Implementation of a lean six sigma project in a production line

Companies from the motorcycles components branch are dealing with a dynamic environment, resulting from the introduction of new products and the increase of market demand. This dynamic environment requires frequent changes in production lines and requires flexibility in the processes, which can cause reductions in the level of quality and productivity. This paper presents a Lean Six Sigma improvement project performed in a production line of the company's machining sector, in order to eliminate losses that cause low productivity, affecting the fulfillment of the production plan and customer satisfaction. The use of Lean methodology following the DMAIC stages allowed analyzing the factors that influence the line productivity loss. The major problems and causes that contribute to a reduction on productivity and that were identified in this study are the lack of standardization in the setup activities and the excessive stoppages for adjustment of the processes that caused an increase of defects. Control charts, Pareto analysis and cause-and-effect diagrams were used to analyze the problem. On the improvement stage, the changes were based on the reconfiguration of the line layout as well as the modernization of the process. Overall, the project justified an investment in new equipment, the defective product units were reduced by 84% and an increase of 29% of line capacity was noticed.

Pervasive business intelligence platform to improve the quality of decision process in primary and secondary education – A Portuguese case study

Business Intelligence (BI) can be seen as a method that gathers information and data from information systems in order to help companies to be more accurate in their decision-making process. Traditionally BI systems were associated with the use of Data Warehouses (DW). The prime purpose of DW is to serve as a repository that stores all the relevant information required for making the correct decision. The necessity to integrate streaming data became crucial with the need to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the decision process. In primary and secondary education, there is a lack of BI solutions. Due to the schools reality the main purpose of this study is to provide a Pervasive BI solution able to monitoring the schools and student data anywhere and anytime in real-time as well as disseminating the information through ubiquitous devices. The first task consisted in gathering data regarding the different choices made by the student since his enrolment in a certain school year until the end of it. Thereafter a dimensional model was developed in order to be possible building a BI platform. This paper presents the dimensional model, a set of pre-defined indicators, the Pervasive Business Intelligence characteristics and the prototype designed. The main contribution of this study was to offer to the schools a tool that could help them to make accurate decisions in real-time. Data dissemination was achieved through a localized application that can be accessed anywhere and anytime.

Antibacterial activity of textiles for wound treatment

Major advances in the development and use of antimicrobial textiles to control bacterial proliferation on wound beds continue. However, wound dressings are, in general, not included in standardized regimens for measuring and monitoring their antimicrobial effectiveness. This work adapts these methods to assess the antibacterial activity of textiles designed for wound healing purposes. Environmental conditions representative of those present at the wound site (i.e., moisture levels, infection, and available nutrients) were evaluated. This work shows that moisture levels were the environmental factor that had the greatest influence on the antimicrobial agent activities tested. These results suggest that it is possible to use the more representative environmental conditions present on the wound bed for in vitro screening of textile antimicrobial activity.

Quantitative image analysis as a tool for Yarrowia lipolytica dimorphic growth evaluation in different culture media

Yarrowia lipolytica, a yeast strain with a huge biotechnological potential, capable to produce metabolites such as γ-decalactone, citric acid, intracellular lipids and enzymes, possesses the ability to change its morphology in response to environmental conditions. In the present study, a quantitative image analysis (QIA) procedure was developed for the identification and quantification of Y. lipolytica W29 and MTLY40-2P strains dimorphic growth, cultivated in batch cultures on hydrophilic (glucose and N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and hydrophobic (olive oil and castor oil) media. The morphological characterization of yeast cells by QIA techniques revealed that hydrophobic carbon sources, namely castor oil, should be preferred for both strains growth in the yeast single cell morphotype. On the other hand, hydrophilic sugars, namely glucose and GlcNAc caused a dimorphic transition growth towards the hyphae morphotype. Experiments for γ-decalactone production with MTLY40-2P strain in two distinct morphotypes (yeast single cells and hyphae cells) were also performed. The obtained results showed the adequacy of the proposed morphology monitoring tool in relation to each morphotype on the aroma production ability. The present work allowed establishing that QIA techniques can be a valuable tool for the identification of the best culture conditions for industrial processes implementation.

Ensino, aprendizagem e avaliação no Ensino Superior: Perspetivas e práticas

Tese de Doutoramento em Ciências da Educação - Especialidade de Desenvolvimento Curricular

Tunnel engineering – influence of the type and the quantity of measurements in the back analysis of geomechanical parameters

The monitoring data collected during tunnel excavation can be used in inverse analysis procedures in order to identify more realistic geomechanical parameters that can increase the knowledge about the interested formations. These more realistic parameters can be used in real time to adapt the project to the real structure in situ behaviour. However, monitoring plans are normally designed for safety assessment and not especially for the purpose of inverse analysis. In fact, there is a lack of knowledge about what types and quantity of measurements are needed to succeed in identifying the parameters of interest. Also, the optimisation algorithm chosen for the identification procedure may be important for this matter. In this work, this problem is addressed using a theoretical case with which a thorough parametric study was carried out using two optimisation algorithms based on different calculation paradigms, namely a conventional gradient-based algorithm and an evolution strategy algorithm. Calculations were carried for different sets of parameters to identify several combinations of types and amount of monitoring data. The results clearly show the high importance of the available monitoring data and the chosen algorithm for the success rate of the inverse analysis process.

Methodology for real-time adaptation of tunnels support using the observational method

The observational method in tunnel engineering allows the evaluation in real time of the actual conditions of the ground and to take measures if its behavior deviates considerably from predictions. However, it lacks a consistent and structured methodology to use the monitoring data to adapt the support system in real time. The definition of limit criteria above which adaptation is required are not defined and complex inverse analysis procedures (Rechea et al. 2008, Levasseur et al. 2010, Zentar et al. 2001, Lecampion et al. 2002, Finno and Calvello 2005, Goh 1999, Cui and Pan 2012, Deng et al. 2010, Mathew and Lehane 2013, Sharifzadeh et al. 2012, 2013) may be needed to consistently analyze the problem. In this paper a methodology for the real time adaptation of the support systems during tunneling is presented. In a first step limit criteria for displacements and stresses are proposed. The methodology uses graphics that are constructed during the project stage based on parametric calculations to assist in the process and when these graphics are not available, since it is not possible to predict every possible scenario, inverse analysis calculations are carried out. The methodology is applied to the “Bois de Peu” tunnel which is composed by two tubes with over 500 m long. High uncertainty levels existed concerning the heterogeneity of the soil and consequently in the geomechanical design parameters. The methodology was applied in four sections and the results focus on two of them. It is shown that the methodology has potential to be applied in real cases contributing for a consistent approach of a real time adaptation of the support system and highlight the importance of the existence of good quality and specific monitoring data to improve the inverse analysis procedure.

Ag-TiNx electrodes deposited on piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride) for biomedical sensor applications

Electroactive polymers are one of the most interesting class of polymers used as smart materials in various applications, such as the development of sensors and actuators for biomedical applications in areas such as smart prosthesis, implantable biosensors and biomechanical signal monitoring, among others. For acquiring or applying the electrical signal from/to the piezoelectric material, suitable electrodes can be produced from Ti based coatings with tailored multifunctional properties, conductivity and antibacterial characteristics, through Ag inclusions. This work reports on Ag-TiNx electrodes, deposited by d. c. and pulsed magnetron sputtering at room temperature on poly(vinylidene fluoride), PVDF, the all-round best piezoelectric polymer.. Composition of the electrodes was assessed by microanalysis X-ray system (EDS - energy dispersive spectrometer). The XRD results revealed that the deposition conditions preserve the polymer structure and suggested the presence of crystalline fcc-TiN phase and fcc-Ag phase in samples with N2 flow above 3 sccm. According to the results obtained from SEM analysis, the coatings are homogeneous and Ag clusters were found for samples with nitrogen flow above 3 sccm. With increasing nitrogen flow, the sheet resistivity tend to be lower than the samples without nitrogen, leading also to a decrease of the piezoelectric response. It is concluded that the deposition conditions do significantly affect the piezoelectric polymer, which maintain its characteristics for sensor/actuator applications.

Structural, mechanical and piezoelectric properties of polycrystalline AlN films sputtered on titanium bottom electrodes

Polycrystalline AlN coatings deposited on Ti-electrodes films were sputtered by using nitrogen both as reactive gas and sputtering gas, in order to obtain high purity coatings with appropriate properties to be further integrated into wear resistance coatings as a piezoelectric monitoring wear sensor. The chemical composition, the structure and the morphology of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy techniques. These measurements show the formation of highly (101), (102) and (103) oriented AlN films with good piezoelectric and mechanical properties suitable for applications in electronic devices. Through the use of lower nitrogen flow a densification of the AlN coating occurs in the microstructure, with an improvement of the crystallinity along with the increase of the hardness. Thermal stability of aluminum nitride coatings at high temperature was also examined. It was found an improvement of the piezoelectric properties of the highly (10x) oriented AlN films which became c-axis (002) oriented after annealing. The mechanical behavior after heat treatment shows an important enhancement of the surface hardness and Young’s modulus, which decrease rapidly with the increase of the indentation depth until approach constant values close to the substrate properties after annealing. Thus, thermal annealing energy promotes not only the rearrangement of Al–N network, but also the occurrence of a nitriding process of unsaturated Al atoms which cause a surface hardening of the film.

Shining examples analysed within the EBC Annex 56 project

The International Energy Agency established an Implementing Agreement within the Energy in Buildings and Communities Program to undertake research and provide an international focus on Cost Effective Energy and Carbon Emissions Optimization in Building Renovation (EBC Annex 56). The project aims at developing a new methodology to enable cost effective renovation of existing buildings while optimizing energy consumption and carbon emissions reduction. Gathering of case studies is one of the activities undertaken to reach the overall project. Of the case studies a selection of â Shining Examplesâ is made to encourage decision makers to promote efficient and cost effective renovations. This paper presents the results of the analyses made on the Shining Examples.

Promoting independent living and recreation in life through ambient assisted living technology

The increase in life expectancy with a decrease in birth rates is contributing to the ageing of the European population. This phenomenon, coupled with greater awareness of the quality of life, the need to have cost-efficient assistive care, the intention of people to live independently in their homes, and the technological developments in recent decades, have contributed to the emergence of the concept of ambient assisted living (AAL). AAL solutions aim to provide healthy and safe ageing to users through promoting independence in performing daily activities and interacting with technology, taking into consideration the deterioration of the users’ capabilities and the reduced costs of the solutions. In this chapter, AAL developments of monitoring activities of daily living (ADLs) and participation in a virtual community with the selected stakeholders are introduced, their roadmap with the expected technological developments are described, and the expected impact of these solutions on the end users of the developed solutions are discussed. This enables a real user guidance structure that represents the different needs and limitations of each user, presenting a highly structured project based on personas and possible solutions for them. The AAL4ALL Ambient Assisted Living for All (ALL4ALL) project is considered here as a case study to analyze and illustrate the ALL concepts discussed in this chapter.

The importance of risk assessment in the context of investment project management: a case study

Risk management is an important component of project management. Nevertheless, such process begins with risk assessment and evaluation. In this research project, a detailed analysis of the methodologies used to treat risks in investment projects adopted by the Banco da Amazonia S.A. was made. Investment projects submitted to the FNO (Constitutional Fund for Financing the North) during 2011 and 2012 were considered for that purpose. It was found that the evaluators of this credit institution use multiple indicators for risk assessment which assume a central role in terms of decision-making and contribute for the approval or the rejection of the submitted projects; namely, the proven ability to pay, the financial records of project promotors, several financial restrictions, level of equity, level of financial indebtedness, evidence of the existence of a consumer market, the proven experience of the partners/owners in the business, environmental aspects, etc. Furthermore, the bank has technological systems to support the risk assessment process, an internal communication system and a unique system for the management of operational risk.

Project management under uncertainty: a study on solution methods

Project Management involves onetime endeavors that demand for getting it right the first time. On the other hand, project scheduling, being one of the most modeled project management process stages, still faces a wide gap from theory to practice. Demanding computational models and their consequent call for simplification, divert the implementation of such models in project management tools from the actual day to day project management process. Special focus is being made to the robustness of the generated project schedules facing the omnipresence of uncertainty. An "easy" way out is to add, more or less cleverly calculated, time buffers that always result in project duration increase and correspondingly, in cost. A better approach to deal with uncertainty seems to be to explore slack that might be present in a given project schedule, a fortiori when a non-optimal schedule is used. The combination of such approach to recent advances in modeling resource allocation and scheduling techniques to cope with the increasing flexibility in resources, as can be expressed in "Flexible Resource Constraint Project Scheduling Problem" (FRCPSP) formulations, should be a promising line of research to generate more adequate project management tools. In reality, this approach has been frequently used, by project managers in an ad-hoc way.

Project scheduling and cost minimization with multiple availability constrained resources under stochastic conditions

The authors propose a mathematical model to minimize the project total cost where there are multiple resources constrained by maximum availability. They assume the resources as renewable and the activities can use any subset of resources requiring any quantity from a limited real interval. The stochastic nature is inferred by means of a stochastic work content defined per resource within an activity and following a known distribution and the total cost is the sum of the resource allocation cost with the tardiness cost or earliness bonus in case the project finishes after or before the due date, respectively. The model was computationally implemented relying upon an interchange of two global optimization metaheuristics – the electromagnetism-like mechanism and the evolutionary strategies. Two experiments were conducted testing the implementation to projects with single and multiple resources, and with or without maximum availability constraints. The set of collected results shows good behavior in general and provide a tool to further assist project manager decision making in the planning phase.

OPM3® Portugal project: information systems and technologies organizations: outcome analysis

Increasing the maturity in Project Management (PM) has become a goal for many organizations, leading them to adopt maturity models to assess the current state of its PM practices and compare them with the best practices in the industry where the organization is inserted. One of the main PM maturity models is the Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3®), developed by the Project Management Institute. This paper presents the Information Systems and Technologies organizations outcome analysis, of the assesses made by the OPM3® Portugal Project, identifying the PM processes that are “best” implemented in this particular industry and those in which it is urgent to improve. Additionally, a comparison between the different organizations’ size analyzed is presented.