Search results for "NOVA"

Uncovering Technological and Environmental Potentials of Aluminum Alloy Scraps Recycling Through Friction Stir Consolidation

2020

Conventional metal chips recycling processes are energy-intensive with low efficiency and permanent material losses during re-melting. Solid state recycling allows direct recycling of metal scraps into semi-finished products. It is expected that this process category would lower the environmental performance of metals recycling. Friction Stir Consolidation is a new solid-state technique taking advantage of friction heat generation and severe plastic deformation to consolidate chips into billets. In this research, the feasibility of Friction Stir Consolidation as aluminum chips recycling process is analyzed. Specifically, an experimental campaign has been carried out with varying main proces…

Integrated WAAM-Subtractive Versus Pure Subtractive Manufacturing Approaches: An Energy Efficiency Comparison

2019

Over the last years, additive manufacturing (AM) has been gathering momentum both in the academic and in the industrial world. Besides the obvious benefits in terms of flexibility and process capabilities, the environmental performance of such processes has still to be properly analyzed. Actually, the advantages of additive manufacturing over conventional processes are not obvious. Indeed, different manufacturing approaches result in different amounts of involved material and in different processing energy demands. Environmental comparative analyses are hence crucial to properly characterize AM processes. In this paper, an energetic comparison between the emerging wire arc additive manufact…

Design of a telescopic tower for wind energy production with reduced environmental impact

2019

A prototype of a telescopic pole for wind energy production with low environmental impact and its lifting system for a 60 to 250 kW turbine and a height of 30 m have been designed and manufactured. A telescopic tower, which is raised and lowered by automation or by remote control, allows to differentiate the presence of the generator within the landscape over time. The technology currently available for lifting and lowering wind turbines is made up of telescopic poles of heights of less than 10 meters and with tilting posts of height below 30 m. Without a state of the art to refer to, the telescopic pole and its lifting system have been designed starting from scratch and solving with innova…

Cent números: una nova etapa de Cuadernos de Geografía

2018

Shelf life-based inventory management policy for RF monitored warehouse

2018

Post-harvest losses of perishable products strongly depend on inefficiencies of the entire supply chain. In particular, these inefficiencies can be reduced by optimizing the warehouse management, taking into account the remaining shelf life of the product, and matching it to the requirements of the subsequent part of the handling chain. The replacement of First In First Out picking rule with Last Shelf Life First Out policy has been proved to improve the overall performance of the supply chain. The practicability of such approach is related to the possibility of monitoring the deterioration rate of the products and of predicting the residual shelf-life, that is mainly influenced by harvesti…

Exploring the application of blockchain to humanitarian supply chains: insights from Humanitarian Supply Blockchain pilot project

2021

PurposeSome studies and reports have recently suggested using blockchain technology to improve transparency and trust in humanitarian supply chains (HSCs). However, evidence-based studies to display the utility and applicability of blockchains in HSCs are missing in the literature. This paper aims to investigate the key drivers and barriers of blockchain application to HSCs and explore whether evidence could support that the application of blockchain improves transparency and trust in HSCs.Design/methodology/approachThis paper puts forward a two-stage approach to explore the blockchain application in HSCs: an initial exploration of humanitarian practitioners and academicians interested in b…

Special issue on "Cutting and Packing"

2013

Project portfolio selection and planning with fuzzy constraints

2018

Abstract Selecting a project portfolio is a complex process involving many factors and considerations from the time it is proposed to the time the project portfolio is finally selected. Given that making a good selection is of crucial importance, it is essential to develop well-founded mathematical models to lead the organization to its final goal. To achieve this, such models have to reflect as closely as possible both the real situation of the organization as well as its targets and preferences. However, since the process of selecting and implementing project portfolios occurs in real environments and not in laboratories, uncertainty and a lack of knowledge regarding some data is always a…

The Integration of the Supply Chain as a Dynamic Capability for Sustainability: The Case of an Innovative Organic Company

2018

Numerous research projects have demonstrated that a firm’s ability to integrate, build, and reconfigure internal and external competencies to adapt to changes in its environment is a key capability for its competitiveness. However, in the case of developing the capabilities needed to implement innovation, we have found that the ability to integrate knowledge into the supply chain is also crucial since it is an essential requirement for bringing in technological change and product innovation. The purpose of this chapter is to understand the role of supplier integration in the implementation of radical innovation. First, we propose a theoretical model to connect supplier integration as a dyna…

Ranking corporate sustainability: a flexible multidimensional approach based on linguistic variables

2017

Corporate sustainability implies a compromise between the present environmental, social, and economic needs of a firm's stakeholders and their future needs. Corporate sustainability is therefore a multidimensional concept. Nowadays, several independent rating agencies rate firms in terms of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. These ratings are usually used by main sustainability indices such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, FTSE4 Good, Stoxx Sustainability Index, or Euronext Vigeo Family to select companies to invest in. Only those firms performing better than the average of their sector are selected. However, although providing linguistic ratings about the performan…