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1 – 10 of 557Yuan Mao Huang and Yu‐Chung Liao
The purpose of this paper is to enhance the method developed by previous researchers. In addition to using the combined interference matrix, the combined connection matrix…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to enhance the method developed by previous researchers. In addition to using the combined interference matrix, the combined connection matrix and the combined contact matrix of product components, the disassembly sequence matrix and the combined instability matrix with platform to evaluate instability of sub‐assemblies are built, and effects of changes of sub‐assembly disassembly directions or tools and the effect of gravity are considered to obtain the best disassembly sequence for a product with many components. A computer program is generated and results of two cases are compared with those of the available studies.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology includes the combined interference matrix, the combined contact matrix and the combined connection matrix of components for a product. The combined instability matrix of sub‐assemblies, changes of sub‐assembly disassembly direction or tools, and the effect of gravity during operation are considered. The binary number system is used to simplify relations among components of a product.
Findings
This methodology enhances the existing method and software is generated. Results of two cases are compared and show the same optimum disassembly processes as those obtained from other researchers.
Research limitations/implications
All matrices are defined by the directions of x, y and z with three axes perpendicular to each other. The computer program generated cannot be used for a product with components that must be disassembled in the directions different from the axes.
Practical implications
Two cases are used to investigate feasibility of the proposed methodology with the computer program generated. The first one is an electric drill, and the second one is a flash lighter.
Originality/value
The methodology described in this paper is feasible for study of disassembly processes of products. The software generated can be used to obtain the optimum disassembly process of products.
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Yuan Mao Huang and Ching‐Shin Shiau
The purpose of this paper is to provide an optimal tolerance allocation model for assemblies with consideration of the manufacturing cost, the quality loss, the design…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an optimal tolerance allocation model for assemblies with consideration of the manufacturing cost, the quality loss, the design reliability index with various distributions to enhance existing models. Results of two case studies are presented.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper develops a model with consideration of the manufacturing cost, the Taguchi's asymmetric quadratic quality loss and the design reliability index for the optimal tolerance allocation of assemblies. The dimensional variables in normal distributions are initially used as testing and compared with the data from the prior researches. Then, the dimensional variables in lognormal distributions with the mean shift and the correlation are applied and investigated.
Findings
The results obtained based on a lognormal distribution and a normal distribution of the dimension are similar, but the tolerance with a lognormal distribution is little smaller than that with a normal distribution. The result of the reliability with the lognormal distribution obtained by the Monte‐Carlo is higher than that with a normal distribution. This paper shows that effects of the mean shift, the correlation coefficient and the replacement cost on the cost are significant and designers should pay attention to them during the tolerance optimization. The optimum tolerances of components of a compressor are recommended.
Research limitations/implications
The model is limited to the dimensions of components with the normal distribution and lognormal distributions. The implication should be enhanced with more data of dimension distributions and cost of assembly components.
Practical implications
Two case studies are presented. One is an assembly of two pieces and another is a compressor with many components.
Originality/value
This model provides an optimal tolerance allocation method for assemblies with the lowest manufacturing cost, the minimum quality loss, and the required reliability index for the normal distribution and lognormal distribution.
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This paper examines diverging views on the Chongqing model, the policy experiment led by Bo Xilai from 2007 to 2012 that was famous for its “red songs” and the campaign…
Abstract
This paper examines diverging views on the Chongqing model, the policy experiment led by Bo Xilai from 2007 to 2012 that was famous for its “red songs” and the campaign against organized crime. It has impressed both the supporters of socialist identity of China and the supporters of liberal identity and led to an intense debate concerning China’s path of development. This paper attempts to discuss and clarify to what extent the Chongqing model represented a genuine socialist experiment and the implications of the model for China’s future.
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The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical review of China’s anti-corruption efforts, from the ancient period of Chinese slavery societies to the late 1970s…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical review of China’s anti-corruption efforts, from the ancient period of Chinese slavery societies to the late 1970s before China launched its profound economic reform, under the current status of the harsh crusade against corruption that the Chinese new leadership initiated.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is mainly based on a great deal of historical literature and empirical findings, with relevant comparative analysis on policies and regulations between various periods of China.
Findings
The phenomenon of corruption has existed in Chinese history for thousands of years, throughout Chinese slavery societies, feudal societies, republic period and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Anti-corruption laws formed an important part of ancient Chinese legal system, and each dynasty has made continuous and commendable progress on fighting such misconduct. Innumerable initiatives have also been taken by the ruling party Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since the founding of the PRC. The PRC government created various specially designed government organizations and a series of updated regulations for preventing economic crimes. They have realized that periodic movements against corruption would no longer be helpful, and the paramount issue nowadays is indeed how bold the leaders are in striking out those unhealthy tendencies.
Originality/value
This paper fills in the blanks in the Western world with a comprehensive description of, and comments on, the historical efforts on China’s corruption and economic crime prevention. It also, in various ways, provides meaningful information that links to China’s current furious war against corruption.
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Lina Xu, Eagle Zhang and Corinne Cortese
The purpose of this paper is to consider the role of accounting in the construction and maintenance of political hegemony during Mao’s People’s Commune movement in China…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to consider the role of accounting in the construction and maintenance of political hegemony during Mao’s People’s Commune movement in China between 1958 and 1966. Drawing on concepts of ideological power and intellectual diffusion in political and civil society from Gramsci’s theory of hegemony, it analyses the process by which accounting intellectuals established a set of socialist accounting practices to meet the political challenges of the People’s Commune.
Design/methodology/approach
Gramsci’s theory is adopted to examine how the accounting systems of People’s Commune acted as a mechanism that reflected Mao’s political ideas.
Findings
This paper demonstrates that the accounting system that emerged during these socio-political movements served the ideological purpose of reinforcing Mao’s political ideology and his hegemonic leadership. Accounting functioned within the spheres of both political and civil society to facilitate a national collective will, and to construct behaviours that satisfied the political requirements of the People’s Commune.
Originality/value
This paper will contribute to the accounting history in China from 1958 to 1966.
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Mei Yang, Tingyu Huang, Ning Tang, Ben Ou and Wenhao Zhang
This paper aims to investigate the photocatalytic activity of zinc doped MAO-TiO2 films under the optimum MAO treatment condition.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the photocatalytic activity of zinc doped MAO-TiO2 films under the optimum MAO treatment condition.
Design/methodology/approach
The coating was prepared by micro arc oxidation, and the influence of doping on the properties of the coating was also investigated.
Findings
The results show that the BET surface area is 78.25±0.03m2/g, total pore area is 76.32 ± 0.04m2/g, and the total pore volume is 0.2135 ± 0.0004cm3/g. The degradation ratio of the film electrode with Zn-doped in methyl orange solution is up to 94%. When the react circles is 10 times, the degradation ratio is up to more than 85% and remains steady. With the different reaction conditions, these kinetics of the reactions show some different formulas.
Originality/value
A kinetic equation for photocatalytic activity is established.
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Bo Li, Bo Yuan, Shuai Tang, Yuwen Mao, Dongmei Zhang, Changyun Huang and Bilian Tan
This paper aims to investigate weight-climbing assistance strategy for the biomechanical design of passive knee-assisting exoskeleton (PKAExo) and evaluate a designed…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate weight-climbing assistance strategy for the biomechanical design of passive knee-assisting exoskeleton (PKAExo) and evaluate a designed PKAExo which stores energy when the knee joint flexes and releases the energy to assist ascending when the knee joint extends.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors constructed theoretic modeling of human weight-climbing to analyze characteristics of knee angle and moment. They then conducted camera-based movement analysis, muscle strength and endurance tests and surface electromyography (sEMG) measures to verify the relationship of knee angle and moment with both stair height and load weight. Afterwards, the authors proposed an assistant strategy for passive knee assistance, then gave out designed PKAExo and conducted mechanical experiment to test the knee-assisting torque. Finally, the authors conducted comparison experiment based on measuring the sEMG signals of knee extensor to verify the assistance effect of the PKAExo for weight-climbing.
Findings
The knee extensor produces the maximum force during weight-climbing, and the muscle force provided by knee extensor has significant increasing rate along with the stair height. Thus, the assistance torque of PKAExo is designed to increase nonlinearly along with increasing knee angle. It stores energy when knee flexes and assists when knee extends. Both the mechanical experiment and comparison experiment have demonstrated that the PKAExo is able to provide nonlinear assistance torque for weight-climbing, thus decreasing the average maximum load of knee extensor by about 21 per cent, reducing muscle fatigue and enhancing wearer’s weight-climbing ability.
Originality/value
The authors construct theoretic maximum force model produced by knee extensor for weight-climbing in static situation and conduct a series of experiments to verify and revise the model, which is the fundamental reference for knee-assisting mechanism designed for weight-climbing. The authors have also provided and validated an assistant strategy and the mechanism based on the biomechanical analysis, which aims to translate wearer’s energy-providing mode form high load to mid-low load by storing energy when knee flexes and assisting when knee extends. The PKAExo decreases the maximum load of knee extensor, reduces muscle fatigue and helps people to easily climb with load.
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Mengqi Yuan, Zhongfu Li, Xiaodong Li, Xiaowei Luo, Xianfei Yin and Jin Cai
Although prefabricated construction (PC) technology has attracted considerable attention worldwide because of its significant role in the global fight against COVID-19…
Abstract
Purpose
Although prefabricated construction (PC) technology has attracted considerable attention worldwide because of its significant role in the global fight against COVID-19, market-driven adoption is still limited. The mechanisms for PC technology adoption have yet to be defined, which inhibits its diffusion in the construction market. This study aims to reveal the intrinsic motivation and action mechanism for PC technology adoption.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on the technology acceptance model (TAM), the study integrates characteristics from the diffusion of innovation theory to propose a multifaceted model for explaining practitioners’ PC technology adoption behavior from technology, organization and environment contexts. The proposed theoretical model was empirically examined via a survey of 234 professionals in mainland China using the partial least squares-structural equation modeling technique.
Findings
The outcomes indicated that relative advantage, corporate social responsibility and market demand are significantly positively related to practitioners’ perceived usefulness from PC technology. Regulatory support and trading partner support have noticeable positive effects on practitioners’ perceived ease of use from PC technology. Perceived ease of use is found to positively influence perceived usefulness, and both of them have a positive influence on the attitude toward adopting PC technology. Attitude is further confirmed as an important predictor of adoption intention, which would lead to actual PC technology adoption behavior.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to explore industry perceptions toward PC technology adoption, providing valuable guidance for the effective diffusion of PC technology and laying a reliable foundation for research on other construction innovation adoption in post-COVID-19.
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Gives a bibliographical review of the finite element methods (FEMs) applied for the linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic analyses of basic structural elements from the…
Abstract
Gives a bibliographical review of the finite element methods (FEMs) applied for the linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic analyses of basic structural elements from the theoretical as well as practical points of view. The range of applications of FEMs in this area is wide and cannot be presented in a single paper; therefore aims to give the reader an encyclopaedic view on the subject. The bibliography at the end of the paper contains 2,025 references to papers, conference proceedings and theses/dissertations dealing with the analysis of beams, columns, rods, bars, cables, discs, blades, shafts, membranes, plates and shells that were published in 1992‐1995.
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Ting-Ling Lin, Heng-Yih Liu, Chi-Jui Huang and Yu-Chiung Chen
This paper aims to examine the effect of ownership structure and board gender diversity on charitable donations for a group of listed electronics companies in Taiwan.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the effect of ownership structure and board gender diversity on charitable donations for a group of listed electronics companies in Taiwan.
Design/methodology/approach
Using linear regression analysis, this paper analyses the ownership structure, board gender diversity and charitable donations of 380 Taiwanese electronics companies (2011-2013).
Findings
While domestic institutional investors, such as domestic mutual funds and corporate investors, take more of agency logic view, it negatively impacts on charitable donations. However, the empirical findings of this paper indicate that board gender diversity with the critical number of female directors was positively related to charitable donation. Thus, it is clear that female directors reaching critical numbers were taking more of a stakeholder view of institutional logic, emphasizing the balance of interests of internal and external stakeholders.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is limited to selected Taiwanese electronics companies over a two-year time frame, and charitable donations are the only proxy of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity. The paper suggests that, as predicted by stakeholder theory and critical mass theory, companies with boards composed of at least three female directors make higher charitable donations.
Practical implications
This paper indicates that female directors on the board should have more voices on the board regarding the necessity and importance of CSR.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to existing literature by looking into the effects of ownership structure and board gender diversity on charitable donations.
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