Tristan Roy L. Panaligan, Alyza P. Anzano, Julian Cergio R. Gayagoy
et al.
Dodecylbenzene Sulfonic Acid (DBSA) is a key industrial chemical primarily manufactured from Dodecylbenzene and Sulfur Trioxide. Utilizing the advanced Film Sulfonation Process, which involves three major steps, this method significantly enhances DBSA production efficiency. The process starts with the combustion of sulfur to generate sulfur dioxide, followed by the oxidation of sulfur dioxide into sulfur trioxide, and concludes with the sulfonation of dodecylbenzene using sulfur trioxide to produce DBSA. This project proposes the establishment of a modern DBSA manufacturing plant within the Calaca Industrial Seaport Park, with a planned annual production capacity of 30,000 t. Given the projected Philippine market demand of 80,057 t by 2030, the project showcases strong economic potential, starting with a capital cost of approximately 2.5 billion Php, offering a payback period of 5.07 y and an impressive 47.50 % return on investment (ROI). The facility will employ cutting-edge technologies and maintain strict quality standards to ensure the production of premium grade DBSA at competitive costs. Furthermore, the plant will fully adhere to the Philippine environmental and safety regulations, supporting safe, sustainable, and responsible operations. This project aims to address the rising domestic demand for DBSA, contributing to the nation’s industrial growth and economic sustainability.
Chemical engineering, Computer engineering. Computer hardware
Marisa Carla Voigt Gava, Gabriel Rosa Paz, André Felipe Henriques Librantz
et al.
Este trabalho apresenta um método baseado em Algoritmo Genético (AG) combinado com Processamento de Imagens Digitais (PID) para resolver um problema comum na indústria metalúrgica: cortar chapas (objetos) em partes iguais (itens) com formatos irregulares. O objetivo é maximizar o número de itens aproveitados na área disponível, reduzindo desperdícios e gerando ganhos econômicos e ambientais. Na abordagem, o objeto e os itens são representados como imagens digitais. O AG gera possíveis soluções, enquanto o PID avalia cada solução verificando sobreposições entre os itens e calculando sua qualidade. Os experimentos computacionais demonstraram a viabilidade da abordagem para minimizar desperdícios, contribuindo para a sustentabilidade do processo de fabricação. Além disso, o método proposto é aplicável a outros setores industriais, ampliando seu potencial para a otimização de processos de corte, com foco no aproveitamento de recursos e na redução de resíduos.
Production management. Operations management, Production capacity. Manufacturing capacity
High-precision angular positioning mechanisms are essential across diverse scientific and industrial applications, from optical instrumentation to automated mechanical systems. Conventional bronze–steel gear reduction units, while reliable, are often heavy, costly, and unsuitable for chemically aggressive or vacuum environments, limiting their use in advanced research setups. This work introduces a novel 1:360 gear reduction system manufactured by resin-based additive manufacturing, designed to overcome these limitations. The compact worm–gear assembly translates a single crank rotation into a precise one-degree indicator displacement, enabling fine and repeatable angular control. A primary application is the alignment of parabolic mirrors in schlieren systems, where accurate tilt adjustment is critical to correct optical alignment; however, the design is broadly adaptable to other precision positioning tasks in laboratory and industrial contexts. Compared with conventional assemblies, the resin-based reducer offers reduced weight, chemical and vacuum compatibility, and lower production cost. Its three-stage reduction design further enhances load-bearing capacity, achieving approximately double the theoretical torque transfer of equivalent commercial systems. These features establish the device as a robust, scalable, and automation-ready solution for high-accuracy angular adjustment, contributing both to specialized optical research and general-purpose precision engineering.
Engineering machinery, tools, and implements, Technological innovations. Automation
A common technique used in factories to shape metal panels is shot peen forming, where the panel is sprayed with a high-velocity stream of small steel pellets called “shot.” The impacts between the hard steel shot and the softer metal of the panel cause localized plastic deformation, which is used to improve the fatigue properties of the material’s surface. The residual stress distribution imparted by impacts also results in bending, which suggests that a torque is associated with it. In this paper, we model shot peen forming as the application of spatially varying torques to a Kirchhoff plate, opting to use the language of thermoelasticity in order to introduce these torque distributions. First, we derive the governing equations for the thermoelastic thin plate model and show that only a torque-type resultant of the temperature distribution shows up in the bending equation. Next, to calibrate from the shot peen operation, an empirical “effective torque” parameter used in the thermoelastic model, a simple and non-invasive test is devised. This test relies only on measuring the maximum displacement of a uniformly shot peened plate as opposed to characterizing the residual stress distribution. After discussing how to handle the unconventional fully free boundary conditions germane to shot peened plates, we introduce an approach to solving the inverse problem whereby the peening distribution required to obtain a specified plate contour can be obtained. Given that the relation between shot peen distributions and bending displacements at a finite set of points is non-unique, we explore a regularization of the inverse problem which gives rise to shot peen distributions that match the capabilities of equipment in the factory. In order to validate our proposed model, an experiment with quantified uncertainty is designed and carried out which investigates the agreement between the predictions of the calibrated model and real shot peen-forming operations.
Ganapathy Raman Madanagopal, Christofer Flinta, Andreas Johnsson
et al.
Measurement of available path capacity with high accuracy over high-speed links deployed in cloud and transport networks is vital for performance assessment and traffic engineering. Methods for measuring the available path capacity rely on sending and receiving time stamped probe packets. A requirement for accurate estimates of the available path capacity is the ability to generate probe packets at a desired rate and also time stamping with high precision and accuracy. This is challenging especially for measurement systems deployed using general purpose hardware. To touch upon the challenge this paper describes and evaluates four approaches for sending and receiving probe packets in high-speed networks (10+ Gbps). The evaluation shows that the baseline approach, based on the native UDP socket, is suitable for available path capacity measurements over links with capacities up to 2.5 Gbps. For higher capacities we show that an implementation based on Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK) gives good results up to 10 Gbps.
Gururaj Bolar, Anoop Aroor Dinesh, Ashwin Polishetty
et al.
Being a difficult-to-cut material, Fiber Metal Laminates (FML) often pose challenges during conventional drilling and require judicious selection of machining parameters to ensure defect-free laminates that can serve reliably during their service lifetime. Helical milling is a promising technique for producing good-quality holes and is preferred over conventional drilling. The paper compares conventional drilling with the helical milling technique for producing holes in carbon fiber-reinforced aluminum laminates. The effect of machining parameters, such as cutting speed and axial feed, on the magnitude of cutting force and the machining temperature during conventional drilling as well as helical milling is studied. It was observed that the thrust force produced during machining reduces considerably during helical milling in comparison to conventional drilling at a constant axial feed rate. The highest machining temperature recorded for helical milling was much lower in comparison to the highest machining temperature measured during conventional drilling. The machining temperatures recorded during helical milling were well below the glass transition temperature of the epoxy used in carbon fiber prepreg, hence protecting the prepreg from thermal degradation during the hole-making process. The surface roughness of the holes produced by both techniques is measured, and the surface morphology of the drilled holes is analyzed using a scanning electron microscope. The surface roughness of the helical-milled holes was lower than that for holes produced by conventional drilling. Scanning electron microscope images provided insights into the interaction of the hole surface with the chips during the chip evacuation stage under different speeds and feed rates. The microhardness of the aluminum layers increased after processing holes using drilling and helical milling operations. The axial feed/axial pitch had minimal influence on the microhardness increase in comparison to the cutting speed.
Kiselev Vladimir M., Velikorossov Vladimir V., Savinkov Sergey V.
et al.
The article presents the results of an analysis of the socio-economic status of the chemical complex in Russia conducted by the authors based on the results of 2022, including the dynamics in the industry of the number of large, medium, and small enterprises, total employment, average capacity utilization, and average wages of chemical industry workers. It is shown that due to the current geopolitical situation, several Russian chemical productions are experiencing difficulties in production and product implementation. The actual number of enterprises in the chemical industry has decreased compared to the beginning of 2022 due to a reduction in the number of small and foreign enterprises in the industry, which is not critical on a national scale in the absence of crisis situations in product implementation. However, the average capacity utilization for major types of chemical products has decreased slightly and currently stands at 70%. The analysis results demonstrate the stability of the employee count and wages. Wages remain at the level of salaries in the manufacturing sector. The conclusion is drawn that the previously identified positive trend in the implementation of the Chemical Industry Development Program until 2030 (Strategy 2030) remains intact, according to the authors.
Larissa Vuitika, Nelson Côrtes, Vanessa B. Malaquias
et al.
Abstract Vaccination has played a critical role in mitigating COVID-19. Despite the availability of licensed vaccines, there remains a pressing need for improved vaccine platforms that provide high protection, safety, and versatility, while also reducing vaccine costs. In response to these challenges, our aim is to create a self-adjuvanted vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, utilizing Virus-Like Particles (VLPs) as the foundation. To achieve this, we produced bacteriophage (Qβ) VLPs in a prokaryotic system and purified them using a rapid and cost-effective strategy involving organic solvents. This method aims to solubilize lipids and components of the cell membrane to eliminate endotoxins present in bacterial samples. For vaccine formulation, Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) antigens were conjugated using chemical crosslinkers, a process compatible with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) confirmed the expected folding and spatial configuration of the QβVLPs vaccine. Additionally, vaccine formulation assessment involved SDS-PAGE stained with Coomassie Brilliant Blue, Western blotting, and stereomicroscopic experiments. In vitro and in vivo evaluations of the vaccine formulation were conducted to assess its capacity to induce a protective immune response without causing side effects. Vaccine doses of 20 µg and 50 µg stimulated the production of neutralizing antibodies. In in vivo testing, the group of animals vaccinated with 50 µg of vaccine formulation provided complete protection against virus infection, maintaining stable body weight without showing signs of disease. In conclusion, the QβVLPs-RBD vaccine has proven to be effective and safe, eliminating the necessity for supplementary adjuvants and offering a financially feasible approach. Moreover, this vaccine platform demonstrates flexibility in targeting Variants of Concern (VOCs) via established conjugation protocols with VLPs.
The surface quality of parts fabricated using laser-directed energy deposition additive manufacturing significantly affects the fatigue life, corrosion resistance, and performance of the components. Surface quality improvements remain a key challenge in laser-directed energy deposition because of the involvement of multiple simultaneously occurring physical phenomena controlling the surface characteristics. Here, a unique combination of structured light scanning characterization and mechanistic modeling was used to identify three key physical factors that affect surface quality. These factors include a geometric factor, an instability factor, and a disintegration factor, which were calculated using a mechanistic model and correlated with the surface characteristics data obtained from the structured light scanning characterization. It was found that these factors can precisely explain the variations in the average surface roughness. In addition, skewness and kurtosis of the surfaces made by laser-directed energy deposition were found to be significantly better than those observed in traditional manufacturing. Based on the experimental and modeling results, a surface quality process map was constructed that can guide engineers in selecting appropriate sets of process variables to improve deposit surface quality in additive manufacturing.
In coupled space-division multiplexing (SDM) transmission systems, imperfections in optical amplifiers and passive devices introduce mode-dependent loss (MDL) and gain (MDG). These effects render the channel capacity stochastic and result in a decrease in average capacity. Several previous studies employ multi-section simulations to model the capacity of these systems. Additionally, relevant works derive analytically the capacity distribution for a single-mode system with polarization-dependent gain and loss (mode count D = 2). However, to the best of our knowledge, analytic expressions of the capacity distribution for systems with D > 2 have not been presented. In this paper, we provide analytic expressions for the capacity of optical systems with arbitrary mode counts. The expressions rely on Gaussian approximations for the per-mode capacity distributions and for the overall capacity distribution, as well as on fitting parameters for the capacity cross-correlation among different modes. Compared to simulations, the derived analytical expressions exhibit a suitable level of accuracy across a wide range of practical scenarios.
Quantum batteries have significant potential applications for future industry and daily life. The capacity is an important indicator for a battery. Methods to improve the capacity of quantum batteries are important. We consider quantum batteries given by bipartite quantum systems and study the enhancement of the battery capacity under local projective measurements on a subsystem of the quantum state. By using two-qubit Bell-diagonal states and X-type states as examples, we show that quantum battery capacity with respect to the whole system or a subsystem can be improved by local projective measurements. Our theoretical analysis will provide ideas for the experimental development of quantum batteries.
Mark P. Sanders, Matthias Bodenbenner, Philipp Dahlem
et al.
Consistent high volumetric performance of machine tools is an essential requirement for high-quality machining. Periodic machine tool calibration ensures said performance and allows for timely corrective actions preventing scrap or rework. Reducing the duration of the calibration process decreases associated cost through non-productive downtime and allows for data acquisition in thermal real-time. The authors enhance an indirect calibration method based on measuring points within the machine volume using a laser tracker by removing the necessity for standstill. To circumvent requiring high fidelity space and time synchronization between metrology system and machine tool, only deviations perpendicular to the path are considered. To do so, the 3D laser tracker data are rotationally transformed such that one axis aligns with the motion direction and can subsequently be omitted as input data for the system of equations solving for geometric errors. Due to the absence of unique measurement-point-to-machine-point mapping, data alignment between nominal path and measurement data is proposed as an iterative alignment process of points to path. The method is tested simulatively and experimentally. It demonstrated conformity to the simulation as well as to the pre-existing calibration method based on laser trackers and shows good agreement with the direct calibration device API XD Laser.
Diego Augustus Senna, Jurema Suely de Araújo Nery Ribeiro
A transformação digital, impulsionada pela Indústria 4.0, promove ambiente volátil e competitivo e acelera o desenvolvimento de inovadoras tecnologias, por vezes incompatíveis com práticas tradicionais. Organizações precisam, então, reformular seu capital intelectual, o que envolve questões de gestão e compartilhamento do conhecimento. Este trabalho busca analisar, por meio de revisão sistemática e bibliometria, quais tecnologias e setores econômicos tendem a estar associados a essas questões, utilizando-se categorização de artigos, análises estatísticas e uma nuvem de palavras. Identificou-se que há crescimento exponencial do número de pesquisas – decorrente do aumento de competitividade – e que o setor acadêmico é predominante, seguido pelo setor de manufatura. Os contextos tecnológicos são muito variáveis, mas predominantemente baseados em tecnologias de informação e comunicação, pilares da Indústria 4.0. Compreender onde as tecnologias digitais – cada vez mais relevantes – estão sendo aplicadas é fundamental para os setores público e privado. Esta pesquisa pode futuramente ser expandida, contemplando novos trabalhos.
Production management. Operations management, Production capacity. Manufacturing capacity
Herein, we analyse polytropic processes for an ideal gas within the wider concept of thermal capacity. To answer the question of whether the thermal capacity is a process, path, or state function, we argue that it should be tentatively set as a path function and if it remains constant along the path, the corresponding process is polytropic. Of all the paths, there are only two, at constant volume and constant pressure, for which the thermal capacities, Cv and Cp, are state functions, i.e., system properties. The discussions herein are valuable both scientifically and instructively because they shed light on issues in undergraduate curricula that are not addressed in sufficient detail in physics textbooks, not even in the most advanced ones.
Heterogeneous systems of limited capacity have general applications in manufacturing, but also for logistic or service systems, due to the differences in server or workstation performance or work assignment, in close relationship with system flexibility, where saturation and blocking are ordinary situations of systems with high demand and limited capacity, so accurate loss quantification is essential for performance evaluation. Multi-class systems of limited capacity have been studied much less than parallel homogeneous systems (Erlang models). In this context, accurate models for parallel heterogeneous ordered-entry systems are developed: without any prior queue, M/Mi/c/c, and with a k capacity queue M/Mi/c/c+k. These new matrix models give an exact state formulation, and their accuracy is verified through discrete event simulation and comparison with literature results. Also, the effect of queue capacity is studied in relationship with the pattern of service rates. Next, the heterogeneous recirculating system model is also developed with good approximation results. Finally, the proposed models are applied to evaluate systems with non-exponential service times, through a new hybrid methodology by combining the Markovian model and the Monte Carlo Method (MCM) for normal or lognormal service times that also yield useful good approximations to the simulated system.
In industrial applications, multi-material joints are becoming increasingly important to achieve a sustainable and resource-saving production. Not only high mechanical properties during the component use have to be given, but also possibilities to separate the joint after end of life are crucial. The recycling and re-use of the materials plays an increasing role in the process chain. Conventional multi-material joints can be separated by cutting out the joining zone, solvents, or thermal degradation. However, these methods result in a loss of material, damage to the base material, or high energy consumption. Therefore, novel joining methods are desirable, such as the joining using pin-like structures. The potential of this novel method for joining adhesion incompatible materials has been demonstrated in previous studies. This paper studies the separability of these connections. Therefore, joints between polyamide 66 (PA66) and polypropylene (PP) as well as PA66 and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) are investigated by means of thermal separation and shredding with subsequent sorting using the density difference of the materials. The separated components were investigated by analytical methods (including dissolution tests, viscosity number analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) with respect to varietal purity and possible degradation effects. It could be shown that shredding allows a complete separation of the multi-material joint into its individual components without material residues or material loss. For thermal separation, material residues of PP or PMMA could be detected in the pin gaps of the PA66. For both separation methods, an influence on the base materials due to degradation effects could be excluded. It can be stated that joining using pin-like structures in vibration welding technology offers a sustainable production of multi-material joints with high recyclability.
Wilian Jesús Pech-Rodríguez, Eddie Nahúm Armendáriz-Mireles, Gladis Guadalupe Suárez-Velázquez
et al.
Although industry 4.0 has gained increased attention in the industry, academic, and governmental fields, there is a lack of information about the relationship between this digital transformation and sustainable development. This work explores the concept of sustainability applied in industry 4.0 and the main advantages that this revolution incorporates into society. To this end, a conscientiously documented investigation was conducted by reviewing actual case studies or scenarios where sustainability was applied in different manufacturing industries, enterprises, or research fields worldwide. A critical and descriptive analysis of the information was performed to identify the main tools and procedures that can be implemented in the industry to address the triple bottom line perspective of industry 4.0, and the results are presented in this document. From the analysis, it was observed that currently, I4.0 has been mainly adopted to improve efficiency and cost reduction in manufacturing companies. However, since only a few enterprises embrace the social paradigm of I4.0, a significant gap in understanding and unbalance is visualized. Therefore, we conclude that there is a lack of information on social benefits and the barriers that must be overcome from the social perspective. On the other hand, this work highlights the importance of adopting industry 4.0 as a positive way to improve the performance of emerging technologies, such as fuel cells, solar cells, and wind turbines, while producing products or services with high efficiency and profitability incomes. For practitioners, this work can provide insightful information about the real implications of I4.0 from a sustainability perspective in our daily life and the possible strategies to improve sustainable development.
This paper addresses the periodic heterogeneous vehicle routing problem (PHVRP), an extension of the classical vehicle routing problems (VRP). This problem is known to be confined to various real-world instances where each customer's demand should be served within a specific time horizon and a maximum demand quantity that can be delivered at each visit. The heterogeneous capacitated vehicles are available to perform the services for each customer. This paper aims to minimize the total traveling time of routes for all vehicles over the time horizon so that the customers' demands can be delivered. Thus, a novel coding scheme is also proposed to directly convert a random sequence of integers into a feasible solution, which is then embedded into algorithms. Furthermore, this paper also compares the performance of the Genetic Algorithm (GA) with the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO). The numerical results of the experiments show that the proposed GA is superior to PSO. However, the computation time of PSO is faster than GA.
Industrial engineering. Management engineering, Production capacity. Manufacturing capacity
Quantum capacities are fundamental quantities that are notoriously hard to compute and can exhibit surprising properties such as superadditivity. Thus, a vast amount of literature is devoted to finding tight and computable bounds on these capacities. We add a new viewpoint by giving operationally motivated bounds on several capacities, including the quantum capacity and private capacity of a quantum channel and the one-way distillable entanglement and private key of a quantum state. These bounds are generally phrased in terms of capacity quantities involving the complementary channel or state. As a tool to obtain these bounds, we discuss partial orders on quantum channels and states, such as the less noisy and the more capable order. Our bounds help to further understand the interplay between different capacities, as they give operational limitations on superadditivity and the difference between capacities in terms of the information-theoretic properties of the complementary channel or state. They can also be used as a new approach towards numerically bounding capacities, as discussed with some examples.