Time-based competitiveness in Brazil: whys and hows

The objective of the paper is to report research carried out over two years aiming at developing a framework to support the management of manufacturing organizations for whom reducing throughput time is strategically important, either because they compete based on short lead times or because they choose to pursue other objectives such as cost reduction by means of reducing their manufacturing cycle times. A step-by-step method is proposed based on the analyses of a number of Brazilian best practice cases (all manufacturing companies and all part of large multi-national corporations) and on the relevant literature.

Radiografia digital para inspeção de soldas de dutos - melhor sensibilidade

The conventional radiographic technique using industrial radiographic films is with the days finishing. The Digital Radiography is taking place in several sectors, e.g., the medical, aerospace, security, automotive, etc. In addition to representing a technological trend, it has been demonstrated that digital radiography offers a series of benefits in terms of productivity, sensitivity, environmental aspects, image treatment tools, cost reduction, etc. If one weld seam to be inspected is from a serried product, as example a pipe, the best option to be implemented is the Flat Panel Detector with this equipment is possible to reduce the obtaining digital radiographic images in place of films and reducing the inspection cycle time due to its high degree of automation. In the experiments described in this paper this new technique was tested and the results were compared with those obtained by the conventional radiography. The welded specimens were prepared using the submerged-arc welding process and small artificial cracks of the most varied dimensions, present in the specimens, were used to establish a comparison of the sensitivities presented by the techniques employed After conducting several experiments, the digital method presented the highest sensitivity to the wire-type Image Quality Indicator (IQI) and in the detection of small defects, leading to the conclusion that the use of digital radiography using the flat-panel detector offers advantages over the conventional technique [1, 2]. This work was carried out based on the API 5L Edition 2004 [3] and ISO 3183 Edition 2007 [4] specifications.

Digital radiography using digital detector arrays fulfills critical applications for offshore pipelines

Digital radiography in the inspection of welded pipes to be installed under deep water offshore gas and oil pipelines, like a presalt in Brazil, in the paper has been investigated. The aim is to use digital radiography for nondestructive testing of welds as it is already in use in the medical, aerospace, security, automotive, and petrochemical sectors. Among the current options, the DDA (Digital Detector Array) is considered as one of the best solutions to replace industrial films, as well as to increase the sensitivity to reduce the inspection cycle time. This paper shows the results of this new technique, comparing it to radiography with industrial films systems. In this paper, 20 test specimens of longitudinal welded pipe joints, specially prepared with artificial defects like cracks, lack of fusion, lack of penetration, and porosities and slag inclusions with varying dimensions and in 06 different base metal wall thicknesses, were tested and a comparison of the techniques was made. These experiments verified the purposed rules for parameter definitions and selections to control the required digital radiographic image quality as described in the draft international standard ISO/DIS 10893-7. This draft is first standard establishing the parameters for digital radiography on weld seam of welded steel pipes for pressure purposes to be used on gas and oil pipelines.

Gait analysis in clinically healthy sheep from three different age groups using a pressure-sensitive walkway

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Kinetic and temporospatial parameters in male and female cats walking over a pressure sensing walkway

Background: Several factors may influence kinetic data measurements, including body conformation and body mass. In addition, gender differences in gait pattern have been observed in healthy humans. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the kinetic and temporospatial parameters in clinically healthy male and female cats using a pressure-sensitive walkway. Eighteen crossbreed adult cats were divided into two groups: G1 had ten male cats (nine neutered) aged from 1 to 4 years and body mass 3.1-6.8 kg; G2 had eight spayed female cats, aged from 1 to 6 years and body mass 3.3-4.75 kg. The data from the first five valid trials were collected for each cat. A trial was considered valid if the cat maintained a velocity between 0.54-0.74 m/s and acceleration from -0.20 to 0.20 m/s2. The peak vertical force (PVF), vertical impulse (VI), gait cycle time, stance time, swing time, stride length, and percentage body weight distribution among the four limbs were determined. In addition, the lengths of each forelimb and each hind limb were measured using a tape with the animal standing.Results: No significant differences were observed in each group in either the forelimbs or the hind limbs or between the left and right sides for any of the variables. For both groups, the PVF (%BW), the VI, and the percentage body weight distribution were higher at the forelimbs than the hind limbs. The stride length was larger for males; however, the other kinetic and temporospatial variables did not show any statistically significant differences between the groups. The lengths of the forelimbs and hind limbs were larger in the male cats. There was a significant moderate positive correlation between the stride length and the length of the limbs.Conclusions: In conclusion, the only difference observed between male and female cats was the stride length, and this was due to the greater body size of male cats. This difference did not affect other temporospatial or kinetics variables. © 2013 Verdugo et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Desenvolvimento e teste de um programa computacional para simulação de plantas térmicas e de potência

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica - FEIS

Parâmetros cinéticos e têmporo-espaciais de gatos clinicamente saudáveis

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ

Parâmetros cinéticos e têmporo-espacial de ovinos hígidos da raça Santa Inês

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ

Aplicação de meta-heurísticas na resolução do problema de balanceamento e designação de trabalhadores com deficiência em linha de produção

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Atopozelus opsimus (hemiptera: reduviidae): presas alternativas, comportamento parental e predação sobre pragas exóticas

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Proteção de Plantas) - FCA

Avaliação da locomoção de cães submetidos à ostectomia unilateral da cabeça e colo femorais

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ

Variações de parâmetros cinéticos e têmporo-espaciais em grupos heterogêneos de cães

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ

Plásticos comerciais tratados a plasma para dispositivos ópticos e embalagens alimentícias

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Análise comparativa entre sistemas de resfriamento de injeção de plástico

This study aims to prove the economic feasibility of the installation of mechanical compression chillers on plastic injection molding machines in order to reduce the production cycle time of toothbrush cables in a specific case study. This evidence was confirmed by the comparative analysis of the system replaced and the new system installed. The old system had only one closed loop cooling tower which pumped chilled water to the injection molds, and the new system has the same tower sending cold water to the condensers of individual chillers installed on each injection machine. We conducted an analysis of energy efficiency in each system, showing that in terms of thermal efficiency virtually nothing has changed, but in terms of electricity demand the new system consumes 60.3 kW more. We conducted an analysis of machine productivity for both systems, showing a much higher productivity of the new system due to reduced cycle times caused by the presence of chillers and their greater cooling capacities. Equipped with data such as electricity rates, increases in operating costs and initial investments, the increase in consumption and demand of electricity plus the cycle time reduction were also calculated over so the simple payback 1 year and 2 months was reached

Planejamento e controle da produção: reestruturação no layout de apertadeiras eletrônicas em uma linha de produção do ramo de autopeças

In industrial plants, there is a department responsible for planning the use of productive resources to find the best possible way to set out plans in strategic, tactical and operational levels. This department is known as PCP or PPCP, which means Planning and Production Control and Planning, Programming and Production Control, respectively. This work presents the use of some of the tools from this department, in particular the Aggregate Production Planning, to propose a new layout of electronic nutrunners for an auto parts industry output line. Through some process indicators analyzes, was identified some productivity losses. The higher loss rate occurred by the electronic nutrunners breaking, and so this work was focused in these devices. Some premises were adopted for the use of electronic nut runners, setting an ideal cycle time for the operation of the production line and making calculations to define the minimum amount of electronic nutrunners to find the production demand without damaging the equipment. With this work we observed that a relevant factor for the constant breaks of electronic nutrunners is because these are working with overload, in other words, the amount of installed equipment is not enough to supply the demand without failures