Boundaries of firms and catching up by latecomers in global production networks : the case of a Mexican auto-parts manufacturer

For manufacturing firms in developing countries, there are high barriers to entry and to catching up with competitors in their global production networks (GPNs). This paper examines the case of a Mexican auto-parts manufacturer that succeeded in catching up in the automotive GPN. The author proposes that the door to GPNs is open thanks to frequent changes in the boundaries of firms, and also stresses the importance of the necessary conditions that generate opportunities, including institutional settings that facilitate market entry and catching up, and capability building by firms hopeful of entry.

Behaviour of dolomite, olivine and alumina as primary catalysts in air-steam gasification of sewage sludge

Sewage sludge gasification assays were performed in an atmospheric fluidised bed reactor using air and air–steam mixtures as the gasifying agents. Dolomite, olivine and alumina are three well known tar removal catalysts used in biomass gasification processing. However, little information is available regarding their performance in sewage sludge gasification. The aim of the current study was to learn about the influence of these three catalysts in the product distribution and tar production during sewage sludge gasification. To this end, a set of assays was performed in which the temperature (750–850 °C), the in-bed catalyst content (0, 10 and 15 wt.%) and the steam–biomass ratio (SB) in the range of 0–1 were varied with a constant equivalence ratio (ER) of 0.3. The results were compared to the results from gasification without a catalyst. We show that dolomite has the highest activity in tar elimination, followed by alumina and olivine. In addition to improving tar removal, the presence of water vapour and the catalysts increased the content of H2 in the gases by nearly 60%.

Air-steam gasification of sewage sludge in a bubbling bed reactor: Effect of alumina as a primary catalyst

Numerous references can be found in scientific literature regarding biomass gasification. However, there are few works related to sludge gasification. A study of sewage sludge gasification process in a bubbling fluidised bed gasifier on a laboratory scale is here reported. The aim was to find the optimum conditions for reducing the production of tars and gain more information on the influx of different operating variables in the products resulting from the gasification of this waste. The variables studied were the equivalence ratio (ER), the steam-biomass ratio (SB) and temperature. Specifically, the ER was varied from 0.2 to 0.4, the SB from 0 to 1 and the temperature from 750 °C (1023 K) to 850 °C (1123 K). Although it was observed that tar production could be considerably reduced (up to 72%) by optimising the gasification conditions, the effect of using alumina (aluminium oxide, of proven efficacy in destroying the tar produced in biomass gasification) as primary catalyst in air and air-steam mixture tests was also verified. The results show that by adding small quantities of alumina to the bed (10% by weight of fed sludge) considerable reductions in tar production can be obtained (up to 42%) improving, at the same time, the lower heating value (LHV) of the gas and carbon conversion.

Auto component supply chain: a path to global India

Supply chain management works to bring the supplier, the distributor, and the customer into one cohesive process. The Supply Chain Council defined supply chain as ‘Supply Chain: The flow and transformation of raw materials into products from suppliers through production and distribution facilities to the ultimate consumer., and then Sunil Chopra and Meindl, (2001) have define Supply chain management as ‘Supply Chain Management involves the flows between and among stages in a supply chain to maximize total profitability.’ After 1950, supply chain management got a boost with the production and manufacturing sector getting highest attention. The inventory became the responsibility of the marketing, accounting and production areas. Order processing was part of accounting and sales. Supply chain management became one of the most powerful engines of business transformation. It is the one area where operational efficiency can be gained. It reduces organizations costs and enhances customer service. With the liberalization of world trade, globalization, and emergence of the new markets, many organizations have customers and competitions throughout the world, either directly or indirectly. Business communities are aware that global competitiveness is the key to the success of a business. Competitiveness is ability to produce, distribute and provide products and services for the open market in competition with others. The supply chain, a critical link between supplier, producer and customer is emerged now as an essential business process and a strategic lever, potential value contributor a differentiator for the success of any business. Supply chain management is the management of all internal and external processes or functions to satisfy a customer’s order (from raw materials through conversion and manufacture through logistics delivery.). Goods-either in raw form or processed, whole sale or retailed distribution, business or technology services, in everyday life- in the business or household- directly or indirectly supply chain is ubiquitously associated in expanding socio-economic development. Supply chain growth competitive performance and supporting strong growth impulse at micro as well as micro economic levels. Keeping the India vision at the core of the objective, the role of supply chain is to take up social economic challenges, improve competitive advantages, develop strategies, built capabilities, enhance value propositions, adapt right technology, collaborate with stakeholders and deliver environmentally sustainable outcomes with minimum resources.

Intereses exógenos y resistencia ciudadana en la transformación físicosocial de un asentamiento auto-producido de Dakar (2005-2011)

La presión sobre el acceso a la tierra en la península de Dakar, Senegal, ha generado un proceso de transformación físico-social del mayor asentamiento auto-producido de la periferia urbana de Dakar (Pikine Irregular Sur) en el periodo 2005-2011. Esta investigación se propone analizar en qué medida las acciones llevadas a cabo: i) satisfacen o no el sistema integral de necesidades de los afectados (Demanda); ii) favorecen la implicación de los afectados o, por el contrario, fortalecen las estructuras de poder dominantes (Oferta), y iii) promueven o no la autonomía económica, la sostenibilidad ambiental, la equidad social y la legitimidad de los actores que participan (Entorno). La investigación se ha llevado a cabo por el método de estudio de casos, mediante un proceso de recogida de información participativo, articulado de abajo hacia arriba, en el que han participado 196 personas; la información recogida se ha procesado mediante la utilización de dos herramientas de análisis de realidades complejas: flujo de programa y sistema funcional. Los resultados del estudio de los casos 1 y 2 muestran que las acciones se han llevado a cabo en beneficio de los intereses de los mercados y de los actores que toman las decisiones y gestionan los recursos, incrementando la dependencia económica, empobreciendo a los directamente afectados y fragmentando su tejido social, promoviendo un desarrollo urbano desequilibrado, disperso y segregado, y deslegitimando a las instituciones involucradas. En el estudio del caso 3, en cambio, se verifica que la acción se ha llevado a cabo en beneficio de los intereses de los directamente afectados, utilizando recursos endógenos, fortaleciendo su tejido social, promoviendo un desarrollo urbano concentrado e inclusivo, e incrementando la legitimidad de las instituciones involucradas. El análisis cruzado de los resultados muestra que la pobreza, la exclusión social y la precariedad habitacional, en el contexto específico de la periferia de Dakar, no son un problema de falta de recursos, sino de falta de ética por parte de quienes gestionan y financian los procesos de transformación físico-social, y de falta de voluntad por parte de las autoridades de implicar a los ciudadanos, y en particular a los directamente afectados, en los procesos de toma de decisiones de las acciones y los programas que les afectan. Finalmente se concluye que no se trata de luchar contra la pobreza, sino de luchar contra los sistemas injustos que generan la pobreza y la exclusión. ABSTRACT The pressure on the access to land in the area of Dakar, Senegal, has generated a physical/social transformation process in the largest self-produced settlement in the urban periphery of Dakar (South Irregular Pikine), in the period 2005-2011. This research aims to analyze to what extent the actions carried out: i) satisfy the integral needs of the affected population (Demand), ii) encourage the involvement of those affected or otherwise strengthen dominant power structures (Supply), and iii) promote or inhibit economic autonomy, environmental sustainability, social equity and legitimacy of the actors involved (Environment). The research was conducted by the case study method. 196 people participated in a bottom-up participatory process of information gathering. The information collected was processed using two custom tools aimed to analyse complex systems: the program flow and the functional system. The results of case studies 1 and 2 show that the actions were carried out in the best interest of the markets and the actors who made decisions and managed resources, increasing economic dependence, impoverishing those directly affected and fragmenting their social network by promoting an unbalanced, dispersed and segregated urban development, and de-legitimizing the institutions involved in the process. On the contrary, in the case study 3 it is verified that the action has been carried out on behalf of the interests of those directly affected, using endogenous resources, strengthening the social network, promoting a focused and inclusive urban development, and increasing legitimacy of the institutions involved. The comparative analysis of the results shows that poverty, social exclusion and precarious housing in South Irregular Pikine are not a problem of lack of resources but of unethical behaviour of those who manage and finance physical and social transformation processes, as well as unwillingness on the part of the authorities to involve citizens in the decision making processes for the actions and programs that affect them. Finally we conclude that the enemy to fight against is not poverty but unfair systems that generate poverty and exclusion. RÉSUMÉ La pression sur le foncier dans la presqu'île de Dakar, au Sénégal, a généré un processus de transformation physico-sociale du plus grand établissement auto-produit de la périphérie urbaine de Dakar (Pikine Irrégulier Sud), durant la période 2005-2011. Cette recherche vise à analyser dans quelle mesure les actions menées: i) répondent ou non à l’ensemble des besoins intégrales des personnes concernés (Demande), ii) encouragent l'implication des concernées ou au contraire renforcent les structures de pouvoir dominant (Offre), et iii) favorisent ou non l'autonomie économique, la durabilité environnementale, l'équité sociale et la légitimité des acteurs concernés (Contexte). La recherche a été menée par la méthode des études de cas, par un processus de collecte d'information participative articulée du bas vers le haut dans lequel ont participé 196 personnes. Les informations recueillies ont été traitées à l'aide de deux outils d'analyse de réalités complexes: le système fonctionnel et le flux de programme. Les résultats de l'étude de cas 1 et 2 montrent que les actions ont été menées au profit des intérêts des marchés et des acteurs qui prennent les décisions et gèrent les ressources, augmentant la dépendance économique, appauvrissant ceux qui sont directement concernés et fragmentant leur tissu social, encourageant un développement urbain déséquilibré, dispersé et ségrégé, et délégitimant les institutions concernées. Dans l'étude de cas 3, cependant, il est vérifié que l'action a été menée au profit des intérêts de ceux qui sont directement concernés, en utilisant des ressources endogènes, en renforçant son tissu social, en encourageant un développement urbain concentré et inclusif, et en augmentant la légitimité des institutions concernées. L'analyse comparée des résultats montre que la pauvreté, l'exclusion sociale et le logement précaire, dans le contexte spécifique de la banlieue de Dakar, ne sont pas un problème de manque de ressources, mais de manque d'éthique de la part de ceux qui gèrent et financent les processus de transformation physico-sociale, et de manque de volonté de la part des autorités d'impliquer les citoyens, en particulier ceux qui sont directement concernés, dans le processus de prise de décision des actions et des programmes qui les impliquent. Finalement, on conclut qu'il ne s'agit pas de lutter contre la pauvreté, mais de lutter contre les systèmes injustes qui produisent la pauvreté et l'exclusion.

Sewage sludge gasification. Dolomite performance under different operating conditions

Gasification is a technology that can replace traditional management alternatives used up to date to deal with this waste (landfilling, composting and incineration) and which fulfils the social, environmental and legislative requirements. The main products of sewage sludge gasification are permanent gases (useful to generate energy or to be used as raw material in chemical synthesis processes), liquids (tars) and char. One of the main problems to be solved in gasification is tar production. Tars are organic impurities which can condense at relatively high temperatures making impossible to use the produced gases for most applications. This work deals with the effect of some primary tar removal processes (performed inside the gasifier) on sewage sludge gasification products. For this purpose, analysis of the gas composition, tar production, cold gas efficiency and carbon conversion were carried out. The tests were performed with air in a laboratory scale plant consisting mainly of a bubbling bed gasifier. No catalyzed and catalyzed (10% wt of dolomite in the bed and in the feeding) tests were carried out at different temperatures (750ºC, 800ºC and 850ºC) in order to know the effect of these parameters in the gasification products. As far as tars were concerned, qualitative and quantitative tar composition was determined. In all tests the Equivalence Ratio (ER) was kept at 0.3. Temperature is one of the most influential variables in sewage sludge gasification. Higher temperatures favoured hydrogen and CO production while CO2 content decreased, which might be partially explained by the effect of the cracking, Boudouard and CO2 reforming reactions. At 850ºC, cold gas efficiency and carbon conversion reached 49% and 76%, respectively. The presence of dolomite as catalyst increased the production of H2 reaching contents of 15.5% by volume at 850 °C. Similar behaviour was found for CO whereas CO2 and CnHm (light hydrocarbons) production decreased. In the presence of dolomite, a tar reduction of up to 51% was reached in comparison with no catalyzed tests, as well as improvements on cold gas efficiency and carbon conversion. Several assays were developed in order to test catalyst performance under more rough gasification conditions. For this purpose, the throughput value (TR), defined as kg sludge “as received” fed to the gasifier per hour and per m2 of cross sectional area of the gasifier, was modified. Specifically, the TR values used were 110 (reference value), 215 and 322 kg/h·m2. When TR increased, the H2, CO and CH4 production decreased while the CO2 and the CnHm production increased. Tar production increased drastically with TR during no catalysed tests what is related to the lower residence time of the gas inside the reactor. Nevertheless, even at TR=322 kg/h·m2, tar production decreased by nearly 50% with in-bed use of dolomite in comparison with no catalyzed assays under the same operating conditions. Regarding relative tar composition, there was an increase in benzene and naphthalene content when temperature increased while the content of the rest of compounds decreased. The dolomite seemed to be effective all over the range of molecular weight studied showing tar removal efficiencies between 35-55% in most cases. High values of the TR caused a significant increase in tar production but a slight effect on tar composition.

Auto-localization algorithm for local positioning systems

This paper studies the problem of determining the position of beacon nodes in Local Positioning Systems (LPSs), for which there are no inter-beacon distance measurements available and neither the mobile node nor any of the stationary nodes have positioning or odometry information. The common solution is implemented using a mobile node capable of measuring its distance to the stationary beacon nodes within a sensing radius. Many authors have implemented heuristic methods based on optimization algorithms to solve the problem. However, such methods require a good initial estimation of the node positions in order to find the correct solution. In this paper we present a new method to calculate the inter-beacon distances, and hence the beacons positions, based in the linearization of the trilateration equations into a closed-form solution which does not require any approximate initial estimation. The simulations and field evaluations show a good estimation of the beacon node positions.

Error estimation for the linearized auto-localization algorithm

The Linearized Auto-Localization (LAL) algorithm estimates the position of beacon nodes in Local Positioning Systems (LPSs), using only the distance measurements to a mobile node whose position is also unknown. The LAL algorithm calculates the inter-beacon distances, used for the estimation of the beacons’ positions, from the linearized trilateration equations. In this paper we propose a method to estimate the propagation of the errors of the inter-beacon distances obtained with the LAL algorithm, based on a first order Taylor approximation of the equations. Since the method depends on such approximation, a confidence parameter τ is defined to measure the reliability of the estimated error. Field evaluations showed that by applying this information to an improved weighted-based auto-localization algorithm (WLAL), the standard deviation of the inter-beacon distances can be improved by more than 30% on average with respect to the original LAL method.

Aplicación de auto-corrección continua para practicas de análisis de estructuras

The adaptation to the European Higher Educational area is an opportunity to incorporate on-line methods of education assessment in the field of the "Structural Analysis". This paper promotes the intensive use of MOODLE platform of the Technical University of Madrid, to implement the Information and Communication Technology program in this area. This article summarizes the educational experience achieved during the last courses though the use of a new software tool for continuous self-testing by the students. Individualized test are achieved by randomized variable data for each student. Several benefits for the educational purposes have arisen. Firstly, a considerable speeding of the evaluation process, and more than this, a massive input by the students. Certainly, the use of this tool can be very useful for the learning process and therefore for the improvement of the student’s skills and abilities.

Gasification technology assessment of sterile coal to clean electrical power generation.

Sterile coal is a low-value residue associated to the coal extraction and mining activity. According to the type and origin of the coal bed configuration, sterile coal production can mainly vary on quantity, calorific value and presence of sulphur compounds. In addition, the potential availability of sterile coal within Spain is apparently high and its contribution to the local power generation would be of interest playing a significant role. The proposed study evaluates the availability and deployment of gasification technologies to drive clean electricity generation from waste coal and sterile rock coal, incorporating greenhouse gas emission mitigation systems, like CO2, H2S and NOx removal systems. It establishes the target facility and its conceptual basic design proposal. The syngas obtained after the gasification of sterile coal is processed through specific conditioning units before entering into the combustion chamber of a gas turbine. Flue gas leaving the gas turbine is ducted to a heat recovery steam generation boiler; the steam produced within the boilerdrives a steam turbine. The target facility resembles a singular Integrated Gasification in Combined Cycle (IGCC) power station. The evaluation of the conceptual basic design according to the power output set for a maximum sterile contribution, established that rates over 95% H2S and 90% CO2 removal can be achieved. Noticeable decrease of NOx compounds can be also achieved by the use of commercial technology. A techno-economic approach of the conceptual basic design is made evaluating the integration of potential unitsand their implementation within the target facility aiming toachieve clean power generation. The criterion to be compliant with the most restrictive regulation regarding environmental emissions is setting to carry out this analysis.