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This paper deals with the materials flow to the building site and how to make it meet the requirements of right quality, quantity, time and place. It offers a way to systematically map materials flow to the building site and send the right information to the supplier in order to get the right materials to the building site.

During recent years integration has been the key issue for many manufacturing organisations. The authors review recent developments and ongoing research work and propose a methodology based on existing tools and techniques which would allow integration of the material flow system with the supporting information system.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a computational approach to establish the effect of various flow drilling screw (FS) process and material parameters on the quality and the mechanical performance of the resulting FS joints.

Toward that end, a sequence of three distinct computational analyses is developed. These analyses include: (a) finite-element modeling and simulations of the FS process; (b) determination of the mechanical properties of the resulting FS joints through the use of three-dimensional, continuum finite-element-based numerical simulations of various mechanical tests performed on the FS joints; and (c) determination, parameterization and validation of the constitutive relations for the simplified FS connectors, using the results obtained in (b) and the available experimental results. The availability of such connectors is mandatory in large-scale computational analyses of whole-vehicle crash or even in simulations of vehicle component manufacturing, e.g. car-body electro-coat paint-baking process. In such simulations, explicit three-dimensional representation of all FS joints is associated with a prohibitive computational cost.

Virtual testing of the shell components fastened using the joint connectors validated the ability of these line elements to realistically account for the strength, ductility and toughness of the three-dimensional FS joints.

The approach developed in the present work can be used, within an engineering-optimization procedure, to adjust the FS process and material parameters (design variables) in order to obtain a desired combination of the FS-joint mechanical properties (objective function).

The purpose of this paper is to show how particle scale simulation of industrial particle flows using DEM (discrete element method) offers the opportunity for better understanding of the flow dynamics leading to improvements in equipment design and operation.

The paper explores the breadth of industrial applications that are now possible with a series of case studies.

The paper finds that the inclusion of cohesion, coupling to other physics such fluids, and its use in bubbly and reacting flows are becoming increasingly viable. Challenges remain in developing models that balance the depth of the physics with the computational expense that is affordable and in the development of measurement and characterization processes to provide this expanding array of input data required. Steadily increasing computer power has seen model sizes grow from thousands of particles to many millions over the last decade, which steadily increases the range of applications that can be modelled and the complexity of the physics that can be well represented.

The paper shows how better understanding of the flow dynamics leading to improvements in equipment design and operation can potentially lead to large increases in equipment and process efficiency, throughput and/or product quality. Industrial applications can be characterised as large, involving complex particulate behaviour in typically complex geometries. The critical importance of particle shape on the behaviour of granular systems is demonstrated. Shape needs to be adequately represented in order to obtain quantitative predictive accuracy for these systems.

This study aims to clarify systematically the contribution of material flow cost accounting (MFCA) to green supply chain management (GSCM) by examining the coordination mechanisms.

Two qualitative case studies are conducted in a major Japanese manufacturing company, which introduced MFCA in two different supply chains. The concept of coordination mechanisms in supply chain management is used to consolidate the understanding on the usefulness of MFCA in GSCM.

The study’s findings reveal the significant role played by MFCA in coordinating material flows and eliminating sub-optimization in the supply chain from both economic and environmental perspectives. Furthermore, the focal company in the chain has an important role as the MFCA leader in implementing MFCA in the chain. In particular, the environmental department can eliminate suppliers’ concerns regarding opportunistic buyer behaviors and focus on material flows across the supply chain.

The study highlights the possibility of reviewing existing transactions by coordinating material flows. This is a new direction for the adoption of MFCA in GSCM. In addition, although the study highlights the importance of the environmental department as an MFCA leader, future research is necessary to establish this aspect with greater precision.

The two case studies discussed in this paper demonstrate the usefulness of MFCA expansion into the supply chain, as well as information sharing and progression, in the development of GSCM.

This study will contribute to enhance the green supply chain by implementing MFCA.

This study indicates that MFCA can potentially reveal the material losses caused by sub-optimization and provide information to avoid sub-optimization in decision-making. Moreover, it highlights the importance of the environmental department as an MFCA leader.

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.

Building information modelling (BIM) and radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies have been extensively explored to improve supply chain visibility and coordination of material flow processes, particularly in the pursuit of Industry 4.0. It remains challenging, however, to effectively use these technologies to enable the precise and reliable coordination of material flow processes. This paper aims to propose a new workflow designed to include the use of detailed look-ahead plans when using BIM and RFID technologies, which can accurately track and match both the dynamic site needs and supply status of materials.

The new workflow is designed according to lean theory and is modeled using business process modeling notation. To digitally support the workflow, an integrated BIM-RFID database system is constructed that links information on material demands with look-ahead plans. The new workflow is then used to manage material flows in the erection of an office building with prefabricated columns. The performance of the new workflow is compared with that of a traditional workflow, using discrete event simulations. The input for the simulations was derived from expert opinion in semi-structured interviews.

The new workflow enables contractors to better observe on-site status and differences between the actual and planned material requirements, as well as to alert suppliers if necessary. The simulation results indicate that the new workflow has the potential to reduce the duration of the material flow processes by 16.1% compared with the traditional workflow.

The new workflow is illustrated using a real-world-like situation with input data based on expert opinion. Although the workflow shows potential, it should be tested on a real-world site.

The new workflow allows project participants to combine detailed near-term look-ahead plans with BIM and RFID technologies to better manage material flow processes. It is particularly useful for the management of engineer-to-order components considering the dynamic site progress.

The research improves on existing research focused on using BIM and RFID technologies to improve material flow processes by showing how the workflow can be adapted to use detailed look-ahead plans. It reinforces data-driven construction material management practices through improved visibility and reliability in planning and control of material flow processes.

The dryer feed chute of the pellet plant plays an important role in the pelletizing process. The chute discharges sticky and moist iron ore fines (<1 mm) to the inline rotary dryer for further processing. Since the inception of the installation of the dryer feed chute, the poor flowability of the feed materials has caused severe problems such as blockages and excessive wear of chute liners. This leads to high maintenance costs and reduced lifetime of the liner materials. Constant housekeeping is needed for maintaining the chute and reliable operation. The purpose of this study is to redesign the dryer feed chute to overcome the above challenges.

The discrete element method (DEM) has been used to model the flow of cohesive materials through the transfer chute. Physical experiments have been performed to understand the most severe flow conditions. A DEM material model is also developed for replicating the worst-case material condition. After identifying the key problem areas, concept designs were proposed and simulated to assess the design improvements to increase the reliability of chute operation.

Flow simulations correlated well with the existing flow behavior of the iron ore fines inside the chute. The location of the problematic areas has been validated with that of the previously installed chute. Subsequently, design modifications have been proposed. This includes modification of deflector plate and change in slope and cross-section of the chute. DEM simulations and analysis were conducted after incorporating these design changes. A comparison in the average velocity of particle and force on chute wall shows a significant improvement using the proposed design.

Method to calibrate DEM material model was found to provide accurate prediction and modeling of the flow behavior of bulk material through the real transfer chute. DEM provided greater insight into the performance of the chute especially modeling cohesive materials. DEM is a valuable design tool to assist chute designers troubleshoot and verify chute designs. DEM provides a greater ability to model and assess chute wear. This technique can help in achieving a scientific understanding of the flow properties of bulk solids through transfer chute, hence eliminate challenges, ensuring reliable, uninterrupted and profitable plant operation. This paper strongly advocates the use of calibrated DEM methodology in designing bulk material handling equipment.

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.

This paper aims to carry out experimental investigations highlighting the role of melt flow index (MFI) in fused deposition modelling (FDM) process by varying the proportion of the Fe powder which is being used as a filler material. An attempt has been made to standardize MFI of Nylon6-Fe composite material to be used as hybrid FDM filament.

In this research work, it is proposed to make a suitable blend of composite material for FDM filament which can be used directly for rapid tooling applications. Three controllable parameters (namely, composition/proportion of the filler for hybrid filament, extrusion temperature and extrusion load) were studied by using Taguchi L9 orthogonal array (O.A.) MFI which is an indication of flowability has been selected as output parameter.

MFI of hybrid composite filament material has been studied, and Taguchi’s L9 O.A. was applied under both the conditions of lower the better type and larger the better type. It is observed that the contribution of the extrusion load, extrusion temperature and proportion of the filler material is almost similar, whether lower the better type situation is considered or larger the better type is considered. Further, an attempt has been made to standardize the MFI of Nylon6-Fe composite material for industrial applications, as no standard is available for composites (presently, ASTM-D-1238-95 standard is being used for plastic based materials only).

In recent past, researchers have studied and analysed the flow of the material through the nozzle of the FDM machine, but very little work has been reported on study of the flow characteristics of filament material before the composite material is fed into the machine. This research can open new avenues in the field of MFI and deals with comparison of MFI of the existing FDM feedstock material with the new composite material. The developed feedstock material is ferromagnetic in nature and can find wide variety of industrial applications.