to autonomous energy supply systems based on the use of their own renewable energy sources with a relative production cost within 0.43–0.98 of the cost of centralized electricity production. 3. The structure of a specific power supply system of the agro-industrial sector should be formed on the basis of the characteristics of production and household needs, assessment of the potential and characteristics of renewable energy sources and conditions of safe, cost-effective operation. Keywords: agricultural production, renewable energy, ecology, efficiency.

Models to inform neutralizing antibody therapy strategies during pandemics: the case of SARS-CoV-2.

BackgroundNeutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) can play an important role in reducing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, complementing ongoing public health efforts such as diagnostics and vaccination. Rapidly designing, manufacturing and distributing nAbs requires significant planning across the product value chain and an understanding of the opportunities, challenges and risks throughout.MethodsA systems framework comprised of four critical components is presented to aid in developing effective end-to-end nAbs strategies in the context of a pandemic: (1) product design and optimization, (2) epidemiology, (3) demand and (4) supply. Quantitative models are used to estimate product demand using available epidemiological data, simulate biomanufacturing operations from typical bioprocess parameters and calculate antibody production costs to meet clinical needs under various realistic scenarios.ResultsIn a US-based case study during the 9-month period from March 15 to December 15, 2020, the projected number of SARS-CoV-2 infections was 15.73 million. The estimated product volume needed to meet therapeutic demand for the maximum number of clinically eligible patients ranged between 6.3 and 31.5 tons for 0.5 and 2.5 g dose sizes, respectively. The relative production scale and cost needed to meet demand are calculated for different centralized and distributed manufacturing scenarios.ConclusionsMeeting demand for anti-SARS-CoV-2 nAbs requires significant manufacturing capacity and planning for appropriate administration in clinical settings. MIT Center for Biomedical Innovation’s data-driven tools presented can help inform time-critical decisions by providing insight into important operational and policy considerations for making nAbs broadly accessible, while considering time and resource constraints.