Small-scale Manufacturing Research Articles

ANALISIS TINJAUAN ATAU GAMBARAN EKONOMI MAKRO TERHADAP EKONOMI REGIONAL DAN NASIONAL

The economic structure, when viewed from the perspective of expenditure, will always be closely linked to Household and Corporate Consumption (C), Government Expenditure (G), Investment (I), and Exports-Imports (X – M). Consumption is divided into Household and Corporate/Industrial Consumption (C), which also includes consumption expenditures by non-profit institutions, as well as Government Consumption (Government Expenditure = G). These types of consumption are the most determining factors or play the most significant role in the economic conditions of a region (regional) and a country (national), typically accounting for about 70 percent of the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) or Gross National Product (GNP) annually. Productive Investment (I) made by a region or country within the context of GRDP or GNP serves as a foundation for future steady income and acts as a multiplier effect factor, significantly influencing the increase in regional or national income. Productive investments are expected to contribute around 15 percent of GRDP. Similarly, Exports (X) should far exceed Imports (M) because when X significantly surpasses M, it can generate substantial foreign exchange or a surplus in the Balance of Payments (BoP). Conversely, if a region or country imports more than it exports, it will experience trade deficits, financial losses, a Passive Trade Balance, or a Negative Net Import Balance. Such a situation will greatly impact the regional or national economy, including an increase in debt, stagnation in the domestic economy and industries, and the bankruptcy of many businesses and industries. If productive investments are relatively high (around 40 percent of GRDP), this will positively boost the domestic industry, including large, medium, and small-scale manufacturing industries. Imports, which typically play a role of around 27 percent, also contribute significantly. A large population in a region or country serves as a very potential market share.

Task loading of soldering workers in small-scale manufacturing units

Soldering is common in electrical product manufacturing, but the task load in small units is unquantified. Therefore, this study aimed to establish the occurrence of task load due to soldering work, analyzing the effects of age and sex among workers in small manufacturing units. The task load of 102 soldering workers from four small-scale manufacturing units was assessed using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration task load index (NASA-TLX) questionnaire, covering six dimensions: physical demand, mental demand, temporal demand, effort, performance and frustration. Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann–Whitney U test, the Kruskal–Wallis test and ordinal regression, considering age, sex and work characteristics as independent variables. Age and work characteristics significantly influenced task loading, with a high prevalence of physical, mental and temporal demands and effort among soldering workers. These findings could lead to interventions in terms of the workstation design.

Inquiry into firm owner’s risk preference and output disparity: evidence from the small-scale manufacturing firms in the Tigray region, Ethiopia

Inquiry into firm owner’s risk preference and output disparity: <i>evidence from the small-scale manufacturing firms in the Tigray region, Ethiopia</i>

Environmental Footprints of Yogurt Production: A Case Study of a Small-Scale Manufacturing Process in Sri Lanka

This study investigated the life cycle environmental impacts of yogurt production from cradle to gate at the Pulathisi milk factory in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka. The functional unit considered was one kilogram of yogurt produced in the factory using existing technology. The defined system boundary encompassed raw milk production and transportation, machinery fabrication, standardization of milk, and standard unit operations of yogurt production. Material and energy usage data were collected through a series of observations, literature and Ecoinvent 3.7.1 databases. The ReCiPe 2008 method was employed for impact analysis, considering eighteen impact categories with SimaPro software. The inventory analysis included material consumption for machinery fabrication, energy consumption, and emissions for each unit operation in yogurt production. Results were characterized using midpoint indicators, and normalized impacts were calculated. The characterized outcomes of the yogurt production process contributed 2.48 kgCO2eq to climate change, 0.0297 kgSO2eq to acidification, 0.0002 kgPeq to eutrophication, and 6.9199 kg 1,4-DBeq to human toxicity. The study identified hotspots, emphasizing the significant contributions of cow milk production and electricity usage to environmental impacts. Potential mitigations, such as improved waste management in dairy farming and switching to renewable energy sources, are proposed to address these impacts. The normalized impacts provided insights for decision-makers and stakeholders to compare environmental performances and guide sustainable practices in yogurt production. The total impact was recorded as 0.014-person equivalent per year per one kilogram of yogurt.

Spatial Politics of Cultural Production: Negotiating Workspaces and Resisting Displacement at Industrial Heritage Sites in Berlin

Derelict industrial spaces have been crucial spatial resources for artists and cultural production for decades, often forming vibrant cultural clusters. However, these spaces are increasingly threatened by speculative real-estate development and displacement through more “productive” creative industries. The case of Alte Münze in Berlin provides empirical insight into the politics, practices, and strategies essential for preserving these heritage sites in the long term for cultural use. This research underscores the need for supportive planning regulations that combine cultural policy with urban planning, advocate for public-civic partnerships, and promote public or community-based ownership models. The findings extend to small-scale manufacturers and businesses facing similar challenges in maintaining workspaces amid competitive urban land use pressures.

When do firms respond to external pressure for environmental management? Insights from deterrence theory

Extant literature indicates that external stakeholder pressure drives corporate environmental management practices. However, in practice, firms operating within the same context often exhibit divergent responses to stakeholder ecological demands. This research integrates stakeholder theory and deterrence theory to explore how a firm's perception of the consequences of non-compliance—referred to as the 'level of deterrence'—moderates the relationship between external pressure and environmental management practices. By combining these theoretical perspectives, the study advances the understanding of why firms respond differently to similar stakeholder pressures. The conceptual framework is tested using survey data from 157 small-scale manufacturers in Ghana, a Sub-Saharan African country. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and hierarchical ordinary least squares regression were employed to analyze the relationships among the variables. The results reveal that the influence of external pressure on environmental management is strengthened when deterrence is high and weakened when deterrence is low. These findings underscore the need to reassess the certainty, swiftness, and severity of penalties for environmental violations in developing economies while highlighting the importance of stakeholder influence in driving corporate sustainability efforts.

Industrial Pollution in Patna City : Physico-Chemical Analysis of Effluents and Their Effects on Water and Soil

Industrial pollution is a significant concern in Patna City, with rapid urbanization and industrial growth contributing to the degradation of natural resources. This study focuses on the physico-chemical analysis of industrial effluents and their effects on the water and soil quality in and around Patna. Effluents from various industries, including textile, sugar, rice mills, and small-scale manufacturing units, are released into nearby water bodies and soils, posing serious environmental risks. The research aims to assess the levels of pollutants by analysing key physico-chemical parameters such as pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), heavy metals (lead, chromium, cadmium), and organic contaminants in industrial effluents. Samples were collected from various locations near industrial zones and water bodies. The study also evaluated the impact of these pollutants on soil and groundwater quality. It was found that prolonged exposure to industrial effluents led to the accumulation of toxic metals in soil, reducing its fertility and altering its structure. Additionally, groundwater sources were contaminated with hazardous chemicals, making them unfit for drinking and irrigation purposes. The implementation of advanced treatment technologies and sustainable industrial practices is crucial for safeguarding the environment and public health in Patna City.

Flexible plasmonic display featuring differentiated and localized control over transmission and reflection

Structural colors using metal materials, plasmonic color generation, can confine optical excitation beyond the diffraction limit owing to nanoscale metals with high efficiency in light absorption and scattering. They have several advantages over conventional display technology, including superior resolution and long-term preservation. However, most research on plasmonic color generation has been conducted for the development of static color generation, and dynamic tuning remains a challenging issue. To develop dynamic plasmonic colors, electrochemical, liquid crystal, and electromechanical methods have been proposed; however, there have been limitations in repeatability, flexibility, and scale-up processes. To address these problems, this work proposes a flexible dynamic plasmonic display using dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) to isotropically control the interdistance between the metal nanostructures, which can show dynamic coloration without polarization distortion. To replace the expensive and small-scale manufacturing approach, shadow masking and transfer technique with the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane was applied to realize large-scale and uniformly distributed Au nanodisc array. The differentiated and localized color change in the transmission and reflection modes, such as Janus's face, is realized by proper design of Au nanodisc array on the patterned transparent compliant electrodes formed by silver nanowires and PEDOT:PSS composites. Apparent and locally active color changes appeared in the transmission mode, but almost no color changes were observed in the reflection model by DEA actuation. The proposed system has the potential to activate color filters, cryptographic characters, and next generation display technologies.

Hybrid modeling of T-shaped partial least squares regression and transfer learning for formulation and manufacturing process development of new drug products

T-shaped partial least squares regression (T-PLSR) is a valuable machine learning technique for the formulation and manufacturing process development of new drug products. An accurate T-PLSR model requires experimental data with multiple formulations and process conditions. However, it is usually challenging to collect comprehensive experimental data using large-scale manufacturing equipment because of the cost, time, and large consumption of raw materials. This study proposes a hybrid modeling of T-PLSR and transfer learning (TL) to enhance the prediction performance of a T-PLSR model for large-scale manufacturing data by exploiting a large amount of small-scale manufacturing data for model building. The proposed method of T-PLSR+TL was applied to a practical case study focusing on scaling up the tableting process from an experienced compaction simulator to a less-experienced rotary tablet press. The T-PLSR+TL models achieved significantly better prediction performance for tablet quality attributes of new drug products than T-PLSR models without using large-scale manufacturing data with new drug products. The results demonstrated that T-PLSR+TL is more capable of addressing new drug products than T-PLSR by using small-scale manufacturing data to cover a scarcity of large-scale manufacturing data. Furthermore, T-PLSR+TL holds the potential to streamline formulation and manufacturing process development activities for new drug products using an extensive database.

An Intelligent Manufacturing Management System for Enhancing Production in Small-Scale Industries

Industry 4.0 integrates the intelligent networking of machines and processes through advanced information and communication technologies (ICTs). Despite advancements, small mechanical manufacturing enterprises face significant challenges transitioning to ICT-supported Industry 4.0 models due to a lack of technical expertise and infrastructure. These enterprises commonly encounter variable production volumes, differing priorities in customer orders, and diverse production capacities across low-, medium-, and high-level outputs. Frequent issues with machine health, glitches, and major breakdowns further complicate optimizing production scheduling. This paper presents a novel production management approach that harnesses bio-inspired methods alongside Internet of Things (IoT) technology to address these challenges. This comprehensive approach integrates the real-time monitoring and intelligent production order distribution, leveraging advanced LoRa wireless communication technology. The system ensures efficient and concurrent data acquisition from multiple sensors, facilitating accurate and prompt capture, transmission, and storage of machine status data. The experimental results demonstrate significant improvements in data collection time and system responsiveness, enabling the timely detection and resolution of machine failures. Additionally, an enhanced genetic algorithm dynamically allocates tasks based on machine status, effectively reducing production completion time and machine idle time. Case studies in a screw manufacturing facility validate the practical applicability and effectiveness of the proposed system. The seamless integration of the scheduling algorithm with the real-time monitoring subsystem ensures a coordinated and efficient production process, ultimately enhancing productivity and resource utilization. The proposed system’s robustness and efficiency highlight its potential to revolutionize production management in small-scale manufacturing settings.

Technology of low-fat mozzarella cheese

Mozzarella cheese is an unripened cheesewidely used as a key ingredient in pizza making due to its unique stretch property. While Mozzarella cheese contributes well to the protein content it negatively contributes to a high fat content which is considered unhealthy. To make pizza healthy, low-fat mozzarella cheese is desirable. In the present article, various means and technologies that can be adopted to reduce the fat content of the mozzarella cheese is highlighted to popularize their adoption by the large as well as small scale manufacturers. The key technologies include the change in casein to fat ratio, use of protein and carbohydrate-based fat replacers, use of hydrocolloids and emulsifiers while simultaneously meeting the legal requirements of the country for the specific standards and permitted additives.

Evaluating supply chain management practice among micro and small manufacturing enterprise in southwest, Ethiopia

The aim of this study was to assess the supply chain management practices of micro and small scale manufacturing enterprise operated in Bench-Sheko zone, southwest, Ethiopia. This examination utilized the realistic investigation plan to overview the appraisal of store network the board rehearses on the miniature and limited scope fabricating endeavors worked in Bench-Sheko zone. The assessment has accepted qualitative investigation approach. The study uncovered that just 38%, 26%, 32%, 49%, 15%, 43%, 36%, 38%, 32%, 27% and 34% of assembling endeavors in the zone consolidate natural prerequisites in choosing suppliers, reuse side-effect, squander reusing strategy, utilized crude materials that needs less energy, give impetuses to the possible providers, share data oftentimes to the providers, advance vital provider relationship, advance store network joining, quality coordination’s, electronic coordination’s the executives and coordination’s timetable alone. The after effect of this study has some significant ramifications to the miniature and limited scope producing undertakings. In such manner to remain serious and make due over the long haul the assembling ventures should zero in additional on accepting green supply chain network, supplier relationship and logistics management.

Personality-Traits Taxonomy and Operational and Environmental Performance: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Small and Medium Scale Manufacturing Enterprises

This research aimed to assess the operational and environmental performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria in relation to their adoption of personality-traits taxonomy (i.e., conscientiousness, openness to experience, extraversion, neuroticism or emotional resilience and agreeableness). The survey-based study involved the entire population of SME operators in South West Nigeria, totaling 1842 individuals (i.e., entrepreneurs). Through the use of stratified random-selection methods, a sample size of 420 was chosen. Data was collected, and both structural and measurement models were used to assess it. The results of the study demonstrate that personality traits have a significant influence on how successful SMEs function. The results also demonstrate that personality traits have a positive impact on SMEs’ environmental performance. These findings suggest that sustaining operational and environmental performance may be accomplished by resource allocation, promoting diversity and inclusion, and employing trustworthy assessment methods. To enhance both their overall operational performance and their environmental performance in particular, the study advises SME operators in Nigeria to undertake proper management of personality traits for sustainability. The paper recommends for greater research on this subject and emphasises the necessity of understanding how personality factors impact operational and environmental performance in Nigerian SMEs.

Building a knowledge graph to enrich ChatGPT responses in manufacturing service discovery

Sourcing and identification of new manufacturing partners is crucial for manufacturing system integrators to enhance agility and reduce risk through supply chain diversification in the global economy. The advent of advanced large language models has captured significant interest, due to their ability to generate comprehensive and articulate responses across a wide range of knowledge domains. However, the system often falls short in accuracy and completeness when responding to domain-specific inquiries, particularly in areas like manufacturing service discovery. This research explores the potential of leveraging Knowledge Graphs in conjunction with ChatGPT to streamline the process for prospective clients in identifying small manufacturing enterprises. In this study, we propose a method that integrates bottom-up ontology with advanced machine learning models to develop a Manufacturing Service Knowledge Graph from an array of structured and unstructured data sources, including the digital footprints of small-scale manufacturers throughout North America. The Knowledge Graph and the learned graph embedding vectors are leveraged to tackle intricate queries within the digital supply chain network, responding with enhanced reliability and greater interpretability. The approach highlighted is scalable to millions of entities that can be distributed to form a global Manufacturing Service Knowledge Network Graph that can potentially interconnect multiple types of Knowledge Graphs that span industry sectors, geopolitical boundaries, and business domains. The dataset developed for this study, now publicly accessible, encompasses more than 13,000 manufacturers’ weblinks, manufacturing services, certifications, and location entity types.

Measuring the tensile properties of Ti6Al4V fabricated by laser powder bed fusion: Influence of specimen dimensions

This study presents the mechanical characterization of vertical Ti6Al4V tensile specimens produced by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processing and then heat-treated according to AMS2801 standard. The surfaces were kept in the as-built condition for the evaluations. Three rectangular specimen geometries were considered, with a reduced section of 6 × 6 × 25, 3 × 3 × 12.5, and 1 × 1.5 × 7 mm3 respectively. The surface roughness, length-scale of the microstructure, and average microhardness were compared and found to be unaffected by part section, in the range of sizes explored. The non-destructive measurement of the cross-sectional area of the tested specimens affected the accuracy on the measurement of the tensile strength. The use of conventional tools, such as calipers and micrometers, led to an overestimation of the cross-sectional area by 7 to 15 %, which caused an underestimation of the tensile stresses. When calculating the stress with the cross-sectional area measured from computed tomography images, the Young’s modulus, yield strength and ultimate tensile strength were comparable for all geometries. However, the elongation at break was 9 % for the smallest specimens compared to 12 % for ASTM E8 coupons. The reduction of ductility was explained by a higher slimness ratio for smaller specimens, in addition to an increased effect of pores and the surface roughness. These results highlight the importance of using specimens representative of a part wall thickness when characterizing the mechanical properties of LPBF Ti6Al4V. The methodological recommendations established in this study can be applied to other LPBF materials and other small scale manufacturing processes.

Impact of innovative leadership in achieving sustainable development goals: a study conducted among selected small-scale industry units in Kerala, India

The ability of a leader to inspire prodigious action in himself and those around him during periods of idea generation and innovation is known as innovation leadership. Innovative leaders may encourage those around them to make their big aspirations and creative ideas a reality. They are creative visionaries with huge dreams and innovative ideas. With sustainable development, business objectives can be achieved without compromising the resources required for future generations. It only concentrates on the expansion of resources to meet future needs over the long term. It is crucial to strike a balance between these two ideas because without sound leadership direction, social, human, and cultural progress cannot occur. This study attempts to provide a clear picture of the effects of innovative leadership on the achievement of sustainable development goals and the performance of the organisation. The sample units for this research are selected registered small-scale manufacturing entities from the Indian State of Kerala. This study shows a strong correlation between inventive leadership, long-term viability, and corporate success. Future studies in the field of innovative leadership will use this study as a model.

ROLE OF COTTAGE INDUSTRIES IN RURAL LIVELIHOODS

Agriculture and traditional handicrafts are deeply ingrained in Indias rural terrain, and cottage businesses have emerged as a key component in maintaining rural livelihoods. This abstract explores the complex aspects of the function that cottage industries play in rural Indias socio-economic structure. Cottage industries, which are sometimes confused with small-scale businesses, cover a broad range of pursuits, from contemporary pursuits like small-scale manufacturing and internet businesses to traditional handicrafts, handloom weaving, ceramics, and agro-processing. These sectors, which have their roots in rural Indias rich cultural legacy, provide major contributions to job creation, income production, and skill development-all of which are critical for reducing poverty. Cottage industries promote inclusive growth by giving people in disadvantaged communities of society more possibilities to find work. For example, women in rural regions frequently use cottage enterprises to achieve financial independence and self-empowerment. The case studies and success stories in this abstract demonstrate how cottage enterprises have a transforming effect on gender dynamics in rural areas. The role of cottage industries in rural livelihoods in India is a dynamic and evolving narrative. This abstract provides insights into the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of cottage industries, emphasizing their potential as catalysts for inclusive and sustainable rural development. Understanding and nurturing these industries is crucial for unlocking the full potential of rural economies and fostering a more resilient and empowered rural India.

Research on the current state of makerspace development in areas with small-scale manufacturing clusters

Research on the current state of makerspace development in areas with small-scale manufacturing clusters

End-to-End Continuous Small-Scale Drug Substance Manufacturing: From a Continuous In Situ Nucleator to Free-Flowing Crystalline Particles

In the evolving landscape of pharmaceutical manufacturing, a comprehensive continuous production process is being crafted for the small-scale production of active pharmaceutical ingredients. This study focuses on continuous crystallization with separate nucleation and crystal growth units, as well as continuous downstream processing, encompassing filtration, washing, and drying until the formation of free-flowing particles. We introduce a novel continuous nucleator designed based on solubility data and produced via 3D printing, enabling the fast and precise small-scale manufacturing of a nucleator meeting the requirements for nucleation and further growth processes. The nucleator is evaluated with regard to its suitability for continuous long-term operation across various coupled crystallizers. As a practical application example, it is connected to a slug flow crystallizer to enable high-quality continuous crystallization. Additionally, the full integration of downstream processes using a continuous vacuum screw filter to achieve free-flowing product particles is realized. Even under non-optimized process conditions, with the help of the in situ generation of nuclei, free-flowing product particles are successfully obtained. This is particularly useful during drug development when no material is available for seed addition and to quickly obtain products for further characterization.

Model the complexities in inventories: the case of Tradeasia

Learning outcomes Upon completion of the case study, the students will be able to find the challenges and underlying structures that cause the problem; the students will be able to identify the dynamic variables and develop the interconnection and interlinkages among the time-delayed variables to build the story of the business case; the students could develop the block diagram and could build the system dynamics model using the simulation software STELLA, and if they do not have the simulation software, even then they could have a mental model to understand the problem well; the system dynamics students can design the policies to make the system better behaved and recommend solutions; and the students could make mind maps and develop the mental model and could recommend solutions and way forward to overcome the challenges and solve the issues. Case overview/synopsis Tradeasia is a small-scale manufacturing firm that had started its business activities near Sundar Industrial Estate, Raiwind, in September 2007. The company’s prime focus was to buy the potato starch from chips manufacturing companies and, then, extract the potato starch from the waste potato using its own machinery and sell it as a sizing agent to textile mills. Quality characteristics in terms of better millage and enhanced gullibility made it compatible with Rafhan corn-based starch. The major challenge linked to potato starch was its degree of wetness; the potato starch either extracted from rotten potato or procured from the potato chips manufacturing companies had a high degree of wetness and moisture content. Wet potato starch sometimes had more than 60% moisture content, which was really a challenge. Owing to the high degree of wetness, the wet starch was prone to fungus growth, and within hours, the fungus created toxins if it was not dried immediately, and then after 24 h, toxins acquired a black colour, and they became hardened like pebbles. The starch then was unusable even for sizing purposes for textile products. Reduction in the degree of wetness was really a big challenge and demanded prompt action and high productivity of the operational staff to make that product dry for sale purposes. This was the biggest challenge that ended up in huge inventories of wet starch. Capacity constraints and operational inefficiency killed the company’s productivity and affected the company’s profit. Complexity academic level This case study is written and developed for MBA and MS-level supply chain students of the system dynamics course or those studying management of supply chain complexities. This case study discusses the operational challenges while running the business; huge inventories, capacity constraints and inefficiency in production operations were the challenges associated with almost all manufacturing industries. This case study discussed not only why such challenges are appearing in the business but also the solution that resided in the wisdom shared by the employees in the board meeting. An integrated system dynamics model could be used to design the policies to overcome such challenges. Even the block diagram of the model and causal loop diagram could help to conceptualize the problem and explore the way forward. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 7: Management science.