Occupational risk in a glass manufacturing industry unit

Risk assessment is one of the main pillars of the framework directive and other directives in respect of health and safety. It is also the basis of an effective management of safety and health as it is essential to reduce work-related accidents and occupational diseases. To survey the hazards eventually present in the workplaces the usual procedures are i) gathering information about tasks/activities, employees, equipment, legislation and standards; ii) observation of the tasks and; iii) quantification of respective risks through the most adequate risk assessment among the methodologies available. From this preliminary evaluation of a welding plant and, from the different measurable parameters, noise was considered the most critical. This paper focus not only the usual way of risk assessment for noise but also another approach that may allow us to identify the technique with which a weld is being performed.

A case study undertaken recycling & reuse of glass fiber reinforced thermoset polumer wastes of composite materials industry

Glass fibre-reinforced plastics (GFRP) have been considered inherently difficult to recycle due to both: crosslinked nature of thermoset resins, which cannot be remoulded, and complex composition of the composite itself. Presently, most of the GFRP waste is landfilled leading to negative environmental impacts and supplementary added costs. With an increasing awareness of environmental matters and the subsequent desire to save resources, recycling would convert an expensive waste disposal into a profitable reusable material. In this study, efforts were made in order to recycle grinded GFRP waste, proceeding from pultrusion production scrap, into new and sustainable composite materials. For this purpose, GFRP waste recyclates, were incorporated into polyester based mortars as fine aggregate and filler replacements at different load contents and particle size distributions. Potential recycling solution was assessed by mechanical behaviour of resultant GFRP waste modified polymer mortars. Results revealed that GFRP waste filled polymer mortars present improved flexural and compressive behaviour over unmodified polyester based mortars, thus indicating the feasibility of the GFRP industrial waste reuse into concrete-polymer composite materials.

Summary report on emissions from the glass manufacturing industry /

Mode of access: Internet.

Ornamental treasure ; a collection of designs of all styles and periods, for architects, sculptors, modelers, gold and silversmiths, designers, porcelain and glass painters, glass stainers, engravers, lithographers, decorative painters, academies, school of industry, etc. /

Mode of access: Internet.

Workers' report of the sessions of the Wage Conference between the employers in the glass bottle industry and the Glass Bottle Blowers Association of the United States and Canada.

No more published?

Betting Against the Glass Ceiling: Supervisor Gender & Employee Job Satisfaction in the Casino-Entertainment Industry

This exploratory study expands on hospitality management literature, specifically on the influence of a supervisor’s gender in regards to employee job satisfaction within the casino-entertainment sector. Employee job satisfaction was analyzed using company, department, and supervisor variables based on 961 surveys. The study’s results suggest that employees with male supervisors have a higher employee satisfaction level than employees with supervisors that are female. Hospitality organizations are therefore encouraged to create leadership programs to ensure women are a part of corporate leadership’s success formula for the future.

Lean thinking: Glass Wall Management

Sendo os desperdícios “Waste” associados à atividade industrial em Portugal e nos mercados globais e os seus custos inerentes, uma das maiores preocupações a todos os níveis de gestão empresarial, a filosofia “Lean” nasce como ajuda e encaminhamento na solução desta problemática. O conceito “Lean”, no que se refere à indústria, desde sempre e até aos dias de hoje, tem uma enorme ênfase, com a adoção deste conceito.Verificam-se bons resultados ao nível da redução de custos, melhoria da qualidade geral dos artigos produzidos, no controlo da produção em geral e é uma poderosa ferramenta no estreitamento da relação entre os diferentes intervenientes da cadeia de valor de determinado produto, sobretudo com fornecedores e com clientes. Com “Lean Management” e “Glass Wall Management”, em ambientes onde as empresas mais avançadas estão a procurar melhorar a sua competitividade através de uma gestão transparente (“Glass Wall Management”), a partir da qual, “toda informação relevante é compartilhada de maneira a que todos entendam a situação”(Suzaki, K, 1993), ganha cada vez mais importância a existência de uma estrutura organizacional que permita esta transparência e a consequente maturidade das empresas. Neste trabalho foram descritos alguns processos de gestão transparente desenvolvidos nos últimos dois anos numa PME portuguesa, aprofundando o processo de gestão transparente vigente e as ferramentas que ajudam a empresa e que na sua globalidade poderão ser extrapoladas a outras PME Portuguesas de modo que a informação importante e relevante seja partilhada por todos os intervenientes na estrutura empresarial, sendo entendida e desenvolvida por todos através de Edições e Revisões aos documentos mais importantes da empresa. Neste estudo foram contactadas vinte e uma PME’S portuguesas de tipologia de produção MTO (Make to Order) do sector dos estofos/mobiliário, e solicitado o preenchimento de um Questionário, tendo como fim em vista, a verificação do uso desta metodologia “Glass Wall Management” à escala empresarial portuguesa e a interpretação do Conceito Geral “Lean” como filosofia de redução de materiais, tempos e custos.

Eco-efficiency approaches towards a sustainable composite materials manufacturing industry’

In this study the potential eco-efficiency performance of a pultrusion manufacturing company was assessed. Indicators values and eco-efficiency ratios were estimated taking into account the implementation of new proceedings and procedures in the production process of glass fibre reinforced polymers (GFRP) pultrusion profiles. Two different approaches were foreseen: 1)Adoption of a new heating system for pultrusion die in the manufacturing process, more effective and with minor heat losses; and 2) Recycling approach, with partial waste reuse of scrap material derived from manufacturing, cutting and assembly processes of GFRP profiles. These features lead to significant improvements on the sequent assessed eco-efficiency ratios of the present case study, yielding to a more sustainable product and manufacturing process of pultruded GFRP profiles.

Experimental study on polyester based concretes filled with glass fibre reinforced plastic recyclates – a contribution to composite materials sustainability

The development and applications of thermoset polymeric composites, namely fibre reinforced plastics (FRP), have shifted in the last decades more and more into the mass market [1]. Despite of all advantages associated to FRP based products, the increasing production and consume also lead to an increasing amount of FRP wastes, either end-of-lifecycle products, or scrap and by-products generated by the manufacturing process itself. Whereas thermoplastic FRPs can be easily recycled, by remelting and remoulding, recyclability of thermosetting FRPs constitutes a more difficult task due to cross-linked nature of resin matrix. To date, most of the thermoset based FRP waste is being incinerated or landfilled, leading to negative environmental impacts and supplementary added costs to FRP producers and suppliers. This actual framework is putting increasing pressure on the industry to address the options available for FRP waste management, being an important driver for applied research undertaken cost efficient recycling methods. [1-2]. In spite of this, research on recycling solutions for thermoset composites is still at an elementary stage. Thermal and/or chemical recycling processes, with partial fibre recovering, have been investigated mostly for carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) due to inherent value of carbon fibre reinforcement; whereas for glass fibre reinforced plastics (GFRP), mechanical recycling, by means of milling and grinding processes, has been considered a more viable recycling method [1-2]. Though, at the moment, few solutions in the reuse of mechanically-recycled GFRP composites into valueadded products are being explored. Aiming filling this gap, in this study, a new waste management solution for thermoset GFRP based products was assessed. The mechanical recycling approach, with reduction of GFRP waste to powdered and fibrous materials was applied, and the potential added value of obtained recyclates was experimentally investigated as raw material for polyester based mortars. The use of a cementless concrete as host material for GFRP recyclates, instead of a conventional Portland cement based concrete, presents an important asset in avoiding the eventual incompatibility problems arisen from alkalis silica reaction between glass fibres and cementious binder matrix. Additionally, due to hermetic nature of resin binder, polymer based concretes present greater ability for incorporating recycled waste products [3]. Under this scope, different GFRP waste admixed polymer mortar (PM) formulations were analyzed varying the size grading and content of GFRP powder and fibre mix waste. Added value of potential recycling solution was assessed by means of flexural and compressive loading capacities of modified mortars with regard to waste-free polymer mortars.

Sustainability Improvement of a composite materials’ industry through recycling and re-engineering process approaches

Recent Advances in Mechanics and Materials in Design

Mechanical properties of polypropylene/natural fiber composites: comparison with glass fiber

Natural Fiber Composites based on polypropylene have gained increasing interest over the past two decades, both in the scientific and industry communities. In this study, the mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP)/natural fiber composites were studied and compared with those of polypropylene reinforced by glass fiber. Flax and jute woven fabrics have been used. PP/glass fiber composites showed better performance in terms of tensile properties.

Design of a Condition Monitoring System for a Glass Wool Production Line

Työn tarkoituksena oli suunnitella kunnonvalvontajärjestelmä kahdelle lasivillan tuotantolinjalle. Suunnitteluprosessin lisäksi työssä on esitelty erilaisia kunnonvalvontamenetelmiä. Työn alussa on kerrottu erilaisista kunnonvalvontamenetelmistä, joilla voidaan seurata erilaisten laitteiden ja koneiden toimintakuntoa.Erityisesti työssä on tarkasteltu teollisuudessa yleistyviä kunnonvalvonnan värähtelymittauksia. Työssä suunniteltu kunnonvalvontajärjestelmä perustuu viiteen eri menetelmään, jotka ovat värähtelymittaus, lämpötilanmittaus lämpökameralla, lämpötilanmittaus kannettavalla mittarilla, kuuntelu elektronisella stetoskoopilla ja pyörivien osien kunnontarkkailu stroboskoopilla. Kunnonvalvontajärjestelmän suunnittelu on tehty useassa eri vaiheessa. Ensin työssä on kartoitettu tuotannon kannalta tärkeimmät laitteet ja niiden mahdolliset vikaantumistavat. Seuraavaksi on valittu sopivat kunnonvalvontamenetelmät ja tehty mittaussuunnitelma, jossa on esitetty eri laitteille suoritettavat mittaukset ja mittausten aikavälit.Lopuksi työssä on esitelty muutama esimerkkitapaus kunnonvalvontamenetelmien käytöstä sekä kerrottu mahdollisista tulevaisuuden kehitysmahdollisuuksista.

Potential for synthetic gas in Finnish industry

Finland, other Nordic countries and European Union aim to decarbonize their energy production by 2050. Decarbonization requires large scale implementation of non-emission energy sources, i.e. renewable energy and nuclear power. Stochastic renewable energy sources present a challenge to balance the supply and demand for energy. Energy storages, non-emissions fuels in mobility and industrial processes are required whenever electrification is not possible. Neo-Carbon project studies the decarbonizing the energy production and the role of synthetic gas in it. This thesis studies the industrial processes in steel production, oil refining, cement manufacturing and glass manufacturing, where natural gas is already used or fuel switch to SNG is possible. The technical potential for fuel switching is assessed, and economic potential is necessary after this. All studied processes have potential for fuel switching, but total decarbonization of steel production, oil refining requires implementation of other zero-emission technologies.

Stability of volatile profile and sensory properties of passion fruit juice during storage in glass bottles

This study aimed at assessing the stability of passion fruit juice in glass bottles during a 120-day storage period, regarding its volatile compounds profile and sensory properties (aroma and flavor). Samples were obtained from a Brazilian tropical juice industry (Fortaleza, Brazil) and submitted to sensory and chromatographic analyses. The characteristic aroma and flavor of passion fruit were evaluated by a trained panel with a non-structured scale of 9 cm. The headspace volatile compounds were isolated from the product by suction and trapped in Porapak Q, analyzed through high-resolution gas chromatography and identified through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Twelve odoriferous compounds were monitored: ethyl butanoate, ethyl propanoate, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methyl-2-butenol, (E)-3-hexenol, (Z)-3-hexenol, 3-methylbutyl acetate, benzaldehyde, ethyl hexanoate, hexyl acetate, limonene and furfural. The slight variations observed in the volatile profile were not enough to provoke significant changes in the characteristic aroma and flavor of the passion fruit juice.

Production under glass : working conditions and class-consciousness of the Niagara greenhouse workers

This study applies a Marxist theoretical paradigm to examine the working conditions of greenhouse workers in the Niagara Region, and the range of factors that bear upon the formation of their class-consciousness. The Niagara greenhouse industry represents one of the most developed horticultural regions in Canada and plays a prominent role in the local economy. The industry generates substantial revenues and employs a significant number of people, yet the greenhouse workers are paid one of the lowest rates in the region. Being classified as agricultural workers, the greenhouse employees are exempted from many provisions of federal and provincial labour regulations. Under the current provincial statutes, agricultural workers in Ontario are denied the right to organize and bargain collectively. Except for a few technical and managerial positions, the greenhouse industry employs mostly low-skilled workers who are subjected to poor working conditions that stem from the employer's attempts to adapt to larger structural imperatives of the capitalist economy. While subjected to these poor working conditions, the greenhouse workers are also affected by objectively alienated social relations and by ruling class ideological domination and hegemony. These two sets of factors arise from the inherent conflict of interests between wage-labour and capital but also militate against the development of class-consciousness. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 greenhouse workers to examine the role played by their material circumstances in the formulation of their social and political views as well as the extent to which they are aware of their class location and class interests. The hegemonic notions of 'common sense' acted as impediments to formation of classconsciousness. The greenhouse workers have virtually no opportunities to access alternative perspectives that would address the issues associated with exploitation in production and offer solutions leading to 'social justice'. Fonnidable challenges confront any organized political body seeking to improve the conditions of the working people.