Search results for "Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering"
showing 10 items of 1866 documents
Bridging scales with thermodynamics: from nano to macro
2014
We have recently developed a method to calculate thermodynamic properties of macroscopic systems by extrapolating properties of systems of molecular dimensions. Appropriate scaling laws for small systems were derived using the method for small systems thermodynamics of Hill, considering surface and nook energies in small systems of varying sizes. Given certain conditions, Hill's method provides the same systematic basis for small systems as conventional thermodynamics does for large systems. We show how the method can be used to compute thermodynamic data for the macroscopic limit from knowledge of fluctuations in the small system. The rapid and precise method offers an alternative to curre…
Measuring Muscle Fatigue in Relation to the Workload of Health Care Workers
2015
Abstract Number of work related musculoskeletal disorders due to ergonomics risks among workers in Europe, including Latvia, is growing. Employees in health care professions admit physical load and discomfort in various body parts after the shift. According to Eurostat statistical data 60% of total work related diseases are attributed to musculoskeletal disorders in Latvia. The aim of this study was to determine the muscle fatigue caused by physical load for surgeons, anaesthetists and geneticists in one of the largest Hospitals in Latvia. The research involved 9 surgeons, 9 anaesthetists and 7 geneticists with chronic pain (for four months or more) in the neck, shoulders, arms, hands and l…
Sustainability in executive remuneration : A missing link towards more sustainable firms?
2021
This paper contributes by showing simultaneously the interlinked challenges of sustainability-based (based on long-term economic, social and environmental targets) executive remuneration and the problems of transparency in remuneration reporting. Our empirical data, analyzed using qualitative content analysis, consists of the published remuneration statements and sustainability reports of 43 Finnish companies reporting according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework. Our results indicate that comprehensive sustainability remuneration is still rare in Finnish large companies: long-term financial targets are implemented at most companies, but social or environmental targets were …
Reshaping End-of-Life components by sheet hydroforming: An experimental and numerical analysis
2022
In this study, a numerical/experimental analysis is proposed to investigate the possibility of reshaping sheet metal-based End-of-Life (EoL) components using sheet Hydroforming (SHF). Returned EoL components are challenging to be reformed, they are usually characterised by high heterogeneity as there are localised thinning areas (caused by the original forming processes), and the overall formability is reduced with respect to the original flat sheet material. The reshaping route was replicated: a deep drawing process was adopted to impart a square feature; subsequently, SHF was performed. The capability of remove the deep drawn feature was analysed with varying Blank-holder force, oil press…
Environmental aspects of the implementation of bioeconomy in the Baltic Sea Region: An input-output approach
2019
Abstract Bioeconomy is one of the main aspects of the Baltic Sea Region (BRS) Programme. However, at the national level, bioeconomy strategies are still under development in several countries. As environmental aspects are particularly important to ensure the sustainability of bioeconomy, the aim of this paper is to analyse changes in consumption- and production-based bio-resource, land and water footprints for the period of 2011–2015 and couple them with economic indicators, to assess the efficiency of bioeconomy in the BSR countries. The results show significant differences in consumption- and production-based bio-resource, land and water footprints among the BSR countries; these differenc…
Learning by doing. Case study: Education for sustainable development at the University of Latvia
2019
Junction of possibilities offered by European research programmes in the tertiary education and technology enhanced learning open up new borders for students and young researchers; especially for the ones from institutions with less strong collaboration links to Western-Europe and overseas. University of Latvia has undertaken the challenge of designing master’s programme on education for sustainable development called ‘Natural Sciences, Global Change and Technologies for Sustainable Development’ combined with application of digital learning tools. Teaching staff was formed form several faculties of the University of Latvia, other universities, respective companies as well as foreign partner…
Can international environmental cooperation be bought?
2010
In this paper a two-stage game of international environmental agreement formation with asymmetric countries is analytically solved. The equilibrium of the game makes it possible to determine the size and composition of a stable agreement. Two cases are studied. In the first case, countries differ only in abatement costs, while in the second case, they differ in environmental damages. In both cases, two different institutional settings, one without transfers and another with transfers, are considered. The results establish that the asymmetry assumption has no important effects on the scope of cooperation in comparison with the symmetric case if transfers are not used or abatement costs repre…
Editorial: Sustainable development of energy, Water and Environment Systems
2020
In 2018 the Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) was held in three different locations and periods, so as to offer to the scientific community working in the field several opportunities to share and discuss new ideas and disseminate results of research activities. The 1st Latin American SDEWES Conference was held in Rio de Janeiro (Brasil) in January 28–31 and attracted 180 scientists from 35 countries, with a high number of contributions mainly from Southern American and European academics and professionals, who reciprocally enriched about emerging issues in the field of sustainable development in these continents. Also, the participants a…
Order allocation in a multiple suppliers-manufacturers environment within a dynamic cluster
2015
This study faces the problem of how to evaluate order allocation strategies in a multiple suppliers-manufacturers environment within a dynamic industry cluster that is an environment in which suppliers adopt a policy based on their performance to select the clusters in which to operate. Therefore, the allocation strategy performed by the manufacturers is crucial to keep a long-term supply chain partnership with a specific industry cluster. We use simulation to evaluate order allocation strategies under different market conditions. We show how an allocation strategy that takes into account the whole supply chain’s perspective leads to a sustainable development of the clusters of suppliers.
Sustainable and cost-efficient energy supply and utilisation through innovative concepts and technologies at regional, urban and single-user scales
2019
Abstract The environmental impact of the energy sector and the security and economics of energy supply and utilisation have been raising increasing concerns, stimulating the search for innovative solutions for a sustainable use of resources. This article provides an overview of published research in this area, with a focus on papers contributed in special issues of leading journals dedicated to the series of Conferences on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES), including the articles in the current special issue. Based on this review, research trends are identified and achievements supporting the energy transition are highlighted. The studies that focused…