Study on Customer Perceived Value of Container Loading Equipment

The goal of the thesis was to gain understanding of organizational buying behavior and its effect from the selling perspective and to generate base for verifying customer value propositions for Actiw Oy. The first objective was to discover the current buying decision criteria of current customers to understand the buying motives which had led to the investment initially. Second objective was to understand how the buying decision criteria and customer experiences can be turned into customer value propositions. Research was done with 16 customer interviews, which were focused on obtaining the information on the buying center and the value of the solution. Thesis goes through the main theories of OBB and the theory behind customer value management. Based on customer interviews, the currently used customer value propositions were tested and categorized into points-of-parities and points-ofdifferences. The interviews confirmed customer behavior in new task and modified rebuy situations and also gave confirmation to the internally done customer value propositions. Main finding of the study was, that as the value propositions are possible to present more specifically to each new case instead of using all benefits at the same time.

Algorithmic Solutions for Combinatorial Problems in Resource Management of Manufacturing Environments

This thesis studies the use of heuristic algorithms in a number of combinatorial problems that occur in various resource constrained environments. Such problems occur, for example, in manufacturing, where a restricted number of resources (tools, machines, feeder slots) are needed to perform some operations. Many of these problems turn out to be computationally intractable, and heuristic algorithms are used to provide efficient, yet sub-optimal solutions. The main goal of the present study is to build upon existing methods to create new heuristics that provide improved solutions for some of these problems. All of these problems occur in practice, and one of the motivations of our study was the request for improvements from industrial sources. We approach three different resource constrained problems. The first is the tool switching and loading problem, and occurs especially in the assembly of printed circuit boards. This problem has to be solved when an efficient, yet small primary storage is used to access resources (tools) from a less efficient (but unlimited) secondary storage area. We study various forms of the problem and provide improved heuristics for its solution. Second, the nozzle assignment problem is concerned with selecting a suitable set of vacuum nozzles for the arms of a robotic assembly machine. It turns out that this is a specialized formulation of the MINMAX resource allocation formulation of the apportionment problem and it can be solved efficiently and optimally. We construct an exact algorithm specialized for the nozzle selection and provide a proof of its optimality. Third, the problem of feeder assignment and component tape construction occurs when electronic components are inserted and certain component types cause tape movement delays that can significantly impact the efficiency of printed circuit board assembly. Here, careful selection of component slots in the feeder improves the tape movement speed. We provide a formal proof that this problem is of the same complexity as the turnpike problem (a well studied geometric optimization problem), and provide a heuristic algorithm for this problem.

Zum Problem der Übersetzung von Gedichten : auch vom Gesichtspunkt des Computers

Abstract

Compaction of growth media based on Sphagnum peat during one-year culturing of container seedlings

Tiivistelmä: Turvepohjaisten kasvualustojen tiivistyminen yksivuotisessa paakkutaimikasvatuksessa

Slits in container wall improve root structure and stem straightness of outplanted Scots pine seedlings

Abstract

Stem straightness and compression wood in a 22-year-old stand of container-grown Scots pine trees

Abstract

Effect of thawing duration and temperature on field performance of frozen-stored Norway spruce container seedlings

Abstract

Extending the planting period of dormant and growing Norway spruce container seedlings to early summer

Abstract

Generating a raster map presentation of a forest resource by solving a transportation problem

Abstract

The influence ofvariable amplitude loading on the fatigue strength of rhs corners

Rectangular hollow section (RHS) members are components widely used in engineering applications because of their good-looking, good properties in engineering areas and inexpensive cost comparing to members with other sections. The increasing use of RHS in load bearing structures makes it necessary to analyze the fatigue behavior of the RHS members. In this thesis, concentration will be given to the fatigue behavior of the RHS members under variable amplitude pure torsional loading. For the RHS members, failure will normally occur in the corner region if the welded regions are under full penetration. This is because of the complicated stress components' distributions at the RHScorners, where all of three fracture mechanics modes will happen. Mode I is mainly caused by the residual stresses that caused by the manufacturing process. Modes II and III are caused by the applied torsional loading. Stress based Findleymodel is also used to analyze the stress components. Constant amplitude fatigue tests have been done as well as variable amplitude fatigue tests. The specimens under variable amplitude loading gave longer fatigue lives than those under constant amplitude loading. Results from tests show an S-N curvewith slope around 5.

Container Handling Equipment Monitoring System, case: Steveco Oy

Container Handling Equipment Monitoring System (CHEMS) is a system developed by Savcor One Oy. CHEMS measures important information for container ports performance and produces performance indicators. The aim of this thesis was to clarify performance measurement contents to Savcor and to develop, as an example, performance measures to Steveco Oy's container operations. The theoretical part of the thesis clarifies performance measurement and which of its components are important to container port. Performance measurement and measures are presented from the operational level's point of view, in which CHEMS is planned to aim. The theory of development process of performance measures is introduced at the end of the theoretical part. To make sure that performance measures are efficiently used, Steveco Oy's performance measures are developed in cooperation with the users. The measurement in operational level is continuous and the results must be reacted asquickly as possible. CHEMS is very suitable to continuous measurement and to produce real time-measures of container operations which are hard to get any otherway.

Optinen merkintunnistus satamaliikenteessä ja junavaunujen tunnistamisessa

Optisella merkintunnistuksella on tärkeä rooli nykypäivän automaatiossa. Optisen merkintunnistuksen eri sovellusalueet vaihtelevat dokumenttien tekstin tunnistamisesta ajoneuvojen tunnistamiseen ja erilaisten tuotanto- ja kokoonpanolinjojen automaatioon ja laadun tarkkailuun. Tässä työssä keskitytään optisen merkintunnistuksen käyttöön satamaliikenteessä. Työ jakaantuu kahteen osaan. Ensimmäisessä osassa esitellään satamien kannalta kaksi yleisintä ja samalla tärkeintä optisen merkintunnistuksen sovellusaluetta: rekisterikilpien tunnistus ja konttien tunnistus. Työn jälkimmäinen osa käsittelee junavaunujen tunnistamista optisen merkintunnistuksen avulla. Satamissa toimiva vaunukalusto ja niissä esiintyvät tunnisteet esitellään. Vaunujen tunnistamisen toteuttava konenäköjärjestelmä, sen vaativat laitteet sekä kuvankäsittelyn ja kuva-analyysin vaiheet käydään läpi. Kuva-analyysion jaettu työssä neljään päävaiheeseen: esikäsittely, segmentointi, piirreirrotus ja luokittelu. Kustakin vaiheesta esitetään useita eri menetelmiä, joiden käyttökelpoisuutta esitettyyn ongelmaan arvioidaan työn lopussa.

Vapaa-alueen konttiliikenteeseen liittyvät tullivastuut

Työn tavoitteena oli selvittää tullivastuiden jakautuminen toimijoiden välillä kontin eri kulkuvaiheissa sekä kartoittaa mahdolliset ongelmakohdat. Aluksi selvitettiin toimintaa nykyisessä muodossa ja transitoliikenteen kehitystä viime vuosina Suomessa sekä Trans-Siperian radan merkitystä transitoliikenteelle. Työssä tarkasteltiin tullilainsäädäntöä tullittomille tavarankäsittelyalueille ja sentoteuttamista Mustolan logistiikkakeskuksen vapaa-alueella. Tullilainsäädännöiija nykyisen vapaa-alueen toiminnan pohjalta tutkittiin eri vaihtoehtoja, joita tullittomat tavarankäsittelyalueet tarjoavat. Toimintaa vapaa-alueella tarkasteltiin turvallisuuden ja palvelun tehokkuuden varmistamiseksi. Tullivastuut ja velvollisuudet vapaa-alue toiminnassa ovat erittäin yksiselitteiset tullilainsäädännön perusteella. Toiminnassa ei havaittu puutteita tullivarastoinnista aiheutuvien vastuiden ja velvollisuuksien täyttämisessä. Vapaa-alueen toiminnassa tiedon kulku ja sen reaaliaikaisuus ovat turvallisuuden kannalta erittäin tärkeitä.