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The object of research is the automation of starting and stopping steam power boilers. The problem of automating the starting and stopping of steam power boilers is important for thermal power plants (TPP) and industrial enterprises. These processes require significant efforts from service personnel due to their complexity, partial automation and the need to take into account the human factor. It is emphasized that full automation of starting and stopping steam boilers is economically impractical, since most of the time the boilers operate in continuous automatic operations and only a short time is allocated for periodic procedures, which are mostly performed manually. However, the significant impact of the human factor at critical stages of boiler operation requires the introduction of new technologies that can increase the efficiency and safety of such operations. The study outlines the main challenges associated with steam boiler control and proposes new approaches to solving these problems. It is noted that operators often perform actions during boiler starting and stopping based on instructions or their own experience. This knowledge can be formalized and integrated into the database of an expert decision support system (DSS), which automates some of the manual actions and helps operators avoid errors. For this purpose, it is proposed to use machine vision subsystems that can validate the operator's actions, analyze the interaction of personnel with the equipment and signal about possible incorrect actions. This approach can not only reduce the risk of errors due to fatigue or stress of personnel, but also make the starting and stopping processes safer and more efficient. It is proposed to integrate machine vision subsystems to obtain information that is difficult to measure by traditional means, in particular, regarding the operator’s interaction with manual mechanisms or its presence at the workplace. The structure of the proposed DSS also takes into account the possibility of transferring knowledge bases between different objects, which ensures the scalability and adaptability of the system. The implementation of such a system is based on modern international automation standards, in particular ISA-88, ISA-106 and VDI/VDE/VDMA 2632. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft tile is a new type of building decoration material with light, thin and soft characteristics, which is made via mixing, molding, and drying processes by using emulsion as binder and adding inorganic powders, functional fillers, and other agents. In this paper, the soft tile industry is comprehensively reviewed from the background, development history, industrial status, production equipment, and construction technique. Moreover, the development trend is also prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the variability in the composition of cement raw materials has increasingly impacted the quality of cement products. However, there has been relatively little research on the homogenization effects of equipment in the cement production process. Existing studies mainly focus on the primary functions of equipment, such as the grinding efficiency of ball mills, the thermal decomposition in cyclone preheaters, and the thermal decomposition in rotary kilns. This study selected four typical pieces of equipment with significant homogenization functions for an in-depth investigation: ball mills, pneumatic homogenizing silos, cyclone preheaters, and rotary kilns. To assess the homogenization efficacy of each apparatus, scaled-down models of these devices were constructed and subjected to simulated experiments. To improve experimental efficiency and realistically simulate actual production conditions in a laboratory setting, this study used the uniformity of the electrical capacitance of mixed powders instead of compositional uniformity to analyze homogenization effects. The test material in the experiment consisted of a mixture of raw meal from a cement factory with a high dielectric constant and Fe3O4 powder. The parallel plate capacitance method was employed to ascertain the capacitance value of the mixed powder prior to and subsequent to treatment by each equipment model. The fluctuation of the input and output curves was analyzed, and the standard deviation (S), coefficient of variation (R), and homogenization multiplier (H) were calculated in order to evaluate the homogenization effect of each equipment model on the raw meal. The findings of the study indicated that the pneumatic homogenizer exhibited an exemplary homogenization effect, followed by the ball mill. For the ball mill, a higher proportion of small balls in the gradation can significantly enhance the homogenization effect without considering the grinding efficiency. The five-stage cyclone preheater also has a better homogenization effect, while the rotary kiln has a less significant homogenization effect on raw meal. Finally, the raw meal processed by each equipment model was used for clinker calcination and the preparation of cement mortar samples. After curing for three days, the compressive and flexural strengths of the samples were tested, thereby indirectly verifying the homogenization effect of each equipment model on the raw meal. This study helps to understand the homogenization process of raw materials by equipment in cement production and provides certain reference and data support for equipment selection, operation optimization, and quality control in the cement production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigated the influence of electricity supply on economic growth in Nigeria. The design was a survey of 225 owners of small and medium enterprises in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit the desired information from the respondents. Structural equations modelling served to analyse the data elicited from the respondents. The results showed that electricity supply influences work condition (office temperature, pumping of water, and production equipment), work condition has a significant influence on productivity, and productivity mediates the relationship between work condition and economic growth. However, electricity supply for office temperature and ict does not have any significant influence on economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the key activities of managing an organisation is to be able to make timely and correct decisions. Making the right decision is necessary to ensure the organisation's competitiveness [Lestyanszka 2014a]. Organisations are trying to reduce production costs as much as possible, but this, on the other hand, brings negatives in the form of products that do not meet customer expectations. This phenomenon, however, has other downstream processes that burden the organisation and make it more difficult to continue its activities. These are customer complaints, the cost of eliminating the claimed defects, downtime, etc. [Lestyanszka 2014b, Husain 2021]. Therefore, the successful functioning of any organisation depends on its ability to adapt to changing customer requirements, as these are a priority in the market [Szander 2014, McDonnell 2013]. An effective tool for quality improvement is statistical methods and tools, which are not only advisable but essential to be implemented in production processes. Without systematic quality management, an organisation cannot grow, as it has to combine enormous efforts in developing and introducing new products with maximum quality maintenance of the already established ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offshore oil and gas equipment is crucial for developing offshore oil and gas and strengthening the marine power of a country. In recent years, China’s offshore oil and gas equipment industry has made a series of breakthroughs and is realizing the leap toward ultra-deep water; however, there are still some drawbacks. This study reviews the development status of offshore oil and gas exploration, drilling, construction, and production equipment globally and in China, analyzes the gap between China and the advanced international level, and proposes the key development directions for each type of equipment. Future development goals and the following suggestions are further proposed: (1) upgrading the conventional marine equipment industry through unmanned, intelligent, and standardized development, (2) establishing a system of technologies and equipment for 3000-meter-level oil-gas field development, (3) formulating a key core equipment list to accelerate breakthroughs of core equipment, (4) accelerating the domestication of underwater production equipment, (5) achieving breakthroughs regarding floating liquefied natural gas facilities, (6) improving the marine equipment test and certification system, and (7) exploring the integrated development of offshore oil and gas equipment and offshore new energy resources, thereby providing references for future development of offshore oil and gas equipment in China.

It is substantiated that the main capital of forestry economy includes the technical-technological, production-economic and natural-resource components, which requires the formation of a modern model of ecological and economic regulation of its reproduction to prevent the processes of exhausting and unbalanced forest use. It is determined that at the present moment the decisive influence on the paces, proportions and scale of reproduction of the main capital of forestry economy is exercised by the processes of European integration, digitalization and decentralization, which to some extent is reflected in the State Strategy for Forest Management of Ukraine until 2035. Studies have shown that in 2013–2021 in the dynamics of most articles of capital expenditures for the purchase of production equipment, cars, devices, machinery and mechanisms, there is an upward trend, owing to both the real growth of capital investments and devaluation-inflationary processes. It is revealed that in 2013–2021 there is a reduction in total capital expenditures for the purchase of road construction equipment, which reduces the ability of permanent forest users to develop a network of forestry roads. It is substantiated that deepening the digital transformation of the forest management system and the movement of forest products requires an increase in capital expenditures in the acquisition of modern software and other information and digital technologies, which will lead to an increase in the share of intangible assets in the structure of main capital of forestry economy. It is found that in recent years certain institutional prerequisites have been formed for diversification of sources of financial and investment support for the reproduction of fixed capital of forestry economy due to an increase in the volume of bank lending and additional attraction of foreign investments. It is proved that a perspective institutional form of diversification of sources of financing for the reproduction of main capital are public-private partnership agreements, which will ensure the consolidation of resources of the public and corporate sectors to accelerate the processes of expanded reproduction and economic development of the forest resource potential of the country.

The problems in equipment fault detection include data dimension explosion, computational complexity, low detection accuracy, etc. To solve these problems, a device anomaly detection algorithm based on enhanced long short-term memory (LSTM) is proposed. The algorithm first reduces the dimensionality of the device sensor data by principal component analysis (PCA), extracts the strongly correlated variable data among the multidimensional sensor data with the lowest possible information loss, and then uses the enhanced stacked LSTM to predict the extracted temporal data, thus improving the accuracy of anomaly detection. To improve the efficiency of the anomaly detection, a genetic algorithm (GA) is used to adjust the magnitude of the enhancements made by the LSTM model. The validation of the actual data from the pumps shows that the algorithm has significantly improved the recall rate and the detection speed of device anomaly detection, with the recall rate of 97. 07%, which indicates that the algorithm is effective and efficient for device anomaly detection in the actual production environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is centered on devising preventive strategies to enhance safety and diminish occupational risks associated with the operation of novel industrial facilities and production equipment. Utilizing qualitative research methods, this investigation scrutinizes reporting documents, exploiting indicators of occupational injuries and identified causes of such injuries. A combination of monographic and statistical methods was leveraged to process the results. An examination of occupational risks reveals that a substantial proportion is linked to production equipment, flawed technological processes, and substandard conditions of industrial facilities and structures. Informed by the outcomes obtained, recommendations were formulated for establishing and employing feedback mechanisms. This approach facilitated the systematization of causes leading to industrial injuries and the modification of regulatory documentation to curtail occupational risks. The study advocates the development of specific checklists featuring exemplar questions and a unified database for work-related injuries. It also proposes amplifying the legal status of documents that prescribe requirements for production processes. The implementation of these solutions is projected to result in a reduction of occupational risks and work-related injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The publication reflects the current situation concerning the possibilities of using augmented reality (AR) technology in the field of production technologies with the main intention of creating a tool to increase production efficiency. It is a set of individual steps that respond in a targeted manner to the possible need for assisted service intervention on a specific device. The publication chronologically describes the procedure required for the preparation and processing of a CAD model. For this preparatory process, the PTC software package is used which meets the requirements for each of the individual operations. The first step is the routine preparation of CAD models and assemblies. These are prepared based on real models located on the device, and their shape and dimensions correlate with the dimensions of the model on the device. The second phase is the creation and timing of the disassembly sequence. This will provide the model with complete vector data, which is then paired with the CAD models in AR. This phase is one of the most important. It determines the location of the model concerning its relative position on the device, provides information on the relocation of parts of the model after the sequence is started, and essentially serves as a template for the interactive part of the sequence. The last two phases are used to connect CAD models with vector data, determine their position for the position mark, and prepare the user interface displayed on the output device. The result of this procedure is a functional disassembly sequence, used for assisted service intervention of a worker in the spindle drive of the Emco Mill 55 device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cost model for optimal reliability improvement of warranted second-hand production equipment is developed. The second-hand production equipment of age x is subjected to an upgrade action of a certain level u before it is sold with a Free Repair Warranty. We look at determining the optimal upgrade level when not performing and when performing periodic preventive maintenance (PM) during the warranty period. Two different PM strategies are considered: (a) periodic PM actions having the same efficiency level; (b) periodic multi-phase PM actions with a maintenance efficiency level which varies according to the phase. The proposed model aims at helping the dealer to find the optimal upgrade level to perform before selling the second-hand equipment, and to assess whether performing PM actions during the warranty period, according to a specific maintenance strategy, is worthwhile in terms of cost reduction. Numerical experimentations considering each PM scenario are performed in order to investigate how each PM strategy impacts the improvement level to be performed and the associated total expected cost. The obtained results showed that the expected total cost incurred by the dealer is governed by a sensitive trade-off between the warranty servicing cost and the costs associated with the reliability improvement, and with the PM performed during the warranty period. It is also found that the proposed new periodic multi-phase PM policy with an increasing maintenance efficiency level yields lower upgrade levels, inducing lower costs for the dealer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, a three‐dimensional (3D) electrospinning machine is designed and implemented as a new type of delta 3D printer that incorporates the fabrication of textiles directly into the 3D printing process. The newly designed 3D machine enables custom‐shaped electrospun nanofibre sheets to be fabricated in a single process. The implemented prototype allows controllable nozzle movements in 3D space. Four design patterns are successfully fabricated using a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) solution at an 18% weight concentration. The microscopic properties of the electrospun patterns are verified via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate the fibre morphology. The SEM image at 14.5 kV shows that the PVDF electrospun nanofibres appear smooth and uniform with varying diameters in the range of 700–400 nm.

The parts of working machinery have always suffered from various working conditions in the process of use (e.g., high temperature, high humidity, and high pressure) that may generate flaws, pitting, thermal fatigue crack and other types of defects on the surface or inside. Because these tiny defects carry big safety risks, regular detection is necessary to ensure the reliability of the production equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a method for determining externally applied impact loads on complex structures using strain analysis. An impact load transducer was developed to determine impact loads. Using this transducer (which incorporates strain gauges), the relationship between the measured strains and applied impact load was studied, and a model for conversion from strain analysis to impact load was developed. The reconstructed impact curve that characterizes the impact peak force, impact duration, and load in the steady state after impact was employed as an input load curve in finite element analysis. The reconstructed impact load was validated by comparing the structural strain measured on the specimen in the experiments and the strain calculated by the simulations. The results show that the maximum difference between experimentally and numerically determined structural peak strains is 3.2 με. Moreover, the method was validated by predicting the impact load of a descending vehicle chassis on the production equipment in an automotive production line. It demonstrated high efficiency and accuracy. The reconstructed load curve obtained using the developed method provides high efficiency in addition to high accuracy. Furthermore, it circumvents the complexities of modeling dynamic impact simulation, including complex impactor shape, interface, and friction conditions. Thus, the developed method provides scholars with an efficient approach for an extensive study of the responses of complex structures in various fields such as stress strain analysis, fatigue analysis, and topology optimization for lightweight design of production equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many existing video surveillance solutions are based on sending information between camera and remote server. In this paper, we study video services that are being built in an edge-centric Internet of Things (IoT) environment. Multiple cameras are available. Each video stream is subject to create simple events. Complex events can also be created based on the combination of simple events and context from IoT environment, forming the semantics for video analytics. We introduce microservice-based on step-by-step technology to show how software can be designed and developed for various application areas using multiple cameras. We extend video services that were discussed in our previous works using the developed technology. Proposal smart video services allow to organize smart video monitoring in the following areas: Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), medicine mHelath services, SmartRoom.

Biomass fuel production has a variety of methods, and the use of biomass cracking to produce biofuels is an advanced technology used in many countries. In the control of the biofuel production process, how to get the motion law of the heat carrier in the cone relative to the cone becomes a problem that must be solved. This study uses the basic theory of dynamics and computer simulation calculation function to carry out dynamic analysis of each of the above contents, and analyses the response problem of comprehensive factors, and obtains the simulation results in accordance with the experimental results. This analysis provides a detailed design rationale for the optimal design of biomass cone pyrolysis equipment.

Cone pyrolysis liquefaction reactor is the key core device of biomass energy production equipment. The study of the dynamics of the cone is of great significance to the bioenergy conversion technology. Proper control of the movement time of the heat carrier in the cone can prevent it. Biomass superheated carbonisation can increase the ratio of gas and liquid formation. It is a difficult and key technology in the design of the cone pyrolysis liquefaction reactor. The kinetic differential equation of the relative motion of heat carrier particles can be obtained by kinetic analysis and calculation. It can play a key role in the in-depth study of the structural size design of the cone and the optimisation of the structural size parameters. This study conducts a dynamic simulation of the physical simplification model of biomass energy production equipment. The computer simulation software was used to simulate the running process of the simplified cone mechanism model. A reasonable physical prototype that meets the process parameters is designed. In view of the above complex dynamic phenomena, it is necessary to comprehensively analyse various methods of dynamics, and use appropriate numerical analysis and computer-aided design methods to carry out system equipment research and design.

This paper proposes a method for determining externally applied impact loads on complex structures using strain analysis. An impact load transducer was developed to determine impact loads. Using this transducer (which incorporates strain gauges), the relationship between the measured strains and applied impact load was studied, and a model for conversion from strain analysis to impact load was developed. The reconstructed impact curve that characterizes the impact peak force, impact duration, and load in the steady state after impact was employed as an input load curve in finite element analysis. The reconstructed impact load was validated by comparing the structural strain measured on the specimen in the experiments and the strain calculated by the simulations. The results show that the maximum difference between experimentally and numerically determined structural peak strains is 3.2 με. Moreover, the method was validated by predicting the impact load of a descending vehicle chassis on the production equipment in an automotive production line. It demonstrated high efficiency and accuracy. The reconstructed load curve obtained using the developed method provides high efficiency in addition to high accuracy. Furthermore, it circumvents the complexities of modeling dynamic impact simulation, including complex impactor shape, interface, and friction conditions. Thus, the developed method provides scholars with an efficient approach for an extensive study of the responses of complex structures in various fields such as stress strain analysis, fatigue analysis, and topology optimization for lightweight design of production equipment.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) is increasingly used for the fabrication of metallic components used in the medical device, aerospace and automotive industries. With the wider adoption of AM in these sectors, there is an increased demand for the in-situ process monitoring of the build process. This study investigates the performance of a photodiode based, co-axial in-situ process monitoring (PM) system, during the Selective laser melting (SLM) of Ti6Al4V alloy parts. The PM system measures the optical and thermal emissions created by the meltpool, as well as the intensity and stability of the laser during the SLM process. The process monitoring software then creates a 2D or 3D representation of the part, based on the signal intensity recorded. The Ti6Al4V alloy parts were manufactured containing internal cavities, with diameters/width's in the range of 200–600 μm, while varying the input energy between 32.9 and 131.6 J/mm3. A close correlation was established between the laser monitoring photodiode signal intensity and the laser energy input. Along with this, an increase in signal intensity recorded, by the meltpool monitoring photodiode, was observed when the first capping layer above a cavity, was processed by the laser. Further to this, it was shown that only the first layer was influence by the overhang, with the signal generated by the layers directly above this remaining unaffected. In addition to providing data on the laser energy during the build process, the PM system also provided valuable information regarding the intensity of the meltpool. A comparison was made between the dimensional measurements obtained using PM software, with those obtained through CT scanning of the parts, post build. It was found that for the 600 μm cavities that the measurements were, at best, within 1.7% of each other. This closeness of such measurements however decreased very significantly as the size of the cavities decreased, with a variation for example, of up to 32% been obtained, for 400 μm cavities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of China Textile Leader is the property of China Textile Information Center and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Biomass fuel production has a variety of methods, and the use of biomass cracking to produce biofuels is an advanced technology used in many countries. In the control of the biofuel production process, how to get the motion law of the heat carrier in the cone relative to the cone becomes a problem that must be solved. This study uses the basic theory of dynamics and computer simulation calculation function to carry out dynamic analysis of each of the above contents, and analyses the response problem of comprehensive factors, and obtains the simulation results in accordance with the experimental results. This analysis provides a detailed design rationale for the optimal design of biomass cone pyrolysis equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cone pyrolysis liquefaction reactor is the key core device of biomass energy production equipment. The study of the dynamics of the cone is of great significance to the bioenergy conversion technology. Proper control of the movement time of the heat carrier in the cone can prevent it. Biomass superheated carbonisation can increase the ratio of gas and liquid formation. It is a difficult and key technology in the design of the cone pyrolysis liquefaction reactor. The kinetic differential equation of the relative motion of heat carrier particles can be obtained by kinetic analysis and calculation. It can play a key role in the in-depth study of the structural size design of the cone and the optimisation of the structural size parameters. This study conducts a dynamic simulation of the physical simplification model of biomass energy production equipment. The computer simulation software was used to simulate the running process of the simplified cone mechanism model. A reasonable physical prototype that meets the process parameters is designed. In view of the above complex dynamic phenomena, it is necessary to comprehensively analyse various methods of dynamics, and use appropriate numerical analysis and computer-aided design methods to carry out system equipment research and design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the energy crisis becomes more prominent, the issue of energy conservation and recycling is urgent. For large‐scale industrial plants, there are various forms of heat energy resources with different grades and energy storages. This study presents the detail modelling of all equipment in the integrated energy system to specify the physical operational constraints. Furthermore, an optimisation model is set up to minimise the total cost of an individual industrial plant, with the consideration of energy production equipment, energy conversion equipment and energy storage equipment in the plant. In particular, the relationship among the heat energy with different grades is described to characterise the cascade utilisation of the heat energy. Finally, a material processing factory with multi‐grade heat energy is simulated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model with energy cascade utilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) is a well-accepted measure of performance in industry. This study investigates the relationship between the factory management and the operation of the limoncello production line. The analysis of failure and repair data of the line over a period of 8 months was carried out. Descriptive statistics at machine and at line level were computed. In addition, the components availability (A), performance efficiency (PE), and quality rate (QR) of the OEE were calculated. Failure and repair data analysis identify the critical points of the production process that need immediate action to improve the operation of the line. Results show that the components PE and QR should be improved immediately to optimise the productivity and the efficiency of the line. It can also be utilised in the beverage industry sector by the machinery manufacturers and the manufacturers of bottled products to improve the design and operation management of the bottling production lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of China Textile Leader is the property of China Textile Information Center and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

At present, there is a little research on the workspace of the hybrid mechanism, and the further development of the engraving plotter is hindered due to the limitation of the workspace. In order to clearly understand the workspace of the hybrid engraving plotter, and verify whether the workspace meets the industrial production needs, the five degrees of freedom hybrid engraving plotter is analysed and studied. First, the structure of the engraving plotter is analysed and simplified, and then the direct equation is deduced by the analytic method. Second, according to the engraving plotter direct solution equation, the boundary of workspace is determined and the volume is calculated by using the optimisation algorithm. In order to understand the change of workspace in different z planes, the workspace of the parallel part is intercepted by some planes, which are parallel to XOY; thus, the authors know that the cut plane area of the workspace increases with the increase of Z values. Finally, the influence of the mechanism parameters is discussed on the dexterity. These theoretical knowledge will make important research significance for guiding engineering practice.

This study presents an ultrahigh internal pressure compound booster cylinder and analyses the structure and principle of the cylinder. Its advantages include low input, high pressure output, and direct action on the execution cylinder. The model of the ultrahigh internal pressure compound booster cylinder is constructed by AMESim, and the result is analysed. By analysing the research and simulation results for this cylinder, the authors eventually designed an integrated composite hydraulic cylinder assembly that can realise the large pressure output of fast-forward and quick return actions.