Applied Mechanics and Materials Vol. 761

Abstract: An upgrade product design method is one of the efficient design methods for reducing environmental loads caused by mass production, consumption, and disposal. This method seeks to design a product that can adapt to future required performance and functions via component upgrade by exchanging components in the early phase of design. Because considerations of future product performance and functions include uncertain design information, an accurate prediction is very difficult. Therefore, this study defines uncertain design information as ranged sets, and applies a preference set-based design method that can correspondingly obtain ranged sets of design solutions. In previous studies, proposed methods were focused on product performance enhancement without quantitative consideration of environmental loads. Hence, this study proposes an upgrade product design method that can address the enhancement of product performance, while concurrently reducing production cost and environmental load, which is herein strictly defined as the amount of CO₂ emission. Finally, our proposed upgrade product design method is applied to a laptop PC design problem to demonstrate its utility.

Abstract: This paper discusses the development of E-saving glass (ESG) in Malaysia by using quality function deployment (QFD) method for market transformation. This paper focuses on two objectives, i.e., (i) to investigate the suitability of the ESG in Malaysian market for customer satisfaction, product quality and manufacturer competitiveness by using systematic tools of QFD process, and (ii) the implementation of ESG by looking at factors analysis based on QFD method and Malaysian market transformation. The QFD method is utilised by a multidisciplinary team to translate a set of customer requirements (the “voice of customer” (VOC)), market research and technical benchmarking data into an appropriate number of prioritised engineering targets that could be met by a new product design.

Abstract: Houses and small farms in remote area typically use batteries or generator for their lighting and electricity needs. However, with the use of generators, the availability and cost of fuel to power the generators are of the main concerns. Other type of renewable energy such as wind and solar, which is only available for several hours per day; are also very costly. Hence, a cheaper and reliable option is needed. Although large hydropower plant provides electricity for industry and domestic use, small scale hydropower plant does contributes toward providing this basic need to remote, off-grid areas and backup power particularly in developing countries. Thus, this paper focuses on small scale hydropower, self-excited application which does not require river-run-off or dam for water storage. It is cost effective, environmentally friendly and the turbine system can be manufactured locally. Several existing research in Malaysia are highlighted and small scale hydropower is reviewed based on their application on rural environment.

Abstract: River pollution has been a global issue and the consequences of polluted rivers are significantly affecting human health and well-being. Meanwhile, water treatment plants (WTP) are often related to high energy cost. Nevertheless, there is an abundance of hydraulic energy stored in the flowing water, which can be converted into mechanical energy to operate the WTP. The focus of this paper is to describe an innovative method of harnessing buoyancy force to save the energy cost of commonly used motorized equipment in the conventional WTP. The benefit of this product is to create a green environment by utilizing a readily available hydraulic energy and restoring river water quality. This study has shown that a cost-saving water treatment plant operating based on buoyancy force is feasible. This product enables electricity cost to be minimized while treating river water at the same time.

Abstract: Managing risk at the beginning stage of product development is considered to be the answer in securing a business future and success for any organization in the long run. Lean principles have an important role in ensuring the success of implementing risk management to identify and eliminate product risk at the early stages. This paper aims to review the lean principles approach in solving poor risk management. Although lean principles usually use tools, this study describes the further use of integrating lean principle to identify the important elements and advantages for risk management in the new product development (NPD) stage. This study also proposes the conceptual framework of a project management development system, which can help to ensure that organizations always stay competitive in the market and improve the skills of project managers for proper development execution.

Abstract: In ship building, the design objective is based on the performance, in terms of technological aspects such as fuel oil consumption rate, maximum speed or combination of those. The proposed method simulates the detailed cost breakdown based on the developed ship performance model and estimates the operational condition to maximize the profit in the market. The operation condition determines the service speeds at full and empty ship, and the market includes the oil price and the freight market. By considering only the technological indicators and assuming technological systems and the fluctuation of economic situations, the designs give different results. This manuscript illustrates how the proposed method works in a case to determine a propeller of a large tanker.

Abstract: Nowadays, manufacturing high product variety is essential for manufacturing companies in order to be sustainable in a volatile market. However, maintaining a shorter lead time in manufacturing operations is also crucial as the speed delivery becomes one of the manufacturing competitive priorities. Motivated by this issue, this study aims to develop a model of Time Loss (TL) for sub-assembly processes in automotive industry. In relation to this, critical elements of TL will be clearly justified through a thorough analysis of literature study in the aspects of Man, Machine, Method, and Material (4M). In this study, the critical elements of TL is defined as an unnecessary activity that needs to be eliminated or minimized. The relationships between the critical elements of TL are clarified through the flow of activities involved in the concept of manufacturing input-output. Finally, the critical elements of TL are compared to the existing non-financial manufacturing performance measures presented in isolated models (e.g. leanness, agility, responsiveness, etc.). Results of the analysis show that the critical elements of TL can be represented as a holistic performance measure of manufacturing operations that includes leanness, agility, fitness, responsiveness, flexibility, and sustainability.

Abstract: Global competitions are putting pressure on the manufacturing companies to produce products cheaper and faster. Thus, manufacturing operations are urgently exploring methods to reduce cost through improved efficiency in managing the resources. In recent years, there has been growing interest to study human system due to the lack of focus as compared to other resources such as equipment and material. This paper presents the overview and evaluation of the various human issues affecting manufacturing system dynamics and performance. Furthermore, the gap in the current models will be discussed before presenting the development of a proposed model to study human system in semiconductor assembly and test.

Abstract: This paper presents the development of a jig for sintering a hollow tube mat. The jig consisted of metal frames, clampers, rails and wheels that were assembled together to hold a stack of hollow tubes in a form of a honeycomb structure. The sintering process involved a large oven where the hollow tube was sintered up to 120°C within two hours. During the sintering process, a partial of plastic parts was melted to allow diffusion around the particle cores. A clamping force from the jig held the tubes to make sure that the molten region around the sintered tubes retained in contact. This gives the compact a sufficient strength to hold together as the heat was removed. The jig developed in this study was capable to produce a hollow cellular mat within the size of approximately 1m (width) x 1m (length) x 1m (height).

Abstract: The procedure, by which the functional and physical elements of a product are arranged, is known as the product architecture. It highlights the interaction between parts of product. It is a phase where the function of a product is assigned to its physical. The role of product architecture in a product development is very vital since a comprehensive choice of the product architecture provides a good idea on how the functions are understood and how a standardization is achieved. In this regard, this paper presents the following: the product schematic, product cluster, product geometry, and fundamental and incidental product elements interactions of a grease trap design.