Value-added Functions Research Articles

An approach to harmonic current-free AC/DC power conversion for large industrial loads: the integration of a series active filter with a double-series diode rectifier

This paper proposes a new harmonic-free AC/DC power converter characterized by the integration of a small-rated series active filter with a large-rated double-series diode rectifier. The DC terminals of the series active filter are directly connected in parallel with those of the double-series diode rectifier, thereby forming a common DC bus. The series active filter enables the diode rectifier to draw three-phase sinusoidal currents from the utility. In addition, it can provide the supplementary value-added function of regulating the common DC bus voltage to a limited extent of /spl plusmn/5%, with slightly increased RMS voltage rating but without increasing peak voltage rating. Experimental results obtained from a 5 kW laboratory system verify the practical viability and cost-effectiveness of the proposed AC/DC power converter.

Reengineering for Revenue Growth

As more and more companies reengineer for revenue growth, R&D's value-added functions gain even greater importance. Successful companies today recognize that R&D is an important part of virtually e...

Manufacturing system performance sensitivity to selection of product design metrics

How and to what level the choice of design metrics influences manufacturing system performance measures is examined for three different types of manufacturing systems. The manufacturing systems were modeled using digital simulation for an electronics assembly case study. The design metrics examined were: (1) part density, (2) part variety, and (3) level of automation. System performance was evaluated using: (1) percentage of time for value-adding process functions, (2) production rate, and (3) nonconformance ratio. Regression modeling suggested that design metrics which affect quality influenced system performance measures the most. The design metric having the highest impact was the level of automation.

TRANSLOG PRICE ESTIMATIONS OF SINGAPORE'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES

TRANSLOG PRICE ESTIMATIONS OF SINGAPORE'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES

Publishing-A View on Science/Technology Information (STI) Transfer

A viewpoint is given on the breakup of classic science/technology information (STI) publishing functions that are accelerated by advances in technology. The publisher value-added function is stressed for conventional publishing. By-the-hit marketing is emphasized for low readership material.

Production Economics: A Dual Approach to Theory and Application

Contributions to Economic Analysis: Production Economics: A Dual Approach to Theory and Applications, Volume 2 focuses on the theory of production from the standpoint of the "dual", the relationships between economic observables which are dual to physical technology. The selection first ponders on duality, intermediate inputs and value-added, Hicks' aggregation theorem and the existence of a real value-added function, and homotheticity and real value-added in Canadian manufacturing. Discussions focus on real value-added and the production structure, estimation of the production structure, double deflation and real value-added, measurement of total productivity, and duality between direct and conditional indirect utility functions. The book then examines the estimation techniques for the elasticity of substitution and other production parameters and measurement of the elasticity of factor substitution and bias of technical change. The publication takes a look at the identification of technical change in the electricity generating industry, factor substitution in electricity generation, and the effectiveness of rate-of-return regulation. Topics include statistical tests of regulatory effectiveness, profit function for a regulated firm, tests of the structure of technology, identification problems in the measurement of technical change, and measurement of disembodied technical change. The selection is a valuable source of information for economists and researchers interested in production economics.

Economies of Scale and the Form of the Production Function. Some New Estimates

Some procedures used in a previous study to estimate production function parameters on the basis of individual establishment data for Norwegian mining and manufacturing from the Census of 1963 are repeated on corresponding data for 1974. Three main issues are considered: the order of magnitude of the output elasticities of labor and capital and the scale-elasticity in value-added production functions, the order of magnitude of the elasticity of substitution between labor and capital, and the role of materials in production. Taking the substantial structural changes in Norwegian mining and manufacturing during this period into account, as well as the differences in the data concerning the selection of units and the information basis of the variable measures, the results obtained for the two years are surprisingly close. The results suggest that labor-saving technical change has taken place. This conclusion is not very roboust, however, against differences between the two years concerning the magnitude and nature of measurement errors in the capital input variable due to differences in the information available about capital. The largest difference is found for the elasticity of substitution between labor and capital. Two basically different methods of estimation suggest that while the elasticity was slightly below one in 1963, it was substantially above one in 1974. All in all, however, the similarities in the results are more striking than the dissimilarities.

The existence of a real value-added function in the Canadian manufacturing sector

Sims (1969), Gordon (1969), and Arrow (1972) have demonstrated that the capability of using real value-added to measure the output of a sector when material inputs are employed in the production process rests upon primary factor inputs being weakly separable from material inputs. In Canada, the double deflation technique is used by Statistics Canada to measure the real value-added output of an industry; this technique assumes strong separability. This paper tests both of these separability hypotheses for the Canadian manufacturing sector using data from 1950 to 1972 and a translogarithmic production function. Our tests lead us to reject both the strong and weak separability hypotheses. Furthermore, our estimates of the Allen partial elasticity of substitution of capital for labor are radically different from the results of previous Canadian studies.