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This paper aims to investigate the impact of adopting lean manufacturing principles on operational efficiency by eliminating seven major lean wastes (or Muda) in a Malaysian stationery manufacturer. Much of the research on lean considers its application to larger organisations with stable demand patterns. This research examines a small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) with a volatile demand pattern.

A process activity mapping (PAM) methodology was utilized to identify the potential for waste elimination. PAM is a visual tool that considers every step in a production process. Value-added and non-value-added activities are therefore examined to understand hidden wastes and their sources.

The results revealed that the adopted lean principles significantly reduce the waiting times. This time reduction resulted in savings (reduction of cycle time) and to a certain extent, can be a crucial driver in continuous improvement sustainability in the production process.

The study focuses on a single case study and provides a springboard for further research. Future studies examining the results across a broader sample of organisations would develop the findings further.

The extant literature cites mixed success for lean implementation programmes. The results demonstrate that lean is still recognised as a powerful approach to improving operations in SMEs.

This paper reflects on the application of lean in a real case study showing the impact of lean on operational performance of an SME.

This study aims to focus on sustainable supplier selection in a construction company considering a new multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method based on dominance-based rough set analysis. The inclusion of sustainability concept in industrial supply chains has started gaining momentum due to increased environmental protection awareness and social obligations. The selection of sustainable suppliers marks the first step toward accomplishing this objective. The problem of selecting the right suppliers fulfilling the sustainable requirements is a major MCDM problem since various conflicting factors are underplay in the selection process. The decision-makers are often confronted with inconsistent situations forcing them to make imprecise and vague decisions.

This paper presents a new method based on dominance-based rough sets for the selection of right suppliers based on sustainable performance criteria relying on the triple bottom line approach. The method applied has its distinct advantages by providing more transparency in dealing with the preference information provided by the decision-makers and is thus found to be more intuitive and appealing as a performance measurement tool.

The technique is easy to apply using “jrank” software package and devises results in the form of decision rules and ranking that further assist the decision-makers in making an informed decision that increases credibility in the decision-making process.

The novelty of this study of its kind is that uses the dominance-based rough set approach for a sustainable supplier selection process.

The purpose of this paper is to synthesize a polyacrylate-based dispersant with a determined target molecular weight for oily systems and to determine the optimal dispersant level and monomer ratio of the dispersant.

The dispersant was synthesized by conventional radical polymerization using methacrylic acid, butyl acrylate and dimethylamino ethyl methacrylate as the monomer. It was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic hydrogen spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography and thermogravimetric analysis. The dispersant was used to disperse TiO₂, and the performance of the dispersant was evaluated by measuring the viscosity, particle size and dispersive force of the slurry.

The dispersant exhibited high thermal stability and was successfully anchored to the surface of the TiO₂ pigment. When used to disperse a TiO₂ slurry, it effectively made the TiO₂ slurry more fluid, indicating its strong viscosity-reducing properties. The viscosity, particle sizes and dispersion capabilities of the TiO₂ slurry were found to vary depending on the contents and monomer ratios of the dispersant.

P(MAA-BA-DM) dispersant increases the wettability of TiO₂ only in oily solvents but not in aqueous solvents.

P(MAA-BA-DM) dispersant makes it easier to disperse TiO₂ pigments in oily solvents, increasing the amount of pigment in the solvent and making the preparation of highly pigmented pastes easier.

A dispersant containing suitable carboxyl and tertiary amine groups was initially synthesized to disperse TiO₂ in an oily system. The findings are anticipated to be used in the formulation of pigment concentrates, industrial coatings and other solvent-based coatings.

Gourd fibres (GF) are a natural biodegradable fibre material with excellent mechanical properties and high tensile strength. The use of natural fibres in composite materials has gained popularity in recent years due to their various advantages, including renewability, low cost, low density and biodegradability. Gourd fibre is one such natural fibre that has been identified as a potential reinforcement material for composites. However, it has low surface energy and hydrophobic nature, which makes it difficult to bond with matrix materials such as polyester. To overcome this problem, chemically adapted gourd fibre has been proposed as a solution. Chemical treatment is one of the most widely used methods to improve the properties of natural fibres. This research evaluates the feasibility and effectiveness of incorporating chemically adapted gourd fibre into polyester composites for industrial fabrication. The purpose of this study is to examine the application of chemically modified GF in the production of polyester composite engineering materials.

This work aims to evaluate the effectiveness of chemically adapted gourd fibre in improving the adhesion of gourd fibre with polyester resin in composite fabrication by varying the GF from 5 to 20 wt.%. The study involves the preparation of chemically treated gourd fibre through surface modification using sodium hydroxide (NaOH), permanganate (KMnO₄) and acetic acid (CH₃COOH) coupling agents. The mechanical properties of the modified fibre and composites were investigated. It was then characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to determine the changes in surface morphology and functional groups.

FTIR characterization showed that NaOH treatment caused cellulose depolymerization and caused a significant increase in the hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, showing improved surface functional groups; KMnO₄ treatment oxidized the fibre surface and caused the formation of surface oxide groups; and acetic acid treatment induced changes that primarily affected the ester and hydroxyl groups. SEM study showed that NaOH treatment changed the surface morphology of the gourd fibre, introduced voids and reduced hydrophilic tendencies. The tensile strength of the modified gourd fibres increased progressively as the concentration of the modification chemicals increased compared to the untreated fibres.

This work presents the designed composite with density, mechanical properties and microstructure, showing remarkable improvements in the engineering properties. An 181.5% improvement in tensile strength and a 56.63% increase in flexural strength were got over that of the unreinforced polyester. The findings from this work will contribute to the understanding of the potential of chemically adapted gourd fibre as a reinforcement material for composites and provide insights into the development of sustainable composite materials.

Denim fabric has become a wardrobe staple due to its versatility to be worn in a variety of fashions. This paper aims to study denim fabrics to understand their unique hand by developing a hand evaluation system using computational method. Also, the effect of various washes was studied on the hand and surface morphology of denim fabrics.

Five different denim samples were manufactured with various washing treatments. The Kawabata Evaluation System was used to measure the low stress mechanical properties. Computation method was used to develop hand equations using multiple regression technique in the MS Excel software. The correlation coefficient analysis was done to determine the authenticity of the developed equations. Five primary hand attributes such as softness, smoothness, fullness, flexibility and stretchability were shortlisted by a panel of judges that influence the fabric handle.

The correlation coefficient between subjective and computational total hand values with thermal properties and without thermal properties was 0.88 and 0.85, respectively. The enzymatic wash fabric has the highest total hand value followed by the acid, bleach and stone-washed fabrics.

Although the hand evaluation system is available for conventional textiles like suiting and shirting fabrics, the method to predict fabric hand of non-conventional textiles such as denim fabrics remains an unexplored topic. The stresses acting on denim fabrics are completely different. Therefore, to the best of the author’s knowledge, a novel attempt has been made in this research work to develop a computational model to predict the total hand value of denim fabrics.

The purpose of this study is to develop a novel general mathematical model to find the optimal product mix of commercial graphite products, which has a complex production process with alternative sub-processes in the graphite mining production process.

The network optimization was adopted to model the complex graphite mining production process through the optimal allocation of raw graphite, byproducts, and saleable products with comparable sub-processes, which has different processing capacities and costs. The model was tested on a selected graphite manufacturing company, and the optimal graphite product mix was determined through the selection of the optimal production process. In addition, sensitivity and scenario analyses were carried out to accommodate uncertainties and to facilitate further managerial decisions.

The selected graphite mining company mines approximately 400 metric tons of raw graphite per month to produce ten types of graphite products. According to the optimum solution obtained, the company should produce only six graphite products to maximize its total profit. In addition, the study demonstrated how to reveal optimum managerial decisions based on optimum solutions.

This study has made a significant contribution to the graphite manufacturing industry by modeling the complex graphite mining production process with a network optimization technique that has yet to be addressed at this level of detail. The sensitivity and scenario analyses support for further managerial decisions.

The purpose of this study is to prepare a state-of-the-art review on advanced ceramic materials including their fabrication techniques, characteristics, applications and wettability.

This review paper presents the various types of advanced ceramic materials according to their compounding elements, fabrication techniques of advanced ceramic powders as well as their consolidation, their characteristics, applications and wetting properties. Hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties of advanced ceramic materials are described in the paper with their state-of-the-art application areas. Optical properties of fine ceramics with their intrinsic characteristics are also presented within. Special focus is given to the brief description of application-based manipulation of wetting properties of advanced ceramics in the paper.

The study of wetting/hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity of ceramic materials is important by which it can be further modified to achieve the required applications. It also makes some sense that the material should be tested for its wetting properties when it is going to be used in some important applications like biomedical and dental. Also, these advanced ceramics are now often used in the fabrication of filters and membranes to purify liquid/water so the study of wetting characteristics of these materials becomes essential. The optical properties of advanced ceramics are equally making them suitable for many state-of-the-art applications. Dental, medical, imaging and electronics are the few sectors that use advanced ceramics for their optical properties.

This review paper includes various advanced ceramic materials according to their compounding elements, different fabrication techniques of powders and their consolidation, their characteristics, various application area and hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties.

Efforts to implement supplier selection and order allocation (SSOA) approaches in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are quite restricted due to the lack of affordable and simple-to-use strategies. Although there is a huge amount of literature on SSOA techniques, very few studies have attempted to address the issues faced by SMEs and develop strategies from their point of view. The purpose of this study is to provide an effective, practical, and time-tested integrated SSOA framework for evaluating the performance of suppliers and allocating orders to them that can improve the efficiency and competitiveness of SMEs.

This study was conducted in two stages. First, an integrated supplier selection approach was designed, which consists of the analytic hierarchy process and newly developed measurement alternatives and ranking using compromise solution to evaluate supplier performance and rank them. Second, the Wagner-Whitin algorithm is used to determine optimal order quantities and optimize inventory carrying and ordering costs. The joint impact of quantity discounts is also evaluated at the end.

Insights derived from the case study proved that the proposed approach is capable of assisting purchase managers in the SSOA decision-making process. In addition, this case study resulted in 10.89% total cost savings and fewer stock-out situations.

Criteria selected in this study are based on the advice of the managers in the selected manufacturing organizations. So the methods applied are limited to manufacturing SMEs. There were some aspects of the supplier selection process that this study could not explore. The development of an effective, reliable supplier selection procedure is a continuous process and it is indeed certainly possible that there are other aspects of supplier selection that are more crucial but are not considered in the proposed approach.

Purchase managers working in SMEs will be the primary beneficiaries of the developed approach. The suggested integrated approach can make a strategic difference in the working of SMEs.

A practical SSOA framework is developed for professionals working in SMEs. This approach will help SMEs to manage their operations effectively.

American Community colleges are vital to the country's economic mobility and are leaders in developing and facilitating career, technical, and workforce education. This study explored employer perspectives on employees' common and specialized skills across industries in the United States.

Employers were profiled for one year using a case study and content analysis method. They submitted performance records for at least three employees who graduated from community college career, technical, or workforce programs.

Data revealed that overall, employees were successful at work, but employers focused on employability skills across disciplines (common skills); specialized skills employers focused on were associated with business operations and processes and seemed to be something other than industry-specific technical knowledge.

This article and the research it refers to constitute original work that has not been reproduced or published. The value of this article is premised on new longitudinal data, which could be used to improve and progress institutional CTE and WD programs.