Keywords:digital supply chain energy consumption industrial ecology manufacturing process rapid manufacturing rapid prototyping SummaryThe supply chains found in modern manufacturing are often complex and long. The resulting opacity poses a significant barrier to the measurement and minimization of energy consumption and therefore to the implementation of sustainable manufacturing. The current article investigates whether the adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) technology can be used to reach transparency in terms of energy and financial inputs to manufacturing operations.AM refers to the use of a group of electricity-driven technologies capable of combining materials to manufacture geometrically complex products in a single digitally controlled process step, entirely without molds, dies, or other tooling. The single-step nature affords full measurability with respect to process energy inputs and production costs. However, the parallel character of AM (allowing the contemporaneous production of multiple parts) poses previously unconsidered problems in the estimation of manufacturing resource consumption.This research discusses the implementation of a tool for the estimation of process energy flows and costs occurring in the AM technology variant direct metal laser sintering. It is demonstrated that accurate predictions can be made for the production of a basket of sample parts. Further, it is shown that, unlike conventional processes, the quantity and variety of parts demanded and the resulting ability to fully utilize the available machine capacity have an impact on process efficiency. It is also demonstrated that cost minimization in additive manufacturing may lead to the minimization of process energy consumption, thereby motivating sustainability improvements.
Information availability and data transparency are key requirements from manufacturers when supporting products throughout the life cycle, for example, when implementing product service systems. The application of embedded wireless technologies into printed circuit boards can help by bridging current knowledge gaps in order to minimise both technical and financial risk through: reduced product downtime, improved quality of tracking, and enhanced end-of-life decision making. The application of an embedded radio frequency identification device into printed circuit boards for life cycle monitoring of electronic products to support product service systems is discussed in this article.
The handstand on rings is a requirement in competition routines in Men's Artistic Gymnastics, and hence is a key skill in the development of an elite artistic gymnast. This study was carried out to establish the coaching requirements of a training aid for a handstand on the rings, to investigate the biomechanics of the handstand, to design and construct a training aid, and to assess its performance. The key requirements of a training aid for a handstand on rings were compiled from a survey of 11 national coaches. A biomechanical analysis of a handstand on rings was carried out in order to investigate the control mechanism and to inform the training aid design. The aid was designed to permit the same control mechanism to be used and was manufactured in accordance with British Standards. In order to assess the performance of the aid displacement, joint angle, and muscle activation data were used to compare handstands on the rings, floor, prototype training aid, and two other existing training aids. The results showed that a handstand on the prototype was more similar to rings than a handstand on the existing training aids. The prototype also simplified the learning of the skill.
This study was carried out to design, construct and assess a training aid to assist in the learning of a backward handspring. A backward handspring is often the first backward dynamic skill gymnasts will learn and so its performance can be accompanied by anxiety. International high performance coaches were surveyed to establish the key coaching requirements of a backward handspring training aid. A video analysis of the skill was used to determine characteristic dimensions of the skill, and these were used in the design of the training aid. The aid was designed and manufactured in accordance with European Standards for safety. The device's safety for use in supporting the backward handspring was confirmed through testing. The assessment of the training aid using 11 gymnasts showed that it permitted a safe dynamic performance; provided support; did not obstruct technically good performances; allowed progressive use by novices without additional coach support; and was adjustable for gymnasts of various size and ability. When assessed against other training aids, it was the only aid that fulfilled all of the key coaching requirements.
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