Search results for "Strategy"
showing 10 items of 2256 documents
Energy and environmental impacts of Energy related products (ErP): a case study of biomass-fuelled systems
2014
Abstract Energy-related Products (ErP) account for a large proportion of European energy and natural resource consumption. In 2007, ErP were responsible for the consumption of about 239 Mtoe of electricity and about 555 Mtoe of fuels. In order to reduce the energy and environmental impacts of these products, the European Commission published the Directive 2009/125/EC on the eco-design of ErP. This Directive represents a key component of European policy for improving the energy and environmental performances of products in the internal market. In this context, it is important to develop scientific research aimed at assessing the energy and environmental impacts of ErP, and at defining their …
Recent advances on intelligent packaging as tools to reduce food waste
2018
[EN] Food waste is one of the main issues for international organisms. It is not only an ethical and economic issue but it also depletes the environment of limited natural resources. Among strategies suitable for fighting such challenge, intelligent packaging is an interesting tool to reduce waste derived from households and retailers. A revision of 45 recent advances in the area of optical systems for freshness monitoring is reported herein. The study covers fruits, vegetables, fish products and meat since they are the most representative fields of application. Furthermore, a discussion about the main research challenges and opportunities that will be faced by intelligent packaging in the …
Co2 emissions of French shippers: The roles of delivery frequency and weight, mode choice, and distance
2014
In this article, the authors describe the effects of delivery frequency, mode choice, distance, and shipment weight on the CO₂ emissions of French shippers, taking advantage of a 2004 survey of French shippers (ECHO) which describes the characteristics of 3000 shippers, 10,000 shipments, and 20,000 transport chain legs. Once the energy consumption and CO₂ emissions of every shipment have been computed, they are divided by the corresponding number of ton-kilometers in order to find their carbon intensity (in grams of CO₂ per ton-kilometer). The authors then analyze the latter with respect to a number of selected shipment characteristics: shipment frequency and mode choice (planning choices),…
TQM, innovation and the role of cultural change
2013
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to better understand the influence of total quality management (TQM) practices on incremental and radical innovation, examining the role of diverse cultural change as a mediator, particularly in firms where ever‐increasing competitive pressure demands a combination of quality and innovation.Design/methodology/approachFrom previous research on the influence of TQM practices on innovation, the paper proposes a model which is tested through a survey carried out on a sample of 72 Spanish firms that have been drastically hit by competition from Asian companies, achieving a 51.42 percent valid return rate.FindingsNone of the sets of TQM practices directly affec…
Sustainability issues in sheet metal forming processes: an overview
2011
Abstract Environmental sustainability in manufacturing is nowadays an urgent and remarkable issue and the main concerns are related to more efficient use of materials and energy. In sheet metal forming processes there is still a lack of knowledge in this field mainly due to the need of a proper modelling of sustainability issues and factors to be taken into account. The aim of this paper is mainly to underline the state of the art from a forming point of view about the sustainability contributions offered in any phase of a product life cycle. Actually, a lack in terms of comprehensive contributions is present in the technical literature, thus, the authors try to give a sort of holistic visi…
Octane Rating of Natural Gas-Gasoline Mixtures on CFR Engine
2014
In the last years new and stricter pollutant emission regulations together with raised cost of conventional fuels resulted in an increased use of gaseous fuels, such as Natural Gas (NG) or Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), for passenger vehicles. Bi-fuel engines represent a transition phase product, allowing to run either with gasoline or with gas, and for this reason are equipped with two separate injection systems. When operating at high loads with gasoline, however, these engines require rich mixtures and retarded combustions in order to prevent from dangerous knocking phenomena: this causes high hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions together with high fuel consumption. With t…
Energy and CO2 life cycle inventory issues for aluminum based components: The case study of a high speed train window panel
2016
Abstract As materials production and transport are two relevant sectors in terms of global environmental impact, over the last years environmental impact analyses (mainly life cycle based analyses) of material replacing strategies in means of transportation were developed. Life cycle approach allows to consider the light-weighing benefit without neglecting the environmental impact of material production. In the present research energy and CO2 emissions life cycle analysis of a real case study is presented. Industrial data, experimental measurements and literature analysis were used to develop the life cycle analysis of an aluminum window panel to be assembled on an Italian high speed train.…
A systematic literature review on less common natural fibres and their biocomposites
2018
Abstract Interest in utilization of renewable resources is increasing because of public's environmental awareness and economic considerations. Lignocellulosic fibres have already attracted growing attention as reinforcement of polymeric matrices instead of synthetic ones (mainly glass) from the academic and industrial fields. In addition to kenaf, hemp, sisal, flax and jute, which are the subject of extensive investigations for composite applications since the 1970s, in the last years several researchers suggested the use of less common natural fibres, due to their low cost and availability. This paper reviews the extraction methods, chemical, morphological, thermal and mechanical propertie…
A Reference Scenario for IMS Strategic Design
1999
Today is fully acknowledged that manufacturing is a formidable competitive weapon. The strength of such a weapon is essentially defined during the first step of the design phase called strategic design. During this phase, in fact, the principal characteristics of the manufacturing systems are to be defined taking into account the competitive environment and the competition strategy. Classical analytical models for IMS design often neglect this aspect and, perhaps, this is one of the causes of IMS failure. The paper proposes a set of analytical models for strategic IMS design; they have been classified into four classes, each one pursuing a determined set of objectives, providing, in this wa…
The construction of knowledge from the scientific literature about the theme seaport performance evaluation
2015
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to know what scientific literature presents about the theme evaluation of seaport performance, thus enabling the construction of knowledge in the researchers and the identification of gaps in the research that will lead to advances in the area from the identification of the characteristics of a portfolio of relevant international publications. Design/methodology/approach – From the basic philosophical (constructivism), of the kind strategy (research-action) and the method used for the accomplishment of such strategy (structured process knowledge development process – constructivist (ProKnow-C)) the current research has a qualitative approach. Findings…