No abstract

Taking advantage of an extended design and manufacturing space for composites, the technology of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) of continuous fibre-reinforced thermoplastics shows great potential for the production of the next generation of lightweight structural parts. This novel process is very much under development, and knowledge of the mechanical behaviour of the resulting 3D-printed materials is still limited. In this work, the intra-and inter-laminar behaviours of carbon fibre/polyamide printed laminates were extensively characterised to determine ply elastic and strength properties, as well as interface strength and fracture characteristics. Moreover, the effects of eventual production defects on these properties were analysed, putting in evidence some of the present shortcomings of the FFF process. Such defects include non-homogeneous fibre distribution, large amounts of intra-and interlaminar voids, and weak interlayer bonding, which are likely to be due to insufficient thermo-mechanical consolidation of the material during the FFF process, and have significant influence on the matrix-dominated mechanical properties. As a result, the transverse and interlaminar properties were found to be lower than those obtained through Hot Compression Moulding of an equivalent material. Besides highlighting possible process improvements, the mechanical characterisation carried out in this work promises a significant

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

PurposeIn this study, a frame of reference was developed to adapt and execute a continuous improvement process (CIP) for reinforcing a continuous improvement (CI) culture in an organisation. The study was undertaken in a mature capital goods company that did not succeed in institutionalising CI despite deploying many CI tools over the years. The organisation thus needed a model that was adapted to its reality and strengthened the aspects of CI through cultural changes at the organisational level.Design/methodology/approachAction research was used to implement the CIP, and this research method was reinforced using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to analyse the results.FindingsThe CIP was validated in four units of analysis within the organisation. For the validation, aspects relevant to organisational cultural change and their metrics were identified. The results showed that the main barriers to the development of CI in the case organisation were lack of teamwork and poor assimilation of new CI routines.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was applied only in one organisation. Therefore, results cannot be generalized although the process and methodology followed to adapt and implement the CIP could be applied within other organisations.Originality/valueThe paper presents a CI frame of reference and describes how a CIP applied to a small- and medium-sized industrial enterprise generated cultural changes and promoted organisational excellence in the pursuit of CI, by using a hermeneutic phenomenological methodology approach.

No abstract