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1 – 10 of 47Helder Carvalho, Luís F. Silva, Ana Rocha and João Monteiro
The purpose of this paper is to develop and test control methods for real‐time automatic presser‐foot force control in industrial sewing machines. In this work, a closed‐loop…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop and test control methods for real‐time automatic presser‐foot force control in industrial sewing machines. In this work, a closed‐loop controller that controls presser‐foot maximum vertical displacement is presented and compared to existing solutions that adjust force depending on sewing speed. Automatic force control can reduce problems such as stitch irregularity, stitch distortions and material damage, besides making material handling easier.
Design/methodology/approach
An electromagnetic force actuator was integrated in an industrial lockstitch machine. A computer‐based control system was designed implementing either speed‐variable force control, closed‐loop control, or emulating a traditional constant‐force system. Maximum presser‐foot displacement values were measured and analysed in relevant sewing situations, and seam quality was assessed.
Findings
Constant‐force control does not allow optimal force setting at all speeds. Speed‐variable force control is an improvement, but requires empirical setting of the speed‐force relation, not always assuring optimal operation. Closed‐loop control adapts force to the requirement of each sewing situation more precisely. Sewing quality is good and material handling is eased.
Research limitations/implications
The actuator has to be optimised regarding response time and maximum force. Some aspects in the behaviour of the control system and actuator have to be further studied.
Practical implications
The proposed control system enables the automatic setting and adaptation of force to all sewing situations, making material handling easier at low speeds without compromising feeding performance at high speed. The closed‐loop controller may be used as a teach‐in system for speed‐dependent control.
Originality/value
This is the first prototype of a closed‐loop control system for presser‐foot force on a lockstitch sewing machine and the first comparative study of control methods for presser‐foot force control.
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Manuel Ferreira, Cristina Santos and Joao Monteiro
The purpose of this paper is to propose a set of techniques, in the domain of texture analysis, dedicated to the classification of industrial textures. One of the main purposes…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a set of techniques, in the domain of texture analysis, dedicated to the classification of industrial textures. One of the main purposes was to deal with a high diversity of textures, including structural and highly random patterns.
Design/methodology/approach
The global system includes a texture segmentation phase and a classification phase. The approach for image texture segmentation is based on features extracted from wavelets transform, fuzzy spectrum and interaction maps. The classification architecture uses a fuzzy grammar inference system.
Findings
The classifier uses the aggregation of features from the several segmentation techniques, resulting in high flexibility concerning the diversity of industrial textures. The resulted system allows on‐line learning of new textures. This approach avoids the need for a global re‐learning of the all textures each time a new texture is presented to the system.
Practical implications
These achievements demonstrate the practical value of the system, as it can be applied to different industrial sectors for quality control operations.
Originality/value
The global approach was integrated in a cork vision system, leading to an industrial prototype that has already been tested. Similarly, it was tested in a textile machine, for a specific fabric inspection, and gave results that corroborate the diversity of possible applications. The segmentation procedure reveals good performance that is indicated by high classification rates, revealing good perspectives for full industrialization.
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Patrícia Monteiro, João Guerreiro and Sandra Maria Correia Loureiro
Wine bottles compete for consumers’ attention in the shelf during the decisive moment of choice. This study aims to explore the role that visual attention to wine labels has on…
Abstract
Purpose
Wine bottles compete for consumers’ attention in the shelf during the decisive moment of choice. This study aims to explore the role that visual attention to wine labels has on the purchase decision and the mediating role of quality perceptions and desire on such purchase behaviours. Wine awards and consumption situation are used as moderators..
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted in Portugal and 36 individuals participated in a 2 × 2 within subjects design (awarded/not awarded × self-consumption/social-consumption). For each scenario, individuals’ attention, perceptions of quality, desire and purchase intentions were recorded.
Findings
Data from eye-tracking shows that, during the purchase process, the amount of attention given to a bottle is determinant of individuals’ purchase intentions, a relationship that increases in significance for bottles with awards and for when consumers are buying wine for a consumption situation involving a social environment. In addition, both quality perceptions and desire are confirmed to positively influence wines’ purchase intentions.
Originality/value
By using an eye monitoring method, this paper brings new insights into the wine industry by highlighting the impact that wines’ labels and different consumption situations have on individuals’ attention and purchase intention. Wine producers and retailers may benefit from the insights provided by the current study to refine their communication strategies by either highlighting product characteristics and pictorial elements, as it is the case of the awards, or communicating about their products for different consumption situations.
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Januário José Monteiro, Rogério João Lunkes and Fabricia Rosa
This study aims to analyze the influence of formal and informal controls on trust and individual creativity.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to analyze the influence of formal and informal controls on trust and individual creativity.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey was conducted with managers of companies listed in Brazil Stock Exchange (Brazil, Bolsa, Balcão-B3), and the final sample was 124 valid responses. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (FsQCA).
Findings
The results show that the influence of informal controls (cultural and personnel controls) on individual creativity is greater than that of formal controls (action and results controls). It was also found that formal and informal controls facilitate social exchanges between managers by influencing trust. Moreover, the results confirmed the mediation of trust in the relationship between controls and individual creativity. FsQCA demonstrates that formal and informal controls are complemented and, when combined with trust, enable high individual creativity.
Originality/value
The findings contribute to the literature by demonstrating that the effective use of management controls generates greater trust and awakens creative skills in managers.
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Paulo Cezar Monteiro Lamim Filho, Jorge Nei Brito, Vinicius Augusto Diniz Silva and Robson Pederiva
The objective is the application of vibration analysis for the detection and diagnosis of low isolation between the stator coil wind and the voltage phase unbalance in induction…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective is the application of vibration analysis for the detection and diagnosis of low isolation between the stator coil wind and the voltage phase unbalance in induction motors with different numbers of poles. The purpose of this paper is to provide an approach for maintenance engineers for diagnosis electrical fault through the vibration analyses.
Design/methodology/approach
A detailed review of previous work carried out by some researchers and maintenance engineers in the area of machine fault detection is performed. By vibration analysis, the spectra were collected, which used to analyze the failure. Vibration spectra could detect particular characteristic for each fault in an initial condition, so the machine health can be preserved.
Findings
Results show the efficiency of the technique of vibration analysis and their relevance to detect and diagnose faults in different induction motors. In this way, it may be included in future predictive maintenance programs.
Practical implications
The paper presents a laboratory investigation carried out through an experimental set-up for the study of fault, mainly related to the stator winding inter-turn short circuit and voltage phase unbalance.
Originality/value
The main contribution of the paper has been the characterization of one more tool that makes the predictive maintenance process more efficient, effective and faster, increasing the reliability and availability of equipment.
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Paulo Cezar Monteiro Lamim Filho, Fabiano Bianchini Batista, Robson Pederiva and Vinicius Augusto Diniz Silva
The purpose of this paper is to introduce an algorithm based only on local extreme analysis of a time sequence to further the detection and diagnosis of inter-turn short circuits…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce an algorithm based only on local extreme analysis of a time sequence to further the detection and diagnosis of inter-turn short circuits and unbalanced voltage supply using vibration signals.
Design/methodology/approach
The upper and lower extreme envelopes from a modulated and oscillatory time sequence present a particular characteristic being of, theoretically, symmetrical versions with regard to amplitude reflection around the time axis. Thus, one may say that they carry the same characteristics in terms of waveforms and, consequently, frequency content. These envelopes can easily be built by an interpolation process of the local extremes, maximums and minimums, from the original time sequence. Similar to modulator signals, they contain more detailed and useful information about the required electrical fault frequencies.
Findings
Results show the efficiency of the proposed algorithm and its relevance to detecting and diagnosing faults in induction motors with the advantage of being a technique that is easy to implement in any computational code.
Practical implications
A laboratory investigation carried out through an experimental setup for the study of faults, mainly related to the stator winding inter-turn short circuit and voltage phase unbalance, is presented.
Originality/value
The main contribution of the work is the presentation of an alternative tool to demodulate signals which may be used in real applications like the detection of faults in three-phase induction machines.
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Celeste Eusébio, Maria João Carneiro, Mara Madaleno, Margarita Robaina, Vítor Rodrigues, Michael Russo, Hélder Relvas, Carla Gama, Myriam Lopes, Vania Seixas, Carlos Borrego and Alexandra Monteiro
Tourism may have important positive and negative economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts. However, cultural and natural resources are also the base to the development…
Abstract
Purpose
Tourism may have important positive and negative economic, socio-cultural and environmental impacts. However, cultural and natural resources are also the base to the development of competitive destinations and changes in these resources can have an important impact on tourism development. Despite the considerable literature regarding the impacts of tourism, a limited number of studies examine the impact of the environment on tourism, specifically the impact of air quality (AQ). Therefore, this paper aims to review what is known about the impact of AQ on tourism demand, analysing the different methods and approaches used, as well as the results obtained.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review method was used to examine the state of the art in this topic and identify research gaps and new research directions. Only 26 papers were identified that examine the impact of AQ on tourism demand.
Findings
The majority of the studies were carried out in China and investigate the impact of AQ on tourism from the perspective of tourism demand. Both global (tourism demand) and individual (tourist perceptions) approaches have been used to investigate the impact of AQ on tourism.
Originality/value
This is the first systematic literature review on the impact of outdoor AQ on tourism demand. Moreover, this paper analyses the methods and approaches that have been used in the literature to examine the impact of outdoor AQ on tourism demand. The paper ends with a discussion on the identified research gaps concerning the influence of AQ on tourism development.
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Joao Duarte, Isabel Espírito Santo, M. Teresa T. Monteiro and A. Ismael F. Vaz
This paper aims to provide an approach to print shell-type objects using a 5-axis printer. The proposed approach takes advantage of the two additional printer degrees of freedom…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide an approach to print shell-type objects using a 5-axis printer. The proposed approach takes advantage of the two additional printer degrees of freedom to provide a curved layer path planning strategy.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper addresses curved layer path planning on a 5-axis printer. This printer considers movements along the three usual axes together with two additional axes at the printing table (rotation and tilt), allowing to build more complex and reliable objects. Curved layer path planning is considered where polygons obtained from the slicing stage are approximated by linear and cubic splines. The proposed printing strategy consists in building an inner core supporting structure followed by outer curved layers.
Findings
The curved layer path planning strategy is validated for shell-type objects by considering a 5-axis printer simulator. An example with an aeronautic object is presented to illustrate the proposed approach.
Originality/value
The paper presents an approach to curved layer path planning on a 5-axis printer, for shell-type objects.
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Keywords
Sixty‐year‐old engineer and businessman, former minister of state and air force officer Ozires Silva has been inaugurated as Embraer's new chief executive officer in a ceremony…
Abstract
Sixty‐year‐old engineer and businessman, former minister of state and air force officer Ozires Silva has been inaugurated as Embraer's new chief executive officer in a ceremony presided over by the Minister for Air, brigadier Sócrates da Costa Monteiro, and attended by approximately 500 authorities and invited guests. Ozires replaces former CEO João Rodrigues da Cunha Neto, who resigned last June 26th.
Simone Alves Monteiro da Franca, Rodrigo Nunes Cavalcanti, Marta S. Madruga, Deyse Alves Pereira, Cristiani Viegas Brandão Grisi, Marciane Magnani, Geany Targino de Souza Pedrosa and Carolina Lima Cavalcanti de Albuquerque
The objective of this study was to evaluate the technical-economic process efficiency of obtaining simultaneous lipo-soluble (LSF) and water-soluble (WSF) fractions from annatto…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this study was to evaluate the technical-economic process efficiency of obtaining simultaneous lipo-soluble (LSF) and water-soluble (WSF) fractions from annatto seeds.
Design/methodology/approach
The batches of annatto seeds were submitted to the refrigerated solid-liquid extraction process in four stages: pre-extraction, aqueous extraction, separation by decantation and filtration. After that, LSF and WSF from annatto seeds were obtained. The process efficiency and the quality of LSF and WSF were analyzed in terms of average yield and bioactive compounds (bixin, norbixin, phenolics and flavonoids) and their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Furthermore, they were economically evaluated in terms of costs of manufacturing and profitability parameters.
Findings
The process was efficient in terms of overall average yield (LSF = 8.68% and WSF = 2.76%) (w/w) and in terms of quality, mainly with higher average yields of bixin (82.34% in LSF) and norbixin (29.59% in WSF) (w/w). The concentration of bioactive compounds in the fractions promoted an increase in inhibiting free radicals (DPPH* and ABTS*+) and in the ferric-reducing power (FRAP). LSF showed a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.06 mg mL-1 for S. aureus and 0.13 mg mL-1 for S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis. The lowest manufacturing costs were obtained for the LSF due to its higher extraction yield compared to the WSF. Plants on an industrial scale of 100 and 1000 L were considered economically viable, with a return on investment of 5 and 2 years.
Originality/value
Thus, fractions (WSF and LSF) can be applied as natural additives, as sources of bioactive compounds for nutraceutical and/or pharmaceutical, and in the development of other innovative processes. These results have practical applicability for pharmaceutical and food industry.
Highlights
Green processing of annatto seeds obtains fractions rich in antioxidant compounds.
Efficiently presents a high yield of bixin and other bioactive compounds.
Effective in concentrating compounds that inhibit microbial growth.
Fractions are more accessible sources of bioactive compounds for isolation.
Cost of manufacturing (COM) and profitability are studied.
Green processing of annatto seeds obtains fractions rich in antioxidant compounds.
Efficiently presents a high yield of bixin and other bioactive compounds.
Effective in concentrating compounds that inhibit microbial growth.
Fractions are more accessible sources of bioactive compounds for isolation.
Cost of manufacturing (COM) and profitability are studied.
Details