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This paper gives a review of the finite element techniques (FE) applied in the area of material processing. The latest trends in metal forming, non‐metal forming, powder metallurgy and composite material processing are briefly discussed. The range of applications of finite elements on these subjects is extremely wide and cannot be presented in a single paper; therefore the aim of the paper is to give FE researchers/users only an encyclopaedic view of the different possibilities that exist today in the various fields mentioned above. An appendix included at the end of the paper presents a bibliography on finite element applications in material processing for 1994‐1996, where 1,370 references are listed. This bibliography is an updating of the paper written by Brannberg and Mackerle which has been published in Engineering Computations, Vol. 11 No. 5, 1994, pp. 413‐55.

The purpose of this paper is to present a modified failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) in order to make the assignment of the scores for the occurrence factor more robust, and to link the FMEA chart directly to the maintenance activities.

A well-known clustering algorithm (i.e. K-means), along with a normalisation approach, are applied and compared for the assignment of the occurrence scores. Subsequently, the relationship between failures and maintenance operations is made explicit by a correlation matrix. Finally, the K-means algorithm is applied to the maintenance operations again in order to sort them into priority classes.

It is found that this revised FMEA approach improves the standard one due to its more rigorous mathematical formulation and lean applicability in real operating environments.

The novel approach may be improved by a deeper statistical analysis and/or applying the fuzzy theory.

A real case study is introduced in order to show the applicability of this approach to the quality control of a blow moulding process. It is found that this approach reveals a high potentiality for dealing with real issues.

The paper provides a further step towards bridging the gap between theory and practical application of the FMEA approach.

This paper describes the use of parametric modelling techniques in the design of drinking bottles. A customised application programme is developed and integrated for the design and manufacture of a blow mould bottle within a proprietary CAD/CAM software named Duct5. One such conceptual design is physically realized and verified through the use of the stereolithography technique. Overall, by equipping designers with a library of “bottle‐design” features from a CAD/CAM system, the design period is shortened and simplified, and the same geometrical data can be passed downstream for manufacturing.

‘Victrex’ polyethersulphone (PES) is introduced as a high temperature thermoplastic with properties attractive to the electronics industry. The polymer can be fabricated by conventional thermoplastic techniques, such as extrusion and moulding, and the parts metallised in several ways. Applications utilising these aspects are shown. Parts can be reflow or wave soldered and flux residues washed off without damaging the substrate. Some current PCB developments are discussed and a look into the future is offered as designers begin to take advantage of the thermoplastic nature of polyethersulphone.

This paper gives a review of the finite element techniques (FE) applied in the area of material processing. The latest trends in metal forming, non‐metal forming and powder metallurgy are briefly discussed. The range of applications of finite elements on the subjects is extremely wide and cannot be presented in a single paper; therefore the aim of the paper is to give FE users only an encyclopaedic view of the different possibilities that exist today in the various fields mentioned above. An appendix included at the end of the paper presents a bibliography on finite element applications in material processing for the last five years, and more than 1100 references are listed.

The purpose of this paper is to apply rapid prototyping (RP) philosophy as a technology transfer in industries to take its time and cost‐effective advantages for development of rapid tooling (RT).

Experimentations are performed for development of RT for sand casting, investment casting and plastic moulding applications.

This paper reports the procedures developed for manufacture of production tooling using RP. A cost/benefit model is developed to justify implementation of RP as a technology transfer in industries.

The examples are limited to parts build by fused deposition modelling RP process. However, the concepts experimented may be applied for other RP processes.

RP has proved to be a cost‐effective and time‐efficient approach for development of RT, thereby ensuring possibility for technology transfer in casting as well as plastic industries.

This is the pioneer attempt towards quantifying RP benefits, in view of technology transfer. This paper presents original case studies and findings on the basis of experimentations performed in foundries.

Electronics in the Service of Man. It has been estimated that the current publication of technical matter is 60 million pages annually. The task of the future research worker, therefore, is likely to be a heavy one as 25 per cent of the total time to complete any future research project may be needed to find, correlate and assimilate past knowledge. But the research worker of the future will have one big aid—an electronic machine, now being developed by the Battelle Memorial Institute, Ohio, U.S.A., which may be able to scan up to five million published documents per hour and identify those relating to the specific information needed.

During the last decade, large thermoplastic vessels ideal for storage and transportation of critical liquids have been developed and are now accepted by plant engineers as the best products available for many applications. Tanks in capacities of 1,000gal or more have been available for a very few years, and the type which, technically, has most to offer—the Helix tank—only since 1966 in this country.

Brief Particulars of Recently Introduced Materials likely to have Aircraft, Missile or Space Vehicle Applications. A 16,000‐gallon concrete tank for spent acids has just been lined with ‘Pentaphane’ at the Hatfield plant of the de Havilland Division of Hawker Siddeley Aviation Co. Ltd. This is the first time that ‘Pentaphane’, a chlorinated polyether film manufactured by British Cellophane Ltd., has been used on a concrete tank.

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the successful application of Six Sigma at a small and medium scale plastic parts manufacturing unit. Overall operational excellence is one of the foundations of global competiveness. Indian industries are also keeping up with achieving and maintaining operational excellence through different improvement tools and methodologies. Plastic parts manufacturing industries in India are also on the move to increase their overall quality, productivity and profitability. However, it appears from the available literature that application of Six Sigma, one of the most effective breakthrough improvement strategies having direct impact on bottom line of the organization, is not being explored to its full potential, especially at plastic parts manufacturing industries in India. This study was thus undertaken at plastic products manufacturing plant to introduce Six Sigma to them by applying the same to their chronic problems and drawing improvements in quality, productivity and profitability.

This paper illustrates the real-life case study of improving quality and productivity of injection molding process by phase wiz application of define, measure, analyze, improve and control, the process improvement methodology of Six Sigma.

The critical defects, such as short molding, contamination, injection point and flash are reduced from the process leading to annual savings of INR 10.80 lacs. This is a considerable amount for a small concern in question.

Because this was the pilot project and the firm was of small and medium size, data collection was the major issue, which consequently took considerable time and efforts at define and measure phases. Injection molding is a very salient process for plastic products manufacturing. Almost one-third of plastic products are made by this process. Thus, improving quality of products made out of injection molding process is of paramount importance. The paper is an attempt to exhibit how a small-scale plastic injection molded parts manufacturing unit can put fruitful efforts to achieve competitive advantage through Six Sigma.

From the review of literature, it appears that application of Six Sigma among plastic parts manufacturing units, especially small and medium, is very rare, not in India but across the globe. This case study has opened up the direction to small- and medium-scale plastic parts manufacturing units to implement Six Sigma and to move a step forward toward achieving competitive advantage.