Values Of Quality Characteristics Research Articles

An integrated fault diagnostic mechanism based on statistical characteristics of products for heterogeneous manufacturing environments

A fault diagnosis mechanism for heterogeneous manufacturing environments is developed. Using the correlation coefficient among quality characteristic values (QCVs) of products enables the functional correlation between processes to be uniformly treated according to causal relations among processes, despite their functional heterogeneity. Complex causal relations between QCVs are graphically represented by the influence graph, which is developed to model the diagnostic knowledge of our method. This mechanism realizes more accurate diagnostic capabilities than black-box methods, and still, does not require exhaustive modelling of the entire process, unlike model-based reasoning methods. The viability of this diagnostic approach was verified via simulation.

Effects of Cold Storage on Egg Quality

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of type and length of cold storage on egg quality. Eggs used in this study were collected from autosex hybrid layers (Silver). Eggs were randomly assigned into three groups as: (1) First group was kept under 18-20¼C and 48-52% RH for six weeks, (2) Second group kept under 4-5¼C and 58-62% RH for 11 weeks and (3) last group was directly analyzed to obtain initial values of egg quality characteristics. Each week 30 eggs were sampled from first and second groups to examine the effects of storage on the egg characteristics. Egg weight, albumen length, albumen width, albumen height, albumen index, yolk width, yolk height, yolk index and haugh unit were obtained. The results showed that egg quality was significantly affected by duration of egg storage and storage canditions. When the results compared with the egg quality standards of TSE (Institute of Turkish Standards) the eggs under room condition were in grade A for two weeks and grade B for five weeks. However it was possible to keep eggs at grade A for 11 weeks in the cold storage.

The market value of quality characteristics for US wheat exports

Abstract This study examines whether the grade determining and official criteria identified by the Federal Grain Inspection Service, including such things as test weight, moisture content, percentage of foreign material, percentage of shrunken and broken kernels, protein content, percentage of dockage, falling number, and the presence of insects influence the price of wheat for export and, in turn, the competitiveness of US wheat in the world market. Using shiplot data on the transactions price for hard red winter wheat, hard red spring wheat, and soft white wheat and the associated quality characteristics covering the period January 1990 to December 1991 and exported to 63 countries, the results suggest that the test weight, the percentage of shrunken and broken kernels, the protein content, the presence of aflatoxin, the presence of insects, and falling number are characteristics consistently valued by the market.

Values of Australian wheat and flour quality characteristics

There is currently a lack of information regarding the values of Australia's wheat and flour characteristics. A hedonic price function is applied to Australia's wheat exports over the period 1976–1977 to 1990–1991 to estimate the implicit prices of wheat and flour characteristics. The results suggest that protein is the most important wheat characteristic with a premium of $8.80/T/percentage point. Other wheat characteristics such as thousand-kernel weight and ash content are also found to have significant premiums and discounts. For flour, protein with a premium of $5.34/T/percent-age point and color grade are the most important characteristics. The implications of the results for policy formulation in relation to the grading system, breeding programs, and marketing are discussed. ©1994 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Implicit values of Beef carcass characteristics in Japan: Implications for the US Beef export industry

The signing of the 1988 Japan Beef Market Access Agreement has provided the US beef industry easier access to the Japanese market. To fully exploit the export opportunities afforded by the agreement, US producers may need to target, at least partially, the high-valued market niches. A hedonic price analysis was conducted to estimate the values of various yield and quality characteristics of beef carcasses in Japan. These estimates can be used to develop more profitable feeding practices for the Japanese market. The results also suggest that longer-fed US beef was priced similarly to Japanese dairy steers.

An interactive simulator for statistical process control

An interactive program has been developed which simulates several representative industrial processes. Specifically, the program generates product quality characteristic values which are concurrently monitored by standard control charting methods. The program requires the user to specify initial process parameter values and subsequent process adjustments; the latter is necessary in the event the process is deemed to be “out-of-control”. The effectiveness of these decisions are measured by economic criteria. The use of the software promotes a “hands-on” approach, which will better prepare the students to achieve quality improvements in an industrial environment through systematic and scientific evaluation.

Induced Agricultural Innovation and Environmental Quality: The Case of Groundwater Regulation

Induced innovation in agriculture includes the impacts of technology on environmental quality. The induced innovation hypothesis maintains that technological change substitutes abundant factors for scarce ones (Hayami and Ruttan 1985). This hypothesis may be extended by arguing that agricultural technology change often affects the quality of factors of production such as groundwater or soil fertility. Once adopted, for example, irrigation technology may affect groundwater quality. Yet the market often fails to reflect the scarcity value of environmental quality characteristics.