Papers by Keyword: Costs

Abstract: The largest contribution to air pollution comes from the transportation sector, especially motorcycles which reach up to 60%. This is an important issue. An effort chosen by the Indonesian government to realize the emission reduction target is by transitioning conventional motorcycles to electric motorcycles. The use of electric vehicles releases lower emissions than conventional vehicles that use fossil fuels. The trend of electric motorcycles adoption in adoption innovation and early adoption is being carried out in Indonesia. Thus, it is necessary to examine the factors that influence the adoption of electric motorcycles in Indonesia with various variable development models. In this study, the influence of mobility behavior, knowledge of electric motorcycles, availability of charging stations, battery replacement costs, and energy charging costs was observed on the selection of hybrid motorcycles, electric motorcycles with batteries, and electric motorcycles battery rental systems using a multinomial logit model. The research found the most chosen motorcycles is an electric motorcycles with a battery.

Abstract: Most prosperous companies understand marketing activity, not as separate function but as a philosophy to be endorsed by the entire organization. The marketing department is responsible to identify the categories of consumers and the needs that the company can meet profitably, as well as how to achieve this goal, compared to those performed competition. Identifying appropriate benefits is very important for the future success of the project. If an expert system solves a problem whose losses are already known, it is easy to estimate the value of future benefits.Costs and benefits must be justified for lifelong expert system.The cost is justified for each phase of development.The benefits provided are studying, face to face with costs at every stage.

Abstract: Availability and variety of materials and technologies used for construction of roads allows for searching for solutions which are the best and optimal in the economical range. The article presents the analysis of various design solutions (susceptible, semi-rigid, and rigid pavements) depending on material and cost solutions. In case of susceptible and semi-rigid pavements the first layer subjected to direct influence of traffic and weather conditions is the grindable layer. It may be made from various mineral and asphalt mixtures: stone mastic asphalt (SMA), asphalt concrete (AC), porous asphalt (PA), asphalt concrete for very thin layers (BBTM), and mastic asphalt (MA). The costs of realization of 4 cm of the grindable layer vary from 40.37 PLN to 50.65 PLN (1 PLN = 0.26 USD) depending on used mixture. Another layer in the susceptible and semi-rigid pavements is the binding layer, and the realization cost per 1m² of the binding layer e.g. of type B is from 53.46 PLN to 71.37 PLN depending on used mixture and traffic category. The materials used for realization of the binding layer are the mineral and asphalt mixtures, in particular the asphalt concrete of three recommended graining - AC 11, AC 16, and AC 22. The material and cost optimization of the typical solutions of the pavement design, taking all layers into consideration, allowed for determining the “economical” solutions not only for a given traffic category, but also for a given type. Savings in case of the same design types are from approximately 11 PLN to over 12 PLN for the susceptible and semi-rigid design, and from 0.39 PLN to 0.49 PLN in case of realization of 1 m² of the rigid design.

Abstract: Composite systems are materials that due to its characteristics and its achievement of synergistic effects are increasingly applied. The most frequent composites are composites mainly with long fibers. In the interaction with the polymer matrix can be used inorganic fibers, but recently there is a substitution of these fibers with organic fibers. The main advantage of using organic fibers is their low cost, low weight, and availability. The benefits can also cite environmental aspects. The disadvantage is the very nature of the organic material. The paper describes a long-fiber composite system prepared by vacuum infusion and compares the tensile strength of composites with randomly oriented and arranged sisal fibers, depending on the flow direction of the resin during vacuum infusion. Composite systems were cut from boards made by vacuum infusion using a water jet. These boards are widely used by industries such as automotive or building to where the natural fibers can create design function. The use of natural fibers in this process is inexpensive and such materials can be referenced as biocomposites, saving the primary raw material. The paper describes the tensile strength and hardness. Electron microscopy was used to evaluate fracture surfaces and the morphology of the fibers.

Abstract: The present paper describes an innovative methodology that has been developed for optimization of product properties, production costs, and environmental impact in fabrication of aluminium alloys. The main idea is to represent each operation along the process chain by predictive models, which include material, mechanical, cost, and sustainability models. A multi-objective optimization platform is used to combine the models into a common software environment, which allows fully automatic simulations. The optimization tool runs the models in iterations until user-defined acceptance levels on properties, costs, and sustainability indices are obtained. In this paper, the methodology has been applied for fabrication of 6xxx-series aluminium extrusions. As a demonstration of practical relevance, the software tool was used to optimize mechanical properties and electrical conductivity by manipulation of alloy chemistry, processing parameters, and microstructure characteristics like grain structure, precipitates, dispersoids, and solid solution concentrations. At the same time material and production costs, as well as CO₂ emissions along the value chain were attempted to be kept at minimum levels.

Abstract: This paper is focused on properties of fresh and hardened cement-based composite Ultra-High Performance Concrete with regard to different volume fraction of short brass coated steel fibers BASF MASTERFIBER® 482. Workability of fresh concrete and basic mechanical properties (tensile strength in bending, compressive strength) of hardened UHPC were found out. The workability of fresh concrete was measured by small mortar Haegermann cone. Percentage differences at cost were obtained at hardened concrete, too. The aim of the first experimental part of the research was the impact of volume fraction of steel fibers according to workability of fresh concrete and also according to mechanical properties of hardened UHPC with the same volume fraction of each component of the mixture, only the volume fraction of the steel fibers was different at each mixture. The mixture design of UHPC was changed to maintaining the workability of fresh concrete at the second part of the research. The workability at mixture with dosage of steel fibers of 300 kg/m³ measured by Haegermann cone was around 300 mm. In the framework of grant project GAČR 15-05791S the basic mechanical properties of hardened fine-grained cementitious composite material UHPC at small beams size of 160/40/40 mm and beams size 300/70/70 mm were determined. The aim of the research project was not only the determination of basic mechanical properties for each mixture design but also workability assessment and costs linked with higher amount of the volume fracture of steel fibers.

Abstract: The article is devoted to the application of the method of performance evaluation of the production process design, using associative design. A number of approaches to estimation of efficiency of associative design, which are based on estimates of the design timing, the number of imposed changes at appropriate stages of the product life cycle.

Abstract: South African Foundries have promptly been met with challenges from international competition due in part to trade “liberalisation” of South African foreign trade. To objectively evaluate the challenge, data from selected local foundries were analysed together with and compared to international data from selected countries from industry and specific foundry macro level. The review seeks to evaluate the impact of resource use efficiency and resource specific cost on the local foundry and compare the challenges and opportunities available specifically to the local foundry industry. A simplified financial model was used to output an income statement type result containing the major cost elements, to arrive at levels of profitability, which was used to evaluate and compare the competitiveness of the local to international foundry industry. From these results, some macro suggestions for the local foundry industry to achieve sustainable cost competiveness improvements become apparent. Index Terms: South African Foundries, Sand, Investment, Die, Gravity, High Pressure, Benchmarking, Resource efficiency, Resource usage, Resource costs, International comparison.

Abstract: Using infinite servers queues systems parameters, focused on its busy period, the performance and the differential costs of a two echelons repair system are analyzed through a model constructed with this goal. This kind of repair systems may be useful, for instance, in the operation of a fleet either of aircraft, or of shipping or of trucks

Abstract: The goal of this paper is to examine industrial applications for semi-solid castings, and to develop strategies necessary for the wider commercialization of the semi-solid casting process. The performance and production techniques of semi-solid castings are reviewed, with the goal of identifying commercial niches where semi-solid castings can provide clear benefits over other casting process. A comparison of mechanical properties between semi-solid castings and other casting processes is presented. In addition, this paper provides an evaluation of the features of the optimal semi-solid casting processes, examines the characteristics of components that would benefit for production by semi-solid casting and describe the types of quality systems that casters need to have in place to make these types of castings. Cost analyses are presented suggesting that rheocasting can complete well with other casting processes.