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Article
Publication date: 18 April 2024

Li Li, Tong Huang, Chujia Pan, J.F. Pan and Wenbin Su

The purpose of this paper aims to investigate the adaptive impedance control and its optimized PSO algorithm for force tracking of a dual-arm cooperative robot. Because the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper aims to investigate the adaptive impedance control and its optimized PSO algorithm for force tracking of a dual-arm cooperative robot. Because the dual-arm robot is directly in contact with external environment, controlling the mutual force between robot and external environment is of great importance. Besides, a high compliance of the robot should be guaranteed.

Design/methodology/approach

An impedance control based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm is designed to track the mutual force and achieve compliance control of the robot end.

Findings

The experimental results show that the impedance control coefficients can be automatically tuned converged by PSO algorithm.

Originality/value

The system can reach a steady state within 0.03 s with overshoot convergence, and the force fluctuation range at the steady state decreases to about ±0.08 N even under the force mutation condition.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 February 2024

Luke Mizzi, Arrigo Simonetti and Andrea Spaggiari

The “chiralisation” of Euclidean polygonal tessellations is a novel, recent method which has been used to design new auxetic metamaterials with complex topologies and improved…

Abstract

Purpose

The “chiralisation” of Euclidean polygonal tessellations is a novel, recent method which has been used to design new auxetic metamaterials with complex topologies and improved geometric versatility over traditional chiral honeycombs. This paper aims to design and manufacture chiral honeycombs representative of four distinct classes of 2D Euclidean tessellations with hexagonal rotational symmetry using fused-deposition additive manufacturing and experimentally analysed the mechanical properties and failure modes of these metamaterials.

Design/methodology/approach

Finite Element simulations were also used to study the high-strain compressive performance of these systems under both periodic boundary conditions and realistic, finite conditions. Experimental uniaxial compressive loading tests were applied to additively manufactured prototypes and digital image correlation was used to measure the Poisson’s ratio and analyse the deformation behaviour of these systems.

Findings

The results obtained demonstrate that these systems have the ability to exhibit a wide range of Poisson’s ratios (positive, quasi-zero and negative values) and stiffnesses as well as unusual failure modes characterised by a sequential layer-by-layer collapse of specific, non-adjacent ligaments. These findings provide useful insights on the mechanical properties and deformation behaviours of this new class of metamaterials and indicate that these chiral honeycombs could potentially possess anomalous characteristics which are not commonly found in traditional chiral metamaterials based on regular monohedral tilings.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the authors have analysed for the first time the high strain behaviour and failure modes of chiral metamaterials based on Euclidean multi-polygonal tessellations.

Details

Rapid Prototyping Journal, vol. 30 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2546

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 April 2024

Amirreza Alizadeh Majd, Robin Bell, Sa’ad Ali, Arefeh Davoodi and Azadeh Nasirifar

This study aims to investigate the impact of job rotation on employee performance and explores the mediating role of human resources (HR) strategy and training effectiveness on…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the impact of job rotation on employee performance and explores the mediating role of human resources (HR) strategy and training effectiveness on this relationship, within the petrochemical industry, which represents a highly specialist and hazardous industrial context.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected through a questionnaire which was distributed among the experts working in an Iranian petrochemical organization. Previously validated scales were used to measure job rotation, employee performance, HR strategy and training effectiveness, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was used for hypothesis testing.

Findings

The research findings indicated that job rotation had a negative effect on employee performance, while training effectiveness and HR strategy positively mediated the relationship between job rotation and employee performance. This highlights the importance of ensuring effective training and a HR strategy to support job rotation of skilled and specialist employees.

Practical implications

Managers of employees in specialist and hazardous industries, such as petrochemical workers, interested in job rotation to support employee career development, should be mindful of potential negative implications on employee performance. To support and improve employee performance, job rotation should be considered alongside HR strategy and training.

Originality/value

Previous research has largely focused on the value of job rotation to develop managers’ organizational understanding and to reduce injury within blue-collar work, which has led to a paucity of research into job rotation within highly skilled and specialist industrial roles. It is highlighted within the literature that it remains unclear what supports effective job rotation. This study addresses this lacuna by investigating how job rotation affects employee performance in a highly skilled and specialized industry and how strategy and training effectiveness mediate this effect.

Details

Industrial and Commercial Training, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0019-7858

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Jinwei Zhao, Shuolei Feng, Xiaodong Cao and Haopei Zheng

This paper aims to concentrate on recent innovations in flexible wearable sensor technology tailored for monitoring vital signals within the contexts of wearable sensors and…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to concentrate on recent innovations in flexible wearable sensor technology tailored for monitoring vital signals within the contexts of wearable sensors and systems developed specifically for monitoring health and fitness metrics.

Design/methodology/approach

In recent decades, wearable sensors for monitoring vital signals in sports and health have advanced greatly. Vital signals include electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, electromyography, inertial data, body motions, cardiac rate and bodily fluids like blood and sweating, making them a good choice for sensing devices.

Findings

This report reviewed reputable journal articles on wearable sensors for vital signal monitoring, focusing on multimode and integrated multi-dimensional capabilities like structure, accuracy and nature of the devices, which may offer a more versatile and comprehensive solution.

Originality/value

The paper provides essential information on the present obstacles and challenges in this domain and provide a glimpse into the future directions of wearable sensors for the detection of these crucial signals. Importantly, it is evident that the integration of modern fabricating techniques, stretchable electronic devices, the Internet of Things and the application of artificial intelligence algorithms has significantly improved the capacity to efficiently monitor and leverage these signals for human health monitoring, including disease prediction.

Details

Sensor Review, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0260-2288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 January 2024

Fawad Ahmed, Wei Hu, Ahmad Arslan and Haoyu Huang

Human resource management (HRM) practices must take an ambidextrous approach because of changing work environments and challenges. Ambidextrous practices in HRM fall in the domain…

Abstract

Purpose

Human resource management (HRM) practices must take an ambidextrous approach because of changing work environments and challenges. Ambidextrous practices in HRM fall in the domain of developing expertise for complex environments and reducing ambiguities in present turbulent times. Dual-oriented ambidextrous human resource practices (AHRP) can promote employee innovation performance. Drawing on social exchange theory to explore the impact of AHRP on employee innovation performance, this paper examines the mediating role of inclusive leadership style.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through a questionnaire from employees of three Fortune 500 Chinese companies from the telecom, electronics and automotive sectors with temporal separation in two waves. The final sample constituted 276 useable responses.

Findings

Results indicate that ambidextrous HR practices have a significant impact on innovation performance, and an inclusive leadership style mediates this relationship, together explaining a 27.8% variance.

Originality/value

This paper examines the effect of dual-oriented AHRPs in the emerging markets context as a guide to best practices for managers to employ ambidexterity in HRM to enhance employees' innovation performance by enhancing both commitment as well as cooperation simultaneously.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 37 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 March 2024

Keyu Chen, Beiyu You, Yanbo Zhang and Zhengyi Chen

Prefabricated building has been widely applied in the construction industry all over the world, which can significantly reduce labor consumption and improve construction…

Abstract

Purpose

Prefabricated building has been widely applied in the construction industry all over the world, which can significantly reduce labor consumption and improve construction efficiency compared with conventional approaches. During the construction of prefabricated buildings, the overall efficiency largely depends on the lifting sequence and path of each prefabricated component. To improve the efficiency and safety of the lifting process, this study proposes a framework for automatically optimizing the lifting path of prefabricated building components using building information modeling (BIM), improved 3D-A* and a physic-informed genetic algorithm (GA).

Design/methodology/approach

Firstly, the industry foundation class (IFC) schema for prefabricated buildings is established to enrich the semantic information of BIM. After extracting corresponding component attributes from BIM, the models of typical prefabricated components and their slings are simplified. Further, the slings and elements’ rotations are considered to build a safety bounding box. Secondly, an efficient 3D-A* is proposed for element path planning by integrating both safety factors and variable step size. Finally, an efficient GA is designed to obtain the optimal lifting sequence that satisfies physical constraints.

Findings

The proposed optimization framework is validated in a physics engine with a pilot project, which enables better understanding. The results show that the framework can intuitively and automatically generate the optimal lifting path for each type of prefabricated building component. Compared with traditional algorithms, the improved path planning algorithm significantly reduces the number of nodes computed by 91.48%, resulting in a notable decrease in search time by 75.68%.

Originality/value

In this study, a prefabricated component path planning framework based on the improved A* algorithm and GA is proposed for the first time. In addition, this study proposes a safety-bounding box that considers the effects of torsion and slinging of components during lifting. The semantic information of IFC for component lifting is enriched by taking into account lifting data such as binding positions, lifting methods, lifting angles and lifting offsets.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 March 2024

U.S. Mahabaleshwar, Mahesh Rudraiah, Huang Huang and Bengt Ake Sunden

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of inclined magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and thermal radiation on the flow of a ternary micropolar nanofluid on a sheet that is…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of inclined magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and thermal radiation on the flow of a ternary micropolar nanofluid on a sheet that is expanding and contracting while applying mass transpiration and velocity slip conditions to the flow. The nanofluid, which is composed of Au, Ag and Cu nanoparticles dispersed in water as the base fluid, possesses critical properties for increasing the heat transfer rate and is frequently used in manufacturing and industrial establishments.

Design/methodology/approach

The set of governing nonlinear partial differential equations is transformed into a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The outcome of this differential equation is solved and obtained the closed-form solution and energy equation in the form of hypergeometric functions.

Findings

The velocity, micro-rotation and temperature field are investigated versus a parametric variation. The physical domains of mass suction or injection and micropolar characteristics play an important role in specifying the presence, singleness and multiplanes of exact solutions. In addition, many nondimensional characteristics of the profiles of temperature, angular velocity and velocity profiles are graphically shown with substantial consequences. Furthermore, adding nanoparticles increases the heat transfer rate of the fluid used in manufacturing and industrial establishments. The current findings may be used for better oil recovery procedures, smart materials such as magnetorheological fluids, targeted medicine administration and increased heat transmission. Concerning environmental cleanup, nanomaterial fabrication and biomedical devices, demonstrate their potential influence in a variety of disciplines.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper is to analyze the impact of inclined MHD at an angle with the ternary nanofluid on a micropolar fluid over an expanding and contracting sheet with thermal radiation effect.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Heather Keathley-Herring, Eileen Van Aken and Geert Letens

This study assesses performance measurement (PM) system implementation efforts across various organizational contexts and investigates which factors are critical to achieving…

Abstract

Purpose

This study assesses performance measurement (PM) system implementation efforts across various organizational contexts and investigates which factors are critical to achieving implementation success (IS).

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical field study was conducted to refine a framework of PM system IS that consists of 5 dimensions of success and 29 factors. A survey questionnaire was used to investigate actual organizational practice and exploratory factor analysis was conducted to refine constructs corresponding to potential factors and dimensions of IS. The resulting variables were then investigated using multiple regression analysis to identify critical success factors for implementing PM systems.

Findings

The survey was completed by representatives from 124 organizations and the exploratory factor analysis results indicated that there are three underlying dimensions of IS (i.e. Use of the System, PM System Performance, and Improved Results and Processes) and 12 factors. Of the factors, nine can be considered critical success factors having a significant relationship with at least one dimension of IS: Leader Support, Design and Implementation Approach, Reward System Alignment, Organizational Acceptance, Organizational Culture and Climate, Easy to Define Environment, IT Infrastructure Capabilities, PM System Design Quality, and PM Participation and Training.

Originality/value

The results show that there are distinct dimensions of IS and, although some factors are associated with all dimensions, most are more closely related to only one dimension. This suggests that different strategies should be utilized based on the types of challenges experienced during implementation.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 April 2024

Tehreem Fatima, Ahmad Raza Bilal, Muhammad Kashif Imran and Ambreen Sarwar

Based on action regulation theory (ART), this study aims to test the impact of individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) training on small business owner career success…

Abstract

Purpose

Based on action regulation theory (ART), this study aims to test the impact of individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) training on small business owner career success (financial attainment, satisfaction and achievement). Moreover, this relationship was unpacked through a dual mediation model of IEO behaviour and career resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

A four-wave, longitudinal randomized controlled field experiment was conducted in which 527 small business owners participated from Lahore, Pakistan (training group = 256, control group = 271). The data analysis was done via ANCOVAs (group comparison) and PROCESS Model 6 (for serial mediation).

Findings

The results demonstrated that after getting IEO training, the small business owners had increased IEO behaviour, career resilience and career success as compared to their counterparts in the control group. In addition, the effect of IEO training on career success was attributed to the underlying role of IEO behaviour and career resilience development.

Originality/value

This is one of the few studies that have demonstrated the impact of IEO training on the career-related outcomes based on the action regulation perspective.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 March 2024

Wenqian Feng, Xinrong Li, Jiankun Wang, Jiaqi Wen and Hansen Li

This paper reviews the pros and cons of different parametric modeling methods, which can provide a theoretical reference for parametric reconstruction of 3D human body models for…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper reviews the pros and cons of different parametric modeling methods, which can provide a theoretical reference for parametric reconstruction of 3D human body models for virtual fitting.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, we briefly analyze the mainstream datasets of models of the human body used in the area to provide a foundation for parametric methods of such reconstruction. We then analyze and compare parametric methods of reconstruction based on their use of the following forms of input data: point cloud data, image contours, sizes of features and points representing the joints. Finally, we summarize the advantages and problems of each method as well as the current challenges to the use of parametric modeling in virtual fitting and the opportunities provided by it.

Findings

Considering the aspects of integrity and accurate of representations of the shape and posture of the body, and the efficiency of the calculation of the requisite parameters, the reconstruction method of human body by integrating orthogonal image contour morphological features, multifeature size constraints and joint point positioning can better represent human body shape, posture and personalized feature size and has higher research value.

Originality/value

This article obtains a research thinking for reconstructing a 3D model for virtual fitting that is based on three kinds of data, which is helpful for establishing personalized and high-precision human body models.

Details

International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0955-6222

Keywords

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