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This paper aims to realize an in-situ quality inspection system rapidly for new injection molding (IM) tasks via transfer learning (TL) approach and automation technology.

The proposed in-situ quality inspection system consists of an injection machine, USB camera, programmable logic controller and personal computer, interconnected via OPC or USB communication interfaces. This configuration enables seamless automation of the IM process, real-time quality inspection and automated decision-making. In addition, a MobileNet-based deep learning (DL) model is proposed for quality inspection of injection parts, fine-tuned using the TL approach.

Using the TL approach, the MobileNet-based DL model demonstrates exceptional performance, achieving validation accuracy of 99.1% with the utilization of merely 50 images per category. Its detection speed and accuracy surpass those of DenseNet121-based, VGG16-based, ResNet50-based and Xception-based convolutional neural networks. Further evaluation using a random data set of 120 images, as assessed through the confusion matrix, attests to an accuracy rate of 96.67%.

The proposed MobileNet-based DL model achieves higher accuracy with less resource consumption using the TL approach. It is integrated with automation technologies to build the in-situ quality inspection system of injection parts, which improves the cost-efficiency by facilitating the acquisition and labeling of task-specific images, enabling automatic defect detection and decision-making online, thus holding profound significance for the IM industry and its pursuit of enhanced quality inspection measures.

The study aims to compare and analyze the impact of the commonly used pallets (wooden pallet and plastic pallets), using life cycle assessment (LCA), then provide certain suggestions for the development of green packaging.

In this study, software Simapro was used to calculate and analyze the whole life cycle of pallets from the stage of raw materials and production to processing and waste disposal.

A total of 12 environmental categories were used to quantitatively analyze the environmental impact of the four different pallets. The results showed that, regardless of raw material, processing, or waste stage, the environmental impact of wooden pallet was lower than that of plastic pallet. Wooden pallet was better than plastic pallets.

This study compared and analyzed the pallet of 1 × 1.2m with different materials.

Green packaging is the development trend of the future packaging, which follows the principle of 3R1D. According to the calculation results, corresponding suggestions can be put forward from production, processing, using, wasting and other aspects, and make corresponding contributions to the development of green packaging.

The contribution and impact of each stage of the product on the environment can be studied. The environmental impact, such as global warming potential, water scarcity, can be reduced through different solutions such as the use of green materials, good processing techniques and higher recycling rates.

Polyurethane (PUR) foam parts are traditionally manufactured using metallic molds, an unsuitable approach for prototyping purposes. Thus, rapid tooling of disposable molds using fused filament fabrication (FFF) with polylactic acid (PLA) and glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate (PETG) is proposed as an economical, simpler and faster solution compared to traditional metallic molds or three-dimensional (3D) printing with other difficult-to-print thermoplastics, which are prone to shrinkage and delamination (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polypropilene-PP) or high-cost due to both material and printing equipment expenses (PEEK, polyamides or polycarbonate-PC). The purpose of this study has been to evaluate the ease of release of PUR foam on these materials in combination with release agents to facilitate the mulding/demoulding process.

PETG, PLA and hardenable polylactic acid (PLA 3D870) have been evaluated as mold materials in combination with aqueous and solvent-based release agents within a full design of experiments by three consecutive molding/demolding cycles.

PLA 3D870 has shown the best demoldability. A mold expressly designed to manufacture a foam cushion has been printed and the prototyping has been successfully achieved. The demolding of the part has been easier using a solvent-based release agent, meanwhile the quality has been better when using a water-based one.

The combination of PLA 3D870 and FFF, along with solvent-free water-based release agents, presents a compelling low-cost and eco-friendly alternative to traditional metallic molds and other 3D printing thermoplastics. This innovative approach serves as a viable option for rapid tooling in PUR foam molding.

Although it is a well-known notion that “a family firm does not survive beyond the third generation”, owing to the ineffective tacit knowledge transfer, studies investigating the relationship between generational evolution and knowledge innovation is scarce. Thus, this case study revolving Sin Kwang Plastic Resources Berhad (SKP) seeks to address this gap in literature.

To assess the development of family business, a longitudinal case study was performed by documenting the entire evolutionary process starting from its establishment until now. The historical profiles for SKP were obtained from the previous annual reports submitted to the government's Companies Commission (SSM). Secondary materials from the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) and the edge newspaper and articles on the company were also gathered. Throughout the in-depth interviews, the author can see how the next generation of this family firm innovates and implements tacit knowledge innovation in original equipment manufacturing (OEM) by adhering to the Japanese industrial standards.

Findings show that the second generation utilized the company's extensive knowledge in plastic contract manufacturing in SKP for tacit knowledge conversion, triggers the birth of STS Tecnic Berhad, a subsidiary company that manufactures plastic parts for the industrial packaging and automotive industry. To simplify the process of managing the complex business, SKP opted to “prune the family tree” by dividing the business, involving fewer managers and restricting the number of family shareholders.

This case study traces how Gan's family's tacit knowledge in plastic contract manufacturing have been acquired from the experience of contract manufacturing with the Japanese multinational corporations (MNCs) by further commercializing the tacit knowledge into different companies for different plants. SKP promotes tacit knowledge innovation in the learning organization, thus responding to the firm's sustainability.

This study demonstrates that knowledge transformation plays vital roles in product development and gaining competitive advantage. The success of this business is founded by the building of shared values, norms and technical understanding in plastic contract manufacturing among the Japanese MNCs in Malaysia.

The case delves into the significant factors contributing to the steep decline of Sintex shares, examining both external and internal factors. Internally, the primary drivers were the expansion plan, the demerger decision, financial mismanagement and the delayed and inadequate integration of Information Technology (IT) into the business.

Sintex, a prominent private sector company listed in the Indian stock markets, operated in the textile and plastics sectors. However, in 2017, Sintex underwent a demerger into two separate entities: Sintex Industries Limited (SIL) and Sintex Plastics Technology Limited (SPTL). While SIL focused on textiles, SPTL dealt with plastics. However, soon after the demerger, the share prices of both companies began plummeting, leading to significant losses for investors. This case investigates the reasons behind this decline through a step-by-step analysis.

This case is suitable for postgraduate students pursuing an MBA, MMS and executive programs such as PGDBM and PGDM, with a specialization in business strategy. It is also beneficial for participants in management development programs (MDPs) designed for higher level executives. Additionally, the case can serve as training material for executives undergoing strategic role training within an organization. It is recommended to teach the case toward the end of the course, where the instructor can provide a summary of the previous classes’ teachings.

CCS7: Management Science

Elmar Mock's extraordinary story began in a small village in Switzerland. Born in 1954, he was the son of an Austrian immigrant and a Swiss mother. School was difficult, as he struggled with dyslexia. Nevertheless, he graduated from engineering school, obtained a job with a Swiss manufacturer, ETA. By the age of 26, he had co-invented the Swatch. Following the accidental death of his brother, Stéphane, in 1985, he decided to leave his job and launch his own creativity and innovation consulting company, Creaholic, in 1986.

In 2014, Elmar retired from Creaholic and created with his second wife Hélène Mock née Kett, a second company: ‘Mock-Kett’. He has created more than 80 families of patents in various industries and has been involved in more than 600 projects. He is also a member of the advisory boards of some of the spin-offs incubated by Creaholic. He remains active as a speaker and international consultant with ‘Mock-Kett’, which promotes the motivational side of invention. He has received numerous awards and his book ‘The Innovation Factory’ has been published in three languages.

The case depicts a one-of-a-kind creative mindset and offers in-depth reflections on the concepts of creativity, innovation and intrapreneurship and their applications in organizations. ¹

This study aims to investigate the mechanical properties of sustainable recycled polypropylene (rPP) composite materials integrated with spherical silicon carbide (SiC) particles.

A representative volume element (RVE) analysis is employed to predict the Young’s modulus of rPP filled with spherical-shaped SiC at varying volume percentages (i.e. 10, 20 and 30%).

The investigation reveals that the highest values of Young’s modulus, tensile strength, flexural strength and mode 1 frequency are observed for the 30% rPP/SiC samples, exhibiting increases of 115, 116, 62 and 15%, respectively, compared to pure rPP. Fractography analysis confirms the ductile nature of pure rPP and the brittle behavior of the 30% rPP/SiC composite. Moreover, the RVE method predicts Young’s modulus more accurate than micromechanical models, aligning closely with experimental results. Additionally, results from ANSYS simulation tests show tensile strength, flexural strength and frequency within a 10% error range when compared to experimental data.

This study contributes to the field by demonstrating the mechanical enhancements achievable through the incorporation of sustainable materials like rPP/SiC, thereby promoting environmentally friendly engineering solutions.

This paper proposes a framework for the implementation of sustainability practices by individual companies and corresponding supply chains (SCs), considering the various SC tiers, the three dimensions of sustainability and the following critical areas: Governance, Product and Process, Customers and Suppliers Management, and Stakeholder focus.

Using several case studies of small- and medium-size companies, a qualitative methodology is used to develop the proposed framework.

The analysis of these case studies makes it possible to identify the sustainability practices that are the most important for practitioners, thereby reducing the number of sustainability practices specified in the literature and giving some insights regarding which should be used in addressing critical areas. A set of guidelines and actions is also suggested for managers to continue the path of sustainability.

Further studies in other cultural and national realities and industrial contexts are desirable to assess the proposed framework's suitability and the results obtained.

The results of this study show that the practices implemented are highly dependent on the resources that the company can mobilize and, on the choices, and commitment to sustainability on the part of top management.

The authors propose a framework to help individual companies and corresponding SCs to implement sustainability practices considering the various dimensions of sustainability, critical areas and SC's various partners.

It is of a great significance for the health monitoring of a liquid rocket engine to build an accurate and reliable fault prediction model. The thrust of a liquid rocket engine is an important indicator for its health monitoring. By predicting the changing value of the thrust, it can be judged whether the engine will fail at a certain time. However, the thrust is affected by various factors, and it is difficult to establish an accurate mathematical model. Thus, this study uses a mixture non-parametric regression prediction model to establish the model of the thrust for the health monitoring of a liquid rocket engine.

This study analyzes the characteristics of the least squares support vector regression (LS-SVR) machine . LS-SVR is suitable to model on the small samples and high dimensional data, but the performance of LS-SVR is greatly affected by its key parameters. Thus, this study implements the advanced intelligent algorithm, the real double-chain coding target gradient quantum genetic algorithm (DCQGA), to optimize these parameters, and the regression prediction model LSSVRDCQGA is proposed. Then the proposed model is used to model the thrust of a liquid rocket engine.

The simulation results show that: the average relative error (ARE) on the test samples is 0.37% when using LS-SVR, but it is 0.3186% when using LSSVRDCQGA on the same samples.

The proposed model of LSSVRDCQGA in this study is effective to the fault prediction on the small sample and multidimensional data, and has a certain promotion.

The original contribution of this study is to establish a mixture non-parametric regression prediction model of LSSVRDCQGA and properly resolve the problem of the health monitoring of a liquid rocket engine along with modeling the thrust of the engine by using LSSVRDCQGA.

The increasing accumulation of synthetic plastic waste in oceans and landfills, along with the depletion of non-renewable fossil-based resources, has sparked environmental concerns and prompted the search for environmentally friendly alternatives. Biodegradable plastics derived from lignocellulosic materials are emerging as substitutes for synthetic plastics, offering significant potential to reduce landfill stress and minimise environmental impacts. This study highlights a sustainable and cost-effective solution by utilising agricultural residues and invasive plant materials as carbon substrates for the production of biopolymers, particularly polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), through microbiological processes. Locally sourced residual materials were preferred to reduce transportation costs and ensure accessibility. The selection of suitable residue streams was based on various criteria, including strength properties, cellulose content, low ash and lignin content, affordability, non-toxicity, biocompatibility, shelf-life, mechanical and physical properties, short maturation period, antibacterial properties and compatibility with global food security. Life cycle assessments confirm that PHB dramatically lowers CO₂ emissions compared to traditional plastics, while the growing use of lignocellulosic biomass in biopolymeric applications offers renewable and readily available resources. Governments worldwide are increasingly inclined to develop comprehensive bioeconomy policies and specialised bioplastics initiatives, driven by customer acceptability and the rising demand for environmentally friendly solutions. The implications of climate change, price volatility in fossil materials, and the imperative to reduce dependence on fossil resources further contribute to the desirability of biopolymers. The study involves fermentation, turbidity measurements, extraction and purification of PHB, and the manufacturing and testing of composite biopolymers using various physical, mechanical and chemical tests.