Sinkityslinjan pesuosan optimointi

Työn tavoitteena oli sinkityslinjan pesuosan toiminnan optimointi. Teoriakatsauksen ja haastattelututkimusten avulla työssä selvitettiin, mitkä tekijät pesuosalla tai teräsnauhan pesua edeltävissä prosessivaiheissa vaikuttavat pesutehoon alentavasti. Pesuosan ajoparametrien muutoskokeiden avulla määritettiin kunkin pesuparametrin suhteellinen vaikutus pesutulokseen sekä pesuosan optimaaliset ajoparametrit. Vaikutuksia arvioitiin pinnanpuhtauden ja pesuvesien laboratorioanalyysien sekä prosessidatan avulla. Jätevesianalyysien ja prosessidatan avulla arvioitiin lisäksi pesuosan muutosten vaikutusta pesusta syntyviä jätevesiä käsittelevän jätevesilaitoksen toimintaan. Laitetestauksen avulla työssä kartoitettiin, mikä menetelmä pinnanpuhtauden määrittämiseen soveltuu pesuosalle parhaiten. Kustannusarvioinnilla selvitettiin, millä toimin pesuosan toimintavarmuutta on edullisinta ylläpitää. Työn tulosten pohjalta lämpötilalla todettiin olevan pesutuloksen kannalta merkittävin vaikutus. Sen sijaan kemikaaliannostelun merkitys oli vähäinen. Vesien säännöllisen uudistamisen todettiin olevan olennainen pesuvesien ylläpitokeino nykyisessä pesutilanteessa. Se todettiin lisäksi ennakoivana toimenpiteenä kannattavammaksi kuin pesuosan täystyhjäykset ongelmatilanteissa. Teippitestein määritettävälle pinnanpuhtaudelle katsottiin sopivaksi vaihteluväliksi 40–75 %. Työssä todettiin, että pesua edeltävän kylmävalssin valssiöljyn vaihto sekä valssilla tuotetun teräsnauhan pinnanpuhtaus vaikuttavat merkittävästi pesuosan toimintakykyyn ja pesuosan pyörittämisestä aiheutuviin kustannuksiin. Toimenpiteet pesuosalla vaikuttavat lisäksi jätevesilaitoksen käsittelyvaatimuksiin, joskin myös tasaavat sen toimintaa. Työssä ehdotettiin ratkaisukeinoja pesuosan toimintavarmuuden varmistamiseksi jatkossa, sekä tarjottiin työkaluja, joiden avulla tulevissa investointipäätöksissä voidaan ottaa huomioon myös pesuosan toiminnan edellytykset.

Ristinivel nelivalssaimen voimansiirrossa

Nelivalssaimia käytetään yleisesti metallinauhojen ja -levyjen kylmämuovaukseen. Valssaimissa ristinivel siirtää vääntömomenttia kahden kulmassa olevan akselin välillä. Tässä tutkimuksessa haettiin ratkaisuja nelivalssaimessa esiintyvään epäsymmetriseen taivutustarpeeseen. Valssattavat kuparinauhat alkavat aaltoilla valssaajan puolelta noin yhden millimetrin paksuudessa. Tutkimuksen tarkastelu rajattiin koskemaan vain voimansiirrossa olevaa ristiniveltä, jonka epäiltiin olevan yksi mahdollinen ongelman aiheuttaja. Tutkimuksessa selvisi, että ristinivel ei aiheuta pystysuuntaisia voimia, jotka vaikuttaisivat suoraan nauhan poikkipintaprofiiliin. Kuitenkin ristinivelen aiheuttamat vaakasuuntaiset voimat voivat vaikuttaa epäsuorasti nauhan poikkipintaprofiiliin. Laatupoikkeamien taloudellinen merkitys havaittiin pieneksi, mutta myöhemmissä prosessivaiheissa kuparinauhan epäsymmetrinen poikkipintaprofiili aiheutti ongelmia.

Biofuel handling, pretreatment and traffic use in China

This paper describes the development situation of biofuel in China and the research progress and application in transportation and aviation area, including several key technologies of biofuel production: biofuel pretreatment and handling. This paper is aiming to find the best storing, transmitting, feeding and pretreating methods of various materials, as well as a comparison among the advantages and disadvantages of different pretreatment methods, which is expected to reduce cost in production process and reach the maximized benefits. Meanwhile, a case study of one biomass fuel production factory in China is presented with evaluation and analysis on their technology application.

Engineer-to-order tuotteen ja tuotannon kehittäminen kohti massakustomointia

Tämän kandidaatinyön tavoitteena on selvittää keinoja joilla ETO-yhtiö voi kehittää tuotettaan ja tuotantoaan kohti massakustomointi. Lisäksi selvitetään mitkä asiat vaikuttavat asiakastilauksen kytkentäpisteen asettamiseen siirtyessä massakustomointiin. Työ on tehty kirjallisuuskatsauksena. Esitettyjen tietojen ja tulosten pohjana on alan kirjallisuus sekä julkaistut artikkelit. Työn perusteella voidaan todeta että parhaimmat keinot massakustomoinnin tavoitteluun ETO-yhtiölle ovat; tuotannon ja tuotteiden kehittäminen siten että pystytään hyödyntämään modularisointia ja komponenttien standardointia, lisäksi tuotesuunnitteluun käytettävää aikaa tulee vähentää automatisoimalla tuotesuunnittelua tai käyttämällä standardi suunnitelmia. ETO-yhtiössä siirtyessä massakustomointiin tulee asiakastilauksen kytkentäpisteen paikkaa asetettaessa ottaa huomioon tuotannon ja suunnittelun ulottuvuus kytkettynä asiakkaan vaatimuksiin.

Cost Reduction of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines

Electrical machine drives are the most electrical energy-consuming systems worldwide. The largest proportion of drives is found in industrial applications. There are, however many other applications that are also based on the use of electrical machines, because they have a relatively high efficiency, a low noise level, and do not produce local pollution. Electrical machines can be classified into several categories. One of the most commonly used electrical machine types (especially in the industry) is induction motors, also known as asynchronous machines. They have a mature production process and a robust rotor construction. However, in the world pursuing higher energy efficiency with reasonable investments not every application receives the advantage of using this type of motor drives. The main drawback of induction motors is the fact that they need slipcaused and thus loss-generating current in the rotor, and additional stator current for magnetic field production along with the torque-producing current. This can reduce the electric motor drive efficiency, especially in low-speed, low-power applications. Often, when high torque density is required together with low losses, it is desirable to apply permanent magnet technology, because in this case there is no need to use current to produce the basic excitation of the machine. This promotes the effectiveness of copper use in the stator, and further, there is no rotor current in these machines. Again, if permanent magnets with a high remanent flux density are used, the air gap flux density can be higher than in conventional induction motors. These advantages have raised the popularity of PMSMs in some challenging applications, such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), wind turbines, and home appliances. Usually, a correctly designed PMSM has a higher efficiency and consequently lower losses than its induction machine counterparts. Therefore, the use of these electrical machines reduces the energy consumption of the whole system to some extent, which can provide good motivation to apply permanent magnet technology to electrical machines. However, the cost of high performance rare earth permanent magnets in these machines may not be affordable in many industrial applications, because the tight competition between the manufacturers dictates the rules of low-cost and highly robust solutions, where asynchronous machines seem to be more feasible at the moment. Two main electromagnetic components of an electrical machine are the stator and the rotor. In the case of a conventional radial flux PMSM, the stator contains magnetic circuit lamination and stator winding, and the rotor consists of rotor steel (laminated or solid) and permanent magnets. The lamination itself does not significantly influence the total cost of the machine, even though it can considerably increase the construction complexity, as it requires a special assembly arrangement. However, thin metal sheet processing methods are very effective and economically feasible. Therefore, the cost of the machine is mainly affected by the stator winding and the permanent magnets. The work proposed in this doctoral dissertation comprises a description and analysis of two approaches of PMSM cost reduction: one on the rotor side and the other on the stator side. The first approach on the rotor side includes the use of low-cost and abundant ferrite magnets together with a tooth-coil winding topology and an outer rotor construction. The second approach on the stator side exploits the use of a modular stator structure instead of a monolithic one. PMSMs with the proposed structures were thoroughly analysed by finite element method based tools (FEM). It was found out that by implementing the described principles, some favourable characteristics of the machine (mainly concerning the machine size) will inevitable be compromised. However, the main target of the proposed approaches is not to compete with conventional rare earth PMSMs, but to reduce the price at which they can be implemented in industrial applications, keeping their dimensions at the same level or lower than those of a typical electrical machine used in the industry at the moment. The measurement results of the prototypes show that the main performance characteristics of these machines are at an acceptable level. It is shown that with certain specific actions it is possible to achieve a desirable efficiency level of the machine with the proposed cost reduction methods.

Sugarcane spirit market share simulation: an application of conjoint analysis

This study evaluated the influence of packaging and labeling attributes of sugarcane spirit on consumers' behavior by applying the results of conjoint analysis in sugarcane spirit market share simulation. Firstly, a conjoint analysis was performed aiming to estimate the part-worths of each consumer for some sugarcane spirit packaging and labeling attributes. These part-worths were used in the market share simulation using the maximum utility model. It was observed that some packaging and labeling attributes affected consumer's purchase intention and that most consumers showed a similar preference pattern regarding these attributes. These consumers showed preference for the Seleta brand, which was bottled in 700 mL clear glass bottles with a metal screw cap that bore a label illustration unrelated to sugarcane spirit production process and had the information "aged 36 months in oak barrels". This study also showed that conjoint analysis and the use of its results in the market share simulation proved important tools to better understand consumer behavior towards intention to purchase sugarcane spirit.

Effect of different calcium sources on the antioxidant stability of tortilla chips from extruded and nixtamalized blue corn (Zea mays L.) flours

This research aimed to develop tortilla chips (TC) high in antioxidants from extruded and nixtamalized blue corn flours prepared with calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 and calcium lactate C6H10O6Ca. Tortilla chips were made with extruded flours [0.1% Ca(OH)2; 0.9% C6H10O6Ca; without calcium] and nixtamalized flours [1% Ca(OH)2; 2.95% C6H10O6Ca] using the frying process. Total anthocyanin, total phenolics content, antioxidant activity, color, texture, and oil content were determined. The color of tortilla chips from extruded flours (TCEF) showed high values of the parameters a* and b* indicating a reduction in the blue color. These color parameters were significantly different from those observed in tortilla chips from nixtamalized flours (TCNF), which tended to be more blue. The TCEF retained 15% anthocyanins, 34% phenolics, and 54% antioxidant activity. Pearson's correlation analysis indicated that anthocyanins and phenolics correlated significantly with antioxidant activity and color. TCEF with both calcium sources showed higher fracturability compared with that of TCNF. Oil absorption showed an opposite effect, with lower oil content in TCEF. Nixtamalization and extrusion with C6H10O6Ca resulted in flours and TC high in anthocyanins and antioxidant activity, representing an alternative production process for corn snack high in antioxidants.

Project Charter, Scope, and Time Management In the Movie Industry

This thesis explores how the project charter development, project scope management, and project time management are executed in a Finnish movie production. The deviations and analogies between a case movie production and best practices suggested in PMBOK are presented. Empirical material from the case is gathered with two semi-structured interviews with a producer and a line producer. The interview data is categorized according to PMBOK knowledge areas. The analysis is complemented with movie industry specific norms found in popular movie production guides. The described and observed methods are linked together and the relationship between them is discussed. The project charter development, which is referred as a green light process in the movie industry, is mostly analogous between all areas. The deviations are in the level of formality. The green lighting in the case movie was accomplished without bureaucratic reports described in movie production guides. The empirical material shows that project management conventions and movie industry employ similar methods especially in scope management. Project management practices introduce a work breakdown structure (WBS) method, and movie production accomplishes the same task by developing a shooting script. Time management of the case movie deviates on most parts from the methods suggested in PMBOK. The major deviation is resource management. PMBOK suggests creating a resource breakdown structure. The case movie production accomplished this through budgeting process. Furthermore the popular movie production guides also disregard resource management as sovereign process. However the activity listing is quite analogous between the case movie and PMBOK. The final key observation is that although there is a broad set of effective and detailed movie industry specific methods, a comprehensive methodology that would cover the whole production process, such as Prince2 or Scrum, seems to be missing from the movie industry.

Project charter, scope, and time management in the movie industry

This thesis explores how the project charter development, project scope management, and project time management are executed in a Finnish movie production. The deviations and analogies between a case movie production and best practices suggested in PMBOK are presented. Empirical material from the case is gathered with two semi-structured interviews with a producer and a line producer. The interview data is categorized according to PMBOK knowledge areas. The analysis is complemented with movie industry specific norms found in popular movie production guides. The described and observed methods are linked together and the relationship between them is discussed. The project charter development, which is referred as a green light process in the movie industry, is mostly analogous between all areas. The deviations are in the level of formality. The green lighting in the case movie was accomplished without bureaucratic reports described in movie production guides. The empirical material shows that project management conventions and movie industry employ similar methods especially in scope management. Project management practices introduce a work breakdown structure (WBS) method, and movie production accomplishes the same task by developing a shooting script. Time management of the case movie deviates on most parts from the methods suggested in PMBOK. The major deviation is resource management. PMBOK suggests creating a resource breakdown structure. The case movie production accomplished this through budgeting process. Furthermore the popular movie production guides also disregard resource management as sovereign process. However the activity listing is quite analogous between the case movie and PMBOK. The final key observation is that although there is a broad set of effective and detailed movie industry specific methods, a comprehensive methodology that would cover the whole production process, such as Prince2 or Scrum, seems to be missing from the movie industry.

Sustainable development: conceptualizations and measurement

The paper builds up from a review of some expected, but other quite surprising results regarding country estimates for the year 2000 of genuine saving, a sustainability indicator developed by a World Bank research team. We examine this indicator, founded on neoclassical welfare theory, and discuss one of its major problems. Theoretical developments from ecological economics are then considered, together with insights from Georgescu-Roegen's approach to the production process, in search for an alternative approach. A model with potentially fruitful contributions in this direction is reviewed; it points the course efforts could take enable sustainability evaluations based on a more realistic set of interrelated monetary and biophysical indicators.

The Competitive Analysis of Selected Biorefineries in Finland

Biorefineries is a perspective field of study that covers many opportunities of a successful business unit with respect to sustainability. The thesis focuses on the following key objective: identification of a competitive biorefineries production process in small and medium segments of the chemical and forest industries in Finland. The scope of the research relates to the selected biorefineries operations in Finland and the use of hemicellulose, as a raw material. The identification of the types of biorefineries and the important technical and process characteristics opens the advantage in the company’s competitive analysis. The study concentrates on the practical approach to the scientific methods of the market and companies research with the help of Quality Function Deployment and House of Quality tool. The thesis’s findings provide mindset version of the expert’s House of Quality application, identification of crucial biorefineries technical and design characteristics’ correlation and their effect on the competitive behavior of a company. The theoretical background helps to build the picture of the problematic issues within the field and provides scientific possible solutions. The analysis of the biorefineries’ market and companies operations bring the practical-oriented aptitude of the research. The results of the research can be used for the following investigations in a field and may be applied as a company’s management analytic and strategic application.

Valukappaleiden valmistusprosessin kapeikot teräsvalimossa

Teräsvalimon toimitusprosessissa toimitusvarmuus on tärkeä tuotannon tunnusluku. Valimotuotannossa olevien lukuisten muuttujien vuoksi tuotannonsuunnittelu ja läpivirtauksen hallinta on haasteellista. Tuotteiden, valumateriaalien ja näiden yhdistelmien suuri yhtäaikainen määrä tuotannossa vaikeuttaa tuotannon ennustettavuutta sekä vaikuttaa läpivirtaukseen ja toimitusvarmuuteen. Lisäksi tuotannon eri työvaiheissa ilmenevät kapeikot rajoittavat läpivirtausta ja kasvattavat läpimenoaikoja. Kapeikkoja voidaan hyödyntää tuotannonohjauksessa jos kapeikot ovat selkeästi havaittavissa. Kapasiteetin siirtäminen ei-kapeikosta kapeikkoon lisää tuotannon läpivirtausta. Pelkkä kapeikkojen hallinta ei paranna toimitusvarmuutta jos keskeneräisen tuotannon määrä on suuri ja järjestys väärä. Tuotannon työkuormien visuaalisuuden parantaminen kaikilla työvaiheilla antaa mahdollisuuksia ohjata tuotantoa tehokkaammin. Kandidaatintyössä on tarkasteltu teräsvalimon valmistusprosessia ja selvitetty tuotannon eri vaiheissa ilmeneviä kapeikkoja. Selvitystyössä hyödynnettiin TOC-analyysiä. Keskeneräisen tuotannon määrää mitattiin useilla otannoilla eri työvaiheiden kohdalla. Tuloksia analysoimalla löydettiin tuotannon ongelmakohdat ja niihin tarvittavat kehitystoimenpiteet.

Factors Affecting Runnability of Press Forming Equipment

The growth of the food packaging industry has raised more interest in bio-based fibre packing. The use of petroleum based packages is unfriendly to the environment while bio-based is a sustainable option for food packing. In this Master Thesis the aim was to discover how the press forming machineries runnability is affected by parameters of the press and how it also affects formability of paperboard trays. Familiarisation of the working operation parameters was done with the KAMA ST 75 flat-bed die cutting machine and the VP3-70 mould press. Some small test runs of moulding trays where done to get acquainted to the adjustment parameters of the machines. Literature study was done on how paperboards physical properties react to the forces applied during press forming. The study of what kind of defects to the paperboard tray might occur during forming process and the causes for these defects. Also how the parameters of the press forming machine affects formability of the tray. Maintenance procedures was done to the press forming machine to enhance the reliably of production process. Tool alignment measurement was done to determine proper alignment. Laboratory test of the physical properties of the test material was done to find any connection to how the test material performs in press forming. An evaluation criterion was made to evaluate the dimensions and defects of the tray. From the test result a conclusion can be drawn on how the parameters of the press forming process affect the paperboard material. Based on the results the adjustment the parameters of moulding machines to the mechanical properties of paperboard it is possible to produce high quality fibre passed trays for the food packaging industry.

The new blockbuster film sequel : changing cultural and economic conditions within the film industry

Film sequels are a pervasive part of film consumption practices and have become an important part of the decision making process for Hollywood studios and producers. This thesis indicates that sequels are not homogenous groups of films, as they are often considered, but offer a variety of story construction and utilize a variety of production methods. Three types of blockbuster sequel sets are identified and discussed in this thesis. The Traditional Blockbuster Sequel Set, as exemplified by Back to the Future (1985, 1989, 1990) films, is the most conventional type of sequel set and capitalizes on the winning formula of the first film in the franchise. The MultiMedia Sequel Set, such as The Matrix (1999,2003) trilogy, allows the user/viewer to experience and consume the story as well as the world of the film through many different media. The Lord a/ the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003) set of films is an illustration of The Saga Sequel Set where plot lines are continuous over the entire franchise thus allowing the viewer to see the entire set as a unified work. The thesis also demonstrates how the blockbuster sequel sets, such as the Pirates a/ the Caribbean (2003, 2006, 2007) franchise, restructure the production process of the Hollywood film industry.

Explaining the Persistence of Commodity Prices

This paper extends the Competitive Storage Model by incorporating prominent features of the production process and financial markets. A major limitation of this basic model is that it cannot successfully explain the degree of serial correlation observed in actual data. The proposed extensions build on the observation that in order to generate a high degree of price persistence, a model must incorporate features such that agents are willing to hold stocks more often than predicted by the basic model. We therefore allow unique characteristics of the production and trading mechanisms to provide the required incentives. Specifically, the proposed models introduce (i) gestation lags in production with heteroskedastic supply shocks, (ii) multiperiod forward contracts, and (iii) a convenience return to inventory holding. The rational expectations solutions for twelve commodities are numerically solved. Simulations are then employed to assess the effects of the above extensions on the time series properties of commodity prices. Results indicate that each of the features above partially account for the persistence and occasional spikes observed in actual data. Evidence is presented that the precautionary demand for stocks might play a substantial role in the dynamics of commodity prices.