Kysynnän ennustaminen sekä informaatiovirtojen integrointi tuotannonohjaukseen arvoketjun tehostamiseksi

Tässä työssä on tarkasteltu kokoonpano-osien valmistajan näkökulmasta eri keinoja tehostaa tilaus-toimitusketjua sekä mahdollisuuksia parantaa samalla omaa tuotannonohjausta ja suunnittelua. Kysynnän heilahteluihin on pystyttävä varautumaan koko ketjun tasolla, jotta suurilta piiskavaikutuksilta voitaisiin välttyä sekä taattaisiin koko ketjun tehokas toiminta. Piiskavaikutus korostuu erityisesti ketjun alapäässä toimivaan yritykseen. Yritykset eivät kilpaile enää pelkästään keskenään. Kilpailu tapahtuu yhä enemmän ja enemmän myös kokonaisten arvoketjujen välillä. Arvoketjujen toimivuuden pohjana on tehokas informaationvaihto sekä yhteistyö informaation tehokkaaseen hyödyntämiseen. Käytännön tasolla arvoketjun logistista tehokkuutta voidaan lisätä informaation vaihdon lisäämisellä siirtymällä sähköisen tiedon siirtoon (EDI). Tuotannonsuunnittelun tehostamiseksi ja varastoihin sidottujen pääomien vapauttamiseksi on siirrytty toimittajan hallinnoiman varastoinnin (VMI) käyttöön. Kysynnän ennustamisella pyritään tasaamaan kysynnän heilahteluja sekä helpottamaan resurssien varaamista ja raaka-aineiden tilauksia. Näillä toimilla on pystytty tehostamaan tilausten käsittelyä sekä tuotannonohjausta. Lisäksi läpinäkyvyyden lisääntyminen on sitouttanut kahden arvoketjussa peräkkäin toimivan yrityksen toimintaa.

Ship Leases under IAS 17, case Fortum Shipping

International accounting standards will be applied from the1st of January 2005 in accounting of member states of the EU with a view of harmonizing the accounting practices in Europe, and on the long term even more widely. The purpose of adopting IAS accounting standards is to make the financial statements and financial information received from companies more comparable and more transparent for investors and other interest groups. IAS 17 introduces the treatment of a lease agreement in the light of the new accounting standards. Finnish companies have used finance leases widely as an alternative, off-balance sheet form of financing capital investments consistently with Finnish GAAP. Along with the appliance of IAS 17 the off-balance-sheet financing possibility of leases classified as finance leases will no longer exist. IAS 17 states that finance leases are going to be recognized in the balance sheet as both assets, in form of fixed assets, and loans in liabilities classified as long and short term loans. IAS 17 will make two major changes to the income statement. Firstly, the lease payments formerly treated as variable costs are moved below the operating profit level to finance costs. Secondly, the depreciations from the leased assets are also introduced. The effects to the case company's, Fortum Shipping's, income statement and balance sheet are remarkable. Along with the appliance of IAS Fortum Shipping's net assets are somewhat going to be doubled, the amount of liabilities increases significantly and the earnings before interests and taxes increases moderately. The preceding factors have a big effect on the case company's financial key figures. So, the IAS originated effects on balance sheet and income statement have essential impacts on a company's key financial indicators. Most significant changes can be found in key ratios measuring profitability, capital structure, and efficiency. This means that when comparing the IAS calculated profits of companies with the profits calculated prior with Finnish GAAP, the analysis should be made with prudence because the figures are not comparable on straight-forward basis.

Kymenlaaksolaisten kuljetusyritysten taloudellisen suorituskyvyn kehitys vuosina 1997-2007

Tämän Pro gradu -tutkielman tarkoituksena on tutustua suomalaiseen kuljetustoimialaan erityisesti liiketoiminnallisesta näkökulmasta ja tarkastella suurimpien kymenlaaksolaisten kuljetusyritysten taloudellisen suorituskyvyn sekä muun talouden kehitystä vuosien 1997–2007 aikana. Lisäksi tässä tutkimuksessa pyritään löytämään selittäviä strategisia tekijöitä kymenlaaksolaisyritysten taloudelliselle menestykselle. Kymenlaakson alueen kuljetusyritysten taloudellisen suorituskyvyn osatekijät pysyttelevät koko Suomen kuljetusyritysten lukujen tavoin tutkimuksen tarkastelujakson ajan keskimäärin tyydyttävällä tasolla. Kannattavuuden ja vakavaraisuuden osalta kymenlaaksolaisyritykset näyttävät menestyvän hieman muuta Suomea paremmin, mutta toisaalta yritysten maksukykyisyys jää muita alemmaksi. Tutkimusjakson selkein kehitys kuljetusyrityksillä liittyy sekä huomattavaan toimintakustannusten että liiketoiminnan koon kasvuun. Tutkimuksen kuljetusyrityksistä erityisesti pienimmät ja perinteikkäät, ainoastaan kuljetuspalveluiden tarjontaan keskittyneet toimijat vaikuttavat menestyvän taloudellisesti muita yrityksiä paremmin. Tutkimusyritysten joukossa esiintyy kuitenkin paljon vaihtelua ja mukaan mahtuu niin menestyjiä kuin heikompiakin toimijoita.

Haja-asutusalueen keskijänniteverkon kaapeloinnin ja automaation suunnittelumetodiikka

Tässä diplomityössä tutkitaan erilaisia keskijänniteverkon kehittämismenetelmiä sekä suunnittelua haja-asutusalueelle. Suunnittelumetodiikan perustana on vertailla sähköverkon käyttövarmuuden tunnuslukujen sekä kokonaiskustannusten kehittymistä erilaisilla investointiratkaisuilla. Lähemmässä tarkastelussa ovat erilaiset kaapelointimenetelmät sekä automaatiolaitteet kuten maastoon sijoitettavat katkaisijat sekä kauko-ohjattavat erottimet. Kehittämisratkaisujen vertailemiseksi sähköverkosta muodostetaan laskentaa varten malli, jonka avulla on mahdollista tarkastella mm. käyttövarmuuden tunnuslukujen sekä verkon kustannusten kehittymistä. Verkon kustannuksissa otetaan huomioon investointikustannukset, käyttö- ja kunnossapitokustannukset, viankorjauskustannukset sekä keskeytyskustannukset. Keskeytysten laskentaa varten toteutetaan erilliset laskentalohkot, jotta keskeytyskustannukset saadaan mallinnettua tarkasti. Kaapelointistrategia-analyysissä vertaillaan kaapeloinnin erilaisia toteuttamisperiaatteita. Erilaisia tutkittavia kaapelointimenetelmiä ovat vyörytysmenetelmä, vikaherkimpien kohteiden uusinta, vanhimpien kohteiden uusinta, täydellinen kaapelointi sekä optimiverkostoratkaisu, jossa on hyödynnetty keskijännitejohtojen kaapeloinnin lisäksi mm. automaatioratkaisuja ja 1000 V tekniikkaa. Kaapelointimenetelmiä vertailtaessa on havaittu, että vikaherkimmistä kohteista aloitettava saneeraus tuottaa parhaimman tuloksen, jos optimiratkaisua ei oteta huomioon.

Photoelectric Measurements and Modeling of Bacteriorhodopsin

Recent technology has provided us with new information about the internal structures and properties of biomolecules. This has lead to the design of applications based on underlying biological processes. Applications proposed for biomolecules are, for example, the future computers and different types of sensors. One potential biomolecule to be incorporated in the applications is bacteriorhodopsin. Bacteriorhodopsin is a light-sensitive biomolecule, which works in a similar way as the light sensitive cells of the human eye. Bacteriorhodopsin reacts to light by undergoing a complicated series of chemical and thermal transitions. During these transitions, a proton translocation occurs inside the molecule. It is possible to measure the photovoltage caused by the proton translocations when a vast number of molecules is immobilized in a thin film. Also the changes in the light absorption of the film can be measured. This work aimed to develop the electronics needed for the voltage measurements of the bacteriorhodopsin-based optoelectronic sensors. The development of the electronics aimed to get more accurate information about the structure and functionality of these sensors. The sensors used in this work contain a thick film of bacteriorhodopsin immobilized in polyvinylalcohol. This film is placed between two transparent electrodes. The result of this work is an instrumentation amplifier which can be placed in a small space very close to the sensor. By using this amplifier, the original photovoltage can be measured in more detail. The response measured using this amplifier revealed two different components, which could not be distinguished earlier. Another result of this work is the model for the photoelectric response in dry polymer films.

Optimization of short term power trading between Russia, Finland and Baltic countries

Russian and Baltic electricity markets are in the process of reformation and development on the way for competitive and transparent market. Nordic market also undergoes some changes on the way to market integration. Old structure and practices have been expired whereas new laws and rules come into force. The master thesis describes structure and functioning of wholesale electricity markets, cross-border connections between different countries. Additionally methods of cross-border trading using different methods of capacity allocation are disclosed. The main goal of present thesis is to study current situation at different electricity markets and observe changes coming into force as well as the capacity and electricity balances forecast in order to optimize short term power trading between countries and estimate the possible profit for the company.

Paperboard cup with a window

Packaging has to fulfill a lot of demands and the main purpose is to be able to protect the foodstuff packed inside. Typically requirements set on packaging materials reflect the consumer needs. Based on the consumer studies the importance of product visibility is considered as an important property among consumers. However, making the package more transparent the actual shelf life of the product might be reduced. It might have an effect on sensitive foods which contain ingredients vulnerable to light and start to deteriorate more rapidly. The aim for this Masters of Science Thesis was to develop a paperboard cup with a plastic window where different kind of fatty/dry foodstuffs could be stored. The main target was to be able to create an instruction manual how this kind of cup with a window had to be produced without decreasing air tightness and other barrier properties of cupboard material used as a base board. The focus in this work was on designing a shape of the window and finding critical limits for the size, shape and location of the window in the final paperboard cup. Windows were made by cutting holes with different sizes and shapes to different places in the cup blank by using a model cutter. For the windows one plastic film type was selected due to its low oxygen and water vapour transmission properties. The window film was attached to the cup blank by using hot bar and laser seaming methods. Cup manufacturing was done at Stora Enso InnoCentre, Imatra. As a result critical limits for the place, size and shape of the window could be found. The sealing method had a significant effect on the tightness of the cups. Windows didn’t decrease the grip stiffness of the cup. The cup itself gave better light protection than the plastic film used in the windows. The bigger the window, the less the cup could protect the possible foodstuff. Bursting strength was lower in the windows compared to the cup material itself. From environmental point of view DSD licence fees have to be paid due to the amount of used plastic.When using bigger windows the ratio of plastic to fibres increase. This would raise the DSD fee. However, the amount of material is overall reduced which lowers the fee.

Methods for assessing the sustainability of integrated municipal waste management and

The general striving to bring down the number of municipal landfills and to increase the reuse and recycling of waste-derived materials across the EU supports the debates concerning the feasibility and rationality of waste management systems. Substantial decrease in the volume and mass of landfill-disposed waste flows can be achieved by directing suitable waste fractions to energy recovery. Global fossil energy supplies are becoming more and more valuable and expensive energy sources for the mankind, and efforts to save fossil fuels have been made. Waste-derived fuels offer one potential partial solution to two different problems. First, waste that cannot be feasibly re-used or recycled is utilized in the energy conversion process according to EU’s Waste Hierarchy. Second, fossil fuels can be saved for other purposes than energy, mainly as transport fuels. This thesis presents the principles of assessing the most sustainable system solution for an integrated municipal waste management and energy system. The assessment process includes: · formation of a SISMan (Simple Integrated System Management) model of an integrated system including mass, energy and financial flows, and · formation of a MEFLO (Mass, Energy, Financial, Legislational, Other decisionsupport data) decision matrix according to the selected decision criteria, including essential and optional decision criteria. The methods are described and theoretical examples of the utilization of the methods are presented in the thesis. The assessment process involves the selection of different system alternatives (process alternatives for treatment of different waste fractions) and comparison between the alternatives. The first of the two novelty values of the utilization of the presented methods is the perspective selected for the formation of the SISMan model. Normally waste management and energy systems are operated separately according to the targets and principles set for each system. In the thesis the waste management and energy supply systems are considered as one larger integrated system with one primary target of serving the customers, i.e. citizens, as efficiently as possible in the spirit of sustainable development, including the following requirements: · reasonable overall costs, including waste management costs and energy costs; · minimum environmental burdens caused by the integrated waste management and energy system, taking into account the requirement above; and · social acceptance of the selected waste treatment and energy production methods. The integrated waste management and energy system is described by forming a SISMan model including three different flows of the system: energy, mass and financial flows. By defining the three types of flows for an integrated system, the selected factor results needed in the decision-making process of the selection of waste management treatment processes for different waste fractions can be calculated. The model and its results form a transparent description of the integrated system under discussion. The MEFLO decision matrix has been formed from the results of the SISMan model, combined with additional data, including e.g. environmental restrictions and regional aspects. System alternatives which do not meet the requirements set by legislation can be deleted from the comparisons before any closer numerical considerations. The second novelty value of this thesis is the three-level ranking method for combining the factor results of the MEFLO decision matrix. As a result of the MEFLO decision matrix, a transparent ranking of different system alternatives, including selection of treatment processes for different waste fractions, is achieved. SISMan and MEFLO are methods meant to be utilized in municipal decision-making processes concerning waste management and energy supply as simple, transparent and easyto- understand tools. The methods can be utilized in the assessment of existing systems, and particularly in the planning processes of future regional integrated systems. The principles of SISMan and MEFLO can be utilized also in other environments, where synergies of integrating two (or more) systems can be obtained. The SISMan flow model and the MEFLO decision matrix can be formed with or without any applicable commercial or free-of-charge tool/software. SISMan and MEFLO are not bound to any libraries or data-bases including process information, such as different emission data libraries utilized in life cycle assessments.

Implementation and Integration of New Baggage Logistic Centre at HelsinkiVantaa Airport

This thesis deals with improving international airport baggage supply chain management (SCM) by means of information technology and new baggage handling system. This study aims to focus on supply chain visibility in practice and to suggest different ways to improve the supply chain performance through information sharing. The objective is also to define how radio frequency identification (RFID) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) can make processes more transparent. In order to get full benefits from processes, effective business process management and monitoring as well as the key performance indicators must be defined, implemented and visualized through e.g. dashboard views for different roles. As an outcome of the research the need for the use of information technology systems and more advanced technologies, e.g. RFID in the supply chain management is evident. Sophisticated ERP is crucial in boosting SCM business processes and profitability. This would be beneficial for dynamic decision making as well in the airport and airline supply chain management. In the long term, economic aspects support the actions I have suggested in order to make production more flexible in reacting to quick changes.

Etelä-Karjalan sosiaali- ja terveyspiirin kuntakohtaisen kustannuslaskentamallin kehittäminen

Työn tavoitteena oli tutkia Etelä-Karjalan sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon kuntayhtymän kuntalaskutusta ja rakentaa laskentamalli, jolla kuntakohtaiset kustannukset pystytään laskemaan ja jakamaan. Tutkimusote oli konstruktiivinen. Tiedot kerättiin kuntayhtymän toiminta- ja taloustietojärjestelmistä sekä haastattelemalla organisaation asiantuntijoita. Työn tulokseksi saatu laskentamalli koostuu suoritepohjaisesta, asukaslukupohjaisista ja tarvepainotetuista asukaslukupohjaisista kustannusajureista, joilla kustannukset jaetaan piirin jäsenkunnille. Tällä sekamallilla pystytään toteuttamaan kuntalaskutusta, sillä se täyttää kuntalaskutusmallille asetetut vaatimukset. Työn tulosten perusteella tulo-osuusmalli olisi paras tapa toteuttaa kuntalaskutusta. Yksinkertainen rahoitusmalli mahdollistaa toiminnan vapaamman kehittämisen kuin sekamalli ja on lisäksi selkeämpi ja läpinäkyvämpi. Sekamallissa tulisi painottaa tarvepohjaisia asukaslukuajureita. Tärkeimmät ja suurimpia kustannuksia aiheuttavat alueet kannattaisi tuotteistaa.

Identifying first graders at risk of reading and writing difficulties : creating a group-based screening tool in kiswahili in Tanzania

Early identification of beginning readers at risk of developing reading and writing difficulties plays an important role in the prevention and provision of appropriate intervention. In Tanzania, as in other countries, there are children in schools who are at risk of developing reading and writing difficulties. Many of these children complete school without being identified and without proper and relevant support. The main language in Tanzania is Kiswahili, a transparent language. Contextually relevant, reliable and valid instruments of identification are needed in Tanzanian schools. This study aimed at the construction and validation of a group-based screening instrument in the Kiswahili language for identifying beginning readers at risk of reading and writing difficulties. In studying the function of the test there was special interest in analyzing the explanatory power of certain contextual factors related to the home and school. Halfway through grade one, 337 children from four purposively selected primary schools in Morogoro municipality were screened with a group test consisting of 7 subscales measuring phonological awareness, word and letter knowledge and spelling. A questionnaire about background factors and the home and school environments related to literacy was also used. The schools were chosen based on performance status (i.e. high, good, average and low performing schools) in order to include variation. For validation, 64 children were chosen from the original sample to take an individual test measuring nonsense word reading, word reading, actual text reading, one-minute reading and writing. School marks from grade one and a follow-up test half way through grade two were also used for validation. The correlations between the results from the group test and the three measures used for validation were very high (.83-.95). Content validity of the group test was established by using items drawn from authorized text books for reading in grade one. Construct validity was analyzed through item analysis and principal component analysis. The difficulty level of most items in both the group test and the follow-up test was good. The items also discriminated well. Principal component analysis revealed one powerful latent dimension (initial literacy factor), accounting for 93% of the variance. This implies that it could be possible to use any set of the subtests of the group test for screening and prediction. The K-Means cluster analysis revealed four clusters: at-risk children, strugglers, readers and good readers. The main concern in this study was with the groups of at-risk children (24%) and strugglers (22%), who need the most assistance. The predictive validity of the group test was analyzed by correlating the measures from the two school years and by cross tabulating grade one and grade two clusters. All the correlations were positive and very high, and 94% of the at-risk children in grade two were already identified in the group test in grade one. The explanatory power of some of the home and school factors was very strong. The number of books at home accounted for 38% of the variance in reading and writing ability measured by the group test. Parents´ reading ability and the support children received at home for schoolwork were also influential factors. Among the studied school factors school attendance had the strongest explanatory power, accounting for 21% of the variance in reading and writing ability. Having been in nursery school was also of importance. Based on the findings in the study a short version of the group test was created. It is suggested for use in the screening processes in grade one aiming at identifying children at risk of reading and writing difficulties in the Tanzanian context. Suggestions for further research as well as for actions for improving the literacy skills of Tanzanian children are presented.

Novel force control methods in a teleoperation system of a hydraulic slider

The objective of the this research project is to develop a novel force control scheme for the teleoperation of a hydraulically driven manipulator, and to implement an ideal transparent mapping between human and machine interaction, and machine and task environment interaction. This master‘s thesis provides a preparatory study for the present research project. The research is limited into a single degree of freedom hydraulic slider with 6-DOF Phantom haptic device. The key contribution of the thesis is to set up the experimental rig including electromechanical haptic device, hydraulic servo and 6-DOF force sensor. The slider is firstly tested as a position servo by using previously developed intelligent switching control algorithm. Subsequently the teleoperated system is set up and the preliminary experiments are carried out. In addition to development of the single DOF experimental set up, methods such as passivity control in teleoperation are reviewed. The thesis also contains review of modeling of the servo slider in particular reference to the servo valve. Markov Chain Monte Carlo method is utilized in developing the robustness of the model in presence of noise.

Tavaran toimitusasiakirjojen sähköistäminen

Tutkielman tavoitteena on selvittää sähköisten tavaran toimitusasiakirjojen käytön vaikutukset hankinta- ja logistiikkapalveluita tarjoavan yrityksen toimitusketjun loppupään toimintoihin. Lisäksi työssä rakennetaan konstruktiivisen tutkimusmenetelmän viitekehyksen mukainen toimintamalli yrityksen käyttöä varten. Toimintamallin avulla tarkastellaan kohdeyrityksen mahdollisuutta parantaa toimitusketjun läpinäkyvyyttä, tehostaa sidosryhmien välistä tiedonsiirtoa ja vähentää virheitä ja manuaalista työtä nykyisissä prosesseissa. Työn keskeisin sisältö rakentuu kohdeyrityksen käyttämille kuljetusyrityksille tehdyn kuljetusliikekyselyn, tarkkaan kuvatun nykytilan sekä käytännön ongelmaan rakennetun konstruktion ympärille. Kuljetusliikekyselyn avulla saadaan käyttökelpoinen kuva kuljetusyritysten nykytilasta sekä tulevaisuuden suunnitelmista sähköisiin tavaran toimitusasiakirjoihin liittyen. Nykytilan kuvauksella nostetaan esiin prosesseja ja toimintoja joiden toimintaan voidaan oleellisesti vaikuttaa informaatioteknologian sekä prosessimuutosten avulla. Konstruktion rakentamisessa pääpaino on suunnattu läpinäkyvän ja tehokkaan toimitusketjun aikaansaamisessa. Tutkielman konstruktiota, sähköisten tavaran toimitusasiakirjojen toimintamallia, tarkastellaan yrityksen liiketoiminnan näkökulmasta peilaamalla oletettuja parannuksia aikaisempaan teoriapohjaan. Lisäksi toimintamallin soveltumista reaalimaailman ongelman ratkaisuun arvioidaan diplomityön ohjausryhmästä koostuvan johtajapaneelin tekemällä SWOT-analyysillä sekä heikolla markkinatestillä. Sidosryhmien välisen toiminnan tehostumista arvioidaan kvalitatiivisin menetelmin

Automated Purchase to Pay Process Value Modeling and Comparative Process Speeds

The importance of efficient supply chain management has increased due to globalization and the blurring of organizational boundaries. Various supply chain management technologies have been identified to drive organizational profitability and financial performance. Organizations have historically been concentrating heavily on the flow of goods and services, while less attention has been dedicated to the flow of money. While supply chains are becoming more transparent and automated, new opportunities for financial supply chain management have emerged through information technology solutions and comprehensive financial supply chain management strategies. This research concentrates on the end part of the purchasing process which is the handling of invoices. Efficient invoice processing can have an impact on organizations working capital management and thus provide companies with better readiness to face the challenges related to cash management. Leveraging a process mining solution the aim of this research was to examine the automated invoice handling process of four different organizations. The invoice data was collected from each organizations invoice processing system. The sample included all the invoices organizations had processed during the year 2012. The main objective was to find out whether e-invoices are faster to process in an automated invoice processing solution than scanned invoices (post entry into invoice processing solution). Other objectives included looking into the longest lead times between process steps and the impact of manual process steps on cycle time. Processing of invoices from maverick purchases was also examined. Based on the results of the research and previous literature on the subject, suggestions for improving the process were proposed. The results of the research indicate that scanned invoices were processed faster than e-invoices. This is mostly due to the more complex processing of e-invoices. It should be noted however that the manual tasks related to turning a paper invoice into electronic format through scanning are ignored in this research. The transitions with the longest lead times in the invoice handling process included both pre-automated steps as well as manual steps performed by humans. When the most common manual steps were examined in more detail, it was clear that these steps had a prolonging impact on the process. Regarding invoices from maverick purchases the evidence shows that these invoices were slower to process than invoices from purchases conducted through e-procurement systems and from preferred suppliers. Suggestions on how to improve the process included: increasing invoice matching, reducing of manual steps and leveraging of different value added services such as invoice validation service, mobile solutions and supply chain financing services. For companies that have already reaped all the process efficiencies the next step is to engage in collaborative financial supply chain management strategies that can benefit the whole supply chain.

Identification of Some Additional Loss Components in High-Power Low-Voltage Permanent Magnet Generators

Permanent magnet generators (PMG) represent the cutting edge technology in modern wind mills. The efficiency remains high (over 90%) at partial loads. To improve the machine efficiency even further, every aspect of machine losses has to be analyzed. Additional losses are often given as a certain percentage without providing any detailed information about the actual calculation process; meanwhile, there are many design-dependent losses that have an effect on the total amount of additional losses and that have to be taken into consideration. Additional losses are most often eddy current losses in different parts of the machine. These losses are usually difficult to calculate in the design process. In this doctoral thesis, some additional losses are identified and modeled. Further, suggestions on how to minimize the losses are given. Iron losses can differ significantly between the measured no-load values and the loss values under load. In addition, with embedded magnet rotors, the quadrature-axis armature reaction adds losses to the stator iron by manipulating the harmonic content of the flux. It was, therefore, re-evaluated that in salient pole machines, to minimize the losses and the loss difference between the no-load and load operation, the flux density has to be kept below 1.5 T in the stator yoke, which is the traditional guideline for machine designers. Eddy current losses may occur in the end-winding area and in the support structure of the machine, that is, in the finger plate and the clamping ring. With construction steel, these losses account for 0.08% of the input power of the machine. These losses can be reduced almost to zero by using nonmagnetic stainless steel. In addition, the machine housing may be subjected to eddy current losses if the flux density exceeds 1.5 T in the stator yoke. Winding losses can rise rapidly when high frequencies and 10–15 mm high conductors are used. In general, minimizing the winding losses is simple. For example, it can be done by dividing the conductor into transposed subconductors. However, this comes with the expense of an increase in the DC resistance. In the doctoral thesis, a new method is presented to minimize the winding losses by applying a litz wire with noninsulated strands. The construction is the same as in a normal litz wire but the insulation between the subconductors has been left out. The idea is that the connection is kept weak to prevent harmful eddy currents from flowing. Moreover, the analytical solution for calculating the AC resistance factor of the litz-wire is supplemented by including an end-winding resistance in the analytical solution. A simple measurement device is developed to measure the AC resistance in the windings. In the case of a litz-wire with originally noninsulated strands, vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI) is used to insulate the subconductors. In one of the two cases studied, the VPI affected the AC resistance factor, but in the other case, it did not have any effect. However, more research is needed to determine the effect of the VPI on litz-wire with noninsulated strands. An empirical model is developed to calculate the AC resistance factor of a single-layer formwound winding. The model includes the end-winding length and the number of strands and turns. The end winding includes the circulating current (eddy currents that are traveling through the whole winding between parallel strands) and the main current. The end-winding length also affects the total AC resistance factor.